The whole idea of The Funded really intrigued me, and had something in common with a little side project of mine called The Founder’s Quandary. But I had no idea who was behind The Funded, so I had no idea who to contact about getting involved or at least offering a virtual high-five.

For it’s first six months it was unknown who “Ted” really was. That is, until Ted unveiled himself as Adeo Ressi, a well known, somewhat controversial, entrepreneur. In the past couple of years Adeo and I have exchanged a number of emails, mostly about how I might help The Funded and perhaps even help with something here in Boston. Well, the good news is that The Funded has announced Founder Institute, and it’s arrived in Boston!

The Funded Founder Institute, a four month program to help founders build the next generation of world-class technology companies, is launching a new semester in Boston from July, 2010, until October, 2010. The program is run by founders for founders, providing a structure for successful entrepreneurs to share their experiences and to provide guidance. Everyone that graduates from the program is invited to join a pool to share in the equity upside generated from the success of their peers. This adds a unique camaraderie to the program and creates a long-term peer support group with a vested interest in your success. If you have a new company or if you are thinking to start a company, take a moment and apply to the program. The program has an early acceptance deadline of May 23rd. Apply here.

If you’re an entrepreneur in Boston I hope you’ll take a look at this opportunity and get involved! I’m just thrilled to see this happen, and I’m eager to see Founder Institute nurture and provide fertile ground for entrepreneurs!

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• The Founder Institute Launches In Boston, Now Incubating Startups In 10 Cities (techcrunch.com)
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• The Founder Institute goes global (venturebeat.com)
• Born in Silicon Valley, Founder Institute Expands to Boston (xconomy.com)

It’s quiet here though – there’s lots of empty offices and we’d love some company! There are small offices that are perfect for just one or two people, and there are larger offices that can accomodate a dozen people. There are conference rooms here that we all share, there’s even a pool table.

If you’re a Boston area business looking for a real office space with all the fixin’s of a business environment, let me know and I’ll send you over to the new landlord and make sure you get special care! I have nothing to gain here except having more neighbors!

Oh, the space is very funky too – great for Internet companies, media companies, startups, non-stuffy businesses.

Some of our awesome and friendly neighbors:

SCVNGR- SCVNGR is an interactive texting scavenger hunt that uses proprietary cellular technology to send out clues via SMS (short message service). The SCVNGR service enables the players to access several useful features such as texting SCORE to receive real-time results on how they are faring against other teams or texting HINT to SCVNGR’s short code to receive help solving a particularly tough clue.

Advantage Reprographics – Advantage Reprographics is dedicated to eliminating the cost and headache in managing document histories, printing and delivery. We focus on tailoring custom software to help streamline print output. We have State of the art printing and scanning equipment by Oce and HP, used to turn around the highest quality, right away! Give us a call and we’ll be right there to help you out.

PFL Printworks – CD & DVD duplication, Posters, Flyers, Press Kits

Exxcel Model & Talent – Exxcel Model & Talent is a full service model/talent agency representing models of all types such as female/male fashion, commercial print, child and plus size. Talent representation includes actors for film, television, commercials and theater, as well as singers and dancers.

Brand Networks – “If your Brand is ready to hit the social scene, we’d like to help. Our BrandFans methodology will ensure you network with the right people. Our BrandSolutions are social technologies that connect you with your fans. And we surround it all with BrandServices from social and creative humans just like you.”

SEEDA – The South East England Development Agency (SEEDA) is here to assist companies looking to set up and grow their UK and European operations from a base in the South East.  Our purpose is to promote the growth of the economy and creation of jobs in this dynamic region of the UK.  We provide professional, free and confidential advice and our service can save your company valuable management time and money.  SEEDA works in conjunction with UK Trade & Investment.

Jetpack – Jet Pack is a comprehensive web marketing package for small and medium sized businesses. Each account gets a dedicated internet marketing specialist to setup, manage and optimize for the best results. Our hands-on approach drives more traffic and provides higher conversion rates at an affordable level than full-time marketing agencies.

So here’s my Sixth Photo Meme! This is a picture of the best game of baseball I’ve ever had the pleasure to attend – October 17, 2004. It was the 2004 American League Championship Series, game 4 at Fenway Park – Boston vs New York. This was the game 4. The one that resulted in the best comeback in sports history, the comeback that ended the Red Sox’s 86 year championship drought. I had the great fortune of attending this pivotal game, this pivotal moment in baseball history. I watched Dave Roberts steal second base – the single moment, the single play that changed it all. This is a picture of Mariano Rivera, perhaps the best closer in baseball history, on the mound in the midst of this game as it unravelled for the Bombers. Anyway, here’s my 6th photo from page 6:

So it’s my turn to pick 6 people to play this game. Here we go:

Ryan Sarver, Sean Coon, Nate Aune, Tara Hunt, Dana Zemack, CitySquares

My point here is that as a startup company, and as an untested business seeking an identity and a place in the Boston entrepreneurial and startup scene, WebInno was really just one of many pivotal networking events for us. As this blog continues to be about entrepreneurship, and my perspective from the trenches, I don’t want to forget about these events and opportunities. Furthermore, I really encourage other entrepreneurs to be sure they get out there – hit the streets, attend events, network, don’t be shy. It’s like anything, once you get some momentum and get into a rhythm it just gets easier.

Here are some events that I’ve either attended or would like to attend in the Boston area:

• WebInno - Cambridge, MA, about once every 3 months or so. Well worth it! And if you’re in the Internet space, check with David to see if you can a shot at a side dish or main dish. David’s very accommodating and open minded.
• MIT Enterprise Forum – Cambridge, MA. Hey, it’s MIT man, you know it’s gonna be interesting! I’ve been a member of the MIT Enterprise Forum for about two years now. While not all their events interest me, specifically the bio-tech stuff, they do host many very helpful and relevant events and networking opportunities. From big, globally broadcasted panels on angel investing and venture funding, to small networking opportunities where David Weinberger shares his perspective on the digital world, MIT Enterprise Forum is well worth your attention.
• MIT Entrepreneurship Center – Cambridge, MA. Are you an entrepreneur? Doesn’t really matter what industry you’re in – go to these events! Get involved! There’s a ton of value to be gained at this event. If you’re in the Boston area – don’t be a schmuck, take advantage of all the MIT has to offer!
• The Capital Network – Waltham, MA. An organization for entrepreneurs seeking funding. I had the honor of being on one of their recent panels and I thoroughly enjoyed myself. TCN offers some really powerful resources for entrepreneurs, and they really take their time to make sure you’re absorbing all that you can. It’s very much a dialogue at TCN.
• TechTuesday – An event hosted by the Mass Technology Leadership Council and growing in strength and numbers.

Here’s a bunch more (write-ups courtesy of Don Dodge, thanks Don!):

New England Angel Capital Conference – The Angel Investor groups of greater Boston meet once a quarter to review their best companies. Each group nominates companies to present. They are all looking for a round of funding that is bigger than any one Angel Group can handle. This meeting lets all the groups get a look at promising companies and pool their investment dollars.

Entrepreneurial Team Building – a panel of entrepreneurs that have built companies from the ground up and know the ins and outs of building great teams. What really makes a team come together? How can you be sure that you are bringing in the right folks? Who should be hired first, second, next? We’ll talk about teams at the senior management level and at the BOD level.

Entrepreneurial Series – Plain English Term Sheets – This is a webinar for startup entrepreneurs who want to understand the details of financing term sheets. What to ask for…and what to avoid.

MITX – Mass Innovation & Technology Exchange have lots of great events for technology based startups. The next session is “Building Social Applications and Widgets“.

The 128 Innovation Capital Group – The regular meetings are held on the second Thursday of every month at the Best Western Hotel on Totten Pond Road in Waltham. Every month an investor provides our formal program. After Q&A, our speaker generally remains to speak with audience members, one on one. After the meeting, a roster with the contact information of all attendees is made available to those who came to the meeting.

Nantucket Conference – The 2008 Nantucket Conference audience will consist of approximately 150 of New England’s top entrepreneurs, investors, and tech executives. Rather than sitting through a series of speeches and PowerPoint presentations, the audience will be engaged in a dialogue – and sometimes a heated debate – with Conference presenters.

Get out there! Spring is here, so you’re out of excuses!

Then, this morning, Don emailed me his blog post about the rest of the night and I see what I actually missed. Too much to bear. But, it was my birthday so I do have a good excuse for leaving! I would have loved to chatted with Doc Searls, for starters – that’s just for starters. I guess you know you’re a real web geek when missing the chance to gab with Doc Searls is one of the bigger disappointments.

Anyway, Bob and I had a nice time. I said to Mike Arrington, “Ya know Mike, it’s about time you brought TechCrunch to Boston, man.” He looked at me with this expression of shock and amazement and said , “I know I can’t believe this! What a great town! We’ll definitely be back!” He emphasized “definitately.” I’m very much looking forward to the next event.

Another webinno

Originally uploaded by Benee

Yet another webinno. And it keeps getting better.
……………………………………….
Ben Saren
Citysquares.com
617.459.4922
blog: www.yoursuspect.com

Sent from my BlackBerry

Gaslight, south end Boston

Originally uploaded by Benee

Great new local joint, next to our office. Been open less than 1 week and I’ve been here 4 times.

Sent from my BlackBerry

View of Boston

Originally uploaded by Benee

From red herring east at the Hyatt by the airport. 97 degrees too!

My Office: Here’s my little corner office. I dig it. I spend more time here than I do at home, so I should like it.

Back in September of ’06 we (Citysquares) moved out and went virtual. Getting an office wasn’t a priority for a while, as it was saving us good money and we were still productive. But it didn’t take long for morale to take a dive. That was tough, really tough at time. Bob lives in Groton, about an hour away, and Chris, at the time, lived down the street from me. He’d come to my house and work in the basement with me – awkward, yes, but necessary for us to maintain sanity. Bob continued to work from home, in Groton.

Over time, morale took a big dive and we were losing productivity – starting to get frustrated with the situation. An office was immediately necessary but we really couldn’t afford anything, – then came the funding.

We were in the market for an office. Having had an office in the past I knew the operational headaches that come with a regular office – a lease, utilities, Internet service, phone service, parking, security, cleaning/maintenance, and all of the other bullshit that comes with it. Then, you end up spending 10-15% of your time dealing with all that – paying those bills, dealing with outages, changes, etc etc. Argh! No thank you! I need to be productive. We, as a company, need to be productive. A shared office space would be ideal.

We looked at HQ, Regus – no thanks. Too corporate, stodgy. If we were a law firm or a brokerage of some sort, sure why not. They were also pretty darn pricey. Then we checked out Cambridge Innovation Center (CIC), in Kendall Square, Cambridge. Let’s just say we weren’t treated too well so that didn’t work out. We fell in love with TechSpace in the South End, but we weren’t too thrilled with the location and needed a little added incentive.

We dealt with Paul McBride, the site manager at TechSpace. Paul was very assertive at winning our business. We put up a bit of a fight and weren’t totally convinced that TechSpace would suit our needs. We had very specific and technical requirements, especially pertaining telecommunications. Paul bent over backwards for us and proved to us that we’d be a valued tenant here at TechSpace. Eventually he had to let go and leave us to make the decision, which we did after a ridiculous amount of internal discussion.

We moved into TechSpace in one day, about a month ago. We’re extremely pleased! Paul has proven to be a fantastic resource for us here, and the admin staff, Myrna and Grace, are top-notch. There’s a cafeteria-like set-up here run by a classy old-school Southie guy named Mike. He does a great job of serving up breakfast and lunch every day here.

The atmosphere at TechSpace Boston is creative, funky, fun, communal, casual, techie, dot-commy. It’s a great place. We’ve got these giant windows at our desks that open up – thrilling! We’ve got access to 4 bonded T-1s, chilling! Four conference rooms, a parking lot, our own private suite, a full IT infrastructure, good people in the neighboring suites and in the hallways, and most importantly – we’ve been super-productive since the day we moved in here.

TechSpace is a great space. If you’re in startup mode, or if you’re a small, innovative and creative company, check out TechSpace at 580 Harrison Ave, 4th floor, in the South End of Boston. Call Paul McBride at (617) 275-7000. He’ll treat you well if you tell him Ben sent you!

2007-05-31: Quick update to this. I just learned that one of the bigger tenants here is moving out in June. Lots of new space available. We may have to relocate down the hall. But also, I just learned that yet another dot-com is moving in here. This is really turning into a nice spot for Boston dot-coms!