Dave Bacon is an entrepreneur that helps entrepreneurs realize their dreams, helping them grow their companies by connecting them with the right people.
I had the opportunity to sit down with Dave during Denver Start Up Week at Demo Gala and we talked about his unique approach to recruiting that goes way beyond the norm and his passion for music, education, connection and giving back to the start up community.
Dave's "Watch Analogy" pretty much rocked our world here at Starto.TV..... check it out.
My favorite quotes from Dave Bacon:
"Embrace the Uncertainty"
"I love what I don't know."
"If I adjust my watch by just one minute.... It's ON!"
For those of you that missed the Grand Finale of Denver Startup Week (or for those of you that were there but unable to leave the bar!)... The Denver Startup Week Wrap Up Video!
http://vimeo.com/52483119
1) Start with a big party like the Denver Startup Bash.
2) Add weeklong community driven event event featuring: luminaries like Gary V, over 60 events where aspiring and seasoned entrepreneurs come together and learn from one another, and throw in copious amounts of beer . Call it Denver Startup Week.
3) Insert the coolest co-working startup space in the country.
4) Sit back and watch the magic happen.
Poof you have yourself a bone fide startup community...
So now what? How do you keep the momentum going?
The answer... Create a digital space where entrepreneurs of all stripes can go to learn, connect with other entrepreneurs and plug in to the burgeoning community. That is exactly what the founders of Built In Denver have created.
The site brings together events, blogs, company profiles, jobs and more to create a virtual hub for startup activity in Denver and the surrounding communities.
The site was launched in front of a select crowd of Denver's Digital Leaders during Denver's Startup Week and included startup luminaries Perry Evans, Tom Higley and Luke Beatty.
Email delivery may not be that interesting....to you...but don't tell that to the CEO of Send Grid ,Jim Franklin.
How do you successfully deliver one email to a person in a fast and efficient manner and then replicate it billions of billions of times. That is the stuff that gets the Serial Entrepreneur out of bed each morning and running one of the fastest growing companies in the region if not the country.
I got a chance to sit down with Jim at this year's Demo Gala where we talked about running obscene distances, short retirements and the allure of jumping back in to a startup.
Chris Franks and Sandy Grason host the Live Starto TV Wrap Up of Denver Startup Week, recorded live from Galvanize inside the Uber Denver Headquarters.
Special Guests include.....
The Denver Startup Week Kickoff Luncheon was a HUGE success. The energy in the room was completely electric. Tami Door and Erik Mitisek from Downtown Denver Partnership got the crowd fired up and then Gary Vaynerchuk dropped his knowledge, inspiration and mad marketing skilz on the crowd. Here a few photos......
Gary Vaynerchuk was the keynote speaker for Denver Startup Week's Kickoff Luncheon and man-o-man did he KICKOFF the week!
If you were one of the 200+ people that were on the wait-list for this event, you'll be happy to know that Icosa Media and Starto TV were there to capture the keynote that rocked Denver.
The Downtown Denver Partnership hosted the Denver Startup Week Kickoff Luncheon to a packed house! Check out the interviews with some of Denver's finest. :-)
Tammy Door- Downtown Denver Partnership says "the power is with the people". Four short months ago, this event was just an idea.... there were over 200 people on a wait list to attend this luncheon. Exciting!
Wendy Nkomo- CTA talks about how quickly the startup week festivities filled up & how you can still participate in everything Colorado Technology Association has to offer.
Jim Deters on Denver Start Up Week and the launch of Galvanize- awesome!
Steve Foster- President & CEO of CTA "Wow! Everything that is happening this week is just amazing. SXSW was what it was & Denver Startup Week is what it IS."
Eric Mitesek- Founder of Next Great Place & one of the founders of Denver Startup Week too talks about how it all began with 6 events organized by a small group of local founders and then an additional 65 events exploded throughout the community.
Krista Paul- Denver Startup Diva, Founder & CEO of Using Miles talks about how it felt to speak after Gary Vaynerchuk, how much the startup scene in Denver has changed in the last 5 years.
How was YOUR Denver Startup Week? What was the best advice you heard? What was your favorite event? Favorite speaker? What will you take back into your business from this week?
The Starto TV team gives you a behind-the-scenes look at the pre-Kickoff Luncheon for Denver Start Up Week. The room was maxed out with over 200 people on the wait list just to get in! The energy was electric and everybody, including the Mayor, was pumped up for Start Up Week in Denver.
Here are some of the highlights of the Pre-Kickoff Luncheon VIP meet & greet with hosted by the Downtown Denver Partnership. Stay tuned for much more coverage of all the Kickoff Luncheon Speakers and lots more exciting Denver Start Up Week events.
Gary Vaynerchuk has quite a story. From nearly flunking out of school while making a small fortune selling baseball cards to becoming one of the best known names in the world of entrepreneurship to future owner of the New York Jets...He has quite a story and one that I got an opportunity to hear as I sat down with the man himself, moments before he took the stage for the kickoff event for Denver Startup Week.
Can entrepreneurs be made or are they born? Is his son's name a secret nod to the Jets backup QB? Why do Americans spend time doing sh*t they despise?
We covered all this and more with Starto TV's Interview with Gary V.
We had a great time at The Desk hearing all about Kiva's newest program, Kiva Zip.
If you haven't had a chance to check out Denver's most fabulous shared workspace, The Desk is "the Four Seasons of shared workspaces". As owner, Kristian Barowsky says "We'll get you caffeinated and inspire you to do your best work."
Rachel Davis is a Kiva Fellow placed in Denver and is working to launch a new program called Kiva Zip, which provides 0% interest loans to local businesses, especially start-ups.
Check out our interview with Kristian & Rachel during Denver Startup Week.
