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Archives for March 2010

Why Now? MN Legislature Passes Bill w/Angel Investment Tax Credit

March 30, 2010 By Steve Borsch

After many years of lip service to angel investment tax credits, the House voted 112-20 to approve a package of tax credits designed to stimulate job growth in Minnesota with a subsequent 58-3 approval by the Senate shortly thereafter and it now goes to Gov. Tim Pawlenty for signature.

Sponsored by Rep. Ann Lenczewski (DFL-Bloomington) and Sen. Tom Bakk (DFL-Cook), HF2695/SF2568 includes a small business investment tax credit — the so-called “angel investor” credit — and several others.

While we applaud and are delighted by the passage of this historic tax credit to kickstart Minnesota innovation, why did this get passed in a time when Minnesota is struggling mightily with balancing our state budget? Is this more about competing with Wisconsin for startups, or a true effort to create a climate that is a catalyst for innovation in Minnesota?

NPR’s Bob Collins take on it might shed some light when he points out how VitalMedix’ CEO talked to the StarTribune about the need for an angel tax credit, took investment predicated on moving his operations to Wisconsin, and has now filed for bankruptcy:

An “Angel investment” tax credit rewards investment in companies with tax breaks. Investing in a start-up company, especially in the high-tech world, is risky. The angel investor credit provides a cushion for the investor, its proponents argue.

Wisconsin has such a program. Minnesota doesn’t.

While Collins didn’t come right out and say that this bill is a reaction to Wisconsin luring startups away from Minnesota–especially when it comes to a sector, medical devices, many proudly boast that within which Minnesota enjoys a dominant position–but there is evidence that this Wisconsin competition is precisely why this modest angel investment tax credit was included in this bill at this time rather than true leadership in startup investment incentives….  [Read More…]

Filed Under: Startups & Developers, Tech Investors

Mobile Technologies & Markets Explored at a New Event: MobileMarchTC

March 29, 2010 By Steve Borsch

Talk to strategists, financial analysts, venture capitalists and most internet or web startups and you’ll hear one word mentioned over and over again: mobile. It’s on everyone’s mind due to the sheer numbers of us globally who are walking around with computers in our pockets, the speed increases occurring in the mobile networks we use, a growing availability of Wi-Fi in coffee shops, libraries and many other public places, and the incredible success of devices like Apple’s iPhone and the 150,000+ applications available for it right now.

The respected analyst for Morgan Stanley, Mary Meeker, gave her annual presentation to the Web 2.0 Summit in San Francisco on the state of the mobile market globally. One key statement she made is that the mobile market is growing faster than the desktop personal computer market did during the 1980s and 1990s, and that she believes that (based on that growth) more people will be connecting to the internet in five years with mobile devices than with desktop PCs!

It was within that context I was delighted to attend Mobile March Twin Cities (MobileMarchTC.com), an event Saturday that brought together business strategists, developers, startups, marketers and interested others, people who are keenly aware of the opportunity the accelerating growth in mobile adoption and use represents. There is a growing consensus amongst those of us in both the private and public sector

Put on by organizers Justin Grammens, Phil Wilson (also w/Minnov8) and Linda Cummings, this event was one of the first I’ve been a part of that started off by providing everyone with a context of the size of the market, the people that are using it, and even with how traditional media (e.g., Clear Channel, StarTribune and WCCO) are jumping headlong in to the mobile space.

The revelations that came out of that context setting were, to put it bluntly, a wake up call to those of us far too enthusiastic about smartphones, iPads and other new and sexy platforms emerging and instead, gave us all a firm foundation from which we can pursue opportunities in mobile. …  [Read More…]

Filed Under: Mobile Technology

Minnov8 Gang 72: Mobile March Twin Cities

March 27, 2010 By Steve Borsch

The Mobile March Twin Cities event was nothing short of excellent. In this podcast one of the organizers, Minnov8’s own Phil Wilson, are joined by Biz Borsch (@bizborsch) and Lisa Grimm (@lulugrimm) to discuss some of the highlights and issues brought forth today.

For more highlights and information, please see the MobileMarchTC website as links, photos, videos and more will be there for your viewing and downloading.

Hosts: Steve Borsch & Phil Wilson (Graeme Thickins and Tim Elliott are traveling this week).

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The Podcast
https://media.blubrry.com/minnov8/minnov8.com/site/wp-content/uploads/podcasts/20100327_Minnov8_Gang_72.mp3

Podcast: Download (Duration: 26:37 — 24.4MB)

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Filed Under: Minnov8 Gang Podcast Tagged With: #mmtc

Mobile March Twin Cities Live Tweets

March 27, 2010 By Steve Borsch

Minnov8 is at the Mobile March Twin Cities event downtown Minneapolis. Here are live tweets from it:

Filed Under: Events Tagged With: #mmtc

MinneWebCon: An interview with its director, Kris Layon

March 26, 2010 By Steve Borsch

Kris Layon with keynoter Doc Searls from the 2009 MinneWebCon

Kris Layon with keynoter Doc Searls from the 2009 MinneWebCon Photo credit: Peter Fleck (@pfhyper) from his Flickr account

What most of don’t get to do before making a decision to attend an event that costs money is to understand the vision, depth and texture that lies behind a conference. Knowing this helps to determine the level of the sessions, their quality and whether it’s worth your investment of both time and money.

MinneWebCon, the full-day, three-track, conference for Web professionals, is directed by Kristofer Layon and I had a chance to talk with Kris today about the upcoming event, some background behind it, who it’s targeted towards and other sorts of deeper meaning stuff most of us don’t have a chance to discover in advance.

After hearing this podcast and visiting the MinneWebCon website, I’m confident you’ll immediately signup for this conference. Hope to see you there!

Direct Links:

+ MinneWebCon website w/keynote speakers
+ Schedule and Session Details
+ MinneWebCon social media: Twitter; Facebook

http://media.blubrry.com/minnov8/minnov8.com/site/wp-content/uploads/podcasts/20100326_Kris_Layon.mp3

Podcast (m8-audio): Download (Duration: 21:55 — 20.1MB)

Subscribe: RSS

https://media.blubrry.com/minnov8/minnov8.com/site/wp-content/uploads/podcasts/20100326_Kris_Layon.mp3

Podcast: Download (Duration: 21:55 — 12.8MB)

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Filed Under: Events, Internet & Society, Internet & Web, Social Media

MinneSpark Has $1,000 (Potentially) For You

March 25, 2010 By Steve Borsch

MinneSpark is an initiative from the team that brings you MinneDemo and MinneBar

What could you do with $1,000 for your best idea? Could you turn it into a scalable business? Let’s find out!

MinneSpark will award 1 to n grants of $1,000 to Minnesota-based teams who demonstrate to their trustees the ability to take that money and turn it into something real. This is about doing more with less, and building a profitable business from day one.

Winners will get some help along the way in the form of mentoring from the trustees and services from sponsors.

Applications are due by April 30, 2010. Winner(s) will be announced at MinneBar on May 22, 2010. Find the FAQ, application and more here.

Filed Under: Developer Hub, Innovation, Startups & Developers, Tech Investors Tagged With: Minnebar, MinneDemo

MinneWebCon: Less Than 3 Weeks Away

March 25, 2010 By Steve Borsch

MinneWebCon 2010 (web • twitter • facebook) is less than three weeks away! Join Minnov8 (we’re the media group covering the event) and hundreds of your fellow netizens at this fantastic get-together focused on next generation internet, web and social media creation and delivery.

Here’s the latest from MinneWebCon Director, Kris Layon, about the region’s 3rd annual web design and social media conference:

1. Schedule:  This year’s conference schedule has now been finalized. (subject to change, of course, but we’re hoping it’s final)

2. Registration: 210 of our 300 available spots have been filled!  Rates remain the same as in 2008 and 2009:

  • Standard registration: $200
  • With University of MN staff discount: $150*
  • With student discount (any school): $100

3. Pre-conference Facebook discussions: You’re invited to help kick off the Social Media unconference session by joining any of the discussions now available on the MinneWebCon Facebook page. Three topics, “Social networking and your marketing strategy,” “Monitoring and managing your social networking sites,” and “Measuring social networking” are online now. Participate in a discussion on the MinneWebCon Facebook page by clicking on the “Discussions” tab. We’d like to hear your thoughts and comments!

4. Yahoo! Developer Network: We’re pleased to announce that we have a third national sponsor for MinneWebCon this year, Yahoo!  Specifically, the Yahoo! Developer Network group (that develops great open source projects such as the Yahoo! User Interface, or YUI, library).

5. Free stuff reminder — tech books: We’re once again giving away a limited number of tech books to the first people who check in on the morning of Monday April 12 (check-in will begin at 7:45 a.m., one hour before the morning keynote). The first shipment of books arrived last month from New Riders. Another batch from O’Reilly should be arriving shortly!

6. Free stuff reminder — commemorative poster: This year there’s something completely new and very exciting — we’ve commissioned art!  Every conference attendee will receive a limited edition, silkscreened Adam Turman cityscape poster. Adam is a graphic design graduate of the U of M, so we couldn’t be happier to partner with him on this poster.

For more information and to register, please visit: http://www.minnewebcon.umn.edu/

Filed Under: Events

24 Hours, a New Site and Real Fun.

March 22, 2010 By Phil Wilson

Some 36 hours after the conclusion of the event and after about 11 hours of sleep I am still amazed by the experience that is the Overnight Website Challenge.

In case you missed it, I joined fellow Minnov8er Tim Elliott’s Team, dubbed Full Court Press as a bond to the WordPress platform we used, for the 3rd annual Nerdery sponsored event. This unique gathering pairs 10 person teams of web site professionals with deserving non-profit organizations. Those non-profits, some who have no web presence, receive brand new websites valued at well over $25,000 at the end of the 24 hour period. (Check out the Minnov8 podcast that originated from the Challenge.)

You couldn’t help but be taken by the dedication of these web pros. It’s not easy to spend a relatively short period of time with a “client”, then accelerate the design and creation of a website that accomplishes the goals of the non-profit…much less spending part of it in a sleep deprived state.

This being the third year of the event the folks at The Nerdery do a great job providing what teams need including entertainment and food. The carnival-like atmosphere is definitely not what you would expect from a bunch of web site developers. From human pyramids and massages to oxygen bars and ice cream the 24 hour period was anything but sedate….  [Read More…]

Filed Under: Events, Innovation, Internet & Web, Startups & Developers

TDS Acquires VISI

March 22, 2010 By Steve Borsch

Telephone and Data Systems, Inc., parent company to TDS Telecommunications Corp. (TDS®) today announced it has acquired VISI Incorporated (VISI), Minnesota’s largest locally-owned data center services and managed hosting provider.  TDS, headquartered in Madison, Wis. will have oversight and management responsibility for the acquisition. Read the press release here.

Filed Under: News & Events

One Librarian’s Trip to SXSWi

March 22, 2010 By Meg Canada

I have procrastinated writing about my South by Southwest- Interactive experience for six days. I was still procrastinating about an hour ago, when vacuuming my fiance’s apartment. Catch that? I was vacuuming rather than sit here and process my experience at an amazing event.

I think my reticence stems from a desire to compare SXSW-i to the dozen library conferences I have attended over the past decade. Without any disrespect to the professional organizations of librarians both local and national, this blew all of them out of the water. Of even more consequence, the sessions I attended at South by Southwest- Interactive were more pertinent to my profession than I ever dreamed. I hope the library world is paying attention. We may not be able to afford the speakers, but let’s start ruminating about the right to delete, content strategy, and the future of search. That said, I was in Texas, by the grace of my occasional employer, good friend and Southby roommate, Minneapolis’s Nicole de Beaufort of Fourth Sector Consulting.

I was proud of the turnout of Minnesotans, and ran into friends at every turn. Friday night included a meet-up of epic proportions: 22 people, 20 from Minnesota for seafood at the Boiling Pot. Sometimes you have to leave town to meet people who live in your own backyard.

At its surface, Southby is simply a conference held in the Conference Center in Austin, Texas spilling over into a neighboring Hilton and Mariott. Punctuated by parties, meet-ups, and strange buses that take people to places called the Social Media Clubhouse, there are three or four possible sessions a day. Each day at 2pm, a keynote speaker fills a huge space for an hour. I heard danah boyd (social media anthropologist), Valerie Casey (Designers Accord author), and Evan Williams (Twitter founder) speak.

The measure of success of a session or keynote is the retention of an audience. If it starts to get dull, a presenter’s ego fills the room, or the session’s content doesn’t match the description, people move. They left Evan Williams session in droves after it was dubbed as a dull disaster on par with the Facebook CEO’s interview style keynote of 2008.  There are high expectations to challenge the intelligent designers, artists, information architects, and digital entrepreneurs, and this not an easy crowd. danah boyd has been addressing the backchannel ever since the debacle at her remarks at the Web 2.0 Expo, but the audience seemed rapt with her message about privacy (I know I was).

So as a librarian, here are authors and sessions about books I loved:

  • Tim Sander’s author of Love is the Killer App (http://www.timsanders.com/)
  • Ramit Sethi’s blog and book, I Will Teach You to Be Rich (http://www.iwillteachyoutoberich.com/)
  • REWORK’s author Jason Fried of 37 Signals (http://37signals.com/rework/)

Other highlights… I traveled with my beautiful foodie friend so gourmet food from a truck, watching people play foursquare (with chalk and a ball), and giving the developer of Google Wave some feedback. It was an incredibly well-done conference. Now, if only there were more than a dozen librarians in attendance….


Meg Canada (@megcanada) is a frequent guest, and now contributor, to Minnov8. Meg is a senior librarian for Web Services and Training at Hennepin County Library and currently coordinates public training and social media efforts for the library. She volunteers helping with the Unsummit, recently presented at MinneWebCon, and is a regular contributor to Social Media Breakfast.

Filed Under: Events

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