Do we pay speakers to speak? Do we cover their speaker fee?

No, we don't. Never. Even the most successful entrepreneurs in the world (like co-founder of Whatsapp) speak at our stages for free. Why?

1. We do it for the community. We want to educate, inspire and connect people. We want speakers that have the same values.
2. We don't really make money out of these local events = we don't have a budget to pay thousands of USD in speaker fees.

Having said that, there have been some cases that we (you) have covered speakers' flights/transportation and accommodation. BUT, this is what you should keep in mind if you're thinking about doing something like that:

1. You are on your own - HQ WILL NOT cover any of these cost; nor will be reaching out to the speaker on your behalf.
2. Get a sponsor - the last thing we want to that you will ever lose money on hosting a Startup Grind event.
3. Make sure that this speaker is a rock star in the eyes of your community and can bring a lot of value to everybody involved with the event.