Hello!

On Monday, February 26 Cambrian House hosted our first Cambrian Lounge event. Check out the video below!!

We hope to use it as a launching pad for further networking events that will bring together people from the business, tech and investment communities to support entrepreneurial spirit, network, talk shop, and pitch and grow ideas.

The first event was held in our home town of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. We invited Don Tapscott, best selling author of Wikinomics: How Mass Collaboration Changes Everything, to speak to members of Calgary’s tech and business community.

It gave us a chance to tell Calgarians about Cambrian House, and get them excited about crowdsourcing. Moving forward, our goal is to host Cambrian Lounge events all over the place and invite our community members to drive the topic, speakers, etc. But, one step at a time, as they say! We’ll keep you in the know, I promise.

Don provided loads of information about Web 2.0 and why traditional businesses need to accept the reality that consumers are taking on a more active role; and that opening up to the crowd beyond your building’s four walls can result in major successes.

As he believes in the freedom of information in our collaborative world, we’ve made the entire presentation available. Check it out (it’s 83 minutes, but we’ve provided a breakdown below for ease). Be sure to pick up the book too.

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If you have difficulties playing the video, please try playing a copy hosted on Google Video, or contact us.

 Don Tapscott Presentation - Audio Only: Download
 Don Tapscott Presentation - iPod Large: Download
 Don Tapscott Presentation - iPod Small: Download

Cambrian House Forges towards Vision “2.0”

Steve Jobs says Apple set out to make a dent in the universe. Google’s mission is to organize the world’s information. 3M’s mission is to solve unsolved problems.

So when you’re trying to change the world with your business, what’s the right balance of vision and humility? At Cambrian House, we have to ask ourselves this question while we work with you to build a crowdsourcing community that will attempt to reshape the business landscape as we know it by harnessing the Wisdom and Participation of Crowds.

It’s a BHAG (Big Hairy Audacious Goal), but we’re willing to swallow the hairball for it. And we’re prepared to get a little red in the face once in a while along the way… Reid Hoffman, chairman and president of products for LinkedIn once said “if you’re not embarrassed about your first release, then you launched too late.”

As Cambrian House releases the first in a long list of new features to our community, we know we’re going to feel the growing pains. The pain of assumptions, the pain of bruised egos when you point out bugs we accidentally overlooked at 2am when the Red Bull stock was low… But we’d rather release fast and release often to give the community what YOU need to work together on your own world-changing ideas. We can spit polish as we go along with your feedback.

Many of our updates are “under the hood” changes that will make the process of submitting ideas, networking with other members, working on ventures and hosting projects simpler and smoother. Other changes are more noticeable, like pages that reflect our vision and crowdsource model. We invite you to look through the changes and give us your feedback!

What’s new?

Coming Soon:

…We believe that these are steps in the right direction to becoming the Home of Crowdsourcing.
Check out the changes, then stand on your soap box and tell us what you think: The good, the bad, the ugly, and the brilliant.

Hi all,

Today is a good day Canada’s leading Mentor Capitalist, Sean Wise, has agreed to join our board of advisors.

Sean is the Managing Director of Toronto-based venture capital consultancy Wise Mentor Capital and is a national columnist on entrepreneurship for the Globe and Mail.

When it comes to startups and entrepreneurialism - Sean is in the know. Over the last seven years, he has lectured at more than 90 Bootcamps for CEOs and CFOs looking to raise financing for their businesses. He has spoken at numerous financing forums and industry conferences on both sides of the border. Wise also began working with the CBC as their industry advisor and online host for the networks #1 new show, Dragons’ Den.

In short we are extremely lucky and proud to have Sean join us as an advisor. Welcome aboard Sean!

[Update:] Check out Sean’s announcement of his role with Cambrian House in his blog, Wise Words.