StartUP Columbus

Before the storefront, there was a “what if?” 💭

Now look at them. 👏

Meet a few of the founders bringing their ideas to life at Highside Market through retailLAB.

🤝 The Crowned Beauty Company, Taste of the Sea Reef, Star Spangled Tea

Then come cheer for founders like these at LaunchCon on Nov. 13. Free to attend!

$40,000. Four finalists. One stage.

They were selected from 65 applicants across Columbus and the surrounding 150-mile radius. On November 13, they will pitch live in front of judges and an audience of founders, funders, and neighbors.

Sergio Garcia of RIF Robotics. Elsie Lappin of Echo Oracle. Isabella Barreiro of Chifforo. Victor Nguyen of Prestige Foods.

Robots in hospitals. AI that inspects welds. A campus fashion marketplace. Software for the seafood supply chain. Four very different bets and one night to make the case.

You can be in the room. It’s free. Friday, November 13, at 5:30 PM at the Cunningham Center. RSVP here: https://hub.catalyzerapp.com/public/events/launchcon-pitch-competition-3080-1

Comment the finalist you’re rooting for. Tag who you’re bringing.

LaunchCon 2026, presented by Wells Fargo.

The expensive way to find out nobody wants your idea? Build the whole thing first. 😬

Talk first. Build later. Your future budget will thank you.

And just like that, Columbus has a whole new crew of founders to watch. 👀👏

Meet our Summer CO.STARTERS graduates:

🚀 JP Performance
💼 The HR Office
🚐 Teresa School & Activity Rides
🐠 Taste of the Sea Reef Shop
🎨 Huck Creative Agency
⭐ Second and Third Order LLC
👗 Tressed
🌮 Our Culture Latin Food Truck
🍝 Linea Fast Casual Italian
🏖️ Beach Express

Different businesses. Different ideas. One thing in common: they showed up ready to build. 💪

Drop a 👏 for our Summer CO.STARTERS grads!

$40,000. One stage. And some pretty incredible people helping make it happen. 👏

Big thank you to Wells Fargo, Georgia Center of Innovation, Bridgepath CFO Solutions, and Kilo Code for backing LaunchCon and the founders bold enough to take the stage.

Columbus, we’re building something BIG. 🚀

See you November 13.

🍂 STRIKE A POSE WITH OUR SCARECROW! 🍂

Our StartUP Columbus scarecrow is officially on Broadway, and we want to see your best pose! 📸

For a chance to win a StartUP Columbus swag bag + gift card:

🍁 Find our scarecrow on Broadway
🍁 Take a photo with it
🍁 Post your photo on Facebook or Instagram
🍁 Tag and follow

That’s it! Easy peasy. Come show off your creativity and have some fall fun! 🍂

Giveaway Details:
Entries are open now through October 31, 2026. One winner will be randomly selected from eligible entries on November 2, 2026.

🎁 Prize: One StartUP Columbus swag bag + gift card with a total approximate retail value of up to $150.

No purchase necessary. To qualify, you must post a photo with our scarecrow on Facebook or Instagram, tag , and follow . If your account is private, please send us a screenshot of your post via DM so we can verify your entry.

The winner will be contacted directly by StartUP Columbus. Please be aware of impersonator accounts – we will never ask for payment or financial information to claim your prize.

This giveaway is not sponsored, endorsed, administered by, or associated with Facebook or Instagram.

Tag your friends and keep the fun going! Happy Fall, Y’all! 🤎🍁

One question every business owner should be able to answer:

What outcome do you create for your customers?

If that takes more than a few seconds, swipe through.

📌 Save it for the next time you update your website, social bio, or sales pitch.

Coffee + connections ☕🤝 The Brick and Mortar Cafe | Old Town

Join us October 20, 8–9 AM, for our first StartUP Columbus Coffee Meetup – coffee’s on us!

RSVP link in bio 🖇️