Cariann Higginbotham: Technology Evangelist Podcast, Episode – 0011, for January 25^th, 2007. TECHCocktail.

Benjamin Higginbotham: Welcome to Technology Evangelist Podcast. My name is Benjamin Higginbotham with me from Technology Evangelist also is Ed Kohler.

Ed Kohler: Hello.

Benjamin Higginbotham: And from TECHCocktail, we’ve got Frank Gruber and Eric Olson.

Frank Gruber: Hello.

Eric Olson: Hello.

Benjamin Higginbotham: Hey kids. So, tell us little bit about TECHCocktail?

Eric Olson: Oh is weird, because I actually can’t, like,  look at Frank to see you should answer the question. There is no eye contact. Really, I much need eye contact, we don’t have it. Yeah, so I am essentially a little about what TECHCocktail is mean simply, just about building the Chicago technology community getting everybody closer, also it’s part of that, getting the word out about what’s going on the Chicago and the Midwest in terms of companies launching new technologies, happening out here and the overarch thing is to have fun while we do it, such a world out.

Frank Gruber: Yeah and just really better connecting the community local Tech and Business community, so.

Benjamin Higginbotham: Is it just Chicago or we planning on world domination expansion type stuff?

Frank Gruber: Yeah, as of now it’s only Chicago/Midwest and we get a lot people are gonna come from other, whether it’s Ohio or what. You guys came last time down from Minnesota and we got a lot of people coming in, so it’s actually tuning the kind of Midwest event. Yeah, I think if we knew some people out, we could trust and stuff to do something in Boston, Austin-Texas, right to favor other cities, I don’t have this bigger footprint as Silicon Valley too.

Ed Kohler: Why is that, because they rhyme?

Benjamin Higginbotham: And I like that too, yeah, sound good to say Boston, Austin it’s kind of rolls of the tongue.

Frank Gruber: So yeah, I mean if we had some people that were wanted to do it some markets, we are undeserved by events and things like that, we would be happy to basically I think get the name out to them and then kind of help them with what we’ve learnt. Tell them all that stuff and help them get some going.

Ed Kohler: Well we had a great time at the last TECHCocktail and it’s was definitely crowded, so looks like you have a new venue this time. Is that probably, why?

Frank Gruber: Yeah, absolutely yeah. This one is supposed to be, supposedly they had parties say of are about 600 ashes or so, should be little more space considering last time we had 350 people, although I say that with us topping 600 RSP piece already, selling last week or so.

Eric Olson : We just keep pushing back even breaks restriction, they setup like a restriction number you can have, they cap you on how many RSVP's you can have and we just keep pushing it back, so. That’s a good sign.

Benjamin Higginbotham: Well, it’s gonna be pretty cold tomorrow, so let’s see how many of these guys part even?

Frank Gruber: Exactly, there will be no fair without fans.

Benjamin Higginbotham: So, this is the third one right, this is TECHCocktail 3?

Frank Gruber: Yes, it is.

Benjamin Higginbotham: So other than different venue, what’s gonna be different at TECHCocktail 3 versus a 2 or 1?

Frank Gruber: I mean the ultimate goal is absolutely the same, right, so and that’s sounds good, there is more people there. I know that some folks from Illinois government are coming now, which is great. So, we are getting the state involved and that a higher levels, so they can start, can experience together and that type of things, so together it will be a lot more people there obviously and in kind of more people had haven’t been before like state government folks like so, but the message is gonna be the same and always is. Now there is shaft new companies coming out, get the technology community, whether it’s business people, VCs, entrepreneurs, coders, all together in one room, so they can chat and just have some fun. Just as funny little things that will be different, they won’t be limos, in lieu of limos, Single Hop is bringing in 2 giant ice sculpture frogs that will dispense Green Martini’s, so that will be fun.

Eric Olson: Case you are not from Single Hop other hosting company that has been, it had been one of our core sponsors for the first couple of TECHCocktails.

Frank Gruber: Yeah, those guys are great. I mean they do know, they do a lot for the event and they are just in crucial part to get us in together. We have got a law firm that is coming in to basically they decided that they wanted to give away a trip to Las Vegas for 2, that will be valid up around 1000 bucks or so.

Ed Kohler: That’s cool.

Frank Gruber: Yeah, in that there in Dugan, Downtown here in Chicago and so the way they are doing is actually interesting, it’s not gonna be just a straight old rappel there actually having rule-out [phonetic] table and whoever basically wins or [rule-out] for the night, non-monitory that’s straight kind of playing for fun, who will win the trip to Las Vegas.

Ed Kohler: It’s sounds like fun. We were just out in Las Vegas last week for the CES show and had a good time out there, so whoever wins that trip, I would recommend try the slot game called Hot-Hot Super Jackpot.

Benjamin Higginbotham: Hot-Hot Super Jackpot,

Ed Kohler:- that’s why you guys have little bit of fun at least.

Ed Kohler: We came out of ahead.

Eric Olson: That’s good enough. Any trip to Vegas where you come out ahead is a good thing.

Ed Kohler: Oh yeah, definitely. So, it sounds like it’s gonna be a fun day, what you recommend for people who never been to TECHCocktail before, what should they do to prepare? How many business cards they bring or when should they drink, how much should they drink, what are the rules?

Frank Gruber: Have fun,

Eric Olson:- That’s the rule. I mean we basically, we try it to keep pretty open and comfortable. The business card thing – yeah, you might want to bring some, but there are people at our events that show up without business cards, more or less just to mingles, so it’s your own. It’s not just business people, it’s people there, they are just to take photos with this people there, that are just bloggers and interested in these types of technologies, there is all walks of life, so just come, and have a good time, that’s pretty much is.

Benjamin Higginbotham: You mentioned no limos this year. The nice thing about this TECHCocktail 2 is guys got totally plastered and then you have a limo that drive you home. I know that we took up and had the limo drivers back to Minneapolis, which was nice. I am sure you will be giving that sort of limo ride.

Eric Olson: You want ride on limos, some really long ride, I don’t know.

Benjamin Higginbotham: Is that are there gonna be taxis available or how you are gonna get the people who really shouldn’t be driving out of there?

Eric Olson: Yeah, totally that’s we aren’t being at the MBC tower this time, there is always taxis up front and there is plenty of that stuff, so…

Frank Gruber: Yeah, location is the key there. I mean you got public transportation every direction, so and you could probably even take a boat, if you wanted to. What I want to tell you about TECHCocktail was that one of the key features, besides people hanging out, have a good time and mingling is. We offer of some demos from some of the local startups in businesses, so our last one, I think we had 6 or 7 demos, grubhub and planet puss [phonetic] and e-sigma and

Eric Olson: E-pokey.com…

Frank Gruber: Yeah, so lot of really cool sites out there, so this event, we have let’s see, I think 7 demos that is gonna be setup, which include mbc5.com [phonetic] which make sense, because we are gonna in the MBC towers, so they are gonna come down and demo some of these stuff. Jellyfish.com, jobcoin.com, planetpuss which is actually a planning site, pretty cool, they were at the last one, they loved it so much, so they wanna comeback, [inaudible] fine with that , Neuros OSD which is basically it’s the first open source of Linux embedded media center , so it’s been written up in PC Magazine and it’s…

Ed Kohler: That sounds cool.

Frank Gruber: It’s pretty cool, yeah.

Benjamin Higginbotham: It’s a lot like myth?

Frank Gruber: I am not familiar myth.

Benjamin Higginbotham: Alright well, never mind.

Frank Gruber: Is that, they are also one of these? Tell me about it I love to hear?

Benjamin Higginbotham: It’s kind of MythTV, it’s an open source media center for Linux.

Frank Gruber: Oh, I bet, yeah it is like that.

Ed Kohler: Ask about it.

Benjamin Higginbotham: Yeah, actually if you want to know about it, if you are curious too, you should probably go to TECHCocktail, where you can find out about it.

Eric Olson: Yeah, techcocktail.com.

Frank Gruber: There is actually a couple of more so, moving along here swap simple is another one, so swapsimple.com, it’s like trading sites, you can trade like books and things like that and then we are the people just came in recently in contact us about demos and I believe they are going to be there as well, so we got our full slate and I will in our room there at Amira [Phonetic] for people to walk through and talk with the founders and whatnot, so it’s a good place to meet people and meet founders of startups and just have a good time.

Ed Kohler: So, Frank you are at Mountain View right now at Iowa , are you just flying for the day to Chicago or you are Cameo how does this works ?

Frank Gruber: Yeah, there is gonna be a Cameo tomorrow, if all goes well. It’s a little bit, I am a little concerned, because we never know with travel. So, we will see how it goes, got a flight tickets and it’s gonna be a little bit late for the beginning of the TECHCocktail, but hope I can make it. If not Eric, that’s a lot …. .

Eric Olson: That’s a lot of people. Yeah, I got to cover.

Frank Gruber: He has got to cover, he is there, he can fire him like the best of them so. Let’s there be our contingency.

Benjamin Higginbotham: Should probably book a venue and…

Frank Gruber: Oh yeah, I knew you forgot something.

Benjamin Higginbotham: So Frank what is your favorite part of TECHCocktail?

Frank Gruber: My favorite part of TECHCocktail, I think last time was going up and making announcements, I felt like I M.C. Hammer or something.

Eric Olson: That’s good.

Ed Kohler: What a great celebrity pick.

Frank Gruber: I mean, I know I could have picked any celebrity.

Eric Olson: You only get one shot.

Frank Gruber: One shot and so mean, you never know may be Eric will jump into some rap here something, who knows?

Eric Olson: It might could happen even now.

Benjamin Higginbotham: I know like Tommy Lee, but…

Frank Gruber: Nowadays everybody want to talk.

Benjamin Higginbotham: Oh jeez, here we go. I think that should be a segment in the podcast, right now as you rapping Eminem [inaudible].

Frank Gruber: Oh yes.

Benjamin Higginbotham: Same question to you Eric, what’s your part of TECHCocktail?

Eric Olson: My favorite part is totally just meeting people, I have never met before and also checking out all the companies, I would just like to see what’s going on and definitely made all the great friends from both, the companies and another people I met at TECHCocktail and it’s just been a lot of fun. I really enjoy meeting people and talking about their ideas and stuff so.

Frank Gruber: Yeah that’s the whole point. So, it’s great to be able to actually put off and see all these people get together. You know what? Eric and I run around these events, so I don’t see at the event it’s really hard to meet a lot of people, because we are hosting it, but we try to get around to meet as many people as possible, but you can see that there is a lot of people talking to lot of different people. So, it’s kind of just watching and seeing other people connect at these events and see things come out of, like the first event for example some folks email us about “hey do you know anybody that might be interested in working a new startup” and which basically matchmaker with some people and in the next event actually end-up meeting and actually we are starting a company. So, it’s pretty cool to see that process a kind of work out.

Ed Kohler: How do you think TECHCocktail has changed your impression of the Chicago Tech scene?

Frank Gruber: Oh Jesus, that’s a great question. I can’t look at you Eric, so tune me that in.

Eric Olson: I will jump right in all right.

Frank Gruber: So, basically going into we are on an impression as there were lot of startup companies out there and just there wasn’t anything to a kind of get them all together – unite them. So, our goal is to how to connect all the people and I think it hasn’t really changed our initial thought. We thought there are a , lot of people doing - a lot of different things, but I don’t know, our first event we expected 30-50 people and we had like 200 or something.

Eric Olson: Nearly 250.

Frank Gruber: Yes, so our next one, we expected 250 and we got 350 and this one we have over 600 people or else we will repeat , we don’t know what’s the final, how it will be, but it just shows that there is a lot of interest and enthusiasm and a lot of stuff going on in Chicago. It is just not being portrayed that way. So, they speak all the time, so the goal is try to amplify the signal in the area and really give people that are doing really cool things and up place a showcase really, to show off what they are doing?.

Eric Olson: Yeah Frank has probably got even more. We both guys have some different perspective on this, because Frank grew up around here and has seen the Tech community grow and me coming in year and half ago to join the team of feed burn to built that company. I came from Boston which is, I grew up outside of Boston went to school outside of Boston and worked in Boston up until I came out here. So, I didn’t have much perspective on Chicago Tech community and when I got here, I was just like there is all these companies around here. I heard some of them, but what’s wiser nothing going on, there should be something going on. I was excited to get to some parties and meet some people and really wasn’t anything going on. So, I would say that kind of some more or what, what Frank said where we thought, we did it, because we thought there is lot of stuff going on, but I got to tell you, I am actually blown away with the amount of stuff that’s going on.

Frank Gruber: I thought too.

Eric Olson: I thought that there is a lot going on, but we’ve gone I mean basically 5-10 demos at all our three events now, that there will one be in tomorrow and…

Frank Gruber: Every time it’s new…

Eric Olson: Yeah, it’s every time new. We probably showcased 25 new startups and then at the same time we had people from Orbits/Career Builder, all the big companies.

Frank Gruber: Tribune, Playboy…

Eric Olson: Playboy, Feed Burner. I think we got already some similar job [phonetic], we get them one of these days.

Frank Gruber: Reached out to them a couple of times and I have given up.

Eric Olson: Yeah, I am sure you get some right above 90 million things, but yeah we’ve got this whole breath of startup setup growing and kind of getting all bigger like FeedBurner.com is good example of that. Then we’ve got the older companies like Orbitz.com and CareerBuilder.com and then we’ve got all these new companies like 20 plus new companies already seen in the last nine months, which is…

Frank Gruber: And then there is some, they don’t even demo they just show up and then you find out about them. There are couple of sites.

Eric Olson: Like Menuism.com right?

Frank Gruber: Yeah Menuism.com, that’s a good one, they getting some really, actually I think some big press like working with yahoo and things like that so.

Ed Kohler: I liked you said I contribute some breakfast breed or reviews to that site.

Benjamin Higginbotham: There you go!

Frank Gruber: Yeah that’s two guys website and they are running that site. So, It’s interesting that putting names and faces and they are local, so.

Eric Olson: I think we actually did a video segment on them, last time did…

Frank Gruber: Yes Jessie and john.

Benjamin Higginbotham: Yup absolutely. Technology Evangelist will hot link that for you, so you can take a peek at those guys.

Eric Olson: Well hey Frank travel safe tomorrow and I think we can have great time.

Frank Gruber: Yeah, wish me luck. I mean you can because I need it so here I go.

Benjamin Higginbotham: All right thanks guys.

Eric Olson: Take care bye-bye.