IndyHall Member Profiles: Mike Nicholaides
Filed under: Announcements, Community Support, In The News, Independents Hall, coworkers
Today I got the chance to sit down with Mike Nicholaides, a full time member of the IndyHall family. Mike, like a number of other coworkers at IndyHall, spends his days crafting line after line of code.
“I developed an academic coaching application to help students working on their thesis stay motivated.”
Where were you while I was a full time student, semi-professional procrastinator, Mike?
Now, as an aspiring champion of logic, I thought that putting lots of coders into one space would create serious competition when it came time to find work. Mike assured me this simply isn’t the case.
“Intuitively you’d think this situation would create a lot of competition, but it’s not the case. It turns out that the people you meet are more likely to help you find a creative solution to your problem than to try and take your work.”
Like many inhabitants of the Hall, Mike sticks around because of the valuable connections he’s made since becoming a member.
“I knew after a few days I couldn’t go back to working at home. It’s really about the connections, these people who are expanding my view, my ability to do things.”
It’s not uncommon for people to take interest in Indy Hall initially because they see the potential to find collaborative work in the community. For some, it happens right away and other times, it takes awhile. In the end, they end up finding value in places they never sought it.
“I haven’t gotten any work yet through being here, even though that was the primary reason I came here. Even then, it’s been totally worth it.”
Really? No work yet? I didn’t buy it. Then Mike admitted,
“Well, Bula talked to me today about doing a mock up for an app he’s developing and Bill wants me to do some JavaScript for him.”
There, was that so hard?
Thanks for your time, Mike, it’s a pleasure having you as a member of IndyHall.
Looking forward to meeting Bula, Bill, and more? You will…just keep an eye on our bi-weekly newsletter (subscribe over on the left) or subscribe to this blog!
New Event Series! Meet the…
Filed under: Announcements, Education/Workshops, Events, Independents Hall
We’re kicking off December with a new monthly event series, “Meet the…”. A mashup demo and meetup event meant to get community members a chance to meet cool people working on cool things. Our show-and-tell events continue to be one of our most popular recurring events, and this is only a slight derivation from that.
Our first event happens to be tech, and the person you’ll meet happens to be a developer, but one of the things we pride ourselves on is the diversity at IndyHall. We’re looking for people to host “Meet the…” in the future from other disciplines. Business, music, education, architecture, authors… anything goes at IndyHall.
The first event, on December 1st at 6pm, will be presented by the VP of Engineering at Apstrata, a very exciting “cloud” technology. From the team,
Apstrata will present their Cloud-based Data Hub for the Realtime Web. The Apstrata Data Hub is a an easy and cost effective way to store application data in the Cloud. Easy because it offers a document-style database through a set of APIs that can be used from any Web or Mobile client. Cost effective because it eliminates the need for a custom application server. Apstrata has a unique set of rich features like integrated user management, field level security on document data and server side scripting that makes the Data Hub a perfect compliment to rich client environments like Javascript, Flash/Flex, iPhone and Android.
Ryan Murray, VP of Engineering at Apstrata, will give an overview of the Data Hub and dive into some code examples of how this can be used in practice. If you are a Web or Mobile developer you will find this session interesting, and a new approach to building applications.
An interesting sidenote is that Apstrata’s parent company, element^n Inc, is the company that our friends from New Work City actually shared space with for the last year at 200 Varick in Manhattan.
Please welcome them by coming to hang out, enjoy some food and beer at IndyHall on December 1st from 6pm-7pm. We’re asking for RSVP’s so we can plan food and beer.
IndyHall Member Profiles: Johnny Bilotta
Filed under: Announcements, Community Support, In The News, Independents Hall, coworkers
One of the first projects we’ve tasked our new interns Michelle and Parker with is meeting everyone at IndyHall, and getting to know them. Luckily for you, that means that YOU get to know our members better as well!
We’re going to be kicking off a series of member interviews conducted in no particular order. First up, though, is Johnny Bilotta, who is arguably IndyHall’s very first member. Parker begins the interview below the jump!
Parker: Who are you and what do you do?
Johnny: My name is Johnny Bilotta, and in true IndyHall fashion, I wear many hats. Most of my living is made as a freelance creative director and an interface designer. I’ve also administered some parts of IndyHall here and there. Being member number one has its responsibilities. That includes co-hosting Two Guys On Beer, which was founded here at IndyHall.
Parker: Does Two Guys on Beer generate revenue?
Johnny: At the moment, no, but we’re getting close. We’ve been the featured beer video segment on Philly.com for a few months now!
Parker: How did you hear about IndyHall?
Johnny: Alex and I were both contributors and spectators on the PANMA e-mail list, which is the Philadelphia Area New Media Association. We were going back and forth on things we wanted to see improved in Philadelphia. Alex emailed me off list, and suggested we get some drinks, get to know each other, and compare notes. So we met for dinner and beers on a rainy day in April of 07.
I had never heard of the coworking movement before that night. He told me about the idea of IndyHall, asked me what I thought, and I said, “I’m in!”
Parker: What made you decide to join IndyHall?
Johnny: I joined because working alone and not having people to bounce ideas off of became a problem. It was the need for social contact, to talk about things around the water cooler, and even introduce a forum for to find a solution. I have always been a self-proclaimed student of Bauhaus principals, and IndyHall is a shining example of those ideals. It was a perfect fit. The collaborative atmosphere also provided opportunity to work on a grand range of projects. I tapped into a previously unknown market for a creative professional.
Parker: What’s the most unexpected thing you’ve ever experienced at IndyHall?
Johnny: The growth factor of the space as a whole. To go from a few people meeting at coffee shop to an actual space to DOUBLING that space, all with in two and a half years. That is quite an accomplishment, and was very unexpected.
Parker: So you’ve been here since the beginning of IndyHall and you’ve experienced coworking to the fullest extent, and even gained some exposure to the limelight. My question is, could you ever see yourself going away from the IndyHall community or coworking in general?
Johnny: At the moment? No. The community will always be something I would like to stay active in. It is filled with amazingly talented people and been such an invaluable resource in my life.
As far as leaving the space? If the right offer came along and I knew that I was able to help another company, or another initiative like IndyHall, it would be tempting. There have been times that I’ve thought about picking up and leaving Philadelphia again. I think one of the things that keeps me here is the work I do with my IndyHall colleagues, including Two Guys on Beer. I feel like the overall community here is just starting to really get its legs, so leaving it would, in my opinion, be a mistake. I think Philly hasn’t even begun to show the tech or creative world what it has to offer. Give it a couple years, but it’s going to be a fun ride.
IndyHall Town Hall 2
Filed under: Announcements, Community Support, Events, From the Business Side, Independents Hall
In last week’s newsletter (you are subscribed, right?) we announced our 2nd IndyHall Town Hall.
We held one of these back in March when we were first thinking about moving from our Strawberry St. office into something bigger. It proved to be an extremely valuable format for getting the community up to speed, introducing people, and seeing progress forward.
On Tuesday, October 27th, we’re doing it again. The first of what we hope to continue as quarterly Town Hall meetings will allow the entire community, not just the paying membership, to come together to find out about IndyHall’s progress & growth, and continue to be a part of the shared vision.
We’ll be hosting it at our office, 20 North 3rd St. It will begin at 5:30 sharp and we expect it to take 60-90 minutes.
The goals of the Town Hall format are twofold: first, to open up as much information as we can about the business and community operations. Second, to provide a proper sounding board for the fast growing community that inhabits our clubhouse.
Imagine a hybrid of a “state of the union” from some community leaders, as well as an opportunity for your voice to have an impact. Of course, with the same level of approachability and authenticity you’ve come to expect from IndyHall.
We have some exciting announcements. But don’t we always?
Attendance isn’t mandatory for members, but its’ strongly recommended. Also, as I mentioned, this is a COMMUNITY town hall, which means it is open to the public. Because of this, we’re asking people to RSVP to make sure we can plan/arrange the space appropriately.
In the past, we’ve had good response and a significant turnout, and we’re hoping for the same this time.
Please help spread the word to other community members and organizations that might want to attend, and encourage them to RSVP.
We look forward to seeing everyone on the 27th.
Show and Tell Next Thursday!
Filed under: Announcements, Community Support, Education/Workshops, Events, Independents Hall
Every month we gather for an adult version of “Show and Tell”! No, not the kind where we take off our clothes…the kind where we show off what we’ve been working on, what we’ve learned, and anything we might have to share with the group!
In the past people have demoed projects, shared new tools they’d discovered that make their lives easier, or told stories about events they’d attended recently.
Like a number of our other lunchtime events, these are open to the public and tend to be well attended.
We’ve still got a few presentation spots open, so if you’re interested in joining as a presenter or an audience member, please let Dana know!
IndyHall & Weblinc play FOOTBALL against I-SITE for charity!
Filed under: Announcements, Community Support, Events, Independents Hall, Indy Hall Fit Club
The European kind, of course. You know, with the round ball that’s black and white.
Big kudos to Johnny Bilotta for “running ahead” with this one, and putting together a KICK ASS team comprised of IndyHall community members and Weblinc employees. For those who don’t know, Weblinc is the web development/e-commerce company with many friends we’ve made through National Mechanics…mostly because Weblinc and National Mechanics are in the same building and have the same owners. Note that this competition is friendly and for a good cause. That doesn’t mean our team won’t stomp I-SITE’s. 
The game will be held at Chamounix North(map) field in Fairmount Park. We’ll kick off at 3pm, and then head for post match pints at 5pm @ National Mechanics. We’d love for you to join us at any point to cheer for us (or the opposing team, if you must). No RSVP necessary.
BONUS: Our long-time friend and community member Kevin Fitzpatrick is hosting a going-away happy hour at the same time at National Mechanics. He’s going to be working overseas for a few weeks (and potentially a few months) and we want to show him how much we’ll miss him by buying him rounds of free drinks. If you can’t make the game, we hope you can make that.
IgnitePhilly is TONIGHT!
Filed under: Announcements, Education/Workshops, Events
I know that not everybody is tuned in to the same channels for news and events, and while it’s been on the IndyHall Calendar, IgnitePhilly doesn’t have much description or meaning to lots of the newer folks.
Tonight is the 4th IgnitePhilly, an event co-organized by a number of awesome community members (including our own Geoff DiMasi).
What is Ignite? It’s a fast paced presentation format. In Philly, it’s REALLY fast. Rock show fast. Ignite takes over Johnny Brenda’s at Front and Gerard and have presenters from all corners of Philadelphia’s most exciting projects and gives them 5 minutes to share something special…without self-promoting.
5 minutes and 20 slides later, your mind has been blown. Go grab yourself another beer. There’s another presentation coming up.
I’m a huge fan of the quote from Brian James Kirk:
“Perhaps the most interesting thing about the evening was that these important players in Philly’s advancing creative communities didn’t get on stage to show off their resume and reel. They used the forum to talk about what others are doing to make a difference…The fundamental takeaway from IgnitePhilly is that that the ability to change the world is more real than ever.”
If you’ve never attended an Ignite, I highly encourage you to make it tonight. Presentations start at 8 but doors are at 7, and you REALLY need to get there early. We’ve sold out a 300+ person room every single time this has happened.
If you want to lock down your spot, there are still some $5 pre-sale tickets available.
All proceeds are going to the Philadelphia Food Trust, so Ignite doesn’t make a dime. Ignite has already raised over $500 in ticket pre-sales so far.
I hope to see lots of new faces tonight, the presenters list is full of some of the smartest people I’ve met, and plenty I can’t wait to meet.
Calling All Java Developers! November 1st, CodeRetreat @ IndyHall!
Filed under: Announcements, Community Support, Education/Workshops, Events, Independents Hall
At code retreat, we retreat from the world to advance in our craft. We sharpen our saws, together.
We retreat from production and business value to increase our production capacity, our quality, our velocity, our ability to produce business value.
We retreat from immersion in deep technology issues to advance in our ability to learn and adopt to any technology well.
We retreat from our fears, and embrace new practices and patterns.
We retreat from our local ponds and swim in a larger pool. We connect with other passionate coders who we seldom get to code with. We make new connections and learn new lessons.
At code retreat everything is about the journey and nothing about the destination.
Sebastian Hermida is organizing, and we are hosting, what sounds like a very exciting, interesting, and valuable event for the Philadelphia Java developer community. The iterative build/breakdown/discuss model of a “Code Retreat is explained rather well on his post about the event.
If you’re a Java developer in or near Philadelphia, I highly encourage you to register to attend the Code Retreat at IndyHall on Sunday, November 1st. They are requesting RSVPs, so please head to their sign up page if you plan to attend.
We love supporting events like this that are designed to bring people together for the sake of improving their craft. If you and your user group have plans for a similar event, please talk to us about hosting your event!
Say Hi to Parker and Michelle
Filed under: Announcements, Community Support, From the Business Side, Independents Hall
A few weeks back, we put out a call for an intern to help out at IndyHall. We wanted to frame it carefully to make it an opportunity not just to help with IndyHall operations, but to give someone the opportunity to grow and learn as a member of the community.
We lucked out, and got two of ‘em.
Honestly, the response we got to the post was overwhelming and positive. All of the candidates we interviewed were incredible, and we had a hard decision to make.
Last week, we were joined by Michelle Nugent, and this week, she met her new cointern (that’s right, I went there) Parker Whitney.
They’ve already done a great job working out their own schedule to make sure that our front desk is always attended, and are planning projects to improve quality of life around the office. They’re already becoming a force to be reckoned with, and I can’t wait to see what they accomplish. We’re lucky to have some extremely capable help…Dana may actually need to worry about being outdone! Ok, just kidding. Dana still rocks, too.
While they’re working here, they’re also both exploring their personal aspirations of creativity, business, communications, technology, and truly owning their place in Philadelphia.
Please say hi to Parker and Michelle when you come in the door, and don’t hesitate to grab them, take them to lunch, and learn more about them!
Philly Startup Leaders “Hack Weekend”: October 17th and 18th
Filed under: Announcements, Events
This is an event that we’ve been talking about doing for a while but I’m thrilled to see PSL get one off the ground!
PSL 2.0 Weekend is an open hack on the technologies and communications that hold us together as a community. In one weekend, we are going to:
1. Redesign our web presence
2. Rewrite our core documents
3. Develop new communication and collaboration tools to bring the regional tech community even closer togetherNo one knows exactly what will come out of it. All we know for sure is that with so much brainpower and know-how in one room, it’s going to be awesome.
We want to see you there. If you’re a hacker, designer or writer, this is a great opportunity to meet and collaborate with your peers — all stars in the Philly scene — on a vision you dream up together. It’s also going to be blast. By day we’ll be cranking away on our projects, and by night we’ll be watching improv comedy and parading around Philly in a geek entourage that’s sure to turn heads.
When:
Sat 10/17 from 10AM-6:00 PM (with improv comedy and party to follow)
Sun 10/18 from 10AM-6:00 PM
Where:
Baiada Center @ Drexel – 3225 Arch Street, PhiladelphiaBring:
Your creativity, your laptop and your favorite t-shirt
I’m looking forward to this event, and hope that people come out to spend the weekend banging on their projects and producing some AMAZING stuff, while making new friends and meeting your peers.
Kudos to the PSL crew of putting together an awesome-sounding event! I hope that we can take away some great lessons and do something similar for the IndyHall community in coming months.
