Who knew that the day we scheduled Startup Drinks in downtown would also see street closures for SB1070 protests as well as a summer monsoon? I must admit, I was a little worried. But, as it turns out, my worries were unfounded :)

Of the 40 or so people that showed up, I only spoke with a little over half of them. The people I met represented around a dozen companies, ranging from a startup in the works to a well-established 11 year old business to the largest public research university in the US. I met journalists, developers, designers, attorneys, business men/women, serial entrepreneurs, CEOs, ASU representatives and students. And all of them were a part of a startup or interested in starting, or helping, startups.

I’m continuously impressed by the diversity of the attendees and the ever increasing level of activity around startups in Phoenix. If you made it out last night, I hope you had a great time, met interesting people and were inspired. If you were not able to attend, keep an eye out for our next event (in October) or find other events in Phoenix related to business and technology on Eventification.

Also, if you’re interested in organizing a Startup Drinks in August or September, please let me know (curtis@flatterline.com)!

This month, we’re also co-hosting with our friends from the Journalists + Developers + Entrepreneurs + Beer (JDEB) meetup. They meet regularly to discuss the future of media and journalism. There’s a lot of opportunity for startups looking to solve some of the problems faced by journalists and the media.

When

Thursday, July 29, 2010 from 6-9pm

About the venue

The Hanny’s building was built in the late 1940s and is a significant late example of prominent local architects Royal Lescher and Leslie Mahoney. It is recognized as the best International Style commercial building in Phoenix, and possibly in Arizona. The building itself recognized the city’s entry into the modern post World War II commercial era and significantly influenced commercial building design in the 1950’s.

The building originally housed Hanny’s department store, which was in operation until 1986. It was then purchased by the city of Phoenix and used for firefighter training. After a three year restoration, it has become Hanny’s Restaurant, a place to eat, drink, and be merry!

Hanny’s Restaurant
40 North 1st Street
Phoenix, AZ 85004-2481
(602) 252-2285

Map

What do you need to do?

Simply show up, participate and have fun! That’s really what it’s all about, right? If you’re really nice, let us know you’re coming by submitting an RSVP on Eventification, leave a comment, send an email (curtis@flatterline.com) or through Twitter (@curtism).

Looking forward to seeing you there!

Thanks also to our organizer Roman for putting all of this together! It’s great to see another person who is passionate about startups and interested in organizing events around entrepreneurship in Phoenix.

If you’d like to get more involved, please let me know in the comments here, through Twitter or by email. We’d love to help you organize and promote a Startup Drinks.

Look for the next event coming in late July. We’ll be announcing the details soon!

When

Thursday, June 24, 2010 from 6-9pm

About the venue

Housed in a historic brick building dating to 1892, Four Peaks Brewery is a staple of Tempe nightlife. It’s won many awards over the years for it’s unique beers and was awarded the 2009 Critics’ Pick for Best Local Brewery from AZCentral, the 2009 Readers’ Choice for Best Pub with Grub and a host of awards from the Phoenix New Times, including Reader’s Choice for Best Brewery and Best Local Beer for a Novice Drinker.

Four Peaks Brewing Co
1340 E 8th St # 104
Tempe, AZ 85281
Map

What do you need to do?

Simply show up, participate and have fun! That’s really what it’s all about, right? If you’re really nice, let us know you’re coming by submitting an RSVP on Eventification, leave a comment, send an email (startup.drinks@arrogantsoftware.com) or through Twitter (@curtism).

Looking forward to seeing you there!

However, it doesn’t seem like there is enough of a consistent startup scene to have the event monthly, so I’m thinking about organizing it quarterly. Now, that’s just me. If you’d like to organize and host a Startup Drinks in Phoenix, by all means, let’s do it. Otherwise, let’s shoot for every 3 months :)

So where and when will we have the next event? So glad you asked.

When

Thursday, Apr 22, 2009 from 6-9pm

Where

This month, our destination is Rúla Búla on Mill in Tempe.

Rúla Búla
401 S. Mill Ave.
Tempe, AZ
(480) 929-9500
[Map]

What do you need to do?

Simply show up, participate and have fun! That’s really what it’s all about, right? If you’re really nice, you help spread the word through your favorite social media site.

Also, let us know you’re coming by submitting an RSVP on Eventification, leave a comment, send an email (curtis@flatterline.com) or through Twitter (@curtism).

Looking forward to seeing you there!

• Send a follow up email. You did get a card right? Twitter handle? Facebook?? LinkedIn??? Ok, you at least got a name/company, so look them up on any social network or through your favorite search engine. Chances are you’ll find them. The key here is just to do some type of follow up.
• Think about ways you can help their startup. Done thinking? There should be dozens of ways you can help, but…
• Talk to them and find out what they really need. How does that align with ways you can help? Good. Do it. Act.
• Spread the word about their startup. Let other people know so they can provide feedback too. Be a connector.
• Promote and go to other events for entrepreneurs or start your own. Come to the next Startup Drinks or OpenCoffee Club. Sponsor an event.

And to get you started here’s a list of companies, organizations and people who attended Startup Drinks in November. If I missed you, please let me know and I’ll add you posthaste, or add yourself in the comments.

• 80/20 Records
  • Michael Zimmerlich
• Arkayne
  • Paul Kenjora
  • Adam Ayers
  • David Lindquist
• ASU - Office of University Initiatives
  • Audrey Iffert, University Innovation Fellow
  • Maggie McGannon, University Innovation Fellow
  • Safwat Saleem, Creative Director
  • Jacqueline Smith, University Innovation Fellow
• ASU Entrepreneurs
  • Scott Perkofski & Sara Christensen
• Audience Audit
  • Susan Baier
• Entrepreneurs@ASU
  • Tyler Metcalf
  • Lauren Amarante
• Flatterline
  • Curtis Miller
  • Chris Chandler
• Forty Agency
  • Kim Stearns
• HyLo
  • Aaron Post
  • Mike Gagnon
  • Gavin McDermott
• JumpBox
  • Sean Tierney
  • Kimbro Staken
• Kyros
  • Jeremy Rudy
• Minuteglass
  • Chris Tingom
• Orangeslyce
  • Sean Coleman
• redPear and TEDxPhoenix
  • Tomas Carrillo
• RXGX
  • Ryan Gasparini
• Shwaag
  • Eric Keosky-Smith
• Spunch
  • Dave Murrow
  • Eric Morgan
• Terralever
  • Heather Herr

Entrepreneurs@ASU will be on hand giving out stickers that get you on a PARTY BUS that will take you from Startup Drinks to the Big Idea! keynote, an informative and inspirational talk from one of the entrepreneurial community’s brightest, Troy D. Byrd.

In addition to the support provided by ASU, we’ve also had some startups step up and offer additional prizes during the event. Here’s a complete list of what to expect:

• Free appetizers for the first 40 people - Provided by ASU Office of University Initiatives
• Free non-alcoholic drinks for the first 40 people - Provided by ASU
• Free sheep in a jet pack t-shirt for attendees - Provided by ASU
• Spunch card, good for one year, free if you ask about social punch cards - Provided by Aaron Post of Spunch
• Free beer* if you pitch your startup idea to Curtis Miller or Chris Chandler - Provide by Flatterline

This looks like it will be a great event to meet entrepreneurs in Phoenix. Looking forward to meeting you there!

Want to go? RSVP on Eventification, leave a comment, send an email (curtis@flatterline.com) or through Twitter (@curtism).

If you’d like to sponsor this or any Startup Drinks event, please contact me.

* Limit 1 per person, max $100 available

In support of Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW), we’ve collaborated with ASU to bring this month’s startup drinks to Tempe and encourage all students, faculty and staff to come out and support entrepreneurship in Phoenix! ASU is generously providing appetizers for the event and representatives will be on hand to talk about entrepreneurship opportunities at ASU.

When

Thursday, Nov 19, 2009 from 6-9pm

NOTE: This is not the usual last Thursday of the month!

Where

This month, our destination is Bison Witches on 6th St. in Tempe.

Bison Witches
21 E. 6th St.
Tempe, AZ
(480) 894-9104
[Map]

What do you need to do?

Simply show up, participate and have fun! That’s really what it’s all about, right? If you’re really nice, let us know you’re coming by submitting an RSVP on Eventification, leave a comment, send an email (curtis@flatterline.com) or through Twitter (@curtism).

Looking forward to seeing you there!

We’d love to see more passionate, intelligent people in Phoenix striking out on their own. Are you one of those people? Are you interested in joining a startup or already have one? Startup drinks offers a network of support for startups, from advice and connections to simply relaxing with other people who can empathize with you. We’re entrepreneurs helping entrepreneurs!

Come share a beer with fellow startup founders and relate your scariest startup moments. Feel free to wear a Halloween costume, too!

When

Thursday, Oct 29, 2009 from 6-9pm

Where

This month, our destination is The Turf Restaurant & Pub in downtown Phoenix.

The Turf Restaurant & Pub
705 N. 1st St.
Phoenix, AZ 85004-2022
(602) 296-5043
[Map]

What do you need to do?

Simply show up, participate and have fun! That’s really what it’s all about, right? If you’re really nice, let us know you’re coming by submitting an RSVP on Eventification, leave a comment, send an email (curtis@flatterline.com) or through Twitter (@curtism).

Looking forward to seeing you there!

We’d love to see more passionate, intelligent people in Phoenix striking out on their own. Are you one of those people? Are you interested in joining a startup or already have one? Startup drinks offers a network of support for startups, from advice and connections to simply relaxing with other people who can empathize with you. We’re entrepreneurs helping entrepreneurs!

Our first two months of events went well, but I don’t feel that we need two events per month. Originally, it was to try to accommodate more people, but there just hasn’t been enough demand. So, this month, we’re reducing to a single event on the last Thursday of the month.

When

Last Thurs: Thursday, Sept 24, 2009 from 6-9pm

Where

This month, our destination is The Rose and Crown in downtown Phoenix at Heritage Square.

The Rose and Crown
628 E. Adams St.
Phoenix, AZ 85073
(602) 256-0223
[Map]

What do you need to do?

Simply show up, participate and have fun! That’s really what it’s all about, right? If you’re really nice, let us know you’re coming by submitting an RSVP on Eventification, leave a comment, send an email (curtis@flatterline.com) or through Twitter (@curtism).

Looking forward to seeing you there!