Convergence culture has moved swiftly from buzzword to industry logic. The creation of transmedia storyworlds, understanding how to appeal to migratory audiences, and the production of digital extensions for traditional materials are becoming the bread and butter of working in the media. MIT’s Futures of Entertainment 3 once again brings together key industry leaders who are shaping these new directions in our culture and academic scholars immersed in the investigation the social, cultural, political, economic, and technological implications of these changes in our media landscape.

The speakers and audience will be a mixed industry and academic crowd, and the diverse topics grouped together will give the conference both broad coverage of the new media and entertainment space and deep engagement across industries and disciplinary boundaries. This year’s conference will work to bring together the themes from last year - media spreadability, audiences and value, social media, distribution - with the consortium’s new projects in moving towards an increasingly global view of media convergence and flow.

Topics for this year’s panels include global distribution systems and the challenges of moving content across borders, transmedia properties, franchising and world building, comics and commerce, social and spreadable media, and renewed discussion on how and why to measure audience value.

The conference is on the 21th and 22nd of November at MIT. It works around a talk-show style model with panelists participating in a moderated discussion. Over the last two years this produced great, thorough treatments of the subject matter, getting industry and academic speakers together but avoiding product pitches. For a sense of what to expect, you can check out the site from last year’s event.

This will be the third conference of this kind.

Confirmed speakers for this year’s conference include: Javier Grillo-Marxuach (The Middleman), Alex McDowell (Production Designer, The Watchmen), Kevin Slavin (Area/Code), Donald K Ranvaud (Buena Onda Films), Amber Case (Cyborg Anthropologist and Social Media Consultant), Mauricio Mota (New Content [Brazil]), Alisa Perren (George State University), Amanda Lotz (University of Michigan), Sharon Ross (Columbia College Chicago), Nancy Baym (University of Kansas), Alice Marwick (New York University), Vu Nguyen (VP of Business Development, crunchyroll.com) with more to come.

Thanks to Joshua Green of MIT’s Convergence Culture Consortium for hooking me up with this excellent opportunity!

14 were companies were selected to present at Oregon Entrepreneurs Network’s Venture Northwest conference on October 30.

The companies that have presented at VNW in the past have amassed more than $1.3 billion in venture funding. Many on the list have business models that will lead to success despite the state of the current economy, and they will be able to derive funds from VCs across the US who are looking for solid investments. This is good news in a time of uncertainty.

Venture Northwest 2008 will be held October 30, 2008, at The Marriott Waterfront in Portland. The companies selected to present at OEN’s Venture Northwest in the past have gone on to raise over $1.3 billion in venture funding the since 1997.

“The companies presenting at the conference represent some of the most innovative and creative companies from across the Northwest,” said John Hull, chair of the OEN Venture Northwest 2008 and managing director at OVP Venture Partners. “Some of these companies are seeking their first institutional venture financing while others have already received first rounds of capital from top-tier venture firms. In total, this list of companies represents well the broad spectrum of investment opportunities that flourish in our region”.

The companies were selected from a group of 44 companies that applied to present at the conference, and were chosen by a panel of venture capitalists, investment bankers, institutional and angel investors and professional service providers chaired by Brent Bullock, a partner at Perkins Coie LLP in Portland.

Registration information is available at oen.org or call the office at 503-222-2270.

The companies selected to present at OEN’s Venture Northwest are:

AboutUs – www.aboutus.org

Tagging and summarizing every website. AboutUs aggregates website information and captures UGC with the goal of creating the most current and comprehensive guide to the Internet and presenting it in a clear, consistent and summarized format. You’ll find different, interesting and useful information at AboutUs.

Advanced Inquiry Systems - www.advancedinquiry.com

Advanced Inquiry Systems, Inc. (AISI) is revolutionizing semiconductor test, helping our customers combat rising costs in the midst of falling product prices. Our unique solutions enhance flexibility for device design, greatly reduce test floor WIP, and nearly eliminate pad scrub, enabling at speed wafer test for flash, DRAM and logic devices.

Collaborative Software Initiative - www.csinitiative.com

Collaborative Software Initiative brings together like minded companies to build software applications at a fraction of the cost of traditional methods. CSI introduces this market-changing process to build software for an implementation of a defined standard, an application for regulatory compliance, or a system to provide leverage for multiple companies.

DepotPoint – www.depotpoint.com

DepotPoint is a technology company that deploys a suite of web based workflow and marketplace applications that are designed to accelerate disposal of distressed properties. The company’s solutions are delivered to lenders, trustees/attorneys, REO asset managers, real estate agents, and property buyers resulting in greater processing and transaction efficiency.

END Outdoor – www.endoutdoor.com

END exists to bring affordable, sustainable, high performance footwear to our athletes. Through a powerful design ethos, END will employ a groundbreaking sustainable design and manufacturing process that raises the bar in the industry. Our goal is to only create high performance, sustainable running product that has outstanding fit, comfort and stability.

M-Six - www.m-six.com

M-Six is a software-as-a-service firm armed with a disruptive 3D visualization technology. Our product delivers an innovative workflow that reduces our customers’ costs by 10x while increasing their freedom to invent and collaborate. We’re currently administering a private beta with leading design firms that will enable a revenue stream of $75M within 3 years.

NuScale Power - www.nuscalepower.com

NuScale Power is commercializing a modular, pre-fabricated 45 MWe nuclear power plant. The plant can be scaled to any size by grouping modules together. It will be safer and will improve economics by moving to mass manufacturing off-site, simplifying refueling, and permitting units to be added to match demand growth.

RallyPoint – www.rallypoint.tv

Rallypoint builds and operates the “TV App Store” that delivers web-based services and advertising over the broadband pipe to Internet-enabled television sets without using a set-top box. Rallypoint is seeking to generate $40 to $200 of revenue per Internet-enabled HDTV per year. Rallypoint has developed distribution relationships with the #1 HDTV chipset maker, the #2 and #4 TV OEMs, and the #1 retailer that will ensure general availability of its software and key applications by mid 2009. Rallypoint is raising $3.5M.

Revelation – www.revelationglobal.com

Revelation creates cutting edge web applications for qualitative market research. Launched in 2007, Revelation dramatically extend the reach of qualitative research, enabling companies to collect more data, faster and at a fraction of the cost - while providing a truer picture of the consumer experience. Already generating revenue, Revelation is poised to become the end-to-end platform for qualitative customer understanding and knowledge management.

RNA Networks - www.rnanetworks.com

RNA networks is the pioneer of collaborative cache technology for the enterprise data center. A core architectural building block for the data center, RNAcache provides companies in high-volume transaction and content delivery industries with large-scale cache resources to reach microsecond latency, eliminate performance bottlenecks and achieve high-speed certified messaging.

SplashCast - www.splashcastmedia.com

SplashCast is the leading content syndication service for emerging media. It enables brands to engage with typically elusive audiences by creating micro-channels of continuously-refreshed content consumers value, interact with, and can share with other people. SplashCast syndicates content to emerging media including online social networks, mobile devices, IPTV and desktops.

Tamarac, Inc. - www.tamaracinc.com

Tamarac Advisor™ is the leading portfolio rebalancing and trading platform used by hundreds of advisory firms to dramatically scale their business more profitably. Tamarac’s web-based software automates portfolio construction and maintenance, portfolio monitoring and analysis, cash management, rebalancing, tax management, trading, post-trade reconciliation.

Topaz Bridge - www.topazbridge.com

Topaz Bridge makes enterprise-class HR software applications that combine the power and flexibility of Microsoft SharePoint with the strength and control of SAP. We realize true strategic impact for large companies by saving millions of dollars, while dramatically improving employee satisfaction and maintaining the security and structure of corporate data.

Wi-Chi – www.wi-chi.com

Wi-Chi designs, manufacturers, and markets highly reliable and efficient nano-inverters for solar PV systems. Driven by a highly experienced team of innovators, Wi-Chi’s proprietary and miniaturized inverters achieve 25 year reliability at significantly reduced cost. Wi-Chi is focused on simplifying installation and enabling solar technologies to achieve grid parity for broad market adoption.

About Oregon Entrepreneurs Network

Founded in 1991, the Oregon Entrepreneurs Network is a not-for-profit corporation dedicated to providing opportunities for Oregon entrepreneurs and improving the business climate for emerging, growth-oriented companies statewide. The organization has members throughout Oregon and southwest Washington. For more information about the OEN, visit its website at www.oen.org.

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News Media Inquiries, please contact:
Jeff Fishburn
OnPR for Oregon Entrepreneurs Network
503-802-4408
jefff@onpr.com

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Amber Case is an Internet Marketing Professional and is a member of Portland’s SEMPDX. She’s worked with a variety of clients - and enjoys teaching individuals and small/medium sized companies how to create and maintain an online presence. You can contact her at caseorganic at gmail.com or on Twitter @caseorganic.

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Hazelnut Tech Talk is a collaboration between Amber Case and Bram Pitoyo.

Our fifth episode features Craig Schwartz from toonlet, wherein we talked about how the web bubble burst helped form FooCamp, why San Fransiscans are dastardly good at spotting werewolfs, history and future of the button, BlackBerry camp, ribs breakage due to excessive laughter, online comic that shares the same spirit with SPORE, and text adventures built on HyperCard.

Let the Comic Making Begin!

If you’re interested in making your own comics really, really quickly, head on over to Toonlet, where you can do pretty much whatever you want. (And the replies to comic posts are in comics too, making it an amusingly spam-free environment!).

Digitally Yours,

Hazelnut Tech Talk

The Baraka Institute is the brainchild of the fiery Feroshia Knight, an entrepreneur, life coach, and teacher. She’s new to Twitter, but wanted to take a brief break from her entrance into the social world to give me (and the world) five time management tips.

As an instructor at Baraka Institute, Feroshia illuminates the classroom with her vibrant energy. She understands the meaning behind practice makes perfect and creates powerful learning environments in which students thrive, leaving inspired and ready for action.

Five steps to better time management

Tip #1:

Know your priorities for the day.

Tip #2:

Have a system to check that you’re on task.

Amber: What kind of system do you use to keep on task? I often use a legal pad, or a notebook with check boxes.

Feroshia: Actually, in addition to having a list, I use a timed device to make sure I’ve stayed on track in alignment with the day’s plan

And a timer can be as easy as an egg timer. Anything that keeps ticking.

Tip #3:

Have a criteria list for when time becomes sparse to make the right decisions as how to best use your time.

Tip #4:

Check in with yourself — Ask: “Am I on fire in a good way or a stressful way? Am I on target?” Because a lot of people try to grind without actually making progress. There’s a difference between working hard and working smart

Tip #5:

Pre-plan your day the night before with the long term future in mind. People tend to focus on the moment, getting stuck in the details.

When people get stuck in the details, life becomes prey ANALYSIS PARALYSIS! The key is to look at different ways to see and do things.

Amber: How long have you been coaching businesses and organizations?

Feroshia: Since 1989. I initially had a marketing and communications agency called Foto:Grafika/Agent 47. I moved from the “expert model” of consultant to the “harness the collective intelligence” model of coaching. Of course there is a mixture of consulting in there, where relevant.

Amber: Brilliant. Thanks for sharing your thoughts and advice. Good luck to you in the future! How can people interested in learning more about being productive, happy people contact you?

Feroshia: Catch me personally at feroshia@barakainstitute.com or on Twitter at http://twitter.com/barakainstitute

There’s also the Baraka Institute Website, which is http://www.barakainstitute.com/

When, Where, Why?

There was an event this Wednesday at Cubespace called “Lunch with a VC”. The VC in this case was Carolynn Duncan. She has three projects going right now: www.fundinguniverse.com, Epic Ventures, Hundred Dollar Business (a series of brilliant startups using less than one hundred dollars each).

New Ventures

While I wasn’t able to stay after lunch to hear her presentation, I was able to visit with her afterward at Backspace with Reid Beels and Bram Pitoyo. She showed us a brilliant new start-up she’s doing (for less than one hundred dollars). And while I can’t say much more about it right now (because is not yet finished), I can say that it will be a wonderful boon to experts used to a coffee-shop/consulting life.