Start IT, a forum for aspiring enterpreneurs in IT, kicked off on July 11, 2014 as part of the summer startup school SUMIT of ITMO University.

Start IT Forum provides participants the opportunity to listen to the speeches of the leading experts of the Russian IT-market, as well as to get acquainted with the SUMIT start-up school graduates, successfully passed the path from idea to profitable business. Invited experts will share with the audience views on the idea and the team, the key components of any project, as well as answer questions and discuss topical problems for aspiring entrepreneurs.

The forum speakers will be: Andrey Ryabykh, the owner of the companies Webmaster.SPb, SeoExperts, Media Cartel and GAZETA.SPb, Alexander Boroditch, the founder of a start-up accelerator FutureLabs, the director of Economics and Mathematics School of the Moscow State University, Fedor Krivov, the general director of the digital communications agency Lead Zeppelin, Evgeny Danilov, the co-founder of the web-studio "A25".

Aspiring entrepreneurs and guests will have the opportunity to participate in project work within the summer startup school SUMIT, opening a number of vacancies in the already formed teams. This season's program includes school retreats in leading IT-companies of St. Petersburg, as well as a trip to Finland for exploring Helsinki startup community.

As the director of a start-up school SUMIT Igor Kudinov noted, participation in school not only promotes the acquisition of knowledge on the basics of building a business and practical skills of project management, but also allows you to share experiences and establish professional contacts. During the work participants together with consultants and coaches will find the optimal business model of the project and will take to the path of the successful start-up business.

To participate, pre-registration is required. Detailed information about the summer school SUMIT and program activities be found at the site and in the group Vkontakte.

Forum Start IT program:                         

2:00-3:00 p.m. - Registration.

3:00-3:30 p.m. - Opening.

3:30-5:00 p.m. - Session One: a key resource - a team of associates (speakers' presentations and discussion).

5:00-5:30 p.m. – Interactive coffee break.

5:30-7:00 p.m. - Second session: implementation of the idea into a successful project (speakers' presentations and discussion).

7:00-7:30 p.m. - Interactive coffee break.

7:30-8:45 p.m. - Presentation of teams -participants of the startups school SUMIT: presentation of projects and job fair.

8:45-9:00 p.m. - Closing.  

 

Reference: Startup School SUMIT of the ITMO University is an intensive educational and mentoring program, which participants would work on the business models of their projects for 9 weeks using leading practices of the technological entrepreneurship (Lean Startup, Customer Development), as well as optimize their projects under the guidance of mentors, experienced entrepreneurs and representatives of large companies. Work of the summer school SUMIT will be closed by the Demo Day, during which teams will present their projects to investors, business angels and venture capital funds representatives and will receive funding for the development of their own business.