Article by Lynnette Lathrop and Doug Erickson

Techstars Startup Weekend Monterey Bay 2022 (“Startup Weekend”) made all other events seem like black holes in comparison. These entrepreneurs have futures so bright, well yeah, I needed shades to watch.

“Startup Weekend this year, as every year, had great entrepreneurs working on great ideas! We look forward to seeing these businesses in Startup Challenge!” exclaimed Brad Barbeau, ED iiED, Prof Entrepreneurship CSUMB.

Nine new startup business teams were created during the 2022 Techstars Startup Weekend Monterey Bay held January 28-30, 2022. Goodeats was selected as the top team for the weekend.

First place winner: Goodeats

The app that links all those friends’ food recommendations with where you are exactly when hunger strikes!

Runners-up

• Second Place: Footprint – Free simulation tool providing customers the ability to quantify the carbon footprint of their investment portfolio.

• Third Place: Fooodies – A food delivery platform made for people who want to save money when ordering food to their doorstep . Fooodie connects communities with local restaurants and saves customers and restaurants money while providing benefits to independent delivery drivers.

Crowd Favorite

The Crowd Favorite Award went to High Ideals –  Providing transparency to cannabis brands to help customers see if the product comes from a sustainable, ethical, and/or BIPOC owned company.

Other teams participating in this year’s Startup Weekend were:

• Charging Solutions ETC – Charging, wifi, public video phone, emergency services and entertainment stations.

• Free Invite – A non-profit organization that provides a directory website with lists of low cost and free events in the area for adults 18-80 who feel socially isolated.

• Mind Core – Enables companies to demonstrate a commitment to growth and progression of employees and deepens trust. Mind Core fosters employee well-being while simultaneously improving performance, individually and collectively.

• Smart Glasses – Smart glasses for pickleball creating lines/net using augmented reality.

• TargetOhio – TargetOhio will conduct research via direct voter contact to develop salient educational and persuasive messaging to increase the political engagement of Ohio’s diverse Asian communities.