Missouri Startup Weekend is back!
Our favorite time of the year - Startup Weekend season - is coming up! Save the date for April 17–19, 2026 in Columbia, MO.
→ Same stuff we love: Hosted at EquipmentShare, $45K+ in prizes, and 54 hours of building - all the right elements to launch the next billion-dollar startup.
But this year, we’re putting a twist on mentorship during Startup Weekend.
Historically, each team was pre-assigned one or two mentors with an hour or two to meet. Helpful, yes — but we’ve learned that entrepreneurs build best when they can steer their own ship. So this year, we’re peeling back the structure and introducing a new way to access mentorship and guidance when you want it throughout the weekend.
Enter: The Expert Network
The Expert Network is how participants will access mentorship and guidance.
It’s a curated database of seasoned founders, investors, MOSW alumni, operators, attorneys, and community leaders that YOU can tap into on-call. Instead of being assigned a mentor (and having to cut into your peak building hours), you now get to choose:
Who you talk to.
When you talk to them.
And how much support you actually want.
No forced meetings. Just real experts available exactly when you need them, and in the subject matter you need them in.
Most experts will be available digitally via Google Meet, and a select few will be on-site — we’ll let teams know who’s in the building as the weekend rolls on.
More details on how to connect with experts will be shared soon.
👉 WANT TO BE AN EXPERT? Apply below.
For Now…
👉 Stay Updated — Join the Waitlist
Be first in line for tickets 😉
Keep an eye out on our website — we’ll be sending more info soon about tickets going live!
Expect tickets to launch early January.
Redbud VC invests monetary ($250K-$500K) and social capital in early-stage tech founders. We bring monthly Redbud VC, tech, and economics updates. - We've filtered thousands of sources for our 14k+ readers, so you don't have to. Enjoy🥂
The information provided in this newsletter is intended for general understanding and educational purposes only, not as a guide to investment decisions. The authors, publishers, and distributors of this newsletter are not licensed financial advisors and are not providing financial advice or investment advisory services.s