Gradon Tripp

(Not me, but the hair and glasses sure are similar.)

Summer’s typically the time when things slow down. People go on vacation. The sunshine, the heat, it all makes things go at a more relaxed pace.

Not for me. At least not this year.

Next month, I’ll be headed down to Richmond, VA for two events. I met Doug Meacham, the co-founder of the Richmond, VA chapter of Social Media Club, last week at Social Media Breakfast Boston, and he invited me to speak at the July Social Media Club Richmond event on July 23.

Super cool, right? Well, that’s just the beginning.

The Jepson School of Leadership at The University of Richmond is hosting the Strategic Leadership and Social Media for Social Good Conference on July 24 to teach social media to local nonprofit executives. They have invited me to give the keynote address to a group of over 200 Richmond-area nonprofit executives.

I’ve given several talks on the ways nonprofits can utilize social media to enhance their mission, but this is my first keynote address. I’m honored by the offer, excited to have the opportunity, and am just a bit nervous!

Then, on August 8-9, I’ve signed up for not one, but two discussions at PodCamp Boston.

David Karp and I will be presenting “Social media and charitable causes: are you a Gates or a Buffet?” Here’s our description for the talk:

Bill Gates created the largest charitable foundation in the world using his own wealth. Warren Buffet decided to add his money to Gates’ rather than create his own foundation. In social media, anybody can create something, but there’s also a lot to be gained by joining or promoting what already exists. What’s the right balance of making and joining social causes and social media? In this session, we’ll try to discuss ideas and trends more than platforms and products, and try to generate some new ideas about how social media can help advance positive social agendas with both the Buffet and Gates models.

I figured SMB4 would be the best place to introduce my idea for a Pecha Kucha-inspired social media talk. From my listing:

Test your presentation chops! do you have what it takes to distill your message into 20 slides?

In a crowded social media marketplace, concision and brevity are words to live – OR DIE! – by. Presentation Fu will pit four contestants against each other to find who can give the best presentation using the Pecha Kucha framework: 20 slides, 20 seconds per slide. The winner will be chosen by the audience and will win a prize!

Want to be a contestant? Send an email to gradon AT gradontripp DOT com.

That said, I’m looking for contestants that want to show their skills at presenting to a timed slide show, as well as a sponsor company or three that would like to donate prizes for the top contestants. If you’re interested, send me an email at the address above.

Lastly, SM4SC is setting up Social Change Camp in New York City. We’re still working out specifics, but we’re planning on having it in late August or September, depending on the availability of a suitable location. For more info on that, check out the Social Change Camp wiki.

It’s going to be a busy summer, but I wouldn’t want it any other way.

If you’d like to schedule me for your event, please feel free to email me at gradon AT gradontripp DOT com.

Allison Fine, social change blogger and author of “Momentum: Igniting social change in the connected age”, recently wrote a post criticizing Mashable’s Summer of Social Good (full disclosure: SM4SC is a partner in the SoSG) for its claim to be “the first large scale online charitable campaign to raise funds strictly online through the power of Social Media and the Internet.” She cites America’s Giving Challenge, a 50-day campaign sponsored by the Case Foundation that raised $1.7M from 80,000 donations, as one such campaign.

What Allison, and a few of her commenters, seem to have missed is the part about using only social media and the internet.

For America’s Giving Challenge, Parade magazine made a huge push for its readership, both on- and offline, to donate, resulting in 48,711 donations totaling over $1.2M. With its 33 million-unit circulation, Parade has the kind of direct marketing reach that nearly any social campaign would be happy to have access to. Without such a push, America’s Giving Challenge would have looked considerably different. (I look forward to a full review of the campaign that Allison and Beth Kanter have written that the Case Foundation is releasing next month).

Mashable has no such offline help.

What the Summer of Social Good has going for it the nearly 1.9 million visitors that go to Mashable.com each month; its network of followers and fans on Twitter, Facebook, and elsewhere online; and the networks of its partners and of the beneficiary charities – Oxfam Internation, the World Wildlife Foundation, the Humane Society of the United States, and Livestrong: the Lance Armstrong foundation.

What I really question, though, is why there even needs to be an argument over who did what first.

Sure, Mashable borrowed from America’s Giving Challenge, and they could have heeded a few things from that earlier effort, but in the end, shouldn’t we simply celebrate groups – whether blogs or magazines or groups of friends – who work to motivate their networks to give of themselves?

Between Social Media Breakfast, WebInno, Mass Innovation Nights, and the countless other meetups, does Boston honestly need another one?

Probably not, but I’ve got an idea.

For me, it seems like no matter what, our social media get-togethers are a little too. Either a little too early (breakfast?), or a little too far out in the suburbs (Waltham?!), or a little too social, which can be like salad: good, but it leaves you wanting a little protein.

There has to be a better way.

In the design world, Pecha Kucha’s kind of a big deal. In 203 cities all around the world, architects, designers, and the general public get together for a monthly series of talks.

The talks are open forum; you’re allowed to talk about whatever you want -  from your great new design, to the state of so-and-so – but within a unique framework: each presentation has twenty slides, and each slide stays up for twenty seconds, for a total presentation time of 6:40.

By specifying the length of the presentation, the presenter is then free to work on the “craft of presentation”, as David Karp put it after he went to the Boston Pecha Kucha last November, and he noted some of the peculiarities inherent within the constrainsts.

I think something like this could be good with Boston’s social technology world.

What I’m thinking is getting anyone in and around Boston that’s involved in social media – from the startup entrepreneurs, to the PR and marketing pros, to nonprofit IT people – to come together once a month to share.

Have a new service you’re about to launch? Let us know!

Know an innovative way to grow your online audience? Tell us!

Think Twitter’s jumped the shark? Let’s talk!

This is in total idea stage right now. I have no dates, places, or times. I just want to get some reaction to the idea. Tell me what you think, and let me know any suggestions you have.

Want to witness Pecha Kucha Night firsthand? The next one is happening next Wednesday, June 17 at Mantra. Check it out.

When’s the last time you heard a guy give his two-week notice?

Over the last several months, I’ve heard countless stories of friends getting laid off. From every industry imaginable. Both of my friends that write DesignBoston with me were let go in the last few weeks (Joyce is on vacation in Aruba, so I don’t feel too bad for her). I even attended a pink slip party after one particularly rough week in early January.

Several of these people told me just be happy I have a job right now. Especially with one that is still making money (thank goodness for Big Pharma, huh).

So I feel I was going a bit against the grain (which reminds me of another “Bands That Help Brands” post, but I digress) when I decided now was the time to find a better opportunity.

After working in customer relations and post-sale account management for the past few years, I decided it was time to get back into true sales. Keeping business is important (It’s easier to keep an existing customer than to find a new one), but growing a business is more fun.

So, one night a few weeks ago, but not really expecting much, I sent out a tweet.

Surprisingly, several people replied (which proves, especially in a bad economy, companies are always looking for good sales people). I talked to a few of them, some more than others, and one in particular.

Which is why, this past Monday, I put in my notice at my current job.

As of February 23, I will be joining the team at FirstGiving. FirstGiving is a five-year old startup that helps charities raise money online via fundraising pages, blog widgets, a Facebook app and more. Sounds similar to what I do for charities with social media, huh?

As I’ve told anyone that’s asked, I’m excited. I look forward to working with Frank Days, David Karp and the rest of the FirstGiving team to help every non-profit possible get the full benefit of online fund raising.

First, Twitter got me Meg. Now, a job. What’ll Twitter give me next?

I’ll admit it: I love my iBook. That dinosaur of a laptop is like my little-engine-that-could.

It’s over 4 years old. It’s harddrive is small enough that I have to do the what-can-I-delete-what-can-I-save game. It’s not the fastest, or the prettiest. The neck of the power cord has been slowly falling apart for some time. But no matter what, the iBook’s been a little workhorse (just like Meg Fowler’s, which is just as old).

Until yesterday.

Starting yesterday, it stopped charging the battery. Whenever it was plugged in, the power indicator flashed between charging and battery, slowly draining the battery until it hit 0% and going to sleep. After that, it’d wake up, run for a minute or two, and go back to sleep. That’s how it sits now. Asleep.

It’s time for a new MacBook. I don’t need a Pro model. A regular 13″ version will do just fine.

The only thing is, I don’t have the money to buy one. So I need to work and save for it.

In order to do so, I’m offering my skills and hard work on behalf of your organization. What can I help you with?

• Community management
• Corporate blogging
• Nonprofit fundraising
• Strategic Consulting
• Making coffee?

I work full time at this point, but I have many freelance hours to give. If I can help your organization get a leg up, please feel free to contact me at gradon AT gradontripp DOT com.

And in closing, I’d like to offer you a haiku (compliments of Meg):

My iBook is sad
Yet lacks the power to cry
Refrigerator