www.digitaljam2.com

One of the objectives of the Digital JAM 2.0 event is to showcase strong Jamaican technical and creative talent and nothing like an intense 24 Hackthon/Code Sprint to make that happen.

Goal: A Sports Hackathon/Code Sprint that will presumably use 24 hours to create some awesome apps for the Jamaican Sports Industry.

When: The Hackathon takes place on Thursday, June 28th, 2012, the first of the 3 day Digital JAM 2.0 event at the Jamaica Conference Centre.

Benefit to You: There’s nothing like a hackathon/code sprint to help you demonstrate your coding prowess and design talent especially if you don’t mind not getting much sleep.

It’s an opportunity to participate in an event that really brings your local developer community together: you’ll meet fellow developers and designers, see what they’re up to, and show what you can do.

Added to that the Jamaican Sports Industry is screaming for some app solutions why not give it to them.

For Who: Students, self taught and professional designers and developers, business/marketing heads who are new or experienced to participating in a Hackathon/Code Sprint. Ages 13-35.

Registration Deadline: You can register to participate in the 24hr Sports hackathon online. Deadline is June 21st, 2012.

Why the Sports Theme?

Jamaica, which has been dubbed the Sprint Factory of the World, is known globally for the excellence of our sports men and women. We have the oldest and most known high school sports championship in the world. And yet, most of the sports sectors ( school programs, meets, events) operate with high levels of inefficiency, word-of-mouth communications and at times informality.

There is a tremendous socio-economic development opportunity to improve and enhance the many of the sporting sectors, through the incorporation of technology into operations, as well as create new jobs youth seeking entrepreneurial opportunities in ICT.

Sample of problems across the sporting sectors:
- In most organizing bodies for the sport, there is no central database or record of athletes at various stages of development in education system

- Despite global appeal of sport personalities and brand Jamaica, no services or tools currently exist to “follow” favorite athletes or teams

- Despite Jamaica’s large Diaspora, whom most of which have strong connections to their respective high schools, there are no prominent services to facilitate financial  contributions or accessing information updates on the programs of the schools

-Despite the articulated importance sports at a community level, there is no central repository or listing of the sporting activities in a particular community that an individual can access to get more involved.

The Digital JAM 2.0 needs you to code some apps solutions in 24hrs, do you have what it takes?

RULES

1. Attend a Tech Camp in your area to get details on the hackathon- the problems, ideas, rules, prizes, the overall event, meet fellow coders and creatives and more.

Schedule of Tech Camps

Tech Camp Kingston Wed 9 May
Medallion Hall Hotel        |   5pm-7pm
53 Hope Road

Tech Camp Mandeville Thu 10May
Mandeville Hotel              | 3pm -5pm

Tech Camp Montego Bay Fri 11 May
MoBay Comm College       | 1pm-3pm

2. Your Team size: 2-4 people and at least 50% must be Jamaican. We also encourage you to have at least one designer/digital artist on your team. Your app has to solve a problem, work well and look good.

3. Age Limits: The members of your team must be the age of 13-35.

Kingston BETA This Thursday

Mike Johns is Jamaican. He is the Founder and President of Digital Mind State formerly known as UrbanWorld Wireless, the Los Angeles based company that bridged wireless technology and hip-hop culture will be the guest speaker in person at the next Kingston BETA, Thursday April 26th, 2012 6:30pm at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel.

Who is Mike Johns?
Mike Johns is the driving force behind the Digital Mind State brand, responsible for planning, business development, marketing and the company expansion. A true liaison between urban youth culture and the mobile industry, Johns has been successful at building and maintaining profitable business relationship with some of the biggest company names in mobile industry including T-Mobile, Zed, Fun Mobility, Nokia, Microsoft, amongst others. Motivated byleveling the playing field of the “Digital Divide,” he’s been dubbed “ambassador” of the urban/hip-hop lifestyle segment as well he’s achieved numerous “first” in the mobile entertainment space.

UrbanWorld was a vision Johns had early in his career while working as Marketing Director for Larry Flynt’s Rap Page Magazine. In 2001, he turned his dream into reality, brokering the company’s mobile content provider deal with T-Mobile; partnerships with Infospace, Jamster, and AT&T (UrbanWorld’s voicetones have been featured in the top ten voicetone category on AT&T for three consecutive years). Capitol Records become the first record label to conduct mobile marketing with the “urban” audience, utilizing UrbanWorld’s mobile platform followed by such industry players as Def Jam, Vibe Magazine, Adidas and Fox Network. UrbanWorld Wireless has become a worldwide leader in the distribution of urban content, while earning praise from executives at ABC Radio, BBC Radio, XXL Magazine, and an endless list of partners, vendors and clients.

Mike Johns is Jamaican. He is the Founder and President of Digital Mind State formerly known as UrbanWorld Wireless, the Los Angeles based company that bridged wireless technology and hip-hop culture will be the guest speaker via Skype Video at the next Kingston BETA, Thursday April 26th, 2012 6:30pm at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel.

Who is Mike Johns?
Mike Johns is the driving force behind the Digital Mind State brand, responsible for planning, business development, marketing and the company expansion. A true liaison between urban youth culture and the mobile industry, Johns has been successful at building and maintaining profitable business relationship with some of the biggest company names in mobile industry including T-Mobile, Zed, Fun Mobility, Nokia, Microsoft, amongst others. Motivated byleveling the playing field of the “Digital Divide,” he’s been dubbed “ambassador” of the urban/hip-hop lifestyle segment as well he’s achieved numerous “first” in the mobile entertainment space.

UrbanWorld was a vision Johns had early in his career while working as Marketing Director for Larry Flynt’s Rap Page Magazine. In 2001, he turned his dream into reality, brokering the company’s mobile content provider deal with T-Mobile; partnerships with Infospace, Jamster, and AT&T (UrbanWorld’s voicetones have been featured in the top ten voicetone category on AT&T for three consecutive years). Capitol Records become the first record label to conduct mobile marketing with the “urban” audience, utilizing UrbanWorld’s mobile platform followed by such industry players as Def Jam, Vibe Magazine, Adidas and Fox Network. UrbanWorld Wireless has become a worldwide leader in the distribution of urban content, while earning praise from executives at ABC Radio, BBC Radio, XXL Magazine, and an endless list of partners, vendors and clients.

With more than ten years in the industry and an unrivaled understanding of the global wireless ecosystem, Johns is creating a unique, digital entertainment experience for the youth and young adult market with the international distribution of top urban brands in music, video & film across new media platforms including Xbox Live, Playstation, mobile and digital television.

Prior to founding UrbanWorld Wireless and fresh out of college, Johns was Marketing Director for Larry Flynt owned Rap Page Magazine and was key in the marketing the Rap Page brand which quickly emerged as one of the world’s premier urban music magazine and website. By fostering relationship with artists & record label in addition to building strategic partnership with various consumer brands including Dolce & Gabbana, Johns was able to increase circulation and readership by 12%.

Prior to Rap Page Magazine, Johns worked for Fortune 500 Company, W.W Grainger moving from customer service representative to becoming account manager for Grainger’s largest client in Northern California- Pacific Gas & Electric. As manager of the $1.7 million account, Johns effectively trained more than 50 employees, lead focus groups on new product development and served as liaison between the needs of PG&E and the Grainger’s company mission. Mr. Johns began his career as Entertainment Director for University of Las Vegas responsible for booking talents; negotiate contracts, marketing and promotion of campus & city wide events including Jay-Z Hardknock Life Tour, UNLV’s annual Rebelpaloza Concert, celebrity basketball tournaments & college tailgate concert series.

Johns holds a bachelor’s degree in Marketing and Sociology from Western Illinois University. Johns is a frequent speaker at industry events including CTIA, Mobile Marketing Forum, iHollywood Forum, Billboard, Multi-Cultural Media Expo, Showbiz Expo and a slew of music industry panels covering a wide range of topics such as on-deck and off-deck strategies, examining business models for mobile music, and how to market, promote & monetize with social network.

Mr. Johns began his career as Entertainment Director for University of Las Vegas responsible for booking talents; negotiate contracts, marketing and promotion of campus & city wide events.

Beyond education and professional experience, Johns’ passion and personality gives him a natural ability to reach young people on the streets of Crenshaw as well as the power brokers on Wall Street. It is a skill that has made his company a recognizable force in the wireless industry and the hip-hop world.

ABout Kingston BETA
Kingston Beta, our bimonthly Event staged in Jamaica, connected to the Caribbean and Diaspora – is a platform for startups, entrepreneurs, developers, designers and tech professionals – to learn, be inspired and network.

It’s become the hub for the movers and shakers in the Jamaican and Caribbean Tech Community. Over 40 events have been held, that over 2500 people attended and have seen over 80 Jamaican and Caribbean technology startups pitch their new businesses ideas. We’ve kicked off a tech entrepreneurship movement in Jamaica and growing across the Caribbean.

The next one is Thursday March 26th, 2012 at our home The Jamaica Pegasus Hotel starting with networking at 6:30pm. It’s $500 for regular peeps. $200 for college students with ID. This is the second of our 5 bi-monthly events that will end the year with Caribbean BETA- The annual Tech Entrepreneurship Conference in November. Our year long theme is “Startup Local, Think Global” . Each Kingston BETA event will have a guest speaker (local,regional and global)/panel, a BETA Pitch Contest and networking with the smartest minds in the industry.

Kingston BETA is part of a network of initiatives that includes SiliconCaribe.com, Caribbean BETA, the annual tech conference coming in November, StartupWeekendJamaica, and are all working on the same mission – to drive tech entrepreneurship in the Caribbean. We believe tech entrepreneurship can and will become a major driver of startup businesses, job creation and innovation.

Kingston BETA is staged by ConnectiMass.

Kingston BETA Community

Kingston Beta, our bimonthly Event staged in Jamaica, connected to the Caribbean and Diaspora – is a platform for startups, entrepreneurs, developers, designers and tech professionals – to learn, be inspired and network.

It’s become the hub for the movers and shakers in the Jamaican and Caribbean Tech Community. Over 40 events have been held, that over 2500 people attended and have seen over 80 Jamaican and Caribbean technology startups pitch their new businesses ideas.  We’ve kicked off a tech entrepreneurship movement in Jamaica and growing across the Caribbean.

The next one is Thursday March 26th, 2012 at our home The Jamaica Pegasus Hotel starting with networking at 6:30pm. It’s $500 for regular peeps. $200 for college students with ID.  This is the second of our 5 bi-monthly events that will end the year with  Caribbean BETA- The annual Tech Entrepreneurship Conference in November. Our year long theme is “Startup Local, Think Global” . Each Kingston BETA event will have a guest speaker (local,regional and global)/panel, a BETA Pitch Contest and networking with the smartest minds in the industry.

Kingston BETA is part of a network of initiatives that includes  SiliconCaribe.com, Caribbean BETA, the annual tech conference coming in November, StartupWeekendJamaica, and  are all working on the same mission – to drive tech entrepreneurship in the Caribbean. We believe tech entrepreneurship can and will become a major driver of startup businesses, job creation and innovation.

Kingston BETA is staged by ConnectiMass.

 

WANT TO PITCH YOUR BIG IDEA/STARTUP?

We’re in Search of  the Caribbean’s Most Promising Technology-centric Startups! Start the brainstorming. Calling all entrepreneurs, developers, designers,tech professionals and those aspiring- Do you have a big Idea?! Then share it with the fast growing Tech Community and get feedback from seasoned entrepreneurs, potential collaborators and investors.

Startups can be in Jamaica and in fact anywhere in the Caribbean and the Caribbean Diaspora as we do Skype video pitches, as long as it idea/startup is lead by or cofounded by a Caribbean national.

What is BETA Pitch?

BETA Pitch! is a bimonthly startup competition held at every Kingston BETA that’s about Discovering the Caribbean’s Most Promising Technology-centric Startups.

BETAPitch is a year long programme that’s focused on identifying and promoting Caribbean Startups. It also leads to BETA PitchFest which is the big annual Caribbean Startup Contest which is a major part of Caribbean BETA- the annual Caribbean Tech Entrepreneurship Conference held in Kingston,Jamaica.

Why BETAPitch ?

It’s an exceptional promotional and networking platform available to entrepreneurs who are about to launch or have newly launched their Internet/Tech/Mobile idea.

If you have an amazing project or business idea you want to share, attract incubation, funding and feedback from  the Caribbean Technology and Business community and the thousands of enthusiasts worldwide who follow the event-then  apply to pitch.  At BETA Pitch! you reach an audience of potential customers, successful entrepreneurs, investors, influential bloggers and tweeters who can catapult you to the next level and beyond.

How to Enter the BETAPitch

The Caribbean Startups-

We accept startups based in Jamaica and the Caribbean or startups around the world that are led by or has  Caribbean nationals as part of founding team.  Your startup must be in the Tech/Internet/Mobile Industries.

How The Competition Works

Each Company selected to participate will be given:
- 5 minutes pitch

- 2 minutes of Q&A always follow.

-All entrants and winners are published on sites and social networks of KingstonBeta.com, affiliate Caribbean Tech Blog SiliconCaribe.com.

Skype Video Pitches from Around the World
While Kingston Beta is staged in Kingston Jamaica, we accept startups based in the Caribbean or startups led by or including Caribbean nationals anywhere in the world. Those startup pitches are broadcast to our audience using Skype Video

…Got your attention?! It’s the topic of our panel discussion next week at Kingston BETA’s February Edition. That plus big idea pitches on web and mobile apps from senior high school and college level teams. Plus power networking with some of the smartest minds in the tech industry. Here’s what’s in store for you.

Pitch Your Big Idea!

KINGSTON BETA

The Hub of the Caribbean Tech Startup Scene

Learn. Be Inspired. Network.

PANEL DISCUSSION

How is the education system fostering technology innovation?

Panelists

Henry Osborne, Technology Specialist – Northern Caribbean University

Lavare Henry, Vice Principal, Teacher Computer Studies – Campion College

Moderator

Dianne Harris, Experienced Caribbean Business Educator, Education Blogger

BETAPITCH

Students and teams from 3 top Jamaican high schools.

Students and teams from 2 universities

They will be pitching their big ideas for web and mobile apps.

AUDIENCE

Come prepared with the tough questions to ask about what is happening is schools and why and how is the future of Jamaica being prepared for the Digital Age.

When: Thursday February 23rd, 2012

Where: The Jamaica Pegasus Hotel. New Kingston

Time: 6:30pm

Contribution: JA$500 | US$5

Kingston BETA

“Growing Tech Entrepreneurship in Jamaica and across the Caribbean”

Join the Community

Follow us on Twitter: @kingstonbeta

Join us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/kingstonbeta

> A ConnectiMass Event<

http://www.ConnectiMass.com

Pitch Your Big Idea!

We’re in Search of  the Caribbean’s Most Promising Technology-centric Startups! Start the brainstorming. Calling all entrepreneurs, developers, designers,tech professionals and those aspiring- Do you have a big Idea?! Then share it with the fast growing Tech Community and get feedback from seasoned entrepreneurs, potential collaborators and investors.

We’re having our first BETA Pitch Startup contest for the year at Kingston BETA on Thursday February 23rd, 2012.

Startups can be in Jamaica and in fact anywhere in the Caribbean and the Caribbean Diaspora as we do Skype video pitches, as long as it idea/startup is lead by or cofounded by a Caribbean national.

What is BETA Pitch?

BETA Pitch! is a bimonthly startup competition held at every Kingston BETA that’s about Discovering the Caribbean’s Most Promising Technology-centric Startups.

BETAPitch is a year long programme that’s focused on identifying and promoting Caribbean Startups. It also leads to BETA PitchFest which is the big annual Caribbean Startup Contest which is a major part of Caribbean BETA- the annual Caribbean Tech Entrepreneurship Conference held in Kingston,Jamaica.

Why BETAPitch ?

It’s an exceptional promotional and networking platform available to entrepreneurs who are about to launch or have newly launched their Internet/Tech/Mobile idea.

If you have an amazing project or business idea you want to share, attract incubation, funding and feedback from  the Caribbean Technology and Business community and the thousands of enthusiasts worldwide who follow the event-then  apply to pitch.  At BETA Pitch! you reach an audience of potential customers, successful entrepreneurs, investors, influential bloggers and tweeters who can catapult you to the next level and beyond.

How to Enter the BETAPitch

The Caribbean Startups-

We accept startups based in Jamaica and the Caribbean or startups around the world that are led by or has  Caribbean nationals as part of founding team.  Your startup must be in the Tech/Internet/Mobile Industries.

How The Competition Works

Each Company selected to participate will be given:
- 5 minutes pitch

- 2 minutes of Q&A always follow.

-All entrants and winners are published on sites and social networks of KingstonBeta.com, affiliate Caribbean Tech Blog SiliconCaribe.com.

Skype Video Pitches from Around the World
While Kingston Beta is staged in Kingston Jamaica, we accept startups based in the Caribbean or startups led by or including Caribbean nationals anywhere in the world. Those startup pitches are broadcast to our audience using Skype Video.

Cost?

It is free to participate in the BETAPitch Contest, but $500jmd/$5usd to attend  the Kingston BETA event.

Contact Us Now

Companies interested in taking advantage of this new opportunity must apply by emailing Ingrid Riley at ingrid@connectimass.com or calling 1 876 864 2440. | Dianne Harris  361 8703

Fellow Techies,

First, let me take this opportunity to wish you a fulfilling and wealth building 2012, even as we’re already over 30 days into it.

We’re happy to have ended 2011 on a high, with a successful series of bimonthly events with increased attendances, better startup ideas and a super successful tech entrepreneurship conference Caribbean BETA in November. So we’re excited about 2012 and the opportunities to further development of the culture of tech entrepreneurship and the success stories in Jamaica and across the Caribbean.

To that end we will have 5 bimonthly events starting on Thursday February 23rd, 2012 and we will end the year with our annual tech entrepreneurship conference – Caribbean BETA during Global Entrepreneurship Week in November.

This year, at every Kingston BETA event we will have a guest speaker ( local, regional, international), a BETA Pitch Competition which is about discovering the Caribbean’s most promising Tech Startups plus our usual power hours of networking over drinks and nibbles.

Additionally, our sister brand SiliconCaribe.com will be live tweeting every event to the world in addition to getting on
the fly interviews with you, as we move to put a face to the growing community and showcase who’s doing what.

We also welcome our new high energy team of volunteers lead by Kingston BETA event co-producer Dianne Harris who will help produce the events and keep the community connected. Further, starting with our first event, we will be asking you who will be attending Kingston BETA to pay US$5.00 (JA$500) per person per event at the door.

We know you consider Kingston BETA and the community you are part of, to be of great value…we’ve been happily collecting
and sharing the tweets, Facebook comments, emails and personal calls. It is a recognition that Kingston BETA is the platform for startups, entrepreneurs, developers, designers and tech professionals – to learn, be inspired and network.

We are building something significant and we ask that you continue to attend, come to pitch your big ideas, network with some of the smartest minds in the industry and share with others what you experience as together, we grow the Caribbean Tech Startup Scene.

See you at the next Kingston BETA!
Yours sincerely,

Ingrid Riley
Ceo Connectimass, Founder of Kingston BETA

Dianne Harris
Co-producer, Kingston BETA

Kingston BETA – To learn. Be Inspired. To Network
@kingstonbeta  | #kgnbeta

A ConnectiMass Event
www.ConnectiMass.com

Caribbean Startups

Kingston Beta, our bimonthly Event staged in Jamaica, connected to the Caribbean and Diaspora – is a platform for startups, entrepreneurs, developers, designers and tech professionals – to learn, be inspired and network.

It’s become the hub for the movers and shakers in the Jamaican and Caribbean Tech Community. Over 40 events have been held, that 2500 people attended and have seen over 70 Jamaican and Caribbean technology startups pitch their new businesses ideas.  We’ve kicked off a tech entrepreneurship movement in Jamaica and growing across the Caribbean.

In 2012, we will have 5 bi-monthly events and end the year with  Caribbean BETA- The annual Tech Entrepreneurship Conference. Our year long theme is “Startup Local, Think Global” . Each Kingston BETA event will have a guest speaker (local,regional and global), a BETA Pitch Contest and networking with the smartest minds in the industry.

The next one is Thursday February 23rd, 2012 at our home The Jamaica Pegasus Hotel.

Kingston BETA is part of a network of initiatives that includes  SiliconCaribe.com, Caribbean BETA, the annual tech conference coming in November, StartupWeekendJamaica, and  are all working on the same mission – to drive tech entrepreneurship in the Caribbean. We believe tech entrepreneurship can and will become a major driver of startup businesses, job creation and innovation.

by Steve Livingston on March 29, 2010

1.    What problem or need will your product or service fulfill and how is this better than what’s currently on offer?

2. How big is the potential market? What’s the potential “open goal”?

3. Do you have the right team? Is it well balanced with a decent mix of experience and raw enthusiasm?

4. How will you dominate your market? e.g. by having proprietary protected know-how that creates a barrier to entry for competitors or can you (quietly) build dominance in a small niche market then blast off from there?

5.    Can you deliver it now and if not, how and when?