Written by Julia Rodriquez

The Google tech start up weekend is being hosted at VSU on June 17-18. The program is a chance to pitch business ideas, and work on making them a reality. Executives from industries such as Twitter, Facebook, Microsoft and more will be attending to give training on how to start and run a business.

“A curator for Google wanted to come to Valdosta to show big companies that people everywhere have ideas, they just need a medium to bring these ideas to life,” said Stephen Hall, senior communication major at VSU and member of Works for Good.

“You don’t have to live in a big city to have potential to do great things.”

At the end of the event, a winner will be announced and the team will receive $250 thousand dollars to start its business. The group will be flown to Las Vegas for six weeks to work on it. Other prizes may be available for runner-ups who are put into the accelerated program.

The two-day event will be held at VSU’s new STEM facility and begins on Friday, June 17 with a workshop. It concludes the following day with a boot camp. Students of VSU and any school are given free admission with a student ID. Non-students will need to pay an admission fee of $99.

“The tech start up weekend is for anyone who is passionate about technology or is an entrepreneur,” said VSU alumnus Roosevelt Standifer, CEO & founder of Works for Good and program organizer. “You can bring your concepts and ideas to the table and have an opportunity to grow them into companies, with provided resources of leading experts, supported by Google.”