Naked Hill2009-11-13T20:51:17-07:00Copyright (c) 2009Event Video from “Towards We.Gov” is now up!tag:nakedhill.com,2009:/72.64852009-11-13T20:47:00-07:002009-11-13T20:51:17-07:00{nakedhill_intro}2009-11-13T20:47:00-07:00nakedhill[email protected]Events + Conferences, Event Videoshttps://vimeo.com/7397516
Special thanks to member / film editor Cindy Thoennessen for volunteering to edit it.]]>Event Photos from “Towards We.Gov” are now up!tag:nakedhill.com,2009:/72.64842009-10-28T00:07:00-07:002009-10-28T00:52:25-07:00{nakedhill_intro}2009-10-28T00:07:00-07:00nakedhill[email protected]Events + Conferenceshttps://www.flickr.com/photos/hollywoodhill/sets/72157622546045559/
Photos by Luke Wooden]]>Press Coverage for our event “Towards We.Gov: Restoring Trust In Our Elections Systems”tag:nakedhill.com,2009:/72.64832009-10-23T22:33:00-07:002009-10-23T22:36:10-07:00{nakedhill_intro}2009-10-23T22:33:00-07:00nakedhill[email protected]Events + Conferences, Thank You'shttps://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2009/10/open-source/
Thank you to all the members (Berly Ellis, Cindy Thoennessen, Jason Ryterband), advisors (Robin Hunicke), and friends (Norman Gilmore, Genevieve McCaw, Annie Uzdavinis) who assisted with the event.
Special thanks to our LED lighting sponsor Hollywood Rentals/LEDZ.]]>Susan Bonds Joins Our Games-for-Change Labtag:nakedhill.com,2009:/72.64822009-10-19T14:57:00-07:002009-10-19T15:00:29-07:00{nakedhill_intro}2009-10-19T14:57:00-07:00nakedhill[email protected]Games-for-Change Lab SUSAN BONDS President & CEO, 42 Entertainment
Susan Bonds is 42 Entertainment's President and CEO, responsible for leading the teams that design, create, and execute 42's unique immersive experiences. Susan has more than 20 years of experience as a producer in the entertainment, gaming and technology industries. In 2004 Susan produced the unique ilovebees campaign for Microsoft's marketing launch of Halo 2, which won the Games Developer's Conference award for Innovation in Gaming and a Webby Award for Best Games Related Website. Since then, she has produced all of 42's projects, including 2006's Last Call Poker (Activision), Dead Man's Tale (Disney and MSN) and 2007's The Vanishing Point, the first global puzzle game with clues to online puzzles embedded in spectacular events held in a dozen cities around the globe designed to celebrate the launch of Windows Vista. She produced the alternate reality experience Year Zero for the launch of NIN's April 2007 album by the same name, which won recently two 2008 Webby Awards and a CLIO for content and contact. Last year, she produced the innovative alternate reality game (ARG) for Warner Bros. release The Dark Knight. Directly prior to joining 42, Susan was Chief Design and Production Officer for Cyan Worlds, where she was responsible for the multiplayer online interactive game URU: Ages Beyond Myst. Susan led the design, production, technology integration, marketing, publishing, music development and project management for the initiative, working with Rand Miller, CEO and co-founder of Cyan, and also produced realMyst, a three-dimensional world version of the popular PC game. Prior to this, Susan worked for ten years as Creative Director/Senior Show Producer for Walt Disney Imagineering, where she directed the design and development of major attractions, themed architecture, Internet entertainment projects, and proprietary new ride systems. Her portfolio spanned Tokyo, California, Florida, and New York, and included attractions such as "Indiana Jones Adventure" for Disneyland, "Alien Encounters" for Walt Disney World, "Mission: SPACE" for Epcot and ABC Times Square Studios Exterior in New York. Susan started her career at Walt Disney in 1980 as an industrial engineer, and then worked for seven years at Lockheed as an Aircraft and Systems Engineer on Advanced Development Projects. Susan has an Engineering degree from Georgia Institute of Technology, and an MBA from Georgia State University.]]>Mark DeLoura + Adam Sussman Join Our Games-For-Change Labtag:nakedhill.com,2009:/72.64812009-09-28T17:52:00-07:002009-09-28T17:53:48-07:00{nakedhill_intro}2009-09-28T17:52:00-07:00nakedhill[email protected]Games-for-Change Lab ADAM SUSSMAN VP Worldwide Publishing , EA Mobile and EA Casual Entertainment Label
Adam Sussman is Vice President of Worldwide Publishing EA Mobile and is responsible for overseeing sales, marketing, business development and all new direct to consumer initiatives. Mr. Sussman has more than 15 years experience managing business and publishing entities in the videogame and entertainment sectors. Prior to his current position, he served as General Manager for 2K West and Vice President of Take Two Interactive Software where he oversaw all aspects of the division’s publishing business. Previously he served as Director of Strategic Planning and Corporate Development at the Walt Disney Company. During his tenure at the Walt Disney Company, Mr. Sussman focused on the company’s Internet, Interactive and Technology initiatives where he evaluated and implemented business development opportunities, company strategies and M&A. Prior to joining the Walt Disney Company, he held various positions at the Boston Consulting Group and Hearst Entertainment. Mr. Sussman joined EA Mobile, the leading mobile game publisher worldwide, in June 2007. He has a BA from Harvard University and an MBA from Harvard University Graduate School of Business Administration.
MARK DELOURA Independent Game Developer
Throughout his career in the videogame industry, Mark DeLoura has maintained a dedication to making game development simpler and less expensive, and making game creation more accessible as a tool for entertainment, education, and communication. As creator of the Game Programming Gems series of books, and as editor-in-chief of Game Developer Magazine, Mark encouraged game developers to learn from each other’s best practices, to propel the industry forward. While serving in technology leadership positions at Sony, Nintendo and Ubisoft, Mark applied his knowledge to developer evangelism and improving the technical quality of games for the Nintendo64, GameCube, PlayStation2, PlayStation3, and PSP. He is currently performing game technology consulting for a variety of organizations, and serves on the boards of the International Game Developers Association and OneBigGame, as a judge for the Independent Games Festival, and as an advisor to Gamasutra.com and Game Developer magazine.
A special thanks to Dan Abrams and Robin Hunicke for their involvement.
To view the full Games-for-Change Lab Advisory Board with bios, go to: https://www.armrev.org/ar/about_projectadvisors/#games]]>The Hollywood Hill is a proud sponsor of IndieCade 2009!tag:nakedhill.com,2009:/72.64802009-09-24T16:30:00-07:002009-09-24T17:28:05-07:00{nakedhill_intro}2009-09-24T16:30:00-07:00nakedhill[email protected]Events + ConferencesIndieCade 2009 International Festival of Independent Games is the world's only festival of independent games open to the public. The Hollywood Hill is a promotional sponsor this year and The Hollywood Hill's members will receive a discount on day passes to the events. To purchase discounted tickets (20% off) on the web, go to https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/72291 and enter in The Hollywood Hill member's discount code (members should email [email protected] for code).
The Hollywood Hill's Executive Director, Ariel Hauter, will be moderating a panel on Friday, October 2nd, at 11am titled "Challenging Topics," with co-panelists Brenda Brathwaite (Train), and Mikkel Overby (Global Conflicts: Latin America).
The panel will explore how the Games for Change community is approaching challenging topics in games, particularly the methods for effecting measurable social change through video game activities. Panelist Brenda Brathwaite's game Train is in competition for IndieCade 2009, as well as the Global Conflicts team who will be attending from Denmark for their in-competition game Global Conflicts: Latin America.
Brenda is the longest serving woman in computer games, having been involved since 1981 in 22 commercial titles. Brenda is on the Board of the International Game Developer's Association, and is the Chair and Founder of the IDGA's Sex Special Interest Group.
Game Profiles
Train (Brenda Brathwaite, US)
Train, a new non-digital art game by video game pioneer and academic Brenda Brathwaite, is part of a suite of experimental board games she is developing to address challenging emotional topics. An elegant art object built from found objects in the tradition of the Dada and Fluxus movements, Train reflects upon one of the greatest tragedies in human history through an abstract yet reverent approach to the subject matter. Brathwaite's approach might best be described as an interactive poem, using a simple, elegant, abstract game mechanic and lovely, simple but powerful visual elements to give the player an unexpected view of the Holocaust, one that provokes thought while remaining respectful of those who lost their lives. The end result is a striking art object which can also teach and enrich us.
Global Conflicts: Latin America (Mikkel Overby, Denmark)
From Denmark's Serious Games Interactive, Global Conflicts: Latin America is the second in a compelling series of documentary games. Using 3D graphics and storytelling worthy of a studio-produced game, Global Conflicts: Latin America borrows extensively from the adventure game genre, combined with the 3D open exploration of Grand Theft Auto, putting the player in the role of a journalist trying investigating a story. Players explore a small town whose populace serves a nearby maquiladora whose poor environmental practices has lead to a spate of illnesses and birth defects in the town. It's a rivetting narrative, and the more you investigate the more drawn in you are by the human drama unfolding before you, even while coming up against formidable adversaries who don't want you to know the truth. As with its other offerings, Serious Games has succeeded in its goal of creating games in the spirit of initiatives like Participant Productions, the film company responsible Syriana and Good Night and Good Luck, games that both entertain and engage people with meaningful, serious topics.
]]>SAVE THE DATE - OCTOBER 21ST EVENTtag:nakedhill.com,2009:/72.64792009-09-23T18:53:00-07:002009-09-30T02:43:52-07:00{nakedhill_intro}2009-09-23T18:53:00-07:00nakedhill[email protected]Events + Conferences
Invite you to Towards “We.Gov”: Restoring Trust in our Election Systems
Wednesday, October 21st, 2009 | 7:00pm
The home of film producer Lawrence Bender, Bel Air, CA
Please join California Secretary of State Debra Bowen and esteemed pioneer of the personal computing revolution Mitch Kapor for an evening of conversation about the future of American elections systems - how America will cast ballots in a digital age and how we can restore trust in our election systems.
Cornerstone of Our Democracy
Elections in the last decade indicate that our voting systems are far from reliable or accurate and lack necessary transparency. You may wonder what is to become of the existing "industry" for voting equipment, when only two vendors remain to serve the majority of elections systems nationwide, including L.A. County. We’ll discuss:
- How can technology help (not hurt) elections auditing, security, and transparency?
- What is the new voter registration modernization effort?
- What role will the internet play in future elections?
- Will we one day be able to vote from our phones and mobile devices?
Towards Transparency and Trust
OSDV Foundation’s Co-Executive Director, Gregory Miller, will introduce you to a non-profit Silicon Valley project making headway to reinvent the nation’s voting systems. Not just another think-tank writing white papers or pushing for legislative reform, the Foundation’s TrustTheVote Project is building transparent publicly-owned technology that people can see, touch, and try, and governments can freely adopt and deploy.
And the effort is holistic. CEO of Rock the Vote, Heather Smith, will round out our discussion with an outlook on the modernization of voter registration through open source technology.
With only 3 years before the next Presidential election, now is the time for change in how we manage elections and how technology is used to cast and count our ballots. Learn what steps are being taken and how you can help.
]]>Hollywood Command Center Announcementtag:nakedhill.com,2008:/72.64552008-08-05T18:25:00-07:002008-08-05T18:56:50-07:00{nakedhill_intro}2008-08-05T18:25:00-07:00nakedhill[email protected]The Catalyst Center
However, this opportunity brings with it some very exciting advantages, so we are moving forward to close on it. The landlord will be fully gutting the entire building and rebuilding its entire infrastructure (ie electrical, plumbing, walls, roof, flooring, parking lot). This gives us the opportunity to start with a blank slate - designing a very high-tech, fully wired and green building from the ground up. As you might imagine, Wired Magazine is extremely excited and already working with us on packaging the corporate sponsors for the facility, turning it into a year-round Wired "showcase" for hi-tech offices, event presentations, communications networks, and green technology. The landlord is a huge fan of green tech and is a screenwriter as well as HHill member, so that seems to be a good fit.
We will attempt to renovate it in sections so our event calendar can continue without disruption. The fact that we're already operating in the building will make the transition quite smooth and easy. The building is centrally located in the prestigious "Media District" of Hollywood and is on a well-known street (Seward) with lots of history (HBO used to be on the same block).
Based on our discussions to date, all parties are anticipating this deal will go through. Thus, we are moving forward rather quickly in our search for the appropriate (green/hi-tech) architect and interior designers. And as mentioned above, we are already working with Wired Magazine on corporate sponsors - both in-kind/product and cash - for the laundry list (below) of rooms/items.
If you have any ideas on architects, interior designers, product designers (ie custom chairs), or the products below, please shoot us your ideas / contacts...
It's time to design and build out our command center! :)
Rooms
Multimedia Presentation/Screening Room
Bar / Lounge
Kitchen
Intelligence Gathering & Project Tracking Lab
Filming Studio / Edit Bay
Restrooms
Offices
Multimedia Presentation/Screening Room
Custom Chairs w/tables, preferably stackable, green materials (ie wood or recycled plastic/metal)
Flat Panel TVs
Digital Projection System
Film Projection System
Sound System
Projection Screens
Video-Conferencing System
Podium
Wall & Ceiling mounted Sound Foam/Buffer
Cameras for Filming (speakers, audience)
Stage Lighting
General Lighting
Flooring
Bar
Counter tops
Cupboards
Sinks
Refrigerators
Freezers
Dishwashers
Wine Racks
Shelving
Cappuccino/Espresso Machine
Fruit Juicer
Blenders
Icemaker
Water Purifier
Glassware
Flatware
Coffee Cups w/Saucers
Utencils
General Lighting
Flooring
Bar Lounge
Couches
Chairs (regular, bar stools)
Tables (coffee, bar)
General Lighting
Flooring
Filming Studio
Green Screen
Cameras
Lighting
General Lighting
Flooring
Sound System
Restrooms
Sinks/Faucets
Toilets
Mirrors
Cupboards
Laundry Room
Washer
Dryer
Entire Building
Energy Technology
Waste Technology
Surveillance / Security Tech]]>Thank you to Siobhan Mahoney + Sundance Institutetag:nakedhill.com,2008:/72.64542008-08-04T00:04:00-07:002008-08-04T00:10:24-07:00{nakedhill_intro}2008-08-04T00:04:00-07:00nakedhill[email protected]Thank You'sCongrats to Pam Abdy - Appointed to EIF Boardtag:nakedhill.com,2008:/72.64522008-07-26T00:37:00-07:002008-07-26T00:53:39-07:00{nakedhill_intro}2008-07-26T00:37:00-07:00nakedhill[email protected]Family WatchVariety's 7/18 article, they've also added Oren Aviv (Disney); Jeff Bader (ABC), Preston Beckman (Fox), Kevin Berg (CBS Par TV), Dwight Caines (Columbia TriStar), Dylan Clark (NBC Universal), Lynn Harris (Warner Bros.), Kevin Huvane (CAA), Adam Isaacs (Endeavor), David Lonner (WMA), Mitch Metcalf (NBC U), Vanessa Morrison (20th Century Fox Animation), Chris Silberman (ICM) and Jay Sures (UTA)]]>Steptoe & Johnson Signs Armchair Revolutionarytag:nakedhill.com,2008:/72.64192008-05-21T22:22:00-07:002008-07-26T00:14:25-07:00{nakedhill_intro}2008-05-21T22:22:00-07:00nakedhill[email protected]Partnerships & Sponsorships
We're delighted to announce that global law firm Steptoe & Johnson (https://www.steptoe.com/) has taken on Armchair Revolutionary (our social change partner) as a "pro-bono" client for matters related to corporate contracts, licensing, and intellectual property matters.
What's Unique About Their Support?
Like Google.org, Armchair Revolutionary is a not-for-profit organization using a for-profit legal structure to maximize its flexibility to engage in innovative social projects. By taking on an entity with this unique structure, Steptoe is showing its commitment to supporting cutting-edge social change organizations.
How Does This Help Armchair Revolutionary?
As many of you know, Armchair Revolutionary will be launching hundreds of projects a year, many of which will involve intellectual property issues. They will be working on issues as diverse as patents on scientific or technology breakthroughs over to international film and documentary rights. Steptoe is a leader in international IP law and business relation contracts so this allows Armchair to have world-class council on the road ahead as it rolls into project development and BETA launch.]]>Wired Magazine Signs On As “Presenting Sponsor”tag:nakedhill.com,2008:/72.63892008-03-26T23:29:00-07:002008-07-26T00:14:46-07:00{nakedhill_intro}2008-03-26T23:29:00-07:00nakedhill[email protected]Partnerships & Sponsorships
Wired Magazine Is Making It Official
We're pleased to announce Wired as our Presenting Sponsor for
The Hollywood Hill's 2008 Event Calendar
We couldn't be more excited by this deal. Industry leader Wired Magazine is becoming the official Presenting Sponsor of The Hollywood Hill's 2008 Events Calendar.
With over 50 events and 5 conferences being planned for this year, our depth and breath of topics on innovations and trends related to the changes in Hollywood and social change are unparalleled. Wired will be the first of many sponsors we are working to bring in.
In addition to our weekly events, the magazine will be the Presenting Sponsor for all five of our 2008 conferences including Today's New Hi-Tech Robin Hoods (Micro-Philanthropy), BigBrainBoy's Mobile Media Summit (Mobile Content, Mobile Apps, Mobile Gaming, Mobile Banking, and Wireless Technologies for Social Change), Working Hollywood's Magic On Education (Open-Sourcing Interactive Textbooks, Mobile Tech for Education, Invigorating STEM learning), Hacking LA: Hollywood's Last Frontier? (Digital Overlay of Solutions For LA), and How To Shoot Your Next Film In Space (Financing & Production for Off-Planet Productions, Developing Galactic Narratives) featuring keynote speaker Elon Musk, Billionaire Founder/CEO of SpaceX and also including speakers Alex Tai, VP of Virgin Galactic, and Steve Squires, NASA's 'man behind the camera' on the Mars Rover.
We are actively rolling out this official high-profile event marketing campaign to complement our grassroots word-of-mouth growth. And are continuing talks with additional corporate sponsors. Please feel free to forward any referrals to Paris at [email protected].]]>“Thank You” To Furniture & Appliance Donorstag:nakedhill.com,2008:/72.63712008-03-22T00:49:00-07:002008-07-26T00:14:55-07:00{nakedhill_intro}2008-03-22T00:49:00-07:00nakedhill[email protected]Thank You's Frances Arnold donated a Full-Size Refrigerator/Freezer Tyler Oliver donated a Sony 48" TV Michele Palermo donated a Microwave Julie Inouye donated 4 Counter Stools Tom Henry donated the use of his Pick-Up Truck Nick Bicanic donated the use of his Jeep John Dudley helped in securing a Discounted Projector]]>Event Calendar 2008 - Preliminary Listtag:nakedhill.com,2008:/72.63702008-03-22T00:31:00-07:002008-07-26T00:15:12-07:00{nakedhill_intro}2008-03-22T00:31:00-07:00nakedhill[email protected]Events + Conferenceshttps://www.hhill.org/hill/presentations_next. We welcome additional topic submissions from members.
1. Innovations, Trends, & Social Change
Arming Members With The Info We Need To Change The World
Friday 3/28 - Book Party: The Future of the Internet—And How To Stop It! May - Car Party: The Return of the Electric Car! (at Tesla's New Showroom) TBD - Re-Envisioning Privacy In The Digital Era TBD - Synthetic Organism Invasion: The Rise of BioBricks TBD - Internet Censorship II: Our Panel Of Experts Returns TBD - Games4Change II: Using Games For Social Change TBD - The Next Humans: The New Science of Advanced Body Modification TBD - Automated Automobiles: The Self Driving Car Is Coming (Soon) TBD - Dongtan Update: China's Zero-Carbon Scratch-Built Metropolis TBD - Product Packaging Without The Landfill TBD - Augmented Reality: Combining the Real World & Ubiquitous Data TBD - Defending Ourselves From Potential Nuclear & Bio Terror TBD - Peak Water: Solutions for the Global Clean Water Crisis TBD - Getting To Fusion Power TBD - Wireless Electricity & The Potential Of Air Energy TBD - GE and The Future of Printable Solar Cells TBD - How Nanotech Will Change Our Lives TBD - The New Star Wars: China vs NASA vs Private Industry TBD - Securing Cyberspace: Cyberwarfare threat or hoax? TBD - Private Warriors: The Future of Warfare
2. Entertainment Industry Workshops
Keeping Members Up-To-Date On Changes In The Industry
TBD - The Future of Hollywood VFX: Outsourcing To India & China TBD - Will Your Facebook Profile Enhance Your Career? Or Kill It? TBD - Trends In Hollywood's Management Industry TBD - Why DreamWorks, Disney, Sony, & Pixar Are Embracing 3D TBD - On-Demand & Real-Time: How Home Distribution Is Changing TBD - Film Financing: What's Happening With The Lower Dollar? TBD - Foreign Production Trends TBD - Pilot's Are Dead: What's Next In The Post-Pilot TV Season? TBD - Future of Licensing Music TBD - Future of Music Production TBD - Where Is Reality TV Headed? TBD - Packaging 2.0: How Will Agents & Managers Package In An Internet-Driven Media World TBD - The Future of Internet Video II TBD - The Future of Cable TBD - The Future Searching Video: AI Video-tagging Software
April - GridRepublic & The Power of Distributed Computing Tues 5/20 - Creating A New Voter Experience Scheduling - Replicating The Google Bus System In Hollywood More to be added in the next few weeks...
4. Hollywood Hill Conferences
Full-Day Conferences with Keynotes, Panels & Workshops
Saturday 5/10 - Today's New Hi-Tech Robin Hoods, a full-day conference. Our first conference will introduce the key players in the online Micro-Finance arena and delve into their efforts to build the ultimate platforms for large-scale distributed social change financing. Confirmed Speakers: Matt Flannery (Co-Founder, Kiva.org), Tracey Pettingill Turner (Founder, MicroPlace.com), Peter Bladin (Head, Grameen Foundation Technology), Donna Callejon (COO, GlobalGiving.com), Julie Lacouture (Deputy Director, DonorsChoose.org).
July - BigBrainBoy's Mobile Media Summit, a two-day conference. Anticipated Anticipated Keynotes and Panels: Mobile Apps for Social Change, Municipal Wi-Fi/WiMax Infrastructure, Global Overview of Mobile Banking, Mobile Banking & Social Change, Future of Mobile Video Content, Future of Mobile Gaming, Future of Spectrum, Future of Mobile Apps.
September - Working Hollywood's Magic On Education, a full-day conference. Anticipated Keynotes and Panels: The Future of Textbooks, Games For Education, Mobile Technology & Education, Invigorating STEM (Science, Technology, Education, and Mathematics) Education & Making Science, Tech, & Engineering Jobs Cool For Kids.
October - Hacking LA: Hollywood's Last Frontier?, a full-day conference. Anticipated Keynote: Hollywood's Mission To Re-Engineer L.A.
Anticipated Topics: As Hollywood goes green, so goes the city. We'll examine vast array of redevelopment issues from corporate transit systems (Google Bus) to renewable energy and hi-tech solutions for unifying the city.
December - How To Shoot Your Next Film In Space, a full-day conference. Anticipated Panels: Financing Your Off-Planet Film, Advantages & Pitfalls of Off-Planet Production, Developing Galactic Narratives. This daytime conference will be followed by The Hollywood Hill's Off-Planet Themed 2008 Holiday Party. Keynote: Elon Musk (Founder, SpaceX) on A Look Ahead; Additional Confirmed Speakers: Alex Tai, (VP, Virgin Galactic).
]]>Launch of Interim Event Facilitytag:nakedhill.com,2008:/72.63652008-02-26T02:19:00-07:002008-08-05T18:52:19-07:00{nakedhill_intro}2008-02-26T02:19:00-07:00nakedhill[email protected]The Catalyst Center
We'd like to thank the following members for assisting with the lease deposit and funding the renovations:
Dan Abrams (producer), JC Spink (manager/producer), Betty Thomas (director), and Anonymous.
Our new neighbor Laser Pacific has been kind enough to donate the usage of their parking lots for our events.
We also want to thank technical advisor Steven Cohen (Warner Bros.) for assisting with the A/V design. And a special thanks to members Stephanie Austin & Scott Thaler (line producers), and Carol Wood (environmental designer) for creating blueprints and sharing innovative ideas.
We're needing the following donations, so if you're in the process of upgrading or finally cleaning out your garage...
1. Refrigerator / Freezer
2. Bar Stools (we can mix and match)
3. Bar Tables (we can mix and match)
4. Flat Panel TVs
5. Microwaves
Our first event in the new space will be next Tuesday, March 4th at 7:30pm with Benjamin Barber on The Future of Consumerism. Invite will be sent out tomorrow.
]]>The Hollywood Hill Event Facility - Phase 1tag:nakedhill.com,2008:/72.63602008-02-07T15:16:00-07:002008-07-26T00:15:35-07:00{nakedhill_intro}2008-02-07T15:16:00-07:00nakedhill[email protected]The Catalyst Center
We are thrilled to announce that we have just signed a lease for a 3,000 sq. ft. event space in Hollywood that will serve as our interim event space while we transition into our larger permanent event facility - The Catalyst Center.
It's centrally located near the corner of Highland & Melrose. Over the next two weeks, we'll be renovating the space to get it ready for a ramped-up event calendar which will include over 5 events per month... continuing our exciting thought leader series, science and tech innovation series with frequent partner Wired Magazine, entertainment industry mentorship workshops, and new member orientation events.]]>Gevo Website Is Livetag:nakedhill.com,2007:/72.63172007-10-09T23:54:00-07:002008-07-26T00:15:48-07:00{nakedhill_intro}2007-10-09T23:54:00-07:00nakedhill[email protected]Events + Conferenceshttps://www.gevo.com. For those who were interested in learning more about her new company which counts Richard Branson and Vinod Khosla as investors, check it out.
I'm also pleased to announce that Frances has joined The Hollywood Hill's Science & Technology Advisory Board.]]>I’ll See You At The Catalyst Center!tag:nakedhill.com,2007:/72.63072007-10-09T16:21:00-07:002008-07-26T00:15:58-07:00{nakedhill_intro}2007-10-09T16:21:00-07:00nakedhill[email protected]The Catalyst Center(Thank you Jonathan Segal & Betty Thomas!). Lawrence Bender further assisted by not only giving us use of his house once a month until we could get our own permanent event facility, but also picking up the valet costs (the approximately $20K to date) for every event we've done there (we're about to do event #10) - for this we owe him a HUGE gratitude.
Having our own permanent facility is going to completely reshape our capabilities. No longer will we have to spend time setting up or breaking down. 100% of our staff's time will be focused on crafting the content of the actual presentations. Every member will receive custom briefings before each event with videos filmed by the staff introducing them to the topic so that members come to events at an intermediate knowledge level (nothing is stupider than having experts fly in from half away around the world to do "Intro" presentations for Hollywood professionals). We'll have multimedia presentation systems, high-end projection and sound equipment, and seating for 300 vs the 90-person capacity of Lawrence Bender's living room. We'll have a web rsvp system similar to the Arclight Cinema where you'll select your seat location for the next event in advance along with a customized gourmet meal. You'll come through the front entrance, sign-in with either fingerprint or retinal scan and your name tag will automatically print out of a sticker machine. You'll have a drink with fellow industry members in the georgeous bar lounge, and then transition into the main event room. Every seat will be wired with keyboards to enable members to submit their speaker questions throughout the event into a consolidated que. And we'll be doing high-end filming of events for distribution to those who can't make it that night. It will be a seamless experience.
It will also house an Intelligence Gathering Lab where we'll be keeping tabs on the world's innovations, tracking the marketplace, and measuring the progress of our projects, as well as a small green screen room for film production. It will be a brick-and-mortar home for exciting conversations on world affairs, innovations, and social change... an intellectual hub for our community... a Centcom for our social projects... and undoubtedly a "cool" experience.
Early on, when we started our monthly events, Ted Halstead, the founder of the New America Foundation, came to town as one of our first speakers, and mentioned over lunch that it took him a good five years to get his thinktank fully up-and-running. Now entering its eighth year, the New America Foundation is one of the largest and most important think tanks in DC. I've always viewed his five year mark as a target for us, and now that we're entering our third year of events and our fourth since we started writing the business plan, the organization is finally reaching critical mass and getting large enough to affect real change.
There are lots of people to thank for our significant growth over the past several years, and I'm going to do so periodically in postings. Buckle your seatbelt and enjoy the ride.]]>