DETROIT ? Techweek Detroit kicks off again April 13, the second year in a row that the Motor City has hosted the event that offers what show promoters describe as insights and wisdom from more than 30 local and national business leaders, as well as a rather unusual elevator pitch competition that offers the winner $50,000 in cash and prizes, plus the chance to go to a national competition to win even more.

?Our mission is to build a better world for tech entrepreneurship,? said Allison Konkel, a Detroit native who serves as Chief Strategy Officer. ?We?re shining a spotlight on the tech ecosystem.?

Techweek also is hosted in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Miami and Kansas City, she said. More cities will be added in the years to come. But the format remains pretty constant and offers a chance for tech entrepreneurs to network and strut their stuff at a competition that PT Barnum would endorse.

On April 16 and 17, Techweek moves to Ford Field for the conference and expo. More than 50 start-ups will be exhibiting there. Anonymous judges move among the crowd of some 2,000 expected to attend and ask the entrepreneurs to tell their story. The entrepreneurs don?t know if they are pitching an attendee or judge. At the end of the day, the judges compile their scores and announce five finalists who pitch on stage to win the $50,000.

Thursday features emerging city, mobility and health and technology themes. On Friday, Techweek is hosting a Makers Summit and focusing on entrepreneurship.

?We?re trying to help connect University students and people in technology to reconnect with Detroit tech companies,? Konkel said. ?It?s a mix of finding the right talented and trained people and getting them to stay in Detroit.?

Konkel said she moved to Chicago shortly after she graduated from the University of Michigan because of a lack of good tech jobs in the metropolitan area. Techweek hopes to prove to other recent college grads that there are indeed good tech opportunities in Detroit, particularly in the downtown core near Ford Field and Comerica Park that has become a hub for tech entrepreneurs, accelerators and incubators.

?It?s a struggle to keep the talent in Detroit, but more and more people are excited about the city of Detroit,? Konkel said.

Notable Techweek Detroit speakers include:

Chris Seago, Capital Strategies Leader, Bizdom

Dan Ward, Co-Founder, Detroit Labs

Jon Rimanelli, Founder & CEO, Detroit Aircraft

Olga Stella, Vice President, Detroit Economic Growth Corporation

Mark Rieth, CEO & Owner, Atwater Brewery

Past national speakers have included Rahm Emanuel (Mayor, Chicago), Travis Kalanick (CEO, Uber), Craig Newmark (Founder, Craigslist), Dan Gilbert (Founder, Quicken Loans), Jonah Peretti (Founder & CEO), Susan Paley (First Employee & Former CEO, Beats by Dr. Dre), Peter Diamandis (Founder, X PRIZE) and Pitbull (World renowned musician). The Techweek expo has gathered more than 200 sponsors, including companies such as Google, American Airlines, Microsoft, Motorola, Redbox, Uber, Yelp and WordPress.

For more information, as well as ticketing, Click on Techweek.Com