Aarhus Townhall: “We want to break the Janteloven and brag about the many exciting things happening in the city”

“A community buffet for startups in Aarhus.”

This is how Ellen Kobberø starts by describing Aarhus Townhall, which on Thursday, October 10th. October 10th, brings together founders, investors and other community players for the big celebration of the local ecosystem. She is project manager at Startup Aarhus, the organization behind Aarhus Townhall. And with an expected attendance of around 500, there is something for everyone in terms of networking opportunities. Aarhus Townhall will be a central gathering point where founders can meet others in the ecosystem – and form relationships in an informal setting.

“Townhall is a platform where people can network with investors and form personal relationships. Even if you’re not in an active fundraising phase, meeting with investors can be valuable. Having a beer together can make a difference when you contact them again later. You build trust in each other in a different way. We find that founders use Townhall to network – both with investors and other founders – and that’s valuable for everyone,” says Ellen Kobberø.

Of the 500 participants, about two-thirds are startup founders.

Spotlights

Although networking and new connections are a main component, there will also be something happening on stage at Turbinehallen in Aarhus, where Aarhus Townhall is held. But Ellen Kobberø won’t reveal exactly what will be happening. The organizers are focusing on attendance at the big startup party, so you have to be there to experience it. What is certain, however, is that Ellen Kobberø will be in the spotlight on stage. She will be responsible for guiding the participants safely through the evening. And it’s not exactly a role she’s used to.

“It makes me quite nervous to go on stage myself, but I can already feel the strength of our startup community. I know the audience will be supportive and it makes it easier to go out and speak in front of 500 people,” says Ellen Kobberø.

She first became acquainted with the ecosystem as a volunteer at Slush’D, and since then she has been a student assistant at Startup Aarhus, where she is now a permanent Project Manager.

“I’m lucky to work full time organizing Townhall and other exciting projects. We have many ideas for new initiatives to support and facilitate founders that we look forward to exploring,” says Ellen Kobberø about her work as a community builder at Startup Aarhus.

A local startup family

Ellen Kobberø discovered a strong culture in the Aarhus ecosystem where experienced founders share their experiences and give advice to those who are not quite there yet on their entrepreneurial journey.

“Townhall provides the opportunity for these connections to happen. Last Townhall, we introduced a first timer concept where we welcomed new participants. It’s a way to showcase the whole ecosystem and include new people in the community. I remember one participant telling how she had previously felt alone in her work, but was touched to meet so many like-minded people – she got a family in the startup world,” says Ellen Kobberø from Startup Aarhus and continues:

“We need to showcase Aarhus, and we encourage you to break the Janteloven and brag about the many exciting things happening in the city. We should help each other rather than compete. If a startup gets an investment, the investor might also get in touch with other startups. The more traction Aarhus gets, the more beneficial it is for everyone. We already have a strong community, but we want to make it even stronger and more visible, both for new participants and those who have been part of it for a long time.”

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