Blog

Coworking in Federal Hill at Sizeable Spaces

2012-01-19T19:01:17Z

Last week I visited with Rob Spangler of Sizeable Spaces, a coworking space in the Federal Hill neighborhood of Baltimore. At Sizeable Spaces, designers, coders, and marketing pros share offices and camaraderie in a superhero-themed row house. Rob told me about the founding and flourishing of this cheerful group of busy web workers.

Sizeable Spaces was established by an influential group of Baltimore tech scene regulars... internet marketer Mike Calebrese @youngbresey, designer Rob Spangler @robertspangler, Wordpress developer Andy Stratton @theandystratton of Sizeable Interactive, and Jessica Watson @jwatsoncreative of JWatson Creative and B'More Creatives.

I signed up for the "sidekick" membership plan, and I look forward to spending a little time each month working alongside so many cool people. To get a taste of Sizeable Spaces, check out my video interview with Rob:

Open Range Video Finds Fertile Ground in New Technology

2012-01-17T20:34:21Z

According to Cisco, 90 percent of all internet traffic will be video by 2013. That isn't surprising, since most of us are walking around with HD cameras in our pockets.

These two trends (huge demand for video content and the plummeting cost of high-quality equipment) is being capitalized on by local B2B video production shop Open Range Video. (Sorry, no weddings or bar mitzvahs.)

Recently I sat down with Open Range founders Hiro Amano and David Glaser to find out more.

"Most production companies have made large capital investments in professional software and professional hardware," according to Hiro, "There's a lot of inertia with these companies because they've invested in this stuff. So they keep using it, because they haven't written it off yet, literally."

Open Range has chosen another route, adopting a "lithe and lean" business model, using newer hardware and software. This allows David and Hiro to deliver high-quality video quickly and with fewer barriers than their competition.

Open Range stays flexible and current by employing Towson University students or recent grads, who have been trained in the latest techniques and methods. In addition, these freelancers embrace experimentation with different kinds of technology. "There's no reason you can't shoot great video from your phone or even with an SLR camera. People do it everyday," says David, "What we can offer our clients is that kind of flexibility and low-barrier-to-entry, but with a professional result."

Open Range especially loves to work with companies that are willing to take a few risks. As Hiro says, "We want to be experimenting on the edge of what videos and technology will allow."

To that end, the pair is interested in planning a video hack day -- where videographers, artists, coders, and engineers would come together to improve hardware and software for video production.

"We'd love to be able to say, 'This camera is great, although it's limited in this way,' and then have an engineer crack it open and make it work differently, or a programmer say 'I can solve that with a piece of software that does X.'" Hiro says.

Sounds like a great opportunity for a community with as many creative techies and artists as Baltimore. Don't forget to bring your phone.

Making friends with Friends of the Web

2012-01-06T02:42:56Z

GBTC's Sharon Paley and Andrew Hazlett spent the day with the innovative web and mobile development firm Friends of the Web and recorded this video interview with Andy Mangold.

A fine frenzy of Baltimore tech events

2012-01-04T15:26:51Z

2012 is off to a roaring start. We'd like to share news about a few of GBTC's upcoming events.

Baltimore's entrepreneurial inflection point

2011-12-29T23:21:01Z

There’s a buzz in the air. At the ETC in Canton and across the harbor accelerators are fueling up. Forums like the Baltimore Tech Facebook group are abuzz with announcements, debate, and discussion. Volunteer-driven events and meetups are proliferating, and there is a flurry of activity all around us.

Change is unfolding at GBTC too. Just a few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to become a part of GBTC’s team and I am honored to be a part of an organization with a wonderful legacy. That change also made our organization a focal point within the larger conversation about the greater Baltimore tech scene. After reading and participating in many of those discussions and reflecting on more than a decade in our community, I offer these thoughts as we turn the page to 2012...

The latter part of the 90's witnessed an explosion of dynamic young companies who thought, acted, looked, and even dressed differently from their more established brethren. As the Internet and related technologies became mainstream and began to reshape the business landscape, traditional business organizations found themselves ill-prepared to deal with these brash young upstarts who were demanding a seat at the table. New ideas called for new approaches, and groups like GBTC were born as the platform to advocate and provide for the needs of the next generation of business.

Now we find ourselves at a critical juncture. Where once GBTC was a shiny new penny, a decade later GBTC is an organization with graying temples and some of the luster replaced by a patina of years. Have we turned into our parents while the future leaders of technology move past? Are we as unprepared for the new wave of innovation as those old school associations were for us back then? It’s critical that every organization regularly reflect on its mission and reason for being, lest it fail to adapt to new paradigms and fade into irrelevance and ultimately oblivion. As a member of GBTC for nearly its entire existence, I've witnessed firsthand the incredible energy of GBTC’s team, and I and my company have benefited greatly from their efforts. Their hard work and vision have brought us to this juncture, and over that time, as the names and faces change, I find myself asking some tough questions. Does GBTC still matter? Do I still care? Do I still believe? It didn't take me long to answer those questions for myself; the Baltimore technology community matters a great deal to me, and I do believe. This is why I’m here; I refuse to stand on the sidelines and watch a proud and dynamic organization fade away. It turns out that I’m not alone in my belief that GBTC’s best days, like our region, are still ahead. There are many who believe as I do.

We are fundamentally rethinking how GBTC creates and delivers value to all constituents regardless of size, product, or service. One key aspect includes lowering barriers to access by small companies and entrepreneurs, but that is a small part of the story. The "tech community" is not just about high-tech start-ups; it is a much larger ecosystem of interdependent entities. Nothing grows, much less survives, in isolation from its surroundings. There are critical roles for companies that create and build technology, companies that buy and use technology, service providers that enable these companies to operate successfully, educational institutions and funding sources that provide the human and financial capital to fuel the engine....all must work together for a healthy ecosystem.

If you've been paying attention, you are witnessing the start of a fundamental and structural shift in Baltimore's innovation community. It may appear to be ripples on the surface to the casual observer, but underneath the waters are boiling with incredibly exciting and dynamic people, companies, movements, and ideas. To some extent, this has been the case for years, but the efforts were more isolated and it was a long hard slog through the mud to get to the finish line. Now things are happening faster; there is electricity in the air and you can feel the seismic rumblings. Accelerators and angel investors, cool new events that attract diverse and creative people with world-changing ideas, new entrepreneurs making their presence known, young companies with cool products competing and winning globally, established public and private organizations increasing their commitments to innovation and access to resources... something big is brewing.

There is less talk and more action. People at all levels are stepping up and are committing to turn their ideas into reality. I believe that we are at an inflection point and a nudge will set the dominoes in action. It requires a critical mass of people who get it and are willing to invest their time, capital, and passion to make transformation possible. You are seeing those investments being made, and that pace will only accelerate. Forget the spin and the hype, because the real story is happening all around us. All we have to do is connect the dots.

Can you see the future happening? There are many among us who do and our numbers grow daily, but it will take the active involvement of the entire community to make the future happen. The time for talking and planning has come and gone; the time for doing is now. Please join us as we make the vision of what can be reality. GBTC is all of us, and our battle cry is....ENGAGE.

GBTC members rank high among Baltimore's best places to work

2011-12-09T04:02:31Z

This week, The Baltimore Sun published their annual choices of the 75 best places to work in the Baltimore-metro area. Congratulations to the GBTC members who were named on the list:

BTS
Citing full health benefits for employees and their dependents, catered weekly lunches, subsidized vacations at the company-owned condo, and encouragement of worker creativity, BTS was named the area’s top small employer. Woot!

Advertising.com
A fun work environment that is focused on success lands Advertising.com in the #4 slot among midsized Baltimore-area companies.

PCI Strategic Management
Like BTS, PCI is a veteran-owned business committed to supporting their employees. The consulting firm is the eighth best small business workplace.

eBay/PayPal
Among the region’s large companies, eBay/PayPal comes in at #9. Employees say they “are encouraged to ask questions, branch out into other departments to work more fluidly, and to present ideas…”

Ernst & Young
The Sun highlighted Ernst & Young’s direction, execution, career advancement, and pay and benefits as the reasons it’s greater Baltimore’s tenth best midsized company to work for.

KatzAbosch
“Exceptional benefits, wellness programs, and mutual respect from coworkers” are among the best aspects of KatzAbosch’s work environment. Great work conditions land this accounting firm in the top ten small organization workplaces.

Pricewaterhouse Coopers
The small fraction of PwC employees who work in the Baltimore-area are very happy. They say the firm provides an environment focused on people: teamwork, flexibility, and learning.

Zynga
Zynga expects a lot, but gives a lot back in return to its employees, including excellent benefits and flexibility.

If you love your workplace, but don’t see it on the list, let us know where you work and what makes it special. GBTC wants to celebrate all things wonderful about working in greater Baltimore.

New GBTC Executive Director Jason Hardebeck

2011-12-08T19:40:40Z

The last 24 hours have been a whirlwind, and I apologize for not getting a message out to you sooner. I’ll keep it short and sweet:

I’ve been a member of the GBTC since 2000, and the people I’ve met and the things I’ve learned from, through, and because of the GBTC are a significant part of what defines who I am today. I believe that the GBTC fills a critical role in connecting and celebrating the entrepreneurs and companies who create value in our region, and I am passionate about our mission and collective ability to effect positive change in our region and the world. I would not be here otherwise.

If you are active and engaged, thank you… please help keep the ball moving forward, and tell us what we can do better. If you aren’t sure of the value or if the GBTC is relevant for your needs, then we REALLY need to hear from you.

You can always reach me at jhardebeck[at]gbtechcouncil.org; even better, if you can make our holiday mixer tonight, let’s chat in person. Details at http://gbtctechthehalls.eventbrite.com/ or just show up at Mother’s Grille in Federal Hill at 5:00. We’d love to see you.

We’ve got some ideas percolating that we’ll be sharing in the very near future, and I think you’ll like them. More importantly, we want to hear your ideas, so please reach out and let us know what you’re thinking.

More very soon!

jhardebeck[at]gbtechcouncil.org

(m) 410.419.3379
twitter: @hardebeck

Baltimore tech community upcoming events

2011-12-07T12:45:39Z

Here are some of the events we’re tracking in Baltimore’s tech and innovation community.

This week!

Digital Fabrication Lab Open House - Celebrate the inauguration of Towson University’s state-of-the-art digital fabrication and rapid technologies lab. Wednesday, Dec. 7, 5:00 to 7:00 pm at Towson University’s Center for the Arts.
Designer and Developer Bowling Showdown! Wednesday, Dec. 7, 6:00 to 9:00 pm at Mustang Alley.

GBTC’s “Tech the Halls” Holiday Party on Thursday, Dec. 8, 5:00 to 7:00 pm at Mother’s Federal Hill Grille.

Other upcoming events

B’more on Rails Meetup on Tuesday, Dec. 13 at Medical Decision Logic.

The NewME Accelerator was profiled in the recent CNN special on race in Silicon Valley and discussed in Mario Armstrong’s live-streamed panel discussion. NewME is organizing a global meetup for under-represented minorities in the technology industry (African-Americans, Latinos, and women) and others who support the cause of inclusion in the tech industry. Led by DiversiTech founder Christine Celise Johnson, there will be a Baltimore NewME Community Meetup on Thursday, Dec. 15, 6:30 pm at Teavolve
The Federal Hill coworkers of Sizeable Spaces are hosting a Holiday Happy Hour on Dec. 21.

A look ahead to 2012

Save the date: On March 24 the GBTC will host a major conference on Inclusive Innovation. More details coming soon!

Other resources for tracking events in Baltimore’s tech community

Baltimore Tech Events tracks a range of recurring meetups.
StartupDigest Baltimore is an essential email newsletter for our community.
People often post details about events at the Baltimore Tech Facebook group.
The Startup Baltimore events calendar is another good resource.
If you have an Eventbrite account for signing up to attend events, you can also use their service to find out about other local happenings and to see what your friends are up to.
Plancast is great service for sharing and tracking events you’ll be attending. Here’s my Plancast profile
Also check out the events page at BaltimoreTech.net.

What are we missing? Are there tech events we need to know about? Contact me at ahazlett[at]gbtechcouncil.org with things you want people to know about.

Big Head Baltimore 1: Jeff Jarvis on his book Public Parts

2011-12-06T19:38:42Z

Public Parts author Jeff Jarvis (photo by John Smock)

Big Head Baltimore is a program of the Greater Baltimore Tech Council. Recorded with a live studio audience, we feature in-person and on-line discussion with leading authors, doers, and thinkers.

Our inaugural episode features Jeff Jarvis, author of the new book Public Parts. A professor of entrepreneurial journalism at the City University of New York, Jeff Jarvis was the creator and founding editor of Entertainment Weekly magazine. He was a pioneering blogger at BuzzMachine, and he is the author of the influential book What Would Google Do?

More than just a business book and more than just a tech book, What Would Google Do? was really about how technology is changing our lives in countless ways. His latest work is a continuation on that theme.

In Public Parts: How Sharing in the Digital Age Improves the Way We Work and Live, Jeff looks at how social media in our digital age are creating amazing new opportunities for sharing and publicness. He suggests that maybe we should worry a little bit less about privacy and think a little bit more about what we can gain by sharing.

Jeff joined us for a brief talk about the book followed by a wide-ranging discussion with our live and virtual audience. We looked at how social life is changing in the wake of instant sharing and at how businesses might benefit by sharing even their closely guarded secrets. A full transcript will be posted soon.

Links of interest for Thanksgiving break

2011-11-24T19:26:45Z

We hope you can put away the electronic devices for at least one day during the Thanksgiving break, but when you are ready to reconnect, here are some links you can read between bites of leftover turkey.

Items we’ve found thought-provoking

In the wake of CNN’s special on race in Silicon Valley, Mario Armstrong hosted a fascinating webcast and panel discussion at UMBC. It was a thought-provoking evening and an inspiring call to action. It is only the beginning of a broader discussion, but we spotted some interesting responses:

Entrepreneur Hank Williams - After ‘Black in America,’ silence from tech industry leaders

Robert Scoble offered an audio commentary “My thoughts on race and tech”

Eric Ries, author of The Lean Startup, writes in TechCrunch about “Racism And Meritocracy”

On December 15th, look for a local Baltimore meetup of the NewME Community.

Some links of interest on other topics

On Wednesday the Baltimore Business Journal broke the news that Facebook has purchased Baltimore software firm WhoGlue. The Baltimore Sun’s Gus Sentementes followed up at his blog - BaltTech: Facebook buys Baltimore company that sued it.

Members of the cybersecurity community will be interested in this Bloomberg Businessweek profile of “Palantir, the War on Terror’s Secret Weapon.”

PBS NewsHour segment asks Can Tech Startup Schools Teach #TheNextBigThing? (via Maryland State Senator Bill Ferguson)

The 3 biggest barriers to innovation, and how to smash them

Revisiting a Neal Stephenson classic essay about the massive physical-world infrastucture undergirding the Internet’s frictionless cloud - “Why’s this so good?” No. 21: Neal Stephenson’s plot-free adventure story

For designers and the people who work with them, here’s a video that’s been circulating that sums up the worst of the creative “process”

Upcoming community events

After Thanksgiving, the Baltimore tech scene is back in full swing. Among the things to look out for:

Check out the Social Fresh Baltimore Conference on November 29 & 30.

Baltimore TechBreakfast: Show and tell & Growing and working with tech talent at 8 a.m. on Wednesday, November 30th.