BlogBloghttp://baltimorenexus.com/blog/2011-12-09T09:27:33ZSquarespaceGBTC members rank high among Baltimore's best places to workhttp://baltimorenexus.com/blog/2011/12/8/gbtc-members-rank-high-among-baltimores-best-places-to-work.htmlSharon Paley2011-12-09T04:02:31Z2011-12-09T04:02:31ZThis week, The Baltimore Sun published their annual choices of the 75 best places to work in the Baltimore-metro area. Congratulations to the GBTC members who were named on the list:

BTS
Citing full health benefits for employees and their dependents, catered weekly lunches, subsidized vacations at the company-owned condo, and encouragement of worker creativity, BTS was named the area’s top small employer. Woot!

Advertising.com
A fun work environment that is focused on success lands Advertising.com in the #4 slot among midsized Baltimore-area companies.

PCI Strategic Management
Like BTS, PCI is a veteran-owned business committed to supporting their employees. The consulting firm is the eighth best small business workplace.

eBay/PayPal
Among the region’s large companies, eBay/PayPal comes in at #9. Employees say they “are encouraged to ask questions, branch out into other departments to work more fluidly, and to present ideas…”

Ernst & Young
The Sun highlighted Ernst & Young’s direction, execution, career advancement, and pay and benefits as the reasons it’s greater Baltimore’s tenth best midsized company to work for.

KatzAbosch
“Exceptional benefits, wellness programs, and mutual respect from coworkers” are among the best aspects of KatzAbosch’s work environment. Great work conditions land this accounting firm in the top ten small organization workplaces.

Pricewaterhouse Coopers
The small fraction of PwC employees who work in the Baltimore-area are very happy. They say the firm provides an environment focused on people: teamwork, flexibility, and learning.

Zynga
Zynga expects a lot, but gives a lot back in return to its employees, including excellent benefits and flexibility.

If you love your workplace, but don’t see it on the list, let us know where you work and what makes it special. GBTC wants to celebrate all things wonderful about working in greater Baltimore. 

]]>New GBTC Executive Director Jason Hardebeckhttp://baltimorenexus.com/blog/2011/12/8/new-gbtc-executive-director-jason-hardebeck.htmlJason Hardebeck2011-12-08T19:40:40Z2011-12-08T19:40:40Z
The last 24 hours have been a whirlwind, and I apologize for not getting a message out to you sooner.  I’ll keep it short and sweet:

I’ve been a member of the GBTC since 2000, and the people I’ve met and the things I’ve learned from, through, and because of the GBTC are a significant part of what defines who I am today. I believe that the GBTC fills a critical role in connecting and celebrating the entrepreneurs and companies who create value in our region, and I am passionate about our mission and collective ability to effect positive change in our region and the world. I would not be here otherwise.

If you are active and engaged, thank you… please help keep the ball moving forward, and tell us what we can do better. If you aren’t sure of the value or if the GBTC is relevant for your needs, then we REALLY need to hear from you.

You can always reach me at jhardebeck[at]gbtechcouncil.org; even better, if you can make our holiday mixer tonight, let’s chat in person. Details at http://gbtctechthehalls.eventbrite.com/ or just show up at Mother’s Grille in Federal Hill at 5:00. We’d love to see you.

We’ve got some ideas percolating that we’ll be sharing in the very near future, and I think you’ll like them. More importantly, we want to hear your ideas, so please reach out and let us know what you’re thinking.


More very soon!

jhardebeck[at]gbtechcouncil.org
(m) 410.419.3379
twitter: @hardebeck

]]>Baltimore tech community upcoming eventshttp://baltimorenexus.com/blog/2011/12/7/baltimore-tech-community-upcoming-events.htmlAndrew Hazlett2011-12-07T12:45:39Z2011-12-07T12:45:39ZHere are some of the events we’re tracking in Baltimore’s tech and innovation community.

This week!

  • GBTC’s “Tech the Halls” Holiday Party on Thursday, Dec. 8, 5:00 to 7:00 pm at Mother’s Federal Hill Grille.

Other upcoming events

A look ahead to 2012

Save the date: On March 24 the GBTC will host a major conference on Inclusive Innovation. More details coming soon!

Other resources for tracking events in Baltimore’s tech community

What are we missing? Are there tech events we need to know about? Contact me at ahazlett[at]gbtechcouncil.org with things you want people to know about.

]]>Big Head Baltimore 1: Jeff Jarvis on his book Public Partshttp://baltimorenexus.com/blog/2011/12/6/big-head-baltimore-1-jeff-jarvis-on-his-book-public-parts.htmlAndrew Hazlett2011-12-06T19:38:42Z2011-12-06T19:38:42ZPublic Parts author Jeff Jarvis (photo by John Smock)

Big Head Baltimore is a program of the Greater Baltimore Tech Council. Recorded with a live studio audience, we feature in-person and on-line discussion with leading authors, doers, and thinkers.

Our inaugural episode features Jeff Jarvis, author of the new book Public Parts. A professor of entrepreneurial journalism at the City University of New York, Jeff Jarvis was the creator and founding editor of Entertainment Weekly magazine. He was a pioneering blogger at BuzzMachine, and he is the author of the influential book What Would Google Do?

More than just a business book and more than just a tech book, What Would Google Do? was really about how technology is changing our lives in countless ways. His latest work is a continuation on that theme.

In Public Parts: How Sharing in the Digital Age Improves the Way We Work and Live, Jeff looks at how social media in our digital age are creating amazing new opportunities for sharing and publicness. He suggests that maybe we should worry a little bit less about privacy and think a little bit more about what we can gain by sharing.

Jeff joined us for a brief talk about the book followed by a wide-ranging discussion with our live and virtual audience. We looked at how social life is changing in the wake of instant sharing and at how businesses might benefit by sharing even their closely guarded secrets. A full transcript will be posted soon.

]]>Links of interest for Thanksgiving breakhttp://baltimorenexus.com/blog/2011/11/24/links-of-interest-for-thanksgiving-break.htmlAndrew Hazlett2011-11-24T19:26:45Z2011-11-24T19:26:45ZGoogle’s Thanksgiving Doodle

We hope you can put away the electronic devices for at least one day during the Thanksgiving break, but when you are ready to reconnect, here are some links you can read between bites of leftover turkey.

Items we’ve found thought-provoking

In the wake of CNN’s special on race in Silicon Valley, Mario Armstrong hosted a fascinating webcast and panel discussion at UMBC. It was a thought-provoking evening and an inspiring call to action. It is only the beginning of a broader discussion, but we spotted some interesting responses:

Some links of interest on other topics

Upcoming community events

After Thanksgiving, the Baltimore tech scene is back in full swing. Among the things to look out for:

]]>Local experts on social media marketing at GBTC's Meet the Membershttp://baltimorenexus.com/blog/2011/11/19/local-experts-on-social-media-marketing-at-gbtcs-meet-the-me.htmlSharon Paley2011-11-19T13:11:34Z2011-11-19T13:11:34ZIf at first you don’t succeed, tweet and tweet again…

Three-quarters of businesses say social media is the emerging channel for lead generation. Yet fewer than a third feel prepared to meet the challenge of social media marketing.

We’re not too comfortable with that second statistic. So, the GBTC assembled four social media experts to show you how to embrace, prepare, and succeed on Facebook, Twitter, and other social media outlets.

Greg Cangialosi
CEO of Nucleus Ventures LLC
Tweetable Takeaway: Empower your company’s “internal champions” and “outside evangelists” by giving them social media tools.

Michelle Andres
Vice President, Digital Media for the Baltimore Ravens
Tweetable Takeaway: With social media, don’t be “salesy.” Focus on sharing.

Nichole Kelly
 CEO of Full Frontal ROI
Tweetable Takeaway: Anonymity is not valued in social media. Customers form relationships with individuals, not companies.

David Toliver
Director, Corporate Marketing at Angel
Tweetable Takeaway: Your company is on social media whether you like it or not. People are talking about you. Be sure to react.

Check out Nichole’s summary of the panel at her blog, and learn more by watching video of the whole discussion:

Watch live streaming video from gbtc at livestream.com

 

]]>Some upcoming Baltimore area tech eventshttp://baltimorenexus.com/blog/2011/11/17/some-upcoming-baltimore-area-tech-events.htmlAndrew Hazlett2011-11-17T20:55:14Z2011-11-17T20:55:14ZThough the holidays are upon us, the next week is a busy one for Baltimore’s tech scene. Here are a few of the events going on between now and Thanksgiving…

Friday, November 18

Next week

Save the date!

Tech the Halls! GBTC’s holiday party will take place on Thursday, December 8 from 5:00-7:00 p.m. at Mother’s in Federal Hill.

]]>Twenty things about Sharon Paley GBTC Growth Evangelisthttp://baltimorenexus.com/blog/2011/11/15/twenty-things-about-sharon-paley-gbtc-growth-evangelist.htmlSharon Paley2011-11-15T19:25:43Z2011-11-15T19:25:43ZWhat should future GBTC events look like?http://baltimorenexus.com/blog/2011/11/3/what-should-future-gbtc-events-look-like.htmlAndrew Hazlett2011-11-03T20:21:08Z2011-11-03T20:21:08ZHelp us craft our new events and offerings by taking this brief survey! We have lots of new and innovative programming in the works, but we need the input of members and friends to ensure we’re delivering the greatest value to our community. Let us know what you think!

]]>Another Amazing TechNitehttp://baltimorenexus.com/blog/2011/11/2/another-amazing-technite.htmlAndrew Hazlett2011-11-03T02:46:35Z2011-11-03T02:46:35ZGBTC CEO Sharon Webb reflects on TechNite11…

It was wonderful to see so many of you at TechNite! We’re grateful for our generous sponsors, enthusiastic community members, and special guests like Maryland Secretary of Business & Economic Development Christian Johansson.

So many of those attending made a point to say what a great night they had. In fact, we captured many of those comments as we introduced a new technology from Angel that supports voice tweets.

From the crazy antics of Baltimore Rock Opera Society to the rallying messages of four entrepreneurial rock stars, the evening was a true celebration of Baltimore’s vibrant business community.

Each featured entrepreneur, Greg Cangialosi formerly of Blue Sky Factory, Paul Palmieri of Millennial Media, Adam Zilberbaum of Parking Panda, and Charles Butler from Advertising.com shared his vision of a Baltimore rich with resources and talent.  Each declared his (and his company’s) commitment to give back through investment, attracting new talent, and mentoring.  And they each noted GBTC as an important partner in these efforts.

At TechNite, GBTC championed Greater Baltimore’s entrepreneurial companies, celebrating our ten Hottest Tech in Town nominees. Congratulations to them all, especially first place winner: Moodlerooms.

[Read more here]

]]>Nominations open for the first-ever Innovation Community Builders Awardhttp://baltimorenexus.com/blog/2011/9/19/nominations-open-for-the-first-ever-innovation-community-bui.htmlAndrew Hazlett2011-09-19T19:18:43Z2011-09-19T19:18:43ZUpdate: Nominations are now closed! Visit the Greater Baltimore Tech Council website for the list of finalists and the opportunity to vote on who should receive the top honor at TechNite on October 13th!

]]>Previewing Betascapehttp://baltimorenexus.com/blog/2011/9/6/previewing-betascape-1.htmlAndrew Hazlett2011-09-06T19:10:51Z2011-09-06T19:10:51ZRecently, I dropped in at the Baltimore Node hackerspace to eavesdrop on a planning meeting for Betascape. Coming to the Station North arts district from September 23-25th, Betascape is “a weekend of Art and Technology in Baltimore.”

The talented and energetic organizers of the event include Shervonne Cherry, Matthew Forr, Kyle Fritz, and Heather Sarkissian.

They have invited attendees to “learn, connect, and create something with other artists, technologists, and everyone in between.”

While Kyle labored off-site launching the event’s website, and Heather and Shervonne worked hard on the other side of the room, I asked Matthew to procrastinate a while and explain to me what Betascape is all about…

Betascape links and people

Be sure to follow @Betascape on twitter for continuing updates on the many cool aspects of this great event.

Editorial Note: This (very imperfect) video is a first attempt at something I’d like to do regularly here at BaltimoreNexus.com — sharing some visual and auditory record of the people and events driving our innovation community. If you’ve got tips or suggestions of people who should be covered, contact me at andrewhazlett [at] shortmail.com.

]]>Plinq, PayPal, and some radical transparencyhttp://baltimorenexus.com/blog/2011/8/17/plinq-paypal-and-some-radical-transparency.htmlAndrew Hazlett2011-08-17T17:31:56Z2011-08-17T17:31:56ZFlip Sasser of PlinqEarlier this month, GBTC presented another in our monthly Tech Meet & Share events. Graciously hosted by PayPal's east coast staffers in their offices in Timonium, it's a regular opportunity for software developers to compare notes, show-off, and/or get some constructive criticism.

On this occasion, the presenter was a very unusual fit for the venue. His startup is building a platform for online payments that, in the words of one breathless news story, "Aims to Punch PayPal Right in the Wallet."

Plinq is the brainchild of Flip Sasser, a Baltimorean earning his MBA at Babson College in Boston. He took a break from vacation to explain his code and business plan to an audience that included his supposed archenemies.

It was a remarkable morning. It began with Flip's relatively straightforward presentation about C libraries for machine learning and Ruby for web and API requests. As the conversation warmed up, Flip and several of the PayPal employees moved into an amazingly transparent discussion of coding, security, branding, and even business models. How open was the exchange? Flip actually threw up slides from his business plan and shared his frank critique of PayPal. Everyone learned a great deal from this illuminating back-and-forth.

I was impressed by the smarts, generosity, and good-will evident on all sides. Flip told me later:

Speaking and demonstrating at the PayPal Tech Meet and Share was a highlight of my summer. It was a very casual conversation between very technical people in a low-pressure environment. I thoroughly enjoyed the experience of having my views challenged or validated by brilliant minds. I can't wait to attend the next one!

To follow Plinq's progress, check out their twitter feed and the Plinq tumblr.

To see what happens at the next Tech Meet & Share, keep an eye on our website.

]]>Brian Sierakowski talks with the Parking Panda team on The Prodcasthttp://baltimorenexus.com/blog/2011/8/12/brian-sierakowski-talks-with-the-parking-panda-team-on-the-p.htmlAndrew Hazlett2011-08-12T19:00:00Z2011-08-12T19:00:00ZIn tech companies there's a world of difference between a project manager and a product manager.

My GBTC colleague Brian Sierakowski has been exploring the product manager's unique leadership/techie hybrid role in a new podcast... The Prodcast.

In the second episode, Brian interviews the founders of Parking Panda, the Baltimore Startup Weekend stars who are spending the summer at a New York accelerator. To launch their "mobile real time parking discovery" product, they are returning to Baltimore and spreading the word. Brian gets Nick Miller and Adam Zilberbaum to open up about the first months of their early stage startup.

Listen in, then see if you can't sell or buy a parking spot around an event in Baltimore this summer.

]]>My new job: Connecting Baltimore's innovation communityhttp://baltimorenexus.com/blog/2011/8/2/my-new-job-connecting-baltimores-innovation-community.htmlAndrew Hazlett2011-08-03T02:01:54Z2011-08-03T02:01:54Z