Archives for August 2011

Congrats to YOU who make SF New Tech what it is!

Here’s the excerpt that talks about us …  you can read the entire article here (but it requires a subscription)

Meet-Ups Polish Up Their Acts

By EMILY GLAZER

Technology meet-ups are taking on a professional sheen.

The local gatherings of techies, which are often free and open to newcomers, have long been a fertile field for schmoozing and hunting for investment capital. But as the latest technology boom has gathered steam, meet-ups have proliferated and taken on more importance in the industry.

Many meet-ups have left behind their humbler origins as bull sessions around pitchers of beer. For an increasing number of entrepreneurs, they are places to recruit employees, prospect for clients and keep abreast of the latest tech trends and tools. Some of the groups now have thousands of members—and even corporate sponsors…

At San Francisco’s Mighty nightclub, a recent gathering of the SF New Tech Meetup drew about 300 people, said Myles Weissleder, the group’s founder. Tickets cost $30 at the door, but early birds got a discount. A taco truck parked outside the warehouse served up free food for attendees.

The March meet-up featured demonstrations of the wireless magazine application Flipboard, video encoding service Vid.ly and AT&T, said Mr. Weissleder.

The group began accepting formal corporate sponsorships in May 2007. Since then, it has attracted sums ranging from $1,500 to more than $50,000 from companies including AT&T, Motorola, eBay Inc.’s Pay Pal unit, Cisco Systems Inc. and Citigroup Inc.’s Citi Private Bank. EBay is slated to sponsor an event in September.

Ellie Cachette, founder and chief executive of ConsumerBell, which helps companies manage product recalls online, said she met three venture capitalists while waiting in line for the SF New Tech taco truck in 2009. One of them, Sumeet Jain, a principal at CMEA Capital, helped her develop an executive summary of her start-up’s purpose. “That connection alone did change my life,” she said. “I’ve been able to ask him really important questions, or even get introductions to people.”