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!

Startup Monday: Postcard

At ABCey, we are often juggling multiple social media accounts of our own as well as our clients for event marketing efforts. As many of you may know, managing multiple social media accounts can be absolutely insane. These days, social media is the way many people market themselves, products, or services. So, how do you manage posting to so many different sites?

This is where the app by WordPress blogger Kyle Newsome comes in handy. Postcard was designed to be the platform linking all social media accounts. You can set any one social media site, even your personal website, as your content host and post from there. Your multiple twitter accounts will re-tweet, etc. It is a pro-tool for those looking for an easy, all inclusive way to manage their many personal and business based social media accounts.

Postcard gives you that post-by-post control of where and how your message should be shared. This even includes WordPress, which gives Postcard the upper hand many other similar apps don’t have. We love the ease of use it offers as well as the ability to manage our personal website running on WordPress!

The app comes with support for 3 networks, with additional network support available via in app purchase. Do you manage multiple social media accounts? Would Postcard be useful to you? Let us know in the comments below, or on Facebook & Twitter!

Startup Monday: Education

Silicon Valley’s biggest event of the year is finally here! Tonight, we find out which companies will win Tech Crunchies Awards. Here at ABCey, we decided to dive into those nominated for Best Education Startup. We think each company in this category has made valuable contributions to changing the face of education. Let’s take a look at the nominees!

1. Code.org: This non-profit organization is committed to growing computer programming education. This startup believes every student in every school should have the opportunity to learn computer science, and the subject should be included in the core curriculum of U.S. education. Code.org’s mission is to spread the word that there is a worldwide shortage of computer programmers, and that it is much easier to learn to program than you think. Online courses, brick + mortar schools, and summer camps can provide students with computer programming education!

2. CreativeLIVE: The world’s leading live, online classroom is designed for creative entrepreneurs. This startup is transforming the $100 billion continuing education market by offering complete access to the brightest teachers in the world via a social and interactive video platform. Anyone in the world can watch the live-streamed classes for free. Copies of the courses are available to purchase at any time. Since the company was founded in 2010, more than one million students from over 200 countries have utilized the platform, and popular classes have attracted more than 150,000 students!

3. Duolingo: This free language learning service is fun and user-friendly! While you are learning a new language, the users help translate the web, completing sentences, and rating other users’ translations. This startup offers courses in Spanish, French, Italian, German, and Portuguese! An independent study was conducted that proves Duolingo trumps university-level language learning. The app is also available for iPhones and Androids so you can be productive on the go!

4. Khan Academy: A free world-class education is available for anyone anywhere. This educational non-profit produces a collection of free online micro lectures on various subjects such as mathematics, finance, physics, computer science, history, astronomy, economics, chemistry, and biology. Game mechanics are also incorporated to reward students with badges for reaching certain skill levels. Khan Academy’s resources and materials are available to anyone and it is free of charge. Stats are available to track what you’ve been learning and whether or not you are hitting your goals.

5. Treehouse: Affordable technology education is available for people everywhere! In order to help subscribers learn web design, development, and iOS development, Treehouse uses short videos, quizzes, and badges. The service comes at a cost of $29 to $49 dollars per month. You are guided each step of the way. To start, just hop onto a track. Tracks offer guided pathways through the content. Content is structured in a way that makes it quite simple for you to learn skills within a specific role.

Technology is truly changing the dynamic of education and educational resources are readily available for professors and students with access to the web. Each of these startups are helping people achieve their dreams. Which one do you think should win an award? Let us know in the comments below or on Facebook and Twitter!

Startup Monday: Hi

Sometimes a picture doesn’t seem to be enough to capture a moment, and neither do 1,000 words. Hi is an app that gives you the chance to combine both! We saw that Hi was nominated for a 7th Annual Crunchie Award, and were curious to learn more about the young San Francisco based start up.

With Hi, you can snap pictures and write phrases to document your event in real time called ‘sketching’, but here’s where we think it gets really good. Users have the option to return to posts and elaborate on them, so that one image or phrase becomes woven into a larger story, the big picture. If a community member identifies with your writing, they can subscribe to your moments similar to a newsfeed.

Where Hi differs from all of the current social media platforms available is its specific tailoring to long form writing. With an interface specific to long form with editing capabilities you can be sure to customize your long form to truly reflect your style of writing. What’s even better? An auto save feature that almost guarantees your work is safe in case of an accident.

Hi can be used to sketch and elaborate on your events, sharing them with a different, inspired community of people who gravitate towards a style of writing not catered to by other social media platforms. Currently Hi is still invite only, but registration is free and they are expanding every day!

What do you think of the new long form style of social media sharing? Let us know below in the comments below or on Facebook & Twitter!

Startup Monday: Good Eggs

Startups, startups, startups! 2013 was booming as more and more startups hit the market! Have you checked out who is up for nomination at the 7th Annual Crunchies Awards? There are tons of great companies being recognized for their amazing work, and we would like to acknowledge one that is truly applicable to our everyday lives.

Good Eggs originated in the San Francisco Bay Area, and connects you to local farmers and foodmakers. You can shop for local and fresh groceries of your choice, and it will be delivered right to your door. As a recent newcomer to the Bay Area, I don’t always know the best places to do my grocery shopping and want farmer’s market quality food. Aside from their excellent products, great delivery, do-able pick-up hours, and fantastic service, the prices are affordable.

Here are a few of the awesome things Good Eggs has to offer:

1. Good Eggs city marketplaces support independent local farmers and foodmakers. These producers use sustainable practices and make their food with care. You can see who made your food, learn more about them, and contact them directly if you’d like.

2. Good Eggs carries food you can’t find anywhere else. Meals come from top independent chefs, you can find gluten-free anything, and baby food is made to order! This startup is able to support smaller foodmakers who can’t sell into grocery stores because their food is too fresh to live among the grocery store inventory.

3. Local food is better for everybody. The Good Eggs producers are using fair labor practices on their lands, caring for their animals, and producing food that is significantly healthier for you to eat. As more money goes towards locally-owned businesses, the more local food will become easily accessible.

4. Good Eggs Gifting is now available. Gift cards, boxes, and orders are great ways to share with friends and families. Allow your loved ones to pick out foods of their own, or send a box or care package that will be made for them!

How convenient is it to have your food delivered right to your door? It’s cheaper than the chain natural food supermarkets, and the local and fresh food is sure to be a hit! This startup provides a win-win for shoppers, local economies, and the environment.

It’s great for personal grocery shopping and shopping for a group! If your planning an event and need a few last minute items, don’t fret! You can order directly from Good Eggs and they will provide you with what you need.

Here at ABCey, we absolutely love what Good Eggs has to offer! Give it a try, and if you love it as much as we do, spread the word! Let us know what you think of Good Eggs, nominated in the Best E-Commerce Application category, in the comments section below or on Facebook & Twitter!

Startup Monday: EXEC

It seems like there just aren’t enough hours in the day to get everything done. We don’t know about you, but often times cleaning gets pushed to the bottom of our list. Exec can help solve that problem by allowing you to book home or office cleaning service instantly from your iPhone or web.

Exec only uses the best supplies to keep your family and pets safe, and absolutely no chemicals are used. Their cleaners also have quite a few tricks up their sleeves – like using mineral oil instead of stainless steel polishing chemicals. It’s hard to find a good housekeeper, but their cleaners must pass rigorous cleaning exams, and they’re all fully vetted. They’ll send you a tag team of two to get your place twice as shiny!

It’s a no-fuss solution to all your cleaning woes, with payments being made online! Not to mention, they‘ll come back and clean for free if you don’t love it. Exec Cleaning is fully bonded, licensed, and insured. They’ll even help you clean out your house when you’re moving!

Exec was nominated as one of the fastest rising startups for the 2012 Crunchies Awards. They’ve also received attention from companies like Forbes, The New York Times, Inc. and The Huffington Post. Exec is now serving San Francisco, Seattle, San Diego, Los Angeles, New York, Boston, Chicago, and Washington DC with plans to expand to other cities in the U.S!

Download their app and book a cleaning right from your phone, and see when the cleaners are on the way. We can’t wait to try Exec! It’s such a simple and accessible idea. Have you tried them? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below or on Facebook or Twitter!

Startup Monday: Lyft

The life of an event planner can be really hectic at times. On top of all the meetings, to-do lists and site visits, we are often on the go. The only difficult thing about traveling, especially in San Francisco, is finding a great, affordable way to get to your destination. Thankfully Lyft is here to help!

Lyft is quickly rising up to be a successful startup founded on a simple idea. Their goal is to set up everyday car owners with people who need rides. Lyft is great because it does not require users to flag down cars or call a taxi company. Instead, it simplifies everything through it’s mobile application where users can create an account and add their personal credit card information. They can then link to their Facebook or LinkedIn accounts.

Once a ride is requested, it show users a picture of the driver, but also of the car that will be picking them up. Cars usually have a hot pink mustache attached to the front, so that they’ll be easy to spot! Once the car arrives, passengers are encouraged to sit in the passenger seat to help build a reputation with the driver. At the end of the ride, donations are suggested but not mandatory.

There are a few other ride-sharing companies out there, such as Uber, however there are some major differences. Lyft is said to be more laid back with a fleet of compact cars, and drivers are even said to give their passengers a fist-bump when they first get in! Uber on the other hand is more reserved (passengers sit in the backseat). Lyft drivers can receive donations whereas Uber automatically adds a 20% tip.

Next time we do a site visit, we will definitely give Lyft a try. It would also be great for our event attendees, since we all know how limited parking is in San Francisco. What do you think about this ride-sharing service? Let us know in the comments below or on Facebook or Twitter!

Startup Monday: Stripe

Imagine being a couple of young 20-something’s trying to make a difference in the e-commerce industry. Now, imagine taking on one of the biggest companies in the online payment industry, PayPal. It’s sure easier said than done. However, it’s exactly what Stripe co-founders John and Patrick Collison are trying to accomplish!

Shortly after moving to San Francisco, the Collison brothers realized that taking credit card payments requires way too much work – you would either need a merchant account, PayPal or Google checkout account. Why not make things easier? The brothers realized if business owners embedded code into their website, they can start running credit card payments on their own. This company’s new technology is really great because it allows for payments to be distributed to multiple bank accounts. This is currently a big issue for other start ups like Lyft, which tries to pay drivers with different accounts.

What’s really great about Stripe is that it allows you to do more than a one-time charge to a customer’s card. You can set up a subscription that will charge the card a specific amount at any interval. It also safely stores credit card information so that customers don’t have to enter it every time they visit the website.

This company has already gotten so much attention in a short span of time. It’s even gained a number of high profile clients, like Foursquare, Shopify, and the Museum of Modern Art. Although it’s still in its early stages, Stripe is definitely set to change the face of how businesses work.

What do you think of Stripe? Let us know in the comments below or on Facebook & Twitter.

Startup Monday: Blacklist

Customer service is such an important aspect for any business to have. Well, what happens if the business doesn’t live up to your expectations? There’s now a place, called Blacklist, where you can go to vent your frustrations. Unlike Yelp where users can list what’s great and not so great about businesses, Blacklist focuses on user opinions to fight back solely on unsatisfactory business practices.

Some people call the Blacklist the “digital megaphone” for people to get heard by speaking out and making sure their voices get heard. Was the waitress extremely rude? Or, did no one offer help while you were shopping? You can now say something through their recently launched beta feed. There, users can notify other people of their unpleasant experiences with a certain company either online or through social media.

The great thing about Blacklist is that it creates a community of users that had a similar experience. It helps to offer a “power in numbers” dynamic. This way, companies will be able to see how the consumers really feel and hopefully do their best to make up for the grievances. Nothing feels better than knowing a company really cares and wants to improve their business for their consumers.

We think this is a great tool for users to have. Would you voice your opinions on Blacklist? Let us know in the comments below or on Facebook & Twitter!

Startup Monday: Speakeasy

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 friends and followers of ABCey Events.

Planning an event involves many different elements. One of the most important and also challenging, can be the venue. Any experienced planner knows that the venue can really make or break an event. Speakeasy is a new startup that helps people find and book a space for their upcoming events!

The best part about this company is that it works hand-in-hand with venues and event planners. You can use Speakeasy’s website to search and filter by type of venue, location, price, etc. After finding the perfect venue, you can then request a quote for free! Speakeasy can also help with listing your venue to help attract new customers!

Speakeasy is a perfect site for event planners and venue owners to come together. Each company works independently and can charge their own rates. With its headquarters located in Oakland, they are set to help the Bay Area become a more fun and social place.

How do you find and book your venues? Let us know in the comments below or on Facebook and Twitter!