Are you ready for Manitoba’s highly anticipated startup event of the year?
Do you have a business idea that’s been rolling around in your head?
Want a way to fast-track your idea into an actual business? 

North Forge is pleased to announce that RampUp Weekend is back!

RampUp Weekend is North Forge’s premier event that pulls together developers, designers, makers, and entrepreneurs to build a minimum viable product (MVP) in a weekend! Taking place the weekend of May 26 – 28, RampUp Weekend is the perfect opportunity to turn your innovative ideas into a reality.  

Over the course of the weekend participants will work in teams to develop their ideas and build a working prototype of their MVP. With access to the best mentors and resources, you’ll have everything you need to turn your ideas into a successful product. At the end of the weekend, teams will pitch their ideas for the chance to win $10,000 and have their prototype built by a team in the Red River College ACE Project Space!

Want to participate but not sure if this event is for you? An ideal startup team Includes a mix of hipsters, hustlers, and hackers. These three roles complete an ideal combination.

Hipsters bring creative energy to the idea. They are typically the marketers, graphic designers, UI Designers (User Interface), UX Designers (User Experience) who bring the startups’ stories to life. With the right marketing plan, customers will capture the essence of the product or service and buy into their story.

Hackers are technology experts and rockstar problem solvers! Software Developers (Front End and Back End) and Engineers bring their toolkit of tech experiences and solutions to build the actual product or service. They establish the foundational tech that forms the building blocks of these businesses. The technical aspects they produce, combined with a compelling marketing plan from the Hipsters, will result in a product that’s hard to miss.  

Hustlers take the Hipsters and Hackers’ wonderful work and get it into the hands of customers! They are typically in the fields of sales, accounting, business advising, business model development, and legal. Hustlers eat, sleep, and breathe business strategy and guide their whole startup through the ups and downs of entrepreneurship. Startup culture is rooted in their decisions and they keep everyone on track towards their goals

Judges for our 14th RampUP Weekend are: 

• Joel Semeniuk, Chief Strategy Officer at Communitech
• Chris Giantspoulos, Advisor and Venture Specialist at MaRS Discovery District
• Joelle Foster, CEO at North Forge Technology Exchange

Did we mention that this is FREE!! Don’t miss your chance to join, register here!

Keep your eyes peeled for updates and announcements!

Thank you to this year’s RampUp Sponsors!