TEDxMidAtlantic post-show report

Andy Carvin (NPR's social media guru) takes a picture of the infamous timer that ruled the day. (Photo by the Baltinerd)

It was a fantastic day down at the Brown Center, to say the least. TEDxMidAtlantic was a resounding success. Never having been to a TED conference before, I learned that TED isn’t so much about its acronym (Technology, Entertainment, Design) as it is a conference of ideas, thinkers and dreamers. The people who spoke were exactly that. You had Tony Geraci, who is helping to change the way students in city schools think about food. You had Sonja Sohn talking about taking a year away from her work for something she really believed in. You had Mark Walsh delivering a “modest proposal” on how to fix a broken Internet.

The theme of TEDxMidAtlantic, specifically, was “The Power of Stories,” and some of the stories told today I’ll have trouble forgetting. Like the diabetic child Geraci met in New Hampshire who motivated him to make a difference. Like the Sarajevo teen who moved Scott Simon. Like the funny and heartwarming way Peter Agre went from humble beginnings to Nobel laureate. Like Tyler Cowen’s hyper-meta stories about how stories are deceptive and misleading and terrible. But that’s another story. >_>

The lobby was packed during breaks. Like way packed. (Photo by the Baltinerd)

 

You’re probably thinking, “Gee, Tyler, this is all well and good, but I wasn’t there. Can you do anything else to rub it in my face?”

My answer? Sure I can. But I don’t really need to. If you missed anything (as I did, due to work engagements), video from all the speakers is posted right over this way.

And speaking of video, I caught up with curator Dave Troy afterwards to pick his brain…

Interview with Mario Armstrong

Courtesy marioarmstrong.com

Click here to listen!

The Baltinerd talks with radio host and tech guru Mario Armstrong about the growing Baltimore tech scene, what the state needs to do to keep the talent, how he got his start and his dream digital refrigerator. Mario spoke to us by phone while traveling in Phoenix.

Q+A with Gus Sentementes

Gus Sentementes is a Baltimore Sun reporter and the guy behind BaltTech. He was kind enough to answer a few questions for us the other day. We’ll probably be hearing more from him in the future…

What helped Baltimore become a hub for tech startups?

I think Baltimore has been attractive for tech startups for a couple reasons. There are lots of smart people being churned out by the local universities, i.e. JHU, Towson, University of Maryland, etc. It’s also still a comparatively inexpensive place to launch a tech business, when compared against other East Coast cities. But the strength of the region goes beyond just Baltimore city proper, there’s a lot of activity and innovation going on in the counties around Baltimore, too. It helps that the state sees a major influx of federal dollars every year, that support many, many small and mid-size businesses in terms of outsourcing and contracting. There’s a lot of high-tech expertise rooted in federal government and military work that often blends into the civilian and private sector. Lots of cross-pollination.

Is it fair to call Baltimore a geeky city? Why or why not?

There are two sides of Baltimore. Sure, there’s the geeky side, where people with plenty of education and degrees make positive contributions to society on a par with some of the other most vibrant cities in America. But there’s also the poor and desperate side of the city that too often seems to be on the outside looking in. The greatest challenge right now is to bridge these two realities.

What motivated you to start BaltTech?

After spending several years writing about the worst and most depressing aspects of life in Baltimore, I wanted to take some time to write about some of the smart, innovative things our fellow citizens are up to, in the form of their technology exploits.