Startup Monday: Kickstarter

Startup Monday is ABCey’s weekly post that features some of the best and brightest companies in the Bay Area. They are often companies that we have our eye on or have worked with in the past & would like to share with friends and followers of ABCey Events.

As many of you know, Kickstarter is the world’s largest funding platform for creative projects. Every week, tens of thousands of people pledge millions of dollars to projects from the worlds of music, art, design, technology, film, publishing, games, fashion, food, and other creative fields. Since its launch in 2009, 5.8 million people have pledged $1 billion, funding 57,000 creative projects! They also recently won the most coveted award at the 7th Annual Tech Crunch Crunchies for Best Overall Startup of 2013!

What’s so great about Kickstarter is that each project is independently created. The unique creators have complete control over and responsibility for their projects. Creators are able to keep 100% ownership of their work, and backers support projects to help them come to life. Together, creators and backers make projects happen.

Kickstarter believes that creative projects make for a better world, and are thrilled to help support new ones. Anyone can launch a project on Kickstarter as long as it meets their deadlines. The startup is based in Brooklyn, New York and will support any creative minds! The Bay Area is filled with innovation and creativity, so if you have a project or idea you want to see come to life, Kickstarter is the right platform! Take a look at the thousands of projects launched from the San Francisco Bay Area or highlights from 2013, or the best projected Kickstarter projects of 2014.

What do you think of the Best Overall Startup of 2013?! Would you use it to launch a project? Let us know in the comments below or on Facebook & Twitter!

Tech Tuesday: Crowdtilt

The 7th Annual Crunchies Awards are just around the corner! Here at ABCey, we did lots of digging and research to cast our votes. There are truly some unique companies and apps up for nomination! Let’s take a look at a platform from the tech world that stood out to us: Crowdtilt.

Crowdtilt is nominated in the Best Collaborative Consumption Service category. It serves as the largest funding platform for group experiences, purchases, and causes! Crowdtilt is a quick and simple way to pool funds with your friends and family.

This platform makes it a breeze to collect money for shared experiences such as group vacations and birthday parties. Costs can be split evenly for group purchases like wedding gifts, concert tickets, or dinner parties. Is there a cause near and dear to your heart? Support your favorite non-profit or local community by pooling funds through Crowdtilt.

Check out the video on How it Works! Let’s break it down. There are 3 easy steps to how Crowdtilt can collect funds for you.

1. Set things up: Develop a campaign by creating a description for it, add an image, and choose how much money you want to raise or collect.

2. Spread the word: Generate buzz by telling friends and family about your campaign through social media. Email, tweet, and post on Facebook!

3. Get paid: As soon as the campaign tilts, every participant’s card is charged. You will get the funds via direct deposit.

We love what Crowdtilt has to offer! Would you try it to plan your next group vacation, dinner party, or fundraiser? Let us know in the comments below or on Facebook & Twitter! Don’t forget to vote and purchase your ticket for the 7th Annual Crunchies Awards!

ABCey’s Weekend Line-Up: 6.20.13-6.23.13

This weekend marks the official start of summer! Across the bay area, there are nighttime yacht cruises, a free BBQ, and hackathons galore. Celebrate everyone’s favorite season with ABCey!

1. API Hackday 2013 | Sunday, June 23rd | 8:00 a.m.-5 p.m. | 169 11th St. San Francisco | This all-day coding fest is where to be if you’re a developer who really wants to design apps and mashups with APIs. Admission and all the meals you could want are free so you can focus on creating the next best app! At the end, hackers will present their ideas and creations to the judge panel and have a chance to win some pretty cool prizes.

2. “Grilling in the Mo” Annual Fillmore Summer Fest Kick-Off | Saturday, June 22nd | 1:00 p.m.-5 p.m. | 1900 Geary St. San Francisco | Celebrate the official start of summer with some free BBQ! Bring the kiddos along for face-painting, line dancing, and fun for all.

3. Mobile Commerce World 2013 | Monday, June 24th | 8:00 a.m.-7:30 p.m. | Palace Hotel, San Francisco | Businesspeople in all fields will benefit from learning how to grow and expand their mobile commerce and marketing strategies at Mobile Commerce World. This three-day event will teach you everything to know about developing efficient mobile products and strategies and how to create the “next big thing.”

4. Hack//Meat: Re-imagine the Future of Meat | Friday, June 21st- Sunday, June 23rd | 8:00 a.m.- 5:00 p.m. | Institute of Design at Stanford | Food and tech come together in a giant hackathon to decide the future of the meat industry. Everyone from policy experts to technologists and other “steakholders” will be ready to discuss and develop new technologies and tools to progress the meat industry in America.

5. SPLASH! | Friday, June 21st | 7:30 p.m.-10:30 p.m. | 10 Marina Blvd, San Francisco | End your week in a big SPLASH! presented by UCSF’s Partners in Care. Sip champagne while a luxury yacht takes you around the bay to see the Giants game and the beautiful Bay Bridge lights. Proceeds go towards helping families and patient care at UCSF hospitals!

Which event are you most excited for? Tell us in a comment or on Facebook and Twitter!

The Tech Behind the Bay Lights

The art installation by Leo Villareal on the Bay Bridge is absolutely stunning. The thousands of shimmering lights decorating the bridge elevate the Golden Gate’s awkward cousin to the big leagues while adding to the already picturesque skyline across San Francisco Bay. ABCey explores the innovative technology behind Villareal’s masterpiece.

The backstory: Villareal is an accomplished artist whose work spans across America, including the Burningman camp Disorient. Ben Davis, founder of World Pictures Ideas, discovered Villareal’s work at the 2010 Zero1 Biennial in Silicon Valley. As chairman of Illuminate the Arts, Davis recruited the artist to begin the enormous project to adorn the Bay Bridge in light in honor of its 75th birthday.

Villareal used around 25,000 individuall programmed white LED lights to complete his project. Philips Color Kinetics custom made the lights and a complex algorithm to create an ever-changing pattern across the western side of the bridge. The lights are mounted in single strands along the bridge’s cables and use around 150 kilowatt hours during its nightly 7-hour shift. The displays costs around $11,000 per year, or about $4.25 per hour!

The bridge is now not only a bridge, but a contemporary work of art deemed the largest LED sculpture in the world. 50 million people are expected to see the bridge during the art work’s two year lifespan. The Bay Lights are a symbol of the bay area’s world-renoun leadership in the arts, transportation and progress, and, of course, technology.

Have you seen the Bay Lights? What do you think of this project? Let us know with a comment, tweet, or Facebook post!

ABCey’s Weekend Line-Up 6.13.13-6.16.13

If you and dad need some time away from the Father’s Day BBQs, take him to one of the events on ABCey’s Weekend Line-Up! From liquor-themed carnivals to street festivals and every tech event in between, ABCey’s here to amp up your family time this weekend!

1. San Francisco Craft Spirits Carnival | Saturday, June 15th | 1 p.m.-5 p.m. | Fort Mason Festival Pavilion | This is one carnival you definitely don’t want to miss! Try some of the local Bourbon, Whiskey, Tequila and other spirits available for unlimited sample along with your admission. And yes, those are technicolor trapeze artists, that’s not the absinthe talking!

2. GigaOM Structure 2013 | Wednesday, June 19th-Thursday, June 20th | 7 a.m.-6 p.m. | Mission Bay Conference Center at UCSF | From cloud to concept, this year’s theme will track how the real needs of businesses are driving IT construction and development. Speakers include representatives from Google, Amazon.com, and Revlon and startups and tech trailblazers will be recognized during presentations.

3. California Music Industry Summit | Friday, June 14th- Saturday, June 15th | 8 a.m.-5 p.m. | Laney College Theater, Oakland | Attention all music lovers and aspiring rock stars! This Friday, you’ll finally get your shot at stardom when hundreds of people from the music industry come out for a day of workshops, exhibits, and networking. Independent artists from all across America come to sing their hearts out and build relationships with others in the industry. Think of this as American Idol without the catfights.

4. North Beach Festival | Saturday, June 15th- Sunday, June 16th | 10 a.m.-6 p.m. | North Beach District, San Francisco | Take dad to San Francisco’s Little Italy this weekend for Tony’s Pizza and the North Beach Festival. Enjoy the summer sun and bay breeze as you wander through the craft stands and chalk art adorning this charming area of the city.

5. Bloomberg Next Big Thing Summit | Monday, June 17th- Tuesday, June 18th | 7:30 a.m.-9 p.m. | Ritz-Carlton Half Moon Bay | This hunt for the “next big thing” brings together entrepreneurs and investors to examine the impact of technology and business on innovation and the human experience. Talented journalists, businessmen, and analysts are sure to give conference-goers great insight into forward-thinking strategies for the tech industry’s future.

Would your dad like to go to one of these events? Let us know in a comment or on Facebook and Twitter!

Tech Tuesday: The World’s First Digital LoFi-Fisheye Camera

Tech Tuesday highlights the best and brightest ideas in the tech world. ABCey would like to recognize these up and coming companies for their innovative ideas and ability to think outside the box!

Ever since the first digital camera became available, we haven’t been able to stop taking pictures. As consumers became more and more enamored with the ease and accessibility of digital cameras, analog models with their film and fuss were pushed out of the spotlight. That was the case until Greg Dash combined the best of both digital and analog worlds and created the first digital LoFi-fisheye camera. But be warned: what you’re about to see is terribly cute!

This little guy doesn’t look like he can do much more than fit in your pocket, but Dash designed his camera to have a 170 degree fisheye lens, two to twelve megapixels, and an HD video mode. It can even take time-lapse photos and has a removable battery for your convenience. Even though it is too small for a screen to review your snaps, accessing your pictures is incredibly easy. All the files are stored on a micro SD card that you can insert into your computer and see instantly. Plus, at only sixty-five British pounds (about $100 USD), this camera is a fraction of the cost of traditional dslr lenses. With this camera, you get the quality of analog lenses with the convenience of a digital camera. What’s not to love?

This project, as you can see, is still in its infancy. Dash is a one-man operation driven by a desire to create a fisheye camera with mobility and produced only a thousand cameras for the product’s launch on Indiegogo. Every camera was snapped up in seconds and, in order to meet market demands, Dash is developing new cameras for consumer use.

Would you buy this product? Tell us in a comment below or on Facebook and Twitter!

Startup Monday: Indiegogo

Startup Monday is ABCey’s weekly post that features some of the best and brightest companies in the Bay Area. They are often companies that we have our eye on or have worked with in the past that we would like to share with the friends and followers of ABCey Events.

If you’ve ever needed to do any sort of fundraising, you’re well aware that it can be a confusing, stressful mess to figure out how to market your campaign and properly represent your ideas and values. Luckily there’s Indiegogo, the newest and most simple way to raise money for whatever your heart desires!

Indiegogo helps you ease into the fundraising process by giving your campaign a voice, and a platform to tell people what you’re doing and how they can help. Creating a campaign on the site is extremely simple, and is completely free to start. What makes Indiegogo‘s fundraisers successful is the unique algorithm they use, called the “gogofactor”. The more you share, tweet, and encourage people to “like” your campaign, the more you boost your gogofactor.

If you want to know more about how it works, check out their website to browse through some current campaigns and see what the buzz is all about. If you don’t have an idea to fundraise for at the moment, you might find yourself feeling inspired after seeing what other people are doing!

Would you use Indiegogo to help fund your next campaign? Let us know in the comments below or on Facebook & Twitter!

Startup Monday: Wanderable

Unique and new experiences can often be a more valuable gift than any new cookware or furniture. This is why Wanderable, a site for honeymoon registries, is such a great tool for wedding couples. Not only that, Wanderable also makes the tedious task of sending out thank you cards a breeze! At ABCey, we think that it’s a wonderful idea and would recommend this to any couple about to tie the knot!

One of the best aspects of Wanderable is that it will also help you plan your honeymoon by suggesting destinations and activities based on your travel style. Wanderable also gives you the control to customize your registry and make it beautiful with designer themes and various layouts. You can even choose your own custom link!

Wanderable makes it equally easy for you share your new and exciting experiences with the very people that helped pay for it. With the iPhone app, you can make a real or virtual postcard with the snap of your camera phone and a personal message to your guests. Wanderable will save you a trip (or more) to the post office by stamping and mailing your postcards. Finally, it keeps track of you who you’ve sent a thank-you card to and who you have yet to thank. Super!

With the help of Wanderable, you are able cut down one more stressful component of planning your wedding. Would you try Wanderable for your upcoming nuptuals? Let us know in the comments below or on Facebook & Twitter!

Startup Monday: Swish

ABCey Events is always on the hunt for the latest gadgets or tools that will serve as unique event gifts or help us to better plan an event. This just got a whole lot easier with Swish! Swish, which only launched this past Friday, offers VERY new (not-yet-made) products from creators and inventors across the world. Each product gets a 30-day pre-order campaign giving all Swish users the chance to be one of the first people to own a new product.

If you’re hosting a tech event maybe you want to include a Card Ninja in your gift bag? I just finished baking an absurd amount of brownies for a Super Bowl party and could actually use the Ultimate Spatula. There are tons of innovative items that would be very helpful for event planners (and everyone) on this site. Furthermore, never before has your order for something been so meaningful.

Swish co-founder Heather Brundage tells us, “We want to give consumers a voice like the App Store or Reddit, where you get to go and say ‘Hey, I want that!’ and not be limited by what only big retailers think you will like.” When you order a product, you signify to everyone else and the public that the product is worthy and has value – moving it up on the Crowd Favorite list. Your order invariably helps inventors determine a demand for their creation which gives them the go-ahead to ramp up production.

If Fab and Kickstarter had a startup baby, Swish would be their child. It is creative, fun gadgets and products for sale with a little crowdfunding thrown in the mix. It might take them a few months (or up to a year) to get these brand-new products to you, however, you will have the ultimate satisfaction that you’ll be one of the first people to get your hands on an awesome new product that you helped become a reality!

What’s your favorite product on their site? Let us know in the comments below or on Facebook & Twitter.

TechCrunch Crunchies Coverage: Biggest Social Impact

ABCey Events is super excited for tomorrow’s 2012 Crunchie Awards here in our beloved SF! For our final awards coverage, we wanted to spotlight the startups that are up for Biggest Social Impact, those that have contributed to some meaningful and significant social impact in our society.

1. Donors Choose – Donors Choose is an online charity that makes it easy for anyone to help students in need. Public school teachers post classroom project requests on the site, and one can give any amount to the project that most inspires. When a project reaches its funding goal, Donors Choose ship the materials to the school. In return, donors get photos of the project taking place, a letter from the teacher, and insight into how every dollar was spent. Give over $50 and you’ll also receive hand-written thank-yous from the students. This truly makes giving back an easy and fun task. After all, we’ve all been there when someone ate all the glue.

2. Indiegogo – Indiegogo is a crowdfunding platform where people who want to raise money can create fundraising campaigns to tell their story and get the word out. Indiegogo is also a place to discover what people all over the world are passionate about and how to get involved. IndieGoGo campaigns receive all the money they have been pledged, whether the initial funding goal was reached or not. IndieGoGo is available internationally.

3. Kickstarter – Kickstarter is a funding platform for creative projects everything from films, games, and music to art, design, and technology. They are particularly useful and great for finding and funding creative projects such as music albums or indie movies. Every project creator sets their project’s funding goal and deadline. If people like the project, they can pledge money to make it happen. If the project succeeds in reaching its funding goal, all backers’ credit cards are charged when time expires. If the project falls short, no one is charged. Funding on Kickstarter is all-or-nothing.4. Kiva – Kiva is a non-profit organization with a mission to connect people through lending to alleviate poverty. Leveraging the internet and a worldwide network of microfinance institutions, Kiva lets individuals lend as little as $25 to help create opportunity around the world. Loans funded through Kiva have a 98 percent repayment rate, so the money you lend to a small business owner is likely to come back to you. By connecting people through lending, Kiva has empowered small businesses and served as an important catalyst for positive change and job growth.

5. Reddit – Reddit is a source for what’s new and popular on the web. Users like you provide all of the content and decide, through voting, what’s good and what’s junk. Links that receive community approval bubble up towards #1, so the front page is constantly in motion and (hopefully) filled with fresh, interesting links. This is far more effective and significant than when you “like” something on Facebook. Interestingly, Mashable has a complete section devoted to “Reddit Facts” learned each week.

Which of these startups have made the most social impact on your life? Who did you vote for? Let us know in the comments below or on Facebook & Twitter.