JenConsalvo

october’s local tech events

Jen Consalvo — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 19:21:32 +0000

fall is my favorite season.. but it seems to fly by the fastest. probably because it’s so jam packed with events. there were many others but here are just a few photos from some recent local tech events in the dc-area: blog potomac, twtrcon and a couple from last night’s “living proof” event put on by the gates foundation. note the tears of sadness and funeral garb for blog potomac’s last event. and of course, we collected a few thankfulfor statements along the way…

npr’s andy carvin speaking at blog potomac

shel israel was a morning highlight at blog potomac

sean gorman from fortiusone spoke at blog potomac later in the day

natalia luckyanova from imangi studios spoke about game development

a teary-eyed adam zand and shireen mitchell announce the “wake” for blog potomac (post-event happy/sad hour)

geoff livingston, the event founder, gives some final remarks at the end of blog potomac

shireen mitchell steals some quiet time in the theater’s balcony

scott harrison talks about charity:water at twtrcon dc

power users unite at table 3

the excitable social media panel at twtrcon dc

a group picture before leaving twtrcon for another local meetup

laura fitton (aka @pistachio) tells us what she is thankful for (awwww…)

scott harrison of charity:water tells us what he is thankful for

brian dresher from usa today tells us what he is thankful for

we couldn’t get close enough to bill gates to ask what he is thankful for, but let’s just guess (pardon the bad pic – taken with iphone!)

another pic of the stage at the gates foundation living proof project at the sidney harmon hall in dc

a photographic study

Jen Consalvo — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 21:13:24 +0000

there are lots of techniques out there to improve our photography skills. one technique that seems to be growing in popularity is to take on a 365 project. the basic notion is to take at least one photograph everyday for a year. there are variations on the project – some people choose to take a photo of themselves everyday, others might choose a specific object, or a theme like portraits, or just one picture a day from their daily life. regardless of topic, you are focused and practicing with an aim to stretch yourself and improve. i actually like the idea of photographing yourself or a particular object everyday because it forces you to get creative. check out this ultra-creative 365 day self-portrait project by flickr member aknacer and another one by his partner in crime, flickr member rosiehardy.

i haven’t yet taken on a 365 day project… but i often take a particular object and attempt to shoot it in many different ways for the same reason – to challenge myself to see things differently, mix it up, get creative, grow. have you done a 365 project? if so, i’d love to hear from you – leave a note in the comments please!

art on the avenue

Jen Consalvo — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 00:00:28 +0000

don’t you love fall festivals and fairs? i don’t go to many but i always try to go to the art on the avenue festival in the del ray neighborhood of alexandria. it was jam packed with more vendors than i remember from recent years and a sea of people enjoying the food, music, activities and goods. it was a gorgeous summer-like day for it too. there were more photography booths than ever – many were spectacular. other vendors sold hand-made soaps, jewelery, purses, kids goods and so much more. i walked away with some local food for dinner and a few pictures to share.

(uncommonknits.com)

(hadmatterart.com)

(painterly photography by lindamcadams.com)

(eco friendly gifts from truly-life.com)

(turningpointepress.com)

what are you thankful for?

Jen Consalvo — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 16:50:44 +0000

as many of you know, i’ve been working on a few personal projects in an attempt to design my own life including my own businesses. well, the first of these projects has launched – it’s one of our shiny heart ventures and you can find it at thankfulfor.com. it’s a simple online gratitude journal which you can make public or private. go in each day and write a few things you are thankful for – it’s a mood booster and many people (including myself) also believe it’s a key to well-being. do it for a few months and see how your outlook on life changes…and if you’re so inclined, you can add your twitter info to share your thankful posts with your social network , spreading good vibes far and wide. facebook and other sites will be added soon along with more features. please give it a try! (you don’t have to be on twitter to use it)

as paul graham from y combinator says, if you’re not a little embarrassed by your product release, you waited too long to launch. i’m proud to say, i’ve felt those little moments when the site’s gone down, when i realized it didn’t look so hot in some browsers, when people started asking why it’s so basic and where certain features were (they are on our list and will be out there as soon as we can manage) and when those little things called bugs pop up… but i’m also proud and so excited to have reached this very important first step. because the point is to have a vision, get it going and then build from there. rome wasn’t built in a day! i feel like the proud mother of a newborn, with plenty of plans and excitement for the future, but also huge desire to just enjoy this moment in time. and of course, i have much gratitude for the small team around me – because it takes a team to make things happen – as well as the support of friends and family.

to honor this moment i’m going to make a visual gratitude post of things i’m thankful for from this past summer, which finally seems over now that it’s october . you can also view my thankfulfor gratitude journal here.

blueberry picking with my sister

driving past this on an old country road and laughing hysterically

my parent’s lobsterbakes

time with friends & family (and cake!)

brilliant colors of summer

festivals and parades

garden cocktails

jodie’s wedding

fun with girlfriends

farmers markets

traveling to taipei

parties with puppies

summer flowers

sandy walks

welcoming the fall

what are you thankful for?

growsmartbiz & a brand for small businesses

Jen Consalvo — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 21:38:10 +0000

there was a very cool event in washington dc yesterday for small businesses called growsmartbiz. the day was filled with interesting speakers from near and far. and while chris anderson of wired magazine made for a flawless keynote speaker, senator mark warner drew lots of attention as a special guest, and the depth and breadth of the panelists was impressive, i think the real story here is network solutions.

as a long time brand in this space, i’m sure you’ve heard of them, and like me, you probably just thought of them as another domain name provider lost in a sea of competitors. i’ve done business with network solutions a few times through the years and had good experiences but never went beyond purchasing domains. but that started to change a few months ago. first, i heard about (and attended) their free online webinars for small businesses from local social media swami @shashib . then i started reading the women grow business blog, edited by dc’s own @jillfoster – and liked it so much that i became a contributor. then came the growsmartbiz conference and by then i realized (yes, it took a while!) – network solutions isn’t just a domain registrar. they are a complete resource for small businesses – online and offline. the new focus is perfect for them and i don’t say that lightly. i’ve watched roy dunbar, ceo of network solutions, online and in person and i believe his passion for this space – i believe the story and i believe it as their mission because of their follow through that is consistent across all their touchpoints. i haven’t looked into their numbers, but i’d bet it’s working for them, because they wear this mission well.

here are a few pics from yesterday. for an interesting write up on the panels, check out mayra ruiz’s take, shonali burke’s post and geoff livingston’s post on chris anderson.

buoyant

Jen Consalvo — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 15:01:44 +0000

last year i did a photo series of buoys from my dad’s lobsterboat. i decided to give it another go this summer and make it an ongoing personal project. it’s one of those things i just never get tired of shooting. it’s amazing how the smallest shift in wind, clouds, sun and position completely changes the texture and color of the water. in some pictures the sea looks sparkly and clear, in others it’s inky black or brilliant blue like an oil painting. the buoys themselves range in shape and color (each lobsterman chooses their own, for easy identification) and have always looked like bright little toys, bobbing around in the waves – each with it’s own character and personality. most bob independently, others cling together in groups, entwined after a storm. some shine from a fresh coat of paint, others are old and battered from the relentless atlantic. each so unique… hmmm. if you were a buoy, which would you be?

want to see more buoys? check out my slideshow on flickr.

eye candy from TechCrunch50

Jen Consalvo — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 19:46:41 +0000

of course you didn’t think i was going to end with just one post on techcrunch50, right? sheesh. i was just reserving the fun stuff for today. my favorite part of techcrunch50 is wandering around the crowd, especially the demo pit, and catching whatever interesting things i can. see all my pics from the event.

TechCrunch50: Year 3

Jen Consalvo — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 03:33:35 +0000

How time flies. I remember when Mike first told us he was going to host a tech conference and after that first event, we were all exhausted and overwhelmed by the sheer amount of entrepreneurship and creativity under one roof, not to mention the nonstop after-events. By now, I’ve learned how to better pace myself, I know lots of the other attendees and feel like the event has become a bit of a fall tradition. That said, it was still a whirlwind event with a surprise ending.

Here are links to the posts I did each day and some of the images I captured. Of course, for more complete coverage, the TechCrunch staff did an amazing job posting about all of the companies and most of the panels of experts. But while we’re here, let’s enjoy my take on things, shall we?

scarborough

Jen Consalvo — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 19:37:11 +0000

who doesn’t love a good sunset, right? here are just a few pics from a visit to scarborough, maine. we caught the sunset just before dinner at a friend’s house. what a great spot they live in.. surrounded by nature, yet close to portland – the perfect mix.

colorful southern california

Jen Consalvo — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 22:57:18 +0000

ok, a few more pics of encinitas and la jolla. can you tell i really loved it there? everything is just sort of vibrant and cheery.

pics of my recent trip to maine coming up soon.