No Active Shooter At DC Area Mall, It Was Just a 16-Year-Old Viner

Over the past two decades when the words “active shooter” are put together with “teenager,” it usually involves a suspect of some sort. That’s not what happened this weekend at Tyson’s Corner Mall in Northern Virginia.

Vine, the Twitter owned short form video app, has created huge internet sensations in the few short months it’s been on the market. People love Vine; they are addicted to making silly little six second videos th

at loop and watching the creativity of their favorite viners.

Vine has catapulted several teenagers into stardom, some of whom have hundreds of thousands if not millions of followers on the service. These teenage “Viners” like LohAnthony, Kayden Stephenson and Mathew Espinosa do little more than smile at the camera, sing a little song or just talk about what they had for dinner. There’s not much you can do in six seconds, but it’s that short time frame which makes vine so addictive.

Some may remember Kayden Stephenson from American Idol last year. The 16-year-old Oklahoma City teenager has cystic fibrosis. His disease affects his breathing and also makes the 16 year old look a lot younger. He has a decent voice, but it was his story that won over the hearts of American Idol judges last year. Unfortunately he

didn’t last long on the show, but as soon as Vine was released he bulked up on followers. As for the other two, they are just normal teenagers with a sense of humor and a way with their peers.

Fast forward now to this past Saturday. Espinosa, who lives in Woodbridge Virginia, decided he was going to meetup with some of his Vine followers/fans at Tyson’s Corner mall, one of the largest shopping malls in the Metro DC area.

Although it was never revealed how many people Espinosa thought would attend his little meetup, over 10,000 screaming girls came to see the blonde teenager who bares a slight resemblance to Justin Bieber. Fox 5 reports that some of the girls came from over 5 hours away.

Espinosa arrived at the mall and shook a few hands and gave a few autographs. At one point mall security and police had to escort him out of the mall.

That wasn’t before curious mall goers were trying to find out what was going on, why all these teenager girls were at the mall. At one point someone got confused and said that they were shooting a video where all the fans had congregated. Well as you can see from the Fox 5 video below, shooting a video quickly became “shooting” and all hell broke loose.

People started screaming and running from the mall. Others started calling the police and the local news stations. The Washington DC suburbs have been on high alert since a gunman killed 12 and injured even more at the DC Navy Yard last week.

This is obviously the power of Vine that Gary Vee is banking on.

Startup Tips: How To Do Well By Doing Good

What do you think of when you hear “doing well by doing good” – that it’s a cliché? How about “impact businesses” – sexy? Or what about: “for-benefit companies” – confused yet?

No matter what you call it, many young women today want to align with an organization that is changing the world somehow. But most of us are not quite ready to give up our salary or live in a shared apartment at 32 in order to join a nonprofit we believe in.

But what if there’s a third option?

I attended a United Nations high school (UWCSEA), where the idea of compromise wasn’t discussed much. We were taught that, in any given situation, a solution that works for both parties (or countries, or disputed areas) can be created. Yes, the magical intersection in the Venn diagram is real!

More plainly put, we learned that you can always create a win-win situation to benefit both sides. For companies and startups today, making a profit and serving others are the two big circles — and that sliver in between, for the millennial generation in particular, is the sweet spot, aka “conscious capitalism.”

The line between the two worlds of do-gooders and money-makers is blurring. Companies are finding ways to make both goals definable and attainable. In fact, to stay competitive in today’s environment, you need to help people and serve society. Few businesses can stay competitive if their product or service is not providing value, solving an issue or making a real impact.

Whether in education, energy or health care, entrepreneurs are finding models to make their solution not just viable, but also financially sustainable. Rather than expending their best resources on fundraising and selling to donors, these entrepreneurs are focusing on building a product.

How we found our overlap

ContextMedia began seven years ago, in a dorm room kitchen one Friday night. The mission at hand, if we so chose to accept, was to educate patients living with a chronic conditions on how to live healthier lives via diet and exercise management. We envisioned them learning how to do this through engaging media provided during their office visit.

Three 19-year-old dreamers pooled their savings to buy TVs and DVD players, ripping content online, in order to provide a beta product to physician practices. The doctors loved the product and recognized true benefit to their patients and practice, but had no dollars to pay for it. Did we give up?

No. While we could have gone the 501(c)(3) route and actually drafted some grant applications, we didn’t want to go to sleep worrying each day about running out of money (which is the same reason we didn’t take external capital) instead of executing our vision. So we had to find someone else who also saw value in patients learning to live healthier: insurance companies? Or how about another industry whose mission is to help people live a healthier life – pharmaceutical and device companies?

3 tips for finding — and funding — your big idea

Self-funding an idea that does good AND makes money is possible if you know where to look (and what you want to achieve).

Here are 3 ways to get started:

Identify what drives you in life. What problem speaks to you? For me, it was education — and the powerful freedom of choice that comes with knowledge.
Identify your ideas, skills and resources for providing a solution. More specifically, ask, “What else do I need to do this well?” I had a passion for the power of media communication, but I knew I didn’t have sales or technology expertise. I taught myself a little bit but also surrounded myself with people more talented than me.
Identify a financially sustainable way to execute your solution. Is it direct sales, channel partnerships, sponsorships, ad networks, etc.? If you’re not sure, list the stakeholders who may find value in your offering — and evaluate their ability to pay. As our story illustrates, the best revenue model for your company is not necessarily the most obvious one. Your checks may never arrive from the end user — but that doesn’t mean you can’t create win-win situations where some other company is willing to pay for the utilization of your product or service. You just need to find them.

Perhaps the most exciting news about the increasingly blurred line between doing well and doing good is that young women in their 20s and 30s don’t need to hit that big career brake when they decide it’s time to have a family or pursue something more impactful.

Instead, we can establish and run well-funded enterprises of our own, with a good team and a great model — all while giving us the freedom to choose our working hours, values and goals.

Shradha Agarwal is the Chief Strategy Officer and Co-Founder of ContextMedia, a leading media technology company that educates and informs consumers as they make critical decisions about their health. Shradha was named to Crain’s Chicago Business 40 Under 40 list, and she was the Stevies’ 2012 Female Entrepreneur of the Year. You can connect with her on LinkedIn, Google+, and Twitter.

The Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) is an invite-only organization comprised of the world’s most promising young entrepreneurs. In partnership with Citi, the YEC recently launched #StartupLab, a free virtual mentorship program that helps millions of entrepreneurs start and grow businesses via live video chats, an expert content library and email lessons.

See YEC founder Scott Gerber at this huge startup conference next week.

13 Ways to Best Prepare Your Team in a Business Crisis

Question: How do you prepare your team ahead of time for a business crisis?

Keep a Positive Mindset

“If something is going wrong, the employees are going to sense it so you should be upfront about the problem to an extent. However, once the problem is mentioned, positive attitudes must replace negative thoughts around the office so moral is not lost. To help this, go for a quick win — whether it be a small account or just an achievement. Change something for the positive.”

– Ken Sundheim | CEO, KAS Placement

Tell Them Before They Find Out

“There’s nothing worse than hearing bad news about the company you work for from an outside source. Always be proactive and communicate what’s to come. You never know, the solution to your problem could come from an unexpected member of your team. Often, your employees have detailed insights into their area of the business that you can’t see as the CEO.”

– Laura Roeder | Founder, LKR Social Media

Overcommunicate Always

“Overcommunication has become a core value of ours — and it starts from the top (or, in our inverted organizational hierarchy, the bottom). I tell our employees everything, share with them what’s ahead, and what I think we’re going to need to do to prepare for it. Then I ask for their help to craft the best response, so they know they’re truly a part of the solution.”

– Derek Flanzraich | CEO and Founder, Greatist

Think It Through Completely

“The biggest thing we teach our clients is to think through what would happen in each type of crisis. Be incredibly specific about who would have the authority to make decisions on behalf of the company and, if possible, have content for social media prepared and vetted by your legal team. Crises are chaotic, so having a clear plan written down and distributed to your team is key.”

– Kade Dworkin | Founder and Chief Crisis Officer, Red Alert Social Media

Hold Your Values Close

“In the midst of any crises, big or small, it’s easy to lose sight of values and focus on survival. Build a culture that reveres and relies on values to guide decisions so they will be ingrained in the way you operate.”

– Kelly Azevedo | Founder, She’s Got Systems

Be Realistic, Really

“Only months after TalentEgg launched, the economy began to crumble. Our business involves helping employers leverage our website to hire students and grads, and many meetings started and ended with the dreaded phrase: “hiring freeze.” I promptly set up a company meeting and outlined our strategy for the next several months. I got buy in from the team and we weathered the storm together.”

– Lauren Friese | Founder, TalentEgg

Train for Crisis Mode

“Startups are going to have crises now and again. Make sure that your team members are aware of what is required of them during a crisis. Do they need to be in the office longer? Are there specific communication protocols you have in place to communicate with customers? Are there a set of resources people need to access when it is crunch time? Make sure your team is aware of these things.”

– Lucas Sommer | Founder CEO, Audimated

Warning: It Happens

“Make sure everyone on the team realizes that shit happens. It just does. No matter how much you plan or safeguard, at some point, you’ll have a mess on your hands. In those times, the most damage is created by panic and stress. Handle the mess with grace, know it will pass, and the team will be just fine. Or it won’t and you were screwed, anyway – but you handle it the same way.”

– Brent Beshore | Owner/CEO, adventur.es

Timing Is Essential

“Proper timing is essential. You don’t want to cry wolf too early and cause a potential panic, but you want to allow your team sufficient time to plan and adjust. If you can stick to the facts and get the brainstorming ball rolling with a few suggestions of your own, you can help your team begin to immediately focus on solutions.”

– Nicolas Gremion | CEO, Free-eBooks.net

Time to Lead by Example

“Transparency is key to surviving a company crisis, but it is not enough. Leaders need to put in the legwork before they bring the team together. Showing up with a proposal for how to handle the crisis will settle the rest of the organization, while providing a framework upon which the rest of the team can build. Convening your team when there is a crisis with your hands-up is not sufficient.”

– Aaron Schwartz | Founder and CEO, Modify Watches

Avoid the Blame Game

“As much as possible, avoid focusing on who is to blame. This strategy will simply lead to guilt, frustration, anger and defensiveness. Instead, focus on solutions to address the current situations and opportunities to prevent similar crises in the future.”

– Elizabeth Saunders | Founder & CEO, Real Life E®

Appoint a Spokesperson

“In a crisis situation, you’re not just contending with internal struggles — your phone is often ringing off the hook with reporters looking for a comment on what’s happened. Have one dedicated spokesperson within your company who is media-trained and well adept at delivering messages to manage these situations and forward all outside calls/emails to them.”

– Melissa Cassera | President and CEO, Cassera Communications

Anticipate With Backup Plan

“We brainstorm all the possible things that could go wrong in all areas of the business. From there, we start creating back-up plans. It’s much easier to think of solutions when you aren’t panicked.”

– Patrick Ambron | CEO, BrandYourself.com

The Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) is an invite-only organization comprised of the world’s most promising young entrepreneurs. In partnership with Citi, the YEC recently launched #StartupLab, a free virtual mentorship program that helps millions of entrepreneurs start and grow businesses via live video chats, an expert content library and email lessons.

2 Weeks And 2 Startup Avenue Booths Left For Everywhere Else Cincinnati

The feedback for Everywhere Else Cincinnati has been overwhelming. Many startups in the flyover states, middle America, and abroad can’t believe there is a startup conference, with a speaker lineup of this caliber, specifically geared towards them.

At Everywhere Else Cincinnati you’ll mingle, rub elbows, network, talk and hopefully garner the interest of investors who like you, work and want to continue building startup ecosystems everywhere else. We’ll hear from people like Jeff Hoffman who built up Priceline, uBid and other companies. Hoffman has decided that he’s done creating business plans and he’s turned to creating entrepreneurs and he’s going to share that with all of us.

We’ll hear form people like Andrew Warner who’s mixergy website has become a bible of sorts for entrepreneurs across the country. We’ll hear from several startup founders who’ve collectively raised hundreds of millions of dollars from anywhere USA.

Scott Gerber, the founder of YEC and distinguished startup author will talk about startups everywhere and the YEC’s new Startup Insurance.

And there are 22 more speakers with similar experience taking the stage September 29th-October 1st in downtown Cincinnati at the Duke Energy Convention Center.

The attendee ticket is $99 through this weekend and the remaining two Startup Avenue booths are just $495 through this weekend.

The Startup Avenue booth comes with three attendee tickets for the founder and the your startup team. You’ll exhibit in front of hundreds of investors, founders, entrepreneurs and resources. There will be pitch contests and two exclusive events for startups, investors and our media partners.

Tickets are available below. We’ll see you in Cincinnati.

Online Ticketing for Everywhere Else Cincinnati – “Start Where U Are” powered by Eventbrite

Maryland Startups Square Off With Texas Governor Rick Perry

While he hasn’t declared his candidacy for President of the United States in 2016, we can just about count on the fact that Texas Governor Rick Perry will run for the Republican nomination. It’s just about as sure a thing as Hillary running for the Democratic nomination.

Even though he isn’t officially a candidate Perry has been making the rounds both internationally and nationally, soft campaigning and warming people up to his way of thinking.

The Washington Post reported on Wednesday that Governor Perry was in Bethesda Maryland for meetings with local political and business officials. The Governor’s meetings were taking place at Morton’s steak house a popular restaurant in the Maryland suburb of Washington DC.

It was there that the Startup Maryland bus, loaded with entrepreneurs and startup founders pitching their companies across the state, came face to face with the Republican Governor.

“If you want to live in a state where you have high taxes and a relatively burdensome regulatory climate, if you want to live in a state where the litigation is relatively easy to get into, then go live in those states,” Perry had told local website BethesdaNow earlier in the day.

“The messaging from Governor Perry is laser focused on the tax environment,” said Startup Maryland co-chair Michael Binko told the Washington Post. “If businesses are only looking at the tax environment for where they should go to succeed, we think that’s shortsighted as entrepreneurs and probably a recipe for disaster.”

Binko is not alone. The issues of lower tax rates and lower cost of living are always popping up in the Silicon Valley vs “everywhere else” startup debate, with PandoDaily’s Sarah Lacy saying “But there’s a reason I never talk up taxes or cost of living as reasons other startup ecosystems will take off: Because none of the people who really matter give a shit about these things.” in this article addressing tax breaks, rates and cost of living for startups outside the valley.

While we’re not going to debate politics on the pages of nibletz.com, the current administration has overseen the passing and rolling out of the JOBS ACT, they’re looking at immigration reform that will make it easier for foreign founders to grow their startups here, and they’ve hosted a slew of startup focused events in conjunction with Startup America.

With the weight of turning the economy around falling on developing new businesses startups will be a hot issue in the 2016 campaign.

As for Maryland’s startup bus, this is the second year for the Startup Maryland bus which stops at various cities across the state and invites entrepreneurs and startup founders onto the bus to record video pitches. The pitches are voted on at the end of the bus tour. The bus tour started in Ocean City Maryland on September 9th and runs through September 27th.

Omaha’s Straight Shot Accelerator & First National Bank Of Omaha Holding Code One Hackathon

Omaha’s new accelerator, backed by Dundee Venture Capital, Straight Shot, is making waves in Silicon Prairie. The cohort based accelerator, led by Faith Larson, is taking a big city approach to their accelerator class. Larson and her team have provided an intense amount of mentoring activities, speakers and networking events to make sure their teams are more than ready come demo day.

They’ve also taken a firm position in Omaha’s rapidly growing tech community. Their latest effort is a hackathon happening next weekend called CodeOne.

When Straight Shot partner First National Bank of Omaha decided that they wanted to see some new ideas and technology for their online web platform they turned to the team at Straight Shot. Together they decided to host a hackathon and engage the tech community to help with the banks platform.

The hackathon starts next Friday afternoon and runs through Sunday. Food, drinks, and plenty of caffeine will be supplied to the registrants. The bank is transforming their WinterGarden employee cafe space into a collaborative workspace for all of the hackers

Hackathons like this have created a stir in startup communities in the past. Perhaps most notably was Nashville’s “Code Crush” event. Some hackers are leery of corporations backing a hackathon for the sole purpose of developing their companies technology.

To that end First National Bank of Omaha has been a great partner to the Omaha tech and entrepreneurial community. Not only that but they are giving away $13,000 in cash for the top three teams. First prize is $10,000 cash. Second prize is $2,000 cash and third prize is $1,000 cash.

Throughout the weekend event First National Bank of Omaha will also be looking for potential candidates for their internship program which could lead to employment with the bank down the road. They’ve also made it quite clear developers will be developing for the First National Bank platform. I also hear that the food will be great, we’re not talking just chips,soda and pizza.

It’s looking like CodeOne will be an amazing event for developers, designers, coders and hackers. You still have a few days left to register and if you’re confident your three person team can knock it out of the ball park there could be some money in it for you as well.

Here’s a link to registration.

While you’re at it don’t forget to register for Everywhere Else Cincinnati, the huge national startup conference is just two weeks away. Dundee Capital’s Mark Hasebroock is one of our 30 top notch startup speakers.

Young Entrepreneur Council Launches Startup Insurance

Startup Insurance, Health Insurance, YEC, Scott Gerber

With the Affordable Care Act set to take effect in January 2014, many entrepreneurs and business owners still have serious concerns and fears about potential increases to premiums, state exchanges and compliance-related issues. To help them navigate the health insurance landscape, YEC (Young Entrepreneur Council), an invite-only organization of elite entrepreneurs, has launched StartupInsurance, a health insurance destination created by business owners for business owners with a carefully curated collective of providers and affordable insurance plans from across the nation.

StartupInsurance provides startups, business owners, and job-unlocked individuals–people who are likely to transition into self-employment as a result of being able to purchase health insurance options outside of traditional employers–with direct access to affordable, quality health insurance options, while removing confusion and time inefficiencies from the purchasing process. StartupInsurance connects the self-employed, their families and their employees to major medical health insurance options that will be fully compliant with the Affordable Care Act by 2014, ensuring that those insured individuals who purchase qualifying plans avoid tax penalties.

“As our nation becomes more entrepreneurial, and more Americans launch startups, start small businesses, and join the booming gig economy, YEC wants to be there to support business owners and newly job-unlocked individuals by providing them with access to quality, affordable health care insurance options throughout the United States,” said Scott Gerber, founder of Young Entrepreneur Council.

Through its direct carrier partnerships, StartupInsurance customers will benefit from access to one of the largest major medical footprints in the United States. Insurance options will be available in nearly every state across the nation via StartupInsurance.com. (Specifics about our carrier partners and available health insurance options are available upon request)

“In speaking to thousands of entrepreneurs, freelancers and small business owners over the years, we have learned what is important to them, what’s working for them–and most importantly, what isn’t,” said Scott Gerber, founder of YEC. “This direct feedback has guided our thinking in creating StartupInsurance–a destination created by the very people it’s serving.”

In the coming weeks, StartupInsurance’s health insurance options will also be made available to the business customers and members of various organizations and corporations, including FedEx, Grasshopper, Wave Apps, LegalZoom, Moo, Startup Weekend, Dwolla, Crowdspring, 99designs and others.

“As a leader in the small business space, Wave understands how important it is for business owners to find affordable healthcare for themselves and their employees,” said Kirk Simpson, co-founder and CEO of Wave. “We are excited to provide our customers with bestc of breed insurance products through YEC’s StartupInsurance and SmallBusinessInsurance. As we enter uncertain times with the changing healthcare landscape, these insurance products will bring certainty and predictability for our customers.”

In addition to StartupInsurance, YEC is also launching FreelancerHealthcare (www.FreelancerHealthcare.com) and SmallBusinessInsurance (www.SMBinsurance.com) to assist freelancers and small business owners, respectively. StartupInsurance is the first of several business products and back office services that YEC’s new services division will bring to market to help power business owners and America’s thriving gig economy.

Self-employed individuals and business owners interested in StartupInsurance can get quick quotes and apply online at www.StartupInsurance.com or call (888) 707-1484. Organizations interested in connecting their customers and members with StartupInsurance options can contact info@theyec.org for more information. StartupInsurance videos, embed codes and collateral at http://startupinsurance.com/materials.php

Find out more about Startup Insurance and the YEC When Scott Gerber speaks at this national startup conference Sep 29-Oct 1st in Cincinnati.

Why Niche Conferences Provide the Best ROI for Startups

It’s easy to assume bigger is always better — especially when you’re a small business trying to grow. When it comes to choosing a conference to attend, though, it’s not size that matters as much as niche.

By choosing conferences that have the most industry-specific content and the greatest networking opportunities for your business — as well as making a deliberate effort to meet people before, during, and after the events — you can maximize the ROI of each conference you attend, even if it’s not a monster like TED.

Large vs. Niche Conferences

Huge conferences try to appeal to a diverse pool of potential attendees, casting very large nets and offering a wide range of topics. This is great for a conference trying to sell tickets, but not for small business owners in need of specific, applicable content.

Small business owners with limited budgets need content and opportunities that meet the exact needs of their businesses to make an event worthwhile. Many niche conferences offer great educational panels and workshops for a lower ticket price than some of the big-name conferences, and it’s often easier to connect afterward with speakers.

Another advantage niche conferences have over larger, broader conferences like TED is the type of people they attract. The attendees of smaller conferences tend to be CEOs, presidents, or business owners. Having a pool of decision-makers to mingle with makes niche events networking goldmines.

How to Capitalize on Your Conference

To ensure a conference experience is a valuable one, there are steps a business owner should take before, during, and after:

Before

By doing your homework on each conference’s speaker lineup and event itinerary before you buy tickets, you can get a detailed view of the exact topics covered. Make sure the content, workshops, and speakers connect with the type of business you are and touch on the issues that are important to you.

Investigate the reputation of the organization hosting the conference. A lot of conferences look and sound attractive, but they turn out to be big pitchfests. Make sure the conference you’re attending is committed to providing you with useful material — not just providing its speakers an opportunity to sell their products and services.
Seek out social proof by talking to those who attended the year before. If the conference is new, research the speakers to make sure they’re knowledgeable.

During

With the proper approach, each session can provide value. Just keep asking one question: How does this apply to me/my business?

Listen to the questions others ask. There might be a way to apply the answers given to your own business. Don’t hesitate to connect with someone who asked an interesting question later on, either; sometimes, the most valuable insights emerge from discussions sparked in panels.
Take notes in the moment. I keep a single sheet of paper in the front of my notebook to log my “biggest takeaways.” These are the ideas I want to tackle right away once I get home, but I might lose track of them if I don’t write them down on the spot.
Stay socially active. It’s common for conferences to boast having the coolest parties and networking opportunities, but no amount of “cool” can automate the networking process. You still have to put yourself out there to make connections.

After

The day you get back is crucial. While it’s tempting to dive right in to answering your backlog of emails, right after the conference is when you’re the most motivated to take action on anything you picked up.

Pull out your “biggest takeaways,” and use them to lead a brainstorming session with your team. Decide which ideas are the best for your business, as well as how you’ll implement them.
If you don’t have a team, take out your calendar and designate a time to focus on each idea on your “biggest takeaways” list. This can keep you from losing the momentum and motivation you gained from the conference.

Although big-name conferences may hold a lot of appeal, it’s important to remember that great things come in small packages when you’re deciding where to put your hard-earned money. Look for niche events where you can really connect — you’ll get more than you ever bargained for.

Lena Requist established herself as a powerful force in business before joining ONTRAPORT as COO in 2009. The organization’s own event, Ontrapalooza, is later this fall, Lena has a passion for helping female entrepreneurs and is the founder of a virtual Women in Business group, where empowered women can share their strengths, struggles, and triumphs with each other. Connect with Lena on Google+ or Twitter.

Speaking of conferences, do you have your ticket for Everywhere Else Tennessee?

Boulder Tech Is OK! Mobilizing To Help Those In The Canyon

Boulder startups, Brad Feld, David Cohen, Techstars, Boulder Floods

Techstars David Cohen took to Twitter to report everyone was ok and helped mobilize cleanup efforts

Brad Feld, the author of Startup Communities and the founder and managing director of Foundry Group, is one of the Boulder tech community’s most notable figures and a champion for startups and Colorado. When news broke out about the intense downpours and rain that hammered Boulder over this past weekend Feld was vacationing at Vail and watching the coverage on TV, reports USA Today.

Feld keeps a condominium in downtown Boulder, but his primary home is in the nearby mountains. By most accounts the town of Boulder weathered the storm quite well. It was those in the canyon and in the mountains that were hit hardest. Feld took to his popular blog, Feld Thoughts, to let people know that he was a-ok but he wasn’t able to get to his home in the mountains.

One of the biggest themes when Feld and others talk about Boulder is the tight knit community that’s formed around entrepreneurs, technology, and startups. Last July when wild fires ravaged parts of Colorado, Boulder’s tech community banded together to raise money through fundraising drives, t-shirt sales, and other impromptu crowdfunding efforts to help others.

The same holds true today after the floods and rain.

Techstars co-founder David Cohen echoed Feld’s initial sentiment reporting on Twitter that the town of Boulder was ok, but the canyon roads were washed out. Feld also took to Twitter to organize people to help others who had flooded basements. 15 people quickly mobilized just off Cohen’s tweets.

Techstars alum Benny Joseph, whose startup GoodApril was acquired by Intuit before demo day this year, wanted to give back as well. USA Today reports that although GoodApril has moved to the California offices of Intuit, Boulder had a special place in their hearts,and they donated $20,000 to clean up efforts.

Boulder again has shown the community in “Startup Community”

From Conference Volunteer To Startup Founder, Audrey Jones Is In The Zone

Last February I had no idea who Audrey Jones was. We were preparing for Everywhere Else Memphis and knee deep in getting ready. diPR consulting’s Danielle Inez was recruiting volunteers and handling many of the pre-show logistics.

When the conference time finally arrived, we met up with all of the onsite volunteers. Audrey Jones was one of them. She told us in an interview that she had heard good things about the conference and was curious about what it was all about. She received an email from one of the civic groups she works with for volunteers and decided she would sign up for one shift.

That day, she took control of registration and front end organization and then stayed on throughout the entire conference, never missing a beat. It was like we had planned and rehearsed her role for months, but for Jones, organization and execution come naturally. It’s one of the qualities her full time employer, Memphis based AutoZone loves about her.

In fact several people from AutoZone’s marketing and IT departments attended at least some part of the inaugural conference in Memphis. At some point during the conference an AutoZone employee came up to me and congratulated us on a job well done. He then said that we could have Audrey for the remaining two days of the conference, but not only that she wouldn’t have to take time off, AutoZone was paying her to work for us.

But this story isn’t about a great conference volunteer or a great company in Memphis. The story continues.

Jones was so intrigued by what she witnessed at the Startup Conference that she started spending her free time with Start Co, the Memphis organization that serves as an umbrella for many of Memphis’ startup efforts. Jones stayed in touch with many of the people she met at the conference from across the country and started to work on an idea.

What intrigued Jones most about Start Co and their various startup initiatives was Upstart Memphis, a women’s startup initiative that included a women’s only 48 Hour Launch and a women’s only startup accelerator.

Jones’ preliminary idea revolved around the way that parents, loved ones, family members, and caregivers communicate. There’s so much technology out there now that phone trees are pretty much dead wood.

“It’s a platform that allows parents to list their children’s emergency contact information electronically. It’s the alternative to the cluttered file cabinet in emergency situations. Parents can grant access to whomever needs access, like sittrs, tutors, daycare and childcare providers,” Jones told us.

Jones had no idea she was an entrepreneur or a startup founder in January of this year. By spring she was talking to people about this idea. Then Start Co put a call out to women led startups to apply for their inaugural summer cohort for their women’s accelerator. Jones admitted she felt like she didn’t think she would get in, but went forward with the application process, even citing Nibletz as a reference after her work with the conference.

Kids360 was one of the four startups selected for the women’s only cohort that puts the women founded startups through a bootcamp-style, intense business and entrepreneurial accelerator. The hope for Start Co co-presidents Andre Fowlkes and Eric Mathews is that founders will be launch ready at the end of the accelerator, which is really just the beginning.

For Jones it’s been non stop since the accelerator kicked off at the beginning of the summer. She continues to work full time for AutoZone and spends another 40-50 hours a week on Kids360.

“Audrey is a great example of the type of entrepreneur we find here in Memphis. She is constantly grinding whether it’s her own startup, helping others or on her job. She’s putting the resources of StartCo to work for her every chance she gets,” Mathews told us by email.

It helps that Audrey works for AutoZone, a company founded by serial entrepreneur Pitt Hyde. The company was very supportive during those few days of the conference and continues to support Jones with a little extra flexibility in her schedule while she is going through the accelerator program. This isn’t the first time that AutoZone has supported one of their employees going through one of Start Co’s accelerator programs. In fact it’s their third go round and they would continue to do it over and over again, Jones tells us.

Why?

“Because entrepreneurs make the best employees,” Jones told us. She is very open about her startup and what she is doing in the program. Everyone on her team all the way up to Pitt Hyde knows that she’s in the program. “Whenever I see Mr. Hyde in the halls I smile with my AutoZone uniform on and re-pitch him again,” Jones said.

“We’ve seen quite a few entrepreneurs come through the ranks at Autozone, which is very supportive of our young entrepreneurs and Start Co. Audrey markes the third time that we’ve been able to help an Autozone employee hone in their inner entrepreneur,” Mathews said.

Hyde is also very supportive of entrepreneurial efforts in Memphis. He is a major supporter and director for Memphis Bioworks and their Zeroto510 accelerator, which is run in partnership with Bioworks and Start Co.

So now with just weeks to go before demo day at the UpStart accelerator, Jones is gearing up to have a booth at Everywhere Else Cincinnati’s Startup Avenue. She’s looking forward to real life pitch practice, talking to investors, and of course helping out the Everywhere Else team.

You can find out more about Kids360 at kids360now.com

It’s not too late to get your own booth or attendee ticket for Everywhere Else Cincinnati.

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Tennessee’s Master Accelerator, The TENN Wraps Up Statewide Demo Day Roadshow

Accelerator, Launch Tennessee, The Tenn, Startups

(photo: Brandon Dill/ commercialappeal.com)

Every startup accelerator everywhere else wishes they could have participation at demo day from their top industry leaders. While some of their leading companies may have a presence at demo day, the real influencers are often too busy to attend a four hour demo day. With this problem in mind, Tennessee had a great idea for their startups: bring them to those companies.

Ten accelerator graduates from across the state of Tennessee just completed a weeklong statewide roadshow. Each of the ten startups chosen to participate in the statewide master accelerator program were all graduates of one of Tennessee’s nine accelerator programs.

The master accelerator program, called The TENN, was put on by Launch Tennessee, the public/private partnership spearheading the accelerator efforts across Tennessee. Launch Tennessee partnered with the Blackstone Foundation to put the program on, as well as other key state sponsors.

Twenty accelerator graduates that wrapped up their programs by August of this year competed in a final pitch off in Nashville on August 27th. At that event a group of judges from outside of Tennessee had the daunting task of narrowing down those 20 to just 10 for the road show.

In addition to going on the road in a wrapped tour bus, each of the companies received $10,000 for their business and will have access to office space at their accelerator’s office space, or they will receive a subsidy for space they may already occupy.

The ten companies chosen were:

eClinic (Nashville)
Got You In (Nashville)
Gun.io (Nashville)
Hatponics (Knoxville)
Health & Bliss (Memphis)
Mobilizer (Memphis)
Screwpulp (Memphis)
Survature (Knoxville)
Vendor Registry (East Tennessee)
View Medical (Memphis)

Health & Bliss had to drop out of the roadshow due to a scheduling conflict. They were replaced by Chattanooga startup HutGrip.

The roadshow kicked off in the Tri-Cities area with stops at Eastman Chemical and AccelNow. On Tuesday the bus made its way to Knoxville, where they stopped at Scripps Networks and the Knoxville Entrepreneur Center. Wednesday the bus stopped in Chattanooga at Society of Work. Thursday the group traveled to Nashville and the Nashville Entrepreneur Center. The trip wrapped up in Memphis on Friday with stops at First Tennessee Bank and FedEx.

The ten companies will continue working on their businesses and with mentors and corporate leaders across the state.

You can find out more about The TENN at TheTENN.org

Image: CommercialAppeal

One Direction Uses London Based YC Startup To Raise $780,000 For Charity

The extremely popular British boy band One Direction sells everything in the world with their logo on it. Go into a retail store of any kind, and you’ll find 1D branded merchandise from bed sheets to school supplies to talking dolls and everything in between. In fact the band makes more off licensing than album sales. But when the lads decided to raise money for charity, they decided they needed a little help.

Forbes online reports that One Direction turned to a Y Combinator startup with roots at Oxford University. The startup, called Prizeo, harnesses the power of an amazing Rolodex and relationships that range from Samuel l Jackson to Khloe Kardashian to help build up their already amazing client list.

The company uses a raffle model that gives every entrant into a charity contest one entry. They also work with celebrities to offer huge prizes for fans, visits, or interactions with those celebrities.

For the One Directions charity contest ,they chose British non profit Trekstock, which provides funding for cancer research.

The prize in the contest was an evening on the town with Harry Styles and Liam Payne, arguably the band’s two most popular members.

Before One Direction, Prizeo had raised $1 million dollars across 10 campaigns Forbes reported. 1D raised $780,000 in six weeks.

The campaign attracted 1.4 million views, 240,000 shares and 445,000 video views on YouTube. The hashtag for the campaign trended number one globally.

Trekstock was extremely pleased with the results. “We had no idea how much the campaign could raise,” Sophie Epstone, the company’s CEO, told Forbes.

One Direction Image.

YES!!! Denver Hutt To Speak At Everywhere Else Cincinnati

Denver Hutt, Everywhere Else Cincinnati, startups, Bad Ass Startup Chicks

Denver Hutt (center) surrounded by entrepreneurs. (photo: Facebook)

We’ve got some great news to report this Friday morning! Indianapolis bad ass startup chick Denver Hutt says she’s feeling up to speaking in a couple of weeks at Everywhere Else Cincinnati.

Hutt is a true startup champion. She’s a connector, an entrepreneur, and a startup junkee. The native of Santa Monica, California moved to Indianapolis for college and by choice stayed there to start pursuing her entrepreneurial career, which includes running the Speak Easy startup and coworking space.

She’s been a hustler all of her life right up until, and now through, the point where she was diagnosed with cancer. When (with her permission) we first reported the news back in May the startup world was devastated. Hutt is a person who’s known to go to as many events as she can. She’s a networking machine, and she really gets things done. Her story also became a lesson for entrepreneurs with the go-go-go lifestyle to take a minute to take care of ourselves.

Prior to this news Hutt was one of the first women featured in our Bad Ass Startup Chicks spotlight.

While Denver is putting up a tremendous fight, the way only a die hard entrepreneur could, she’s unfortunately not out of the woods just yet. Fortunately for us though she’s well enough to make the trek from Indianapolis to Cincinnati for Everywhere Else! She is looking forward to reconnecting with many people that she met at our Memphis conference back in February.

We ran a follow up piece in August and challenged Denver to make it to the conference.We’re so glad she’s accepting the challenge!

What? You don’t have your Startup Avenue booth or Attendee ticket yet? Get them below.

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Memphis Startup Restore Medical Becomes First To 510 (K) Out Of Zero To 510 Accelerator

The ZeroTo510 startup accelerator in Memphis Tennessee is the first cohort-based medical device startup accelerator in the country. The joint venture between Start Co and Memphis Bioworks puts medical device companies through an accelerator program and helps shape scientists and engineers into startup founders.

The other, important goal for ZeroTo510 is getting these medical device startups to the 510(k) approval from the FDA. This approval is a quicker path to market roughly based on the idea that your product is expanding on an idea or improving an idea previously approved by the FDA. In short a typical FDA approval for a new device can take anywhere from 3-10 years while a 510 (k) approval can shorten that time down to 1-3 years.

All of the companies selected for the first two completed cohorts at ZeroTo510 (summer 2012 and summer 2013) werelooking to get that approval and get their product to market.

We’ve covered Restore Medical almost from the point when founders Shawn Flynn and Ryan Ramkhelawan made the move from Atlanta to Memphis for the accelerator at the beginning of summer 2012. At that time both founders told Nibletz that they liked Bioworks and the cohesiveness of the Memphis startup community, despite the fact that Atlanta is a much larger city.

Restore Medical has developed a system that more thoroughly, cleanly, cheaply and greenly sterilizes surgical instruments. The way surgical instruments are currently sterilized is time consuming. Not only that, but if one instrument is found to be unsterile the entire batch of instruments for a particular surgery needs to go through the process again. This can take hours at a time, so the OR teams must make a decision on whether to wake up the patient or to keep the patient under anesthesia which can be costly for the doctors and the patients not to mention dangerous.

“Our product allows hospitals to clean and re-sterilize surgical instruments more efficiently, saving time and money,” Flynn, the company President said in a statement. “More importantly, it improves the sterilization process, reducing the chances that a patient will be infected by contaminated instruments.

Restore Medical Solutions announced on Thursday that they had received their FDA 510(k) clearance. The company is also pleased to announced that it has successfully completed the certification process for internationally recognized medical device specific quality management standards ISO 13485:2003 and the Canadian Medical Device Conformity Assessment System (CMDCAS). Certification was conducted by BSI Group, one of the world′s leading certification bodies.

“These clearances allow us to market our products domestically and internationally, and they show that our product is safe, effective and meets regulatory requirements in both the United States and Canada,” said Ramkhelawan.

Restore Medical Solutions is moving into a larger 2500 square foot space in the Memphis Bioworks complex which will allow them space for assembly and distribution.

You can find out more about Restore Medical Solutions here.