May 2012 Every month, D.C. technologists, investors, and entrepreneurs gathered together for discussions, lightning talks, and demos. #DCtech. With over 25,000 members, the event was usually held at a large auditorium such as the historic Synagogue on 6th and I St. or the Martin Luther King Jr. Library. On Tuesday, May 1st D.C. Tech was …
Category Archives: Startup
Piola DC
Jason Morenz was working in the kitchen in Piola located on the northern border of U St by Florida Ave NW. The restaurant was popular on Sunday for their bottomless brunch (not mimosas) but 10 different types of pizzas (personal size) as much as you can binge. During the weekday, all draft beer (including …
Carmine’s
I still remember the sage words from Suzannah to work with PR firms. Not everyone visits restaurants based on word of mouth or Yelp reviews. Many customers still found the news media credible and no PR firms had a strong grip on the local restaurant market like Heather Freeman and Jill Collins. Manuel Iguina from …
Sandoval
Richard Sandoval doesn’t need any introductions or promotions. That’s why I was delighted when the General Manager of Zengo, Frank Ortiz, agreed to have me write a feature story to spotlight their new menu items. I invited Anca Grindeanu, a bartender at the Carving Room, to be a guest blogger for RUNINdc Before the MCI …
Nightowls
In the evenings Suzannah and I would set up shop at different incubators or at a co-working group called the Nightowls which was held at several locations and co-working spaces in town. On this particular evening, we were working up in the 1776 incubator space on 1133 15th St. NW. This is where I would …
President’s Bar Comics
Nicole Foster was the wet behind the ears Marketing Manager trying to drum up new clientele for the President’s Sports Bar at the Renaissance Hotel in the Penn Quarter. So when I got a call from the Marriott, requesting our services, I wasn’t about to turn it down. As I walked around the expansive lobby, …
Pedicabber
The following weekend, Zach and I were in my Subaru Baja, driving at full speed on the N.J. Turnpike to NYC. “Why are we driving up to the Big Apple just to pick up a damn rickshaw?” Zach asked incredulously. “Segways are all the rage on the Mall.” “So we can hang signage promoting …
Postmates
Winter 2015 In the winter of 2014, Postmates roared into town with the promise of being able to deliver virtually anything to anyone in the District within an hour. They charged a 10% purchase fee and a nominal delivery fee based on the distance of which 80% went to the couriers. The app is commonly …
RUNIN — the Theme
RUNIN is not exactly about the joys (or pain) of running. It’s not about running out of food either. Did you realize that RUNIN is actually a back acronym? Huh? Let’s take a look at the qualities of the Ethiopian Diaspora. They were all Resourceful in surviving tough living conditions and eventually found success in …
Vapiano
I applied for the GWU Business Plan competition in 2011 and 12 with high hopes that perseverance would pay off. After all, I had a couple of notches such as Startup Weekend in my belt, and unlike the vast majority of applicants, I actually had a real business that was gaining traction. April 1 2012 …