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I spent the second half of last week in Austin, Texas. (I was a speaker at the North America Forrester Technology & Innovation summit.) It's the first time I have been in Austin in person since the 2019 SXSW.

I am on the advisory board for SXSW Pitch, the annual SXSW startup contest. South by Southwest, abbreviated as SXSW and colloquially referred to as "South By", is an annual conglomeration of music, film, and interactive media festivals and conferences that take place in mid-March in Austin. SXSW Pitch is part of the "interactive" portion of the event.

Since 2009, SXSW Pitch participants have received $14.5 billion in funding. Before the pandemic it was not unusual for me to meet up with Boston area startups at the Austin airport. They would be coming home with big checks under their arms. Literally. They hand out these giant checks and who doesn't want to take the giant check home to share with their team, family and friends.

Apply now to showcase your #startup in front of industry experts, high-profile media professionals, and investors in Austin next March! 2023 SXSW Pitch will feature 40 Interactive technology companies from eight different categories: Artificial Intelligence, Voice, & Robotics; Enterprise & Smart Data; Entertainment, Media & Content; Food, Nutrition, & Health; Future of Work; Innovative World Technologies; Metaverse & Web3; and Smart Cities, Transportation & Sustainability.

Boston has a great track record at SXSW Pitch - let's keep it going!

Bobbie & the MIN Team

Lioness for the Female Entrepreneur is our digital magazine for women who are starting (or thinking about starting) companies. Lioness gives entrepreneurs the latest news, tools and resources to launch and scale startups. Here are just a few of this week's features:

Are you running events of interest to startups and entrepreneurs in the Boston area? Submit your events to the Mass Innovation Nights community calendar! For years we have been promoting local events to the community and now we have a better way to collect the information from you! Just fill out the form on our website, and we'll add your event to the community calendar on our website, and in our weekly newsletter!

Join Branchfood and a panel of experts to learn about the key components of scaling a food business. We will talk about identifying and partnering with co-manufacturers, what to look for when evaluating and working with distributors, and the importance of legal agreements that govern your relationships with partners, retailers and others. More information here.

·        Basics of Starting a Business 1:00 – 4:00 pm

·        Barracuda Bowl 3:30 – 8:00 pm

·        Patenting Strategies for Entrepreneurs – FREE Lunch and Learn 10:00 am – 3:00 pm

·        Steps to Start a Business 11:00 am – 12:00 pm

·        Why & How to Certify Your Business as "Women-Owned" 12:00 – 1:00 pm

·        Instagram Deep Dive: Learn to use the latest features to grow your account 12:00 – 1:30 pm

·        Structuring Your Company 7:00 – 8:30 pm

·        Excel Formulas - They Can Do More than Just Math 10:00 am

·        Starting a Business 12:00 – 1:00 pm

·        Bookkeeping Tips for Tax Season 3:30 – 5:00 pm

·        GET READY- For Government Contracting 9:00 – 10:00 am

·        The Ins and Outs of Scaling a Food Business 10:00 - 11:00 am

·        Business Foundation: Financing a Business 12:00 pm

·        How Can Small Businesses Win the War on Talent? 12:00 – 1:30 pm

·        Latino Small Business Summit 1:00 – 8:30 pm

·        EnergyBar: Go Make 2022 Kickoff 5:00 – 8:00 pm

·        The 2022 Eddies Innovation Showcase 5:00 - 7:00 pm

·        Go Make 2022 Kickoff Event 5:00 – 8:00 pm

·        Chilean Startup Showcase 6:00 – 7:00 pm

·        Innovation and Investment Landscape in Latin America 7:00 – 7:30 pm

·        Planning for Growth: Taking Your Business to the Next Level 10:00 am – 12:00 pm

FOR THE FULL LISTING OF ALL UPCOMING EVENTS, VISIT OUR BLOG!

The latest edition of the FORGE Product Development Grant program will award non-dilutive grants up to $25,000 in partnership with the Wells Fargo Innovation Incubator (IN2). The winning startups will be able to use the FORGE Product Development Grants to address a specific product development challenge critical to the company’s ability to scale and reach the marketplace. The application deadline is October 28, 2022. Learn more here.

Science Clubs for Girls is looking for additional Volunteer Mentors for their in-person Science Clubs at Mother Caroline Academy! If you or someone you know is studying or working in a STEM field and interested in becoming a role model for young scientists and developing the next generation of diverse leaders, apply today! More information here.

Looking for more featured accelerator information, pitch contests, design contests, funding sources, or other resources for local entrepreneurs? Head over to our blog page for an updated listing of the latest events and resources from organizations like:

We're hiring! Our group (5 companies - Carlton PR & Marketing, Innovation Nights, Innovation Women, My Speaker Leads and Lioness Magazines) has several positions open. Check out our careers page.

Learn more or send us a resume. Let's talk! (We are a flexible operation with a combination of full and part-time remote positions.)

Have you joined our "gaggle" yet? MIN alum GaggleAMP helps us manage our social media amplification program. We send members content to share about startups, events and the innovation community. You choose what to share through your social networks. Join us! It's a great way to support the local community and get great content to share. Become a MINion too!