See also: What is 106 Miles and what is PandaWhale?

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

Friday December 9 is Panda's birthday (and also 106 Miles party legend Nick Sullivan's!), so we had an idea that's a gift that keeps on giving:

Let's have a 106 Miles Party for 11 charities!!!

RSVP at Meetup.com/106miles !!!

If you intended to come on 11/11 but rain kept you away from the festival, this is your chance to make up for it.

We have many shirts, mugs, and raffle tickets left, and you can help!

If 106 Miles has helped you this year, please give back by coming and helping Panda's 11 favorite charities:

• We will be festive on Friday December 9, 6pm till close, at our favorite place, The Underground in Redwood City.
• $20 buys you a gorgeous 34oz mug to keep, filled with PBR, plus a t-shirt and a raffle ticket. $25 buys you the mug filled with any non-PBR beer.
• We will hold the Nerd New Year raffle on Sunday December 11, and you can buy tickets at the Underground Pub (2650 Broadway) until then for $11 each or 2 for $20.
• Empty mugs and extra t-shirts are available for $11 each or 2 for $20.
• Spread the word, because this meetup is open to everyone, not just 106 Miles.
• Also, you can also just donate to our 11 charities directly.

And, you can also help us before the event! Anyone who wants to volunteer to take a box of a dozen mugs and tee-shirts to sell for charity, please email us at rwc111111@gmail.com with subject line: "I want to sell mugs and tee-shirts for charity!"

Winners of fabulous raffle prizes will be contacted after December 11, and can pick up the items at our December 14 meetup.

Haiku: We welcome you all / to attend. Buy your own drinks, / and drinks for a friend... :)

Please spread the word, and we'll see you there!

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

Finally, it goes to 11. Time to celebrate !!!

11/11/11: GREATEST FRIDAY HAPPY HOUR EVER

Drink for charity!

Bring your whole company -- and please spread this around!

Looking for an awesome and unique happy hour experience for your whole team? 

You need to attend Nerd New Year this Friday, 11/11/11 on 2600 Broadway in Redwood City, CA.

Beer, wine, food, awesome prizes!

LIVE SHARK till 5pm, LIVE KITTENS till 6pm,robots, 22 FOOT INFLATABLE SLIDE!

106 Miles drinkup indoors at UnderGround (2650 Broadway), 6-9pm.

LIVE MUSIC, fire dancers, veterans, stilt walkers, 13 FOOT CLOCK COUNTING DOWN TO 11:11!

Bring your whole team down to 2600 Broadway after 4PM for the greatest happy hour ever in Redwood City. :)

As seen on: 

• NerdNewYear.com
• LA Times
• Mashable
• Yahoo!
• Xconomy
• Chicago Tribune
• San Jose Mercury News
• Redwood City Patch

Every day I'm shuffling...

Everybody just have a good time!

The journey of 106 Miles starts with a single step.

We're on a mission from God... Hit it!

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

What: 25% off - GeoLoco
When: November 3rd, 8:00a - 6:00p
Where: Mission Bay Conference Center, SF
Why: Geo-Loco will dive into brand, advertiser and the location convergence in the context of the Social, Local and Mobile (SoLoMo) marketplace — and explore what it means for big brands, consumers, SMBs and the location industry. Learn from real-world successes in mobile-loco advertising, location platforms and more. Executives from Starbucks, Google, Waze, Facebook, Foursquare and leading investors will address these topics in a highly interactive setting.  More information at http://geoloco.tv and receive 25% off at http://geoloco-sf.eventbrite.com/?discount=106miles

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

For those of you that weren't able to join us, here's the video of our Get Bigger! with Vinod Khosla event:

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

We've had a bit of rain these past few days, helping to serve as reminder to us all from Mother Nature that summer's bidding us adieu. Fall has always been been among my favorite seasons, maybe because of how much color is on display. It reminds me a little of natural fireworks, and as fireworks fill us with awe I find it awesome that there are so many holidays grouped together in the fall.

Personally, any excuse to get together with friends and family is cause for celebration. Few things being people closer together than food, and with that in mind I'm glad to annouce that next week's get-together at The Underground in Redwood City will have light food and desserts provided to us by our good friend, d.a.wiseowl.

To RSVP for this event, please click here. See you there!

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

Hi 106ers,

I wanted to let you know about two programs that may be beneficial for you, if you find yourself close to either Redwood City or Stanford.

The World Adult Kickball Association (WAKA), is forming a new Redwood City league which will kick-off in early October. Games will be held Saturday afternoons and will be followed by socializing and drink specials at our favorite bar in Redwood City, The RWC Underground Pub. WAKA has leagues all around the world and is one of the fastest growing co-ed social sports leagues around.

You can sign up solo or with a group of friends. Groups are merged together to form final teams. Each season is about 2 months long, with seven games, amazing parties, and a fabulous charity event. It's a great way to make new friends, network, and just get out and run around like a kid!

So, if you're over 21 and looking for a fun new activity, check it out! You can sign up by clicking here.

Are you interested in gaining more exposure to the business fundamentals and skills you need to move your innovative ideas forward? If so, we think you will be interested in the Stanford Graduate School of Business Program in Innovation and Entrepreneurship (PRIE).

PRIE is a part-time evening academic program that provides participants exposure to both core business skills and the practical aspects of identifying, evaluating, and advancing business ideas. The program uniquely combines non-business Stanford graduate students and Silicon Valley professionals with backgrounds in science, technology, medicine, and engineering. PRIE gives rising innovators and entrepreneurs the opportunity to learn from premier GSB faculty and work with a diverse and talented group of classmates interested in formulating and developing innovative ideas.

Dates: January 15 through March 22, 2012
Class Schedule: two evenings per week and every other Saturday
Applications: Available online here (PS - if you apply please mention you heard about the program from 106 Miles!)
Admissions: Rolling admissions; applicants are encouraged to submit all materials by October 15, 2011
Eligibility: Bay Area Professionals with a minimum of a B.S. or B.A. (advanced degree preferred; candidates must NOT have an MBA)
To hear from PRIE Participants, click here! If you have questions about the PRIE Program, please click here!

P.S. - Those of you who've attended our events with food know that we are able to do so because companies like Orrick have collaborated with us to sponsor our events. We provide different sponsorship packages, so if you would be interested in sponsoring a 106 Miles event in the future, please contact us!

Cheers,
Liz

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

We threw our first successful 106 Miles in Los Angeles at Nobu on Friday, August 12, 2011.

106 people attended from many walks of life to have a good time and conversations about startups, software engineering, and entrepreneurship.

Net-net, we concluded that there's a lot of demand for 106 Miles in Southern California.

So we've created a 106 Miles SoCal meetup group that is open to anyone who wants announcements of future 106 Miles events in Southern California.

We plan on having at least one event in southern California each month going forward.

Frequently Asked Questions about 106 Miles SoCal:

1. Can I go to 106 Miles events in Los Angeles if I'm a member of the Bay Area 106 Miles meetup group?

Yes, we're all on the same team. All 106 Miles events are open to anyone who believes in startups and in our mission of educating entrepreneurial engineers.

2. Is there another LA event? What are the deets?

Yes, on Friday September 16, 6-9pm, at Tiato in Santa Monica. RSVP here.

3. If I signed up for the Bay Area group because I wanted to go to the LA one, what should I do now to stay updated?

Sign up for the 106 Miles SoCal meetup group.

4. How do I find out more about 106 Miles?

See Frequently Asked Questions about 106 Miles.

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

We've reached September, and I've got not one, but two exciting announcements for you!

The first is that our Wednesday's meet-up in Redwood City on September 14 will have pizza! Pizza from Pizza and Pipes will be provided thanks to a generous sponsorship from Orrick. 

Rumor has it that we'll have desserts, too, so you should definitely plan to stop by.

To RSVP for this meetup, please click here.

Also, just to be silly and to have some fun, we're asking everyone to wear a hat. It's September, and about time to have some silliness. Hopefully we'll see you there!

The second bit of news is we've officially expanded and now have a 106 Miles meet-up group in SoCal. So all of you who call the sometimes sunnier half of California home (or just find it a fun place to roam) ought to join this group, which you can do by clicking here!

The wonderful Sasha will be the official head of 106 Miles in Southern California, congratulations Sasha! FYI, the next 106 Miles in SoCal will be on September 16 at Tiato in Santa Monica, so if you're free you should RSVP by clicking here.

P.S. - Those of you who've attended our events with food know that we are able to do so because companies like Orrick have collaborated with us to sponsor our events. We provide different sponsorship packages, so if you would be interested in sponsoring a 106 Miles event in the future, please contact us!

Cheers,

Liz

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

Here we are in the month of August, and we've got some august news to share with you: 106 Miles has now surpassed 2,500 members!

What does this mean for you? Another opportunity to join us for a fantastic celebration of our continued growth at The Underground on August 10. We'll have great drink specials and free pizza provided for us by the fine folks at Orrick (Thank you again, Orrick!). To RSVP, please click here.

We'll also be hosting our first LA edition of 106 Miles, in order to bring the spirit of sharing information and experiences, entrepreneur to entrepreneur, to Tinseltown. We'll be at Nobu in WeHo on August 12, and they're also going to be providing us with sweet drink and tapas menu specials, and they're also hooking us up with a valet parking discount, too. If you're in the area, definitely stop by! To RSVP, please click here.

We also wanted to let you know that FailCon is coming up (On October 24 this year), and 106 Miles members are eligible for 15% off the ticket price. FailCon is a one-day conference for technology entrepreneurs, investors, developers and designers to study their own and others' failures and prepare for success. To purchase your tickets, click on the FailCon badge below:

P.S. - Those of you who've attended our events with food know that we are able to do so because companies like Orrick have collaborated with us to sponsor our events. We provide different sponsorship packages, so if you would be interested in sponsoring a 106 Miles event in the future, please contact us!

Cheers,

Liz

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

For those of you who couldn't make it to the Eric Ries presentation (or for those of you who were furiously note-taking and feel you maybe missed out on a key point) here is the video of the presentation. Thanks again to Hackers & Founders for helping make the video and this event possible!

P.S. - Those of you who've attended our events with food know that we are able to do so because companies like Orrick have collaborated with us to sponsor our events. We provide different sponsorship packages, so if you would be interested in sponsoring a 106 Miles event in the future, please contact us!

Cheers,

Liz

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

It's July, meaning it's time to take advantage of the warm summer weather while we can to host another fantastic event for you loyal 106ers. We're glad to have managed to grow to over 2,000 members so quickly, and we'll hopefully keep growing in the months ahead. We felt that reaching this milestone deserved some sort of party, so we've decided to celebrate with you! Here's the menu for the BBQ we'll be having at The Underground in Redwood City on July 13 from 6-9 PM (please RSVP for the BBQ here):

Entrees:

Smoked Marinated Brisket
Smoked for 8 hours over cherry wood and served with caramelized onions with tortilla

Hot Link Sliders
In Hawaiian bread with pickled jalapeno and sweet mustard

BBQ Pork Shoulder
Rubbed in a Sweet and Spicy Dry Rub and smoked for 12 hours over cherry wood.
Served in corn tortillas, chipotle BBQ sauce and slaw

**All fuel for BBQ is Kingsford Briquettes and cured Cherry Wood**

Sides:

Spicy Southern Slaw
Shredded Cabbages and Carrot with a spicy & creamy dressing

BBQ Beans
BBQ Pinto Beans simmered with smoked pork

Mac & Cheese
With sharp cheddar and mushroom cream sauce

Jalapeno Corn Bread

Thank you, Orrick for collaborating with us to sponsor this BBQ!

PS - We provide different sponsorship packages, so if you would be interested in sponsoring a 106 Miles event in the future, please contact us!

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

It's almost the end of June, meaning we're just about halfway done with the year of 2011. It's hard to believe that time has flown by as quicky as it has, but you know what they say, time flies when you're having a good time. Amongst our accomplishments this year: we grew from less than 1,000 members to surpassing 2,000 members on June 14. Reminiscent of a ripple effect, we may have started small but my how we've grown! To celebrate, we're going to be putting on a summer barbecue in July (you can find out more information about the BBQ here).

Fortunately, despite our rapid growth, we have not had too many growing pains, which can happen if a community does not have a common goal. To help us stay on the same page, it may be useful to remember that although 106 Miles events are informally structured, their focus is to facilitate networking amongst entrepreneurs working on start-ups or interested in working at start-ups. As such, the tone of the conversations that occur should always be professional and respectful. Generally speaking, if it is a topic that would be considered inappropriate to discuss in an interview, it is likely one that you should save to discuss with someone outside of 106 Miles. With that said, our goal is to ensure that everyone at 106 Miles feels welcome, and if you are ever unsure of what to expect from a 106 Miles event, this video below can give you a better idea of what our events are like for those who attend.

We're also quite glad that we have been able to do some remarkable things like help spread awareness for the Startup Visa cause this year. Looking forward, we want to continue to make 106 Miles events meaningful for our members, and to that end we are working on putting together several more events later this year that should be useful to the entrepreneuers in our community. Which reminds me, FounderDating will be back in the Bay Area on August 23. Those of you who are looking for your co-founder should definitely apply!

P.S. - Those of you who've attended our events with food know that we are able to do so because companies like Orrick have collaborated with us to sponsor our events. We provide different sponsorship packages, so if you would be interested in sponsoring a 106 Miles event in the future, please contact us!

Cheers,

Liz

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

As some of our seasoned 106ers know, we've played around with the option of using different colors for the name-tags at our events. The main reasons behind this were because some of you wanted a better method to have an idea of who was at the event and what to talk to them about, and some also thought it might be an effective ice-breaker. Our goal is always to help faciliate great conversations amongst those who attend, so we decided to move away from the plain black Sharpies and to have some some fun with color at a couple of our past events. We thus presented those who were present the option to choose what color they wanted for their name-tags out of about a dozen different colored Sharpie pens.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/photographygaby/4837696676/

It was remarkable to see how over the course of the events, people gravitated towards the same main colors, so much so that we've decided to make it a permanent fixture of 106 Miles events. From here on out, we'll have the five following Sharpie colors available for the name-tags: black, blue, green, red, and orange. To help people break the ice and start new conversations with each other, it'll be helpful if we're all on the same page as far as what these different colors mean, so here is a quick over-view of how the color coding will work:

Orange - selecting orange for your name-tag will let others know you're working on application development in the social media sphere, or have a strong interest in that area. It's interesting to note that orange is ""the color tied most this fun times, happy and energetic days" given that most social media products tend to be geared towards making the internet a more social place by allowing us to share our experiences with one another.

Blue - choosing blue will let other members know that you are a developer, but not involved in the social media arena. Blue is "often cited as the universally favorite color. On the touchy-​​feely level, blue symbolizes openness, intelligence." So the sky's the limit as far as conversation goes when approaching a person with a blue name-tag.

Red - opting to use red for your name-tag will let others know that you're an entrepreneur with a wide variety of interests, and are willing to discuss any type of subject. Red is "an exciting, dramatic, and rich color. Red is also a color of passion" so those with red name-tags are open to all types of conversations, as long as the conversations remain engaging.

Green - deciding to use green on your name-tag will let other 106ers know that you are an entrepreneur whose skill sets gravitate more towards providing support to a new start-up. Green is often considered a color that's associated with growth, so choose green for your name-tag if you feel this aptly describes you.

Black - picking black for your name-tag is a solid option, if you feel like choosing it because none of the other colors adequately describe you. Black is associated with "power, stability and strength. It is also the color associated with intelligence" and as anyone who has attended a 106 Miles event can tell you, all of our members are amazingly intelligent.

Looking forward to seeing and speaking with you at a 106 Miles event soon!

Cheers,

Liz

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

Once again, thanks to our sponsor Orrick and in support of the Startup Visa cause, we're planning something grand for you all!

106 Miles supports the Startup Visa cause because under current US immigration policies, venture-funded startup founders with American employees are being effectively forced out of the country because they're foreign-born. This is essentially sending thousands of high paying knowledge jobs overseas. The Startup Visa Act will allow entrepreneurs to keep their companies and their jobs here in the United States. Supporting the Startup Visa makes sense to us, because 106 Miles wants to support innovation, job creation, and the entreprenuers that make that possible.

Please join us on Wednesday, June 15, from 6-9 P.M. to meet and eat. We will be having delicious food brought to you again by the fine folks with A Fork Full of Earth and here is a tentative menu plan:

-Sweet and savory goat cheese tortas with artisan crackers and breads

-Roasted beet and carrot skewers with tarragon and mint

-Chicken and blue cheese meatballs with spicy BBQ sauce

-Chocolate chai almond truffles

Please RSVP on Eventbrite!

Looking forward to seeing you here!

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

Hi 106ers,

June will be a very exciting month for us, because we're doing things a little differently.

First things first: Instead of meeting on the first Wednesday of the month in Palo Alto, we will be meeting on the second Wednesday, June 8 for this month only -- July we will resume with the Palo Alto meetup on the first of the month.

To RSVP for this event, please click here. Note that we will also be meeting at Illusions as Bistro 412 has closed. Don't worry, Illusions is readily accessible by Caltrain and there is plenty of public parking nearby, too.

Also, please join us on Wednesday, June 15, at The Underground in Redwood City from 6-9 P.M. to meet and eat. Yes, you read that right, we will be having delicious food brought to you again by the fine folks with A Fork Full of Earth, and here is a tentative menu plan:

-Sweet and savory goat cheese tortas with artisan crackers and breads
-Roasted beet and carrot skewers with tarragon and mint
-Chicken and blue cheese meatballs with spicy BBQ sauce
-Chocolate chai almond truffles

To RSVP for June 15, please click here. Hurry though, as spots are limited for this event.

Lastly, we've out-grown Nova, so we will now be hosting our SF meet-up events at The Chieftain. To RSVP for the 106 Miles event on June 29, please click here.

Looking forward to seeing you soon!

Cheers,

Liz
106 Miles

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

Wednesday, May 4, 2011 will be a 106 Miles event at Bistro 412 in Palo Alto that you won't want to miss. Why? Because we were fortunate enough to have Orrick arrange for us to have gourmet food brought to you by the exceptionally talented folks at A Fork Full of Earth.

A Forkful of Earth's focus is on the the food experience so everything will be in season, very abundant, eye-pleasing and delicious!

We are going to bring fruit and cheese platters featuring 3 incredible California Creameries - Cypress Grove, Nicasio Valley and Franklin's.

We also plan to have a couple Mediterranean inspired dishes using cherry tomatoes, persian cucumbers, pickled onions, roasted beets, a wild spring salad. Rumor has it that we will maybe also have a bruschetta station, but you'll have to show up to find out!

See you there...

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

Tomorrow is the deadline to apply for AngelPad's mentorship program. AngelPad's program was founded by a team of ex-Googlers to help web-technology startups build better products, attract additional funding and ultimately grow more successful businesses ( for more information about AngelPad's program, click here ).

The session will begin on August 19 in San Francisco. Please note that the application is a multi-step process.

The first round consists of a short application form, a 2 minute video and your LinkedIn profile. AngelPad will be in touch on May 5th with next steps.

To apply, please click here.

Good luck to everyone that applies!

Cheers,

Liz

106 Miles

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

by Author Unknown

To laugh is to risk appearing the fool.
To weep is to risk appearing sentimental.
To reach for another is to risk involvement.
To expose your ideas, your dreams,
before a crowd is to risk their loss.
To love is to risk not being loved in return.
To live is to risk dying.
To believe is to risk despair.
To try is to risk failure.
But risks must be taken, because the
greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing.
The people who risk nothing, do nothing,
have nothing, are nothing.
They may avoid suffering and sorrow,
but they cannot learn, feel, change,
grow, love, live.
Chained by their attitudes they are slaves;
they have forfeited their freedom.
Only a person who risks is free.

~ from page 147 of the book "Addiction by Prescription", by Joan Gadsby 

http://www.ted.com/talks/brene_brown_on_vulnerability.html

Permalink | Leave a comment  »