All too often, businesses are launched without an understanding of the customer, their needs, and the fit of the product/service to the customer and market.

As we continue our Summer StartUp Series in July, we move the focus from the building of the idea to its validation in the marketplace. We will hear from local experts who have dealt with the challenges of engaging the customer validation process and learn how they were able to save time and money, by starting lean!

Our panelists for the program are: Trevor Boehm of Gulf Coast Containers LLC, Jeff Zeiders of CigarClub.com, Andrew Byrd of The University of South Alabama, and Thomas E. Nelson of the MCOB Melton Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation.