Columbus Entrepreneurs Form FreightChatter
Web-based solution to connect independent truckers with shippers
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: freightchatter@gmail.com
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A group of innovative business minds have formed FreightChatter, a company that will revolutionize the way independent trucking professionals and shippers connect and interact.
“The idea for FreightChatter was born out of a conversation I had with a trucker on Twitter who was looking for a load to fill his empty truck. After our group researched the marketplace, the need for this type of service became apparent,” said Alvin Borromeo, a FreightChatter founder.
FreightChatter was developed as a collaborative venture at Startup Weekend – Columbus, an entrepreneurial event held throughout the country.
FreightChatter is a web-based network where drivers and dispatchers instantly connect to fill empty trucks and reduce deadhead miles. For more information, visit www.freightchatter.com.
Startup Weekend is an intense 54-hour event that brings together brilliant entrepreneurs of all specialties together to form a company from concept to launch.
Media Contact : Dan Harris
(740) 881-0417 office
(740) 417–0500 mobile
giggleSeed™ launches their business on iToot™ giving iPhone™ and iPod® touch users all the benefits of a really great FART without the stink, stank, stunk.
COLUMBUS, Ohio (July 20, 2008) — Did you just fart or was that your iPhone? giggleSeed announced today the release of their first of many applications “ïToot”.
“Our mission is to make people laugh so hard they wet their pants. Cry so hard they cry a river. Snort so loud they wake the neighbors.’ says Dan Harris, giggleSeed, Director of Marketing. What’s the going rate for the sound of packaged gas? With just the touch of your finger, iToot will deliver Multi-fart pack - Short ones, long ones, loud ones and even a few wet ones. Great for parties, grocery store or to end those long corporate meetings with a bang. All for 99 cents.
giggleSeed, formed by a group of strangers who met during fast pitches at StartUp Weekend™ hosted by Tech Columbus will work virtually and meet monthly with the goal of developing, and distributing silly, and sometimes irreverent apps for the iPhone and iPod Touch. To learn more visit our website at www.giggleseeds.com
About GiggleSeed
GiggleSeed is a new approach to running a virtual application development business for the Apple iPhone and iPod touch. http://www.giggleseeds.com .
About TechColumbus
TechColumbus is a nonprofit organization that focuses on technology-based economic development in the 15 counties of central Ohio. http://www.techcolumbus.org/
About Startup Weekend
Startup Weekend is an intense event bringing brilliant tech minds together to create companies, projects and great tech communities! http://startupweekend.com/
CorkShare Announcement at Startup Weekend Columbus
A virtual CorkBoard for sharing web media created by students at Case Western Reserve University
Columbus, Ohio — July 20th, 2008 — Students at Case Western Reserve University have developed CorkShare, a visual representation of a corkboard on the web, as a project for Startup Weekend Columbus. CorkShare allows users to create CorkBoards for sharing web media and personal content with friends, group members, or organizations. The development team of Jim England, Tim Gasper, and Devesh Menawat built a working prototype and demonstrated its functionality during the weekend event.
Users of CorkShare can add objects, called Corks, to their own personal CorkBoard. Both Corks and CorkBoards are conversational, in that other users can comment on postings as well as add postings of their own. CorkShare has everything friends and colleagues need to manage, share, and discuss content.
More information on CorkShare will be released periodically through an online newsletter. Individuals can sign up for updates at www.corkshare.com.
About CorkShare
CorkShare is a Web 2.0 visual content aggregator built by students Jim England, Tim Gasper, and Devesh Menawat of Case Western Reserve University. With CorkShare, users can drag and drop add notes, photos, videos, and widgets onto a virtual CorkBoard to be shared and discussed with friends. CorkShare is currently in development. For more information, visit www.corkshare.com.
About Startup Weekend Columbus
Startup Weekend recruits a highly motivated group of developers, business managers, startup enthusiasts, marketing gurus, graphic artists and more to a 54 hour event that builds communities, companies and projects. For more information, visit www.startupweekend.com.
NEW WEBSITE uPropel.com MATCHES PROSPECTIVE STUDENTS WITH ONLINE DONORS
COLUMBUS, Ohio (July 20, 2008) — uPropel.com, a new website connecting students in need of tuition assistance with charitable philanthropists in the online community, launched today at the conclusion of Startup Weekend Columbus, an intense 54-hour entrepreneurial event hosted by TechColumbus.
To use uPropel.com, students pay a small fee to create a profile online and upload a brief video. Videos might tell a story, demonstrate a unique talent, or go on a humorous rant: basically anything that might garner the interest of a donor.
Once someone decides to donate scholarship funds to a particular student via uPropel.com, the money is charged to the donor’s credit card. That money then goes into a fund that is set up for that particular student. Through uPropel.com, students and donors can easily monitor this fund to ensure the student reaches his or her goal. The money is then paid directly to the student’s institution at the commencement of the semester upon proof of enrollment. In theory, students will keep in touch with donors through an email chain or profile updates.
Although the development of the business plan will not be fully implemented until after Startup Weekend, the concept is outlined on paper and a web infrastructure has been built. To learn more and follow progress, visit www.uPropel.com.
About uPropel
uPropel is a new approach for students to raise money for college through grassroots online tuition donations. www.uPropel.com.
About TechColumbus
TechColumbus is a nonprofit organization that focuses on technology-based economic development in the 15 counties of Central Ohio. www.techcolumbus.org
About Startup Weekend
Startup Weekend hosts 54 hour events in cities across the country bringing together all types of people to create companies, projects, and great technology based communities over the course of a weekend. www.startupweekend.com
George and Doug, alumnus from SWRTP shared their expertise with SWC and Greg, who came in preparation for SW Phoenix in the fall. Having people from different regions added a whole new dynamic to Startup Weekend Columbus.
Mike Gray @mikergray writes a great piece on his blog on how to get love at a Startup Weekend. These are some great ideas for future Startup Weekend event organizers!
SWC overall event – take aways 21 Jul 1. best $40 dollars I ever spent
2. the down right most capable, friendly, willing, energized and organized team of hosts, speakers, organizers
3. GREAT SPEAKERS
4. awesome food
5. FREE BEER
6. wonderful hosts!
7. great sponsors
8. no real rules
9. managed to create a world that for the 54 hours I was there- was free of negativity, doubt, the impossible and embraced a world of possibility, promise, potential, and unity
infused momentum into everything we did, everything must go
10. we took the typical killing power of “pause/doubt” off the table
11. you have permission to have passion
12. if i was an employer i would REQUIRE all of my employees to participate at a startup weekend event, it breaks down existing/built up barriers not only for the 54 hours you are there but you are left with STAMP of positive energy that can only help the employers product/service/process and its viral infecting employees and customers with serious 13. good vibes, companies spend $$$$$$$ in morale boosting, synergy team building techniques that don’t even have a whiff of what startup weekend brings
13. needs more documentation, filmed, tv, pictures, audio recordings, (editors note, working on that this week! It is a MONUMENTAL task!)
14. was powered by social media, specifically collaborative apps like basecamp, google docs, gmail and twitter
15. twitter connected everyone together, all teams shared ideas, fun, chatter and bit by bit promise via twitter
16. need to talk to the doers/devs about what key tools they used to crank out sites and concepts fast, share the tool box knowledge
17. great networking opportunity
18. no one wanted to leave (editors note: AGREED!”)
Dan, we really appreciate you being at SWC and hope to see you soon and often! Thanks for helping make this a spectacular event!
