Thanks Nathaniel: relevant as usual!
This movement to the offline world is so meaningful for us, social entrepreneurs. It brings us to use the web as a tool, rather than as an end. Not that I believe in a difference between the "online" and the "offline" world: it's still our lives that are affected by a great blog post, our perceptions modified by a comment on Twitter and our brains reflecting on a great chat session while eating lunch. Relationships are relationship, and an offline meeting isn't necessarily the only beneficial end to a new encounter.
But some stuff just works better when you get your hands dirty. Someone has to plant that tree. Someone has to give that vaccine. Someone has to sit down in front of a coffee and ask you what's wrong. That's where the movement toward an offline web-generated community is so meaningful: because sometimes, change needs some hands to get dirty. Tons of hands.
Great post, as usual. I'll pass it around!
I won't answer your question directly, but I wanted to share an other incubator opportunity for tech startups: TechStars, based out of Boulder, Colorado. They are very dynamic and promising:
www.techstars.org
Too bad we missed it.
Next year.
What an honor!!
It's the first time I share the stage with Bill...
Thanks Nathaniel!
Christine
http://e-180.com
Actually, here it is!
Our Top 25 Social Entrepreneurship websites
http://e-180.com/2009/02/04/our-top-25-social-entrepreneurship-websites/
How funny is that? I was just about to include you on my list of The Ultimate 25 websites on social entrepreneurship... :)
Glad you liked the tweet! Keep up the great work!
Christine Renaud
Co-Founder, @e180
http://e-180.com