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Bart Lorang, Co-Founder of Full Contact joins Chris Franks & Sandy Grason in the Starto TV studios for a discussion about how to find and hire amazing people. Watch Sandy's interview with Todd Vernon, click here.
Watch Chris's interview with Jim Franklin, click here.
Watch Bart's Colorado Technology Entrepreneur of the Year Award, click here.
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 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?
Let us know!
Colorado is an exceptional place full of adventurers. The new frontier is technology, and the pioneers here are pushing boundaries every single day. For the past 12 years, the Colorado Technology Association has been hosting the APEX Awards to recognize Colorado's technology excellence. This prestigious event highlights the remarkable leaders and innovators that are creating incredible velocity.
Company Nominees: •3t Systems •Accounting Systems Inc. •Accuvant Inc. •Ajubeo •Amadeus Consulting •BEW Global •Cliintel •Coalfire Systems, Inc. •Cologix, Inc. •Comcast Colorado •Confio Software •Dean Evans & Associates, Inc. •Delta Dental of Colorado •Dizzion, Inc. •Earthvisionz •ECSTeam •Envysion •First Funder •FORTRUST Data Center •GoDaddy.com •IHS Inc •Inversoft •IQNavigator, Inc. •Leap Tech Solutions •Mercury •MWH Global •netFactor •Newmont Mining Corporation •NewsGator Technologies, Inc. •Njevity Inc. •Nuss Professional Services •Open Scan Technologies, Inc. •PDC Energy, Inc. •Pixorial •Prologis Inc •Push IO •SDL International •SendGrid •Spectra Logic •SSB Consulting Group, LLC. •State of Colorado - Office of Information Technology •Statera •Swiftpage •Telesphere •The Trizetto Group, Inc. •TrackVia •United States Olympic Committee •ViaWest •Wayin •XTIVIA •Zayo Group
Individual Nominees: Vic Ahmed, President TiE-Rockies & CEO Business Genetics Bobbie Bastian, Teacher at STEM Launch K-8 Ted Battreall, President of Vertiba, Inc. Debbie Blair, Technology Teacher at Prairie Crossing Elementary Gregg Cannady, Teacher at STEM Magnet Lab School Gayle Dendinger, CEO, Founder & Publisher, CAP Logistics & CAP Worldwide/ICOSA Magazine & Media Tony Fiore, President of Fiore & Associates Inc. Amy Fowler, Managing Partner, Lewis & Fowler Jim Franklin, CEO, SendGrid, Inc. Arif Gangji, President of Neon Rain Interactive Terry Gold, Co-Founder & CEO Gold Systems Mark Goodwin, Instructor at New Horizons Peter Hudson, M.D. CEO & Co-founder of iTriage, LLC Mark Jeffryes, Technology Teacher at Coyote Creek Elementary David Kline, Math Teacher at Westview Middle School Bart Lorang, CEO & Co-Founder of FullContact Pat Maley - Past Chairman of KidsTEK, Partner – Wiegers Capital Partners Kristin McCord, Technology Teacher at Roxborough Primary and Intermediate School Timothy McMahon, SJ , President, Arrupe Jesuit High School Derrick McNeill, Teacher at George Washington High School Gordon Nuttall, CEO & President of Couragent, Inc. D. Miles Pimentel, Assistant Director, Department of Grants & Partnerships, Aurora Public School District Chuck Price, President & CEO of Ajubeo Debbie Richards, Teacher Librarian at Prairie Crossing Elementary Kristin Russell, Secretary of Technology and CIO, State of Colorado Nancy Sauer, President, D2Xchange Michael Shallenberger, Engineering Teacher at STEM School Kirby Slunaker, President & Chief Executive Officer, MetroList Debbie Tawzer, Technology Teacher at Legend High School Scott Threlkeld, Information Systems Manager, Delta Dental of Colorado Erika Trautman, CEO of FlixMaster Leif Ullman, CEO of KidReports, LLC Cinde Waller, CEO & Founder of TempOrthotics LLC
Entrepreneurs are the risk takers who boldly lead new ventures; this award is designed to celebrate them! It takes a lot to attempt to form a new company. It takes even more to be successful at it. Once a year, the Colorado technology community comes together to recognize one of our outstanding entrepreneurs, celebrate their achievements, and perhaps even learn a thing or two!
And the Nominees are: Bart Lorang ------------- FullContact Dr. Peter Hudson ----- iTriage Ted Battreall ---------- Vertiba Arif Gangji ------------- Neon Rain
ICOSA is all about Connection and Collaboration. People don't achieve greatness by acting alone. This APEX award honors those that offer exceptional value though mentoring, networking, or otherwise improving the connectivity of the tech community.
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.
Kristian's best advice for entrepreneurs?
"Hang on tight and stay true to your vision"
We agree!
The most successful IT projects offer measurable results that are in line with the organization's strategic objectives. This award recognizes the most exceptional IT department for implementing such an innovative project.
And the Nominees are:
Pixorial ---------------------------Andrés Espiñeira ViaWest---------------------------Jason Carolan Cologix----------------------------Grant van Rooyen US Olympic Committee---------Tim Patrick & David Trzupek
All businesses face competition, yet the fast-paced change experienced by technology firms requires a special dynamism. The Tech Company of the Year Award goes to the Colorado-based company whose overall performance sets it apart as a leader in its market segment. These outstanding companies demonstrate this through the creation of innovative products, achieving sustainable profitability, and displaying a strong commitment to the community.
And the Nominees are: SDL Swiftpage Zayo Group Mercury
The Bob Newman Lifetime Award is meant to recognize those who have contributed long term to economic development through work with technology.
Robert Newman is the founder of Greenwood Gulch Ventures, a venture-capital firm that provides funding and strategic support to technology companies. Mr. Newman was previously with J.D. Edwards & Company, beginning in 1978, when he merged his software design and development business with the company. Mr. Newman was formerly an IT consultant with Haskins & Sells (now Deloitte LLP) and worked in engineering and information systems at Motorola, Inc. He started his career as a computer programmer at North American Aviation (Rockwell International) in Los Angeles.
This week Gary Vaynerchuck a.k.a. "GaryVee" descends upon Denver Start Up Week. If you haven't had the pleasure of meeting Gary, he's been called an over-the-top personality (an understatement-fer sure!), he loves the hustle, the NY Jets, family, business and he loves life. Gary was a guest on my radio show a few years back, right before his book "Crush It" hit the shelves. I actually had a huge "a-ha" during my interview with Gary, you'll hear it around the 20 minute mark, when he tells me "people aren't paying attention to what they are good at". I realized when Gary told me the defining characteristics that he looks for in his business partners, that I'm NOT a true entrepreneur at heart. (at least not in the way Gary describes it) Check it out:
Gary's theory is that if you weren't selling lollipops or crushing it at your lemonade stand before the age of twelve, you're probably not going to be the world's greatest entrepreneur, because you have to be really, really excited & passionate about selling your sh#$*. All I really wanted to be when I was twelve years old was -- a Rockette!
I guess I have GaryVee to thank for my hosting gig at Starto TV. He put me on my true path. :-D
Here are some of the other fascinating things Gary reveals in this interview:
Here are Gary's Top 5 Tips for growing your business:
Gary's top tip for getting the most out of Twitter: LISTEN
Gary walks you through EXACTLY what to do when you get on Twitter to build your following.
Here are my favorite quotes from Gary:
"If you don't care, you lose."
"What do you really, really want out of life. Work backwards."
"I don't want to hear about golfing & tennis & John Madden football & the Wii, when you're crying about your financial situation. Stop watching friggin' LOST and start hustling and building your business."
"It's about conversation, not just plugging what you want to accomplish."
"Word is bond."
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Sandy Grason drops in on a packed house at BDNT- Boulder Denver New Tech Meet UP on a night when The Unreasonable Institute takes over. The Unreasonable Institute's mission is to get entrepreneurs what they need to scale impact. They work with entrepreneurs that are solving social and environmental problems around the world. They run a mentorship and training program for 6 months.
Sandy got a chance to talk with Debbie Ally of BDNT about what tonight's presentations were all about along with a couple of The Unreasonable Institute's entrepreneurs:
If you want to learn more visit www.UnreasonableInstitute.org or write to wisdom (at) unreasonableinstitute.org
Pulitzer Prize winner Hedrick Smith stopped by the ICOSA Studio to discuss his new book Who Stole the the American Dream, an insightful guide that documents the dismantling of the American Dream over the last four decades, as Gayle Dendinger hosts this episode of Leader to Leader.
This is a book full of surprises and revelations—the accidental beginnings of the 401(k) plan, with disastrous economic consequences for many; the major policy changes that began under Jimmy Carter; how the New Economy disrupted America’s engine of shared prosperity, the “virtuous circle” of growth, and how America lost the title of “Land of Opportunity.” Smith documents the transfer of $6 trillion in middle-class wealth from homeowners to banks even before the housing boom went bust, and how the U.S. policy tilt favoring the rich is stunting America’s economic growth.
Smith talks to a wide range of people, telling the stories of Americans high and low. From political leaders such as Bill Clinton, Newt Gingrich, and Martin Luther King, Jr., to CEOs such as Al Dunlap, Bob Galvin, and Andy Grove, to heartland Middle Americans such as airline mechanic Pat O’Neill, software systems manager Kristine Serrano, small businessman John Terboss, and subcontractor Eliseo Guardado, Smith puts a human face on how middle-class America and the American Dream have been undermined.
This magnificent work of history and reportage is filled with the penetrating insights, provocative discoveries, and the great empathy of a master journalist. Finally, Smith offers ideas for restoring America’s great promise and reclaiming the American Dream.
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David Cohen tells Starto TV about this year's group of Tech Stars Founders and how to improve your chances of getting accepted into the accelerator that's harder to get into than Harvard.
Top Tips from David for getting into Tech Stars:
Do Stuff
It's about lines not dots
It's a relationship not an application
The Starto TV team got a behind-the-scenes tour of the Tech Stars facility and met some of this year's founders. David Cohen sat down with Sandy Grason and Chris Franks to share some wisdom, tips & advice and a few laughs. We talked about:
Some of my favorite quotes from David are:
You learn more from your failures than from your successes, for sure.
A lot of what Tech Stars is doing is teaching companies how to be better entrepreneurs.
Entrepreneurs do stuff and Wantrepreneurs talk about doing stuff.
Entrepreneurs run through walls.
Do what you love.
Recently, GNIP hosted the Big Boulder Conference in Boulder, Colorado and Sandy Grason got a behind-the-scenes look at what the conference was all about. In this video, Sandy talks with Foundry Group and Tech Stars co-founder, Brad Feld about what Big Boulder Conference means to entrepreneurial communities like Boulder and what YOU can do to foster this kind of support and excitement in your community too.
This invite only event brought together the top publishers, industry leaders and consumers of publicly-available social data to discuss trends, best practices and how this data is changing industries of all kinds.
Brad said the main event is really what happens around the event, beyond people just pitching each other their sh*%, the conversation gets to "how are we going to solve this problem".
So you want to make your town the next Silicon Valley? In Brad Feld's new book Startup Communities, Brad gives us mere mortals a glimpse in to how to form, build and grow a startup scene in your town. Brad explains, "I was convinced to move to Boulder when my wife Amy said that she was moving there and I was welcome to join her, or not. She made a convincing argument!"
The problem, for a burgeoning technology tycoon like Brad, Boulder was a backwater. Sure there was a great university. Sure there were interesting people doing interesting things but there was no SCENE!
Fast forward to 2012 and Boulder is one of the hottest place to start a high growth company in the world. So what changed?
According to Brad, it was a group of a committed entrepreneurs, It was not the VCs, not the professors, not the service providers. They all had a role to play but the formation of a booming startup community was lead by the entrepreneurs themselves.
So how did they do it? Sorry, you'll have to buy the book! But for a sneak peak I got a chance to sit down with the Jedi Master and rap about his new book, how the machines are already in control and much more.
Brad Feld, founder of TechStars, comes into the ICOSA Studio to discuss his new book, Startup Communities with Chris Franks and the rest of the STARTO team. Brad Feld has been connecting and collaborating in the startup communities of Boston, Boulder, and beyond. He has proven leadership as entrepreneur, angel investor, venture capitalist, and community champion. Feld is often considered the foremost subject matter expert. We here at STARTO look forward to reading his new book, "Startup Communities: Building an Entrepreneurial Ecosystem in Your City." Check out the book here.