Brainshower Consulting is all about community building.
Hi, I'm Matt Genovese, founder of Brainshower Consulting. Thanks for stopping by!
What do we do?
I started door64.com, a community of Texas-area technology professionals with the goal of helping our tech workforce become more well-connected with each other and the local high-tech scene. Just two years after launching this online initiative, it grew into an impacting and profitable 6000-member local community...all with a zero-dollar marketing budget. Listen to this recent interview to learn more about this viral success story.
At Brainshower, we understand how to use existing social media tools + open-source tools together to create value in a community and attract members. Social media is not a synonym for community, but today online communities are more easily grown using existing (and often free) social media tools.
We consult those who want to build and grow online communities, be they individuals, businesses, or city economic development organizations. Let us help you cultivate success.
The Details: Maybe more than you want to know...
The Details
I kicked off my online social experience in the late 1980's, speeding along at 2400 bits per second while getting involved in BBS communities. Together with a friend, I ran a popular local bulletin board and started learning the ropes of community administration.
A few years back I started an initiative here in Austin to congregate the local high-tech professionals. My feeling was that too many tech folks were not connected with their local industry peers nor the local technology scene. Furthermore, this was detrimental to each person, and to the local economy as a whole. I began the initiative with door64.com in 2007, and since then it has grown from zero to over 6000 local members with a negligible marketing budget; most growth has been through viral and word-of-mouth marketing.
Today, the door64 community is continually growing, and has received local acclaim and media attention for the impact made in the area (see sidebar).
I love to help others who want to start their own online communities so as to avoid the pitfalls I encountered. In fact, we are developing a class to teach community building, both from a conceptual, strategic, and practical standpoint.
Personal Strengths & Interests
For those who are interested, Matt's StrengthsFinder profile is: Strategic, Empathy, Ideation, Developer, Learner.
Speaking: I thrive on teaching others, and seeing them become successful. I enjoy speaking on the topics of professional networking and community development, especially in an interactive setting. In addition to professional arenas, I have spoken at universities in an attempt to engage students about the changing career landscape, and how networking and community play a role.
Drupal: I'm a big fan of Drupal, especially for implementing sites for online communities.
That's it. Feel free to contact us to discuss your community needs, or just to say hello! Have a great day!
