Marc Nager, Startup Weekend CEO. Photo by Red Box Pictures

[Editor’s Note: GeekWire has identified more than a dozen “Geeks Who Give Back” — people who work in non-profits, mentor others and invest in the future of the tech community. They were all featured in the GeekWire 2012 Calendar, given out at the GeekWire Gala. As 2011 draws to a close, we’ll highlight one of them every day, along with photography by Seattle’s Red Box Pictures.]

Our calendar honoree for February 2012 is Marc Nager.

The Startup Weekend CEO is giving would-be entrepreneurs all over the world a taste of startup life. The non-profit’s 54-hour coding marathons are more about the entrepreneurial experience than the ideas, and with support from the Kauffman Foundation, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Google, Startup Weekend is on a roll. Nager oversees it all, using Seattle as his base for experimentation and inspiration.

“Forget your idea,” Nager says. “It’s all about the team. I’d give my money to a great team with a bad idea vs. a bad team and an amazing idea.”

Thanks to our calendar sponsor for the month of February, Zillow, for helping to make this project possible. Stay tuned for more honorees and photos in the days ahead.

Like what you're reading? Subscribe to GeekWire's free newsletters to catch every headline

Job Listings on GeekWork

Find more jobs on GeekWork. Employers, post a job here.