It’s incredibly rewarding to witness the enduring impact of the efforts we poured into building the startup community in China over a decade ago. This past weekend, June 27–29, 2025, Hangzhou, China, hosted the inaugural Startup Forest event, a testament to the legacy of those early initiatives.
I learned about the event when Joey, a participant from a Startup Weekend I organized more than ten years ago, shared a photo and video featuring my virtual presentation from that time. Curious, I reached out to understand how a video from 2011 was still resonating. Joey explained that the movement we ignited back then continues to thrive, profoundly influencing the career paths and personal growth of many participants.
The realization brought tears to my eyes. Organizing those early Startup Weekend events demanded immense effort, passion, and a volunteer-driven spirit. I’m thrilled to hear that Startup Forest is built on the same foundation—a nonprofit, volunteer-led model. It’s especially exciting to know that Zoe, who was always a passionate force in our startup events, is leading this new chapter. Seeing the torch still burning brightly after all these years fills me with pride and optimism for the future.
Curious some of the Startup Weekend Experiences here’s just a few
MikesBlog is full of these – here are some
https://mikesblog.com/startupweekend2024/
https://mikesblog.com/why-am-i-doing-startup-weekend-in-china/
https://mikesblog.com/7th-startup-weekend-shenzhen/
https://mikesblog.com/speaking-at-shenzhen-startup-tuesday-about-usa-startup-weekend-book-review/
https://mikesblog.com/pushing-it-aiming-for-a-quick-bootup-weekend-build-a-startup-in-54-hours/
https://mikesblog.com/startup-madness-pushing-for-this-weekends-shenzhen-startupweekend/