Good morning, All,
The next SOS event is July 9th, and it also happens to be my birthday! We are hosting in conjunction with DoItInPerson, so hope you can join us for an evening of drinks and networking with business owners and entrepreneurs. Thank you, DoItInPerson, for making it happen. To RSVP for the early bird rate: http://bit.ly/LnJuAT And we thank you for the birthday wishes you’ve been sending – and still hope to see you there to help celebrate! Indulge us this week: we’re including a bit of a personal story/life lesson. Fedex came about when someone saw the need that some packages needed to be delivered absolutely, positively overnight.But they were absolutely, positively not an overnight success. Google built a better search engine – although it took years for anyone to notice. It took Amazon six years to become profitable, and Jeff Bezos was the laughingstock of the industry when he started out (and note: Ebook Sales Surpass Hardcover for First Time in US.: http://on.mash.to/L7fSfN). We personally have been involved in tech since 1994, but when a potentially life-threatening illness (type 2 diabetes) struck someone near and dear, we shifted gears and made restoring his health top priority. It’s hard to change someone’s eating habits overnight, so I changed the ingredients in his favorite foods – which resulted in his being taken off medication in 2 months (the doctor said it would take at least a year) – and bonniefoods (http://bit.ly/M3cXD5) was born. When I wasn’t looking. This past weekend, we were invited to exhibit at The Seed – the vegan festival – and it was our public launch of bonniefoods. It was an eye opener. We were extremely well received – we have unique products that address health and dietary issues – and a number of food allergies – yet which taste like their traditional counterparts. And we know it’s still a long road to success – if/when we get there. Lessons learned: it’s interesting having a retail product, where success comes one dollar at a time. Literally. We walked the room: we talked to other vendors – all of whom happily answered our questions: we are on terra incognita in the food space, but we’re also on a mission: to share what we learned about this disease, and to get our products out there. Kids were my beta tasters (sic). Tough room – but they know cookies and candy! And they’re honest. Everyone wants to be a tech star overnight and make the BI 100 or the list of 25 People You Have to Meet (really?). What struck us at The Seed was that not everyone there was vegan – many had health problems or food allergies or loved ones with health problems. And Type 2 diabetes is a big one – and it’s difficult to find real information that can help. So noted. He’s fine and still off the meds today – nearly 4 years later. Still, our work with bonniefoods is just beginning, but I’m on a mission and that’s what separates the entrepreneurs from the wantrepreneurs: the fire in the belly. Here is an absolute must-read for any entrepreneur: The Start-Up Gap (http://bit.ly/MIgbZl) – what you really have to go through to succeed, and you still may not get there. You can’t just talk the talk – you also have to walk the room. Have your story – and tell your story, from the heart. That’s what people want to know – what drives you. You absolutely, positively will not get there overnight. It’s more like one dollar/one subscriber at a time. But slow and steady often wins the race, and if anyone out there knows any food investors or has contacts in the food industry, you know how to find me. Onward and forward. Deadlines:
New York Venture Summit Call for Top Innovators. If you are a Startup seeking capital and/or partnerships submit your plan for the opportunity to present at The 2012 New York Venture Summit, June 28th, the premier venue connecting emerging growth companies with active Venture capitalists, Angel investors, Corporate VCs and Investment Firms. Presented by youngStartup Ventures, The 2012 New York Venture Summit provides an unparalleled opportunity for startups to meet, network and showcase their innovative investment opportunities to a leading group of investors. To apply to present please e-mail iwant2present@youngstartup.com for an application. If you’re thinking of attending, we have an additional SOS discount for you: Your SOS discount code is sos150 – which is $150 off the current registration rate. Is it worth it? This just in: They’ve added a Fireside Chat with Ram Shriram, Managing Partner of Sherpalo Ventures and Founding Board member of Google (and their first investor) moderated by Steve Davis of Goodwin Procter LLP. Long answer: absolutely. Ram is a seminal SV investor and doesn’t often do speaking engagements on the East Coast, as far as we’ve noticed.
HackLolla: create cool festival apps for music fans, deadline June 25th. Lollapalooza is offering over $6,000 worth of prizes and tons of promotional exposure for the best festival apps created using the Lolla API. Plus 2 Sold Out VIP Passes to Lollapalooza.The Grand Prize winner will be designated The Official Fan App for Lollapalooza 2012! With the Lolla API, developers can access data on artists, events, stages/venues and updates for Lollapalooza 2012. Prizes will be awarded for apps that help fans get the most from their Lollapalooza experience before, during and after the Festival. Winners will be promoted on the official Lollapalooza website and to fans via the Official E-list (~400K), Facebook (~300K), Twitter (100K), and the jumbotron screens at the Festival (80K per day)._ Lollapalooza’s official line-up for 2012 includes more than 100 of the most notable and buzzworthy bands from across the globe, including Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Black Keys, Black Sabbath, Jack White, and many others. The Festival is August 3-5 in Grant Park, Chicago._ To enter, Get a Lollapalooza API key from DoStuff Media by clicking here.
Chase and LivingSocial want to help fuel that drive by awarding up to 12 individual grants of $250,000 to 12 small businesses. Submit your Mission: Small Business℠ application today! Program ends June 30, 2012. For more information and to apply: https://www.missionsmallbusiness.com/ Call to international entrepreneurs: LaunchHouse Accelerator Program Takes Off, deadline July 1st. Over the past three years, LaunchHouse has succeeded in seeding, mentoring, and helping 30 companies to obtain follow-on funding. It plans to enhance those efforts with a new group of software and web-based tech entrepreneurs participating in the progra The LH Accelerator kicks off September 3. The application deadline is July 1. LaunchHouse will invest a total of $25,000 in each of 10 entrepreneurial teams (consisting of two or more co-founders) in software and web-based technology. Based in NE Ohio, but you can enter from anywhere in the world: http://bit.ly/Jy3D5o NEW DreamIt Ventures Fall 2012 Philly program, deadline July 6th, 2012, and heads up, minority-led startups: We will select up to fifteen companies, including five minority-led startups, to participate in the three-month accelerator program. The deadline for applications is July 6th and the program will kickoff on September 7th. More information on the program can be found on our website at www.dreamitventures.com/apply. If you have questions, please contact Noelle McHugh at info@dreamitventures.com
DEMO Fall now accepting applications, scholarship consideration deadline July 6th. Standard deadline: August 17th. We just wrapped up one of the biggest DEMO events in our 22+ year history! Over 70 companies launched new products to a packed room of press, VC’s, angel investors and IT executives. If you didn’t make it to DEMO, check out some of the cool products that launched from the DEMO stage. Now, we’re gearing up for DEMO Fall 2012, Oct. 1-3 in Santa Clara. We are accepting applications for companies to launch or pitch their product. If you have a new product or now of a company right for a DEMO launch, visit, http://www.demo.com/launch. .Or, if you already have a product in the market, or know of a company who does, a Showcase sponsorship opportunity in the DEMO pavilion may be something to consider. For more information, visit, http://www.demo.com/showcase
NEW It’s that time again – Startup Chile, deadline July 10th. For more information and to apply: http://startupchile.org/about/apply/
Women 2.0 PITCH comes to NYC, deadline August 31st. We are now accepting applications for PITCH NYC from early-stage ventures around the world with at least one female founder to apply to the startup competition. PITCH NYC 2012 will provide entrepreneurs with a chance for fame and fortune: finalists present onstage at the conference, and prizes include $25k cash from L’Oreal, $24k worth of free hosting from Rackspace and a finalist interview with TechStars! Stay tuned for more awesome prizes to be announced. Early-stage ventures with under a million in funding and a product in the market (prototype OK) are invited to apply. We are looking to identify, recognize and reward the most disruptive women-led ventures globally – and invite them to pitch onstage for the PITCH NYC conference in November for top prize. Got a startup idea but no team, or got an idea but don’t know how to build it? You have at least THREE MONTHS starting today to emblazen the deadline of August 31 into your head and make it happen. For more information and to apply: http://bit.ly/K56mbS
Battle of the Apps: become the Kick Apps Champion by creating software that helps small businesses. Contest now opened, deadline: December 31st. Infusionsoft is offering$20,000 in cash and prizes for the best apps to help small business customers. Use the Infusionsoft API to create an app, integration, or plug-in that helps Infusionsoft customers grow their business! 1st through 4th place winners will receive ongoing marketing, plus stage time at InfusionCon 2013. 10 runners-up will receive InfusionCon boothspace and 2 tickets to the conference. Register to enter.
powered by Movable Ink For you edification this week:
Who’s In Charge? Every entrepreneur who has ever raised money has been on the receiving end of lots of wisdom, advice and guidance from their investors. Most of the time this is a great thing. But what do you do when an investor starts taking charge? You can ask Mark Zuckerberg, who never wanted to take FB public but the investors insisted. Or you can read on: http://bit.ly/M0Es1a How Much Money Can You Make Working in Digital (Chart). Interesting, and remember, these salaries do not necessarily apply in early stage startups – who will often offer an upside to compensate: http://on.mash.to/Mm1Lgf How we Found Customers to Start Developing. Very important to know your audience – and to find them. They’re ultimately the ones who will define your company: http://bit.ly/M0G3UA On following directions. It’s important to know how to color inside of the lines. The ones who don’t stand out – and sometimes in a good way: http://bit.ly/M0J0o2 How Microsoft and Yahoo Are Selling Politicians Access to You. It’s that kind of year and Microsoft and Yahoo are selling political campaigns the ability to target voters online with tailored ads using names, Zip codes and other registration information that users provide when they sign up for free email and other services. The Web giants provide users no notification that their information is being used for political targeting. Microsoft’s privacy policy makes no mention of matching people’s names and Zip codes against voter lists. In space, no one hears you scream. On line, no one tells you you’re been sold: http://bit.ly/Khv7kS
That’s it from us this week and hope to see you on my birthday! And now, as always, help is on the way…