StartUp Story Slam returns to Benjamin’s Desk in Philadelphia on Monday, April 17th! Our theme is “The Winding Path,” and will be the first of several StorySlams throughout the year. Join us at 1608 Walnut St., 12th Floor, Philadelphia, PA.
If you would like to tell a story, sign up upon arrival. What do we mean by the theme The Winding Path?
The phenomenon of “mail order brides” in Philadelphia began in the late 1800s with the arrival of Eastern European immigrants. These women, often from impoverished backgrounds, would advertise themselves as potential wives in newspapers or through matchmaking agencies. They would then be matched with men in America who were looking for a wife, and travel to the United States to marry them. While some of these marriages were successful and led to happy relationships, others were fraught with abuse and exploitation.
In response to these issues, Congress passed the International Marriage Broker Regulation Act in 2005, which requires background checks for men seeking foreign brides and education about domestic violence for women migrating to the US as marriage partners.
Despite this legislation, the mail order bride industry continues to thrive, with 10,000-15,000 marriages between American men and foreign brides taking place each year. Today, women from a variety of countries can be found advertising themselves as mail order brides, including countries in Asia, Eastern Europe, and Latin America. It is important to note that while these marriages can be successful, there are still cases of exploitation and abuse within the industry. Prospective couples should educate themselves on the potential challenges of a cross-cultural marriage before entering into one.
Entrepreneurs know that the road to success is laden with potholes, traffic jams and other obstacles. Perhaps your success came only after you changed strategy, rebranded yourself, or created a totally new market. Success is never linear, but it is a winding road.
Join us on Wednesday, December 7th for our first ever Powermatch Story Slam at Headroom in Wayne, PA. We start telling stories at 6pm and you could tell yours! We’re looking for your five minute story about starting or running or working at a company. Tell us a story that gave you an important lesson, maybe a tale about what you learned from failure, or possibly an unlikely success.
Headroom Wayne is located at 230 Sugartown Road, Wayne, PA. Reserve your seats and we’ll see you December 7th!
StartUp StorySlam returns to New Jersey! Join us at Burlington County Library for our “Courage” StorySlam on December 1st, 2016. We start telling stories at 6:30pm. Burlington County Library is located at 5 Pioneer Blvd in Westhampton, NJ.
Sharing stories about the trials and tribulations of starting a company is a powerful experience. Whether you want to tell your five-minute true business story or just want to listen to others tell their tales, you’ll enjoy the night and gain insights! Each storyteller will tell their five minute tale and a panel of judges will choose a winner based on content and presentation.
The theme for the night is “Courage.” Tell about how you left your “cushy” corporate job to chase your dream. Maybe you were inspired by the persistence of a businesswoman in your field. Do you find inspiration from artists, athletes, writers, etc.? Dig deep and tell us about what you have learned about Courage!
Grab your tickets now and come on out!
StartUp Story Slam is teaming up with the Philly Immigrant Innovation Hub for a special summer StorySlam with a focus on stories by immigrant entrepreneurs! Come out on Wednesday, June 29th at 6:30 pm and tell your story or just cheer on others! PhillyIHub is located at 6700 Germantown Avenue, Mt Airy, PA. Grab your tickets below!
At StartUp StorySlam, we hear five minute stories about starting, working in, and operating a business. We want to hear about the “why” behind running a business. Tell us a story about the moment your realized the real “why” you work hard every day. Give us a story about how you came to start your business or how you came to find the job you are currently in. We want to hear the funniest story, the saddest tale, the most inspiring saga that you have told your fellow co-workers, family and friends.
The Philadelphia Immigrant Innovation Hub provides aspiring entrepreneurs and established small business owners with the tools and expertise they need to develop their businesses. Based in the Northwest Philadelphia neighborhood of Mt. Airy, the program welcomes both immigrant newcomers and longtime residents who have the ambition to start or grow a commercial enterprise.
Pick up your tickets and we’ll see you on Wednesday, June 29th! Click here for TICKETS!
StartUp StorySlam returns to Philadelphia’s Benjamin’s Desk on June 2nd with the theme “Bad Decisions!” This is the finale for our 2015-2016 season and we start telling stories at 6:30pm.
Come listen or sign up and tell your story about the worst decision you ever made! We want to know how you screwed it up, and if you were able to turn it around or if you let it fail. We’re making thousands of decisions every day and some are bound to be Bad Decisions! How have you failed forward fast?
Benjamin’s Desk is located at 1701 Walnut Street in Philadelphia. To order your tickets for the June 2nd “Bad Decisions” Story Slam today and prepare your story! Listeners are also wanted!
Storytellers from the first ever Washington DC StartUp StorySlam posed together at MakeOffices.
Marcus Bullock told the story of how being incarcerated as a teen led him to the the idea of starting Flikshop, an app that allows the family and friends of loved ones to easily share their digital photos with loved ones who are in prison. His story gave Marcus the first place win and he was awarded a 5-day membership to MakeOffices and a StartUp StorySlam t-shirt.
Our inaugural DC StartUp StorySlam was so much fun. Erika Ettin told the story about the origins of her online dating consultation service. Peter Mellen and David Conley shared inspiring stories about why they jumped into entrepreneurship. Lisa Vogt discussed how her breast cancer led to changes in her life. Arianna Scavetti told of how she decided to become a lawyer at the age of twelve. We heard many interesting and inspiring stories at the event.
Thanks to all our storytellers, our judges, and those who came out to cheer the storytellers on. Thanks to MakeOffices Dupont for hosting us and thanks to Mayor Bowser for retweeting us!
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Here is Marcus’s inspiring story.
Kyle Tevlin won our StartUp StorySlam in Philadelphia with her tale of starting her business “I Want a Fun Funeral.” The theme of the night was Rebel! You can watch Kyle’s winning story below. To watch other stories from the night, click to the StartUp StorySlam YouTube Channel.
We also want to give a shout out of thanks to our featured storyteller of the night. Rick Nucci told about the important decision he and his team made while transitioning Boomi from one type of company to another, and how this decision paid off when they were finally bought by Dell.
Our next Philadelphia Story Slam will be June 2nd at Benjamin’s Desk. We also have May Story Slams in Chicago and Washington DC! Learn more by clicking on our Events Page.
Walter Gillmer (center, above) is a serial entrepreneur, and now he is the winner of our “Disruption” Story Slam! Walter told a story of how he started a business by noticing a need, and ended up selling the business eighteen months later for a ton of cash!
Our Philly Tech Week “Disruption” Story Slam was sponsored by HeadRoom co-working space with additional sponsorships from AT&T and the Delco Chamber of Commerce. We heard ten interesting stories on the night, with featured storyteller Corey Furlan, who told the story of he he and friends formed “Sons of Ben” and brought major league soccer to the Delaware Valley. Stories covered such topics as tech nightmares, being fired, hypnosis, time machines, writing, being audited by the IRS, freelancing, and starting a non-profit to help adults with autism.
Thanks to all our storytellers, our judges – Trish McFarland from the Delco Chamber of Commerce, Joe Divis, Executive Director of AT&T, and John Tooher, co-founder of HeadRoom, and our emcee Steve Clark.
Here is Warren’s winning story. To see more stories told on this night, check out the StartUp StorySlam YouTube Channel. And don’t forget – our next StorySlam is at Benjamin’s Desk in Philadelphia on May 10th. Learn more by clicking HERE.
StartUp StorySlam returns to Benjamin’s Desk on Tuesday, May 10th with the theme “Rebel!” Come on out and tell your story about being a rebel, or meeting a rebel, or that time you actually did rebel! Setting out on one’s own takes a rebellious attitude. Leaving one’s corporate job to seek out one’s personal path takes guts. Did your co-workers realize you were rebellious or did they just think you’d gone crazy? We all know that entrepreneurs need to have a bit of that “rebel spirit” in them, and we want to hear how you’ve been inspired!
Want to learn more about StartUp StorySlam? Click HERE to read Diane Mastrull’s article from the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Business section, which ran on Sunday, April 24th.
Our May 10th StartUp StorySlam will start at 6:30 pm at Benjamin’s Desk, which is located at 1701 Walnut St., Philadelphia, PA. If you would like to tell your story, sign up when you arrive. We pull names out of a hat to determine the order. All stories are recorded and placed on the StartUp StorySlam YouTube channel for you to share with friends. Get your tickets below.