Internet Geek Girl

I really love Austin, Texas. And it’s not just because I’m obsessed with Allen’s Boots and love to eat at Guero’s and drink margaritas and beer.  It is a town full of smart, driven, cool people and a tech community that has been growing steadily for years.  The music scene is of course one of the best in the nation. Hugh MacLeod visits regularly. And of course, LANCE lives there! P.S. - Lance is on Twitter so follow him! LiveStrong baby!

Next week, Brian Solis (my TechSet partner-in-crime) and I will head down to Austin to celebrate the launch of BizSpark with Microsoft and with our local partners, the Startup District. Please be sure to also follow us on Twitter for more details:

@techset

@bizspark

@startupdistrict

You are cordially invited to join us at The Speakeasy at 7 pm on Thursday, November 20th. The event is *free* but please RSVP here. There will be free drinks and appetizers, so come early.

(Please note these are the boots I bought in March at SXSW and I will be wearing these for sure!)

I’ve been a “startup chick” for a very long time. Having worked at early stage companies as employee number 2 and number 240, I have experienced the wide array of challenges faced by companies growing new markets.  In fact, established markets never interested me much (boring!!!)

I’ve guided my professional development for 15 years by one simply rule: surround yourself with the smartest, most hard-working, super effective entrepreneurs you can find. Despite the fact that these individuals and environments can be crazy and chaotic, it has been a very fun journey. Like the road less traveled, it has also made all the difference in my life.

Over the next few weeks, Brian Solis and I will be celebrating our mutual love for startups by presenting Ignition, an event to commemorate the launch of Microsoft BizSpark - a new program for those who contribute to a dynamic ecosystem to help startups flourish. It seems to me that in this economy, everyone needs something to celebrate. It is also an exceptional time to start a startup and take advantage of all the opportunity out there.

Brian and I cordially invite you to another TechSet Series (with some free appetizers and drinks).  We kick off our four-city tour next week in New York City on November 11th.  You need to RSVP here. As all the locals know, that’s the night of the New York New Tech Meetup, which will feature a presentation by Microsoft BizSpark staff. Be at both or be square!

We head to Austin, Texas on November 20th, LA on December 2nd and Silicon Valley on December 4th.  Stay tuned for links Facebook invites and RSVP pages on Eventbrite.

Be sure to check out the benefits you get from the BizSpark global program - namely - software, support and visibility. Hope to see you there so you can learn more and have a great time doing it!

That’s right. My second trip to Vegas this year.  I’m super excited for the second annual Blog World Expo that starts this Friday. It’s not too late to make your plans (there are actually some really good hotel deals on Hotels.com). The speaker line up and the party list look fantastic. Don’t forget to use the code: GEEKGIRL!

Follow @blogworld on Twitter for all the latest updates!

The TechSet has earned a reputation for hosting some of the most glamorous and connected events around the country. We’d like to invite you to what just may be our most incredible event yet as we celebrate you and the other entrepreneurs defining the new Web landscape. At BlogWorld, we will gather poolside at the new Bare lounge at the Mirage Hotel.

(mt) Media Temple, our title sponsor, will be hosting blog super stars and super startups alike!  Check out the *cabana* sponsors, including: Canvas On Demand, Empressr, MindTouch, ShareThis and Tagga.

In addition to Sarah Lacy, Hugh MacLeod, and Loren Feldman, we’ll be welcoming — all of you - the people that are the TECHSET!

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(mt) Media Temple Inc., (Twitter = @mediatemple) Inc. is an industry-leading, privately held web hosting and software services provider with headquarters in California. Since 1998, the company has provided businesses worldwide with reliable, high-capacity networks to host websites, email, business applications, video and other modern, rich-media content.

We are a friendly, accessible group of technology-agnostic managers, engineers and support professionals dedicated to making our customers happy. We are a true 24/7 company. Contact us anytime 24 hours a day at 877-578-4000. English is our primary language. We also speak Spanish, Japanese, Swedish, Korean, Polish, Russian, Romanian, Armenian and a few other languages.

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ShareThis (Twitter = @sharethis) lets people easily share the things they find online, in the most convenient way possible. ShareThis consolidates address books and friend lists, so that anything can be shared immediately, without ever leaving a webpage.

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Tagga (Twitter = @tagga) allows anyone to create text message campaigns instantly so that you can interact, sell to, or simply communicate with mobile users.  Promote your product or service to a targeted audience on their mobile.

You can target the audience you want, deliver the content you want and pay only on success.  Monetize your web or print content like blogs, websites, signage or print publications and expand your distribution channel.  Integrating with Tagga is fast and simple. In just a few minutes you can be on your way to extending your website’s functionality and earning additional revenue. www.tagga.com.

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MindTouch, (Twitter = @mindtouch) recognized the world over for innovation beyond open source wiki collaboration and content management, is delivering a leading edge application integration and development platform. MindTouch Deki, built with a Web Oriented Architecture (WOA), enables users to connect teams, enterprise systems, Web services and Web 2.0 applications with IT governance. Users easily access and organize data and systems efficiently to achieve their business objectives.

MindTouch Deki is deployed by Fortune 500 companies, major media, research/education institutions, government agencies, and online businesses worldwide. Customers include Microsoft, Fujitsu, Siemens, Gannett, FedEx, U.S. Army, DoD, and others. MindTouch is committed to delivering next generation solutions to people, businesses and governments.

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Empressr (Twitter = @empressr) is the first of its kind rich Internet application that provides users with the tools to create and share Multi-media visual stories online. Armed with only a Web browser, users can combine photographs, artwork, text, music, videos, audio recordings and charts to produce anything from a simple slide show to a state-of-the-art business presentation.

Empressr embraces the best of what the Internet has to offer with features such as asset tagging, Web mashups, embedded data and a comprehensive selection of rich media features. Once created, an empressr can be distributed in many ways. It can be published to the community site or your social networking page, sent in an email and even embedded in a blog or wiki.

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Canvas on Demand is the Raleigh, North Carolina that transforms your sentimental photos into canvas artwork. Co-owners Tom Lotrecchiano and Joe Schmidt were named Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the year finalists and  ranked number 283 in the 2008 Inc. 500.  You can visit www.CanvasOnDemand.com for more information or to see samples.

I wanted to take a moment to thank all my fellow women in Tech. Two important events to highlight for tonight! Voter registration deadlines are creeping up soon ladies and WE Vote ‘08 is getting the word out on-line and off-line (a WE tv initiative).

Join some of the leading women of social media for a series of “tweet-ups” in cities across the country tonight, September 16th!!! Our favorite online rock-stars are getting their friends together in New York, Boston, San Francisco, Houston and Anchorage, and you are invited!!

In addition to great networking, you’ll get specific information on how easy it is to register to vote and get involved in the process. Learn more at WEVote08.com! Don’t forget to get your blog badge here! Most states allow you to register up to 30 days before an election.

Based on our scan of the data, you have until at least October 1st in every state to get registered. So check the map for your state’s deadline! Since we are all busy women, let’s just agree that we are all going to make sure we are registered no later than October 1st. No procrastination ladies! That gives you two weeks from today to get this on your action item list!

Check out events tonight in the following locations:

• New York
• Boston
• San Francisco
• Anchorage
• (Houston was canceled due to Hurricane Ike, but we thank those folks worked on organizing)!

All our WE Vote ‘08 Tweet up organizers rock! Shout out to Aliza Sherman, Jen Myronuk, Maria Thurrel, Alexa Scordato, Corey, Erica O’Grady.

PLUS - it’s the launch of Girls in Tech, NYC Chapter!

Technology is a thriving economy in the US and globally; because of this phenomenon Girls in Tech was established to engage and empower women, tout their achievements in the tech sector, provide resources and learning programs to inspire technology careers and start-ups.

It is with excitement and dedication that we invite you to join us as we recognize and celebrate the women in New York that are changing the world through technology and innovation. Please RSVP for this event.

O’Reilly is in town and New Yorkers are a flutter!  Today kicks off the first ever Web2Expo in NYC at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center (655 West 34th Street). Co-produced by TechWeb and O’Reilly Conferences, @w2e_ny08 will wow NYC with it’s content and connection.  Be sure to follow them on Twitter, btw! You can find the detailed schedule here!

Web2expo in San Fran these last 2 years stand out for me as one of the best shows of the year (and that is saying a lot coming from someone who goes to as many conferences as I do).

I believe you can still register on-site! You can get a $100 off registration or a free expo pass if you use the code: webny08bd23.

By the way, we’re going to party like it’s Internet Week again! Assuming you’ve recovered from the June 2008 festivities, you should be sure to check out the list of events! I definitely want to highlight our TechSet event this evening at the Eden Rooftop . PLEASE RSVP ON FACEBOOK!!

I also want to make sure you know about web2Open, organized by Nate Westheimer.

Web2Open is the free “un-conference” side of the Web 2.0 Expo and takes place on September 17th and 18th, during the Expo. Inspired by the BarCamp movement, Web2Open is where the attendees lead create the conference content. It’s volunteer organized, and offers a fresh, community-oriented take on tech conferences.

One of the best parts of the Web2Open is that it’s free! To register, sign up for Expo pass using the code webny08opn (attendees with conference pass may also participate).

Brian Solis and I, founders of The TechSet would like to personally thank our sponsors for their support of the event tonight. Come out and meet them and be interviewed for Aaron Strout’s podcast, Citizen Marketer.

About our Sponsors (and please follow them on Twitter):

Mzinga (Twitter = @mzinga) is the leading provider of enterprise social media solutions that drive growth, innovation, and learning. The company combines a broad suite of social media and networking technologies with expert strategic consulting and moderation services to help businesses to harness the collective intelligence of employees, customers, and partners. Marketing, customer service, and human resources professionals deploy Mzinga’s “pervasive community” solutions to achieve higher revenues, lower costs, greater workplace satisfaction, and improved customer support.

Headquartered in Burlington, Massachusetts, Mzinga supports more than 14,000 communities and over 1 billion monthly page requests from 27 million users in 160 countries worldwide. Mzinga’s marquee list of customers includes such global brands as ABC, AOL, ESPN, CBS.com, iVillage, Chevron Corporation, Johnson & Johnson, and Prudential Financial.

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Empressr (Twitter = @empressr) is the first of its kind rich Internet application that provides users with the tools to create and share Multi-media visual stories online. Armed with only a Web browser, users can combine photographs, artwork, text, music, videos, audio recordings and charts to produce anything from a simple slide show to a state-of-the-art business presentation. Empressr embraces the best of what the Internet has to offer with features such as asset tagging, Web mashups, embedded data and a comprehensive selection of rich media features. Once created, an empressr can be distributed in many ways. It can be published to the community site or your social networking page, sent in an email and even embedded in a blog or wiki.

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