Startup Weekend has been held in cities all over the globe, from Atlanta and Boston to San Francisco and Seattle. But the 54-hour coding marathon will be heading to a place that really could use some positive entrepreneurial energy. The Seattle organizers of Startup Weekend plan to bring the event to earthquake-ravaged Haiti this fall.

"In my mind, I'd like to see be part of an effort to prop up entrepreneurs on the ground in Haiti and hopefully be part of an effort that leaves them with a sustainable business a year or two from now," said Startup Weekend co-organizer Clint Nelsen.

The idea is in the very early-stages of development. They have yet to secure a venue or a date, and at this point Nelsen said they are still trying to determine how best to address the situation in Haiti.

Nelsen -- along with co-organizer Marc Nager -- said they've been receiving conflicting reports from people in Haiti as to what is needed most. But in a blog post, Nager writes that they plan to partner with local relief agencies and charities to bring the concept to Haiti.

He writes:

The event will be far different from a standard Startup Weekend event; however, the model will fundamentally used to help find the best solutions to the most widely felt problems of the people. We believe we will find local Haitians that will have great ideas to address some of the problems they face daily. The end goal is to take the money we receive via the fundraising efforts and award it directly to the new, local ventures and ideas the emerge from the event.

Typically, the folks who attend Startup Weekend focus on mobile or Internet technologies. But Nager admits that might not be the focus in Haiti, which is still struggling with basic infrastructure.

"While mobile apps and web service might benefit us here in the US, we know that the need in Haiti is for much less trivial things and more for the problem solving of issues related to supply logistics, relief coordination, effective communication strategies," Nager wrote.

Startup Weekend in Haiti got some attention yesterday in The New York Times. In the report, University of Maryland's Melissa Carrier warned that it might be too early for this type of entrepreneurial program since many Haitians still do not have basic services available to them.

Nelsen acknowledged that potential challenge.

"...I've been getting conflicting reports from people on the ground some of whom say that is a great idea, others say that is too soon and basic human needs are still not being met," Nelsen said via email. "We plan to focus our efforts where they are most needed and will be most timely."

Startup Weekend plans to work with the non-profit We Hear Your Voice on the effort. It plans to donate 90 percent of the funds it raises to projects in Haiti. The fundraising efforts will start on March 13 at SXSW in Austin, with Microsoft BizSpark and Piryx supporting the cause.