Startup Weekend, a three day entrepeneurship event, is coming to California State University, East Bay, May 30 to June 1 in an effort to inspire the public, students, and alumni entrepreneurs to turn their ideas of startup businesses, nonprofits, and university innovations into action.

The weekend event will start at 6 p.m. on Friday with a barbeque next to Meiklejohn Hall and will run until Sunday when the final presentations will begin at 5 p.m. in the Valley Business and Technology building.

“Our mission is to build meaningful engagement opportunities between students, alumni and other professionals to build something of out of just an idea,” said Jerry Chang, current vice president of finance of California State Student Association, and lead organizer for the event.

Students must purchase their entry ticket, which is $99, but by entering the word CSUEBSTUDENTw at checkout students will receive 75 percent off of the ticket price.  The payment includes seven meals, which will be provided for participants.

Participants will begin on Friday, starting to network and pitching their ideas. The teams with ‘top ideas’ will be recruited by professionals in the industry and begin their startup. Inspirational speakers, coaches, and mentors are available to participants throughout the weekend to support their ideas and work through the weekend.

On Sunday the teams will present their ideas to the judges, and meals will be provided. Prizes and awards will be given at the end of the event and participants are encouraged to continue their startups after the weekend comes to an end.

“[Startup Weekend is] important not just on our campus but programs like this should exist on every university campus,” said Chang. “Students who come to learn about the world around them but rarely do they have such easy access to apply what they’ve learn towards achieving a common goal with a team.”

He also goes on to explain that experience is what employers are looking for, and startup weekend gives them access to that experience.

Chang explains that Startup Weekend is a great opportunity to work with other students and professionals from different backgrounds and be mentored by professionals in industry.

“It’s like an internship where you decide on what you want to do and professionals come help you,” said Chang.

“Startup weekend represents steps towards a more integrated and collaborative creative practice, by inviting people from many disciplines to discuss, disagree, respect, discover and create together,” said Ian Pollock, assistant professor of the Multimedia Graduate Program. “I want the students to discover their abilities to change the world and to change their world.”

Over 36 percent of Startup Weekend startups are still going strong after three months, and roughly 80 percent of participants plan on continuing working with their team or startup after the weekend, according to Chang.

Speakers for the weekend include Bob Linscheid, president and CEO San Francisco Chamber of Commerce, Nancy Yuen, software engineer at Google, Lonny Brooks, Ph.D., assistant professor of communications, James L.J. Houpis, Ph.D., provost of the university, Sanjiv Goyal, president and CEO of Droisys, and many others.

Speech topics can include: motivation, emerging tech, where marketing is heading, how to get investment, how to start a company, innovation and how to innovate, according to Goyal.

Judges include Derek J. Aitken, chief of staff at CSUEB, Helen Branham, director of Small Business Services, Daniel Marin, director of research for Charter for Compassion, Ellias Fullmore, visual designer at Financial Engines, Rafael Hernandez, associate dean for College of Letters and Social Sciences, Richard Sherratt, CEO at Ballena Technologies, and Brad Wells, vice president of administration and finance.

Sponsors for the weekend include: student clubs, American Marketing Association, Toastmasters, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Engineering for Planet, People, and Prosperity, Creative Pioneers, and food sponsors.

For more information, visit http://www.eastbay.startupweekend.org.