LaunchMemphis has full plate for startups in 2010

Promising that 2010 will be a breakout year for all things entrepreneurial, leaders at LaunchMemphis have announced an event-filled calendar designed to encourage and promote local startups.

"We evaluated programs we sponsored over the last two years and homed in on the ones that performed best," said Eric Mathews, co-founder of Mercury Technology Labs and a founder of LaunchMemphis. "Every event we promote will have a specific purpose and will better educate our local entrepreneurial community."

Kicking things off will be "Pitch Night" on Feb. 25, which will serve as a training ground for the group's "48 Hour Launch" that will take place early next month. Participants will have an open forum to pitch startup ideas to an interested group of area entrepreneurs and receive feedback on the viability of those plans.

"The pitch night isn't required for anyone attending the 48 Hour Launch, but it'll be a great way to see how your idea stacks up to other proposals and determine if there's any duplication of effort," said Lori Turner, a founding member of LaunchMemphis and managing partner of RedRover. "The early participants will have a leg up in the process and some may discover that the time is either right for them to pitch their startup or that more preparation is necessary."

The 48 Hour Launch, which will be held March 5-7 at EmergeMemphis at 516 Tennessee, replaces the organization's former Startup Weekend event.

For $50 -- which covers seven meals, unlimited energy drinks and a commemorative T-shirt -- participants spend a weekend working with other entrepreneurs to determine which startup proposals have the best chance of survival. Last year, out of five ideas pitched, three came to fruition.

"Last year's success rate was phenomenal, with the best being Mark's Menus that now features some 11,000 items from restaurants all over the country," Mathews said. "This is a hard-core entrepreneurial exercise. We'll have people pulling all-nighters or taking naps in corners just so they can stay onsite and keep working on their ideas. Fortunately, we have plenty of space and showers available."

In addition to the first two events, the LaunchMemphis folks will host a business plan bootstrapping camp on April 3 and Tribe Camp -- a gathering for local social media clubs -- later that month. The idea is to bring together as many social media organizations as possible, at one site and on one day, to encourage interaction and a sense of connectivity.

And the third edition of the group's popular investment forum is being considered for late spring.

LaunchMemphis intern Peter Hall, a Rhodes College sophomore, is assisting with the effort.

"I'm trying to spread the word on campuses through social media outlets," Hall said. "We want people to know that it's an exciting time for young entrepreneurs and invite them to join us."

For additional information about the upcoming schedule, visit online at launchmemphis.com.

-- James Dowd: 529-2737

LaunchMemphis

Founded: 2008

Status: Nonprofit

Purpose: Encourage and unite the Memphis entrepreneurial community

Impact: More than 50 entrepreneurs participated in LaunchMemphis programs last year and more than a half-dozen startups have been generated or accelerated as a result of the group

Web: launchmemphis.com