Introducing the New Faces of BOCA: Joel Jamora

It’s time to meet another new face at BOCA. Say hello to our newest account coordinator, Joel Jamora. Joel grew up in South San Diego near Imperial Beach and studied English at San Francisco State. He was drawn to PR because he always liked the idea of finding creative ways to tell companies stories and working with the media. After graduating from our intern program last year, Joel has quickly laid down the foundation for a successful PR career at BOCA.

1. How would friends describe you?

Pretty chill and low key, but I can get really excited about certain topics and end up pretty loud. I also have a dry and sarcastic sense of humor. For fun, I like to play basketball and occasionally go indoor bouldering, which is rock climbing without the harness. The routes are considerably shorter, usually around 10-15 feet high, and it focuses more on strength and technique.

2. How did you hear about BOCA and what are your job duties?

I found out about BOCA while looking into PR agencies in San Francisco. I saw the website and blog and thought it looked cool, so I followed it. I eventually saw the recruiting party post, and the rest is history. My main job duties include creating weekly reports for accounts, conducting daily news sweeps and researching speaking and award opportunities for clients.

3. What kind of animal would you be for a day?

I would want to be some kind of bird so I can just explore and finally be rid of my fear of heights. Just not a pigeon. I wouldn’t want kids to throw things at me.

4. What’s your favorite food?

It’s hard for me to have a favorite food because I like so many different kinds. One day I could crave pizza, another I could want a burger. That being said, you can’t go wrong with a good carne asada burrito from San Diego.

5. Where would you like to travel?

I want to go to Europe so I can experience many different cultures in a limited amount of time. One city I really want to check out is Barcelona, Spain. From what I’ve heard, the food is great and the city is gorgeous.

6.Which famous person would you like to have a conversation with?

Ethan Hawke. He seems pretty laid back and comfortable with who he is so it seems like you can talk to him about movies and writing without him being pretentious.

7. What’s the best gift you’ve ever received?

Growing up, we didn’t really have a lot of money, but my dad knew that my sisters and I had really wanted a Sony PlayStation so he made sure to save enough to get one for us. On Christmas Eve (my sister’s birthday), I woke up and saw my dad in the hallway talking to my sister from her bedroom doorway. After I asked him why he wasn’t at work, he points at my sister to show that he had placed it next to her head while she was asleep. We were all really excited and played that thing all day.

When I became an adult and realized how hard it must’ve been for him to save the money for it, all for the sake of making his children happy, it made me appreciate the gift on an even higher level. It is definitely one of my most cherished memories of my father.

8. What’s a random skill you want to learn?

I’d be interested in learning how to play the violin and piano so I can finally learn all the songs that I’ve been wanting to learn how to play, such as the ones on Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness by The Smashing Pumpkins.

9. Which fictional character would you be for a day?

I think it’d be really interesting to be Jesse from Before Sunrise since the whole movie takes place in a day. If case you’ve never seen it, the movie is about a young American guy meeting a French girl on a train in Europe. They get along well, and he convinces her to get off the train with him in Vienna, where they spend all day and night just walking around and talking. As much as I want to deny it, I guess I can be a little bit of a hopeless romantic.

PR and Tech Growth Outside Silicon Valley(Part Two)

 

Can New York overtake Silicon Valley? Photo: Daniel Schwen. Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.5 via Wikimedia Commons - http://bit.ly/1zP8fwW

Welcome back to part two of our “PR and Tech Growth Outside of Silicon Valley” blog post series. In part one, we covered northwestern tech hubs like Seattle and Portland. Then we covered southwestern areas including Los Angeles, Salt Lake City, Phoenix, and Austin. This week we’ll examine how the Northeast, Southeast and other lesser known spots compete with Silicon Valley to be the leading location for tech innovation.

The Northeast

New York, New York

If there’s one tech hub that could potentially dethrone Silicon Valley, it’s New York City. New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg has made heavy financial investments in technology, created a tech resource website called Digital NYC for startups and hired key people like Rachel Haot as chief digital officer. New York also has one of the most powerful news organizations in the world and strong academic institutions for applied science and engineering, including a new tech-focused school being built on Roosevelt Island. Outside of work, it goes without saying that New Yorkers enjoy an exciting lifestyle and have no trouble finding fun activities to do, making it a very appealing place to live. The one thing holding New York back, according to Inc., isn’t a lack of resources, but people and culture that are more open to innovation and taking risks. Only then can New York overtake Silicon Valley.

Washington, D.C.

Hosting the White House and Congress make Washington, D.C., a major political hub, but the city has evolved into a great tech hub too. The city houses over 1,000 startups and the 1776 tech hub located in downtown Washington acts as a key resource for entrepreneurs and the birth of new ideas. Washington, D.C., also has a number of advantages over Silicon Valley, such as being more open to women working in tech and an abundance of federal government help available. Similar to New York, the mayor of Washington, D.C., Vincent Gray, sees tech growth as a priority. People love Washington for its extravagant festivals,which outnumber those in every other city in the US, its bike-friendly environment and its diverse culture, making it an ideal place for tech workers to live.

Boston and Cambridge, Massachusetts

Boston is a leading tech innovator and considered one of Silicon Valley’s biggest rivals. In addition to Boston, nearby Cambridge has more dedicated research and development space than even San Francisco. Boston’s strengths lie in B2B technologies, big data science, biotech, robot development and its proximity to clients in Europe. Although Boston doesn’t have many big tech household names, social media giant Facebook started at Harvard before Mark Zuckerburg moved the company to the Bay Area. What people enjoy about Boston include its great public transportation system, extravagant sports events, beer and landmarks dating back to the earliest days of America.

The Southeast

Charleston, South Carolina

Charleston is a true underdog and one of the fastest growing tech communities in the world. The initial buzz came after Fast Company ranked Charleston as one of the top ten hot tech spots back in 2012 because of its growing popularity in software and Internet technology. With the State Industry Partnership Act, its Seed Fund and the Charleston Digital Corridor acting as a public-private space for tech workers all contributed to Charleston’s tech growth. People come to work here because of Charleston’s ample opportunities for water sports, live theater events, gorgeous scenic countryside and its reputation for being a very friendly city.

New Orleans, Louisiana

New Orleans and its people experienced devastating losses after Hurricane Katrina greatly damaged the area. However, instead of letting the hurricane defeat them, the community has revitalized the city as a strong tech sector. The low cost of building a startup, generous tax credits, the Idea Village organization and a culture that encourages entrepreneurship have all done wonders to give the city a second life. Performance of kids in school has gone up since the hurricane hit, so New Orleans makes an extremely good spot for educationally minded startups. The city’s also huge for IT growth and General Electric has invested greatly in the city. Outside of tech, rich history attracts people here along with a vibrant music scene, which was the birthplace of jazz. A port city like San Francisco with lots of cultural diversions, New Orleans attracts many tech workers from the Bay Area too.

The Midwest and Mideast

Kansas City, Missouri

Kansas City was the first city to get Google Fiber, and contributed to jumpstarting the startup community here. Tech workers who use Google Fiber report it saves them a few minutes of work time each day. The response to Google Fiber also helped create the lesser-known KC Freedom Network too and given those with limited resources the opportunity to build a business. Lifestyle factors people like about Kansas City include the famous underground art scene, how easy it is to getting around, and being a tech sector with affordability to match its growing tech job market.

Des Moines, Iowa

Iowa wasn’t considered much of a tech sector for a while, but that all changed in 2008 when Microsoft opened a new data center there. Although it took until 2012 to build, Microsoft’s presence resulted in strong tech job growth, which motivated Google and Facebook to do the same. Helping Iowa’s tech growth the most is its strong community and angel investors who provide tech workers with strong mentoring skills to help them grow. Des Moines makes a good starting point for entrepreneurs who want to experiment with tech and then go to Silicon Valley. However, many stay here because they love being in a city that has a small town feel and can’t imagine living anywhere else.

Omaha, Nebraska

To start off, housing in Omaha costs half of what it does in San Francisco, so less money goes to paying rent, utilities and hiring employees, based on a SmartAsset study. All that extra money helps with things like marketing and advertising, key advantages to highlighting startups strengths. Omaha’s charm lies in the fact that startups, entrepreneurs, and innovators can communicate in a more open setting and less crowded area here. People can make bigger decisions with less time and need for approval. Also, since there’s a fraction of startups here compared to San Francisco, companies see much more visibility and find it easier to make headlines. People love Omaha for some of the freshest farmers’ markets in the nation, its impressive art scene, die-hard sports fans and more.

Even more tech hubs exist than what we’ve listed here, such as Minneapolis, Miami and those in foreign countries like China, Russia, and the UK. Nowadays launching the next great startup in Silicon Valley isn’t a must anymore. Creative tech innovators can now work from anywhere with technology being cheaper and more accessible to everyone. Silicon Valley remains a powerful tech hub, but don’t be surprised if another tech sector surpasses it over the next decade. And that's a good thing because stronger competition benefits everyone and drives tech growth.

This Week in Tech: BOCA Edition

TGIF! Cybersecurity and encrypted payment platforms dominated the headlines this week, and our news roundup includes stories about how President Obama and Facebook plan to prevent cyber-hacking, the rise of bitcoin in foreign countries and Google’s alternative to Apple Pay.

Obama Signs Executive Order on Sharing Cybersecurity Threat Information

After all the cybersecurity attacks over the last few months, a silver lining has emerged.

Today, at the White House summit on Cybersecurity and Consumer Protection at Stanford University, President Obama signed an executive order insisting companies share information with other companies and the Federal Government to prevent future hacking attacks.

CEOs Skip Cyber-security Summit

Not everyone in tech attended the Cybersecurity Summit today. Prominent tech figures like Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg, Marissa Mayer from Yahoo, and Google’s Larry Page and Eric Schmidt all passed on the event even though the decisions made here today will shape the Federal Government and tech companies relationships for year to come. However, Apple’s Tim Cook, Ajay, Banga from MasterCard and many other tech giants choose to attend. Be sure to watch the live event at 4:30 PM ET today for all the latest updates.

Facebook Launches ThreatExchange, an API-Based Platform That Lets Companies Share Security Threat Info

The White House isn’t the only one taking extra security precautions. Facebook revealed ThreatExchange, an API-based platform for companies to warn each other about potential security threats and strengthen their internal defenses. VentureBeat reports that hackers often go after multiple targets so ThreatExchange could be a valuable tool for preventing future cyber attacks before they happen.

Google is Reportedly Testing a Service That Will Let You Pay by Saying Your Initials

Excited about Apple Pay? Google clearly wants in on the mobile payments revolution too. A new service called Plaso lets customers pay by saying their initials at select businesses like Panera and Papa John’s. Business Insider reports that Google wants to use the service to learn more about customer behavior and enhance their ad targeting efforts.

Bitcoin Blazes New Trail in Emerging Markets.

Venture investment in bitcoin continues to rise. TechCrunch shared on Wednesday that foreign countries like Kenya, Uruguay and Panama experienced tremendous growth using bitcoin to overcome challenges with regional payment procedures. For more information on how bitcoin revolutionizes mobile transactions check out the full article by TechCrunch editor Christine Magee.

This Week in Tech: BOCA Edition

It’s Friday tech news time! This week’s new roundup features Super Bowl social media dominance, Yahoo overtaking Google, self-driving cars, promising enterprise startups and a groundbreaking net neutrality announcement.

Social Networks Report Record Numbers Around Super Bowl Conversations

Last Sunday's Super Bowl XLIX was a game to remember. All the excitement of the last few minutes resulted in incredibly high social media engagement levels with Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and more reporting record-breaking numbers. Click the link to see TechCrunch's break down of all the impressive social media stats.

Time to Panic Yet? Yahoo Took More U.S. Search Share from Google in January

Similar to last week’s news about YouTube ditching Flash for HTML5, Mozilla Firefox recently made Yahoo their default search engine. Since then VentureBeat reports Yahoo surpassed Google in top U.S search shares during January for the first time in five years. What do you think? Should Google worry about Yahoo?

26 Enterprise Startups to Bet Your Career on in 2015

Business Insider recently published their annual list of the most promising enterprising startups of 2015. Check out the full list here, and a description of what each enterprise startup offers.

FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler: This Is How We Will Ensure Net Neutrality

Everyone who works in tech got a nice surprise Wednesday morning when Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Tom Feeler published an OP-ED for Wired. Feeler stressed the importance of having an open Internet and his support for ensuring its protection going forward. Soon the world will know the fate of Net Neutrality after more than a decade of debate.

People Are Ready For Self-Driving Cars, Studies Say

Many Millennials prefer to not own a car and rely on public transportation instead. However, according to a recent survey by market research firm GfK, 74 percent of people age 25-34 found owning a self- driving car very appealing. Not everyone think’s it’s a good idea though. Survey responses from the University of Michigan’s Transportation Research Institute showed respondents had concerns over safety, labor costs and unreliable A.I.

PR and Tech Growth Outside Silicon Valley

There can only be one Silicon Valley, but that doesn’t mean other thriving tech hubs won’t try and emulate its success. However, the Bay Area’s constant innovation, thousands of tech companies and its educated, driven workforce make it hard to beat. But with San Francisco being so notoriously expensive and the competition fierce, many startups choose to build their company elsewhere. Luckily, advances in technology means these companies can settle anywhere and choose the lifestyle they want.

Downtown San Francisco: not the only thriving tech hub. Photo: Aaron Logan "Lightmatter sanfrancisco". Licensed under CC BY 1.0 via Wikimedia Commons -http://bit.ly/1zzDAJ3

We hope you enjoy this two-part blog post that examines popular tech hubs competing with Silicon Valley to become the premier tech destination and that uncovers which lifestyle factors motivate tech workers to stay there.

The Northwest

Seattle, Washington

Seattle is a thriving tech hub with Microsoft, Amazon, Nintendo and a slew of other established tech companies as well as startups nearby. Washington’s robust technical educational program and libraries also provide ample resources for young Millennials looking to join the tech job market. Even Seattle’s non-tech companies like Starbucks have embraced the digital world with mobile payment options that rival Apple Pay. Finally, opportunities for nature enthusiasts, renowned seafood, and more make Seattle a great alternative to Silicon Valley.

Portland, Oregon

The startup competition and housing costs in San Francisco and Seattle lead many tech workers to Portland. Portland has slowly built up a strong tech reputation over the years and even tech giants like Apple, IBM and Salesforce have offices here. Outside of economic factors like affordable housing, many people choose to move to Oregon for its vibrant music scene, diverse foods, and less rainy weather than Seattle. The hit show Portlandia no doubt helped with Oregon’s popularity too.

The Southwest

Los Angeles, California

Many Bay Area startups relocated to L.A’s Venice Beach and Santa Monica resulting in the area gaining a new nickname: Silicon Beach. As expected, the tech growth attracted many venture capitalists’ attention with a reported 1.6 billion in new VC investments in L.A. and Southern California based on stats from PricewaterCoopers and the National Venture Capital Association. Additionally, Google, Microsoft, Facebook and media giants like Walt Disney and Time Warner all have offices in L.A. More affordable housing than the Bay Area, warmer weather, ample surfing opportunities and Hollywood all make L.A. a very appealing place for many startups.

Salt Lake City, Utah

Utah experienced tremendous tech growth last year with computer science, manufacturing, life sciences, energy development and more all in hot demand. The strong job growth means venture capital investment has been through the roof. According to Inc., Utah was the only tech hub to top Silicon Valley in average investment amount per deal last year. Lifestyle factors that attract people here include the breathtaking winter mountains, a huge Delta airline terminal for spontaneous getaway trips, great beer, light traffic and affordable housing.

Phoenix, Arizona

One of Phoenix’s biggest advantages as a tech hub outside California involves its proximity to the Bay Area. Airplane flights less than two hours away allow many tech companies like BOCA’s client Gigya to open a second office there. Many startups praise Arizona for its business-friendly climate, which offers cheap office space, very low tax rates and a strong job training grant program. Other advantages include warmer weather, recruiting future tech workers from the two famous college universities and a tech sector that’s not as crowded as Silicon Valley.

Austin, Texas

The giant state of Texas has established itself as more than just a home for SXSW, the Dallas Cowboys and King of the Hill. The tech economy continues to thrive and shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon. It also helps that Google made a substantial investment in Austin as a Google Tech Hub Network and chose Austin as its second broadband Google Fiber location. Samsung also made a $4 billion investment in the 30-year-old semiconductor and software industry that’s helped Austin prosper. Besides strong support from venture capitalists, the low housing make the city a great place to raise and family and the unique cultures makes it a good place to retire.

Stay tuned for part two, which covers big tech spots in the Northeast, Southeast, and other niche tech spots that may surprise you.