Archive for the ‘Sponsorship’ Category

Bank Holiday Monday Build-a-thon

Monday, April 26th, 2010

We’ve had a lot of great sponsors so far and special thanks go out to Fulton’s Furnishing, Autonomy and a couple of anonymous donors (for desks and chairs) but we need some help in getting them up the stairs and getting them assembled.

Therefore we’re calling out strong arms and clear heads for a Bank Holiday Monday Build-a-thon. We need folk who can lift, carry, people who are not afriad to pick up a hoover or a dustpan, people who want to help build up old PCs, install Linux and get a network up and running.


Monday 3rd May, 17:00, 89-91 Adelaide Street

We’re going to bring the desks up, we’re going to build as many as we can and then we’re going to eat pizza. Please RSVP in the comments if you’re coming!

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So what is VI?

Thursday, February 25th, 2010

Making your mark on the world is hard. If it were easy, everybody would do it. But it’s not. It takes patience, it takes commitment, and it comes with plenty of failure along the way. The real test is not whether you avoid this failure, because you won’t. it’s whether you let it harden or shame you into inaction, or whether you learn from it; whether you choose to persevere. – Barack Obama

We’re going round and talking to people about VI, what it is and how it intends not only to deliver but also to be sustainable. One thing is certain – though the concept may be nebulous and hard to understand at first when you come from a world which is ruled by the price per square foot of space, when it’s explained correctly, everyone gets it.

I’ve put some of that into this PDF document which you can download and read, forward to anyone else and generally quote from.

VI is about taking a chance, it’s about a few motivated individuals who are going to shoulder part of the burden of risk for a few startups. And we have to remember that it’s okay to fail – as long as you don’t let that be the end.

We’re providing a place, a process, desks, chairs, light, heat, painted walls and experienced mentors. This is only part of what we see as missing in the Northern Ireland startup scene and we’re interested in talking to other like-minded folk who can help put together the other parts of the picture.

Remember, VI is not tied to a place or a group of people. It’s an idea, a process. If you want to replicate the VI process then get in touch and we can help put together the same process and same ideas in your location.

If you want to help, get in touch.

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Help!

Wednesday, February 10th, 2010

VI is operated by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs. We fully hope that our ‘graduates’ will remain as part of the advisory group within VI and help new startups avoid their mistakes and benefit from their experience. While VI needs help, it’s much more important that our tenants, the startups and entrepreneurs get help.

Time
We need help to do this. We need people to help put up and paint stud walls, carry desks, clear the floor, assemble and lay out furniture and help create a place for startups to live. The material costs of this will be borne by our initial sponsors: NoMoreArt, Mac-Sys Ltd and David Kirk. The time costs will, in the short term be provided by Marty from NoMoreArt and Matt Johnston. We’d like others to contribute in-kind.

We will also need companies to give their time to startups to get them going. The ‘tenants’ of VI will need donations of time in order to realise their potential. They’ll need to speak to lawyers on matters of IP and contracts, accountants for income and export taxation, marketing experts, business mentors and advisors (public or private). The opportunity is to build relationships with emerging startups.

Money
VI is being sponsored by NoMoreArt, MacSysLtd and David Kirk in order to start something in Northern Ireland. If it is to continue, it may need additional sponsorship from other companies and individuals who see the value in the process. We’re going to put up a Sponsor Wall. Space for us to identify and thank the companies which have contributed to the success of VI.

There is little or no seed capital in Northern Ireland. This means that emergent startups are immediately at as a disadvantage as they cannot afford high rents for premises as well as living expenses. VI is therefore looking for potential investors in tenant businesses. If you’re interested and you want to meet local entrepreneurs and their companies, then please get in touch. We’re just looking to start the process.

Comment below if you would like to donate or pledge time or money to VI or the tenants.

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