Business & Tech

Innovative Minds Merge at New Tech Meet-Up

Local entrepreneurs in the technology industry now have a place to share ideas — the monthly Start-up Tech Hub at Paddy's Coffee House.

If you stopped by between 2 and 4 p.m. Saturday, you might have noticed a group of 20 or so speaking something akin to a foreign language—unless, of course, you’re well-versed in all things to do with engineering, software development, web design and network security.

The first installment of the , a monthly meet-up to be held the third Saturday of each month at Paddy’s, featured innovators from all of the above sectors sharing, discussing and shaping some revolutionary ideas.

“This idea of having a gathering place for entrepreneurs that is not loaded with ulterior motives is very rare and very needed,” said entrepreneur Kevin Alston.

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Attendees were free to discuss ideas in an open and friendly environment, with some breaking into smaller groups based on their interests.

There was the team behind RaGaPa, a company that takes a new approach to online advertising and combines it with network security. The company—which counts Paddy’s, Eon Café in Hayward, Zocalo Coffee House in San Leandro and other cafes throughout the region among its clients—targets local advertisers and offers a revenue sharing model for businesses that carry its service. The trio of web specialists behind the new company was there to network with other similar enterprises.

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Alston was the seasoned veteran of start-ups.  The Oakland resident founded Glacier Bay Technology in Union City in 1990. A one-time motocross racer, Alston, 52, is now on his fourth start-up business, Goldring Power, after having launched Glacier Bay, which manufactures and sells marine refrigeration units, and CLP Resources, Inc., a skilled construction labor staffing company.

He launched CLP from a home office. The company now employs more than 6,000 people nationwide, he said. Others at the meet-up picked his brain about securing investors.

Only 5 percent of start-ups become successful with their original concept intact, Alston advised those at the meet-up.

“There’s a lot of energy here,” said Varughese George, founder of Oegrav, a company that specializes in mobile applications and research and development for early start-ups. “These sorts of meet-ups are very beneficial. These conversations can augment ideas.”

George offers incubating services for new start-ups by providing offshore research and development via a team of engineers in India. Oegrav helps new businesses flesh out ideas and develop prototypes in order to help them gain more leverage with investors, he said.

Priya Jhingan had been toying with an online clothing subscription service idea for a couple years. After speaking with George, she came up with new ideas to reinvigorate her project.

Jack Herrington, a software developer and author of six guidebooks, attended to see if there were any projects he could offer his services to. Herrington, a Union City resident, previously worked as a programmer for Ning, a social networking service, before holding his current position with HP.

Herrington will lead a 30-minute talk on mobile software development at the next Start-up Tech Hub.

The event exceeded the expectations of Paddy Iyer, the proprietor of the coffee shop. A former techie himself, Iyer wanted to create an environment for those in the start-up technology industry to share ideas and connect, but wasn’t sure how much interest there would be, he said.

“I’m looking at the evolution and where we can take it,” Iyer said.

Future gatherings will have a more formal structure, Iyer said. The next event will feature Herrington’s discussion, along with pitches from two start-ups.

Paddy’s Start-up Tech Hub is held the third Saturday of every month from 2 to 4 p.m. The next meet-up will be held July 16.


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