2007 April | Hunter of Genius

Monthly Archive for April, 2007

dinner with digital demigods

Published

on April 23, 2007

in Geek Gatherings, edutainment, networking and networthing

. 3 Comments

OMG I had dinner with Jimmy Wales & Prof Lessig .. and partied with them afterwards! (thank you iCommons team) I am such a geek groupie :-P

The hunter of genius was stopped in her tracks when confronted with deep genius ..and was mostly just in goofy awe.
I’ll post through the week on the funtimes and fundamental techtonic-shifts these internet icons brought our ZA way.

1st @SARocks! on how both slammed the telecomm’s stranglehold in South Africa

2nd :’-D Justin Nurse of Laugh It Off from his intro at the iCommons conference (where Justin certainly laughs something off! LOL)

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TgsaSDK2r8c]

I LOVED meeting more of the online crew like the Muso’s, the brilliant Buckland, the Apache founder fellow from SF, it was FUN and educational … more edutainment to come in the week >>

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Monogamy not an option for web entrepreneurs

Published

Maximillian Kaizen

on April 20, 2007

in 27dinners, Cape Town, Geek Gatherings and South Africa

. 4 Comments

Speed dating for entrepreneurs in the gorgeous little Mother City* last night >> zoomed into the ubersexy Extreme Hotel for about 28.3nanoseconds >>

because I couldn’t bear to be left out of at least a little of the fun at the new OpenCoffeeClub
South Africa’s first - started in London by powerhouse Saul Klein. Introduced to our shores by Eric Entrepreneur Edelstein.

Speed dating yields the quick & dirty blink instinct assessment. Maybe not perfect for business, but a whole lot more invigorating than the usual networking rounds of intro’s & pitches. For accelerated times it’s a relief to have the room moving at the same pace as you are. I didn’t have time for much more because I had to dash to a Toastmasters session. Not that there were all that many faces I didn’t recognise, all the usual suspects were in the house

… but I believe this one’s going to grow wildly and attract many more bravehearted entreneurs & serial start-up pioneers as 27 has.

Vinny Lingham’s right, in many ways this feels just like web1.0 .. the etherware salemen are shining their shoes and confuddling those who are in the rising panic that they’ll be left behind. [Even if the fundamentals don't bear out fair value in the financials, the big numbers have a gravitational force that equally defies scientific understanding].Hmm.. but we learnt a great deal the first time. And I am determined not to burn out another set of adrenals this time. South Africa has some lag time on the global upsurge but we’re in for a fun ride.

What in the world has this got to do with monogamy? If you happen to be one of the usual suspects at these kind of events anywhere in the world right now, you’ll know exactly what I mean. This is our lifestyle. A serious case of work ADD.

Chris Brogan did a post about this that I giggled at in complete recognition and realised that almost everyone I know has the same quirk. We new media types HAVE to have our fingers in multiple project pies, simultaneously.

We’re meeting, sparking, creating, conceptualising and innovating at a blur of speed that commitment to just one project is a foreign concept. Sound familiar?

As you read this how many projects do YOU have an interest in right now?

*(motherless for some I hear after the free drinks generously laid on by Vinny the VC and Anton Gillis).

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27dinner gathers force for FreedomDay

Published

Maximillian Kaizen

on April 17, 2007

in 27dinners, Cape Town, Gatherings and Geek Gatherings

. 6 Comments

The 27dinner has outgrown itself again.
The Cape Town dinner has popped its seams due to demand :)

Marketing Geek Dave found us a gorgeous spot looking out over the Atlantic Ocean & Robben Island - how appropriate for Freedom Day! Clever fellow.

The lineup for the talks has been confirmed :

Greenman Ian Gilfillan, the awardwinning ZAshow podcaster Glen Verran, the wild & wonderful cartooning sire of Bru and Boegie Mike Scott… and maybe if we’re very lucky my mate Rus Nerwich (world class muso & wildman of jazz) will swing some beats for us.

It’s going to be yet another cooking night of engaging with the brightest minds of new media, marketing and technology in the Mother City.

Oh did I almost forget? Just in case you weren’t convinced by the quality of the company : the legendary Graham Knox will be bringing on free Stormhoek wine AGAIN! (aaaargh.. hope I behave this time)

There are now 20 more seats that can be snapped up due to the new venue (click pic) so dash to the wiki to avoid feeling left out if you missed the first ones >>

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B’School course for Executives in Web2.0

Published

Maximillian Kaizen

on April 13, 2007

in Cape Town, Economic Factors, GSB, Geek Gatherings, South Africa, corporate education, edutainment and executive education

. 2 Comments

Dave Duarte (the Marketing Geek) announced the brand new course that we’re producing (thrilling!) for UCT’s Graduate School of Business
- Nomadic Marketing - scheduled 17 - 19 July University of Cape Town

This 3day executive course will focus on marketing strategy that embraces leading-edge technology. By now even those deep in digital denial have had to pay attention to the economic and social impact of the internet and mobile technologies. The course is geared as an immersive introduction with real world case studies, and practical application that you don’t have to be a geek to get! Certification included.

For us the pressure is on to craft a program of world-class quality to live up to UCT’s Graduate School of Business’ impressive stature. They have consistently ranked as one of the Global Top 100 MBA programs by the Financial Times. More appropriately for us though: in the Top 10 for Executive Education internationally! The challenge is energising.

Brain-based learning practices will be built in to more effortlessly enjoy the intensity of the course (without the overwhelm that would otherwise accompany this volume of knowledge). If you ever thought academia was dry and theoretical, you are in for an invigorating surprise.

Naturally we’ll be putting up a blog to get feedback and suggestions from you, to shape and clarify the syllabus. It will also offer introductions to some of the leading thinkers who will be contributing their knowledge.
[In the meantime we can confirm that mover and shaker in the SA web2.0 space Mike Stopforth is charging in to set the keynote. There'll be an economist, a futurist, podcasters, bloggers, respected marketers, pioneers and proponents of the new enterprise space who will lend their heft].

PS. you know Dave & I can’t resist community-building fun - so to ensure some solid edutainment - there’ll be an celebratory afterparty where you’ll be able to network with fellow course delegates; and also have the opportunity to connect with some of the bright & visionary technologists we respect
.. it’s not called social media for nothing.

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word.winning.women.week

Published

Maximillian Kaizen

on April 5, 2007

in creative genius

. 5 Comments

Celebrating the genius*gals this week.. I am so stoked, two of the gorgeous and talented women of my crew have scooped big awards this week for their wordsmithing genius. Tertia first with SA Blog of the year, and best writing on a blog.

And NOW the Ritz! winning in style at the ICT Journalist of the Year awards last night:

(here in the company of the fine Groogle aka Gregor Rohrig� & Vince Maher >>)

Ms. Carly Ritz is a blazing talent & worth putting on your watchlist >> she has a certain success trajectory ahead of her not just by virtue of unmistakable talent;
but possibly more so because she is exceptional, hilarious, visionary and heroic at the core. (spot the fan)

She will change the world ..don’t say I didn’t warn you!

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In Celebration of an Inspiration

Published

Maximillian Kaizen

on April 2, 2007

in Cape Town, Heisenberg, South Africa and creative genius

. 3 Comments

So Close : SA’s Best Blogger : by Far

We all know by now the yummymummy Tertia has taken the award for Best South African Blog :) There is none more deserving than this brave, bright & beautiful blogger. Her blog is formidably successful; but the real prize is the hard-won success that spills over in all directions and powers up other’s courage to deal with life’s gritty and seriously crap bits with huge dollops of grace.

There’s a little more than the standard warm fuzzies in this story >> It’s been a wild ride for Tertia lately and instead of crashing, she chose to use the power of participation on her blog to change the fortunes of a family. She’s raised hopes and a house for Harrison in 12hours flat. Check it out, and see if you don’t get all inspired to craft a creative campaign to use YOUR powers for good!

Fortune favours the brave: her book So Close has also been shortlisted in the books-spawned-from-blogs Blooker Awards with the likes of Seth Godin’s “Small is the New Big” and powerblog Postsecret as running mates - and judges with the stature of Arianna Huffington. It’s no small honour.

Tertia’s blog and book have changed many lives in many different & unexpected ways.. it’s a Hero’s Journey in the classic sense and farking funny to boot. No infertility of talent in evidence. Good job T, we’re so proud of you.

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