WEMUPs untangle web of online entreprenuership
“Being a hermit does not help you become successful,” said Joshua Johnson, who started Cincinnati’s WEMUP, or web entrepreneur meetup. These face-time events “allow you to connect with others to help you create a web business.” Johnson is the founder and CEO of Mindbox Studios. The pace of a WEMUP is energetic. Sponsors provide coffee for fifteen minutes of networking. A door prize is awarded, usually a business book. Then, participants hold what Johnson calls “a napkin session.” “We pass around a napkin, and in 2 minutes, create a business.” Johnson hopes to start posting these business plans for online voting in October and November. Each month, Johnson and his staff select a Spotlight Entrepreneur. He or she pitches his business or business plan, then asks the others in attendance for help. “It can be anything from creative blocks to looking for partners.” Johnson stressed the organic way WEMUP has grown through word-of-mouth. “We’re doing this for real web entrepreneurs, legit businesses, not opportunists. We want to increase the value in the region and attract new jobs. Three years from now, we’d like to have a WEMUP group at every local university. If we could see funding, patents, and case studies come out of WEMUP, it would be great.” Past speakers at Cincinnati’s WEMUPs include Todd Henry of accidentalcreative.com, with a nationally-ranked business podcast, and Debba Haupert of girlfriendology.com, a popular social networking site. WEMUP’s July 16 meeting featured Bill Cunningham of NKU’s Entrepreneurial Institute, and Rob Daly, CEO of CincyTech’s launch team, a regional venture development organization. Thirty entrepreneurs were in attendance, including fifteen from out of town. Future speakers include Elizabeth Edwards of the Cincinnati Innovates competition and InOneWeekend, an organization for entrepreneurs. WEMUPs take place on the third Thursday of each month, 6:30-8:30 P.M., at Oakley’s Red Tree Gallery. The next meeting is August 20. Lucas Cole, Ford Knowlton, and Jenny Johns also assist with the management of WEMUP. Written by: Elena Stevenson Source: Joshua Johnson, www.wemup.com, www.nku.edu
“Being a hermit does not help you become successful,” said Joshua Johnson, who started Cincinnati’s WEMUP, or web entrepreneur meetup. These face-time events “allow you to connect with others to help you create a web business.” Johnson is the founder and CEO of Mindbox Studios.
The pace of a WEMUP is energetic. Sponsors provide coffee for fifteen minutes of networking. A door prize is awarded, usually a business book. Then, participants hold what Johnson calls “a napkin session.” “We pass around a napkin, and in 2 minutes, create a business.” Johnson hopes to start posting these business plans for online voting in October and November.
Each month, Johnson and his staff select a Spotlight Entrepreneur. He or she pitches his business or business plan, then asks the others in attendance for help. “It can be anything from creative blocks to looking for partners.” Johnson stressed the organic way WEMUP has grown through word-of-mouth. “We’re doing this for real web entrepreneurs, legit businesses, not opportunists. We want to increase the value in the region and attract new jobs. Three years from now, we’d like to have a WEMUP group at every local university. If we could see funding, patents, and case studies come out of WEMUP, it would be great.”
Past speakers at Cincinnati’s WEMUPs include Todd Henry of accidentalcreative.com, with a nationally-ranked business podcast, and Debba Haupert of girlfriendology.com, a popular social networking site. WEMUP’s July 16 meeting featured Bill Cunningham of NKU’s Entrepreneurial Institute, and Rob Daly, CEO of CincyTech’s launch team, a regional venture development organization. Thirty entrepreneurs were in attendance, including fifteen from out of town. Future speakers include Elizabeth Edwards of the Cincinnati Innovates competition and InOneWeekend, an organization for entrepreneurs.
WEMUPs take place on the third Thursday of each month, 6:30-8:30 P.M., at Oakley’s Red Tree Gallery. The next meeting is August 20. Lucas Cole, Ford Knowlton, and Jenny Johns also assist with the management of WEMUP.
Written by: Elena Stevenson
Source: Joshua Johnson, www.wemup.com, www.nku.edu
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