TRANSMARINER

#SWcebu and The Filipino Voice

Most Americans hear a Filipino voice when they call their online travel site or credit card helpdesk. Seldom realized is that the Filipino voice can be heard throughout their daily activity. But to hear it, the American needs to listen with their eyes, bodies and fingers…not just their ears.

-Watching the Oscars? A Cebuano voice designed many of the gowns. Monique Lhuillier 

-Having cocktails at Lucy Liu or Brad Pitt’s house? A Cebuano voice designed and crafted the furniture. Kenneth Cobonpue 

-Typing endlessly to quickly share your thoughts on #FB?  A Filipino voice innovated the logic chip set that made computers much more powerful, compact and affordable. Dr. Diosado Banato

-Studying about the Lunar Landings in school? A Filipino voice lead the Lunar Rover development. Eduardo San Juan

The Filipino voice HAS, IS and CAN BE strong. Entrepreneurs in local business, like Jay Aldeguer, have been innovating for centuries. Additionally, Filipinos in Engineering, Design and even Film & Media have found a global foothold in crafting their entrepreneurial spirit. But this is not so for the tech-venturer who has been mostly sharing his/her knowledge ‘supporting the growth’ instead of ‘spearheading the path’.

In this century, it seems the internal voice of the common digital Filipino has been muted, reduced to a service-only, or USER setting. I have watched millions get sucked into the comfort and welfare that enterprise solutions can provide a family.  This is soon to change. With the help of many sponsors and people like my friend @daveove, Cebuano’s will now experience  http://cebu.startupweekend.org @swcbbu.  The takeaway? This experience will have a beginning, middle and end.  Those who attend will be a part of something that ships. Where it sails no one knows. What is known is that it will all be wrapped up in 54 hours. Time to come up with the next idea…Moving on!

I’m not 100% sold on the fanboy mindset STARTUP’s have propelled around the globe. But I am in favor of providing mentorship and a framework for aspiring entrepreneurs to find their voice and shout it loud. I’m a fan of setting an environment where failure = growth instead of a deduction of wage. I’m a fan of terms like exacting, pivot and moving on. But while I was raised in an environment that nurtured these terms, others were not. This past decade has had such a dramatic change on culture and daily life in places like Cebu that events like STARTUP WEEKEND and the team that put on @swcbbu are all the more needed to inspire, guide and be the stage for many to find their floundering voice.  A place for those to find and  accept their challenges, drive their ideas forward, learn to ship, fail, ship, succeed… again, and again, and again.

There are many STARTUP WEEKEND’s. Why am I excited for this specific STARTUP WEEKEND? Limitation creates opportunities. The blend of lifestyle in Cebu makes it a perfect incubator for ‘what’s next’ on the digital frontier. If all is equal in terms of understanding, more breakout ideas and disruption will come from an unpredictable city like Cebu rather than the more predictable Seattle.  Additionally,  one of the Philippines’ leading venture capitalist Manny Pangilinan finally started shouting that it’s OK TO FAIL. This is huge for a community where a college degree is required to work at McDonalds!

I have faith in the Filipino techies PIVOTING to the next level. Only time will tell. In the meantime, what are you doing this weekend? Make a plan…a lot can happen in 54 hours!

How the Digital Universe Originated

Computer equipment at Bletchley Park. Photo: © Peter Vallance / Alamy

I’ve provided links to an interesting interview from Margaret Bikman with technology historian George Dyson, writer of the book Turing’s Cathedral. Mr. Dyson’s voice skims over the origins of the computer and touches two areas that have been toying with me in recent times: importance of the CRAFTSMAN in a STEM society, and how innovation comes at a price usually higher than the sale sticker states. Buyer Beware!

http://bit.ly/GKQgS1 - interview
http://tgr.ph/GIVKuR - book

Here are two excerpts matched with my thoughts:

  Q: Most of the people you write about seem to have unbridled curiosity. You do, too, which may be one of the reasons you wrote the book. Did these geniuses change the world, and change the way we think?

  A: Yes, I was curious about computers, and found that I did not fully understand them. And the best way to fully understand something is to understand how it began. It took not only genius, but craftsmanship to get the digital revolution off the ground. When the geniuses and the craftsmen (and craftswomen) worked together, anything was possible, and it still is.

Sixty-Seven: my pulse which I just registered with my Axumio InstantHeartRate.com and smartphone. The smartphone is simply awesome. Bundling optics, light and software into a slick, functional case allowing the user to talk, chat, take a photo AND their pulse!

One Hundred and Five: my pulse when I hear of schools discontinuing shop, gym and home economics classes. It is in these classes that the non-native CompSci personality may realize that he/she has a passion for Engineering and other elements of the STEM curriculum cued from learning a summersault. Or they may stumble across a fascination with chemistry forged from the varying effects found when boiling sugar. RAVE to private programs like www.sparkmuesum.org instilling interest in the physical realm of learning. RANT to the education leaders who feel this part of education is now part of the private sector.  
___________
___________

  Q: From scrolls to Gutenberg to e-readers: we seem to be on the cusp of another revolution in  how we communicate. Are you optimistic?

   A: I am optimistic, with reservations. Communication can be a tool enabling cooperation, or control. The digital universe originated in a deal with “the other party” (as von Neumann described it): the miracles of computers in exchange for the perils of the bomb. And we seem to have come out way ahead. Nonetheless, it is always possible that one day the other party might show up and say, “I’m here to collect, and guess what; I’ve been waiting for the computers, not the bombs.”

The ‘other party” seems to have already knocked on the door, asked for the computer and started collecting their non-monetary tolls as we chat, type and scroll.

I’d much rather pay for a something I use than provided a FREE version in a DEAL that may cost more than money in the future. Yet I find myself signing up for FREE apps more often than not. Do you find yourself doing the same?

No Talk, All ACTION!

So excited to see my friends in Cebu deep-dive into this amazing activity. I will be posting additional thoughts on Startups, Innovation and specifically how I feel Cebu fits into this in the coming days. Stay tuned. In the meantime…No Talk, All ACTION!!!

Pray for Japan

I’m comfortable on the ocean, always have been…but not so comfortable where water meets land. I visited a beachside cottage in Oceanside, OR this past weekend. Arriving after dark, the first thing I did was look at the Tsunami warning information pack. At least I had a plan if trouble did arise.

Returning home, I received an email from Stu Levy that I wanted to share with you. He talks about the release of his docu feature PRAY FOR JAPAN this week. Attend if you can: 

Friends and colleagues:

I hope everyone has had a productive and enjoyable 2012 so far - it’s hard to believe it’s almost spring!

I wanted to update you about the key activity that has occupied my time over the past year:  my not-for-profit documentary feature film “Pray for Japan”, about the heroes of the tsunami tragedy’s aftermath, which I filmed last spring over 6 weeks while volunteering in the devastated town of Ishinomaki.

Directing and producing this film has been my passion project, but it really was the contributions of an incredible team of volunteers from the entertainment industry on both sides of the Pacific that has made this movie special.

Finally, in just two days, “Pray for Japan” will be released in North America, through a special charity engagement.  AMC Theatres and I have partnered up to show the film simultaneously in 16 cities (and thanks to Hollywood Theaters for providing their Maui location). It will continue in LA and NYC from this Friday for a one-week engagement.

I know how busy everyone is – and that it is difficult to make it out to the movie theater, especially on a Wednesday night.  However, I implore you to make an exception – believe me, you will be inspired by the real-life heroes of these victims and volunteers and they will give you a fresh perspective on your own life, just like they did for me. 

 The North American shows are this

WEDNESDAY,  MARCH 14 at 7 PM.

The list of 16 cities can be found here.  And please reserve your tickets at Fandango.com here  – all of this film’s profits will go to  charitable organizations working on the ground in Tohoku, such as JEN, who continue to lead the recovery efforts on the ground in Ishinomaki.

Thank you for your patience and support – and, as the Japanese phrase says:  KOKORO WO HITOTSU NI!  (One Heart).

Best,

Stu

PS:

—For those of you in London, the European premiere is hosted by the Japan Society at BAFTA - info here!

—And Tokyo info for the engagement throughout March is here!

—To host a screening in your area, please contact me either directly or here.

Resilience

My multimedia career started in these buildings. It was happenstance I wandered by this scene able to catch a few frames of the bricklayer’s demise.

(Last remaining structures at the Georgia Pacific Mill in Bellingham. Look closely and you can see the wall leaning about 30 degrees as the back hoes pull heartily.)

(My dSLR was in the car, best clarity I could capture with iPhone. Would of loved to have captured the girders twisted like pretzels in more detail.)

As the dust reached my face and the smell of history hit my senses I reflected on my time inside. The year was 1994 between Christmas and New Year. It was definitely the wrong time of the year to be six months into business development and still trying to land my first client.  I was frustrated and ready to hang it all up when I received a message from Lonnie Wiebe at Georgia Pacific. She saw our reel. It was the only reel that had shown industrial content (documentary footage I shot in an Alaskan cannery). She wanted to discuss developing a new safety program her team had been tossing around. I still remember receiving that voicemail. It was a breath of fresh air needed in the nick of time.

I worked with Lonnie and the GP team on many projects over a six-year period. The largest and last of which took a turn for the worst in the development stage. Computer Based Training was in its infancy post laser-disc era. Authorware was the prosumer multimedia editor of its day. I had a team of four developing a spec project. We had + 50 project managers from various GP ranks excited by our product. But it only took one person to shut the door. Five-months in to the pitch and the regional head informed us that corporate had decided to go with a national provider. Quite different from the first call I received from Lonnie four years earlier, this call felt like a ton-of-bricks falling on top of me.  I got up, dusted myself off and looked ahead. The team and I continued creating content for GP for years after. But on that day I made the decision to put more energy into our own Intellectual Property.

Within a few years I was in Seattle balancing the creation of enterprise and original programming. If there was a plug to pull, it would come from my own hand as much as any clients. Sadly, in the same period of time GP corporate took a page from its own playbook. With little to no notice Headquarters (Atlanta) decided to shut the door on the entire Bellingham Mill. This decision represented a loss of 800 direct and 3000 indirect jobs.

This Mill helped build Bellingham, helped build me, my resilience. And now after 75 years, it tumbles down to make way for what will build the new generation of Bellingham.  

#Occupy Matt

I read mention of KING TIDES arriving on our shores during the holiday week. Local news was requesting people to document irregular tidal activity. The mention of ‘Irregularities’ was all I needed to get on the road early in hopes of capturing some action. I was looking for visual oddities these tides may create with piers and trestles I’d navigated as a kid. With the tides arriving over 3-days; I scoped out my areas of interest in Ansel Adams-esque fashion seeking the best vantage point and time.

King Tides are expected yearly so nothing truly irregular here. But if there were to be a strong SW wind (which had been happening every night that week), a rise in temperature in the Cascades/Olympics (to melt off low land snow) or an earthquake, any of these would surely compound the King Tides’ to cause irregularity. But thankfully none happened. So my adventure turned out to be relatively uneventful. The high water mark reached about a foot from the bottom of the Waterfront Tavern’s pile foundation. That was high but just not irregular enough for a unique photo.

Framing up a shot, I noticed the #Occupy Bellingham participants and a lot of activity around their encampment across the street. An American flag stood vibrant against the dull grey morning sky and the oxblood museum in the background.  I capped off a few shots of the shutter and made my way towards the rest of the day. Coffee in mouth and newspaper in hand, the headlines that morning focused on a different topic than I. The City was evacuating #Occupy Bellingham from its Park encampment at 9am, T-minus 5 minutes. I seemed to be a bit too early and focused on a different topic than the others. I was on my own path that day, occupying my own time.

King Tides

#Occupy Bellingham

MIT Forum - NW Fall Demo

I attended my first MIT Forum NW start-up demo last night. As CEOs proceeded to pitch their wares, the blend of technologies exceeded my expectations. In the lineup were four digital and two mechanical tech demos. When it came time for the judges drum to roll, a mechanical tech company triumphed for the night. REDpoint International and its StedLine – IV Sleeve should prove to be a game changer. The CEO had an amazing presentation. No bells and whistles, just took off his jacket and proceeded to yank a pseudo IV out of his arm. In shock, I couldn’t react quick enough to get a picture. The entire audience cringed. In my humble opinion, it was that reaction plus precise responses to the judges questions that clinched the event for them.

The other mechanical demo was from Tilting Motor Works. Founder Bob Mighell created a product considered impossible to produce. At least this is what a mechanical engineering professor at Western Washington University told him before he started. He was sure to take his working prototype (with thousands of miles of road under the tires) to WWU’s campus for a visit. And to the professor’s benefit, he brought students out of lecture to show them and engineering feat considered not possible to produce. Now with patents-in-hand, I’m certain Mr. Mighell will go forward changing the way some Americans ride a motorcycle.

Not only was the technology well rounded, so were the attendees’ including PhDs from China and technopreneurs from India. On my way out of the event a person seeming to be of Filipino origin was directly in my path. I stuck out my hand in anticipation of an introduction. Of course he was not prepared, nor understood my Tagalog introduction. First time to meet him, I was not alert enough to consider he was born in the US of Filipino descent. I quickly took foot out of mouth and regained composure. Lucky for me the man was Fortunato Vega (@fortunato911). His global wisdom cut through my miscue and we immediately moved forward with  light conversation. What an added bonus to realize he was directly entrenched in the nights activities and the community. We will have coffee soon. And as a Board Member of MIT Enterprise Forum NW, I can only hope the conversations at this meeting will exceed my expectations like the products tonight.

2011 Asia HALL OF FAME

I recently attended the Robert Chinn Foundation’s Asian HALL OF FAME. @TEDDYZEE had tweeted that he would be at the event on his first visit to Seattle. No better way to welcome him than to attend and witness his induction. Not immediately aware of this Foundation or the event in general…I did more research and realized that Dr. Connie Mariano (@DrMariano) was also an inductee. What a great opportunity to support Teddy, and honor my Filipino Wife/Kids heritage while at the same event.

(Dr. Connie Mariano)

From first impressions this Foundation seems to be a driving force in the support and growth of the Chinese community in Seattle and the overall Asia/Pacific Islander communities in the region. I enjoyed the shows including presentations highlighting Chinese Dragons and Filipino Arnis.  

I also had a moment to visit with Mayor McGinn. Very poised and full of positive energy, he was much different than my perception gained from the news. I resonate with this Mayor’s efforts in helping Seattle move forward to ‘world city’ status and not as the surrogate home to worldly brands.

I found the inductees transparent acceptance speeches refreshing. I hope the RC Foundation can post video of these online for others to appreciate.

Conspiracy Theory

I have a tendency to debate conspiracy theories after drinking a LOT of coffee, but today’s theory has to do WITH coffee! Starbucks is my dark addiction. So i’m shocked that I only now realized Starbucks may be sending signals through its ceramic mugs.

The core for a brand is to never clutter or confuse the brand. So I understand why Starbucks would put an S on its Smaller mug (left photo for those visually impaired). Pretty obvious the S stands for Starbucks and follows suit with the branding. But I really don’t understand why they put a G on the Grande mug? It has nothing to do with brand. What is Starbucks trying to tell us in their National Treasure type of message to the masses by putting a G on the Grande mug? Just makes me think what other secrets are communicated under the dark bean’s global presence. Maybe in 100 years my grandchildren will look back in awe as they remember stories of this post while watching some history channel special that explains why Starbucks put a G on their Grande mug. I just don’t Get it!