The MobileX Conference is a great example of this foundation.  Spearheaded by Awesome, Inc.,  based in my hometown of Lexington, Kentucky, MobileX is a five-city technology conference tour designed to provide networking, educational content and opportunity (via a pitch contest).  Here’s the tour schedule:

• Columbus - March 4, 2010
• Chicago - March 5, 2010
• Atlanta - March 26, 2010
• Nashville - March 27, 2010
• Lexington - April 16, 2010

One of the best parts of this conference is that fact that it is organized by what some might think of as “outsiders” - i.e. people not from within our own innovation community here in Columbus.  Several of us met Luke Murray last fall at a mini-mobile application conference we hosted at The Dublin Entrepreneurial Center, and at that time Luke talked about bringing his conference concept to Columbus.  We welcomed him with open arms and several of us volunteered to help make it a reality.  Instead of “hey, this is our turf”, we collectively said, “you are welcome here”.  The payoff?   Several, and among them are:  We are anticipating a great conference that highlights some of our local experts and brings other experts into our community;   We will likely see some real creativity and potential for new ideas to take off and become viable business opportunities;  We’ll expand our horizons via an expanded network of friends and people we can call upon for their expertise later.  In short, we have an opportunity to grow and to learn, to make our community even better for entrepreneurs and innovators.   We also have an opportunity to help Luke and Awesome, Inc. learn what works best and what might need improvement to make this an even better event for the next four cities.

I am proud of our community, our openness, our welcoming nature, our desire to learn and grow - all of the things that contribute to our foundation that enthusiastically supports innovation and entrepreneurialism.

If you can attend, you’ve still got time to register for what promises to be a great conference. There are no outsiders here.

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By: Michelle Wu at michelle.wu@wsj.com

Who: Wayne Poll, M.D.
What: Minimally Invasive Devices, Inc., a company that develops devices that assist doctors during laparoscopic surgery
Where: Columbus, Ohio
Web site: www.midsurgical.com
Year founded: 2006
Number of employees: 7
Annual revenue: $90,000 in 2009

Everyday, loads of people have great ideas that could potentially become a profitable business venture. The real challenge is what to do next: how do you make an idea into a marketable product? (As Thomas Edison famously said, “Genius is one percent inspiration and 99 percent perspiration.”)

When Dr. Poll of Columbus, Ohio, wanted to develop FloShield, a device that improves visibility for doctors performing laparoscopic surgery, he knew going to a major company such as Johnson & Johnson or Boston Scientific would be a dead end. Dr. Poll, a surgeon and urologist for 20 years, had gone that route in the past and was wary of the process. “It’s very frustrating when you approach big medical device companies with an idea,” he says. “I decided that the only way that I would have any control over my project was to develop it myself.”

So Dr. Poll took matters into his own hands and decided to start his own company, Minimally Invasive Devices, Inc., in 2006.

To read what happened next and to read the rest of the Wall Street Journal article, click here.

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I get to work with and around some of the coolest companies and entrepreneurs right here in Central Ohio. Case in point is the fantastic team that is BrandThunder. They have built a solid business around extending browsers to themed marketing engines helping companies grow their businesses in tangible ways. It is a real asset to have their creative force be a part of the Dublin Entrepreneurial Center, and BrandThunder is great client company for TechColumbus and the Ohio Tech Angels. In short, BrandThunder ROCKS.

I’m linking to one of the recent blog posts that relates some exciting news, and a simple metric for the speed at which their product is being adopted by sports fans (30+ themes), NASCAR fans, music fans and a host of others.

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Brand Thunder Passes 2 Million Downloads – 2 Reasons Why

By Kevin Dwinnel.

The growth chart is text book. Brand Thunder’s doubling its size in half the time. It took us 18 months to reach the 500,000 download mark. Nine months later, we reached the million download mark. Four and a half months after that, we’re over two million downloads. Nice momentum.

Distribution

It’s easy to see the caliber of brand that we’re fortunate enough to work with, our client list is full of great names from around the globe. Leveraging the power of the brand and their consumer touch points is common practice for affinity products. We try to bring a little more.

The web has splintered audiences. Think about how a sports fan may follow their favorite team. A fan may go to the team’s site, or they may go to a leading sports site, or they may participate in a blog or community focused on a team or sport. Limiting distribution through team channels limits the reach of the product. (As an aside, if you really want to learn about how teams can keep up with their fans, follow Sports Networker.)

Brand Thunder leverages distribution opportunities beyond the client site…  To read the rest of this article, click here.

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The region’s technology incubator has launched a new job-search program aimed at connecting job seekers with its more than 500 member companies.

TechColumbus this week unveiled CareerTrack, membership in which includes the ability to post resumes, link with human resources and placement officials, and connect to other members. The organization said it also plans to host monthly networking events and offer career counseling.

Tim Haynes, vice president of membership and marketing for TechColumbus, said in a news release that the program gives members a pipeline to its more than 585 member companies.

“TechColumbus is uniquely positioned to connect talent with a diversity of businesses in the Central Ohio region,” Haynes said.

The launch party for CareerTrack was held January 28th at TechColumbus’ Kinnear Road offices, and well over 100 attended.  Further information on CareerTrack are available here.

Local TV News, WBNS 10TV covered the event: 10TV Video Coverage of CareerTrack

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Written by Crystal Olig, Oxiem Account Manager

To celebrate the launch of our business in Columbus (office location:  The Dublin Entrepreneurial Center) , Oxiem is announcing a giveaway that will help one deserving company rocket its online business to success in 2010. We will work with your organization to create a strategic plan, develop a new website and launch a cutting-edge web marketing program – for free.

The Digital Launchpad Web Marketing Giveaway is geared towards small or start-up businesses in need of online marketing that packs a punch. The package winner will walk away with a custom designed marketing-focused website, blended search marketing program and a social media strategy from Oxiem’s digital marketing experts (estimated value $20,000).

“We wanted a way to kick-start a deserving, innovative and entrepreneurial company into high gear for this coming year with the crucial components to drive real business,” says technology director Bill Sterzenbach.

“This is our way of leveraging what we have to offer to make our own business community a little bit better.”

From graphic design, marketing strategy and planning to programming, hosting and launch – it’s a pain-free process that will drive one lucky  business into the next decade of success. The site will be built using Oxiem’s proprietary O² content management system, include an advanced lead capture sales system, and the winner will be able to maintain and update their new site with ease.

“Your website is often the first impression your customers get of your organization – but building it is only part of the process.  With the addition of Oxiem’s five crucial components of doing online business, 2010 will look a whole lot better for the winner,” says Sterzenbach.

Interested small business owners can apply by going to Oxiem.com/launchpad and submitting a 250 word statement on why they deserve to win the digital launchpad package for 2010.

For full rules, details and award criteria, see below.

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RULES & CRITERIA:

• Only one (1) entry per company
• Applicants must submit 250 word statement about why they need a new digital marketing program and website as well as basic organization information
• Company/organization leadership team must be involved in the process
• Company can have no more than 15 full-time employees
• Must be headquartered in the central Ohio area
• Entry deadline: Feb. 15, 2010
• Winner will be announced March 1, 2010

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DETAILS: What Will I Get?

I. Planning

• Information Architecture & User Experience strategy development sessions
• Sitemap and Wireframe development

II. Design

• Home page design concepts
• User Experience Design throughout all unique pages
• Dynamic, branded interface design with user-rich functionality
• Content page design concepts
• Design approval

III. Web Development

• Server setup
• CMS development & implementation
• Module development
• Content migration and development
• Implement organic & paid optimization programs
• Site testing and debugging
• Test conversion objectives and goal reporting

IV. Launch

• CMS training
• Site launch

V. Search Marketing & Search Engine Optimization

• Keyword list development
• Content & structure optimization
• 30 day Pay Per Click ad campaign

VI. Social Media Strategy Development

• Social media audit, content strategy and tactical recommendations
• Account setup and profile development on 2-3 social networks

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The City of Dublin joins communities from Scotland, Estonia and South Korea – and is one of only two from the US – to be named a Top Seven Intelligent Community by the Intelligent Community Forum (ICF), a New York-based think tank which publishes an annual list of smart cities from around the globe.

The Top Seven Intelligent Communities are selected through analysis of detailed data submitted by cities which were previously designated Smart 21 Communities in 2009.  Intelligent Communities are those which have – whether through crisis or foresight – taken conscious steps to create an economy capable of prospering in the digital age.  This includes analysis of five critical success factors:  broadband connectivity, knowledge workforce, digital inclusion, innovation, and marketing and advocacy.

Dublin has used its innovative underground fiber optic network DubLink to establish the Central Ohio Research Network linking government, businesses and schools to the Ohio Supercomputer Center. In addition, the City is promoting an entrepreneurial economy through efforts such as the establishment of the Dublin Entrepreneurial Center, and partnering with the education and business communities to ensure a highly skilled workforce now and into the future.

“It is a great honor to be considered in league with these global communities, and to be recognized for our efforts to keep our citizens and businesses connected to the world,” said Dublin City Manager Terry Foegler. “To be named one of seven international cities awarded Intelligent Community status further solidifies Dublin’s reputation as a community where you will find a highly educated workforce, an entrepreneurial spirit and the infrastructure to support it.”

The six other Intelligent Communities include:  Arlington County, Va. Dundee, Scotland; Eindhoven, Netherlands; Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; Suwon, South Korea and Tallinn, Estonia.  In May 2010, one of the Top Seven will be named Intelligent Community of the Year during the Broadband Economy Summit.

Dublin was named a Smart21 Community in 2007, 2008 and 2009. This is the first time it has been named to the Top Seven list.

For more information on the awards program, visit  the website

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Author:  Craig Lovelace

Bill Treciak owns a credit-card processing business in New Philadelphia, about 120 miles northeast of Columbus, but since May he has been making a monthly drive to the capital city to spend a few hours at TechColumbus on Kinnear Road.

He comes for the same reasons other people assembled in this nondescript classroom show up: To glean information from each other about how to stretch capital at their businesses.

The president of Electronic Data Payment Systems, Treciak and the others are part of the International Bootstrapping Association, an organization begun by Bill Troy and Kim Troy earlier this year.

Part support group, part cheerleader, the association’s primary goals are to get the entrepreneur to think about his or her business in a different light using the collective brainpower of the others. It is also an attempt to let individuals – people who often work by themselves or with few employees – use the others as a sounding board to bounce ideas off of or seek advice from.

On a mid-November night, about 10 people are split into two working groups. Veteran businesspeople and association members comprise the first group, and everyone else the second.

Just as in athletics, there is a warm-up exercise where each person relates his or her business and offers the group a tip.

To read the rest of this article, please click here.

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Good HBR bootstrapping blog post.

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Comments on the HBR blog from Kim Troy:

Reading through the post, I was reminded that the toughest economic times are when we bootstrappers really shine.  We’ll be talking about that scrappy bootstrapper mentality at our Members’ meeting in February.  Here are the details for your calendar…

• Wednesday, February 10th from 7pm to 9pm at TechColumbus, 1275 Kinnear Road, Columbus, Ohio
• Thursday, February 11th from 7am to 9am at the Dublin Entrepreneurial Center, 7003 Post Road, Dublin, Ohio

Non-Members of the IBA can attend their first peer meeting as our Guest, free of charge.  Just register here to let us know you’re coming.

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Author:  Tim Feran.   Photo: Jeff Hinkley

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Save a link on the Web and then, months later, try to remember where you put it.

Most likely, you can’t.

That, in a nutshell, is the problem that local Internet startup Toobla.com hopes to solve.

“People are overwhelmed with content, everyone from tech guys to my mom,” said Brian Link, CEO of the four-man operation. “Nobody knows where to put it.”

Toobla aims to be the central repository for users’ favorite online content. The site uses folders with thumbnail photos to classify anything found online: links to Web sites, videos, images, documents, games, music and any kind of embeddable application or widget.

“Most of the currently available bookmarking sites are boring,” Link said. “We are striving to create a bookmarking service that’s beautiful and fun to browse — like an iTunes for Web content.

“It’s a universal tool, for small businesses, bloggers, college kids, researchers. It’s good for anything you want to browse easily. My wife is making Christmas lists with it.”

Although Toobla is intended to “reinvent bookmarking — and sharing, for that matter,” it is not a social Web site, Link said.

“The world doesn’t need a new Facebook,” he said. But Facebook is soon to be integrated into the site, “and it will automatically connect (to) and collect from Digg, Delicious and YouTube, too.”

To read the rest of this article, please click here.

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Related Twitter comments about Toobla and this article:

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The Dublin Entrepreneurial Center as a geographic extension of a collaborative business community located in the heart of Innovation Park in Dublin. TechColumbus partners with the City of Dublin to provide:

• Resources targeted to meet the needs of Innovative start-up companies
• A creative atmosphere encouraging idea-sharing and collaborative problem-solving
• Access to industry-specific experts offering unique solutions
• Close proximity to a wide-ranging variety of industry clusters

Since early 2008, Rick Coplin, Venture Development Director, TechStart, has worked with the City of Dublin to start, promote and run The DEC.  The first major event was an open house in March 2009 that attracted 425 people and a broad mix of small businesses has been moving into The DEC ever since.

TechColumbus provides coaching and mentoring; and various DEC collaborators provide a variety of services to the entrepreneurs. The City of Dublin has also hired two DEC small business owners to assist with promoting The DEC, planning events and managing day to day operations.

“The City of Dublin is a tremendous partner with TechColumbus,” said Rick. “I arrange for TechColumbus resources to assist the businesses in The DEC and in Dublin.  I am also constantly evaluating what we should do next to keep The DEC an effective growth component in the Dublin community.”

The DEC currently has 16 small business tenants, plans for a Green initiative, and a waiting list for offices.

“The networking events sponsored by TechColumbus and other groups such as TechLife, the International Bootstrapping Association and the twice a month DEC jellies (casual coworking) have really helped to build a sense of community and generate interest in The DEC,” said Rick.

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TechColumbus was named recipient of SSTI’s 2009 Excellence in TBED Awards for Building Entrepreneurial Capacity on Oct. 22 during its 13th Annual Conference in Overland Park, KS. The award celebrates the exceptional achievement of TechStart, TechColumbus’ entrepreneurial coaching and funding program, and Central Ohio in technology-based economic development (TBED).

“This recognition of the groundswell in Central Ohio around technology entrepreneurship reinforces the great outcomes occurring here and throughout Ohio,” said Ted Ford, TechColumbus’ president and CEO. “The Ohio Third Frontier program, from which our program is primarily funded, is creating jobs, new innovative companies and attracting venture capital from around the country.”

Awards were also issued to other initiatives around the country in five additional categories. The awards are the result of a yearly nationwide competition of initiatives that emphasize impact and strategic value as well as TBED transferability for others.

“TBED fosters a climate where new and existing companies that develop technology and continuously innovate will thrive,” said Dan Berglund SSTI president and CEO.

For more details, click here for the October TechColumbus newsletter published in Business First.

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