Author Archives: Rob Ianelli

Texas Co-Working Right in Downtown Austin

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Earlier this year, Derek Williams and Paul Terry Walhus combined their efforts to launch Texas Coworking, an addition to the already growing trend of co-shared workspaces for entrepreneurs, business people and creative folk. After the continued success of Conjunctured, it’s quite clear that co-working is not only a viable solution for many, but a great means to bring everyone together under one roof and connect.

Walhus commented on the start of the project and overall enthusiasm stating, “I’m in this for the relationships and collaborations that evolve from working with others. Sometimes I’m at the bottom of the food chain learning from others and sometimes I find myself at the top. The other day I helped two of our coworkers, Meghan Jones and Deborah Toodle get their wordpress website started (http://512unscripted.com/), and yesterday I was at the bottom looking up at some of Austin’s most brilliant semantic web experts at an event we hosted for the semantic web community and the City of Austin.”

As you’re probably wondering, the location is ideal. Whereas Conjunctured is located in a neighborhood atmosphere, you can find the Texas Coworking space right in Downtown Austin on 6th street, on the third floor of the Hannig Row Building at 200 East 6th, across from Buffalo Billiards. They are currently accepting applications for membership and are happy to meet and greet to show the space. Their monthly membership rate is $250, as well as offering rates for day use and special events and meetings.

Texas Coworking provides another choice of work space for un-officed Austin entrepreneurs and out-of-town visitors, and one with a distinctly professional feel. This growing trend in co-working is a beneficial option for countless startups, entrepreneurs and anyone who is tired of working from home or coffee shops. One great premise to remember is that co-working brings like-minded people together, and that’s quite valuable in this day and age.
As Walhus notes, “We have a diverse membership with folks in to web development, writers, columnists, bloggers, semantic web developers, crafts people, film makers, videographers, and others with diverse creative skills. It’s really a creative collective.”

To get an idea of how the Texas Coworking space is laid out and designed, you can easily visit their website: www.texascoworking.com and take a tour through their gallery, contact the staff, and set up a visit if you wish. From what we can already see, the space has plenty of room, is attentive to business needs, and poised for considerable success.

Startup Weekend Debuts in Austin this Spring

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The local entrepreneur/tech community is in store for more exciting prospects this Spring, with the first ever Startup Weekend-Austin from April 30-May 2. After what already seems to be a great year with TedX, Ignite and a slue of other events, Startup Weekend is yet another great asset and addition to the Austin community.

Startup Weekend, organized and created by Andrew Hyde, who hails in from Boulder, Colorado, was first started over 3 years ago and has spread across the country. Austin natives Cesar Torres (Founder, Conjunctured), Brandon Chicotsky (Founder, Texas Ventures) and the rest of the Startup Weekend crew will be in charge of this event and any questions, concerns, and suggestions can be directed to these guys.

Cesar Torres commented about his excitement stating, “Startup District and Texas Ventures is really excited to finally bring Startup Weekend to Austin. With the strong tech and startup community that the city’s already well-known for, we’re sure April 30-May 2 will be a huge success and we look forward to seeing what companies and connections come out of the event.”

The location of the event is still up for grabs, and the organizers are asking you, and the community to brainstorm some possibilities, pull out your connections and find a space that works best for this type of event. In the meantime, Gary Hoover, founder of Bookstop and Hoovers has already been secured to speak at the conference.

In the regards to the future growth of Austin and the event, Brandon Chicotsky had the following to say: “Austin Startup Weekend is our city’s next step in the process of becoming a powerful engine for the world’s best ideas. The program is an expedited process of idea development, business plan validation, infrastructure building, venture capital showcasing, and marketing output — all possible and available in one weekend. It’s been done in 58 cities, and now it’s Austin’s turn.”

If this article and event has you at the edge of your seat, ready for more, you can get the official lowdown on the happenings and events going on before the official Startup weekend, by visiting: http://austin.startupweekend.org/

Already, this February 12, there will be a startup weekend happy hour going on at the Belmont from 6:00-8:00PM. Details and the chance to RSVP can be found on the Facebook event page.

If you’ve never been to a Startup Weekend event before or would like to know what to expect, check out this first timer’s guide. If you’re already a pro or you’ve been waiting until this finally hit Austin, buy your ticket now. Lastly, if you, or your company are interested in sponsoring, please get a hold of Cesar or Brandon via Twitter or by visiting the contact page.

RISE 2010 Registration Open

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The fourth annual Relationship and Information Series for Entrepreneurs (RISE) returns to Austin, Texas, March 1-5, 2010 with five full days of free sessions covering a wide range of topics of interest to aspiring, new and established entrepreneurs in all industries. If you’re interested in becoming a host or participant, you can register online at www.riseaustin.org.

RISE, known for innovation and new ideas now has new areas of the organization.

-RISE Funding Forum
-RISE Fast Pitch Competition and the
-RISE Clean Technology Session Series.

Speakers this year include:

Red McCombs- One of Texas’ best known entrepreneurs.

Blake Mycoskie- A respected social entrepreneur who founded TOMS Shoes based out of Santa Monica, California.

“We are reminded in times of crisis that the American economy thrives when small businesses and entrepreneurs thrive,” said Red McCombs. “RISE is such a powerful way to connect them to what they need most to succeed – knowledge, resources and one another – and a great example of what the entrepreneurial spirit can achieve. I’m proud to be part of it this year.”

The basic premise of RISE is that it provides a unique forum where attendees can exchange expertise with entrepreneurs from diverse industries and backgrounds and form lasting professional connections. Unlike a traditional conference, RISE is a non-profit event with no cost to participate, and sessions are independently organized, peer-led and limited to 25 participants. Sessions take place in venues around Greater Austin. It is certainly an advantageous event to take part in and an asset to the community.

For any entrepreneur seeking input and ready to test their ideas in front of many, the RISE Fast Pitch Competition and RISE Funding Forum are new events designed to give aspiring entrepreneurs venues where they can gain experience pitching their business ideas, receive expert feedback and connect with potential investors and partners. Ten groups will deliver a one-minute business pitch as they vie for Crowd Favorite and Grand Prize Winner in the Fast Pitch Competition on March 3rd. In the RISE Funding Forum, several distinguished panels of experienced investors, executives and entrepreneurs will consult with six groups of entrepreneurs as they share in-depth reviews of their business plans. Early-stage entrepreneurs of all types may apply to participate in either or both events online at www.riseaustin.org before February 12.

Returning to RISE 2010 are the popular Hispanic Entrepreneurs Series and the Austin Women Entrepreneurs Series, both introduced last year. These and other series – including the new Multicultural Entrepreneurs Series, Clean Technology Series and Retail and Restaurant Entrepreneurs Series – are a signature component of RISE each year designed to ensure sessions reflect the diversity of the region’s entrepreneur communities.

RISE participation is free due to the generosity of returning sponsors Acton School of Business, Austin Business Journal, Austin Ventures, Capital One Bank, Ernst & Young, Holtzman Moellenberg Panozzo Perkins, LLP and Silverton Foundation and new sponsors Brown McCarroll, LLP, DLA Piper, Entrepreneurs Foundation of Central Texas, The Entrepreneurs’ Organization, FOLIO Communications Group, LLC, Green Mountain Energy, Nationwide Insurance and Sweet Leaf Tea Company.

Created in 2007 by Roy Sosa and Bertrand Sosa, brothers and accomplished Austin entrepreneurs, RISE has grown to attract 1,800 attendees in more than 120 sessions in three short years. In 2010, RISE expects to attract 2,500 entrepreneurs to participate in more than 150 sessions.

For more information on RISE, visit www.riseaustin.org, follow RISE on Facebook and Twitter or contact Annie Frierson at annie@riseaustin.org.

Andrews Kurth Offers Start-Up Package

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For any potential and/or current entrepreneur, Andrews Kurth, a leading law firm for entrepreneurs and emerging growth companies, announced this week the launch of a new fixed-fee, start-up organization package.

In an effort to create cost certainty and streamline the process associated with launching a new company, Andrews Kurth is offering clients a comprehensive start-up organization package for the formation of a new corporation. The package is provided for a fixed fee of $5,000 and details can be found on their website www.akstartup.com.

The startup package consists of the following documents and services in these specific areas:

- Incorporation, Organization and Qualification

- Capitalization

- Employment and Consulting

- Intellectual Property

- Consultations on venture capital term sheets, employment matters, employee benefits and IP

It’s quite clear that in this current economy, mixed with the high rate of exploration into entrepreneurship by many individuals, this offer from Andrews Kurth LLP has a wide range of benefits and most importantly, value.

“With all the unknowns associated with launching a start-up company, we wanted to provide a no-nonsense way for entrepreneurs to get a new company launched,” stated Alan Bickerstaff, partner in the firm’s Technology & Emerging Companies practice group. “The package we have designed includes everything needed to form a start-up, including a stock option plan, along with additional counseling on venture capital term sheets, employment matters, employee benefits and IP.”

About Andrews Kurth LLP

For more than a century, Andrews Kurth has built its practice on the belief that “straight talk is good business.” Real answers, clear vision and mutual respect define the firm’s relationships with clients, colleagues, communities and employees. With 400 lawyers and offices in Austin, Beijing, Dallas, Houston, London, New York, The Woodlands and Washington, DC, Andrews Kurth represents a wide array of clients in multiple industries. For more information about Andrews Kurth, please visit andrewskurth.com.

Capture Design Gives Start-Ups 3d Edge

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Capture Design, a local Austin based product development services company, has been on a steadily paced growth since its inception in 2006. The company hosts an array of services, catered specifically to startups, early-stage companies and entrepreneurs. They do so by offering a highly flexible working structure with no minimums or commitments, and by being just as fast, creative and responsive as their savvy clients.

Here’s what they do:

* Product Concept Generation via Sketches and CAD

* Prototyping

* Mechanical Design (CAD)

* Electronics Design – Digital and Analog

* Board Layout, Fabrication, Components Sourcing and Testing Management

* Photonics Design (Opto-Electrical, Opto-Mechanical)

* Thermal and Stress/Strain Numerical Analysis (CFD, FEA)

* Mesh-Network Wireless (Zigbee) Integration

* Embedded Controls and Smarts

More recently, the company introduced 3D printing (same day service to Austin clients) utilizing the latest in design and prototyping technology producing useful 3d models and examples. Capture Design prides itself on being the turnkey source for this technology.

Concerning the new 3D printing service, CEO Chris Carroll added, “Capture is always looking to create the best value for inventors and small business. The cost of Rapid Prototyping machinery is coming down, yet it seems the RP service bureaus haven’t decreased their pricing much. Having in-house control of RP fabrication allows us to provide the lowest-cost and most seamless path to a prototype in the customer’s hand. And for those customers with rush jobs, we have the ability to jump on their project immediately.”

For many “garage warriors” and product developers out there, Capture Designs is a great resource to transform that napkin concept into a working if not physical object. The value added in harnessing Capture Design’s engineering expertise along with their capability to produce 3d modeling surely puts it on the top of the list for any would be inventor in Austin and abroad.

In terms of the company’s ability to produce your product, Capture Design has a wide range of produced items listed in their portfolio, ranging from the most simple of designs to complex, electrical units and beyond.

If you’re interested in contacting Capture Design about your design needs, you can visit them at their website (www.CaptureDesign.com) or reach out via Twitter (@capturedesign).

Additionally, from now until March 1st, mention the Austin Startup website and receive a 10% discount on services and 3D Prints for 2 months!