Build a real product. Pitch to real investors. Launch in 3 days.
Got an Idea? Let's Build It.
Most startup events give you a prompt, a weekend, and a handshake. BŪP Innovation Weekend is built differently. Bring your idea or find one in the room and spend 3 days turning it into a working product using AI-powered tools. No coding experience required. Guided by certified vibe-coding facilitators and Tampa Bay's top mentors, you will have everything you need to go from idea to working product in 54 hours. Form a team, build fast, and pitch to real investors on Sunday night.
The best teams don't just win prizes. They walk away with a working MVP and a path into the BŪP INNO post-weekend incubator.
From Idea to Pitch in 3 Days
Friday to Sunday. Idea to working product to pitch, with support at every step.
Bring your idea or find one Friday night.
Every great product starts somewhere. Yours starts here.
Build your team.
Every skillset welcome: creative, sales, ops, marketing, tech. AI tools mean anyone can build.
Build with mentors.
Industry experts guide you through build days with real feedback every step of the way.
Pitch for prizes.
Present your working product to VC and accelerator judges on Sunday night. Top teams also enter the BŪP INNO post-weekend incubator.
3 Days. From Idea to Pitch.
Here's how the weekend unfolds — high-energy sessions, focused build time, and a Sunday night pitch competition open to the community.
Arrive, Eat & Connect
FoodCheck in, grab dinner, and meet the people you'll be building with.
Welcome & Opening Keynote
KeynoteWe kick things off with a high-energy welcome and an inspiring talk to set the tone for the weekend.
Icebreaker
WorkshopYou'll just have to show up to find out.
60-Second Idea Pitches
PitchesAnyone with an idea gets one minute at the mic. No slides. No polish. Just the spark.
Vote & Form Your Team
WorkshopThe crowd picks which ideas move forward. Then you find your people — 4 to 6 per team.
AI Build Workshop
WorkshopA hands-on intro to building real products with AI tools. No coding experience required.
Open Build Begins
Build TimeThe weekend is live. Teams set up their workspaces and get to work.
Keynote Speakers
Cesar Hernandez, MBA
Opening Keynote · April 10
Founder & Managing Director, Omni Public | AI & Public Affairs Strategist | MIT Media Lab · Harvard Innovation Labs
Francine Marquis
Pitch Night Keynote · April 12
AI Program Manager, Google Cloud | Angel Investor, BAG Collective
Your Emcee
Tasha Cohen-Glynn
Emcee
Your Facilitators
Our facilitators are startup event veterans who will guide you through every phase of the weekend, from team formation to final pitch.
Adalbert De La Cruz
Founder, Clarity | Product Leader & Educator | Helping 1,500+ Builders Go From Idea to Product With AI | Vibe Coder Strategist
LinkedIn →
Ora Tanner
Award-Winning Strategic AI Trainer & Speaker | CEO, Black Unicorn Education™ | AI Keynote Speaker | Ethics-First AI Training™ for Leaders | The AI Framework Queen
LinkedIn →
Miranda Johnson
Author, The Pain Principle & LeadLoud | CEO, MiRAjO Collective | COO, Tampa Business Club | Helping Entrepreneurs Get Clear on What's Next
LinkedIn →
Meet the Mentors
LaDonica Whitfield
Founder, The Resource Expert | Speaker & Visionary Strategist | Founder, Younger U (nonprofit) | Creator, Business B.A.E.S. | Turning Hustling Entrepreneurs into Well-Resourced, Profitable CEOs
LinkedIn →
Stephanie Grande
Co-Lead, VC Village Tampa Chapter | Coached 100+ Startups in Emerging Markets | Direct-to-Market Systems & Equity Crowdfunding Expert | Connecting Founders with Capital
LinkedIn →
Mauro Costa
Founder, Bulkitrade, Inc | MBA, Drexel University LeBow | Multilingual Entrepreneur (English, Portuguese, Spanish) | Tampa-Based Business Leader
LinkedIn →
Vanessa Ferguson
Founder & Managing Attorney, Fidara Legal, PLLC | CIPP/US & CIPT Certified | Intellectual Property & Privacy Law | Greater Tampa Bay Area
LinkedIn →
John Rogitz
Managing Attorney, Rogitz & Associates | Second-Generation Patent Attorney | USPTO Patent Attorney #67,641 | IP & Software Patent Specialist
LinkedIn →
Tracy Ingram
Founder, Intention Technology | 10+ Years in Bioinformatics | Creator of BioscanR Diagnostic Device | Tech Strategist | MCSE & CCNA Certified
LinkedIn →
Prasad Palthur
Product Strategist | Health & Life Sciences | AI-Driven Use Cases | Strategy, Roadmaps & Innovation | Ecosystem & GTM Leadership | Compliance & Governance
LinkedIn →Meet the Organizers
Martika Jones, M.S.
Executive Director · BŪP Innovation
Founder & CEO of BŪP® | TEDx Speaker | Author of 'Give Yourself Permission' | NVIDIA Inception & Google for Startups | Tampa Bay Business Journal Top 24 Startups to Watch
George Jones III
Chief Marketing Officer · BŪP Innovation
Co-Founder, Loom Design | VP of Products, BŪP® | Branding for Small Businesses to Multi-Million Dollar Companies | 25M+ Digital Impressions | $1M+ Capital Raised via Pitch Decks | 6M+ Views on Times Square Placements | Top 3% on Upwork
Leave With More Than a Trophy.
Over 3 days you'll build a real product, get feedback from real buyers, and pitch for real capital. The best teams continue into the BŪP INNO post-weekend incubator.
Prizes
awarded to top teams
Real investors
in the room on Sunday
Working MVP
a real product, not a slide deck
Keep building
top teams enter the post-weekend incubator
Prizes
awarded to top teams
3 Days to Build Something That Actually Matters.
Team spots are limited. April 10–12.
Get TicketsA BŪP INNO program
bupinno.org