Rhode Island’s Innovation Crawl, part of Rhode Island Startup Week, will showcase the state’s leading-edge companies and innovation spaces on Sept. 23.
For the second year, Innovate Newport and Venture Café Providence are co-organizing the event, which aims to provide participants with immersive experiences at five to six innovative organizations across Rhode Island.
Rhode Island Startup Week, organized by RIHub, will run from Sept. 20 to 27. It will feature a series of events highlighting the state’s entrepreneurial spirit.
“We want people to have a transformative experience by directly interacting with technology, rather than just reading about it or listening to a talk,” said Mollie Frazer Williams, one of the event’s organizers.
The Innovation Crawl will bring together over 50 participants, including founders and business professionals. Attendees will be transported by bus to each location, with breakfast and lunch provided.
Each stop on the crawl will include informative tours and “Flash Talks” offering insights into the cutting-edge processes driving these ventures.
“These companies are disrupting traditional practices, and it’s truly inspiring to be among individuals committed to solving some of the world’s most complex challenges,” Williams added.
The day-long event will begin and end at Unity Park in Bristol, concluding with a networking social at Pivotal Brewing Company.
Featured stops on the Innovation Crawl include Borealis Coffee, Composite Energy Technologies, Hope + Main, Prov Port, IYRS School of Technology & Trades, Vatn Systems, and Pivotal Brewing Company.
Reilly Kons, Director of Venture Cafe Providence, emphasized the importance of physically bringing the community to innovation sites.
“Our biggest goal at Venture Cafe Providence is to convene the innovation and startup ecosystem here in the Greater Providence area,” Kons said. “Sometimes the best way to do that is to physically bring the community to the actual sites where innovation is happening.”
The collaboration with Innovate Newport allows Venture Cafe Providence to showcase areas outside of Providence to their community, broadening the scope of the event.
Rhode Island Startup Week serves as an annual celebration of innovation, bringing together entrepreneurs, investors, and leaders from across the state.
The week-long event aims to inspire and support the state’s entrepreneurial community through a series of workshops, networking opportunities, and events like the Innovation Crawl.
By showcasing Rhode Island’s most groundbreaking companies and spaces, the Innovation Crawl offers participants a unique opportunity to witness firsthand the innovative processes driving these ventures.
Tickets for the Innovation Crawl and social are available for purchase online.
