August 10, 2014

The second Saturday of a new month at the Bloomingdale Regional Public Library meant yet another session of AlligatorZone.  For those interested in upcoming sessions at various locations, here’s the link: AlligatorZone.eventbrite.com.   A few new things were attempted during this session, with mixed results.  Here are some of the early impressions as captured by volunteers moderating the session.

Is three a crowd, or is it company?

Based on feedback from kids and parents in the audience at previous sessions, the organizers limited it to showcasing just 2 entrepreneurs instead of 3.  This made the session a little more relaxed in its pace.  We wonder if it also made it a little less exciting.  Was it like watching golf versus watching football?  Did an extended life fail to leave the audience pining for more?  Audience members still lingered after the session to chat with the one entrepreneur who was able to stay back to finish all conversations.  In Silicon Valley, there’s going to be a pilot of AlligatorZone in 2 weeks (August 23rd) at the Sunnyvale Public Library, when we expect to have 3 entrepreneurs presenting to a bigger audience of families and kids and teenagers.  We’ll keep an eye on the outcomes and then make adjustments.  We have to strike a balance between the slow pace that gives enough time for an audience to absorb and understand new startups being presented, the sense of urgency with shorter presentations by more entrepreneurs, and the increased noise levels of a larger crowd which undeniably brings a compelling sense of energy and joy.

The power of story-telling without a bright screen

For reasons of poor coordination on our part, we did not even have the presenters’ company name, and logo on display on the flat screen in the backdrop.

Matt Rutkivitz, founder of OuterAction talks to kids and families at AlligatorZone on August 9, 2014.

The presenters showed up as story-tellers without props to help their effort.  As you will see in the video below, Matt Branton, Founder of SenderDefender later said it would have taken just 3 minutes to show his highly technical product, and that would have made it easier.  Come to think of it, one of those computers in the library lined up behind the audience could have been used to get on the Internet.  No one thought of it.  We were all focused on the entrepreneur’s story telling.  We may stick with that format.

Matt Branton, founder of SenderDefender speaks on camera after the session of AlligatorZone on August 9, 2014.

What happens when the camera is turned off

For this session of AlligatorZone, we decided not to record a video.  We found the presenters to be much more relaxed.  They could be themselves.  The conversations seemed more authentic.  Just like at a backyard barbecue in your neighborhood.  The audience was also focused on listening to the startup founders and not distracted with the urge to tweet or post anything on social media.  We are still unsure whether live-tweeting is a good thing or not for hyperlocal events such as AlligatorZone.  The young participant who hand-wrote her feedback, has recommended greater use of social media.  We however noticed more people showing up after reading about AlligatorZone in the local newspaper than through email campaigns via constant contact and twitter campaigns.  Twitter has accomplished more wide-spread awareness for AlligatorZone in places as far away Australia and the U.K.  However, at the hyperlocal level, the jury is still out on whether social media is effective in making parents want to bring their kids to the library to listen to startup entrepreneurs.

Kayla Hayes wrote this excellent story for the Bloomingdale Gazette, which was mentioned by one of the families who attended AlligatorZone.

Learning to be remembered, but not as an annoyance

The size of the audience was very small compared to over 50 people being present in the previous session.  We tried a few different things this time.  We sent one less email reminder to our existing mailing list of various program subscribers.  Parents who signed up did not show up, possibly because they decided to go shopping for school supplies.  Once inside the library, one parent was not able to find our session easily because there were no directional signs.  No giant poster.  Announcements were made on the library’s p.a. system, but we need to develop a script that the venue can use for these announcements.

Feedback on the back of a flyer from one of the teenage members of the audience.

Training our sights on something more enduring for the kids, with mentoring

As we start building a community of entrepreneurs who are willing to talk to kids and families who are willing to invest time and effort in bringing their kids to an AlligatorZone, it opens up a new teaching opportunity that we will explore — one where the entrepreneurs can serve as mentors to kids in the audience.  Before we get to that point, we are developing simple systems that any organization wishing to have an AlligatorZone in its community can simply plug in and play.  The mere thought of this educational potential of AlligatorZone is exciting and heart-warming indeed.

Matt Branton, founder of SenderDefender explains his highly technical ‘large-file encryption in email-attachments’ product to an audience of teens, kids and families, at AlligatorZone.

Dipping our toes in the waters of enriched educational programs

Next month, we are testing out a pilot at the Pinecrest Library of the Miami-Dade Public Library System where entrepreneurs will speak to children visiting the library for a field trip.  Creating self-sustaining learning opportunities in neighborhood libraries, for local schools, would be a worthwhile goal to pursue.

In his feedback video above, presenter Matt Rutkovitz, founder of OuterAction talks about how AlligatorZone is a two-way learning channel.

How can we make AlligatorZone’s message heard?  What if Alligators could roar?

Having completed the first three AlligatorZone sessions successfully, we have identified some of the areas we need to focus on.  Getting the local community to become aware that really busy entrepreneurs and startup founders (running a startup is a 24-hour non-stop endeavor) are taking the time to come and talk to their children is going to be our primary focus.  Our short-term goal is to find a way for the Alligator to roar so that parents and families hear about the AlligatorZone.

For your convenience, here are links to previous articles about AlligatorZone

Follow AlligatorZone on twitter at http://www.twitter.com/AlligatorZone.  Join us for the next session of AlligatorZone.  Reservations are to be made at AlligatorZone.eventbrite.com.  AlligatorZone is one of several impact programs being designed at SiliconGlades.  If you know of startups that would make for interesting presenters to an audience of kids, teens and families, please send your suggestion to events [at] siliconglades [dot] com.

This guest post has been put together by contributing volunteers at SiliconGlades, the innovation and design firm that creates programs such as AlligatorZone for a community.