Comments Off on Chicago Tech Week 2012: Check Out Social Defender0LikeLike 1,432
If you need to keep control of your social media presence than you need a social media dashboard. While there are a lot of them out there, Social Defender has one of the best designs that we’ve seen.
Your first account through Social Defender is free and after that you can add more accounts and features with a premium.
SocialDefender also analytical tools that give you instant feedback and monitoring of Twitter, Facebook,YouTube, Google Plus,Tumblr Blogger and More.
The interface is easy to understand and can show you instantly where you need improvement on the media front.
Comments Off on Chicago TechWeek: RecBob Recreational Sports, Socially INTERVIEW0LikeLike 1,460
While here at TechWeek 2012 in Chicago we got to meet the CEO and co-founder of RecBob. His name isn’t Bob, we asked. We also asked if RecBob was related to Bob the builder, and although they look like they could be related, alas they are not.
What RecBob is though, is a way to connect people for recreational sports socially. It’s a way for coaches, players and parents to stay connected around their recreational sports. Need to collect dues, RecBob can handle it. Need to find a replacement player RecBob can handle it.
Their Motto: We Can Play It, Yes We Can,
ok not really, and the fact that I have a 4 3/4 year old is really starting to show.
RecBob is way more than league management. From our vantage point it’s like LockerDome for soccer moms.
John Schnipkoweit the co-founder and CEO left his position at Ovation to develop and grow RecBob,
I remember in the 80’s when my mom had folders of papers from all my different hockey teams and canceling practice for a snow storm involved hours on the phone. Those are just some of the pain points that RecBob can fix and at the same time make rec sports more fun and social.
As we made our way into Techweek 2012 on Saturday we started checking Twitter. In going over TechWeek tweets we discovered that not only was there a hashtag for TechWeek (#techweekchi) but there was also a hash tag for the bathrooms at TechWeek… Who does that?
The hashtag for the TechWeek bathrooms is #TWBR and it’s a promotion being put on by the TechWeek staff in conjunction with startup ReviewTrackers.
ReviewTrackers does exactly what their name says they do. They track reviews on sites like Yelp, Travelocity and others and “clip” them and then send them back to their clientele.
ReviewTrackers is targeting businesses with multiple locations. Now some businesses may believe that they can handle this on their own, well it turns out you can’t, and especially not as efficiently as ReviewTrackers can.
ReviewTrackers found that a one-star review on Yelp can cost a business about 9% in sales. That’s something you want to be watching 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. With ReviewTrackers you can, and you still have time for family, golf and working (well maybe).
We took a break from the show floor to hear more about ReviewTrackers, their service and the bathrooms with CEO Chris Campbell. Campbell got to share with us the good news that they are headed to Chile for the Startup Chile incubator and they already have a user base including some big enterprise companies.
Comments Off on Chicago TechWeek: ACT Co-Founder Mike Muhney Is Back, And This Time It’s Mobile: VIPorbit0LikeLike 1,598
Many people in today’s business world especially the cusp of Gen X and Gen Y take for granted the contribution that Mike Muhney made to the way we get things done. Muhney is the co-founder and co-creator of ACT.
ACT was one of the first complete CRM (Contact Relationship Management) software companies in the world. Although it was no joke, the first version of ACT debuted on April Fool’s Day 1987. Yes over 25 years ago.
At that time Muhney didn’t know that they would create an entire industry, books would be written about managing relationships and business as we know it would be changed forever. Relationship management makes your contacts have a more meaningful impact on everything including the bottom line.
Through different spots in my radio career and a short lived stint as a record rep (because the company was sold to Disney) I used ACT and would do things like make notes that a gatekeeper (receptionist) had three young sons who played T-Ball or that Mr. so and so hated golf and hated the Alabama Crimson Tide even more.
Adding this kind of information to your contacts, along with a map of which contacts know who and a record, or event log of every single contact ever made with that person, keep you not only up to date with what’s going on but gives you a competitive edge when it comes to making real contact with people and making people at ease in business dealings.
What Muhney has done, is come out of retirement to take ideas that were the foundation of CRM and apply them to a mobile setting. Muhney is a relationship zen and probably doesn’t ever mutter a bad word about anybody but as he points out there are hundreds of millions of iOS users out there and roughly 15 million using what’s available on the market from companies like Salesforce and even ACT (which is now owned by Symantec). This provides a world of opportunity for the Dallas based VIPOrbit.
What’s more fascinating to me was the time spent with Muhney and the fact that Im going to spend even more time with him because ACT taught my life business lessons that have given me a competitive edge. People have asked how I did this, or how I scored this meeting. In fact I spent an hour with a good friend at a Memphis startup giving him ideas on how to get his emails read. It’s little tricks you teach yourself using ACT that make that so much easier. We’ll get to a whole blog post about that, but 25 years later with Google, LinkedIn, Facebook and more, it’s so much easier to find and add key elements to someone’s VIPorbit record that could make that difference.
So check out the interview below and download VIPOrbit to your iPhone or iPad today. My only qualm at the moment is that device to device syncing is still about a month away, which really means I’m going to have to wait to harness all that power.
Comments Off on Chicago Startup: Shortlist Easy To Use Event Organizer App TechWeek 2012 Interview VIDEO0LikeLike 1,359
We’ve seen recently how important mobile apps are to the event industry. In fact, event software giant Cvent went from never acquiring a company to acquiring two event app development companies within a week. That shows how important mobile apps are to the $263 billion dollar U.S. meeting industry.
A new startup, and recent graduate of Excelerate Labs, Shortlist, has come to the party with a new mobile app solution for any event organizer, big or small.
To compliment matters Shortlist packs a ton of features into a simple to use app from event creation, to end user functionality in a smart, easy to navigate UX.
On the social side, Shortlist is able to connect event attendees to each other using their proprietary “connection engine” algorithms. You’ll get to meet, new and influential people who are attending the same event.
We got to talk to CTO and co-founder Brantley Harris in this quick interview video below. Harris talks about Shortlist and also what they learned in the Excelerate Labs accelerator.
Comments Off on Chicago Techweek: Michigan Startup TechSlinger Harnesses Technology VIDEO INTERVIEW0LikeLike 1,833
One of the first great startups we ran into at TechWeek 2012 in Chicago was actually not from Chicago at all but rather, just outside of Grand Rapids Michigan. TechSlinger General Manager Tresha Davis told us they were excited about launching and excited to support the thriving tech community in Chicago.
TechSlinger is actually a hardgoods/accessory startup. They manufacture the TechSlinger which is a way to hold your gadgets, underneath your coat that’s both comfortable and functional.
The TechSlinger consists of two under arm pouches that are kind of reminded me of gun holsters. One of the pouches holds your tablet. The other one can hold your phone, accessories, even your wallet, credit cards and other important items.
The TechSlinger is a great accessory for traveling business people. It’s also a great accessory for those who need access to their gadgets throughout the day where a backpack may appear a bit out of place or even unprofessional. You can wear a nice Brooks Brothers suit on top of the TechSlinger and No one would notice the difference.
In the video below we talk with TechSlinger CEO and creator Nathan in the video below. The idea came up when he realized he was traveling so much and needed to find something better than a traditional backpack or messenger bag that still permitted great functionality.
TechSlinger comes in a variety of colors and sizes as well. It supports all major e-readers including the Kindle and the Nook and even most Android tablets. They are anxious to get their hands on a new Microsoft Surface tablet to design a TechSlinger or it as well. The best part is that TechSlinger is made in the USA.
They are also working on TechSlingers to support up to the 13″ Macbook pro. The 11″ Macbook Air fits snuggly in the iPad TechSlinger without any casing. Even my “New” iPad with a Griffin Survivor case on it fits in the TechSlinger. I can’t wait until they are ready to ship review units I have to try one of these things out.
It’s very lightweight and would totally hide your electronics from plain site under a jacket or sport coat.
Comments Off on Chicago Techweek: Mayor Emanuel Chicago To Be Known As Startup City0LikeLike 1,307
Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel (photo: Chicagomag.com)
Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel kicked off Chicago Techweek this morning at the Merchandise Mart to a standing room only crowd. His message was positive, and inviting for the thriving tech and startup community in the windy city.
Emanuel’s keynote kicked off the four day TechWeek conference in it’s second year. The conference expects to see over 5,000 attendees through Tuesday from all aspects of Chicago’s tech community.
While one of Chicago’s mainstays, Sears, is fighting for it’s business life, startups and tech companies are flourishing with Chicago’s expanding tech resources like the newly opened 1871.
Chicago is sometimes referred to as “The Second City” because for many years it was the second largest city in population next to New York City. It was eventually replaced by Los Angeles as the second city in terms of population, however it’s remained in third. However Emanuel says “three years from now it’ll be known as the startup city if we do everything right,”
Mayor Emanuel said that he and his administration are taking the steps to attract fresh young businesses. Some of those steps include making it easier to attract and hire fresh young talent. He also that the World Business Chicago and the city are planning a venture investor summit to showcase startups.
Mayor Emmanuel along with Illinois Governor Pat Quinn were very supportive of the new 1871 startup tech center.
Keep your browser locked to nibletz.com for more continuing coverage of Chicago TechWeek.
Comments Off on Chicago Techweek: Cars.com Major Sponsor & Panelist For Hometown Event0LikeLike 1,397
With all the talk about Chicago’s thriving startup and tech scene over the last few years, and all the attention that Groupon’s been getting, sometimes we forget that automotive super site cars.com is also based in the windy city.
Cars.com is a major part of the second annual TechWeek that start today at Chicago’s Merchandise Mart and runs through Tuesday.
Cars.com has a booth in the exhibition area of the event which will showcase the latest iteration of cars.com. In addition, key personnel will be on hand at the booth to talk with those interested in cars.com and also aspiring entrepreneurs and founders of new startups.
In addition to their booth cars.com is hosting a panel on Sunday at 4pm that will highlight their transformations and achievements since their 1998 launch. They will also talk about lessons they’ve learned, developing and sticking to road maps and other topics that will pertain to aspiring entrepreneurs across all disciplines.
The panelists will include:
Brian Neale, Vice President of Product & User Experience
Jonathan Yenkin, Product Manager
Len Lagestee, Manager of Project Management and Methodology
Michael Michalak, Lead Application Developer
Michael Morgan, Senior Visual Designer
Nick Nikitas, Enterprise Architect
Will Hacker, Interaction Designer
The panel will take place at the Merchandise Mart on Sunday at 4pm their booth is located in the exhibit area of TechWeek Chicago.
Comments Off on Chicago TechWeek Preview: Are Daily Deals Dead0LikeLike 1,539
Chicago TechWeek kicks off Friday and runs through next week. The gathering of Chicago’s very healthy tech and startup community includes, lectures, panels, discussions, workshops, exhibit halls, startup city and more. Oh and of course parties.
One of the panels during the event that’s attracting a lot of attention is the “Are Daily Deals Dead” panel. This topic hits incredibly close to home as Chicago is the birth place of Daily Deals pioneer Groupon.
The panel is being hosted by edo a leader in personalized card offers and will take place on Tuesday the 26th at 1:00pm eastern at Merchandise Mart in Chicago, home to TechWeek. The panel plans to cover everything from the rise and triumph of Groupon to the rise and not so much triumph of Google Wallet and everything in between.
As the world prepares for full scale adoption of mobile wallet technology, with the introduction of ISIS and other products, this is a hot topic. We reported back in March that Daily Deals startups are making way for recommendation and loyalty which is the hot button right now.
One of the main issues with Daily Deals is that merchants are losing their asses in margin by offering a deal so great to get a surge of business, but the business seems to go away as soon as the deal is over, leaving smaller restaurant and business owners holding the bag.
The panelists discussing the morality of Daily Deals include:
Mark Marinacci, Chief Revenue Officer, edo
Liz Ross, CEO, MediaBrands Ventures
Sanjay Gosalia, Director of Mobile Platforms & Payments, Discover Financial Services
Rocky Agrawal, Principal Analyst, Redesign and contributor to TechCrunch and VentureBeat
Bree Thomas, Director of Digital & Experiential Marketing, Qdoba Mexican Grill
Dan Hess, CEO, Local Offer Network
Liz Ross the CEO of MediaBrands will moderate the discussion which will focus on:
Technologies at the intersection of local, social, mobile and commerce;
Convergence of digital and personalization;
How mobile creates new opportunities for advertisers and merchants to engage with consumers;
Role of start-ups in bringing these innovations to market.
Comments Off on Chicago Startup: OpenAirplane Rent Planes As Easily As Cars0LikeLike 1,300
A startup in Chicago is looking to change the game for about 96% of pilots who have their licenses but have been fed up with the current way planes are rented. Currently, after you’ve invested nearly $10,000 in a pilots license the next step is to start getting flight hours. Planes are quite costly so the easiest way to do that is to rent them.
Planes rent for roughly $185 per hour that the engines are actually turning. While it may seem like a costly hobby that’s just the start of it. Right now when you rent a plane you have to do what is called a “check out” with the plane rental company. It’s almost like a mini pilots test and can involve half the day and add money to your bottom line.
If you rent one plane in Chicago, and take it to Miami, and then rent a different, plane, but the exact same model for the return trip from Miami to Chicago you have to take another checkout “test”. They can’t just take the certificate or the word of the previous rental company.
OpenAirplane is trying to change that by offering a network of pilots who’ve taken a more universal “checkout” annually. By having their network of pilots take one “universal” checkout it speeds up the process, cuts down the frustration and ultimately adds up to more rented plane hours and more revenue for the plane rental companies.
OpenAirplane’s two founders Adam Fast and Rod Rakic are both pilots themselves and have experienced these pains first hand.
Fast and Rakic have gotten out of the office and into the field and successfully recruited every single major insurance carrier that provides insurance to plane rental companies, on board with their idea. This is not a matter of the TSA or the FAA. In fact Rakic told a group after a pitch in Chicago that the FAA would prefer that more pilots were renting and ultimately flying.
After a major aviation industry trade event in Florida, Rakic and Fast were able to recruit over 2700 pilots to their network which is still in stealth mode, but will roll out publicly, very shortly.
OpenAirplane will then serve as a network to connect pilots to plane rentals and even customers. Their “network” will be free for pilots and rental companies to join. OpenAirplane will take a revenue cut from the rental companies who ultimately should be more than happy to share in revenue because OpenAirplane will generate more rentable hours all around.
In addition to putting more money in the rental companies pockets, and more flight hours for the pilots, they will also make private rentals and flying safer. They can make this claim because their “universal” checkout test will be streamlined so that every pilot takes the same test and also because it will be an annual requirement. The FAA only requires pilots to test every two years.
Now as Rakic says, pilots with a pilot license in their back pocket will be able to book their next flight online and grab the keys, the checklist and go.
Linkage:
We’re featuring Chicago all week long in preparation for TechWeek, more info on that here
Kyle
If you need to keep control of your social media presence than you need a social media dashboard. While there are a lot of them out there, Social Defender has one of the best designs that we’ve seen.
