Office buildings and the elevated tracks along a downtown Evanston street. Photo: Eric Fredericks from Rancho Cordova, CA, United States / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
Five Evanston startups were scheduled to take the stage Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2014, for the third Evanston Startup Showcase, a pitch evening held from 5 to 8 p.m. in the auditorium at Rotary International’s headquarters, 1560 Sherman Ave. The auditorium seats 186.
The showcase was part of Evanston Entrepreneurship Week, an inaugural run of events organized by the City of Evanston and Now We’re Cookin’ that overlapped with Global Entrepreneurship Week, according to the Daily Northwestern. The week ran Nov. 17 to 23.
How the evening worked
The program opened with a keynote from an experienced Evanston entrepreneur. Alumni of earlier showcases then gave short updates on how contacts made at the last event had helped their companies.
The pitches followed a strict format. Each of the five chosen founders had five minutes to describe the business and make what organizers called an ask: technical help, expertise, money or other resources needed for the next stage. A panel of proven entrepreneurs then took five minutes of questions, followed by five minutes from the audience. Anyone in the room able to meet an ask was invited to find that founder at the networking reception afterward.
Entrepreneurs who wanted to pitch had to apply by Nov. 3. Registration for attendees was handled online. Paul Zalmezak, the city’s senior economic development coordinator, was the listed contact for inquiries.
Earlier showcases had drawn about 150 people, a mix of investors, entrepreneurs, service providers, mentors, members of the public and elected officials. The format is aimed at connecting founders with students, funders, developers and designers in the city. A 2013 showcase, covered by the Daily Northwestern, put Northwestern-linked startups in front of Evanston businesses.
Who backed it
Private-sector sponsors listed for the 2014 event were Rotary International, Creative Coworking, Now We’re Cookin’ and the building at 820 Davis St. and 825 Chicago Ave.
Rotary International, the service organization, is headquartered in Evanston. Its building at 1560 Sherman Ave. is a downtown Evanston high-rise.
Organizers framed the showcase as a way to celebrate local innovation and let founders tap the knowledge and talent already in the community. Other events during the week included free startup workshops, a Women’s Entrepreneurship Day program at Now We’re Cookin’ on Nov. 19, and a brewery tour.
Event details come from organizer announcements; background on the week is from the Daily Northwestern’s Nov. 17, 2014 report.
Daniel Okafor covers business, startups and the Innovators section for The Evanston Edge.
