It has been a crazy crazy week. First with all the assignments due, then with the huge ass party called AFA 09, I have not have time to stop and take a break. -_-”" So here’s just one picture which was taken during AFA, which has nothing directly to do with the event itself, before I start paying back my massive sleep debt.

This is the gorgeous backview of comrade Arayden’s lovely DD Saber (?). I personally prefer the old school Super Dollfies… but this girl is simply delicious. =D

There will be an obligatory AFA review blog post, but it will have to wait till I have time, and have the mood to sort through the pile of pictures that were taken. Till then, I’ll just keep posting random pics. ^^

2009 Dice Technology & Engineering Career Fair Boston: Event at Marriott Burlington, Burlington, MA

Thursday, December 10

11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Marriott Boston Burlington • Rt 128 & 3A (One Mall Road) • Burlington, MA 01803

Admission is FREE

Meet recruiters and hiring managers from these companies: Cambridge Interactive Development Corp., e-Dialog, •Raytheon, Research In Motion, Tufts Health Plan.

Register for this event online by clicking here!

This is a Stereo MP3 audio transcription of the excellent presentation that was given this morning by Ronald Croen, Founder, former CEO and Chairman of Nuance Communications, who is now Tufts University’s Entrepreneur-in-Residence for 2009-2010. The talk was given at IBM’s Waltham Innovation Center, in Waltham, Massachusetts.

Ronald Croen, a co-founder of Nuance, has served as Chairman of the Board of Nuance Communications. Croen held the positions of President and CEO of Nuance from July 1994 – March 2003. Previously, he served as a consultant to SRI International, an independent research, technology development and consulting organization, for the commercialization of its speech recognition capability. From 1987 to 1989, Croen served as Managing Director of European Operations, and from 1983 to 1987 as Vice President and General Counsel of The Ultimate Corp. Croen holds a J.D. degree from the University of Pennsylvania Law School and a B.A. from Tufts University.

The topic of the presentation was:

Entrepreneurship and Innovation in 2009 and Beyond: Massachusetts vs. Silicon Valley

091120_004 [mp3 raw file - click to listen on most computers]

091120_004 – Ronald A. Croen [Imeem Hosted Stream]

(This mp3 Stereo Audio Recording is a large file, and you may want to save it directly to your computer’s hard disk drive for listening – you can do so by right-clicking on the filename, above, and using the ’save link as…’ option)

I had a wonderful opportunity to meet and speak with Bobby Carlton, the founder of Massachusetts Innovation Nights at the Charles River Museum of Industry in Waltham, and I want to take the opportunity here to thank her for her efforts in arranging this new breakfast Massachusetts Innovation gathering. I think some thanks also go to the gracious corporate host, IBM, whose Waltham Innovation Center is truly an impressive facility; I enjoyed their tour of the facility after Mr. Croen’s presentation.

There was a terrific question-and-answer session with the attendees at the conclusion of the presentation which featured a lively debate and brought up some fascinating points; I recommend you listen to this towards the end of the mp3 audio transcription.

For a little while now, I’ve been chatting to Leif Kendall, Brighton copywriter and organiser of the rather wonderful Brighton writers’ meetup WriteClub, about doing a London version. Well, it’s happening!

We’ll be at The Yorkshire Grey at 7.30 on Tuesday 1 December at 19:30. Here’s a map; address as follows:

46 Langham Street
London
W1W 7AX

You’ll know Leif by his copy of Don Quixote. To complement the prose – and salute Ezra Pound, who used to live next door – I’ll be sat there with a copy of his epic poetic tome, The Cantos.

Here’s Leif’s post about the evening. It’s going to be a very open, friendly night; so, if you’re any sort of writer, and fancy chatting about fiction, non-fiction, copywriting, screenwriting, in an on-line, off-line or broadcast context (or indeed whatever else takes your fancy) look forward to seeing you there!

Massachusetts Innovation Breakfast kicks off this week with a Friday morning (8:30 a.m.- 10:00 a.m.) casual get-together at the IBM Innovation Center in Waltham.

There’s limited space so sign up now. (You must RSVP by the end of the business day Thursday to be part of the group.)

There will be a chance to look around the IBM Innovation Center, and there will be a special guest speaker, Ronald Croen, Founder, CEO and Chairman of Nuance Communications, who will be speaking on Entrepreneurship and Innovation in 2009 and Beyond: Massachusetts vs. Silicon Valley.

There is a Stereo mp3 audio transcription of this presentation, as well as the excellent question-and-answers session which followed, posted on this site below:

Entrepreneurship and Innovation in 2009 and Beyond: Massachusetts vs. Silicon Valley – Ronald A. Croen

The Video Game Orchestra will perform their production “Awakening” at Boston’s Berklee Performance Center, Saturday, December 5th, 2009.

The doors will open at 7:00pm, and the performance will begin at 7:30pm.

136 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston, MA 02115

The Video Game Orchestra was Founded by Artistic Director and Arranger Shota Nakama, is Conducted by Musical Director Yohei Sato, and the performance on December 5th will feature Special Musical Guest Wataru Hokoyama, who created the music for video game titles “Afrika” and “Resident Evil 5″.

The Video Game Orchestra’s performance of “Awakening” on December 5th will feature music from smash hit video games Super Mario Brothers, Metal Gear Solid, Final Fantasy VII, Silent Hill 2, Afrika, Chrono Cross, and many more!

Students, 18 and Under: $10 ($15 The Day of the event)

General Public: $15 ($20 The Day of the event)

Tickets are available at Ticketmaster and Berklee Performance Center, 136 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston, MA 02116

More information is available online at www.vgo-online.org and the Video Game Orchestra’s Founder and Artistic Director is Shota Nakama, shotanakama@gmail.com

Wednesday night in Waltham was the November monthly Boston Postmortem networking event, held at the Skellig Pub on Waltham’s Moody Street, next to the Charles River.

As regular readers of The Hub Tech Insider will doubtless already know, I attend this event regularly and blog about it on these pages. It is a super event I highly recommend. In addition, Boston Postmortem is one of my favorite Boston tech networking groups because the crowd is unpretentious, the topics are interesting and the presenters and presentations are well prepared and excellent, and you can sit at the bar in the huge back room where the event is held at the Skellig Pub on Moody Street in Waltham, and order bangers and mash or fish and chips or a bacon cheeseburger while you drink beers and schmooze.

The Boston Postmortem Networking Group is for Video Game Developers, Animators, Designers, Digital Artists of all kinds, and people interested in Video Games and Video Game Development. Admission is Free.

The talk on Wednesday was about Artificial intelligence (AI) programming in video games.

There was an august panel of subject matter experts who fielded questions from the audience:

Christian Baekkelund (moderator)
Christian Baekkelund has worked games-related jobs in the areas of design, programming, and QA, at Electronic Arts, for the British school system, briefly at Harmonix, and most recently at 38 Studios. Between various jobs, he attended MIT, studying computer science and Comparative Media Studies, focusing on games and AI. Christian has also spoken at the Game Developers Conference and written in the AI Programming Wisdom series of books about AI, learning methods, and game design.

John Abercrombie (panelist)
John Abercrombie was the AI Lead on BIOSHOCK and SWAT 4 and is now the Lead Programmer on 2K Boston’s unannounced title. He graduated from Brandeis University with a degree in Computer Science in 2000, and has worked at Irrational Games / 2K Boston ever since.

Damián Isla (panelist)
Damián Isla has been working on and writing about game technology for almost a decade. Recently, he helped found Moonshot Games, a studio dedicated to the creation of downloadable games with triple-A production values and technology. Before Moonshot, Damián was AI and Gameplay engineering lead at Bungie Studios, where he was responsible for the AI for the mega-hit first-person shooters Halo 2 and Halo 3.

An expert in the field of Artificial Intelligence for Games, Damián has spoken on games, AI and character technology at the International Joint Conference on Artificial Intelligence (IJCAI), at the AI and Interactive Digital Entertainment Conference (AIIDE), and at Siggraph, and is a frequent speaker at the Game Developers Conference (GDC).

Before joining the industry, Damián earned a Masters Degree at the M.I.T. Media Lab, where he did research on learning and behavior for synthetic characters. He holds a B.S. in Computer Science, also from M.I.T.

Jeff Orkin (panelist)
Jeff Orkin is a PhD candidate in the Cognitive Machines Group at the MIT Media Lab. Jeff’s research focuses on Artificial Intelligence for characters that learn to communicate and collaborate by observing humans playing online multiplayer games.

Prior to enrolling at the Media Lab, Jeff developed several generations of AI systems in the game industry. As a Senior Engineer at Monolith Productions, Jeff focused on goal-oriented autonomous character behavior and planning, while developing AI systems for the award winning titles No One Lives Forever 2 and F.E.A.R.

Jeff is a Contributing Author and Section Editor of the AI Game Programming Wisdom book series, has presented at the Game Developer’s Conference, the AI and Interactive Digital Entertainment conference (AIIDE), and the Autonomous Agents and Multiagent Sytems (AAMAS) conference, and holds a Master’s degree in Computer Science from the University of Washington and Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from Tufts University with a minor in Studio Art.

Saturday was a great day in Adelaide. No airplanes and no scheduled talks or workshops so I could let my mind flow and not hold tight to any particular focus. Lovely.

The day started with a walk to the Adelaide Central market via the Adelaide Christmas pageant route where I saw thousands of people – families – lining the streets waiting for the start of a parade. It is wild to see a Christmas event in 40 degree centigrade heat, with “survival stations” along the way.

I then met up with Mike Seyfang (@fang), Mark Thomson of the Institute for Backyard Studies,  and John Legg and Chris Rawlinson of Helpful Partners. Alas, our buddy Dave Wallace (aka LifeKludger) could not join us. We missed him, because the conversation around tinkering, creatively remixing physical and digital materials to serve real, local needs related to much of Dave’s passions and talents.

Mark had brought up the conversation on tinkering, having seen me muse about it on my blog in the context of technology stewardship. I was hungry for the conversation.

Mike put up a great blog post capturing some of the conversation.  He tied it to my Friday preso on communities and networks and it is worth re-sharing the tweets and links Mike put on the post.

fang #edayz09 a community would notice @dnwallace is not here, the network simply drops the (weak) connection … @nancywhite keynote reflection.

Chris and John run a local consultancy called ‘Helpful Partners’ who specialise in making complex information clear and accessible.

Mark is the ‘old tool’ responsible for the awesome ‘Institute of BackYard Studies‘ home of shed culture and master of the great Australian piss-take. Someone I’ve been wanting to meet for a long time (thanks GB) Author of fine books like :

• Blokes and Sheds
• Henry Hoke’s Guide to the Misguided
• Makers, Breakers and Fixers
• Rare Trades: making things by hand in the digital age

The Central Market meetup was really an extraordinary treat as these four wonderful guys each brought something different that magically connected to what was a very coherent “whole” for me.

Then it was time to meet up again with Michael and on to picking up E-Dayz star, Cathy Moore, and seeing her off to the airport with a few more music stories on the way. Then we drove out to the beach to have lunch with Frankie Forsythe.

With a little break for afternoon work in the cool of the hotel, Michael took me up to Mt. Lofty to see the spread of Adelaide from above and watch a quiet sunset.

Sunday morning Kerry Johnson and her hubbs Paul arranged for an informal tweet up breakfast with Leo Gaggl, his two kids and Annie Ferguson. Coffee, conversation at a relaxed pace was a great topper for my Adelaide visit. Thanks, all!

So I’m a bit biased this week, as I am one of the hosts of Tuesday’s SF MusicTech Mixer – I hope you can swing down to Roe and check it out.  Otherwise, it is a CRAZY busy week – here are my plans (and for once I actually plan to be at all of them).  Hope you can join me at one!

Monday 11/16

Today is the peak of the Leonid Meteor Shower, so screw any events going on tonight and head to the hills to see this!

Tuesday 11/17

SF MusicTech Mixer
6:00 – 9:00pm
Roe (651 Howard Street)
http://sfmtsmixer.eventbrite.com

Wednesday 11/18
(This is a day of 3 2 events I would like to attend.  This is my order of priority:)

SF NewTech
5:30 – 11:30
Mighty Bar (119 Utah St.)
http://sfnewtech.com

Social Media Club
6:00 – 8:00pm
Citizen Space
http://sfsvnov09.eventbrite.com

Thursday 11/19

Tech The Halls
7:00 – 9:00pm
Varnish
http://www.techthehalls.eventbrite.com

Friday 11/20

Startup Crawl
5:30 – 11:00pm
Various Locations
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=169729122953&index=1
Saturday/Sunday
(This totally depends where you are.  But I recommend both)

Startup Sandbox (hosted by Women 2.o)
Friday – Sunday; 6:00pm – 9:00pm; then all day Sat and Sun
Microsoft (835 Market Street (Westfield Center) Suite #700)
http://www.women2.org/startup-sandbox/
(postponed to Feb 5th – 7th)

Startup Weekend
Friday – Sunday; 6:00pm – 9:00pm; then all day Sat and Sun
Hacker Dojo
http://bayarea.startupweekend.org/

Sadly, Skylar has never had the opportunity to dress up for Halloween.

But we did have some pre-Halloween fun at Katherine’s.

Por: Michael Negrón

Como habíamos reportado anteriormente, este próximo 14 y 15 de noviembre se celebrará en el Centro de Convenciones de Puerto Rico el Gaming Xplosion Fest, la convención de videojuegos más grande de Puerto Rico y el Caribe. En PSNPR no escatimamos gastos para llevarles la mejor cobertura y tendremos en este evento al reportero estrella Sincalizacion y al camarógrafo Dennis. Como pueden ver por la foto, mi asistencia al evento está confirmada para el domingo 15.

En adición a todas las maravillas que podrán disfrutar en el evento, esta es una excelente oportunidad para confraternizar con los miembros de la comunidad de PSNPR. Les exhortamos a que dejen un comentario en este post si piensan asistir el domingo 15 para crear una lista de los asistentes y coordinar un encuentro. Una de las actividades que tengo planificadas es tocar con la banda POMPEAERA TOTAL! en The Beatles: En adición a todas las maravillas que podrán disfrutar en el evento, esta es una excelente oportunidad para confraternizar con los miembros de la comunidad de PSNPR. Les exhortamos a que dejen un comentario en este post si piensan asistir el domingo 15 para crear una lista de los asistentes y coordinar un encuentro. Una de las actividades que tengo planificadas es tocar con la banda POMPEAERA TOTAL! en The Beatles: Rock Band, así que si eres un duro en Rock Band (o no, como Johnny) esta es tu oportunidad.

Para más información sobre el evento, presiona aquí.

[ACTUALIZACION]

Para nuestras impresiones de este evento, presiona aquí.

Many of you know I support and regularly attend, among many other startup and technology networking groups in the area, Mass Innovation Nights in Waltham. I recommend you come out to the event tonight, and I look forward to seeing you there and at the after party at Biagio’s, one of my favorite Moody Street Waltham restaurants (and there are alot of them!)

Mass Innovation Nights is a FREE monthly product launch party and networking event held every month at the Charles River Museum of Industry & Innovation:

154 Moody Street
Waltham, MA 02453

Wednesday, Nov 11 (TONIGHT)

– Doors open at 6:00
– Demos start at 6:30

After-party 8:30 pm
Biagio’s Plush Lounge
123 Moody St.

The following companies will be exhibiting this evening:

Conversion Associates
Implementation Factory
Lime Design
Magic Toob
Risk-wise Investor
Teenlife
Textaurant
Think Flood
Utest
V.i. Labs

TOP UPCOMING BAY AREA TECH EVENTS
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EVENT DISCOUNTS
SAN FRANCISCO EVENTS
BAY AREA EVENTS

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EVENT DISCOUNTS:

40% off – NextGen Conference
Nov 14th, All Day NextGen is a one-day conference at Stanford University in the heart of Silicon Valley. NextGen’s mission is to help you succeed, by providing lectures, panels and networking opportunities on areas that are vital in building and maintaining your business. Some of the topics will include how to pitch (what you need to present in your deck and how to be prepared) and the importance of asking for help / mentorship, with plenty more coming! Check out http://www.nextgenconf.com/ and use code “cass123″ when registering for your discount!

30% off – The Academy Awards of Cleantech
Nov 17th, 8:00a – 7:00p
The culmination of the world’s largest clean technology business competition is our annual Awards Gala designed to showcase the boldest cleantech ideas, the most ambitious entrepreneurs and the brightest, most engaged investors, venture capitalists and prospective technology customers. This year’s Gala will be our most spectacular event to date.  Register for your 30% with the code “BetaGala” at http://www.cleantechopen.com/app.cgi/events/view/84

15% off – SF MusicTech Summit
Dec 7th, 2009
Hotel Kabuki
The SF MusicTech Summit will bring together over 600 visionaries in the music/technology space, along with the best and brightest developers, entrepreneurs, investors, service providers, journalists, musicians and organizations who work with them at the convergence of culture and commerce. We meet to discuss the evolving music/business/technology ecosystem in a proactive, conducive to deal-making environment.  For more information on our speakers and agenda, check out http://sfmusictech.com or to register with your exclusive WebWallflower 15% discount, head to http://sfmts5.eventbrite.com/?discount=WebWallflower

200 Euro off – LeWeb
Dec 9th – 10th
Paris, France
Join 1800 participants from 30 countries at this, the #1 European internet event.  LeWeb brings together the best and the brightest people of the web industry from attendees to speakers.  For more information and to get your discount ticket, visit http://www.amiando.com/leweb. html?discountCode=Leweb09

SAN FRANCISCO EVENTS

Web Wine & Wisdom – Innovative Telecommunications
Nov. 10th, 6:30pm
PariSoma Coworking Space
Enjoy a variety of tasty French Wines while getting the latest updates and news from two sought after start-ups from the Silicon Valley Twillio and Digitrad. Sip on two delicious wines from the western coast of France and try some french artisan cheeses as well!?  Tickets are available at http://www.faccsf.com/Events/WWWoctober09.htm BuzzWorthy Party Nov 10th, 6:30 – 9:00p Thirsty Bear Join Attack! Marketing and Nimbuzz for FREE Drinks, Exclusive Nimbuzz Betas, and Sumo Training! This event is for Advertising, Marketing, PR professionals & mobile fans and mobile developers  Sponsored by GoMo News, get exclusive access to beta releases from Nimbuzz, a squeezy sumo or a cool t-shirt from Attack! Marketing.  Mingle with the influencers from the mobile and guerrilla marketing industries, connect with the founders.  Be sure RSVP for to get free drinks and schwag.  

NFT 2010 iPhone App Launch Party
Nov 11th, 6:00 – 9:00p
Double Dutch
Not For Tourists (NFT), publisher of the little black city survival guides, is celebrating the release of the 2010 Not For Tourists Guide to San Francisco and launch of new iPhone app, with a party at Double Dutch, in the Mission.  First 100 people get free copy of 2010 Not For Tourists SF edition.  Free beer for all from 6pm-7pm.  For more information, check out their Facebook Page.

NewTeeVee Live: Television Reinvented
Nov 12th, All Day
Come hear what’s on the minds of those leading the changes in television.  The last year has seen an explosion in consumers watching TV online. To meet the demand, the media industry is scaling its delivery and infrastructure technologies and rethinking its content programming strategies. NewTeeVee Live is a timely and informative forum, convening some of the most powerful people leading the change. To make your play, you need to be informed.  NewTeeVee Live is in its third year, and we have sold out our previous two editions. This year, we will focus on fireside conversations with the big leaders of change, to bring out the most salient thoughts from them.  Don’t miss this opportunity to meet with and learn from the architects of the new television industry.  Register here.

GiveWork Charity Gala
Nov 12th, 7:30pm
University Club
Samasource will host the first annual GiveWork Charity Gala at the University Club of San Francisco, bringing together writers, luminaries, and some of the most influential female entrepreneurs in Silicon Valley. The event will feature a live auction, with items for bid including a conversation with Nobel Prize laureates George Akerlof and Myron Scholes, a productivity make-over with “The 4-Hour Workweek” author Tim Ferriss, and a date with Bollywood actress Vida Samadzai (Miss Afghanistan 2003).  Information at www.samasource.org/gala

Fearless Women Entrepreneurs
Nov 12th, 6:30 – 8:30pm
Mechanics Institute
Join us for an informative, inspiring and fun evening interacting with a panel of fearless women entrepreneurs who have stepped out on their own. They’ll share their ideas, their experiences and what it took for them to make the leap. You’ll walk away with lots of information, connections and a list full of action items to start your own journey.  More information at http://futurewomenleaders.net

SF MusicTech Mixer
Nov 17th, 6:00 – 9:30p
Roe Nightclub
Want to connect informally with the local music/technology community?  Come down to Roe on November 17th from 6pm-9 pm for drinks and networking with the leading players in the music and technology industry.  A ticket to the SF MusicTech Summit will get you in for free, pre-registration for the party is only $10, and tickets, if available, will be more expensive at the door.  Check out http://sfmtsmixer.eventbrite. com for more information and to reserve your spot today.

TEDxSF: Creating
Nov. 17th
Cal Academy of Science
TEDxSF seeks to develop and leverage the TED experience at a regional level, bringing together innovators and inspirational speakers in the San Francisco Bay Area. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.  Apply for the group at http://www.tedxsf.org/index.html

30% off – The Academy Awards of Cleantech
Nov 17th, 8:00a – 7:00p
The culmination of the world’s largest clean technology business competition is our annual Awards Gala designed to showcase the boldest cleantech ideas, the most ambitious entrepreneurs and the brightest, most engaged investors, venture capitalists and prospective technology customers. This year’s Gala will be our most spectacular event to date.  Register for your 30% with the code “BetaGala” at http://www.cleantechopen.com/app.cgi/events/view/84

DreamForce: Global Gathering
Nov 17th – 20th
Moscone Center
It’s time to master the cloud.  It’s time to improve your sales. Sharpen your marketing. Collaborate with your teams and communities. It’s time to delight your customers with great service. Lay the foundation for the changes to come. It’s time for the cloud. And most importantly, it’s time to move.  At salesforce.com’s seventh annual user and developer conference, you’ll join 12,000 customers, partners, and employees for four days focused on your success: Maximize your investment in salesforce.com and learn from the best how to use the cloud to stay ahead of the competition.  Information at http://www.salesforce.com/dreamforce/DF09/site/

SF NewTech
Nov 18th, 5:30 – 11:00p
Mighty Bar
San Francisco’s longest running regular tech event and community group.  At this monthly meetup, see demos from LunchForGood, ItiBiti, Webvanta, ReFrameIt, NationalBLS, and Smedule.  Registration at http://nov18sfnewtech-com.eventbrite.com/

Social Media Club
Nov 18th, 6:00 – 8:00p
Citizen Space
Social Media Club San Francisco / Silicon Valley brings together musicians and their fans to discuss music our collective love of music and the new ways the artists and their supporters are connecting at our November meetup. We have a panel that includes musicians who are using social media to build their fan base as well as communicate with them, raving fans as well as social media professionals. We’re looking for an audience that is ready to discuss the music they make – or that moves them – and how social media has impacted their interaction.  Register at http://sfsvnov09.eventbrite.com

Digital SOMA
Nov 18th, 6:00 – 8:00pm
John Collins
Digital SOMA creates a hub where the people creating and ushering in the new digital age can come together. On November 18th, we’ll be gathering at John Colins lounge If you’re one of the following people, join us and meet the best in the interactive business: Designers, Agency Account Executives,  Brand Managers, Art Directors, Marketing Managers, Interactive Experience Developers, Copywriters, CXOs.  Information at their Facebook Page.

WiredRE : Cloud Vs. Colocation Vs. Data Center Real Estate
Nov 18th &19th 2pm – 6:30pm
At this panel, you will learn from and interact with some of the most successful cloud, colocation and data center executives sharing their insights, demos, and best practices for achieving reliable and low-cost IT infrastructure.   They will also share their case studies, partnership models, technologies, risk management strategies, and more. These sessions will address comparing and applying container, cloud, colo, and data center solutions; with whom and in which markets should one deploy new infrastructure; planning for low TCO; staging a large data center commitment; and assessing sustainability and carbon risk.  More info at WiredRE.com.

Tech the Halls: Technologizer Holiday Bash
Nov 19th, 7:00 – 9:00pm
Varnish
It’s time to celebrate the holidays and check out the latest in consumer tech gear before we head into the new year and head off to CES. Technologizer invites you to its Tech The Halls Holiday Bash. Join us for good company, delightful conversation, and great food and drink at Varnish Art Gallery, a cool venue conveniently located in San Francisco’s SOMA neighborhood.  Information and details at http://www.techthehalls.eventbrite.com

Lean Startup Circle: November
Nov 19th, 6:30 – 9:30pm
Mission Bay Conference Center
Learn Customer Development straight from the source. Steve Blank, creator of the Customer Development process, author of The Four Steps to the Epiphany and mentor to Lean Startup guru Eric Ries, will be speaking at the November Lean Startup Circle meetup.  Information can be found at http://www.meetup.com/Lean- Startup-Circle/

Women 2.0 Startup Sandbox
Nov 20th – 22nd
Microsoft at Westfield Mall
In just a whirlwind of 56 hrs, meet like-minded entrepreneurs (or maybe you just have an idea in your head), engineers and dreamers and work on any of the following:  Make a working prototype; Create an investor presentation; Come with your company and get feedback; Come with an idea to make a mock up; Practice and learn new skills.  Information and registration at http://www.women2. org/startup-sandbox/

SuperNova 2009
Dec 1st, 2009
Mission Bay Conference Center
Supernova is an annual technology conference organized by Kevin Werbach, in partnership with the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. Focused on the business dynamics of the networked world, Supernova brings together CEOs and bloggers, entrepreneurs and academics, practitioners and visionaries, policy experts and industry thought leaders to share insights and build relationships.  Information at http://www.supernovahub.com

Benefit Tech and Entrepreneurship in Rwanda
Wednesday, Dec 2nd
Haines Art Gallery
Please join Mission Schools International (MSI) at San Francisco’s Haines Art Gallery for an evening of cocktails, merriment, and mingling in support of an extraordinary new education model in Rwanda. MSI will offer a holistic program focused on science, technology, and entrepreneurship which will help create a dynamic and self-sustaining Rwandan economy.  MSI is assisting the Rwandan government to create Africa’s first-ever secondary school national curriculum in entrepreneurship.  After being inspired you will have the opportunity to donate to this ground-breaking cause.  Please RSVP at http://www.pingg.com/rsvp/ 7tyjk4pe8sqjbj4bp

15% off – SF MusicTech Summit
Dec 7th, 2009
Hotel Kabuki
The SF MusicTech Summit will bring together over 600 visionaries in the music/technology space, along with the best and brightest developers, entrepreneurs, investors, service providers, journalists, musicians and organizations who work with them at the convergence of culture and commerce. We meet to discuss the evolving music/business/technology ecosystem in a proactive, conducive to deal-making environment.  For more information on our speakers and agenda, check out http://sfmusictech.com or to register with your exclusive WebWallflower 15% discount, head to http://sfmts5.eventbrite.com/?discount=WebWallflower

Silicon Valley Rocks!
Dec 9th, 2009
The Great American Music Hall
Tech professionals by day, rockers by night – on December 9 at the Great American Music Hall, they’ll pick up their instruments and venture onto the big stage to let their alter egos shine… for a good cause and the love of music. Silicon Valley Rocks 2009 will bring together the Valley’s tech community – from VCs and entrepreneurs to bloggers and software developers – to raise money for Music in Schools Today (MuST), a Bay Area non-profit that seeks to rescue music programs from budget cuts. The second annual showcase will once again feature Silicon Valley bands and original rockers who will entertain and amuse your entire social graph.  Information at http://svrocks.com/

BAY AREA EVENTS

SVASE Breakfast with Carol Sands
Nov 12th, 8:00a – 9:30a
Palo Alto, CA
The SVASE VC Breakfast Club provides a terrific opportunity for entrepreneurs to meet with VCs in a relaxed, informal setting to build relationships and get valuable feedback on their startup idea.  Participating entrepreneurs deliver an extended elevator pitch for 8 – 10 minutes, and the guest VC provides immediate feedback, enabling fast and effective mentoring and relationship development. Info at http://www.svase.org/?q=node/3345

Jobnob Ivy Plus Happy Hour
Nov 12th, 4:30 – 7:30pm
Illusions Supper Club, Palo Alto
Come “Jobnob” with cool new start ups and talented Ivy Plus job seekers at this informal networking happy hour where you can find startup jobs.  Be flexible on compensation- bootstrapped startups may be offering alternative compensation: reduced rates, equity, internships, part time, etc.  Get in on the ground floor with these great startups! Register at: http://www.jobnob.com/happy- hour/IvyPlus-nov-12-2009

SD Forum: Google, Kosmix and the Exploration of the Deep Web
Nov 12th, 6:30 – 9:30p
Palo Alto, CA
Join Dr. Alon Halevy of Google Labs and Kosmix Co-Founder Dr. Anand Rajaraman as they explore the mysteries of the Deep Web, the portion of the Internet not accessible to traditional search engines. Social networks, media-sharing sites for photos and videos, and all kinds of scientific databases lurk inside the Deep Web. How will the Deep Web change the business of Search, and what should you should expect as the Deep Web becomes more accessible?

SmartGrid: Vision, Opportunity, Effectiveness
Nov 13th, 12:00n – 7:00p
Menlo Park, CA
This is the fourth in a continuing series of focused conferences highlighting clean technology solutions to address the planet’s multifaceted energy challenges. This fourth installment is made possible through the Stanford University Energy Crossroads. Panelists from organizations with key responsibility over various aspects of the electricity market will describe the system into which Smart Grid technology must fit and how that system is changing.  More information can be found at http://cleantech.stanford.edu/bscc4/

40% off – NextGen Conference
Nov 14th, All Day
NextGen is a one-day conference at Stanford University in the heart of Silicon Valley. NextGen’s mission is to help you succeed, by providing lectures, panels and networking opportunities on areas that are vital in building and maintaining your business. Some of the topics will include how to pitch (what you need to present in your deck and how to be prepared) and the importance of asking for help / mentorship, with plenty more coming! Check out http://www.nextgenconf.com/ and use code “cass123″ when registering for your discount!

GreenBeat 2009
Nov 18th & 19th
San Mateo, CA
VentureBeat’s seminal conference on the Smart Grid, GreenBeat 2009 will bring together leading entrepreneurs, investors, utilities, technology executives, and policymakers to accelerate the development of a leaner, more efficient electrical grid. Keynote speakers include Al Gore (former Vice President and Nobel Prize Winner), John Doerr (KPCB), Eric Schmidt (Google), and Laura Ipsen (Cisco).  Information at http://www.greenbeat2009.com

SVASE Breakfast with Neal Hansch
Nov 19th, 8:00a – 9:30a
Palo Alto, CA
The SVASE VC Breakfast Club provides a terrific opportunity for entrepreneurs to meet with VCs in a relaxed, informal setting to build relationships and get valuable feedback on their startup idea.  Participating entrepreneurs deliver an extended elevator pitch for 8 – 10 minutes, and the guest VC provides immediate feedback, enabling fast and effective mentoring and relationship development. Info at http://www.svase.org/?q=node/3472

WebPlay Conference
Nov 19th, 8:00a – 7:00p
Plug and Play Tech Center
WebPlay Conference is an annual showcase of industry leaders, market trends, innovation, and the people are changing the world. There will be an accumulation of panels, startup demo, and keynote speeches.  Information and a full agenda is up at http://www.plugandplaytechcenter.com/webplay/index.php

Under The Radar: Mobile Conference
Nov 19th, 8:00a – 6:00p
Mountain View, CA
Under the Radar is a must-attend event for dealmakers from global carriers, brands, media companies, and handset manufacturers responsible for helping their companies leverage new mobile technology and innovation in the fast-evolving digital landscape.  Information and registration at http://www.undertheradarblog.com/

WorkIt Annual SV Meetup
Nov 19th, 6:00 – 9:00p
Santa Clara, CA
In its 6th year, WorkIt.com’s Silicon Valley Mixer celebrates the people involved in Silicon Valley startups – the ones who are willing to take these risks in pursuit of their goals to launch and grow a thriving company – all while keeping our region on the cutting edge of technology and innovation.  The evening will offer opportunities to expand your network and help you reach your business goals. Every year, this event has 250+ in attendance!  Information at http://www.workit.com/svmixer

Girls in Tech: Resume Workshop
Nov 19th, 7:00 – 9:00p
Mountain View, CA
GIT invites a variety of managers / recruiters to share resume best practices and knowledge around how to make yourself an attractive professional in today’s competitive market. Get the inside scoop on what they look for when reviewing a resume and think about when hiring a candidate.  During the evening, participants will be breaking out into intimate groups to do peer resume reviews while Hiring Professionals provide valuable insight and feedback.  Info at http://gitsvresumeworkshop.eventbrite.com/

Startup Weekend
Nov 20th – 22nd
Hacker Dojo
Join us for 10 Startup Weekend events going on for Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW) this November! Last year they had over 25,000 events, 3 million participants, and over 1 billion media impressions. Startup Weekend is one of the “Featured” events this year!  Meet dozens of entrepreneurs and developers, trade ideas, start a new project, and get motivated by this amazing room of intelligent and inspiring individuals!  More info at http://bayarea.startupweekend. org/

Relationship building and networking are primary reasons why small business owners and entrepreneurs participate in social media. In fact, I recommend networking as an important source for motivation.

Over the past few months, I have been very active on Twitter

I’m sure that if you are active on Twitter, you would have exchanged a few replies or direct messages with other Twitter users or Tweeples .This is how you build the relationship. But how can you bring these relationships to the next level?

Organize Social Media Meetups

Social media meetups can be arranged based on geographical locations, niches that your connections are into or even held in line with a local event. Just like a normal networking event, you should get to know each other more, have a relaxing chat and if possible, help each other out with business.

Organize Social Media Events as Partners

Social media events here refer to something like a blog carnival or a Twitter chat sessions (examples are meetups). Organizing an event together allows you to uncover someone’s personality and working together will definitely enhance the possibility of both of you working with each other again.

Feature Connections to Your Community

A lot of people, or perhaps it’s just me :p , love to get themselves featured. Whether it is a #followfriday feature, it helps to improve the relationship and you might even get a reciprocal feature.

If you know someone that your community would definitely love to follow, featuring that person on your blog or in your tweets is also a move that adds value to your community.

Offer Your Help

Often times, people will have questions on certain issues that they will post it in their status updates. If you are able to provide an answer, go ahead. Other forms of help include donations, promotion (retweeting for Twitter), participate in an event, comment on a blog post and many more.

Personalized Messages

Sending out personalized messages via Twitter DM, Facebook message or email is always a good way to improve the relationships that you have made on social media platforms.

One tip to appear personal due to all those “made-to-be-personal” messages is to have someone’s first name in your message. This works great for Twitter as I don’t think any Twitter DM spam tools out there that can pull someone’s first name into the DMs they send out.

Also, be sure that you have had prior conversations before sending out a message like this because it can be very offensive for some people if you try to be sassy.

Phone and Instant Messaging

Bringing your conversations with a particular person onto private means will allow you to know more about him/her. Instant messaging platforms like Windows Live, AIM and Google Talk are tools that you can use to bring your social media friends closer to you.

What’s Your Tips on Social Media Relationship Building?

The above are just some ways that I can think of to bring social media relationship to the next level. I am sure that you can be innovative and figure out more that can suit your business.

If you have been very active on social media, what are some of the tips on relationship building that you would like to share?

Share your thoughts in the comments section below. Hearing from you is priceless

WordCamp NYC will be held this weekend, November 14th and 15th. It’s a great get together for the New York, and the extended, community of WordPress-loving bloggers and developers:

With an amazing lineup of speakers, over 525 people already registered, and 8 session tracks – there is something for everyone.

Myself and several colleagues from Automattic are flying in for this event, and I’m personally excited to see the track devoted to CMS use featuring case studies of current publishers.

If you haven’t signed up yet, it’s $45 for both days, or just $25 for Sunday. More details available on 2009.newyork.wordcamp.org.

[ Visit WordCamp NYC 2009 and WordCamp.org for other WordCamps happening all over the world ]

Since today was a rainy day, I thought that I should post something along those lines. =D

Picture from the previous meetup at Chinatown. It was raining and we were trapped at the Red Dot Museum. Konata decided to make full use of the opportunity to have some fun while the rest of us just waited for the rain to stop. =)

Credit goes to Nyanko-sempai for risking the downpour to catch Konata in action.

it’s just one of those friendships that allow us to pick up right where we left off. it’s almost as if these years were a but mere split second of being apart. where does that leave me exactly?

Sorry for the hiatus there guys – was sucked into FailCon last week.  I had a lot of personal pride, time, and money invested in that event, and I think it went pretty well.  You can see press and feedback from it on http://snapsummit.com/press.

But now I’m back in the game!  Here are the events I hope to hit up this week:

Monday

There isn’t a whole lot that leaps out at me today.  Christine Comaford is doing a conference call at 6pm on the 3 most common mistakes entrepreneurs, and there is a con on Enterprise Communications at Moscone Center.  But neither is quite my scene.

Tuesday (Election day!  Vote!)

Kiva Turns 4!
6:30 – 9:30pm
The Hub (2150 Allston Way)
http://kivaatthehub.eventbrite.com/

Wednesday

Nothing really jumped out at me for Wednesday night; I’ll probably play catch-up at work.  Do you know of anything?

Thursday

ChicMeetsGeek
6:30 – 9:30pm
Automattic Lounge, Pier 38
http://chicmeetsgeek.eventbrite.com

Friday

Well mainly, the Droid launches.  I’ll be keeping an eye on the reviews, as I am thinking of setting up a new cell phone plan and getting a new phone.  Once iPhone opens it service to other providers, it would be my first choice, but the Palm Pixi and the Droid are being observed..by Moi.
—————

Man, a slow week in the tech event world.  Please let me know if I missed something, or you think I need to be somewhere I’m not. 

A warm welcome to Nendoroid Raspberyl…

…and Happy belated Halloween!

FEATURED EVENTS & DISCOUNTS:

25% off – SNAP Summit: FailCon! Tuesday, October 27th
Kabuki Hotel, SF
FailCon is the first of it’s kind, and will be one of the most relevent events ever designed for entrepreneurs and startups!  We’re bringing major founders and investors in the online world to talk about mistakes they’ve made, failures they’ve experienced, what they learned, and how they recovered.  Topics include founding team communication, design mishaps, investment mistakes, how not to build a viral app, and many more!  These are talks aimed to leave you inspired and excited to be entrepreneurs today, and get you prepared for what lies ahead.  More information is at http://snapsummit.com and 25% off tickets can be had at: http://snapsummit4.eventbrite.com/?discount=RFoP25

15% off – Virtual Goods Summit 2009
Oct 29th – 30th, 2009
The market opportunity for virtual goods continues to expand as developers and publishers get a deeper understanding of how virtual goods work and how best to maximize the business opportunity around them. The 2009 edition of the virtual goods summit will bring together thought leaders in this space to talk about what’s changed, what’s working, and the key challenges facing the industry.  Register at http://vgsummit2009-failcon.eventbrite.com and use the code FAILCON for a 15% discount on General Admission tickets.

50% off – Innovate09
Nov 3rd – 4th, All Day
PayPals Innovate 09 PayPal’s Developer Conference matches the launch of a new Payment Platform.   Come prepared for dozens of tutorials and sessions on the new APIs to build real monetization and innovative business in all app ecosystem.  The code “SNAPSUMMIT” will give you 50% off the full price of $299. Details at http://paypal.com/innovate2009

The Learning Annex Make Money Expo
November 7th
Moscone Convention Center
All your financial questions will be answered in one day. Where should you invest your money? What do you need to know to start a business? How do you earn more money?
On November 7th, join over 37 money-making experts will teach you how to make 2010 the year that will change your life. See financial expert Suze Orman, Shark Tank’s “Mr. Infomercial King” Kevin Harrington, Rich Dad, Poor Dad co-author Sharon Lechter, PBS tax expert Ed Slott and Beat Wall Street with Harry Dent along with dozens of other business and wealth experts under one roof at The Learning Annex Make Money Expo – all for only $14.95!  Register now at http://www.LearningAnnex.com or call: 1 800 617 0355 with coupon code “SFBETA”

200 Euro Discount – LeWeb
Dec 9th – 10th Paris, France
Join 1800 participants from 30 countries at this, the #1 European internet event.  LeWeb brings together the best and the brightest people of the web industry from attendees to speakers.  For more information and to get your discount ticket, visit http://www.amiando.com/leweb. html?discountCode=Leweb09

SAN FRANCISCO EVENTS

25% off – SNAP Summit: FailCon!
Tuesday October 27th
Hotel Kabuki, SF
FailCon is the first of it’s kind, and will be one of the most relevent events ever designed for entrepreneurs and startups!  We’re bringing major founders and investors in the online world to talk about mistakes they’ve made, failures they’ve experienced, what they learned, and how they recovered.  Topics include founding team communication, design mishaps, investment mistakes, how not to build a viral app, and many more!  These are talks aimed to leave you inspired and excited to be entrepreneurs today, and get you prepared for what lies ahead.  More information is at http://snapsummit.com and 25% off tickets can be had at: http://snapsummit4.eventbrite.com/?discount=RFoP25

Digital Media Conference West
Oct. 28th
Hotel Kabuki, SF
DMC West is a packed day of in-depth discussions and networking focused on the top business issues impacting digital media companies, including online video, social media, investments, online advertising, mobile entertainment, mobile apps, the future of news media and the relationship between Hollywood and Silicon Valley. The 2009 event includes two tracks, keynotes, panels, breakfast, networking breaks, lunch and reception. This is a “must-attend” event for individuals and companies working at the intersection of content, technology and commerce. Keynote Speakers include Digg CEO and Co-Founder Jay Adelson, Jason Davis, Vice President of the Disney.com Network, Bryan Perez, Senior Vice President and General Manager, NBA Digital and The Funded.com’s Adeo Ressi. Companies represented include YouTube, Google, CBS Interactive, Kyte, Best Buy Capital, Funny or Die, MTV and many more.

Full of Win Book Launch
Oct. 28th 6:30 – 9:30pm
Citizen Space
Come to the Full of Win happy hour to celebrate teh launch of 3 books from the Cheezburger Network based on Icanhascheezburger.com, Graphjam.com, and Failblog.org.  Books and Happycat toys available on site and Ben Huh, CEO of the Cheezburger Network will be there in person to LoL with you.  We’ve also teamed up with the SFSPCA.  Guests who bring cans of catfood, cat toys, blankets or make a donation on site will be entered into a raffle to win a perty new Ipod Nano!  Info at their FB Page!
15% off – Virtual Goods Summit 2009
Oct 29th – 30th, All Day
The market opportunity for virtual goods continues to expand as developers and publishers get a deeper understanding of how virtual goods work and how best to maximize the business opportunity around them. The 2009 edition of the virtual goods summit will bring together thought leaders in this space to talk about what’s changed, what’s working, and the key challenges facing the industry.
Register at http://vgsummit2009-failcon. eventbrite.com and use the code FAILCON for a 15% discount on General Admission tickets.

Lean Startups – Do They Really Work?
Oct 29th, 6:00 – 8:30pm
Cooley Offices
Venture backed high-tech startups are notoriously difficult to manage.  Product development comes in over budget and behind schedule, draining cash reserves and squandering revenue opportunities. Many fail outright. Often times, when customers finally get their hands on the first release, it is difficult to use and full of bugs. Worst of all, the product may work as specified, but there are simply no customers willing to pay to use it.  So, as a startup founder, what can you do to avoid these pitfalls?  Well, the theory goes that lean startups can attain significantly lower development costs, quicker time to market, better quality products in a shorter time, AND deliver solutions customers want, far more effectively than their heavily financed competitors. Whether in fact they deliver on the promise, including providing dramatically higher returns for investors, is not a clear cut case.  So come and hear this lively debate, to understand if the Lean Startup route is for you!

Zendesk Office Warming Party
Oct 29th, 5:00 – 8:30pm
The Zendesk team has recently relocated to San Francisco and we’d love to meet you and have you visit our new global headquarters when we open them to the public for our office warming party.  Please take a moment to register at EventBrite so we can get an accurate estimate for food and drinks – thank you! http://zendeskofficewarming.eventbrite.com/

SF New Media Drinkup
Oct. 29th, 6:00 – 9:30pm
Otis
We are a group of marketing, advertising and entertainment professionals in San Francisco that meet monthly for casual mingling. If you are a brand marketer or work at an ad agency, interactive agency or media company (online or offline) then this is your chance to come and hang out with your peers in a laid-back environment.  Info on their facebook page.

Alphabar: T is for Tonic
Oct. 29th, 8:00p – 12:00m
Tonic Bar
A fun gathering of folk that meets every few weeks.  This time, you can bring a costume!  YAY!

50% off – Innovate09
Nov 3rd – 4th, All Day
PayPals Innovate 09 PayPal’s Developer Conference matches the launch of a new Payment Platform.   Come prepared for dozens of tutorials and sessions on the new APIs to build real monetization and innovative business in all app ecosystem.  The code “SNAPSUMMIT” will give you 50% off the full price of $299. Details at http://paypal.com/innovate2009

Chic Meets Geek
Nov 5th, 6:30 – 9:30pm
Automattic Lounge
Join your BRAVO! friends for a Fall Celebration at the ultra-chic geek Automattic Lounge at Pier 38 in San Francisco. Enjoy beautiful views of the Bay, hosted cocktails, appetizers, and a unique opportunity to mix and mingle with the movers and shakers from both the chic and geek crowds of San Francisco Opera and Silicon Valley tech.  Check out their AMAZING list of VIP guests at http://chicmeetsgeek.eventbrite.com/

Entrepreneur Funding Boot-Camp
Nov 6th, 8:00am – 5:00pm
Learn the ins and outs of the funding process from investors and experts who have successfully helped their clients navigate the funding process. Learn how to develop a compelling strategy and plan, structure a deal, effectively present, prepare for due dilligence, and create an attractive exit strategy.  For more information, check out http://fundingbootcampnov.eventbrite.com/

The Learning Annex Make Money Expo
Saturday, November 7th
Moscone Convention Center
All your financial questions will be answered in one day. Where should you invest your money? What do you need to know to start a business? How do you earn more money?
On November 7th, join over 37 money-making experts will teach you how to make 2010 the year that will change your life. See financial expert Suze Orman, Shark Tank’s “Mr. Infomercial King” Kevin Harrington, Rich Dad, Poor Dad co-author Sharon Lechter, PBS tax expert Ed Slott and Beat Wall Street with Harry Dent along with dozens of other business and wealth experts under one roof at The Learning Annex Make Money Expo – all for only $14.95!  Register now at http://www.LearningAnnex.com or call: 1 800 617 0355 with coupon code “SFBETA”

Web Wine & Wisdom – Innovative Telecommunications
Nov. 10th, 6:30pm
PariSoma Coworking Space
Enjoy a variety of tasty French Wines while getting the latest updates and news from two sought after start-ups from the Silicon Valley Twillio and Digitrad. Sip on two delicious wines from the western coast of France and try some french artisan cheeses as well!  Tickets are available at http://www.faccsf.com/Events/WWWoctober09.htm

NewTeeVee Live: Television Reinvented
Nov 12th, All Day
Come hear what’s on the minds of those leading the changes in television.  The last year has seen an explosion in consumers watching TV online. To meet the demand, the media industry is scaling its delivery and infrastructure technologies and rethinking its content programming strategies. NewTeeVee Live is a timely and informative forum, convening some of the most powerful people leading the change. To make your play, you need to be informed.  NewTeeVee Live is in its third year, and we have sold out our previous two editions. This year, we will focus on fireside conversations with the big leaders of change, to bring out the most salient thoughts from them.  Don’t miss this opportunity to meet with and learn from the architects of the new television industry.  Register here.

GiveWork Charity Gala
Nov 12th, 7:30pm
Samasource will host the first annual GiveWork Charity Gala at the University Club of San Francisco, bringing together writers, luminaries, and some of the most influential female entrepreneurs in Silicon Valley. The event will feature a live auction, with items for bid including a conversation with Nobel Prize laureates George Akerlof and Myron Scholes, a productivity make-over with “The 4-Hour Workweek” author Tim Ferriss, and a date with Bollywood actress Vida Samadzai (Miss Afghanistan 2003).  Information at www.samasource.org/gala

Fearless Women Entrepreneurs
Nov 12th, 6:30 – 8:30pm
Mechanics Institute
Join us for an informative, inspiring and fun evening interacting with a panel of fearless women entrepreneurs who have stepped out on their own. They’ll share their ideas, their experiences and what it took for them to make the leap. You’ll walk away with lots of information, connections and a list full of action items to start your own journey.  More information at http://futurewomenleaders.net

TEDxSF: Creating
Nov. 14th Cal Academy of Science
TEDxSF seeks to develop and leverage the TED experience at a regional level, bringing together innovators and inspirational speakers in the San Francisco Bay Area. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.  Apply for the group at http://www.tedxsf.org/index.html
The Academy Awards of Cleantech
Nov 17th, All Day
“The Academy Awards of Cleantech” are coming and you DON’T want to miss them!  Join us for a showcase of the boldest cleantech ideas.  Watch presentations by the most ambitious entrepreneurs.  Speak with the brightest, most engaged investors, venture capitalists and prospective technology customers.  Hear from the biggest names in clean technology as they discuss the future of green energy.  This event sells out every year, so sign up soon: http://www.cleantechopen.com/ app.cgi/events/view/84

SuperNova 2009
Dec 1st, 2009
Mission Bay Conference Center
Supernova is an annual technology conference organized by Kevin Werbach, in partnership with the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. Focused on the business dynamics of the networked world, Supernova brings together CEOs and bloggers, entrepreneurs and academics, practitioners and visionaries, policy experts and industry thought leaders to share insights and build relationships.  Information at http://www.supernovahub.com

Silicon Valley Rocks!
Dec 9th, 2009
The Great American Music Hall
Tech professionals by day, rockers by night – on December 9 at the Great American Music Hall, they’ll pick up their instruments and venture onto the big stage to let their alter egos shine… for a good cause and the love of music. Silicon Valley Rocks 2009 will bring together the Valley’s tech community – from VCs and entrepreneurs to bloggers and software developers – to raise money for Music in Schools Today (MuST), a Bay Area non-profit that seeks to rescue music programs from budget cuts. The second annual showcase will once again feature Silicon Valley bands and original rockers who will entertain and amuse your entire social graph.  Information at http://svrocks.com/

BAY AREA EVENTS

David Weekly’s Birthday Party!
Oct 26th, 9:00pm – 12:00m
Daly City, CA
Dont you wish you were cool enough to get a birthday party like this?  We’ve closed out Classic Bowling in Daly City. This is the LARGEST BOWLING ALLEY IN CALIFORNIA with SIXTY LANES. A dance floor, a complete bar, everything. And the whole thing is ours for the night!! This is going to be (as Elise would say) CRAZY MADNESS!! We can probably fit 300+ people in here comfortably, so please sign up your friends!!! Especially your hot friends!  Please ideally come dressed “Mad Men” style in sweet suits and classy dresses…this is CLASSY bowling after all.  RSVP on Facebook.  

SV Monster Mash-Up
Oct 28th, 6:00 – 9:30pm
San Jose, CA
TechKaraoke SV and Silicon Valley Tweet-Up are joining forces for October’s event to bring you an evening of fun, networking and, if you choose, karaoke!  Since this is a few days before Halloween costumes are encouraged — though not required — and we’ll do a costume contest at 8 p.m.  Prizes include products from Cookies by Design, Plantronics, Seagate, and more!  Info at their Facebook Page.  

SIG Cleantech: Green Building Materials
Oct 29th, 6:00 – 9:00pm
Santa Clara, CA
While green building materials geared towards energy efficiency do not have the same appeal as installing solar panels, they often have a more compelling payback and are a much more efficient way of reducing energy usage and achieving our green agenda. Not surprisingly, the building materials retrofit market has grown 22% since 2004 and is expected to accelerate penetration in the approximately 70B sq. ft of office and residential space, presenting very attractive opportunities for entrepreneurs and investors.  Join us for a panel discussion presenting industry authorities, investors, corporate buyers and entrepreneurs from successful private companies in the cement, glass, and lighting areas.  Register here.

SDForum’s Collaboration 2.0 Conference
Oct 30th, 9:00a – 4:00p
Santa Clara, CA
Collaboration and Social media tools are opening up innovative opportunities to improve productivity and combine disparate resources around the globe by working together – creating content and building engaging communities. Online collaboration has augmented current knowledge patterns in corporate environments and improved mindshare, transparency, and added a sense of community among coworkers.  Info at http://www.sdforum.org/collaboration

Kiva Turns 4!
Nov 3rd, 6:30 – 9:30pm
The Hub, Berkeley CA
Join 4 community enterprises, Kiva, Hub Bay Area, GOOD Magazine and The David Brower Center, as we celebrate the remarkable achievement of 4 years and almost 100 million dollars in loans that Kiva has realized since its creation. We’re 4!  RSVP at http://kivaatthehub. eventbrite.com

NextGen Conference
Nov 14th, All Day
NextGen is a one-day conference at Stanford University in the heart of Silicon Valley. NextGen’s mission is to help you succeed, by providing lectures, panels and networking opportunities on areas that are vital in building and maintaining your business. Some of the topics will include how to pitch (what you need to present in your deck and how to be prepared) and the importance of asking for help / mentorship, with plenty more coming! Check out http://www.nextgenconf.com/

Startup Weekend
Nov 22nd – 24th
Hacker Dojo
Join us for 10 Startup Weekend events going on for Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW) this November! Last year they had over 25,000 events, 3 million participants, and over 1 billion media impressions. Startup Weekend is one of the “Featured” events this year!  Meet dozens of entrepreneurs and developers, trade ideas, start a new project, and get motivated by this amazing room of intelligent and inspiring individuals!  More info at http://bayarea.startupweekend. org/

PlugandPlay TechCenter Events
Daily!
So PlugandPlay TechCenter has a ton of awesome events, and it would take an entire newsletter just to share them all.  Skim their calendar regularly to see what they have to offer. http://www.plugandplaytechcenter.com/calendar/

SVASE Series
Weekly
SVASE, the Silicon Valley Association of Startup Entrepreneurs, is the largest and fastest growing nonprofit association in Northern California dedicated exclusively to helping early stage tech entrepreneurs.  They hold events regularly in the peninsula, and occasionally the city itself.  There are too many to name in my brief email, but be sure to check them out for advice on investment, team development, financing, corporate leadership, and much more: http://www.svase.org/

SDforum
Weekly
Not to add another list of events to my list, but SDforum also has something every other day.  Essentially “SDForum is the leading Silicon Valley not-for-profit organization providing an unbiased source of information and insight to the technology community. SDForum provides a venue for engineers, executives, researchers, technology leaders, and venture capitalists to exchange information on emerging technologies and best practices.”  Info on their events at www.sdforum.com.