Posted by Brian Jenkins

A few weeks ago, StartingUp Now had the privilege of being invited to participate in the Techweek 2012 Conference + Expo.

It was both an honor and great experience to learn that Chicago has a burgeoning tech community that may soon rival Silicon Valley! What was immediately obvious is that the Chicago Tech Community knew each other via both their professional and personal relationships.

Techweek simply provided another opportunity for the "community" to officially gather, collaborate, grow deeper and share. It was affirming to see that an idea could literally "host" an event and create meaningful engagement at many levels. Though at a conference of several hundred companies—many of which were being introduced to each other for the first time—there was a sense of genuine authenticity in this large, entrepreneurial gathering. Maybe I was just new to the party as the person “from the outside looking in," but it was refreshing all the same.

Similarly, almost 20 years ago, I settled into an urban community on Chicago's west side, moved by my Christian faith and filled with a hopeful desire for connectedness and engagement. Admittedly, there was much learning and relationship building to be done with those sharing similar values and a serious commitment to see real change occur. Those in our network were younger, optimistic, and looked at challenge as opportunity.

Many years later, the increasing weight of what we were really up against in our community change efforts (i.e. structural issues and systems) became more apparent—and our optimism began to wane. Many individuals and families left. Some moved on to pursue new interests and/or new careers while others relocated to be closer to family. Others just gave up and moved on.  Maybe we were too tight-knit, too homogenous, too like-minded and needed space to grow and be influenced by others not in our immediate community. Who really knows?

As StartingUp Now proceeds to enter unfamiliar networks and communities as a "newcomer” in these spaces, I'm mindful of the experiences and opportunities that have moved me in this direction. I'm also hopeful that "curating community" through social media will extend our ability to connect with others who share similar values, dreams and ambitions.

Yet, I'm optimistic that a "self-curating community" (i.e. tech, startup, social enterprise, etc.) will listen to new ideas, seek collaboration vs. isolation, and incorporate the voices of others that empower individuals and groups. Communities must be given the freedom to decide their own reality.

I believe it’s for this reason that we, as entrepreneurs, are drawn to self-curating communities as it provides a forum to not only share our ideas while engaging with others’ unique concepts, but are then encouraged to push one another to the limit in our viewpoints and activities. Simply put, we are given a chance to try and try again.

Posted by Grace Yi

In his biography, the late Steve Jobs stated early in his career that he set out to “make a dent in the universe.” For many of us, it’s significant enough to “make a dent,” or, more fittingly, produce something meaningful, on a scale that impacts our families and communities.

Like Jobs, many individuals and organizations understand the value in one’s ability to adapt to and innovate with change. Easier said than done, right?

Our time spent at last weekend’s RELOAD Conference with the Urban Youth Network Institute demonstrated the difficulty in change and adaptation. Resources to help fund social service and ministry-related work continue to be scaled down at an increasing rate. And yet, the needs of the community are undoubtedly growing exponentially as families tighten their economic belts.

Such is the case for communities across the globe, but how are we doing anything differently? If the world’s changed so much in the last decade, why hasn’t our approach in addressing some of these problems changed as radically as the issues in themselves?

Think different.

This was the slogan for Apple’s major marketing campaign in the late 1990s that so aptly represents what StartingUp Now values as an organization, aiming to provide people the tools and training to access and create opportunities for themselves.

In thinking different, we want to act different. In order to create, innovate and collaborate for greater impact, we plan to experiment. To try new things. Play. Engage. And question our tactics. Our activities. With the intent to support those pursuing their goals.

More importantly, we want you to participate with us. We couldn’t imagine doing this alone, so join us as we take the plunge and create new opportunities for our communities.

Activate your business idea and help us spread the word with these two highlights:

Google+ Hangout – A Training for New or Aspiring Entrepreneurs

Got a business idea? Great! Don't know where to start or how to grow? No problem. We're here to help you.

In this 1-hour webinar with Brian Jenkins, you will learn how to use the StartingUp Now guidebook, take away techniques and insights into business-planning, and meet other passionate entrepreneurs looking to share and connect.

For more information and to register, check out our Eventbrite here.

StartingUp Now on WVON’s Radio Show: “The Greenpreneur”

Brian Jenkins of StartingUp Now and Technology Consultant, Vince McCaskill, will be speaking with Michael Thomas of the “The Greenpreneur” on Chicago’s local radio station, WVON (1690 AM). The show will highlight how StartingUp Now is being used to activate one’s entrepreneurial inner drive while acting as a catalyst to unleash the entrepreneur within any individual.

Jenkins and McCaskill will also speak about their collaborative work on StartingUp Now’s eTech IT Training Program, an after-school high school program training students around entrepreneurship and technology-based skills.

WVON – 1690 AM

Saturday, January 20 at 5:00pm CST