At age 12, Canzhi Ye went to Camp CAEN at the University of Michigan to learn Java and C# programming. A year later, when his mom got an iPod Touch, some new possibilities opened up for him. After some Googling, Ye figured out that anyone could develop for iOS. “Hey, look, I can make apps,”…
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We’re chatting at 4 pm – after 16-year-old Jason Chitla comes home from school – and he’s rambling about things that most high schoolers don’t ramble about. He throws around phrases like “indie” developer, “appreneur,” and app store optimization strategy. He recalls struggling with the decision of freemium vs. paid and learning cocos2d, something I’ve…
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After winning a silver medal in the 2006 Olympics, figure skater Sasha Cohen is chasing after a new badge of honor: successful startup entrepreneur. She and cofounder Scott Annan are raising $25,000 on Kickstarter for Snoxx, socks that snap together. They’re inspired by Cohen’s days on tour, when she lost tons of socks. After less…
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This past weekend, a room full of people became investors at Startup Jackpot, a startup event raising seed money for other startups. Fifteen local DC startups went head to head for a cold hard cash prize of $10,000 at Canvas, a quirky coworking space nestled in the heart of Dupont. Rather than the usual panel…
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The road to success is paved with failure. This will not come as news to any entrepreneur. For this reason, within the startup world, there’s a tendency to celebrate such missteps. In actuality, it’s not the failure that should be celebrated, but instead the lesson learned. That’s why today, we’ve called upon five successful professionals…
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Tim Ferriss is a man who needs no introduction (especially after introducing himself to Tech Cocktail in 2011). The last time we caught up with the Four Hour Mastermind, we learned of his involvement with WellnessFX, a San Francisco-based, health diagnostics startup. This Thursday, in conjunction with WellnessFX, Ferriss will be presenting on the topic…
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Few people command a room quite like Gary Vaynerchuk, a widely-renowned wine aficionado through his days at Wine Library TV, the author of a pair of NY Times Best Selling Books – Crush It and The Thank You Economy, CEO at VaynerMedia, and a noted new technology/social media visionary. But above all the accolades, the (not-so) secret behind…
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It’s not too often that you find anyone talking about the American startup scene. Rather, entrepreneurial loyalty lies with “the New York startup scene” or “the Chicago startup scene” or sometimes “the Midwest scene.” But Canada is different. With a smaller startup scene that gets less press, the whole country has a sense of brotherhood:…
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The realization that a startup just isn’t working is a tough one. Startup blogs far and wide claim that sticking to it and persevering through adversity are key ingredients to success. And while that is certainly true, sometimes it just isn’t working. That’s what Jim Snediker and Jason Morgan faced when they decided to step…
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When I say, “The Midwest” what comes to mind? Maybe some form of fatty food, SNL’s infamous Ditka skits, corn fields, some form of fatty food… How about vibrant startup community? It’s true. After all, Tech Cocktail originated as a byproduct of the startup energy emanating from the Chicago-land area (like the big bang, but…
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Last week, I had the opportunity to chat with OD (pronounced “Oh-dee”) Kobo, founder and CEO of the latest social network to grab the world’s attention — Pheed. Pheed is a free social media platform, based out of Los Angeles, that launched on October 12th. The accompanying iPhone app was released a month later, making its way…
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On a Friday night in downtown Las Vegas, where can you find the locals? Listening to talks, naturally. Tech Cocktail Week wrapped up last night with keynotes from Amy Jo Martin, founder and CEO of Digital Royalty; Tim Draper, founder and managing director of Draper Fisher Jurvetson (DFJ); and Raj Kapoor, the founder of Cofounder.co and…
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Charlie Firestone will be a panelist at DCWEEK for “The New Economy: Technology for Social Impact.” He is the executive director of the Communications & Society Program at the Aspen Institute. DCWEEK is a week-long festival co-produced by Tech Cocktail and iStrategyLabs. Get your tickets here. Tech Cocktail: What is the Aspen Institute’s Communications & Society…
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If you’ve turned on the TV lately, you’ve seen ads by both presidential candidates, often attacking each other. These ads require big donations, often from corporations. According to Votizen, this is far from ideal. The San Francisco startup is working to make politics more personal by allowing individuals to engage their friends and encourage them…
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Tom Davidson will be a featured speaker at DCWEEK. He is the cofounder and CEO of EverFi, which helps teach and test students in critical life skills. DCWEEK is a week-long festival co-produced by Tech Cocktail and iStrategyLabs. Get your tickets here. Tech Cocktail: How has EverFi evolved since you began, and what is the big…
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Melinda Wittstock will be a panelist at DCWEEK for “Crowdfunding: Exciting New Hope for Entrepreneurs?” She is the founder of NewsiT, a crowdsourced approach to news that lets readers create and contribute to content. DCWEEK is a week-long festival co-produced by Tech Cocktail and iStrategyLabs. Get your tickets here. Tech Cocktail: How does NewsiT use the…
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Tech Cocktail is headed back to DC. Why? Because we're a fan of good... Read More
Locating quality startups in San Francisco is like spotting bees in a hive.... Read More
Today, we’re excited to announce that Tech Cocktail has taken a $2.5M... Read More
Two months after the iPad 2 debuted in March, around 40% of users surveyed said... Read More
This post is part of Tech Cocktail’s “Healthy Entrepreneur” series,... Read More
