Paul Singh and the Results Junkies will be visiting with Danville’s entrepreneurs, educational institutions, government leaders, economic development organizations, and established businesses, during a three-day conference on November 6-8, 2018.

“The real goal of the Tech Tour is to bring functional expertise and venture capital dollars to parts of North America that don’t regularly get the same amount of attention as the well-known tech hubs,” Singh said.

Singh is an entrepreneur, speaker, investor, and Airstreamer. Previously, Singh was a managing director at 1776 and a general partner is 1776’s Seed Fund. Prior to 1776, Singh was the founder of Disruption Corporation (acquired by 1776) and general partner of Disruption’s post-seed venture capital arm, Crystal Tech Fund. Before that, Singh was an early partner at 500 Startups, an accelerator and venture firm headquartered in Silicon Valley that has invested in more than 2,200 companies across 50-plus countries. Singh has founded a few of his own startups (two successful exits and a number of failures in between) and spent some time at AOL, Carmax, PBworks, and Symantec.

With more than 94 cities visited in 2016 & 2017, the Results Junkies team will be visiting Danville in 2018. The conference will offer support and guidance and will get deeply involved in the local business community through a multi-day series of events and programs. The tour will include free and open to the public office hours, tours of incubators with local innovators, investor dinners, workshops, and pitch sessions.

“This tour isn’t just for companies that want to raise VC money or tech startups trying to be the next ‘Uber for this or Uber for that’ Singh said. “We want brick and mortar businesses, too, and those who are working on their own entrepreneurial dream. It’s important to realize that technology is so interwoven into business such that every startup or entrepreneur needs to understand how to make it work for them.”

Agenda

Tuesday, November 6

9:00am - 10:30am       Tour of Danville (invitation only)

10:30am - 12:00pm     Regional Ecosystem Meeting (invitation only)

2:30pm - 6:00pm         1:1 Company Meetings

6:00pm - 7:00pm         River District Association (limited to first 30 registrations)

Growing Main Street Businesses

Join RDA, The Launch Place and Paul Singh as he shares stories from across the country about how Main Streets are growing and building communities. Paul will focus on best practices he’s seen utilized at small businesses from across the country. For example, how can each of you cross promote in order to grow both businesses – one retail business can tape 5,000 coupons to takeout boxes and in exchange the retail business will distribute restaurant coupons to the next 5,000 customers that walk through their door. Local examples include: Dell’Anno’s Pizza Kitchen and Ballad Brewery with pizza delivery every hour. Another example is Me’s Burgers & Brews supporting businesses by giving a free appetizer to customers who presented a receipt for shopping locally. Light refreshments served.

Cost: Free to attend, but registration required.

Register to Attend

Wednesday, November 7

10:00am - 4:00pm       Big Launch Challenge

Join us to hear the top 10 Pitches for The Big Launch Challenge. The Launch Place, an established entrepreneurial development organization headquartered in Danville, Virginia, and First Flight Venture Center, the largest technology incubator in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, have come together to host their 5th business plan competition. The pitch competition includes awards totaling up to $20,000 for the winners. The challenge has a total of two rounds, plus a final LIVE event. Paul will serve as a judge and provide a keynote address over lunch.

Cost: Free to attend, but registration required.

Learn More & Register to Attend

Thursday, November 8

7:30am - 8:30am         Business at Breakfast: Danville Pittsylvania Chamber of Commerce

Having a Job is Riskier Than You Think
There are many common concerns for people when they think about what it means to be an entrepreneur — or more specifically it’s the risks that come with it. For most of our parents, success was a function of hard work over a period of a long time. For our generation, success is a function of the number of things you try. If you want to reduce the risk in your life, start to think more entrepreneurially and start to take control of your own future.

Join Danville Pittsylvania Chamber of Commerce, The Launch Place and Paul Singh as Paul shares his insights into innovation and the links to an entrepreneurial culture. Whether you are a business owner, an employee or a side hustler, come hear how it’s necessary today to just start something because the best entrepreneurs actually take the least risky bets.

Cost: Chamber Member $20, Non-member $30

Register to Attend

11:00am - 11:50am     Event at Danville Community College (limited seating)

From the Side Hustle to Solopreneur to Scaling a Business & the Entrepreneur Mindset

During the side hustle, you’re probably holding down your full-time gig — maybe you’re consulting for others or producing products on the evenings and weekends — but you’re focused on getting to a steady monthly revenue from the gig first. Let’s say $1,000 per month. Next, you build that side hustle to $6,000 per month and you’re working for yourself — you’re a solopreneur. You’ve made the leap from your previous gig and you’re working on your own business full time. Then you’re on your way to building a business and you’re growing to $50,000 per month. You’re probably hiring people to help you — maybe they’re part-time or virtual assistants, but you’re growing. Earning your first dollars in revenue is an act of brute force. Don’t waste time looking for growth hacks or strategy. Instead, focus on speed, tactics and iteration.

Join DCC, The Launch Place and Paul Singh as he talks about going from a side hustle to a growing business.  Not only does it require the right focus but mindset is everything.  Everywhere we go, people complain about how hard it is to start something. Starting a company is the easiest part of the process. In fact, it’s never been easier. Execution is the hard part.

Cost: Free to attend, but registration required.

Register to Attend

12:00pm - 1:00pm     Tech at Lunch - Southern Piedmont Technology Council

Join SPTC, The Launch Place and Paul Singh as he tours Danville in his Tech Tour of 115+ startup communities. Paul, investor and entrepreneur, will share insights from other tech communities he’s visited as well as some technology dos and don’ts. Come hear Paul discuss where you should put your technology investments.

“This tour isn’t just for companies that want to raise VC money or tech startups trying to be the next ‘Uber for this or Uber for that’ Singh said. “We want brick and mortar businesses, too, and those who are working on their own entrepreneurial dream. It’s important to realize that technology is so interwoven into business such that every startup or entrepreneur needs to understand how to make it work for them” said Paul Singh.

Cost: SPTC Member $15, Non-member $20

Register to Attend

EVENT PURPOSE

• The purpose of this conference is to strengthen the entrepreneurial community and local economy in Danville by providing functional expertise and venture capital funding from top notch Silicon Valley investors to our local entrepreneurs
• Government leaders, educators, and economic development officials will also benefit from hearing about Paul’s experience and lessons learned from investing in over 1,900 companies across 50+ countries. They can take his best practices and apply them to our own entrepreneurial ecosystem.
• Learn more about Paul Singh, his team and the Tech Tour at the following URL: www.resultsjunkies.com

Target Audience

• Local entrepreneurs
• Educational institutions
• Government leaders
• Economic development organizations
• Established small and large businesses

BENEFITS

• For Entrepreneurs: connect with high profile venture funders and business leaders who can become valuable resources for you and your company.
• For the Community: help outside investors learn more about the Danville region and what unique talents, industries, and opportunities are available here.
• For Sponsors: show your forward thinking leadership by helping to bring resources and connections to our region that we would not otherwise see.