Origin Weekend

​Curious about startups? You’re invited to USC’s premier startup launch sprint. In just five days, you’ll team up, build fast, and pitch big for the chance to win $5,000 in prizes

​No idea or team required - everyone’s welcome.

​Origin Weekend, jointly hosted by tiehub at Viterbi and the USC Lloyd Greif Center for Entrepreneurial Studies, is USC’s elite 5-day startup launch sprint where students tackle real-world problems and build fundable solutions. Origin Weekend (9/4-9/8) is designed to push you from idea to venture - fast.

​Over four high-intensity days, you’ll team up with builders, innovators, and creatives across USC to ideate, validate, prototype, and pitch. You’ll get hands-on mentorship, structured workshops led by top founders, and pitch to VCs and operators who know what it takes to launch.

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Tentative Schedule

​Day 1 – Thursday (Kickoff & Team Formation) 5-8pm

• ​Welcome + Orientation

• ​Prompt Introduction

• ​Ideation & Team Formation

​Day 2 – Friday (Validation, MVPs, & Business Models) 5-8pm

• ​Workshop: “How to Validate a Problem”

• ​Workshop: “No-Code MVPs / Demo Tools”

• ​Workshop: “Business Models & Communicating Value”

​Day 3 – Saturday (Build)

• ​Open-Working Session + Mentorship

​Day 4 – Sunday (Build)

• ​Open-Working Session + Mentorship

​Day 5 – Monday (Pitch & Showcase) 5-8pm

• ​Final Pitch/Demo Presentations

​Featured Speakers & Mentors

​We’re bringing in top-tier founders and operators to guide your journey:

• ​Alex Lee – CEO @ Truewind (2x YC-backed, USC alum)

• ​Sahitya Sridhar – Co-Founder @ SynthioLabs (YC-backed, USC alum)

• ​Raj Vasantha – Co-Founder @ SynthioLabs (YC-backed, NYU alum)

• ​Jennifer Roberts – Co-Founder & GM @ Grit Ventures (Stanford alum)

• ​Catherine Zhao – Founder @ Delty (ex-Google, YC-backed)

​What to Expect

• ​Form a team and work on real-world startup ideas

• ​Learn directly from YC-backed founders and VCs

• ​Access structured workshops & mentorship from USC faculty and industry leaders

• ​Build your prototype and pitch in front of judges

• ​Join USC’s growing community of builders and innovators

​Who Should Join?

• ​Students who are curious about startups and want to try building one

• ​Builders with technical or creative skills looking for team-members

• ​Aspiring founders ready to practice validating, building, and pitching

• ​Anyone who wants to experience what it takes to start a venture in 4 days

​✨ Space is limited. Apply now to save your spot.