The momentum is building for our March 24th unconference on Inclusive Innovation (a.k.a., InSquared).  

With the support of Advertising.com, gbtc and our partners at MICA have created a platform for a diverse group of participants to shape their own agenda, learn, and take action. 

On Thursday, February 9th, we're holding an open organizational meeting from 6pm to 7pm at the Beehive (inside the Emerging Technology Center at 2400 Boston Street in Canton).

What do you want to see out of an event like this?  What specific steps can we take to encourage real action and real progress?  What tools and connections do we need to add to the mix?

There will be follow-up gatherings, but this is a crucial meeting for shaping the final form of the conference. Whether or not you can attend this meeting, you can track our public announcements about the event at http://InSquared.net. Let me know if you have specific questions, concerns, ideas, or suggestions!

- Andrew Hazlett (email: a[at]gb.tc)

* * *

InSquared:
An unconference promoting inclusive innovation

March 24, 2012
MICA Brown Center
Baltimore, Maryland

Featured Participants and Keynote Speakers
Tara Hunt and Baratunde Thurston

Our entrepreneurial, tech-driven economy needs the brain power of all Americans to succeed.

On Saturday, March 24th, in partnership with the Maryland Institute College of Art, GBTC‘s Inclusive Innovation Unconference (or “InSquared”) will encourage and equip women and African Americans in the field of tech entrepreneurship. Participants will include students (from high school on up), coders, designers, entrepreneurs, mentors, and investors. These technologists, business minds, bridge builders, and instigators will gather in the heart of Baltimore to learn, connect, and start making things.

With keynote speeches and participation from the digital director of The Onion and one of the most influential women in technology, this event will be about bridging gaps and taking action.

The agenda will be dertermined by the participants themselves in the uniquely powerful unconference format.

* * *

To set the tone and bring unique insights to this event, we are excited to feature two remarkable keynote speakers.

Tara Hunt (@missrogue)

Named as one of the most influential women in tech and one of the 25 women-led startups to watch by Fast Company, Tara Hunt has put her mark on the web world on many levels. Now the CEO and co-founder of e-commerce Q&A platform Buyosphere, Tara has also written a best-selling book (The Whuffie Factor) that is published in eight languages and has spoken at over 100 conferences worldwide on topics ranging from how the social web has changed marketing to tech entrepreneurship to the benefits of transparency for governments. She remains a customer-happiness focused marketer and strong believer that the social web and cooperation on web standards is the key to creating a better, more efficient, customer-empowered, business-benefiting world.

Baratunde Thurston (@baratunde)

Baratunde Thurston is a politically-active, technology-loving comedian from the future. He co-founded the black political blog, Jack and Jill Politics and serves as Director of Digital for The Onion. He has written for Vanity Fair and the UKIndependent, hosted Popular Science’s Future Of on Discovery Science and appears on cable news regularly to say smart things in funny ways. Then-candidate Barack Obama called him “someone I need to know.” Baratunde travels the world speaking and advising and performs standup regularly in NYC. He resides in Brooklyn, lives on Twitter and has over 30 years experience being black. His first book, How To Be Black, will be published in February 2012 by Harper Collins. He will be the opening keynote speaker at SXSW Interactive.

* * *

More details will be announced soon! Join our InSquared google group to help shape the event, get updates from the organizers, and registration information.