3/28/2013 .

Oslo and Dhaka Dear Startup Bangladesh Participants and Supporters, We founded Startup Bangladesh this year with the goal of providing our innovation startup community a regular venue to meet, make new connections, and help each other realize our dreams. During this time, we have been fortunate to experience a tremendous amount of growth in attendance as well as support from many strong partner organizations. The interest to be Core Organizers alone was inspiring. Beginning next month, we have decided to launch the Contributor Model. The Startup Bangladesh events will continue to be open to all members of the innovation community as our guests; however, going forward we ask regular attendees of the Startup Bangladesh events to become Contributors. As a Contributor, you are expected to be champions of the SB credo, as well as to be a productive connector, facilitator, and conversation-starter while in the pop up innovation spaces we provide. Events lined up this year are Startup Dins, StartupProjonmo, Founder Meals and 4HVentures. Were asking you to pay it forward. Our goal is to start with a modest-sized Contributor group and grow from there. We have a limited ability to absorb and support new Contributors, and we will do so in a measured way. We will re-review un-approved Contributor applications as space and organizational capacity permit. In addition, would-be contributors who are not approved in their first application are welcome to reapply annually. Here is how it will work: - Participants to the Startup Bangladesh events are invited to attend as participants up to three times. During these first three visits, participants can learn more about the Startup Bangladesh community and offerings. - After three visits, individuals must become Contributors in order to attend the events. The role of a Contributor is to support the mission of Startup Bangladesh by actively aiding others to pursue their innovative and entrepreneurial startup goals. An analysis of the attendance of the Startup Bangladesh past events has led us to conclude that we initially have space for only 120 Contributors. As a consequence, becoming a Contributor is selective, similar to applying to a university, and is by application (Contributor Application will become available in May. Participants apply here). Applicants must also provide up to three references (these may be SB Volunteers, Contributors, or well-known members of the innovation community). - During the transition to this new model, past visitors to the SB events who have already visited more than three times will be provided one additional opportunity to visit as a guest before they must apply. - In addition, visiting privileges at the SB have been extended to members of certain innovationfocused partner organizations

This new model is an ongoing experiment to improve StartupBangladesh over time, we will analyze the parameters we have set and tweak them as needed. We hope that these changes will create a more focused, committed core of regular attendees while preserving plenty of space and opportunity for new participants in our innovation ecosystem to take advantage of the opportunities Startup Bangladesh has to offer as a cross-roads and meeting place for founders, startups and creators of our ecosystem. Thank you. Respectfully, NaimaZakaria Founder/Chairman of the Trustees

And The amazing Core Organizing Team !

Azim Tawhidul Islam Shahnoor Arif Abir Mamun Yakub Ruhul

Royal Md. Shihab Arnob Md. Atikul Islam Syed Talukdar Tarun Wakil