Today, we’re excited to announce a second Rise of the Rest Road Tour to spotlight emerging startup communities in the heart of the United States. Steve Case will lead the 5 city, 5 day tour with stops in Madison on October 6th, Minneapolis on October 7th, Des Moines on October 8th, Kansas City on October 9th and finally St. Louis on October 10th. He will be joined by our Rise of the Rest partners: Revolution, UP Global, Google for Entrepreneurs, Engine, Startup Grind and Seed Here Studio.
Along the way, we will tour each city’s startup ecosystem, meet with local investors, entrepreneurs and civic leaders, and host a series of pitch competitions where startups will compete and each city’s winner will earn a $100,000 investment from Steve. Startups can apply to pitch by visiting our website, www.riseofrest.com. The deadline to apply is Sunday, September 21st.
While the cities have changed, our mission remains the same: to catalyze entrepreneurship in America’s heartland and celebrate the emergence of dynamic startup communities. Or as Steve said in today’s press release: “Entrepreneurship is the lifeblood of our economy. Now more than ever, I believe that our nation’s prosperity is contingent on having a robust and diverse startup economy that encompasses all regions of the country”.
Joining us on the road and leading several of the conversations about the important role of entrepreneurship and its impact on our world will be The Atlantic’s Washington Editor-at-Large Steve Clemons. If you can’t attend one of the events, tune in to AtlanticLIVE to watch live simulcasts of the discussions.
Finally, we’re thrilled to supported in this work by some of the nation’s premier startup hubs including gener8tor in Madison, CoCo in Minneapolis, Gravitate in Des Moines, KC Startup Village in Kansas City and T-Rex in St. Louis. These accelerators and collaborative spaces are a testament to the momentum that is underpinning the rise of startup communities in some of our country’s most unlikely places.
Join us and be part of the ongoing mission to support and tell the stories of the people and ideas that are changing the world.
Go to www.riseofrest.com and follow @RiseOfRest on Twitter and Instagram to learn more about the bus tour, RSVP for events and apply for the pitch competition.
