Spreenkler: Idea Networking on Creativity and Innovation

This blog is dead!

That's right, I'm killing this blog. We're getting ready to launch a new website for Spreenkler, LLC so all of the updates on our community, meetups, ideas, etc. will be located on our new site. 

If you'd like to keep up with my thoughts around social technology, design and innovation, you can do so at my NEW blog, 111Words.com.

Thanks,

Steve

Brew City Brand Apparel Design Spreenkler Label Tees

Frank Keppler [twitter] from Brew City Brand Apparel was kind enough to have his team put together a few prototypes for Spreenkler tees that Sara Gehl [twitter], he and I [twitter] have been working on. His hustle allowed me to take the tees on my visit to Zappos.com this week. I gave them away as thank you gifts and everyone there loved them!

I also received a few positive comments from some of you on Twitter [here and here], as well as questions about when we'll have them available for purchase. That's coming soon. We should have more details at the next Spreenkler Meetup on Wednesday, March 4 [details].

Spreenkler tee prototypes.

The Ripple Effect of Spreenkler

I’m keeping an eye on the future
an eye on the past
& the present in my pocket
just in case I need a door…
tonight spreenkler celebrates two years of bringing people together to discuss creativity, technology, milwaukee, marketing, startup strategy and the blending of all of the above, providing inspiration to those who fight every day for the survival of good ideas with one outcome in mind: be better at what you do. two years and dozens of speakers, presenters and idea sharing innovators later we look ahead to what we can and will accomplish in 2009. we will take this wave, this upswell and resurgence of the creative class and make it more widespread and more influential than ever before. we will bring new ideas to light. we will help create companies. we will develop and keep the talented people we have here because they will see that now, more than ever, their ideas and opinions can be heard and action can result. but tonight, we celebrate. join me and learn from twelve people what keeps them going. how they get through challenges and avoid quitting. again and again. have a beer and a slice of pizza while doing that. oh, and some kick ass live music from meta four jazz featuring @tapps.

into a brave new world where all solutions end up with my head.
Buried to my neck in sand.
the creative, innovation and business startup processes can be daunting. don’t give up, we can help. that’s why spreenkler is. we can be a sounding board for your idea. we can prepare you for conversations with an attorney or an accountant. we can connect you to a designer, programmer, marketer and more. we understand. after all, we do this for ourselves too.

Enough, enough bowing down to disillusion!
Hats off & applause to rogues & evolution!
The ripple effect is too good not to mention.
If you’re not affected, you’re not paying attention!
It’s too good, too good, not to have an effect.
the milwaukee region is changing. quickly. there are stronger calls for unity of creatives, young and experienced professionals and entrepreneurs. each day that we move this forward the established business institutions see things are changing. they will soon begin to adapt. that’s when it will tip. that’s when we will also be recognized for our creative and technology companies. too many good, productive and thought-leading things are happening for us to continue unnoticed. for example, in january 2009 mayor barrett will be our featured speaker. in february, mayor nelson from waukesha. they’re paying attention.

I’m keeping an eye on the pulse
an ear to the track & penance in a locket
I’m dropping from the highest floor.
keep emailing me. keep calling me. i will continue to help. together, we will get through whatever you think is holding you back from realizing your idea. we will shed all hesitation.

When it hits ground I watch it smash to pieces.
Songs of liberation echo from the dust.
we will continue to embrace our manufacturing roots and continue to be a manufacturing capabilities leader. but, with you, we will also push into the future and create a new milwaukee.

Open Session For Student Design Contest

I will be at the Starbucks on 16th and Wisconsin Ave. on Tuesday, September 23rd from 9-10pm.

I'm holding an open Q&A session for all students interested in learning more or sharing ideas on the Student Design Contest, Spreenkler in general or anything school/job/career related.

No need to RSVP or reserve time, just show up.

If you want to meet a bit earlier or later, send me an email at steve@spreenkler.com so we can arrange that.

If you can't make it at all, email any questions you have.

Steve

Announcing the Spreenkler Design Competition

It’s time to redesign the Spreenkler website and I’m looking for help from Milwaukee’s college students to do it! The winning design will win an iPod touch and a $100 iTunes gift card!

How to get involved.
To be considered, simply send your design to steve@spreenkler.com. But hurry, the submission deadline is Wednesday, October 1.

How It Works.
The winning student design will receive a 16GB iPod touch and $100 iTunes gift card. There will be three (3) second place winners who will each receive a 1GB iPod shuffle. And five (5) third place winners will each receive a $10 iTunes gift card.

Details Here

NEXT MEETING: SEPTEMBER 10, 2008

FREE PIZZA WILL BE PROVIDED BY MAGGIE HAZE, SUPER AWESOME FINANCIAL ADVISOR FROM AMERIPRISE FINANCIAL SERVICES!

Location: Bucketworks!

FEATURED SPEAKER: Featured speaker Eric Persha, social media expert from Silcon Valley.
Web: Twitter @airiq_p
Preview: Eric is a bright, creative and talented guy. He will talk about social media from his perspective in Silicon Valley. He also has a great concept to get you involved in a friendly competition between Silicon Valley and Milwaukee to see which city can come up with the more killer (that's right, I said more killer) social media strategy.

IDEA SHARE: Creativity/Social Media/Milwaukee. Update on Spreenkler member Milwaukee initiatives. Major news about Spreenkler/Greater Milwaukee Committee/UrbanMilwaukee.com partnership. Two-year-old marketing genius!

More info at Spreenkler.com

Milwaukee’s Forward-Acting Creative and Technology Advocates — Web414, Spreenkler and Bucketworks — to host Joint Meeting Featuring Harper Reed, Chief Technical Officer of Chicago’s skinnyCorp for a Talk Session on Aug. 6th.

Reed to Discuss New Business and Technology Innovation, Social Communities and Creativity

MILWAUKEE (JULY 22, 2008) — It’s an exciting time in Milwaukee. Our town is in the midst of a market evolution that will enable a growing number of the area’s professionals and entrepreneurs to draw salaries from creative- and technology- related businesses in the coming years. This shift will change Milwaukee in many positive ways. Three street-level groups dedicated to helping build tomorrow’s Milwaukee by bringing together creative, marketing, technical, entrepreneurial and innovative people to connect, get inspired, learn about the latest businesses and technology trends and work together are Spreenkler, Web414 and Bucketworks.

On August 6, at 5:30 p.m. these groups will come together for their first joint meeting by hosting, at Bucketworks (1340 N. 6th St.), a nationally prominent social network and open source engineer/architect, Harper Reed.

Harper Reed is the Chief Technical Officer of skinnyCorp, an umbrella corporation dedicated to the creation of “interesting web communities.” The company’s most notable business is Threadless, an online social network and creative outlet for designers. The site runs regular design contests that lets the community select the best designs for production on shirts and posters that are then, sold.

Threadless awards thousands of dollars in cash and prizes each week, and has awarded over $1M to artists around the world, as well as generating significant notoriety for winners. Threadless has gained significant national attention and has grown to be a $30M business without professional designers, marketing or brick and mortar retail. Threadless has received extensive media coverage in publications like Inc. magazine, which quoted MIT’s Eric von Hippel, calling the company a "’perfect example’ of a new way of thinking about innovation.”

The ways Reed and his colleagues think about innovation and act upon those thoughts will be well received by the people who make up the Spreenkler, Web414 and Bucketworks groups, who, themselves, drive to engage in, create and launch progressive technologies, businesses and ideas. Other skinnyCorp businesses include: NakedandAngry, YayHooray, and ExtraTasty, as well as their “day dream” projects: I Park Like an Idiot, PoopFace, MeEveryday and Lunchtime Photo Safari.

- - - - - - - -
Web414 consists of amateurs and professionals interested in building and improving the web today and in the future.

Spreenkler is a fast-growing, influential group of creative, innovative professionals dedicated to creating a better Milwaukee. Spreenkler helps startups bring ideas to life, provides growing businesses with guidance to keep ideas on track and connects resources, information and people in organizations of all types and sizes.

Bucketworks, located at 1340 N. 6th St. in Milwaukee, Wis., is the world’s first health club for the brain, its mission is to provide a supportive and empowering environment for people to share and explore their passions for art, theatre, dance, business, technology and leadership.

Special thanks to Moander Law Firm, which is dedicated to working directly with small businesses, for bringing Harper Reed to Milwaukee.
- - - - - - - -

Interested Media, please contact Al Krueger @ 414.331.8987 or al@cometbranding.com.

Milwaukee Perception Study and Wired Innovation Grant

This information was discussed at the Spreenkler June meeting. Here are links to both documents.

Milwaukee Perception Study Full Report 2008

WIRED Innovation Fund 2008 FINAL APPLICATION GUIDE

Any questions, let me know.

Steve

June 4th Spreenkler Details and New Location

Next week's Spreenkler is your chance to:

- Discuss event marketing strategy from the basics to how you can use it at work, for your business or for your events
- Learn what a "Wedding Mingler" is and how it's becoming the thing to do for soon-to-be-married-couples in Milwaukee
- Understand how the world perceives Milwaukee and what you can do to continue to improve our city's image
- Get inspired by local artists and their photography, accompanied by powerful messages on how to build a community of ideas
- Experience the creativeness that is Bucketworks as we take advantage of our new meeting space

FEATURED SPEAKER: Tanya Van Kirk
Tanya owns Point Zero Events, a marketing and event consulting company. She'll share more about the company, the inspiration behind the concept, and her hit event concept the "Wedding Mingler." In addition, Tanya will talk about how to use events and marketing to launch a business, build a brand and stay connected. She also works for the Task Force For Family Violence, managing their annual fundraising events and is always looking for friendly volunteers!

IDEA SHARE: Milwaukee Perception Study
I will provide a brief on the Spirit of Milwaukee's and UWM's National and Regional Perception Studies of the Milwaukee Region. This study "measures the perception and attitudes of external and internal business executives and their impressions about the Milwaukee region. The results provide information and guidance to efforts aimed at enhancing the image of the Milwaukee region."

BONUS: There will be an exhibit of photography from local artists/designers/photographers.

Here are the details on our next meeting. Please send me a quick response if you plan on coming so I can be sure to accommodate with the proper setup, food and drinks!

Next Meeting: Wednesday, June 4th, 5:30pm at Bucketworks - 1340 N. 6th Street.

Agenda
5:30 - 6:00 Gather in the Flowspace - can't miss it.
6:00 - 6:15 Small talk, food/drinks
6:15 - 6:35 Idea Share: Milwaukee Perception Study: How Creative Are We?
6:40 - 7:15 Cutting Edge Idea: Tanya Van Kirk, Owner, Point Zero Events
7:15 - 8:00 Open discussion, more food/drinks

I look forward to seeing you!

Steve

cell: 262-353-6562
email: steve@spreenkler.com
blog: http://spreenkler.typepad.com
community: http://spreenkler.ning.com
follow: http://twitter.com/spreenkler

Reference Links
Bucketworks: http://www.bucketworks.org
Point Zero Events: http://www.pointzeroevents.com

April Meeting Recap

Thanks to all who attended the Spreenkler April meeting. And a special thanks to Cd for taking time from her very busy schedule, especially the day after the launch of her big project, SOHObiztube.com.

Here is a brief recap.

IDEA SHARE: Standout Design and Marketing
We examined how web-based companies such as eHarmony and NetFlix are using traditional marketing communication tactics (direct mail, print ads) to capture new customers. There were a number of other great examples. However, the one that stands out in terms of creative and intelligence is the eBay direct mail catalog. It was nicely designed and incorporated customization in displaying items that the recipient had shown interest in on the eBay website! Thanks for bringing those samples Rachel!

FEATURED SPEAKER: Cd Vann, SOHObiztube.com
Cd has published Magazine SOHO for several years. It’s a magazine that highlights growing business that are lead by people with purpose and passion. Articles in the magazine focus on specific industry topics written by experts in that field.

To take Magazine SOHO to the next level Cd has launched SOHObiztube.com. You’ll find the same type of content, plus even more resources to help growing businesses profile and promote themselves.

What appreciated most about what helped drive this concept is Cd’s perspective on growing businesses. She said, “Businesses are people!” And that’s why SOHObiztube.com provides information about dating, gardening, staying fit, balancing work and family, and so much more.

There is a launch event on May 29th at the Wisconsin Club from 5:30pm-9:00pm. I will gather and publish details on how to attend.

SPREENKLER MAY PREVIEW
Idea Share: Bucketworks, Milwaukee - An inside look.
Featured Speaker: Dean Amhaus, President of Spirit of Milwaukee

Spreenkler Blog Author: Steve Glynn