Techstars Startup Weekend: AI Edition, a two-day “team based” event coming to Durango this month, promises to “bring students and community members together to turn bold ideas into real-world solutions powered by artificial intelligence,” according to a news release from Fort Lewis College.
The event will take place Oct. 9 and 10 at the Fort Lewis College Center for Innovation on the second floor of the Main Mall at 835 Main Ave., Suite 225, and is open to students, creatives, entrepreneurs and professionals of all backgrounds, the release said.
Techstars Startup Weekend is a globally recognized program that started in 2007 and has been involved in presenting more than 10,000 events around the world, including at least a half dozen across the Western Slope, according to event organizers – but this is the event’s first time coming to Durango.
The weekend is being presented in partnership with Howdy Partners, formerly known as the Greater Colorado Venture Fund, and West Slope Startup Week, which will be taking place Oct. 6 through 10 this year at a range of local downtown locations, including at the Fort Lewis College Center for Innovation.
Event organizers for the Durango edition of Techstars include Tom Miaskiewicz, associate professor of marketing, AI strategist and director of the AI Institute at Fort Lewis College; Nicholas Goodman, a Durango resident with 25 years of tech and startup experience; and Marc Nager, who co-founded Startup Weekend globally and acts as a managing partner with Howdy Partners.
AI Institute leadership at FLC said when Nager approached them about bringing the event to Durango, the collaboration felt like “a natural fit.”
“The event directly supports our mission to advance AI innovation in rural communities, foster economic development, and promote cross-sector collaboration throughout the Four Corners region,” Fort Lewis College AI Institute leadership said in a combined statement to The Durango Herald.
For more information
For ticket prices and scheduling details, visit www.startupweekenddurango.com
The rapidly evolving pace of AI can feel overwhelming, Miaskiewicz said. The event aims to mold AI engagement into a manageable shape for locals. “Our goal is to help people in the Four Corners region engage with these tools in ways that are practical, creative and grounded in their own communities,” Miaskiewicz said. “Events like this make space for that kind of hands-on exploration.”
The three event organizers said they want to leave participants – including Fort Lewis College students, who will have the opportunity to work alongside professionals in the community during the event – with fresh ideas, practical skills and the confidence to explore how AI can be part of their work or ventures.
“Whether someone is launching a product, solving a local problem, or simply becoming more AI-literate, this event is designed to be approachable and energizing,” the organizers said in a combined statement.
epond@durangoherald.com
