TZ Tech Crawl Silicon Beach: Venice

There’s increasing buzz surrounding Silicon Beach–So Cal’s answer to Silicon Valley. If you’re curious and want an up close view of the startups of Silicon Beach, this weekend’s your chance.

This past July TechZulu put on the TZ Tech Silicon Beach Crawl in Santa Monica. It was so popular, they’re doing it again. This time the focus will be the Venice area.

What can you expect? If you’ve been on a bar crawl, you have the general idea. Except instead of bars, you’ll be going on a tour of startup, Accelerator and Incubator offices in the Venice section of Silicon Beach. Each venue will host a group of developers, designers, entrepreneurs and other startups in their office for about 45 minutes.

There will be food, beer, games and prizes. And most important of all, you’ll have opportunities to network. You never know whose hiring.

The event takes place August 30th from 6pm to 11pm. There will also be an after party.

Visit TechZulu’s site for more details.

Networking with Blacks in Technology-Los Angeles at Google

Networking. That’s the buzzword these days for getting ahead in business. And even if you’re employed or have your own business, it still pays to stay connected–so I’m told–in your current field or maybe even something seemingly unrelated.

Last Wednesday, in an effort to get out and network, I attended my first event with the Blacks in Technology-Los Angeles Meetup group. I figured, I’d do some networking and maybe get some new blogging ideas. I also wanted to get a peek inside Google country. The event was held in one of Google’s offices in Venice.

Bottom line, I’m glad I went.

On arriving, I was excited about meeting up with other Black professionals in the tech industry. We don’t run into one another too often, at least not in large groups.

There were roughly 30 attendees at the event, ranging in age from twenty-something on up. The group was jovial and friendly. It included system analyst, electrical engineers, network administrators, tech entrepreneurs, and at least one Ph.D. Some attendees weren’t even techies but were hatching a start-up and looking for possible talent.

Guest speaker: Prince Koikai a Financial Planner and author

After some networking and group introductions, the meetup host, John C. Malonson, introduced the night’s guest speaker, Prince Koikai a Financial Planner and author.

The focus of the presentation was on obtaining business capital. He talked about finding money for your business, things investors look for, raising money through crowdfunding and the importance of a good business plan.

Even though I’m just a writer and not looking to begin a start-up soon, I found the presentation to be very informative. I didn’t know much about Angel Investors and crowdfunding beforehand. Koikai ended the presentation with a bit of a sales pitch which I could have done without, but that aside, he was a dynamic speaker.

Aside from the networking opportunities and the presentation, it was nice to be in a room filled with motivated and talented men and women who just happen to be Black. After being bombarded with so many negative images in the media, it’s nice to be reminded that many in the Black community can, and are, achieving great things that aren’t related to sports or the music industry.

I look forward to attending future events.

Los Angeles Police Department Rolling Out Crime Predicting Software

Today’s police officers are getting real excited at the prospect of new law enforcement toys that will be in their hands in the near future. For example, there are the drones that will soon be available to help chase criminals down and then there’s that really cool, and slightly disturbing, speech jamming gun – great for shutting up obnoxious protestors. But these gadgets aren’t ready for show time yet.

The Los Angeles Police Department currently does have its hands on a tool that’s right out of a sci-fi movie. It’s an application that can predict the probability of the occurrence of crimes before they occur. It’s a crude version of what the law enforcers used in Minority Report – without the psychic pre-cogs.

The LAPD is rolling out an application called PredPol (Predictive Policing). It was originally created by UCLA professors Jeff Brantingham and George Mohler to predict earthquakes. They later modified the application for crime prediction.

PredPol runs on a secure, cloud-based software-as-a-service (SaaS) platform. As a result its information is accessible from any tech device by police officers (i.e., Desktop, laptops and mobile devices). And it can be set up within days for use by analysts– without requiring new hardware, additional technical staff or excessive training.

Source: PredPol.com

Law enforcement agencies that license PredPol collect data about criminal acts and where they occur. The software then uses that data to predict where and when future crimes are most likely to occur, down to 500 square foot blocks.

PredPol has been tested and refined through a research partnership with the LAPD since 2011. During that period, the LAPD saw a 36 percent drop in crime rates in the participating districts.

As the PredPol developers continue to perfect their algorithms to make the predictions more accurate, the question that arises is will future generations of the software be refined to the point of being able to predict who will commit what crime and when.

Blacks In Technology: An Online Resource That Helps Blacks Get Ahead in the Tech Industry

When it comes to the lack of Blacks and other minorities in the tech industry and start-ups, many people look to leaders in Silicon Valley for answers to increasing diversity. But, this may be wishful thinking.

It’s like people complaining to Hollywood film makers and television producers to create more films that are inclusive and reflective of our society by including Blacks and other minorities in major roles. There have been minor attempts at change but not much.

Of course people like, Tyler Perry, are trying to change that. Say what you will about his films and television shows, but they’re profitable and put a lot of Black actors to work.

Fortunately there are equivalents of Tyler Perry in the tech industry, folks who aren’t waiting for Silicon Valley to help out minorities. They’re putting events in motion to create the change they want to see. For example, programs such as Black Girls Code, The Hidden Genius Project, and NewMe Accelerator.

Blacks in Technology founder
Greg Greenlee

Greg Greenlee, founder of Blacks in Technology(BIT), is also one of these people. He created BIT to change the attitudes of Blacks with regards to technology and to bring together the Black talent he knew existed in a place where they can network. In addition, it’s a resource for mentoring young and upcoming talent.

BIT provides a variety of networking and information resources. It has its own social network, BITNET, and forums. Members can also engage in live chats. Visitors can listen to podcast or view videos that include interviews with professionals in the tech industry talking about topics such as cloud computing, mobile application development, security and start-ups.

Networking

When asked about the problems of how to unify the Black talent in the tech field Greenlee says, “it's being over shadowed by the fact that we are mainly consumers or being portrayed as such. Yes, that is the tricky part.”

“The image has to change though. Once the picture of Black technologist is more common than it is a rarity, then I think we will achieve greater things. There is some phenomenal talent out there.”

The Next Generation

BIT has a potentially crucial role for kids who are interested in getting into electronics, engineering, computer science, etc. Blacks, and other minorities, in urban neighborhoods don’t always have the greatest support when it comes to pursing interest in STEM fields.

Spending your time building computers, coding or reading articles in tech magazines will definitely land you in the nerd camp. These kids can feel isolated.

With BIT, they can go online and connect with other kids like themselves all over the country. They’ll also get career advice and technology tips from professionals already in the field.

“Once I figure out how to get into High Schools and colleges,” says Greenlee, “it’s really going to skyrocket. Because, now they have a place to come to for advice, knowledge, etc.”

Future Features

BIT is getting close to launching an online technology magazine, Tech Digest. But, it won’t be for the casual techie. It will be for the more advanced guys and gals who like to talk Linux, develop open source software, maintain networks and servers, etc. This magazine won’t be devoted to covering rumors on what features will be in the next iPhone or Android phone.

Greenlee says, “I’m looking to talk about ‘tech’ tech - the building blocks of it as well as the implementation of it - not just the use or the consuming of it via games and what not.”

This focus on the technology used to create products and solutions reflects Greg’s goal of changing the way Blacks view technology. He says, “My belief is we have to change the mindset, not just within our culture but everywhere. People talk about Silicon Valley not giving us a chance.”

“We need to make our own way. We need to be unified. We need to start talking at a deeper level about tech. And, that's my motivation behind doing this site and the Tech Digest site.”

Greg is also planning on creating an online video technology show that would cover the latest tech news, tips and how to videos. So, Greenlee has his hands full for the near future.

“Don't tell my wife that,” Greg says, laughing. “She already thinks I spend too much time on my computers.”

Black Girls Code Summer of Code Tour Coming to Los Angeles

Angelenos, if you have a precocious little girl looking for something to do this summer, there’s a computer workshop coming to town you might want to enroll her in. This one to two day workshop could put her on the road to becoming the next, Steve Jobs. Ok, maybe not. But, hopefully, she’ll leave the class thinking that’s an option.

That’s the goal of Black Girls Code (BGC), the increasingly popular San Francisco Bay Area program devoted to getting Black and other minority girls into science and technology fields.

On June 17th, 2012, BGC launched its Summer of Code campaign. They plan to reach more than 300 students by holding one and two-day workshops and summer camps in seven or more cities in 90 days (San Francisco, Oakland, Chicago, Detroit, St. Louis, Atlanta, Las Vegas, and Los Angeles).

BGC’s goal is to “plant a seed that may change the face of the future of tech!” and to create future role models for the thousands of African American and Hispanic youth who will be the majority of the domestic workforce within the next decade.

Black Girls Code is coming to Los Angeles. The date has yet to be determined but you can go to BGC’s website and register now to reserve a space.

Even if you don’t have a kid to enroll in the workshop, you can donate to the program if you’d like to support its mission.

The Black Girls Code founder, Kimberly Bryant, was recently recognized as a Foot Soldier of the week by MSNBC’s Melisa Harris-Perry for her grass roots efforts and, in Harris-Perry’s words, “changing the color of innovation and teaching girls that geek is good.”

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Reading Rainbow Reborn as an App

The much beloved Reading Rainbow, the Emmy award winning children’s television series that aired on PBS from 1983 to 2009 and encouraged kids to read is making a comeback – in the form of a tech start-up.

This past week, on June 19th, the Reading Rainbow was relaunched as an iPad App by a tech start-up called RRKidz. As with the original television series, the goal is the same, to motivate a new generation of children to read.

The Reading Rainbow App is a reading adventure app, available on the iTunes store. It provides many of the hallmarks of the original show such as storytelling by celebrity actors, including Levar Burton. It also includes in-app video field trips that connect the stories being read to the real world.

The app, designed for 3-9 year olds, launched with 150 books and 16 video field trips with more content to follow. It is free to download but the content is provided on a subscription basis, starting at an introductory price of 9.99 a month. A companion web site is also available for parents to track how much time their kids are reading and what they’re reading. It also provides books suggestions and tips to help kids to read more.

LeVar Burton, the host of the series during its run, co-founded RRKidz in conjunction with his business partner Mark Wolfe and CEO Asra Rasheed and acquired the Rainbow license in 2011.

RRKidz, headquartered in Los Angeles with offices in San Francisco, is a digital media company focused on developing educational and entertainment content for kids. It holds the rights for several other children’s brands and has plans on releasing additional products throughout 2012.

In a time when kids’ TV watching habits are changing and their attention is also divided between the internet, video games and content on media devices such as tablets and smartphones, reincarnating Reading Rainbow as an app was a good move.

Black Tech Professionals Launch Summer Mentor Program for Teenage Boys in Oakland

If you’re a Black family with kids with an interest in science or computers send them to the San Francisco Bay Area. If you’re already there, you’re lucky. There are a growing number of groups in that area focused on reaching out to young girls and boys in urban communities and encouraging them to get into the tech industry.

First there was the increasingly popular Black Girls Code, a group focused on motivating girls to enter STEM fields, now there’s a new mentor program for boys. It’s called The Hidden Genius Project (THGP). Like Black Girls Code, THGP’s aim is to increase the diversity in the technology field.

While it seems like a spinoff of BGC, it’s not. According to its founder Jason Young, “We are completely separate from Black Girls Code. That said, we have the utmost respect for that organization and the work that they are doing.”

Starting this Monday, Jun 25, THGP will launch its first summer program for young Black men in Oakland, CA ranging in age from 15 - 19. The aim of the program is to give the students the skills to make it in today’s global and technocentric economy.

Jason Young, on the left, interviewing a THGP candidate

THGP is making contact with these men at a critical age when they need the guidance and encouragement the most. There’s little support for Black men in urban communities to hit the books and become the next Bill Gates or Steve Jobs vs. becoming the next Kobe Bryant or Kanye West.

Even though we’re living in the Age of the Geek, the coolness of the geek hasn’t reached the urban culture yet. A Black kid hitting the books or burying himself in code won’t win much street cred in the hood.

This is where a group like the Hidden Genius Project comes to the rescue by providing support and mentorship for young Black men who show either an aptitude or an interest in computers or technology.

THGP is the brainchild of technology entrepreneur Jason Young, the founder of Mindblown Labs, a technology startup that makes mobile games that teach teens about personal finance and other in-demand skills.

Young says that when his company recently moved to Oakland, “I instantly felt a connection to the community and wanted to do my part to give back. One of the things that I saw was that many young Black males seemed to be disconnected from the opportunities being created in the tech industry. Since my startup is all about giving people the skills they need to be successful in a global workforce, I figured why not teach these students about software development. I spoke with Kurt Collins, Kilimanjaro Robbs, Isaak and Rassamee Hayes, Ty Moore, Michael McDaniels, Jeff T. Nelson, and Hidden Genius was born.”

The Hidden Genius Project focuses on providing its participants with a foundation they can use and build on to pursue a career path in Software Engineering, User Experience Design and technology entrepreneurship.

During the 9 week summer program students will get to design and build their own mobile applications and acquire skills needed to be a good software developer such as problem solving and creative thinking. In addition, participants will learn valuable intangible skills such as how to work as a team and how to present their project ideas to their peers.

Lastly, and perhaps most important, each student will receive one-on-one mentoring from Black professionals in the technology industry.

THGP doesn’t plan on being just a summer computer camp, Young says, “We would like to extend our program beyond the summer into the school year for the current students in addition to adding another class the following summer.”

Hopefully, like Black Girls Code, the Hidden Genius Project will become less hidden and grow in popularity.

Also, while the So Cal area does have programs like Level the Playing Field’s Smash Academy at UCLA and USC, with the growth of Silicon Beach, having a branch of the Hidden Genius Project in the area would be a welcome addition.