039 Think Big Radio: SXSW Chat with Jeb Ory of Phone2Action

In this episode of Think Big Radio, Derek sits down with Jeb Ory, founder of Phone2Action to discuss his experience at SXSW 2013.  At SXSW, Jeb had the opportunity to compete in the SXSW Interactive Accelerator, where he pitched against 7 others in the "news" category.  After a great pitch, Jeb and his Phone2Action team won their category and walked away with $4,000 cash (not to mention a lot of bragging rights and exposure).

Learn more about Jeb's SXSW experience by listening to our podcast!

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039 Think Big Radio: SXSW Chat with Jeb Ory of Phone2Action

Learn more about Phone2Action! Follow @Phone2Action on Twitter. 

Think Big’s SXSW & GCUC Experience (A Q&A with SXSW Rookie Sarah Snyder)

SXSW is an enormous opportunity for startups, entrepreneurs, investors and technology enthusiasts. Sarah Snyder, meeting planner at Think Big Partners and bizperc, attended GCUC for the second year in a row as well as SXSW for the first time this past week with dozens of other local startups representing Midwestern innovation, traveling by bus together to Austin. It was a fast-paced, engaging and exciting time. We sat down with Sarah to hear more.

TBP: What was your involvement with SXSW?

Sarah: I went to a coworking conference Tuesday and Wednesday and then I went to SXSW. The first conference was called Global Coworking Unconference Conference, or GCUC (pronounced “juicy”). 250 of the coworking space owners and managers from all around the world gather to share best practices, talk about the industry: trends, movements, patterns that we see. We talk about our own spaces and what different people are doing. We talked about how we’re influencing urban development and job creation, as well as startup support and government relations. It was a two day conference and a lot of valuable conversations and ideas came out of that first day.

TBP: What did you do on the second day?

Sarah: The second day was the “unconference” portion of GCUC, and the audience decided the topic. Then we voted on which sessions we’d like to go to and then the most popular sessions and common themes were combined. We chose an organic moderator, and the whole unconference was very organic and engaging. All the discussions were interactive and it was truly a discussion. It was not like one person talking to the rest of the group, everyone was contributing. By the end of the sessions you wanted to get everyone’s business cards because everyone was so interesting. It was a really great way to connect, and I learned a lot about different tools to implement in our space.

TBP: And you also went to SXSW?

Sarah: Yes. SXSW started Friday. The first meeting I had with all the Kansas City, MO folks was really exciting. We met with Senator Jerry Moran at the Facebook Austin office. First of all, I’ve never been in a Facebook office, and second of all, having an intimate conversation with Jerry Moran was awesome.

TBP: For those who don’t know, tell us a little about Jerry Moran.

Sarah: He is known as the person who helped shut down the SOPA/PIPA proposal. His big proposal was Startup Act 2.0, and at this year’s SXSW he was promoting Startup Act 3.0. He’s a big startup proponent. He was so real with us. Even though he’s from the Kansas side and the SXSW group is from the Missouri side – St. Louis, Kansas City – he said he thinks Kansas City can be the most entrepreneurial city. He talked about Washington and his drive for support and all the work he’s doing. It was really interesting that he gave us the time of day.  We even went around the room talking about what each of us does.

TBP: He sounds very supportive.

Sarah: He was really there to listen, and he was engaged and interested in everything that’s going on. And Jerry Moran was using Kansas City startup Phone2Action to promote jobs for Startup Act 3.0, and I got a picture of Phone2Action co-founder Jeb Ory showing Jerry Moran how the application works. [shown below]

TBP: It sounds like Kansas City was very well represented at SXSW.

Sarah: Everyone from Kansas City brought the party down to Austin. We had a blast. As we went around, even though we weren’t always together, at least once a day we all met up. I think people were really impressed with the camaraderie of the Missouri startups. We were all working together supporting each other. We brought down 30 to 40 startups, and so people were very impressed with our Midwestern representation.

It was a great time for all involved, but perhaps especially for Phone2Action, Think Big Partners Accelerator company, who beat out seven other startups to win the SXSW Accelerator challenge in the New Technologies category. Along with bragging rights and a jump-start toward growth, Phone2Action won $4,000, free tickets to next year’s SXSW, free web hosting for a year and Apple TV. This is an exciting development for the young company, and if past winners are any indicator, the win means that there are even bigger things ahead.

Want more info from Sarah herself? Follow her on Twitter @SarahThinkBIG. 

Startup Rehab Features Smart Coffee (The More You Drink, The Better You Think!)

Did you know that the number one way to cure a hangover is by downing a large cup of coffee?  According to Professor Oshinksky of Thomas Jefferson University, caffeine acts as an anti-inflammatory to the symptoms of a hangover (eye sensitivity, headaches, nausea, etc.).  The perfect dose of caffeine to alleviate a hangover is about one cup of coffee.

And as we all know, SXSW can be a rather...hangover-inducing event.  With nonstop parties, open bars, hundreds of networking events and some of the coolest people in the startup community to party with, it's hard not to wake up without a bit of a headache.

Lucky for you, we've got your cure.  Think Big Partners, PitchCastr and Turnstone will be hosting Startup Rehab, an opportunity for entrepreneurs to rest, relax, recharge, plug in, meet up, connect and pitch at the Turnstone Mobile Coworking Space on Sunday, March 10 from 12-4pm at SXSW (4th & Red River).

At Startup Rehab, the PitchCastr and Think Big teams will be handing out coffee...but not just any coffee.  Smart Coffee, high-performance coffee for high-performance individuals, will be served.

Smart Coffee is a blend of the world's best coffee beans (found and selected by The Roasterie) and cacao beans (most often known as the beans that chocolate comes from).  Together, the two beans create one dynamite cup of coffee.  The more you drink, the better you think.

So join PitchCastr and Think Big Partners and experience the team's newest innovation, Smart Coffee, at Startup Rehab on Sunday, March 10 from 12:00-4:00pm at SXSW.  Just look for the black bus that says "space matters" on the side.  You don't even need a SXSW badge.  Come on in and cure that hangover.

To learn more about Smart Coffee, check out @MySmartCoffee on Twitter.  

Kansas City Startups and Entrepreneurs Make an Impact at SXSW 2013

We've all seen Ram's Super Bowl ad "So God Made a Farmer".  It's all about getting your hands dirty, rolling up your sleeves and doing whatever it takes to accomplish the day's work.  As Kansas City entrepreneurs, we know all about that, don't we?

Today, the "roll up your sleeves" mentality of KC entrepreneurs is more apparent than ever.  Kansas City is making a name for itself as one of the go-getters, get-doners of the nation at one of the biggest startup gatherings this year--SXSW.

How so?  Take a look at some of the things Kansas City, as a up-and-coming startup hub, has accomplished already at SXSW 2013:

• Digital Trends named Think Big Accelerator company TheHub.fm one of its favorite mobile apps launching at SXSW this year.  It wasn't easy to make the list.  Digital Trends only selected 8 mobile apps of the hundreds making an appearance at SXSW.
• Another Think Big Accelerator company, Phone2Action, was selected to participate in the SXSW Interactive Accelerator down in Austin this week.  Jeb Ory and his team at Phone2Action will compete against 8 other finalists in the contest.  Previous Kansas City startups to compete in the SXSW Interactive Accelerator include Zaarly and AgLocal. 
• The ShowMe SXSW bus took off from the Kauffman Foundation last night full of entrepreneurs ready to take SXSW by storm.  Startups on the bus include Click With Me Now and Phone2Action.  The ShowMe SXSW bus was organized by Kauffman, the St. Louis Regional Chamber, Think Big Partners, KU Center for Technology Commercialization, and the EDC of Kansas City and will give Midwest entrepreneurs the chance to experience SXSW first-hand. 
• KC-based incubator Think Big Partners will host #StartupRehab, an opportunity for entrepreneurs to recharge, relax and rest on Sunday, March 10 at SXSW.  Think Big has teamed up with Turnstone, PitchCastr and Microsoft to host the event.  
• Smart Coffee, a new innovation from the team at Think Big Partners, will also be debuted to the startup world at SXSW.  The coffee's slogan?  "The more you drink, the better you think."  How could entrepreneurs not love that?  Smart Coffee will be served at Startup Rehab on Sunday.

So don't be surprised when you run into a Kansas City startup or entrepreneur down at SXSW. There are more KC startups, innovators, entrepreneurs and investors than ever in Austin this year...and for good reason. Here in the Midwest, we know how to get stuff done.  And we can't wait to show Austin.  

Follow me! @AllisonThinkBig 

Think Big, PitchCastr, Turnstone Host SXSW Startup Rehab

Rest.  Relax.  Recharge.  It's time for Startup Rehab!

A dynamite collaboration between Think Big Partners, PitchCastr and Turnstone brought on a new idea that many entrepreneurs and startups may want to take advantage of at SXSW in Austin.  Together, the three companies, along with the support of Microsoft, are partnering to host Startup Rehab--an opportunity to rest, relax, recharge, plug in, meet up, connect and pitch at the Turnstone Mobile Coworking Space.

Parked in the lot at 4th and Red River (the Northeast corner of the SXSW Convention Center), the Turnstone Mobile Coworking Space will be open to all entrepreneurs attending SXSW as a place to hold meetings, hang out, connect and even network with PitchCastr, Think Big Partners and Microsoft to learn more ways on how to accelerate a startup.

But wait.  There's more.  It's not called Startup Rehab for nothing!  The Turnstone Mobile Coworking Space is also available to help entrepreneurs relax and recover with chair massages, delicious snacks, Smart Coffee and cocktails.

How can you get into Startup Rehab?  It's simple.  Simply look for the black bus with myturnstone.com and "space matters" written on the side.  Then, come on in and see how this bus is transforming the way entrepreneurs do work at SXSW!  The bus will be open throughout SXSW.

Don't worry--no SXSW badge required.

Startup Rehab takes place on Sunday, March 10, 2013 (you deserve it after a wild SXSW Saturday night) from 12:00-4:00pm.

A special thanks to Turnstone, the company that is truly changing the way entrepreneurs and startups office.  And another special thanks to Microsoft, PitchCastr partner and supporter.

Learn more about StartupRehab by following #StartupRehab and @thinkbigKC on Twitter.