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!
Click at the bottom to sign up for our newsletter, so we can let you know when StartUp StorySlam is taking place, it could be in your city!
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.
Click Here to visit the Brown Paper Tickets event page.
StartUp StorySlam is coming to Washington DC! Join us on Wednesday, May 18th at MakeOffices Dupont, one of Washington D.C.’s premier co-working locations, to hear stories on the theme of “Why?” In this context, we are asking why do entrepreneurs do what they do, taking on all the risks? We get started at 6:30pm.
What is StartUp StorySlam?
StartUp StorySlam is a friendly competition where entrepreneurs share five-minute stories of their business successes and failures, their entrepreneurial learnings and mistakes. We will hear 8-10 stories based on the night’s theme, “Why?” Stories are videotaped and placed on the StartUp StorySlam YouTube channel for the world to watch.
What stories fit the theme of “Why?”
We want to hear stories about why entrepreneurs “take the leap,” typically from a corporate world, and what pushes people to go out on their own. Some entrepreneurs have a burning need to work for themselves while others stumble upon a problem that needs solving, taking that task on themselves. We want to listen to stories that involve both success and failure, as sometimes more can be learned in failure. Perhaps your story is working in education, where you developed a unique strategy/tactic to help people learn and want to educate future generations. Your story could also be about an iPhone app that you talked about for months with friends and finally took the initiative to build out. Why do entrepreneurs do the things they do and take those risks versus keeping a stable, corporate job? There are tons of ways to answer the “Why?” question for entrepreneurs and we want to hear your story!
Would you like to tell a story?
Simply sign up when you arrive. Here are the rules. Stories should fit into the theme of the night. Stories should be true as you remember it. Stories should be under five minutes in length. No notes, no props, and no music. Storytellers will be judged on a scale of 1-10 on two different criteria: content and presentation. Highest score wins, though our events are more focused on sharing stories and networking than on competition.
Reserve your spot now. Tickets are $15. Come out to MakeOffices Dupont Circle (1200 18th Street NW Suite #700, Washington, DC 20036) on Wednesday, May 18th at 6:30pm and share your story – or just listen to others! MakeOffices coworking spaces feature large kitchens and lounges. They offer the chance to network with entrepreneurs, developers, investors, and companies that can help you grow your business.
Andy Meehan, Co-founder of StartUp StorySlam, will be the emcee for the evening. Andy is a seasoned entrepreneur, owner of Development Solutions Global, the company behind the Christian Inspirations & Papier de Maison greeting card and stationery brands. Andy is a small business enthusiast who loves helping people connect, learn and grow.
Click Here to visit the Brown Paper Tickets event page.
Join us on Thursday, May 12th at Level Office, one of Chicago’s premier co-working locations, to hear stories on the theme of “Why?” In this context, we are asking why do entrepreneurs do what they do, taking on all the risks? We get started at 6:30pm.
What is StartUp StorySlam?
StartUp StorySlam is a friendly competition where entrepreneurs share five-minute stories of their business successes and failures, their entrepreneurial learnings and mistakes. We will hear 8-10 stories based on the night’s theme, “Why?” Stories are videotaped and placed on the StartUp StorySlam YouTube channel for the world to watch.
What stories fit the theme of “Why?”
We want to hear stories about why entrepreneurs “take the leap,” typically from a corporate world, and what pushes people to go out on their own. Some entrepreneurs have a burning need to work for themselves while others stumble upon a problem that needs solving, taking that task on themselves. We want to listen to stories that involve both successes and failures, as sometimes more can be learned in failure. Perhaps your story is working in education, where you developed a unique strategy/tactic to help people learn and want to educate future generations. Perhaps your story could also be about an iPhone app that you talked about for months with friends and finally took the initiative to build out. Why do entrepreneurs do the things they do and take risks versus keeping a stable, corporate job? There are tons of ways to answer the “Why?” question for entrepreneurs and we want to hear your personal story!
Would you like to tell a story?
Here are the rules. Stories should fit into the theme of the night. Stories should be true as you remember it. Stories should be under five minutes in length. No notes, no props, and no music. Storytellers will be judged on a scale of 1-10 on two different criteria: content and presentation. Highest score wins! Please note: Our events are more focused on sharing stories and networking than on competition.
Reserve your spot now. Tickets are $15. Come out to Level Office (73. W. Monroe St., Chicago) on Thursday, May 12th at 6:30pm and share your story – or just listen to others! Level Office offers fully furnished, amenity-rich work-spaces with 100 MBPS fiber internet & WiFi in multiple prime locations throughout Chicago.
Erin Diehl, Founder of Improve It Chicago, will be the emcee for the evening. Her decade plus of corporate experience in casting, experiential marketing, and recruiting led her to believe improv could be a useful tool for any company’s culture, starting her company in 2012. Erin has a great energy and we look forward to her leading the charge for StartUp StorySlam – Chicago.
Click Here to visit the Brown Paper Tickets event page.
Jim Shulman won our April 7th “Courage” Story Slam at Benjamin’s Desk (Philadelphia) with his tale of how a bit of investigative work, combined with courage and tenacity, led to buying a company for a very agreeable price. Jim won a One-Month Mobile Pro Membership to Benjamin’s Desk and bragging rights for the night.
We heard thirteen stories on the night from many talented storytellers. We heard about the passion needed to pursue dreams, the courage to recover after career catastrophes, how startups often succeed with a bit of good luck and more.
Thanks to all our storytellers, our judges, and everyone who came out to cheer on the stories. Also thanks to the Philadelphia Inquirer for covering our event!
Our next StorySlam at Benjamin’s Desk will be on Tuesday, May 10th and the theme is Rebel! Think of it as a person – Rebel – or as the verb – as in to Rebel! You can order tickets off our Tickets Page.
We also are producing a StartUp Story Slam for Philly Tech Week! Join us May 5th in Media, PA for a StorySlam themed “Disruption.” Scroll down to learn more.
Check out Jim Shulman’s winning story below and click over to the StartUp StorySlam’s YouTube Channel to see all our stories from the night.
HeadRoom is thrilled to sponsor StartUp StorySlam as part of DELCO’s Philly Tech Week Celebration. Join us on Thursday, May 5th from 6:00 – 8:00 p.m., at the Delaware County Bar Association for business stories, and maybe even tell your own story!
What is StartUp StorySlam?
StartUp StorySlam is a friendly competition where entrepreneurs share five minute stories of their business successes and failures, their entrepreneurial learnings and mistakes. We will hear 8-10 stories based on the night’s theme. Stories are videotaped and placed on the StartUp Story Slam YouTube channel for the world to watch.
Our theme for DELCO’s Philly Tech Week is DISRUPTION.
We’re looking for stories about how “Disruption” has changed your life. Is your business looking to disrupt an industry? Are you starting a new company because your once stable career was disrupted? Have you been slow in seeing how a business was going to disrupt old businesses? Did you first learn about how markets were being disrupted from your teenager’s habits? We’re looking for stories about how disruption has changed your life and the tech world.
Here are our rules. Stories should fit into the theme of the night. Stories should be true as your remember it. Stories should be under five minutes in length. No notes, no props, and no music. Storytellers will be judged on a scale of 1-10 on two different criteria: content and presentation. Highest Score wins and will be presented with some really cool SWAG from sponsors HeadRoom and AT&T.
If you’d like to tell a story, email us at [email protected] and then check in upon arrival.
Join us on Thursday, May 5, 2016 from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM (EDT) at the Delaware County Bar Association – 335 West Front Street, Media, PA 19063. Learn more and register on the Headroom Event Page.
On April 7th, we’re telling stories about “Courage!” Come on out to Benjamin’s Desk and tell your five-minute StartUp story about having the courage to work in this world of challenging obstacles and bruising falls. We’ll record your story and place it on the StartUp StorySlam YouTube channel! Check our our rules page to learn more. Doors open at 6:30 and we start telling stories at 7pm.
What does a “courage” story look like? Perhaps you quit your cushy corporate job to pursue your StartUp dream. Maybe you were inspired by the persistence of a businesswoman who displays courage in her work. Do you find inspiration in the courage of marathoners or rock climbers? Have you stumbled badly with your StartUp? In a moment where you were about to throw in the towel, did you realize you needed to display courage? Tell us your personal StartUp story about how you summon courage to make tough decisions.
For this event only, buy one ticket and get one free! Simply enter BOGO in the promotional code to get this offer. See you on April 7th!
Click Here to visit the Brown Paper Tickets event page.
Dean Rosenblum won our “Leap of Faith” Story Slam at Benjamin’s Desk in Philadelphia. Dean told the story of quitting his corporate gig to start a new venture manufacturing a height adjustable power strip. Learn more about his venture at the Voltower Power Station Kickstarter page.
We heard several stories about successful “leaps of faith” and some that were less than successful. A fun night of stories, networking, pizza and beer.
Our next Philadelphia based StartUp StorySlam will be held on Thursday, April 7th, 6:30 pm, at Benjamin’s Desk in Philadelphia. The theme is “Disruption!” You can order your tickets for this event on our tickets page. If you have any questions, email us at [email protected]!
You can watch Dean’s winning story below or check out all the stories on the StartUp StorySlam YouTube Channel.
The next StartUp StorySlam will be held on Wednesday, March 2nd at Benjamin’s Desk in Philadelphia, PA. Our theme for the night is “Leap of Faith!”
Many of our decisions require a “Leap of Faith!” Original ideas and disruptive concepts aren’t always adapted easily. New businesses often fly in the face of conventional wisdom. Have you had pitch an idea and ask investors to take a leap of faith? Have you made a decision which went against the data? Perhaps you were once frozen in place and didn’t take a leap of faith, only to realize you missed out on the biggest opportunity of your life. You can’t get to second base without taking your foot off of first! Let’s hear stories on the theme of “Leap of Faith!
Click Here to visit the Brown Paper Tickets event page.
StartUp StorySlam had a first! Our Contagious Story Slam ended in a tie! Vanessa Chan and Parchelle Hotten both delivered first-rate stories on the theme and both ended up winning first prize, one free month of Mobile Pro Membership at Benjamin’s Desk. Vanessa talked about he invention of tangle-free earbuds that to the eye look like jewelry and how she has been working to make the product “contagious!” Parchelle told the touching story of being hired to shoot an elaborate marriage proposal.
Thanks to everyone who came out and told their story, those who came out to cheer them on, and our judges. We had a fun night of stories, pizza, beer, and networking – and we’re going to do it again on Wednesday, March 2. Join us again at Benjamin’s Desk for our “Leap of Faith” Story Slam. Reserve your seats by clicking HERE.
In the meantime, check out the two winning stories posted below. You can view all the stories on the StartUp StorySlam YouTube Channel.
Do you have a StartUp Story? Our next StartUp StorySlam will be held on Thursday, February 4th at Benjamin’s Desk in Philadelphia, PA. Doors open at 6:30 and we start hearing stories around 7pm. The theme for the night is “Contagious!” Come out and join us, see what StartUp StorySlam is all about! Reserve your tickets by clicking HERE.
What stories fit the theme of “Contagious?”
We want to hear stories about ideas that caught on and StartUps that spread like wildfire. We want to listen to concepts that didn’t catch on – at first – but after making adjustments to the concept, tweaking the business model, or finding a new partner, the concept quickly built an audience and infected customers. Perhaps your story is working in pharmaceuticals, where you truly developed something to help those who are contagious, but your story could be about that iPhone app that went viral. Have you seen someone who spread a positive attitude in your workplace in a contagious way? There are tons of ways to thing about “Contagious.” You get the idea!
Come out to Benjamin’s Desk on Thursday, February 4th, see what StartUp StorySlam is all about! Benjamin’s Desk is located at 1701 Walnut St. From the corner of Walnut and 17th, walk north on 17th and you will see the door on the left. Tell your story or just listen in and meet others. Bring your business cards! Reserve your tickets by clicking HERE.
Congratulations to Dee Frazier, the winner of our first ever Startup StorySlam in New Jersey! Her story, which she entitled, “Why? Why Not?” was an amazing tale of a social entrepreneur taking her poor and hungry upbringing with a drug addicted mother and turning that into motivation to provide scientific calculators, protractors and compass to 8,000 school children in poor and disadvantaged areas. Thanks to everyone who threw their name in the hat. We hope you check back because we will have videos of the stories posted on the StartUp StorySlam YouTube channel sometime in the next week. Big thanks to the Burlington County Library for hosting the first New Jersey StartUp StorySlam.
Do you have a StartUp Story? Our next StartUp StorySlam will be held on Thursday, February 4th at Benjamin’s Desk in Philadelphia, PA. Doors open at 6:30 and we start hearing stories around 7pm. Come out and join us, see what StartUp StorySlam is all about! Reserve your tickets by clicking HERE.
If you live in another part of the country and are interesting learning how you can bring StartUp StorySlam to your city, email Jim at [email protected] to learn more.
We celebrated our third StartUp StorySlam with nine stories on the theme “Decisive” and Peter Mellen won the night with his story of bringing his start up into focus during a retreat. Our stories ranged from embarrassing decisions made to life-changing, life-affirming decisions made while working in the business world. You can watch Peter’s winning story below or watch all of our videos on the StartUp StorySlam YouTube Channel.
Our first New Jersey StartUp StorySlam will be held on Thursday, January 28th at Burlington County Library. Learn more and reserve your spot by clicking HERE.
Our next Philadelphia StartUp StorySlam will be held on Thursday, February 4th at Benjamin’s Desk. The theme of the night is “Contagious.” Tickets can be ordered HERE.
Is one of your New Year’s Resolutions to be more decisive? Maybe your resolution is to be less decisive!
We often act on hunches or a first look at the data and make quick, important decisions. These decisions often help us beat the competition, but sometimes they can lead us down the wrong path. We want to hear stories about being decisive at our January 7th StartUp StorySlam. When has being decisive worked for you and when has it failed? What did you learn from your decisive mistake. Do you trust your gut? Have you learned a new test – a new gut check? Do you have a mentor you now run your important decisions by?
If you have a story to tell, sign up upon arrival. Stories should be five minutes long and true as you remember it. No notes, no props, and no music. Just you and a mic. We usually hear about ten stories on the night and we love listeners who cheer the storytellers on.
Make the decision to come to our first StartUp StorySlam of 2016, which is being held at Benjamin’s Desk on Thursday, January 7th. Order your tickets HERE.
Marc Kramer was crowned the winner at the second StartUp StorySlam, after managing to tell two stories in the short 5-minute window. Marc captured the audience by telling a hilarious story about flying to Colombia for work and having a runner-up in the Miss World competition as his “sponsored guide.” Since the night was themed “traction,” Marc also told of how he focused on getting 2100 people to sign up for his event…overnight! Congratulations on all the continued success and traction, Marc! StartUp StorySlam, a group of local entrepreneurs interested in storytelling, hosted its second event at Benjamin’s Desk. The event gathered around 30-40 people and for the second time in a row, featured a variety of speakers in age and experience. The speakers for this event included Matt Stachel, Glenna Crooks, Dr. Ron King, Eric Griffin, and Marc Kramer. The theme for the evening was “Traction” and people told stories about both positive and negative traction. There was even a story about “kick in the teeth” traction!
As part of the prize package, Anthony Maher, CEO at Benjamin’s Desk and host for the evening, provided a free membership plan to Marc. If you missed the live event, you can find the videos on StartUp StorySlam’s YouTube page, roughly 48 hours after the event. The next event will be held on Thursday, January 7th at Benjamin’s Desk and the theme is “Decisive!”Tickets for January 7th can be ordered HERE.
StartUp Story Slam returns to Benjamin’s Desk on Thursday, December 3rd. The theme for December is “Traction!” “Traction?” We’re looking for stories about where your StartUp looked like it might go under, but then you finally found solid footing. Maybe a simple tweak of your business model set your StartUp on the fast track. Maybe your original idea had to be turned upside down in order to get the proper funding. Our original concepts often morph through early stages. Tell us what helped you get “traction!”
If you would like to tell a five-minute story, sign up once you arrive. We’ll pull names our of a hat and start the storytelling at 7pm. Tickets can be ordered HERE.