Olive Juice

Do you have a killer product concept and are ready to finally make it a reality? 2010 might be your year to build it out, launch a company, and change the world.

Betaspring – a mentorship-driven startup accelerator for technology and design entrepreneurs – is opening up applications for it’s 2010 summer program. They bring the best entrepreneurial teams from around the world to Providence, RI, for an intensive twelve week program.

As Co-Founder of Olive Interactive, LLC. (DandyID andClaim.io), headquartered in Providence – and a Rhode Island native – I can personally attest for our vibrant community of technologists, artists, business leaders and innovators…

(Click here for the full article on Girls In Tech)

Happy to be home, sad to have left, feeling a sense of calm and collectiveness, feeling sore yoga legs and kayaking shoulders.

I returned this afternoon from my first visit at the Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health, in the Berkshires. I went for 2 1/2 days, mid-week, as a happy-birthday-to-me retreat. The center offers a variety of workshops and training year long, but I went for an R+R personal retreat.

R+R visits are all inclusive: meals, workshops, classes, activities, and lodging. 

After careful consideration I chose dormitory lodging, knowing I’d be bunking beds with up to 19 other people, but was up for the challenge and it was the cheapest option. Alas, I came prepared with two sets of ear plugs and three variations of sleeping masks. To my surprise, I didn’t need them! Everyone was so impressively silent by 10pm each night – and since we were up by dawn, no light blocking mask was needed. 

The premises had everything you need, and surrounded by beautiful, lush mountains and serene Lake Mahkeenac. The food was also spectacular, largely  vegan/vegetarian cuisine.

I was lucky enough to hear that some of the chef’s recipes are available online, so allow me to spread the good word – http://www.kripalu.org/article/270. Try the Millet Cauliflower Mash!

For 2 nights check-in was Monday at 2:30, check out was by noon Wednesday (but you can stay the full day). The daily schedule is something like this: 6:30am yoga, breakfast, workshop (for chakras or Ayurveda health, for example), guided hike, lunch, yoga dance, guided kayaking, dinner, cooking class. One can partake in any, none, or all of the workshops/classes/activities. I spent half my day in those, and the other writing, meditating, sauna/whirlpool, or walking outdoor paths. I also learned my dosha is predominantly Pitta, that women vegetarians should consume anchovies and oysters to supplement their iron (I am not a vegetarian, but good to know!), and I really, really should steer clear of artificial sweeteners (no more diet pepsi!), will check out Stevia instead. Further nutritional reading recommendation was The China Study, by Dr. T. Colin Campbell.

I attempted to avoid technology, thus didn’t take any photos – but below is one I found to be quite capturing of our view – from Flickr user StephanK. All in all a great trip, but a few tips for next time: 1) people actual bring their laptops, not saying you should but it’s acceptable, 2) bring an extra pillow (for the dorm), 3) RSVP ASAP for kayaking trips, they are in serious demand (there’s a waiting list for the waiting list!).

Although FOWA has hardly come to an end (double-days of Nikki Beach parties beginning tonight!), and tomorrow I’ll be winning the MacBook Air… however, some notes on todays happenings.

Kathy Sierra opened with a keynote “Creating Passionate Users” and cognitive seduction, stating the seemingly obvious but so often overlooked methods for relating to people and engaging users in exceptional experiences. Kathy spoke of our duty towards humanizing technology, getting people to meet – offline, while making more usable/human software. Develop easy-to-master-FAST apps, leaping to the “passion threshold”, where users are able to be great at what they *do* with the tool. It’s not about the tool. It’s about what the tool allows them to do. Get through to feelings and legacy brain. And place a “WTF” button nearby for your site’s users.

Blaine Cook, Twitter Engineer, held together his whimsical panel throughout audience notifications that Twitter was, no surprise, down. Cook warned of feature creep and the importance of adding what users *strongly* request, keep it clean, open APIs, and “use and love” the app you are creating. If you don’t love the service, others won’t either.Leah Culver, Pownce, followed, also pressing “opening code” as a top priority for any web service. 

Microsoft showcased the ever-awesome Photosynth, and a rad 3D maps application, which I didn’t catch the link to.

A panel pointing “what makes the next great startup”: Brilliance, team, confidence/ambition, depth of knowledge/research/ capital structure/right vw/legal issues, open!, distribution, extremism, and of course serendipity.

Remember the Milk’s Emily Boyd presented a quite enjoyable panel on FTM’s birth and lifespan, $0.19 budget, and various interface options (including the iPhone, yet available to the Aussies) (and a hacked GMAIL! love it). 

Off to the party, hosted by Scrapblog!  

Browsing the Internet at Denver Airport, within an iFrame, but access is free. 

Drove past the new Blue Horse sculpture and was informed that it’s creator was crushed to death during the build, its torso slipped. The son had to step in and finish the $300,000 piece.

I feel sorry for the bird flying frantically around the airport right now.

And am pretty sure I’m sitting in front of the wrote Gate for MIA flight. 

So I’m an official Boulder CO residence as of Aug 3.

It’s increadibly awkward how outdoorsy everyone is. Lives revolve around it. I have yet to been acquainted with one not involved with biking, hiking, and rock climbing. 

I did a 4 hour hike Sunday witih two co-workers, and there was a group 6 insane mountain enthusiasts making the climb using… unicycles. Unicycles. I could barely make do with my 2 legs. Unicycles!

So I bought a Trek bike and a yoga membership. Sometimes dancing (hip hop class) (ok went once but will again). Snowboarding pass is next. Have been partying far less than my Miami nights. Clubbing is limited in these parts.

It was chilly enough to sport sweaters the past two days. And yes, that’s an enjoyable aspect for me. Seasonal withdrawals accompanied my south florida residence. I love the brisk air; and my hair can air-dry. 

Low maintance country.

www.flickr.com/saraolive

An organization started in 1993, Women for Women offers an International Sponsorship Program for helping war victims rebuild their lives, and eye-opening inspirational experiences for their sister sponsors. 

I signed up this evening and will be matched up within 12 weeks. I read about this program in Oprah Magazine, and have heard some amazing stories since. I’m eager to meet my sister match and be touched by and assist her life situation, as I’ve been more than blessed with my own already.

It’s been easy to get caught up in my own ‘busi-ness’ and participating in a program such as this will help me keep perspective on lives around the world and also be thankful for my own. Every little bit counts.

Sponsoring a woman costs $27 per month – visit womenforwomen.org for more information. 

Happy Holidays!

Last minute there was a free ticket for Bonnaroo, the “jam band” 3-day music festival in Tennessee. I flew to DC to meet Rachel and Lauren. We drove to Tennessee, Manchester, took about 9.5 hours.

That was Wednesday, and we arrived to Manchester around 6pm, and joined the crouds in the Wallmart parking lot which is the hang out spot before Bonnaroo opens up. The camp let us in around 8pm and guided everyone to grassy fields to park and set up camp. Youre tighly packed in there, however a white car stalled and caught fire right next to us which resulted in our acquisition of a front yard.Oh, nobody got hurt.

Well maybe the parking attendent who then got sparked with a firework set off from the distance. Nah, he was fine.

Neighbor: Dirk Reynods, Ohio (read: Idaho?)
Soy Bean Farmer

Quite mid-west cliche; I got a kick out of hearing of corn detasseling. Nice guy, shared his canopy with us, and also join me for the My Morning Jacket show which was my chief motivation to go to Bonnaroo. I wasn’t familiar with many of the other bands, although they all rocked. I did also know Tom Petty, Matisayu, Steal Pulse, Soullive but didn’t make the truck to see. Probably others too, look at the roster if you’re so concerned.

It was totally refreshing being there though. Great music, tons of people (about 90,000) all hippied out, loving eachother and loving life, caring less about their appearance for the most part. I was getting accustomed to the no showering, living out of a tent, and eating hotdogs 3 times a day lifestyle.