iMAGINE Alexandria Updates http://www.imaginealexandria.org/ViewArticles/ImagineUpdates.htm Receive updates as to the progress of the iMAGINE Alexandria initiative! en-us 15 Jul 2008 06:17:06 EST The Belmonster Website Publishing System v.2.3 60 38.806163-77.051398 A Good Day for iMAGINE alexandria... http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ImagineAlexandriaUpdates/~3/eFaTC3lk6Rw/ImagineUpdates.htm&article=93 http://www.imaginealexandria.org/ViewArticles/ImagineUpdates.htm&article=93 We're beginning to move towards approaching developers, and are getting some help along the way! Today we made some big strides towards developing our space.

The Alexandria Economic Development Partnership Board has created a task force to help us implement the concept. This task force, made up of a CFO, a developer, and a community leader, will help walk us through the process for wooing a developer and developing a work plan.

Erik Muendel (Brightline Interactive), Leilani Ching (RedPeg Marketing) and I met with members of this task force today, and had a great discussion regarding next steps. We agreed that it's time to start approaching developers, and they're going to help us put together a business plan and developer packet.

Brad Nierenberg (RedPeg Marketing), Leilani Ching (RedPeg Marketing) and I then met with executives at Clarke Construction, who offered us deeper insight in to the development process, and gave us some guidance on how to proceed.

As you can see, the concept is really starting to gain traction, and is moving forward in a major way!

]]> 15 Jul 2008 12:00:00 EST http://www.imaginealexandria.org/ViewArticles/ImagineUpdates.htm&article=93 iMAGINE Board Members Meet With AEDP http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ImagineAlexandriaUpdates/~3/EueldABXg2w/ImagineUpdates.htm&article=92 http://www.imaginealexandria.org/ViewArticles/ImagineUpdates.htm&article=92 As a next step in moving the initiative forward, iMAGINE Alexandria board members Tate Linden, Erik Muendel, and Brad Nierenberg met with the Alexandria Economic Development Partnership to present the concept and receive feedback. iMAGINE Alexandria board members Tate Linden (Stokefire), Erik Muendel (Brightline Interactive), and Brad Nierenberg (RedPeg Marketing) met with the Alexandria Economic Development Partnership to discuss how the iMAGINE Alexandria concept can benefit the city.

The AEDP board, which is comprised of City staff, area developers, and others with a stake in the economic stability of Alexandria, received the concept well and made a number of recommendations for making the idea a reality.  Ideas were put forth regarding a location for the space, ways to approach developers, and roles for the city to play in moving the idea forward.

Follow-up meetings are being scheduled with individual board members to further explore possibilities within each board members' sphere of influence.

]]> 25 Jun 2008 12:00:00 EST http://www.imaginealexandria.org/ViewArticles/ImagineUpdates.htm&article=92 Bean Creative, Others Pledge Support http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ImagineAlexandriaUpdates/~3/F33Kp3__rLs/ImagineUpdates.htm&article=91 http://www.imaginealexandria.org/ViewArticles/ImagineUpdates.htm&article=91 Bean Creative has pledged $500, which along with other pledges has brought us up to $9,125 raised. Del Ray-based web development firm Bean Creative has joined the "Idealists", pledging $500 towards our initial goal of $30,000.

Since last Thursday, we have also received the following pledges:

  • NetBlender, Inc. - $100
  • Grant Street Communications - $200
  • Animators At Law - $100
  • Dennis & Elise Reeder - $125

Thank you all for your pledges!  We're almost to 1/3 of our goal, and we've only been at it for a week!

]]> 16 Jun 2008 12:00:00 EST http://www.imaginealexandria.org/ViewArticles/ImagineUpdates.htm&article=91 A Note of Thanks... http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ImagineAlexandriaUpdates/~3/aRmb5Yf0OJA/ImagineUpdates.htm&article=90 http://www.imaginealexandria.org/ViewArticles/ImagineUpdates.htm&article=90 Thank you to Englin Consulting, Inc. for bringing our total up to $7,800! Shayna Englin of Englin Consulting, Inc. has donated $1,000 to the initiative, raising our total to $7,800.  Thank you Shayna!

]]> 12 Jun 2008 12:00:00 EST http://www.imaginealexandria.org/ViewArticles/ImagineUpdates.htm&article=90 We've got the momentum going! http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ImagineAlexandriaUpdates/~3/CSRkTrvGCF8/ImagineUpdates.htm&article=89 http://www.imaginealexandria.org/ViewArticles/ImagineUpdates.htm&article=89 Day two of the campaign brought in two more $1,000 contributions from Marcia Call and Lonnie Rich, and Kwik Kopy (Alexandria). Contributions for day two of our campaign brought in another $2,200, bringing our campaign total up to $6,800.  Kwik Kopy (Alexandria) and Marcia Call and Lonnie Rich each contributed $1,000, and "Mango" Mike Anderson pitched in $200.

We appreciate your support!

]]> 11 Jun 2008 12:01:00 EST http://www.imaginealexandria.org/ViewArticles/ImagineUpdates.htm&article=89 Upcoming Events RSS Now Available http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ImagineAlexandriaUpdates/~3/xXaYWlKp92k/ImagineUpdates.htm&article=88 http://www.imaginealexandria.org/ViewArticles/ImagineUpdates.htm&article=88 You can now get your iMAGINE Alexandria updates via RSS! Belmonster, LLC has upgraded the Belmonster to include RSS, which we have set up for our IA updates.  Point your reader to http://www.imaginealexandria.org/RSS/iMAGINEAlexandriaUpdates.XML to get the feed!

]]> 11 Jun 2008 12:00:00 EST http://www.imaginealexandria.org/ViewArticles/ImagineUpdates.htm&article=88 Grassroots Support Campaign is Off to a Good Start http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ImagineAlexandriaUpdates/~3/fgM4fLpfQ6A/ImagineUpdates.htm&article=87 http://www.imaginealexandria.org/ViewArticles/ImagineUpdates.htm&article=87 Donations of $1,000 from Belmont, Inc; RedPeg Marketing; Brightline Media; Brightline Interactive and Marcia Call and Lonnie Rich have jump-started our fundraising efforts. The Grassroots Support Campaign has gotten off to a great start!  So far, we've had pledges from the following:

Thank you all for your support!

]]> 10 Jun 2008 12:00:00 EST http://www.imaginealexandria.org/ViewArticles/ImagineUpdates.htm&article=87 The Grassroots Campaign is Under Way http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ImagineAlexandriaUpdates/~3/U2EZsNzm7zk/ImagineUpdates.htm&article=86 http://www.imaginealexandria.org/ViewArticles/ImagineUpdates.htm&article=86 It’s time to gather public support for the concept! Starting today, iMAGINE Board members will begin contacting members of the creative community to educate them on the idea and solicit contributions. It”s time to gather public support for the concept! Starting today, iMAGINE Board members will begin contacting members of the creative community to educate them on the idea and solicit contributions.

The campaign is designed to create a buzz within the community, and establish a donation base that can be used to show potential donors that the idea is viable and supported by the public.

Each of the 300+ known creative firms will be asked to sign a petition and contribute $100 to show their commitment to the initiative. The funds will go towards our $250,000 goal, which will be used to fund a work plan and feasibility study. Donors names will be listed on the iMAGINE Alexandria website, and invited to attend a “Benjamin Franklin” party on July 15. They will also be encouraged to spread the word and get others to join.

]]> 09 Jun 2008 12:00:00 EST http://www.imaginealexandria.org/ViewArticles/ImagineUpdates.htm&article=86 Grassroots Campaign To Be Launched http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ImagineAlexandriaUpdates/~3/ee5ovwnPFDk/ImagineUpdates.htm&article=81 http://www.imaginealexandria.org/ViewArticles/ImagineUpdates.htm&article=81 iMagine Alexandria leadership will launch a grassroots campaign to gather local support for the project starting Monday, June 9. The iMAGINE Alexandria Board of Directors will begin calling on area creative firms to educate them about the concept and get buy-in. 

A $100 donation will be requested to show commitment and kick off fundraising efforts towards the goal amount of $200,000, which will be used to develop a Work Plan and Feasibility Study for the organization.

The campaign will culminate in a "Benjamin Franklin" networking event, to be held on July 15, where City of Alexandria mayor Bill Euille and Economic Sustainability Work Group members will be invited to attend.

]]> 03 Jun 2008 12:00:00 EST http://www.imaginealexandria.org/ViewArticles/ImagineUpdates.htm&article=81 Next Steps http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ImagineAlexandriaUpdates/~3/VGVPEywM1sM/ImagineUpdates.htm&article=83 http://www.imaginealexandria.org/ViewArticles/ImagineUpdates.htm&article=83 Since the City won’t be giving us any money, Board members Nancy Belmont, Dennis Belmont, and Erik Muendel got together to discuss how to make the concept a reality. Since the City won”t be giving us any money, Board members Nancy Belmont, Dennis Belmont, and Erik Muendel got together to discuss how to make the concept a reality.

Our plan is to develop some communications tools, then go out and gather Grassroots support within the existing Alexandria creative community. A $100 donation from each of the 300 known firms will provide us with a good start towards our $250k goal, and show potential funders that there is interest in the concept.

]]> 02 May 2008 12:00:00 EST http://www.imaginealexandria.org/ViewArticles/ImagineUpdates.htm&article=83 Economic Sustainability Work Group Presentation http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ImagineAlexandriaUpdates/~3/z9NV8809YVg/ImagineUpdates.htm&article=84 http://www.imaginealexandria.org/ViewArticles/ImagineUpdates.htm&article=84 Today we presented to the ESWG, who wrote the original recommendations to establish Alexandria as a center for the Creative Class. Today we presented to the ESWG, who wrote the original recommendations to establish Alexandria as a center for the “Creative Class”.

We were looking for support, and definitely got it. The Group was happy that citizens of the City were working to act on their report, as these types of findings often sit on a shelf somewhere and never see the light of day.

The ESWG was skeptical that we would be able to receive funds from the City for the Work Plan and Feasibility Study, but they agreed that the concept was a good one and can serve as a great draw for the City.

]]> 08 Apr 2008 12:00:00 EST http://www.imaginealexandria.org/ViewArticles/ImagineUpdates.htm&article=84 We Have a Name! http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ImagineAlexandriaUpdates/~3/PIv9BexhQSg/ImagineUpdates.htm&article=85 http://www.imaginealexandria.org/ViewArticles/ImagineUpdates.htm&article=85 Tate Linden of Stokefire took us through an exercise today, the result of which was a name for our initiative: Imagine Alexandria. Tate Linden of Stokefire took us through an exercise today, the result of which was a name for our initiative…Imagine Alexandria.

This will serve as the working name for the initiative, with the understanding that the actual space may be called something else.

We can now move forward with branding the campaign, and getting the word out! Thanks Tate for your great work!

]]> 05 Mar 2008 12:00:00 EST http://www.imaginealexandria.org/ViewArticles/ImagineUpdates.htm&article=85