Local Business Award Recognition

As many of you follow the awards circuit that recognizes some of the top companies in this region, here are the finalists recently announced for the SECAF 2nd Annual Awards Gala.

SECAF (the organization for the small and emerging government contractor) announced its finalists last week; over 90 applications were received, so competition was tough. Finalist companies include:

SECAF Contractor of the Year (under $6 million):

·       Attotek, Inc.

·       Berico Tailored Systems

·       Credence Management Solutions

·       Foxhole Technology

·       Integrity Management Consulting, Inc.

·       Link Solutions, Inc.

SECAF Contractor of the Year ($6 to $12 million):

·       Culmen International

·       Dozier Technologies, Inc.

·       Edgesource Corporation

·       OGSystems, Inc.

·       SMSi

SECAF Contractor of the Year ($12 to $25 million):

·       Advanced Technology & Research Corp

·       Digital Management, Inc.

·       Morgan Borszcz Consulting

·       SENTECH, inc.

·       Technical & Project Engineering, LLC

Small Business Partner (Privately-owned greater than $25 million):

·        Development Alternatives, Inc.

·        Invizion, Inc.

·        LMI

Small Business Partner (Publicly-owned greater than $25M)

·       CACI International

·       Lockheed Martin

·       SAIC

If you want to attend the gala, you can purchase tickets via SECAF.  Please join me in congratulating these finalists!

Cloud Computing: The Good, the Bad, the ROI

Phil Horvitz, Apptis and Tim Silk, Cisco

Last Thursday, WIT’s Technology SIG held their third event in the Tech Talk series, this one on the topic of Cloud Computing. The speakers were Phil Horvitz, CTO of Apptis and Tim Silk, Engineering Sales Manager at Cisco Systems.

Both speakers were gracious enough to share their presentations here, but a few highlights are worth noting.

Tim Silk started the discussion by offering NIST’s definition of cloud computing; “Cloud computing is a model for enabling convenient, on-demand network access to a shared pool of configurable computing resources (e.g., networks, servers, storage, applications, and services) that can be rapidly provisioned and released with minimal management effort or service provider interaction.”

He also explained how cloud computing is deployed and discussed the difference between public, private and hybrid clouds.  Check out Tim’s full presentation here:

Phil Horvitz explained how government is leading the adoption of cloud computing – and has mandated that every agency conduct a cloud pilot in 2010. According to Phil, “The last time this happened? Never.”

Two other interesting data points in Phil’s presentation:

• According to Gartner’s 2009 Technology Hype Cycle, cloud is at the absolute peak of inflated expectations (a position shared with e-book readers). This means, to use Gartner’s descriptive terminology, that cloud still has to go through the trough of disillusionment and the slope of enlightenment before it reaches the plateau of productivity (see page 4 of the PPT).

• The ROI of cloud computing becomes apparent on page 5. Eli Lilly documented the server provisioning times for traditional IT compared to cloud. The differences are impressive.

Phil finished up by sharing a success story of his own. Apptis has a financial report that took 15 hours to run. By moving this application to the cloud, Phil’s team was able to produce the same report in under an hour.  This is a great example of what Phil calls "cloud bursting," a temporary need for additional computing power that is efficiently managed by cloud computing.

Phil's full presentation can be found below.

Let me know what you think about the speakers' presentations -- and hope to see you at the next Tech Talk.

- Katie Hanusik

Spring is in the air: Market optimism in the Washington, DC tech community

As we spring our clocks forward, I look to the future. When I woke up this morning with the sun still not in sight, rather than bemoan the dark early hours, I think about how positive things have been for our clients lately, and reflect on how a new time is upon us.

Perhaps its the New Normal, a term coined and recoined every time the market corrects itself or we find ourselves in a new phase of reality.  Call it an awakening, or liken it to Spring. All of which I believe we are experiencing at this moment.  I find myself thinking about how 2010 has started out for many to be just what we hoped, a period of resettling and moving onward and upward as we inherently wish to do.

I'm not one to pontificate, but I have found myself in several conversations in the past few weeks with clients and business partners reflecting on the start of the year and what we have seen. They ask with cautious optimism if our other clients are experiencing the same things? Are businesses investing again? Could we be out of the woods? Are other clients really hiring too? No one wants to have their head in the clouds, but they don't want to miss a growth opportunity as it awaits. There is comfort in knowing what other B2B tech companies see.

The last couple of years have taken their toll on our clients, our vendors, our employees and our families. Our anectdotal conversations could go something like this: "Small businesses still don't have access to the credit they need, the unemployment rate is still higher than anyone likes, and clients all want us to slash our fees."

But what I find most encouraging, is that CEOs in our technology community are quick to say: "We're hiring again!" Or, "This region has been good to us with some of the best talent in the industry." Or, "We just had our second best quarter in a row!" We're not quoting statistics or trends, but what we are experiencing in the field, where it really happens.

In just the past months, some of our clients and friends have exited successfully, and some have made strategic acquisitions. A few are raising money...yes, in this market. All are experiencing growth in various forms.

So, I'm here to be a dose of optimism. Things may not be the same for a while, but there is a general fervor and excitement that comes with getting back to business, and the "New Normal" that we embrace with pride.

--- Elizabeth Shea

MAVA's Seven on Seven: A Recap

I attended MAVA’s “Seven on Seven,” billed as Seven Topics, Seven Speakers, Seven Minutes. Speakers included:

• Dr. Srini Mirmira, Program Director at the Advanced Research Projects Agency, Dept. of Energy
• Jack Davies, Venture Philanthropist, Venture Philanthropy Partners
• Robert Kipps, Managing Director, KippsDeSanto
• George Daly, Dean, McDonough School of Business, Georgetown University
• Patrick Coffey, Managing Director, Healthcare Credit Group, CapitalSource
• Geoff Tracy, Owner, Geoff Geoff’s and Lia’s Restaurants
• Kiran Hebbar, Partner, Valhalla Partners

Though all the speakers had an interesting perspective, Chef Geoff brought down the house with his passion as an entrepreneur and his story of starting his first restaurant in a foreclosed space with a kitchen full of rotting food. He aptly described entrepreneurs as, “people who see opportunity where others don’t – and think ‘how hard could it be?’ By the time they realize how hard it is, it’s too late.”

The common denominator, if there was one, was that opportunity exists for entrepreneurs and investors in almost every sector if you look hard enough. In energy, government, healthcare, higher education, technology -- even retail and restaurants, the passionate entrepreneur can see something that others might miss, clean out the proverbial kitchen, and come out smelling like roses – or at least like soup.

-- Katie Hanusik

How the Federal Workforce Consumes Media

Last week I attended Market Connections’ unveiling of the 2009-2010 Federal Media and Marketing Study. In its second year, this study aims to uncover how Federal decision makers get their news and information. Some interesting findings (from my perspective):

• Respondents named 36 outlets that are key to daily news and information gathering. These broke out to 14 social sites, 28 federally-focused publications, and 12 general business and news outlets.
• Top ranking federal pubs (across the whole respondent base) were Government Executive, Federal Times, Federal Computer Week, Government Computer News, and Defense News.
• Top ranking websites were CNN, Govexec.com, MSNBC, Fox News, and the Washington Post.
• While 45% of respondents said they prefer to read trade news as a combination of print and online, another 34% said they preferred print as compared to only 13% preferring online only.
• Tradeshow attendance is skewing lower with only 46% reporting they attended a show in the past year.
• Social media continues to grow, with the biggest jump from last year’s survey being the usage of LinkedIn (up to 16% from 4%).
• Social media faces hurdles in becoming a business tool for government with 55% of respondents unable to access social sites at work.

-Piper Conrad

Know a Woman in Tech that is Blazing her own Path?

Women in Technology has opened their nominations for the 2010 WIT Leadership Awards.  These annual awards honor DC-area women who have exemplified the core WIT values of Connect. Lead. Succeed. through their professional lives.

The first ten years of award winners were chronicled in No One Path, a book produced by a tenacious team of over 50 WIT volunteers. The book, featuring the story of over 40 award winners (including our own Lisa Throckmorton and Elizabeth Shea), has enjoyed brisk sales since the October launch.

The next decade of Leadership Awards ushers in some changes with new categories, opening the award to even more deserving women. Categories include: Corporate Commercial Small Business, Corporate Commercial Large Business, Corporate Public Sector Small Business, Corporate Public Sector Large Business, Entrepreneur, Government, Health IT, Global Impact, Unsung Hero, and Rising Star.

Nominations are due February 19th. Winners will be honored at the Awards dinner on May 20, 2010 at the Ritz Carlton Tysons.

-Piper Conrad

Green Energy and Green IT: Change is Coming

Yesterday's Women in Technology event on Green Energy and Green IT featured three knowledgeable local speakers:

Hank Dearden of Virsant
Bill Lyons of Seneca Creek Partners
Marco Luzuriaga of Limeleap

The come from different perspectives, but all three agreed that we can't rely on social responsibility alone to drive environmental policies and change.

Bill set the stage by explaining the macro factors that are driving interest in green energy:

• Fossil fuels are becoming increasingly scarce and increasingly difficult and expensive to extract.  Many experts predict that we'll run out of oil in 30-50 years if we continue consumption at the current rates.
• Global interest in energy security and independence -- especially given the locations of the world's remaining oil reserves
• Cost savings
• Global mandates for clean/renewable energy and fuel efficiency
• And the environmental impact of current practices

Marco and Hank turned the conversation to Green I.T.  The first strategies many people think of are cloud computing and virtualization, though Marco pointed out that Green I.T. also means decreasing the hazardous materials in computer equipment, increasing energy efficiency and designing for recyclability and biodegradability.

Hank was quick to point out that though cloud computing is a green I.T. strategy because resources can be shared -- there are many social networks that are only available because of cloud computing that are tremendous energy hogs.  Facebook has 30,000 servers supporting its operations, the equivalent of five power plants.  In Hank's words, "every time you tweet, you kill a butterfly," which helps remind us all of the delicate balancing act between the habits of the modern day world and environmental stewardship.

On the topic of virtualization, Hank explained that there are five to six reasons to virtualize a data center or desktop -- only one of them is green; "virtualization is good I.T., and you essentially get the green for free."

The speakers agreed that a paradigm shift is necessary and inevitable, and that we'll see increased technology innovation over the next decade.  The cost savings are just too significant to ignore, which should keep everyone seeing green.

- Katie Hanusik

Photo 1: Speakers - Hank Dearden, Virsant; Bill Lyons, Seneca Creek Partners; Marco Luzuriaga of LimeLeap
Photo 2: Event Attendees - Royela Kim, Boscobel; Toni Townes-Whitley, Unisys and WIT President; Gina Pagliaro, Boscobel

"The Social CEO" Hits The Entrepreneur Institute

I was quite honored to be asked to present this morning to The Presidents' Forum of MetroWashington, which is sponsored by The Entrepreneur Institute, an organization for small business presidents and CEOs ($3M-$300M range). What a great group!

Several folks asked for the presentation, so since this is geared toward CEOs and not marketing types, I thought I would share it on Plugged In.

Hope you enjoy. And thanks Entrepreneur Institute!

-  Elizabeth Shea

The Social CEO: New Rules of Engagement

View more presentations from eliz2shea.

Recession-Busting Marketing

At this week's Women in Technology Sales and Marketing event, "Marketing in the New Economy," the panelists shared their best recession-busting marketing tips.  The presenters were Julie Sokley, McAfee; Jennifer Abernethy, The Sales Lounge and Matt White of White + Partners.  The panelists agreed that this has been a year of experimentation -- with Twitter, Facebook ads and events.

Julie at McAfee shared the details of their Executive Summit in Las Vegas, which is open to their most senior clients and prospects.  This year, the attendance list included about 10 VIPs that were unemployed.  Recognizing the value of these evangelists, McAfee rolled out the red carpet for them in spite of their employment status.  This strategy has already paid dividends with a big contract win.  Unfortunately for McAfee, Symantec's recession-busting strategy was to ride the coattails of McAfee's event; they wisely bought out all the signage in baggage claim at the Las Vegas airport during the McAfee event.

Matt White recommended that everyone continue to invest in marketing even during a downturn.  White + Partners clients, Luray Caverns, Wolftrap and a local Mercedes-Benz dealer are having record years.  In the case of Mercedes, they have had some success with a promotion offering disgruntled Redskins fans the opportunity to turn in their unused tickets for a discount off a new car.  Now that's something to cheer for.

Top photo: Event panelists: Matt White, White + Partners; Jennifer Abernethy, The Sales Lounge, Julie Sokley, McAfee; Traci Robinson-Williams, FedMatch


Bottom photo: WIT Marketing and Sales SIG Chairs: Sue Keith, ENC Marketing and Patricia Mejia, Siteworx

- Katie Hanusik

SpeakerBox Around Town: SECAF, WWPR and TiE-DC

 Event fatigue? No way! I felt like I was all over the beltway last week, in Arlington, Tysons Corner and Washington, DC attending events hosted by premiere associations. Thought I'd share a couple of highlights from three packed crowds:

TiE-DC welcomed Aneesh Chopra to the Top of The Town on Tuesday night, the 3rd of November. Wow, what a view! Both inside and out. TiE-DC has really hit its stride this year, thanks to hard work from President DP Venkatesh and President-elect Amir Hudda. 

It wouldn't be fitting to begin the night without Aneesh starting his remarks by reminiscing of the early TiE-DC, when it was known as the Indian CEO Council. "Those early events jumpstarted his career," he exclaimed, as he was able to rub shoulders with the technology elite of the late 1990s and take his career to the next level through the relationships he gained.

The next day brought me to the 20th Annual Washington Women in PR Woman of the Year Awards Luncheon, and I saw many friends among the crowd, and met some great new ones too. The keynote address was delivered by Dana Bash, correspondent from CNN, who even released some skinny on the Congressmen and women she covers on a daily basis. 

Congratulations to Sarah Temple, Senior Vice President of Social Marketing at Ogilve Public Relations Worldwide for winning this year's award! Your red dress campaign is terrific.


I then spent Thursday morning, November 5th, with SECAF, which is the Small and Emerging Contractor Advisory Forum boasting 200+ company members and one of the fastest growing associations in the region.  Over 100 people came to hear three Small Business Office Liaisons from the intelligence communities of NGA, NSA and DIA speak about how to do business with intelligence agencies. 

Referring to themselves as the "three musketeers" since they often travel together to evangelize what it's like to work with intelligence agencies, Sherry Baldwin, Director of Small Business Programs for the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), Sandra Broadnax, Director of Small Business Programs for the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA), and Pamela Porter, Small Business Advocate and Director for the National Security Agency (NSA), all talked about how accessible their agencies are to small businesses, and what a great time it is to be a small business selling to government.  

A sign that SECAF is super hot: the event sold out after one email went out to the membership, and swiftly managed to secure a 100 person waiting list. Might have to move the venue next time?

Full disclosure: TiE-DC is a client of SpeakerBox and I serve on the board of SECAF, so I'm a little biased (and a lot proud) of the value these groups deliver to members.

- Elizabeth Shea

AlwaysOn Comes to DC

I attended this week’s well-done OnDC event, sponsored by AlwaysOn. Though attendance was limited, it was a good start for a first-time event. The sessions I participated in addressed the cross-section of policy, innovation, entrepreneurship, technology and government.

Highlights for me included:

• Thoughtful discussions on green IT, Net Neutrality and the Recovery Act.
• Hearing Robin Roy of energy-efficient window-manufacturer, Serious Materials, declare his company’s support for transparency (no one laughed)
• Meeting the former CTO of the CIA

All in all, it was a great day. I'm looking forward to next year’s event.

- Katie Hanusik

AlwaysOn is coming to DC

2009 is the inaugural year for OnDC – a conference that highlights the significant economic, political, and commercial trends affecting global innovation – running from October 19th – 21st. With a goal of identifying the most promising entrepreneurial opportunities and investments, and uncovering how to best capitalize on government initiatives, OnDC focuses on the sectors most impacted by the federal government including greentech, on-demand computing and IT security, education, and the life sciences.

As an added bonus, this year, Brian Jones, Senior Counsel focusing on postsecondary education at Dow Lohnes (a SBX client) will be presenting on a panel entitled “Next Generation Education” with moderator Jay Matthews of the Washington Post. Other panelists include: Jeff Shelstad, CEO, Flat World Knowledge, Jose Ferreira, CEO, Knewton, Inc. and Saad Khan, Partner, CMEA Ventures. They will discuss new technologies that empower educators and walk the line between traditional teaching methods and new IT driven teaching tools. Their panel is on Tuesday October 20th at 5:00pm.

Hope to see you there…

-Ali Smith

Rumors Were Flying

I attended last week’s Government Communicator event hosted by Vocus and Capitol Communicator. The panelists were four senior communicators with extensive experience in the public sector.

The latter half of the discussion focused on the government agencies’ use of social media. All of the panelists agreed that social media is a necessary part of the public affairs job for all the usual reasons. However, the need to respond to false information that spreads quickly online often has bigger consequences for many government agencies.

Case in point, John Verrico, Science & Technology Spokesman, Department of Homeland Security, told a great story about a fraudulent rumor started last year that TSA was pursuing the purchase of safety bracelets that would be worn by all airline passengers. The bracelets would link passengers with their bags, and track passengers through security and onto the plane. The bracelets would offer the added bonus of allowing the stewardess to electronically shock the wearer (with the power of a Taser) should they become a security risk. The story was picked up by the Washington Times blog and FoxNews before it could be squashed by DHS and TSA.

These situations can quickly become out of hand, especially as mainstream media is increasingly willing to run stories that they admit are unsubstantiated in an effort to avoid being scooped.

While he did not have the opportunity to diffuse the story ahead of time, Mr. Verrico’s blog response allowed him to address it as quickly as possible (and with a slight touch of humor – love the title) that gave him the upper hand in the situation.

- Katie Hanusik

Recap of Women in Technology’s First TechExpo!

The 1,000-member strong Women in Technology organization held its first annual Tech Expo last week, with nearly 20 exhibitors and a stellar panel made up of moderator Paul Sherman, publisher of Potomac Techwire, Matt Howard, founder and CEO of Zoomsafer, Julia Spicer, Executive Director for Mid-Atlantic Venture Association (MAVA), Janet Yang, Principal at NovakBiddle, and Dede Haskins, founder and CEO of NewVision Health.

The goal for the TechExpo was to demonstrate the vibrant entrepreneurial community here in DC, and to take a look at the business climate for emerging technologies and funding opportunities.

After listening to the panel, Paul announced two winners for the evening who were selected via attendees casting their ballots. Taking home prizes were NewVision Health for Best in Show, and CYNCZ for Most Innovative. Check them out!

I jotted down some of my favorite themes by the panelists, which aren’t word for word, so full disclosure that I’m mostly going to pass along just the tip of the iceberg of their remarks:

Janet:
- Seeing a trend already toward less “panic” in the market – customers are getting back to work and her portfolio companies are seeing sales start to happen.
- If based in DC, don’t discount the advantage you have as an entrepreneur to leverage your DC footprint. There is quite a bit of opportunity in our back yard that only we can claim at this juncture. Don’t overlook it.
- On areas/trends to watch: educational IT. Look at all the offshoots of Blackboard.com in this region, and combine it with educational reform, stimulus dollars, and it’s going to be an area to watch.

Matt:
- Seeing that sales cycles are shortening…still slow, but it’s not as drawn out as it has been in recent months
- Watch web 3.0 – it’s here and will sweep into business.
- The opportunity to bring a new technology to market has never been greater, with the low barrier to entry and low capital requirements to launch a product. That being said, it’s never been more important to be quick to market, because of these same things.
- When asked about typical time to market expectations: for Zoomsafer, it was 3-4 months to get to beta. For something like an iPhone app, we’re talking weeks.

Dede:

- My favorite quote from her was in discussing financing startups: “be well off!” Elicited many laughs, and yet, she’s half serious. Angel investors are hard to find, and often have their own challenges in that the market often affected their own coffers. “If not well off, be frugal, focus on smart expenses, and execute.”
- On women in technology: we all have a responsibility to be thoughtful about how girls and young women need continual support and opportunity to be exposed to math, science, engineering, and technology.
- Health IT will continue to be an area to watch, not only because of the healthcare reform discussion, but because of other issues like the nursing shortage, health consumerism, etc.

Julia:
- On companies seeking financing: foresees new “models” for investors to help create capital for companies. Seeing new creative ways to structure deals. Be open minded.
- On the topic of those entering the workforce today, particularly young women: there isn’t a better place for anyone to swiftly learn about business than at a technology company. Particularly a startup.
- Companies launching in this marketplace have a distinct advantage that talented people are available, companies will be able to secure rock bottom office space lease rates, and there is a wonderful opportunity to capture marketshare if one is focused and nimble.
- Keep in mind the folks who hold VCs accountable, if you are seeking money. They have their investors who expect returns, and hold them accountable to those returns.

And my favorite quote of the evening, near the end, was on the topic of the current landscape for an entrepreneur who might be thinking about making the leap to launch a business:

From Julia:
“If you’re currently employed today, your job is most likely not nearly as fun as it was two years ago. Chances are you are working harder, for less money, wearing more hats, and doing all you can to stay upbeat. Well, that’s what every day is like as an entrepreneur, so why not take the leap?”

Already looking forward to next year!

Elizabeth Shea

Perspectives on Leadership: Featuring Elizabeth Shea and Lisa Throckmorton

In celebration of Women in Technology’s (WIT) 10-year anniversary of the Leadership Awards, WIT is publishing a book entitled, No One Path: Perspectives on Leadership from a Decade of Women in Technology Award Winners.

The book is a compilation of perspectives on leadership from 48 past winners of the WIT Leadership Awards and includes a foreword by Maureen Bunyan, Primary News Anchor at Washington, DC WJLA-TV (ABC 7) and winner of seven local Emmys.

SpeakerBox President, Elizabeth Shea was an award recipient in 2005 in the Entrepreneurial Category and Sr. VP, Lisa Throckmorton was recognized in 2002 with the WIT President’s Award.

Please join Women in Technology (and Elizabeth and Lisa) on October 15, 2009, at the Ritz Carlton in Tysons Corner, VA, for the Book Launch. The evening includes a reception, book signing, and panel discussion with Ms. Bunyan and several of the profiled women.

- Katie Hanusik

SpeakerBox’s Women in Technology

SpeakerBox has been a long time supporter of Women in Technology (WIT) and in 2009 and 2010 we are more involved than ever. Piper Conrad was elected chair of the Membership Committee and sits on the board, Katie Hanusik is chairing the Technology Special Interest Group and Elizabeth Shea is the vice chair of the Heroines in Technology Awards gala.

While it might look like we’re staging a coup, really we’re just passionate about creating new opportunities for women to enter and grow in the technology field.

-Lisa Throckmorton

Lisa’s Big Week

Lisa Throckmorton will be the woman about town this week with two speaking engagements.

First on Wednesday, June 17 she will participate on a panel hosted by Arlington Economic Development discussing the shifting landscape for communications and social media best practices. Lisa will be joined by Jeffrey Levy, Director of Web Communications, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

On Friday, June 19 Lisa will lead a session entitled “Facebook 101” for the Friendship Heights Village Center. This session is part of the community’s Tea and Talk program. Cokie Roberts is also speaking at the Village Center this week and at last check she and Lisa were neck and neck in terms of number of people registered.

-Piper Conrad

A Conversation with Michael Dell

Michael Dell drew a crowd of more than 700 to yesterday’s NVTC Titans luncheon. Fresh from Davos, Dell was optimistic about current opportunities for the technology sector, including mobility, virtualization, cloud computing and bioinformatics. He has also endorsed the technology components of the President’s stimulus package, which include healthcare technology, broadband access, alternative energy and technology in schools among other things. In particular, Dell is bullish on the healthcare market, which he describes as the ripest segment for technology penetration. Dell summed it up with his best quote of the day, “you’ll find more technology in grocery stores than in some doctors’ offices.”

Dell also reconfirmed his commitment to the green movement with a quick overview of the company’s initiatives – everything from green power, to product recycling, carbon neutrality, packaging and measurement of suppliers’ carbon emissions.

Lastly, Dell did nothing to dispel the rumors that the company is coming out with a cell phone in the fall of 2009. Though Dell described the cell phone and computer businesses as “distinctly different,” he did suggest that Dell is working on additional mobile devices in a variety of form factors, including some devices with screens much smaller than the current 9” mini laptop offering.

- Katie Hanusik
(Photo by NVTC)

The Wheels on the Bus Go ‘Round and ‘Round

Grassroots and Green!

Last Thursday, SpeakerBox and partners MemoryBlue (Marc Gonyea), LeverPoint (Larry Roe), R2i (Cheryl Dickison) and London, Ink (Bob London) pulled together a bus trip down to Twin Tech III, the hottest networking function to hit DC in recent years! Co-sponsored by iStrategyLabs and NVTC, the event saw over 2,000 attendees! The event was written up (along with our bus trip) in Kim Hart’s The Download column in today's Washington Post and in TechBisnow among many, many others. Twin Tech is THE event series not to be missed, and we were able to make it even more fun.

Our friend Bob London had the idea to shuttle "friends and family" down to the event, extend the fun and be “green” while we were at it. We had a week to pull it together (that's right - 7 days!). It came together with the same community-oriented passion that Twin Tech is all about: before you knew it, Reston Limousine gave us a great discount and provided great raffle prizes, Shashi Bellamkonda (social media swami from Network Solutions) showed up with his high-end camera and took great photos, folks showed up with beer, wine, food and fun, and as the bus departed at the end of the night, all we heard was “I don’t want to leave yet!”

It warms my heart to see the accountability in folks to pull something together so quickly, and to not sweat the small stuff. No nametags, no “elevator speeches” to the rest of the bus - just good, grassroots fun. And no pretense of publicity; that happened naturally. The cost? Minimal. Let’s just say it was less than what we might spend attending an awards dinner.

- Elizabeth Shea