Chris Pirillo » Gnomedex

Can You Get Gnomedex Tickets for Free? Maybe!

Chris Pirillo — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 00:10:46 +0000

Can You Get Gnomedex Tickets for Free? Maybe!

Since 2001, we have been producing Gnomedex, a conference that brought to the stage hundreds of thought leaders and many influencers before they were influential. We started Gnomedex 10 years ago in Iowa, and the conference has since grown to one of the premier tech conferences in the nation. After last year’s event, I announced it would be the last Gnomedex – but we’re now bringing it out of retirement (if only for a day) to join the Seattle Interactive Conference on November 2, 2011 in Seattle (naturally).

As always, this year we will continue to feature even more exciting and innovative speakers, including John Wilbanks, Kent Nichols, Michael Haley, Christopher Burgess and Pascal Schuback. Granted, this will be more of a Gnomedex Lite, considering we are working within the construct of another conference for just a single day.

If you think we’re excited to bring back Gnomedex, we can’t wait for you to see what we’re doing this year. Tickets for the event are available via the Seattle Interactive Conference site, but we’ve got a way for you to get two FREE passes to this year’s Gnomedex. All you have to do is enter the giveaway below for a chance to win a pair of tickets to Gnomedex. The rules are simple – just follow me personally on Twitter at @ChrisPirillo as well as the LockerGnome Twitter account at @LockerGnome. You can also earn an extra entry by “Liking” the LockerGnome Facebook page, too. Don’t worry, you’ll see more from us on Facebook soon.

The giveaway is open now and will run through 12:01 a.m. next Monday, 10/24/11 (EST). We’ll announce the winner on Monday – and may even have a special offer for everyone else who enters the giveaway, too. And if you don’t like giveaways, you can always register for Gnomedex and the Seattle Interactive Conference outright.

Enter below for a chance to win a free pair of tickets to Gnomedex on November 2, 2011!

Can You Get Gnomedex Tickets for Free? Maybe!

How Does One Man Open Our Eyes and Minds?

Chris Pirillo — Wed, 10 Nov 2010 00:33:44 +0000

How Does One Man Open Our Eyes and Minds?

This is a guest post written by my assistant, Kat. While all opinions are her own, I wholeheartedly agree with every word she writes. Mark Horvath is an amazing individual and the work he continues to do on behalf of homeless people inspires us all.

One of the things I did to help plan Gnomedex 2009 was to be the main point of contact for our speakers. I got to know each of them a bit prior to ever actually meeting them and had a good time learning about their lives and the awesome things they were going to bring to our stage. I learned of Mark Horvath and his work with homeless people from an email Chris sent to me, asking me to add him to our roster.

I had never heard of the Invisible People movement at that point. Reading and learning from the website, I was drawn in by the work that Mark is doing. After I shot off a quick email to welcome him to the team, Mark called me unexpectedly. It was a “drive day” for him – he was in the midst of his first US tour, talking to homeless people. He wanted to connect in a more real way than email would ever allow.

Connect is the only word to describe what happened that day.

Mark and I have become close friends in the time since that phone call. I cannot think of a single person I have ever – in my entire life – been more proud to call my friend. This man inspires me to not only help homeless people… but to be a better ME. After immersing myself in ways I could help bring a voice to homeless people, I began to look at other ways I could make changes in my life. My self-improvement journey is not complete, nor will it ever be. There are always ways in which we could be a little better, after all. On the days that I feel as though I cannot continue along my chosen path, I look to Mark. He doesn’t give up, no matter how difficult his day may be. He pushes himself beyond what he feels is possible, so that he can accomplish what most of us used to view as impossible… bringing a voice and face to homeless people.

I cannot begin to capture the essence of my friend in a simple blog post. I’m not even going to try. I simply want to ask a favor of each and every one of you. I want you to go and read just one story on the website. If what you read does not move you to action and tears, nothing in this life ever will. Once you have done this, I beg you to find just ten dollars in your budget to support Mark and his cause by purchasing the book released today by Kevin Hendricks.

Open Our Eyes: Seeing the Invisible People of Homelessness is Mark’s story, and the story of the thousands of people across this country he is working to help. Every penny of the proceeds goes to Invisible People to help Mark continue his fabulous work. Kevin was kind enough to send me an advance copy. I have now read it four times in just a few days… and I cry each time. It moves me that deeply and inspires me to push myself even harder to help others.

To my friend Mark – I love ya, dude. If everyone had just one tenth of the compassion, integrity and dedication that you possess the world would be a much better place. You continue to inspire me and to make me laugh just when I feel I cannot find humor anymore in life. Your quiet strength has helped me through a lot of turmoil in the time we have known each other. Your guidance has helped me to make the right choices in my life and your singing voice mails continue to bring a smile to my face on the most difficult of days. Keep on keepin’ on, Mark. You know we are ALL always here to support you and bring a smile to your face when you need it most.

How Does One Man Open Our Eyes and Minds?

How To Help Public Education

Chris Pirillo — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 17:05:24 +0000

How To Help Public Education

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Trish Millines-Dziko founded Technology Access Foundation in 1996 after spending 15 years as a developer, designer and manager in the high tech industry. Her successful career brought her to Microsoft in the mid-1980s, just as the pioneering software company was set to become a worldwide brand.

In addition to her work at TAF, Trish remains a committed, proactive leader and serves on the boards of several organizations that focus on children and education. Trish has received dozens of local and national awards for her work improving the educational opportunities for children of color.

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How To Help Public Education

Lasers Lift Off From Gnomedex

Chris Pirillo — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 16:57:55 +0000

Lasers Lift Off From Gnomedex

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Tom Nugent is the Co-founder of LaserMotive, where he is working to develop ways of recharging unmanned aerial vehicles, such as the “drones” used by the military. Tom previously served as Research Director for LiftPort Inc. — one of the pioneers in the development of the modern space elevator concept. While at LiftPort, Nugent led the research team that outlined a realistic path to space elevator development, as well as working on a variety of milestone tests of robotic lifters.

Nugent’s other space development work includes liquid-fueled rocket engine development through the MIT Rocket Team, and advanced fusion propulsion research at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

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Lasers Lift Off From Gnomedex

How to Put Trust Back in Your Business and Your Life

Chris Pirillo — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 16:37:21 +0000

How to Put Trust Back in Your Business and Your Life

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Todd Welch is the author of the book Trust, How to put “it” Back in Business. Shortly after Gnomedex 9.0, he started a thousand-day journey studying trust and learning from his experiences to share with others.

He co-founded Charter Partners, a company that uses Cooperative Entrepreneurship to organize hundreds of entrepreneurs into creative teams. He also founded the Charter Partners Institute and WINGS to provide hands-on learning experiences that have taught thousands of high school and college students the concept of Cooperative Entrepreneurship.

His website and endeavor, The Trust Tour, give you the tools and resources you need to help bring trust back into your business – and your life.

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How to Put Trust Back in Your Business and Your Life

Why is Your Identity So Marketable?

Chris Pirillo — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 16:29:22 +0000

Why is Your Identity So Marketable?

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During Gnomedex, we asked the audience to put ideas on a whiteboard to tell us what types of spontaneous talks they would be interested in hearing. Privacy is a hot issue, and someone asked the question: “Why is my privacy so marketable?” I knew the perfect person to talk about this was my friend Frank Catalano. Frank is a marketer by trade, having worked with Apple Computers and even in the toy industry during his career.

Why do you feel your information – and identity – are so marketable?

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Why is Your Identity So Marketable?

Browncoats: Redemption Fan Film Comes to Gnomedex

Chris Pirillo — Fri, 15 Oct 2010 00:28:32 +0000

Browncoats: Redemption Fan Film Comes to Gnomedex

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Michael Dougherty is co-creator and producer of Browncoats: Redemption as well as the writer and director of the film. He spends most of his free time dedicated to this project. During the day, Michael currently is Emerging Media Manager of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, a non-profit focused on promoting the Chesapeake Bay.

Steve Fisher is co-creator and producer of Browncoats: Redemption and can’t believe he is actually making a film this awesome. During the day, Steve is Managing Director of AppSolve, a software application and online media development firm. He is a serial entrepreneur and has previous experience launching successful web and new media properties.

Browncoats: Redemption is fan made sequel to the Universal Film Serenity with proceeds going to charity.

Are you a Browncoat? Let your voice be heard. Get your iPhone, video camera, webcam, or whatever you can record video with give your full name and say “I am a Browncoat”. Upload the film to Youtube, Vimeo or Viddler with the tag #iamabrowncoat and your video could appear here on the website and in the DVD.

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Browncoats: Redemption Fan Film Comes to Gnomedex

Gnomedex Geeks Without Bounds

Chris Pirillo — Fri, 15 Oct 2010 00:22:27 +0000

Gnomedex Geeks Without Bounds

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Johnny Diggz is a musician, filmmaker, entrepreneur and the Chief Evangelist at Tropo. In 1995, Diggz launched iPost Universal Messaging, the world’s first Internet-based unified messaging platform. In 2001, he co-founded Voxeo, the industry leader in unlocked communications.

He produced the indie feature film, The Karaoke King, a musical comedy which premiered in 2007 at the Cinema City International Film Festival. Since 2008 he’s performed as dueling piano player at Howl at the Moon in Orlando and is the co-host of the award-winning Drew Show Podcast.

In 2010, Diggz launched Geeks Without Bounds, an international humanitarian organization of geeks working together to assist people whose survival is threatened by lack of access to technology or communications due to violence, neglect, or catastrophe.

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Gnomedex Geeks Without Bounds

Gnomedex Gets Smart (Cup)

Chris Pirillo — Thu, 14 Oct 2010 05:47:55 +0000

Gnomedex Gets Smart (Cup)

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Larry Wu brings over 27 years of brand and business development experience to the SmartCup Board of Directors. He is currently the VP of Product Development for SK Food Group in Seattle, and most recently served as COO for Bossa Nova Beverages.

Larry joined Bossa Nova from Iconoculture, Inc., where he served as VP, Consumer Strategist. There he led food and beverage consumer consulting projects for key Fortune 500 clients in the Consumer Packaged and Restaurant industries. Mr. Wu also spent two years leading research and development at CH Guenther and Son, Inc. where his team was responsible for the development, production and launch of key foodservice products such as the McGriddle.

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Gnomedex Gets Smart (Cup)

Sustainable Living at Gnomedex

Chris Pirillo — Thu, 14 Oct 2010 05:42:16 +0000

Sustainable Living at Gnomedex

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Scott Mueller is a quirky-smart thinker with leadership experience ranging from start-ups to Fortune 500 companies. He’s passionate about helping people see their true potential and getting them to places they never thought possible.

Scott and his wife, Alex, started an experiment in life and living, called Moosicorn Ranch, east of Spokane, WA. Through the help of friends and colleagues, they hope to make Moosicorn Ranch a sustainable home and farm. But there are even bigger dreams in the works including providing a place for workshops, seminars, and even a place for artists to live, learn and create.

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Sustainable Living at Gnomedex

What Does the Future of Mobile Development Hold?

Chris Pirillo — Wed, 13 Oct 2010 06:13:18 +0000

What Does the Future of Mobile Development Hold?

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During Gnomedex, we learned about the future of mobile technology. Amy Karlson is a researcher in the Computational User Experiences (CUE) subgroup of the Visualization and Interaction for Business and Entertainment (VIBE) research area at Microsoft Research, focusing on HCI and user experiences within mobile and multi-device environments.

She received a B.A. and M.S. in Computer Science from Johns Hopkins University. She received her Ph.D. from University of Maryland, College Park in Computer Science, where she specialized in HCI and one-handed interaction with touchscreen-based mobile devices, and for which she was awarded a Microsoft LiveLabs Fellowship. Prior to earning her Ph.D., Ms. Karlson worked for several years as a research scientist at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory.

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What Does the Future of Mobile Development Hold?

What is a Tech Maven?

Chris Pirillo — Mon, 11 Oct 2010 23:35:08 +0000

What is a Tech Maven?

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Women in top technology positions are scarce — but they’re out there. They just need a safe space to rock out, rally the troops, and share success stories. The vision for Tech Mavens is to create a crashpad. A launchpad. An inspiration station, advice center, event hub and force for social change.

Shauna Causey – Her pervious roster includes the Comcast, FOX, Fox Sports Net and the Seattle Mariners Baseball Team. She is the creator behind Voluntweetup, she leads Twestival Seattle, speaks around the country helping non-profits with social media and serves as the Vice President for the Social Media Club Seattle board of directors. In the last year, Shauna has been featured in TechFlash as one of the 100 Top Women in Tech, as well as in The Los Angeles Times and The Huffington Post.

Melody Biringer – From strawberry shortcake to home furnishings to a fitness business, she has trotted down virtually every entrepreneurial trail in existence. With 23 business ventures under her belt — a few of them even successful! — you might call her a lifelong “start-up junkie.” She’s the founder of the CRAVEcompany, which connects savvy business owners with stylish consumers through networking events, symposiums and a series of smash-hit city guides. Melody was recently featured on PDXfm.com and on the cover article of Seattle Woman Magazine.

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What is a Tech Maven?

Tim Hwang Brought Web Ecology to Gnomedex

Chris Pirillo — Mon, 11 Oct 2010 23:24:58 +0000

Tim Hwang Brought Web Ecology to Gnomedex

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Tim Hwang is the founder and current director of the Web Ecology Project, a research community dedicated to building an applied science around measuring and influencing the system-wide flows of culture and patterns of community formation online. He is also currently working on Robot, Robot, and Hwang — a legal startup that seeks to bring quantitative analysis and geek methods to the practice of law.

On the side, he is the creator of ROFLCon, a series of conferences celebrating and examining internet culture and celebrity. You can follow everything he’s doing on Twitter at @timhwang

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Tim Hwang Brought Web Ecology to Gnomedex

InterConnection Connects Communities at Gnomedex

Chris Pirillo — Mon, 13 Sep 2010 20:16:50 +0000

InterConnection Connects Communities at Gnomedex

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InterConnection provides computers to under-served people and communities around the world. From their Seattle-based computer recycling and reuse programs to schools and organizations far and wide, they make a connection that makes a difference. They create opportunity through computer reuse.

Company founder and director Charles Brennick was a presenter on the Gnomedex stage, teaching all of us what we should be doing with the old machines lying around the house and garage.

Donating your old machines and smartphones is safe and secure. All of your data is securely wiped from hard drives using Department of Defense standards. You’ll get a tax break when you donate equipment, since InterConnection is a certified 501c3 nonprofit organization. They’ll gladly give you a receipt when you drop something off to them.

By recycling your old stuff, you’re helping the planet. No parts end up sitting in a landfill somewhere. The company is also helping people in the community by providing valuable hardware skills training to local low-income volunteers through their computer reuse program. Those computers are then sent to schools and organizations within under-served communities worldwide.

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InterConnection Connects Communities at Gnomedex

The People of Gnomedex

Chris Pirillo — Fri, 10 Sep 2010 07:47:18 +0000

The People of Gnomedex

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Michael Foley is one of those people that everyone loves to stop and talk with. We’re very grateful for that fact, since he managed to interview many of the movers and shakers who attended Gnomedex last month. Michael was kind enough to give us his raw footage, and Uncle John worked his magic to stitch it all together. Ladies and germs, meet the people of Gnomedex!

Tac Anderson – “The most diverse and coolest group of speakers anywhere.”
Steve Sorbo – “Gnomedex is about education in the world of social media.”
Christopher Burgess – “I come to Gnomedex because out of hundreds of conferences I attend, this is the best .It’s the most humanitarian and technological event of its kind. When you leave here, you feel as though you can change the world.”
Kristen Mitchell – “Gnomedex was the first conference I ever attended in association with my online identity. I was happy to feel as though I was amongst family.”
Kat Armstrong – “It’s impossible to put into words what Gnomedex is like. Being here – being a part of this – WILL change your life in some way.”
Brian Eisenberg – “I come to Gnomedex to meet people and have amazing conversations.”
Kenji Onozawa – “Gnomedex has great content, but I love the conversation in the hallways the most. This event attracts an awesome array of people.”
Jeff Shuey – “There are incredible people involved in this event, from speakers to volunteers to attendees.”
Jeris JC Miller – “Chris has done an amazing job at curating who I feel are some of the most innovative speakers in technology and the social media space.”
Pete Voss – “This was my first Gnomedex. A lot of past attendees recommended I be here, so here I am!”
Veronica Wei Sopher – “I come here to get outside of my own thinking. I love to see what others are doing and learning. It gives me fresh perspective in my world.”
Jamie Nelson – “I come here to find out what’s going on in the geek world, and get an idea as to what is coming over the horizon.”
David Hoang – “This was my first time attending Gnomedex. I wanted to be here, because I heard it’s a great place to meet innovative thinkers.”
Lacy Kemp – “This conference has a very cool crowd. It’s very different from other conferences – it’s more human. The content is different. It’s less focused on narcissism and more focused on how to create a better you.”
Michelle Gamboa – “I volunteer at this event because it’s one of the places that I can meet amazing people and hear about the best ideas you’ll find anywhere.”
Richard Wood – “This was my first Gnomedex. I’ve been to a lot of events surrounding this event in the past few years. There’s always such a high amount of energy to the people involved in this conference. I wanted to be a part of that, and their ideas.”
Melissa Tizon – “I work with Swedish Hospital here in Seattle. We’re a non-profit hospital which loves technology. We’re using that to improve health care in the greater Seattle area.”
Kevin Urie – “I come to Gnomedex because the people are great and the topics are all over the place. It’s always interesting, and I learn something from everyone.”
Jen Joyce – “I come to Gnomedex because there are interesting people who attend. I love to learn new ideas from everyone.”
Heather Fernandez – “I’m here because I’ve never been. I’ve heard a lot of great things about this conference, so I knew I had to be here.”
Willow Brugh – “This was my first Gnomedex, and it’s been exciting. It’s not focused on one topic, and this is where true innovation lies.”
Joe Pirillo – “I’m Chris’ Dad, so I’m here to help out behind the scenes, but I also really just enjoy being here.”
Karianne Stinson – “Gnomedex is a conference where people talk about what they’re actually DOING, versus people telling about their grand ideas.”
Shauna Causey – “I love to hang out with geeks because I am a wannabe geek. Gnomedex rocks for that.”
Greg Young – “Television is moving more online every day. I like to keep up with current trends to see how new things can be incorporated into video and television.”
Liana Shanes – “I volunteer with Gnomedex because Chris always brings amazing content which helps me learn about things I would never have thought of before.”
Maya Bisineer – “The people here are brilliant, and the presentations are all intelligent.”
Ken Yeung – “There are a lot of friends here at Gnomedex.”
Chris Pirillo – “I come here because my face is on all of the badges! I put this conference on because it started out as just a way for my community to get together. This is a chance, though, to inspire others no matter what type of work they do, or where their passions lie. The idea of Human Circuitry is that our humanity is further influenced by the proliferation of technology.”

Thank you again to Michael and Uncle John for all of their hard work putting this together. Thank you to everyone who participated!

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The People of Gnomedex