Orlando Entrepreneurship – Rupert Meghnot
Hybrid Meeting – July 20, 2023
Rupert Meghnot started his first business at 20 and is still going strong. Originally a poli sci major, he has an M.B.A. from Rollins and patents in consumer electronics, motion simulation, and virtual reality. He taught Entertainment Technology at UCF’sRosen College and Full Sail Project Management, their Game Design Masters program, the former students of which are now managing $2+ billion in game IP.
Having consulted 350+ high-tech startups in the areas of project management, product development, strategic & market planning, and capital acquisition, he’s now incubating game startups via Burnout Game Ventures, LLC. Called a “venturator,” BGV is more than an incubator/accelerator/publisher. They provide startup Clients with all the people, resources, processes, and motivation to create quality products fast.
With more than 450 people in their Talent Pool, 95 of whom are working on 9 projects for six startups, they have 38 game releases scheduled over the next 24 months and have already begun ROI payments to investors. His goal is to help make Orlando the “engine” of the $110 billion game industry, creating 50 companies and 500 high-paying, high-tech jobs in the process. In addition to his role at Burnout Game Ventures.
He is also a mentor for entrepreneurs at Starter Studio and through his “meal with a mentor” initiative. He was previously a co-organizer of Orlando’s 1 Million Cups, a program to foster entrepreneurship in local communities developed by the Kaufman Foundation. During this role he was tasked with identifying, reviewing, mentoring, and selecting startups for presentation at their weekly “Guppy Tank”. During this position, he also focused on raising awareness of the 1 Million Cups event and brand, to attract entrepreneurs, investors, and service providers to each event