Northwest Arkansas Techstars Startup Weekend will be held April 5-7 at the Brewer Family Entrepreneurship Hub in Fayetteville. 

A rapid-fire, adrenaline-fueled 48-hour event, Startup Weekend gives aspiring entrepreneurs a chance to find out if their ideas for a startup are viable. Attendees work with local engineers, developers, and innovators, building a network of experienced mentors and advisors. The weekend begins with pitching ideas and forming teams on Friday night, developing business plans and basic prototypes on Saturday, and then presenting for judging and awards on Sunday.

Participants from all backgrounds — developers, engineers, venture capitalists, graphic artists, accountants, PR/marketing, attorneys, and college students, to name a few — are encouraged to attend.  Local industry leaders and startup veterans will give feedback and mentorship throughout the weekend to all teams.

The Northwest Arkansas Startup Weekend has been influential in the careers of local entrepreneurs entering the startup scene. Trove, a board game storage startup founded by Amy Pedid, was launched after winning first place at last year's Startup Weekend Maker Edition.

Haley Allgood, Startup Weekend lead orgnizer and executive director of the Startup Junkie Foundation, says she is excited about new startups that could come of this year's event. "The Northwest Arkansas Startup Weekend has established a reputation for collaboration and taking action," she said. "As some of our past attendees are now returning to coach, we couldn't be more excited about the momentum that Startup Weekend is building for the community."

The University of Arkansas Office of Entrepreneurship and Innovation has partnered with Startup Junkie Foundation to host this year's event. Discounted tickets are available for students. Tickets are also available to the public who want to attend the demos and presentations taking place on Sunday. For tickets and more information, visit the Startup Weekend website.