Startup Rewind is a new forum for entrepreneurs to pitch their startups from 7 to 8:15 a.m. on the first Wednesday of the month at Deer Creek Country Club, 7000 W. 133rd St. in Overland Park.
Sponsored by the Overland Park South Rotary Club, Startup Rewind began in January and was inspired by 1 Million Cups, the weekly startup pitch event at the Kauffman Foundation.
“It’s almost exactly like 1 Million Cups,” said Startup Rewind organizer Mike Meyer, a regular attendee of 1 Million Cups. “There are a lot of these entrepreneurs who’ve been around Kansas City, and they’ve presented at other startup-type events. And this is to give them another chance to be in front of a different audience in southern Johnson County.”
Like 1 Million Cups, the format of Startup Rewind features two entrepreneurial speakers. Each speaker discusses their startup for six minutes, followed by a question-and-answer session. Although speakers aren’t actually required to have previously pitched their company to another business audience, that’s the working formula for now.
“I was very impressed with the way (1 Million Cups) vetted their speakers,” Meyer said. “So, until we got our sea legs under us, we felt that it would make sense to use seasoned speakers that we had seen.”
Startup Rewind wraps by 8:15 a.m. to give southern Johnson County residents the chance to attend the event, briefly network afterward and still make it to work on time, said Meyer, co-owner of Meyer Music, a family music store business since 1966 in the Kansas City area.
A secondary reason for Startup Rewind’s early morning slate on the first Wednesday of the month, Meyer said, was so that it wouldn’t go head-to-head with 1 Million Cups, which starts at 9 a.m. every Wednesday.
“That absolutely played into our decision,” Meyer said. “One of the goals of Rotary, in general, is to ask: ‘Is it fair to all concerned, and is it going to build good will and better friendship?’ We wanted to make it so that if somebody really wanted to get to (1 Million Cups), too, they could still get there.”
Behind the scenes, Meyer said, “we were communicating with 1 Million Cups all along the way, so that they knew what we were doing and it wouldn’t come as a surprise. Their goal is for there to be more entrepreneurs with more opportunities, and that’s exactly what we want to do, too.”
Startup Rewind was also created as a vehicle for the Overland Park South Rotary Club to more effectively reach out to younger businesspeople.
“If we hope to appeal to the younger generation, and the new startup world of kids who are the next generation of entrepreneurs, we have to take it into a different arena,” Meyer said. “And that’s where 1 Million Cups really hit it on the head by changing up. You’d traditionally go to a meeting and hear somebody speak for 30 to 45 minutes. Today’s younger group, they need it faster: Give me six minutes, give me the high points and then let me lead where this goes.”
How can startups get involved in Startup Rewind?
“The best thing they can do to be engaged is come to Startup Rewind and introduce themselves, and think about getting involved in the community that Rotary is promoting,” Meyer said. “Then, if they’re interested in presenting, let us know.”
For more information, go to startuprewind.com.
