I got to know you by interviewing and profiling you for the community blog. Thanks for helping me brush up on my long forgotten journalism skills. By talking and getting to know you I made valuable connections. I learned from you when you showed me the latest innovations in technology and networking – new apps, programs, and information systems that bring our world together. Thanks to you, I gained experience and knowledge in fields that I had previously been unfamiliar with. I had fun with you- whether it was mixing cocktails on the roof after a busy week, eating nachos with Velveeta, or drinking homebrews at Hardywood, you were always down to have a good time. Thank you for making me feel at home. I learned what not to do: Sorry for that obnoxious email blast listing every member of 804RVA in the sent box. In future, I will separate emails accordingly. I also learned that scheduling interviews with members without a follow-up email (forgetting that people are not waiting in anticipation to meet with me) is a recipe for failure. A special thanks to Larkin for taking me under your wing and welcoming me into the 804RVA community. Who will accompany you on mid-day hot dog runs and trips to dollar tree? I look forward to popping in on occasion and hopefully seeing the “Urban-Suburban” limo service I helped plan come into fruition. As I return to school for my junior year at George Mason I won’t soon forget the friends I made and the experience I obtained interning at 804RVA. I hope everyone enjoys the rest of their summer. I can’t wait to see you all again! -Sincerely, Brian Blend Co-working fellow
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At 804RVA, we're always looking to get to know one another to find work and social connections. In this series, we ask some questions of 804RVA coworkers to help you get a better sense of who's who around 804RVA and how to work and engage with them. Next up, Tommy Nicholas, a web/mobile app developer What's a day in the life? Get up, try to be less afraid and more awesome, drink a few beers, stare into my dog's beautiful eyes, and go to sleep. Somewhere in there I manufacture some "internetz" and "appz" and meet with cool people. Favorite food and drink? Avocado (I put it on everything!) and Guinness because it's lighter than you think and it's delicious. And I love craft beers. Where can we find you on a random weekend? I’ll be at Urban Farmhouse during the day and Sticky Rice at some point at night. In between, hopefully I’ll be on an adventure. How did you begin coworking at 804RVA? My startup TheCitySwig had an office here in 2011. I usually spend my time at 804RVA networking (it's amazing the extent to which it's helped my business), coding, and drinking. What are you currently working on? A mobile app to help you remember people's names. And Coffitivity.com What's one thing the market's missing? So many things, are you kidding? The market has like NOTHING. Everything is wide open. Live in the future and build what’s missing, which is everything. Tommy Recommends:
Connect with Tommy on Twitter @istommydrunk and via email. At 804RVA, we're always looking to get to know one another to find work and social connections. In this series, we ask some questions of 804RVA coworkers to help you get a better sense of who's who around 804RVA and how to work and engage with them. Next up, Greg Hofbauer, CEO of NimblePitch, Inc.! Tell us a little about yourself. I've lived in Richmond for the past 13 years and have been working on my startup NimblePitch for over a year and half. I'm motivated by helping others be the best they can be. I consider myself to be a trusted resource and mentor to my friends, family, staff, and anyone who needs help and is willing to ask for it. Food and drink of choice? It's nearly impossible to narrow down, but if I had to choose just one thing to eat for the rest of my life, it would be pizza. For drinks, Maker's Manhattan on the rocks and Chocolate Peanut Butter Milkshakes for special occasions. Where can we find you on a random weekend? Friday night: pizza and a movie with my wife, Saturdays: yard work and a food or music festival, Sundays: roller hockey and working on our startup. I'm currently listening to book 4 of the Game of Thrones series and reading Lean Startup and Made to Stick. I'm anxiously awaiting the new season of Arrested Development. What excites you? I love what I do. I am really passionate about helping the RVA startup community thrive. I especially enjoy helping to plan and put on events like RVA Startup weekend and hope to get further involved with Lighthouse Labs as a future alum. Tell us about NimblePitch. My company specializes in digital storytelling using interactive rich media. Every client faces a completely different set of challenges and it's exciting to be able to help our clients figure out who they are trying to reach, what actions they want their audiences to take, and how technology can help transform their interest into action. What's your favorite thing about coworking at 804RVA? Being part of the 804RVA community has been an amazing experience. Coming off of 7+ years at Capital One, it was refreshing to plug into the creative and quirky 804RVA community. And it's nice to have a fun and genuine community of friends and "coworkers" to call my own. What's one thing final we should know about you? I recently earned a Culinary Arts certificate from University of Richmond's School of Professional Studies and will happily cook if you provide the ingredients and/or the vino! Connect with Greg on Twitter @ghofbauer, on Linked In, or via email. At 804RVA, we're always looking to get to know one another to find work and social connections. In this series, we ask some questions of 804RVA coworkers to help you get a better sense of who's who around 804RVA and how to work and engage with them. Next up, Chris Churnick, agile consultant. Tell us a little about yourself. I just moved to the area from Boston about six months ago. My family lives in Newport News. I was born in downtown Boston and have lived in Cambridge. I went to Harvard but dropped out because I decided that the return investment wasn’t worth it. What's your food and drink of choice? I'm gonna go with the burrito bowl. And I like IBC black cherry soda. What motivates you? I'm working on starting up an education consulting company to organically disrupt what is a monolithic institution (I worked in standardized testing for seven years). What keeps you busy? Getting better at writing java script. What's your favorite thing about coworking at 804RVA? It's laid back and I can actually get work done. Recommendations To Read: Blindness Jose Saramago To Know: Human computer interactions and user experience design Connect with Chris on twitter @chvrn email [email protected] Our 54 hour mini-camp is over and 14 startup teams pitched last Sunday night to a high energy capacity crowd! We want to thank all who turned out and especially all those that braved the weekend, sluggish wifi, limited sleep and the stage to share your vision and dream with all of us. Feel free to comment about your experience! Keep it positive! If you want to see an ever expanding collection of photos from both RVA Startup Weekend experiences then jump here. And now, The roll call of startup goodness starting with our top 5 finishers: Street Food Spotter is rocking RVA's food truck culture at www.streetfoodspotter.com. You can sign up today! Usephoria, dead simple user testing is gathering steam at www.usephoria.com. Essentially, very inexpensive testing (think Pepsi v Coke) that shares the financial love with the tester! TimeTwine aims to preserve and share your family's memories for generations to come. Collect and organize the important photos shared with your family from services all over the web.
Ultimate Rental Apps is bringing existing back office software into the modern age in a niche marketplace.
Plan Your Summer takes the agony and effort out of filling your kid's free summer time with just the right camps and experiences. Super job everyone! And a final salute to our sponsors! We look forward to seeing everyone at our next 54 hour startup throwdown in RVA. Stay tuned and keep innovating (#rvasw)! In honor of Redskins training camp frenzy, we are hosting our own set of 54 hour mental drills at Startup Weekend (#rvasw). Last night the big show started with coach Shawn Bowyer, founder of Snagajob, sharing candid truth about StartUp life. "After maxing out every credit card, friends and family contributions and my own parent's savings, success or failure was a lot more than just a personal issue. If you are committed to a startup life it is a family affair no matter what you think!". Indeed, finding and pursuing your next big idea can be a serious challenge and exhilarating thrill ride. Shawn also shared the importance of team beyond friends and family, "A UX designer, developer and good product lead seem to be the best way to go" along with the classic advice "if you are not embarrassed by version 1 then you spent to long developing your idea!". Now that is excellent coaching worthy of a championship run and with those insights over 40 brave souls stood up and pitched. 60 seconds to inspire votes and attract team interest! And now our mentors and surviving teams are rocking the final 40 hours! So forget two-a-days ...this training camp is prepping its participants for more than a season, it is sparking the possibility of a lifetime of innovation! Kiere El-Shafie. Software Developer for Elizur Tell us a little about yourself. I’m from Front Royal and have been in Richmond since ‘98. My hobbies are backpacking piddling around in the yard. I like amusement parks. Usually we get season passes to both Kings Dominion and Busch Gardens. What's your food and drink of choice? Mexican food and I drink a lot of tea. What motivates you? I like to solve problems so whenever there’s a new problem that needs to be solved I like to dive into it. That’s why I’m excited about start-up weekend. What keeps you busy while at 804RVA? Deadlines keep me focused. I’m into my work. I like what I do. That’s why I spend so much time outside of work doing it. What's your favorite thing about coworking at 804RVA? I like being around so many other creative people. I like to be able to network and get connected. What do you recommend? To Read: Ive been reading a lot of TIME magazine. I got a free subscription. To Know: I think everyone should know how to use a scripting language. Twittter: @kiere Email: [email protected] Girl Geek Dinner at Mekong |
This month, we'll focus on technologies that teach girls to code using games and devices. Tiffany France talks to us about Raspberry Pi and Sonail Shetty introduces Sphero . Gamification techniques can quickly make traditionally boring, painful, otherwise mundane activities fun. The application of game mechanics in a non-game context is why we gleefully battle for mayorship of our favorite coffee shops on FourSquare, how our FitBits encourage us to climb more stairs, and how many boys and girls are now learning to code. |
Bill Conference: Tiny Humans Part 2
Monday, July 15, 2013
6:00 PM
804RVA
1657 West Broad Street #3a, Richmond, VA
This is an unconference event about parenting. Ticket details coming soon.
1657 West Broad Street #3a, Richmond, VA
This is an unconference event about parenting. Ticket details coming soon.
RVA Data Hackers: Analytics for Online Journalism Tuesday July 16, 2013
6:00 PM
804RVA
1657 West Broad Street, Richmond, VA
Please join us to hear Andrew Montalenti present on Analytics for Online Journalism. Andrew will walk us through how his company, Parse.ly, analyzes web traffic for major media outlets at scale.
Abstract
The rise of online content has simultaneously disrupted and empowered journalism. Disrupted: because now anyone can publish without the need of a printing press and army of editors acting as a gategeeker. Empowered: because content does not live and die on a static printed page, but instead flows in a evolving online ecosystem where it is viewed, shared, aggregated, bookmarked, queued, re-posted, linked to, commented upon, and reformatted for display on mobile phones, tablet apps, websites, widgets, RSS readers, e-readers and more.
1657 West Broad Street, Richmond, VA
Please join us to hear Andrew Montalenti present on Analytics for Online Journalism. Andrew will walk us through how his company, Parse.ly, analyzes web traffic for major media outlets at scale.
Abstract
The rise of online content has simultaneously disrupted and empowered journalism. Disrupted: because now anyone can publish without the need of a printing press and army of editors acting as a gategeeker. Empowered: because content does not live and die on a static printed page, but instead flows in a evolving online ecosystem where it is viewed, shared, aggregated, bookmarked, queued, re-posted, linked to, commented upon, and reformatted for display on mobile phones, tablet apps, websites, widgets, RSS readers, e-readers and more.
804RVA Night Owls
Thursday, July 18, 2013
6:00 PM
804RVA
1657 West Broad Street, Richmond, VA
Are you working on a side project, startup, or building your portfolio? Do you want to meet other like minded people and be motivated by fellow makers and creatives?
You don't have to be at 804RVA every single day to get the benefits - in fact, you can start coming after hours!
Every Thursday after 6pm, 804RVA Night Owls is a fun & productive member-run working session for people that have full time jobs but want to work on a side project...as well as students and people who just prefer working after dark!
Night Owls is included with any 804RVA membership, every Thursday, (including our $25/month basic membership). Yep, you can work at 804RVA 4 evenings a month for as little as $25 - plus you're plugged into the entire 804RVA community for discussions & events outside of Night Owls.
If you're already an 804RVA member, just drop by. If you're not a member yet, sign up for a tour so we can help you get started! We'll be coworking from 6pm until midnight!
1657 West Broad Street, Richmond, VA
Are you working on a side project, startup, or building your portfolio? Do you want to meet other like minded people and be motivated by fellow makers and creatives?
You don't have to be at 804RVA every single day to get the benefits - in fact, you can start coming after hours!
Every Thursday after 6pm, 804RVA Night Owls is a fun & productive member-run working session for people that have full time jobs but want to work on a side project...as well as students and people who just prefer working after dark!
Night Owls is included with any 804RVA membership, every Thursday, (including our $25/month basic membership). Yep, you can work at 804RVA 4 evenings a month for as little as $25 - plus you're plugged into the entire 804RVA community for discussions & events outside of Night Owls.
If you're already an 804RVA member, just drop by. If you're not a member yet, sign up for a tour so we can help you get started! We'll be coworking from 6pm until midnight!
Larkin Day (rain or shine)
Friday, July 19, 2013
12:30 PM to 5:00 PM
Riverside Outfitters
6836 Old Westham Road, Richmond, VA (map)
Float the James River with awesome people on Larkin Day. RSVPing on meetup does not guarantee you a tube. Get more details and rent your tube on LarkinDay.com. See you on Larkin Day!
6836 Old Westham Road, Richmond, VA (map)
Float the James River with awesome people on Larkin Day. RSVPing on meetup does not guarantee you a tube. Get more details and rent your tube on LarkinDay.com. See you on Larkin Day!
Tetris/Floris Tournament
Saturday, July 20, 2013
1:00 PM to 6:00 PM
804RVA
1657 West Broad Street, Richmond, VA
WIN FREE passes to RVACON! WIN gift certificates for Play N Trade Carytown!
MORE INFO AND RULES TBA!
Qualifying rounds: July 20 1PM - 3PM
Main Event: July 20 3PM - 6PM
Floris is a beautiful spin on the classic falling block puzzle game created by RVA Local game developer, Andrew Bowers. Revolutionary in its circular board design, intuitive controls allow for a beautifully hypnotic experience as you adjust falling pieces WHILE rotating your board for their landing.
Floris is available on the iTunes App Store for just $1.99.https://itunes.apple.com/ us/app/floris/id622369148?mt=8
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Tetris: Tetris is one of the leading and most distinctive video game brands of all time. Tetris was created on June 6, 1984 by Russian video game designer Alexey Pajitnov. Loved globally by people of all ages and all cultures, Tetris continues to be one of the most widely recognized video games.
MORE INFO AND RULES TBA!
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Presented by RVA Game Jams. www.rvagamejams.com
Special Thanks to x01010111 Games, RVACON, UR Museums, Ox and Coon, Play n Trade Carytown, & 804RVA!
1657 West Broad Street, Richmond, VA
WIN FREE passes to RVACON! WIN gift certificates for Play N Trade Carytown!
MORE INFO AND RULES TBA!
Qualifying rounds: July 20 1PM - 3PM
Main Event: July 20 3PM - 6PM
Floris is a beautiful spin on the classic falling block puzzle game created by RVA Local game developer, Andrew Bowers. Revolutionary in its circular board design, intuitive controls allow for a beautifully hypnotic experience as you adjust falling pieces WHILE rotating your board for their landing.
Floris is available on the iTunes App Store for just $1.99.https://itunes.apple.com/ us/app/floris/id622369148?mt=8
----
Tetris: Tetris is one of the leading and most distinctive video game brands of all time. Tetris was created on June 6, 1984 by Russian video game designer Alexey Pajitnov. Loved globally by people of all ages and all cultures, Tetris continues to be one of the most widely recognized video games.
MORE INFO AND RULES TBA!
----
Presented by RVA Game Jams. www.rvagamejams.com
Special Thanks to x01010111 Games, RVACON, UR Museums, Ox and Coon, Play n Trade Carytown, & 804RVA!
At 804RVA, we're always looking to get to know one another to find work and social connections.
In this series, we ask some questions of 804RVA coworkers to help you get a better sense of who's who around 804RVA and how to work and engage with them.
Next up, Matt Russo, IPhone Developer
Tell us a little about yourself.
I moved to the Greater Richmond area when I was 8 and I’ve been here ever since. I went to VCU but dropped out after two years and started a company with Tommy Nicholas in Charlottesville, VA.
What's your food and drink of choice?
My drink of choice is whiskey. My favorite food has to be sushi.
What motivates you?
I just like to build things. Whether it’s building apps or building a bar in my apartment, I like anything that I can get my hands on and create.
What keeps you busy while at 804RVA?
. . .various IPhone app projects and web development projects.
What's your favorite thing about coworking at 804RVA?
I like the culture. It’s great being able to look out at the world and think creatively. I like to collaborate with people who have different skillsets. You can find pretty much anything here as far as talent goes.
Matt Recommends:
To Know: Coding: It's not as intimidating as it looks. Once you have obtained a basic fluency, it’s all about problem solving.
To Do: Get involved start with something simple like web development and work your way into the harder stuff.
Connect with Matt on Twitter @mateofrancesco, or email him at [email protected].
In this series, we ask some questions of 804RVA coworkers to help you get a better sense of who's who around 804RVA and how to work and engage with them.
Next up, Matt Russo, IPhone Developer
Tell us a little about yourself.
I moved to the Greater Richmond area when I was 8 and I’ve been here ever since. I went to VCU but dropped out after two years and started a company with Tommy Nicholas in Charlottesville, VA.
What's your food and drink of choice?
My drink of choice is whiskey. My favorite food has to be sushi.
What motivates you?
I just like to build things. Whether it’s building apps or building a bar in my apartment, I like anything that I can get my hands on and create.
What keeps you busy while at 804RVA?
. . .various IPhone app projects and web development projects.
What's your favorite thing about coworking at 804RVA?
I like the culture. It’s great being able to look out at the world and think creatively. I like to collaborate with people who have different skillsets. You can find pretty much anything here as far as talent goes.
Matt Recommends:
To Know: Coding: It's not as intimidating as it looks. Once you have obtained a basic fluency, it’s all about problem solving.
To Do: Get involved start with something simple like web development and work your way into the harder stuff.
Connect with Matt on Twitter @mateofrancesco, or email him at [email protected].
V.I.N.E. : Finding a Manufacturer for your Product
Monday June 24th
5:30-7:30pm
Virginia Innovators Network is a not for profit, educational organization. We exist to support innovative Virginians who are pursuing bringing their unique products and services to market. There is NO CHARGE to attend the VINE monthly meeting -- Thank you to our generous sponsors who make the pizza, water, & beer possible. |
Mailchimp: Empathy Cannot be Automated
Tuesday June 25th
6:00-8:00pm
"Working at MailChimp I've seen thousands of interactions between companies and their customers. I've seen the conflict between marketing and design when trying to automate the relationship between company and customer. Marketing automation is a powerful tool that bosses and customers are starting to demand we use, but used incorrectly automation can reduce empathy for the customer or email subscriber, make them feel spied on, or completely annoy them. Using technology to manage the relationship isn't a replacement for human to human contact, you still have to talk to people and you still have to treat them with respect and dignity. You still have to think about their experience! No person should be reduced to just a number, a twitter handle, a "targeted segment", or a blip on a chart. Automation can guide you, give you data, feed you information, but it's up to you to use it to be more relevant, more human, more real." |
Wordpress Wednesday
Wednesday June 26th
6:00-8:00pm
This group is for anyone who uses WordPress, whether you're a blogger, designer, developer, coder, themer, or anything else you can imagine. Meetup events are open to both advanced and beginner users and are free! 6:00 pm -8:00pm |
Startup Weekend Info Session & Happy Hour at A2
Thursday June 27th
7:00-9:00pm
Startup Weekend is a 54 hour hackathon whose motto is "No Talk. All Action" where people come together to share ideas, form teams, build products, and launch startups. This information session is a pre party event for our July 26th-28th Startup Weekend. Come chat with alumni from last year as they share successes and pitfalls from their entrepreneurial journey and mingle with others who are actively pursuing their ideas. |
Night Owls Late Night Coworking
Thursday June 27th
6pm-midnight
Are you working on a side project, startup, or building your portfolio? Do you want to meet other like minded people and be motivated by fellow makers and creatives? You don't have to be at 804RVA every single day to get the benefits - in fact, you can start coming after hours! Every Thursday after 6pm, 804RVA Night Owls is a fun & productive member-run working session for people that have full time jobs but want to work on a side project...as well as students and people who just prefer working after dark! |