Archive for the ‘Events’ Category

Posted on September 20, 2011 - by Wayne Sutton

Amazing opportunities: I’m Speaking at the Congressional Black Caucus Conference & Web 2.0 NY – Thank You

Last year I hinted around in a few blog post that I was done speaking at tech conferences for a few reasons. One being my first child was being born in January. Two, felling a little burnt out having speaking over 60 times in the last 4 years. Three, I wanted to focus more on doing what I love pre-twitter (2006) and before the web went social media crazy and that was entrepreneurship and launching my own startup. Four, being a little tired of the lack of diversity in web/tech/social, etc. Fast forward to today I’ve done most of that by only participating at SXSW 2011 and being on a panel at the Black Enterprise Entrepreneurs Conference & Expo, along with co-launching the NewMe Accelerator in Silicon Valley.

Currently I’m planning a few projects and also working on my next trick. Then two amazing opportunities just opened up for me last week. One was being asked to be on a panel at the Congressional Black Caucus Conference about Social Media & Entrepreneurship. The panel takes place Friday, September 23, 2011, 1:30-3:30pm. You can follow the conference hashtag at 41stALC for updates. We’ll announce a panel hashtag soon too. Other panelist will include the following:
Chris Genteel, Google
Susan Gonzales, Facebook
Patricia Cesaire, Black Enterprise
BMaynard Scaborough, One Economy Corporation
Hajj Flemings, Gokit, BrandCamp University

If you’re attending the panel feel free to add yourself to the plancast event here: http://plancast.com/p/7loh/panel-social-media-entrepreneurship-using-technology-build-successful-business

The second opportunity is O’Reilly Web 2.0 conference in New York. My session topic is “Prepare for the 2012 Social Media Landscape and will be on Thursday, October 13, 3:15. Yep, social media. Web 2.0 is one of the conferences you want to say you have spoken at that’s on your bucket list. I’m excited, nervous and focused to delver value in this session. So if the world doesn’t end in 2012 you’ll at least know how to use social media. If you’re planning to attend Web 2.0 NY register today with discount code webny11alx107 to save an extra 20%. The code expires September 22.

I just want to say thank you to my readers, followers, friends, supporters, heck everyone who really cares. Without your support and encouragement a lot of the opportunites that I’ve had would never happened. Keep being awesome and although my inbox(email & voice) stays full and it’s hard to get back with everyone, feel free to call or email or leave a comment if you need anything.

Have a successful future.

Posted on September 19, 2011 - by Wayne Sutton

1st Annual Blacks in Technology Entrepreneurship Week, November 6 – 13, 2011 Durham, NC

Originally posted on the SistaSense:

1ST Annual Blacks in Technology Entrepreneurship Week, Durham NC

November 6 – 13, 2011 Durham, NC – The 1st Annual Blacks in Technology Entrepreneurship Week holds promise like no other. The theme for this year’s event is “Changing the Face of Technology” and focus’ on NC natives and residents who are indeed changing the face and landscape of technology entrepreneurship. Katrina M Harrell in connection with 100 Urban Entrepreneurs of NC will honor six extraordinary minority innovators in technology and entrepreneurship:

• Wayne Sutton and Angela Benton co-founders of NewMe Accelerator,
• Tiffani Bell founder of Pencilyou.in and part of NewMe Accelerator project who are each subjects of CNN: “Black in America 4”;
• Stephanie Harris and Roderick Frizzelle cofounders of ibuzzn.com, and
• LaShanda Henry, founder of Black Business Women Online.

This year’s kick-off event on Sunday, November 6, 2011 will be held at the spectacular and historic Bay 7 in the American Tobacco District, Durham NC, as a networking and celebration event not only celebrating the accomplishments of the honorees but also providing unsurpassed networking opportunity among Top entrepreneurs throughout the state. Networking begins at 6:00pm with the honoree event & program beginning promptly at 6:30pm. November 13, 2011 viewing party of the CNN show to be announced.

An array of sponsorship and vendor opportunities is also available. Any questions regarding sponsorship should be directed to the contact information below. The event founder seeks a goal to raise $10,000 to help fund an Entrepreneurship program at a Historically Black College or University within the state of North Carolina.

Registration for the event can be completed online by visiting 
BLACKSINTECHNOLOGYENTREPRENEURSHIPWEEK.YOLASITE.COM or by contacting Katrina Harrell at 919-438-BITE (2483) or via email: katrina.harrell@100ue.org.

About 100 Urban Entrepreneurs – 100 Urban Entrepreneurs is a nonprofit foundation dedicated to helping provide a long-term economic boost to urban communities throughout the United States by supporting entrepreneurship at its earliest stages. 100 Urban Entrepreneurs seeks to identify, fund and mentor 100 of the most promising young businesspeople from economically disadvantaged communities who might otherwise lack access to startup capital and a professional network. Our goal is to provide the tools to help talented young dreamers create viable, profitable companies and create jobs within urban America. For more information, visitwww.100UrbanEntrepreneurs.org.

About Katrina M Harrell – North Carolina resident and Businessperson,Katrina is the founding CEO of Your Simple Bookkeeper, Inc. which was the recipient of 100 Urban Entrepreneur funding grant in 2010. As founder of BITE week, Katrina Harrell is an advocate for entrepreneurship as a wealth builder for people of color and women. Ms. Harrell is also the President of the KM Harrell Group, LLC a strategic business development & consulting firm offering business strategy solutions to create profitable business models. She has been featured in blackenterprise.com, Top 200 Leading Moms in business by Start-upNation.com and a host of other media outlets. For more information, visit www.katrinamharrell.com.

Event Title Sponsors: American Tobacco District, Your Simple Bookkeeper, Inc., ibuzzn.com, Opulent Suites Media & PR, Selections entertainment.

Posted on May 10, 2011 - by Wayne Sutton

Announcing the NewME Accelerator Startup Winners – This summer is going to be epic!

Originally Posted on BlackWeb 2.0 by Sherri L. Smith

Last month, Black Web 2.o CEO and founder, Angela Benton announced the launch of the NewME Accelerator. The “first-ever technology accelerator for minority-led startups,” the NewME Accelerator will help a select number of startups take their budding businesses to the next level. Taking place over a nine-week period (June 16 – August 18), startup founders will travel to the heart of Silicon Valley to learn from some of technology’s top industry leaders.

In addition to five pre-selected startups, (goKit, kloud.co, Pencil You In, Cued, TriOut ) and a group of  locally selected startups (Central.ly, Mosion, AisleFinder, and Qykno), and a stealth startup, there were three additional spots open. With an opportunity this big being offered, the selection process wasn’t taken lightly.  In addition to concept, quality of pitch, and the problem the product solves were also taken into consideration.

The winners of the NewME Accelerator application process are:

• BeCouply – An exclusive mobile/web app and network for power couples.
  http://becouply.com
  

 

• Playd – A mobile app that allows you to check into, rate, share, and discuss the games you love with your friends and other gamers worldwide.
  http://playd.it
  

 

• FetchMob –  Offers a way for people to buy what they need without shopping for it.
  http://fetchmob.com 

  

 

During the program, startup founders will have speakers and one-on-one mentorship opportunities with reps from successful startup reps including Zynga, Facebook, Twitter, Tagged, and Foursquare. At the end of the program, NewME participants will have the opportunity to pitch their products to investors and other members of the startup community.

“The NewME Accelerator is not just about the participating startups, but about providing a path for future minority-led start-ups to be encouraged to launch successful companies. We want to be an example to show that no matter your race or gender innovation can happen in the web/tech space. I’m beyond excited about this summer and am grateful to have the support from many industry peers,” said Sutton.

News of the accelerator has been spreading like wildfire around the web with tech influentials like Stanley “M.C. Hammer” Burrell showing his support. Benton and Sutton are pleased at the positive response.

“The amount of support and interest from the Silicon Valley community in the NewME Accelerator is overwhelming,” says Benton, “and serves as a testament to not only the need for a program like this, but also to the receptiveness of a program like this.  We are more than excited about this summer and the companies and individuals who’ve agreed to be involved.”

For more information about the NewME Accelerator and its first class, please click here.

Posted on May 8, 2011 - by Wayne Sutton

Awesome Google I/O countdown clock landing page with Android app QR Code

This is just cool. Google I/O starts tomorrow and Google created an awesome countdown clock, along with the Android logo holding a QR Code sign that will take you to the Google I/O Android App or app site page.

To capture the awesomeness I recorded a screencast of the Google I/O page.

Scanning the QR Code with an iPhone took you to the Google I/O Android app page

Scanning the QR Code with an Android App took you to the app’s page in the Android App market.

 

 

Via Google I/O 2011. Tip> HackerNews

Wish I going to Google I/O … maybe next year! Are you?

Posted on April 14, 2011 - by Wayne Sutton

NewME Launches Accelerator for Minority-led Start-ups in Silicon Valley

Originally posted on BlackWeb 2.0 by Angela Benton

It seems like just yesterday we closed out the first NewME Conference, #goodTimes.  While small, we got a lot of good information and data on what is needed to make technology focused start-ups successful.  And by successful we mean either operating in the black or experiencing a liquidity event.  Entrepreneurs, private equity, business leaders, and key members of government all came together last May and what we came up with was no surprise but confirmed theories we each had individually.

Several things stuck out that day but the key takeaways were minority-led tech entrepreneurs needed:

1.  Mentorship from people who have led or been involved in the day-to-day of successful start-ups.

2. Access to early stage capital (especially since minorities often don’t raise formal friend and family rounds)

As the year trickled on and I got the opportunity to speak with many more Founders informally and even from talks I gave at places like Google.  The lifecycle of what I think needs to occur developed.  Without successful exits from minority-led start-ups we forgo creating new angle investors, venture capitalist, mentors, role models, and more start-ups.  And the importance of producing these start-ups goes above and beyond just being good for the economy.  It also helps students (pre-k through college) see the opportunity that can exist for them.  We’ll slowly but surely start to change the way students think and start getting them to major in Computer Science instead of an entertainment or sports related fields.  The panel I spoke on a week or so ago at Howard University hit this home even more for me.  The panel was about small business but I was excited and proud to see students stand-up to ask questions of the panelist with the goal of starting a business in the digital space.  Below is a slide that I think will help illustrate the lifecycle that I think is needed.  Like all things I’m sure this will change and refine as we all gather more information and experience new lessons.

With all that said I’m super excited to announce that we’ll be launching the NewME Accelerator this summer in Silicon Valley with Semantic Seed and Wayne Sutton.  Seven Founders will be based in Mountain View from June through August and will participate in weekly private dinners with Angle Investors, Venture Capitalist, Entrepreneurs, and other heavyweights.  They’ll also have access to an insanely impressive list of people who have graciously donated their time and agreed to participate as mentors.  The speakers and mentors have an unspeakable amount of experience and come from companies like Twitter, Path, Foursquare, TechStars, SoftTechVC, and a lot of others, you can check the full list out on the site there.

The Founders will have the option of working from Mountain View where we’ll be based or working from Citizen Space in the ever so popular SoMA area of San Fran.  Last but not least the summer will close with a Demo Day where the start-ups involved can pitch the product they’ve been working on to potential investors and others from the start-up community.  We’ll also be including local minority led-start-ups in the Bay Area in the festivities; they just won’t be staying in the house.

While we are an accelerator the start-ups that are involved aren’t receiving any kind of investment from us.  They also aren’t guaranteed an investment from their Pitch at the Demo Day.  This is pure, unadulterated, balls to the wall, entrepreneurship.  And the entrepreneurs who are involved are doing what entrepreneurs do best.  Taking a risk.

If you’re a risk taker then we have 2 slots left and you can pitch your start-up on the NewME Accelerator site.  The deadline for submissions is April 29th and we’ll announce the lucky two shortly after.

There is only one word that will describe this summer.  EPIC.