Journey by Dmitri Dawkins » Technology

Slash Roots 2012: Developing The Caribbean

Dmitri Dawkins — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 14:47:01 +0000

Click for High Res

World Bank Open Data evangelist, Dr Tariq Khokhar will deliver the keynote address at the Opening Plenary of the Mona School of Business-hosted SlashRoots-Caribbean Open Data Conference, which is being presented under the theme, “Developing the Caribbean.” Describing his interests as being “where technology, transparency, poverty
and data meet”, Dr. Khokhar will speak on the topic: “Open Data: The New Revolution”. The Conference which takes place January 26-27, in the Faculty of Law building at the Mona campus, opens on the first day of the University of the West Indies’ “Research Day.”

As a co-organizer I invite you to attend the conference for the keynote address and more. Please see below:

Agenda for Jamaica: http://developingcaribbean.org/jamaica-agenda/

Event Registration: http://developingthecaribbean.eventbrite.com/

Caribbean BETA, Showcasing ICT in the Region

Dmitri Dawkins — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 19:29:43 +0000

Sitting at the judge’s table listening intently to 17 Caribbean startups are the four judges: Marc Canter, Michelle Messina, Chris Reckord and Anthony Chang. In case you don’t know by now, this is Caribbean BETA 2011.

The inaugural conference which was a first of its kind in Jamaica, took place on Friday, November, 25th, 2011 at the Jamaica Pegasus. Caribbean BETA is “a regional technology entrepreneurship conference that brings together global experts and the best Caribbean minds on the leading edge of the tech business boom.”

In the second half of the event, startups were given a chance to pitch an idea, in the hopes of getting feedback about their concept and beating out the competitors for first place.
Dubbed “PITCHfest” by Connectimass Founder, Ingrid Riley – the pitch lineup included: Mobile and Web Apps, eLearning, Social Media, and Online Advertising.

Each startup was given a strict 5 minute limit to present, with an additional 2 minutes to field questions and receive feedback from the four judges. Each event in the BETA series encourages elevator pitches from startups – but this event was different – the audience was bigger and the best 3 pitches would receive a prize.

After approximately an hour of deliberation, the judges listed 3rd place to Socialite JA – a startup founded by Christopher Crawford and Klieon John. Socialite JA offers a range of services including: event marketing, on-line ticket sale management, banner ads, contributor space rental and engaging target audiences for their clients. Their ultimate goal is to help small organizations improve their promotional activity through on-line marketing.

The 2nd place winner was the mobile-application startup, TUMP – a startup founded by Rory Burchenson, Ramon Dunkley, Christopher Hinds, Omarie Case and Glenford Dickson. TUMP is a geo-location mobile application that connects users to business, events, discounts and deals in Jamaica. The app has features that include:

Around me
Nightlife
iWant
Freenis
Map it

DmitriDawkins.com is proud to announce that 1st place went to DM3 Media for a pitch on a Social Data Network and business intelligence web application/ERP designed to reports and make better decisions. Please see the embedded presentation at the end of this post.

We caught up with Ingrid Riley at the ConnectiMass follow up “Digital City Mechanics Workshop” held on Saturday, 26th November, 2011 at the JAMPRO headquarters in New Kingston, Jamaica. When asked about the inaugural Caribbean BETA staging and future events she had this to say:

“We surpassed even our own expectations. We had just over 200 attendees and the instant feedback on Twitter and Facebook showed that we were successful in serving up an experience that people learnt from, were inspired by with this conference that also providing amazing network opportunities. Caribbean BETA will be annual, we will continue with our Kingston BETA bi-monthly meet-ups and we’re about to stage Jamaica Startup Weekend which is a 54-hour experiential entrepreneurial education event. And that’s just the events side of ConnectiMass. We’re on a mission to grow tech entrepreneurship in Jamaica and across the Caribbean we have much more coming in 2012.”

Business, Socially on Prezi

This article features content originally featured on the Silicone Caribe website, for more information on this and other events, please visit: www.siliconcaribe.com. We thank Silicone Caribe and its parent company Connectimass for encouraging growth and innovation in the Jamaican ICT sector by hosting the series of BETA events.

How’s The Economy? Ask the Bank

Dmitri Dawkins — Sat, 05 Nov 2011 13:30:55 +0000

I speak to my Grandfather who now lives in the US regularly and he always asks me how things are in Jamaica. Now I am no economist but I do like to analyse possible sources of data. While thinking about it the other day I realised that the banks more or less know the state of the economy before anyone else. Let’s look at the channels:

Debit and Credit Card Spending Data

Customer Address Data

Customer Cash Flow Data

Customer Salary Data and Company Payroll Uploads

Merchant Machines

Customer Loan Data

ATM Locations and transaction data

Most people bank with a single bank, so do most companies. Regardless of that fact, thanks to ATM’s, merchant machines and loans, banks have some access to other bank’s client info. I am not sure if banks already do this, but say you want a small business loan to open a business in an area. You provide a business plan to the bank outlining your target market and projections. The bank could run a report detailing similar businesses that their customers have bought from in the area, how many of their customers in the area match your target market and the spending power of people in the area based on ATM withdrawals.

Ever heard of Foursquare? It allows businesses to see who checked into their venue, great for customer service, but suppose the bank could provide you with a report on where your customers came from based on addresses linked to credit and debit cards? That info requires no user input besides their normal purchase. It could also show how often they come, how much they spend etc. This data is so valuable and can be shared without infringing on an individual’s privacy (as long as names and exact areas are not shared).

Currently some stores keep customer accounts which partially gives them this information, but what is the incentive for users to sign up? The more user input needed the lower the success rate of collecting the data. I also think individuals should be able to run reports on their spending habits. I try to carry cash as little as possible, so most transactions are done using plastic. Why can’t I run a report on where I spent the cash by category (food, auto, utilities) and where in the island or overseas (online vs. local). I should even see ads on my online banking showing me similar stores closer to my home (so I can save money and time travelling).

Overall Banks can provide reports based on industries and cash flow across the country based on their customer data. It’s what they use to decide where to install an ATM or new branches, it would just be nice to use it for other things as well.

Free Idea: What is your HWT Street Hustle

Dmitri Dawkins — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 14:00:42 +0000

How many of you have heard the song Street Hustle by Specialist? If you haven’t I have embedded it below.

I like it because it captures the street hustle mentality in Jamaica. Which brings me to my idea. While waiting by Pavilion Mall in Half Way Tree, Kingston, Jamaica yesterday I saw trends. I was intrigued at the diversity of people walking around and as usual thought to myself what would I sell to suit the different groups. So then came up with an idea for a website or fb app for people to input data (their personal preferences) and an algorithm would decide what they would sell based on what products they use and their personality.

Personality questions would decide how much risk a person is willing to take and if they are looking for a long term or short term hustle. The products they use determine what they would sell preferably, because why would you sell a product that you wouldn’t use or endorse?

So if you use a lot of phone cards and drink soda, the app should recommend you sell soda and phone cards in HWT. However if you believe in health foods and need a hustle you can sell callaloo, banana chips and bag juices. Alternatively if you want to get rich quick then it may suggest you run a “cash fi gold” scheme. I think it would be fun, hilarious and share friendly once the algorithm and interface is well designed. No two people should get the same result once you include a wide range of products. Don’t forget to include social media share buttons!

I get ideas all the time and most I don’t have time to develop. Ideally I would like to give away an idea once a week for others to develop. It should be a crime for a “good” idea to go to waste. Good idea of course is based on opinion. If you use it please let me know!

Slash Roots 2012

Dmitri Dawkins — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 13:00:52 +0000

Hey everyone,

just want to update you on progress of the 2012 Slash Roots Developers Conference. The organising team is in full swing preparing for next year’s conference. The conference will be much larger and will have simultaneous events in other countries. Will release some more information as soon as I can.

Did you attend the last conference? We are interested in your feedback and suggestions for the next one. Just leave a comment on the post below.

Thanks!

Using Social Media to Activate Communities

Dmitri Dawkins — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 13:40:51 +0000

Yesterday I presented at the Junior Chamber International St. Andrew general assembly. I spoke about Using Social Media to Activate Communities and Organisations. Unfortunately my talk wasn’t recorded, but please see my slides below with the main points, I suggest you view it on full screen:

Using Social Media To Activate Communities on Prezi

A sound pioneer’s resonating chords

Dmitri Dawkins — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 13:57:33 +0000

An article published in The Jamaica Observer on my Grandfather, Leslie Galbraith:

LIKE many others, I have been following with considerable interest the reminiscences of Leslie Galbraith in fellow columnist Mark Wignall’s Sunday space about the part he and others played in the development of electronic sound reproduction in Jamaica.

As we are aware, the sound system is an outgrowth of radio, which, in its early incarnation, used vacuum tubes to snatch modulated magnetic radiation from the ether and convert it into a form the human ear can detect.

Read more: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/columns/A-sound-pioneer-s-resonating-chords_8469303#ixzz1FvD8d81B

The Slash Roots Developers Conference

Dmitri Dawkins — Thu, 17 Feb 2011 14:44:26 +0000

Creating a technology industry that drives innovation and a community responsive to global trends cannot occur in a vacuum. In today’s world, specific institutional support systems produce the technical resources that drive business and competitiveness. The ./roots Developer Conference is about creating and fostering those support systems within the Jamaican context.

The conference reflects the goal of its parent group, Slash Roots – to foster collaborative innovation within the Jamaican developer and technology communities that is relevant to, and informed by, the needs of the private and public sectors. Slash Roots is a newly formed group of young tech developers and enthusiasts who have dedicated themselves to ICT development, guided by the belief that increased technological innovation and connectivity is crucial to the Jamaica’s development. The brain child of tech developer Matthew McNaughton, Slash Roots came to life through the union of himself and two tech entrepreneurs, Roger Pixley and Dmitri Dawkins. The trio has since grown to a sextet of organizers for the ./roots Developer Conference.

Hosted by the Centre of Excellence at the Mona School of Business, this year’s conference will be held from February 24-25 at the new UWI Faculty of Law Building.

The conference has attracted both local and regional attention and participation. Sessions include presentations by leading open data and tech developers from Cuba, Uruguay, the U.S. and from our local technology community. Additionally, persons outside of the tech development community will be speaking about their experiences as players in the second and third parts of the Slash Roots aim – the sharing and application of developed technologies.

The conference will also highlight projects that are innovative in their approach and which increase access to technology for the local population. This year’s main feature is the release of a new open data resource which has been developed for the Ministry of Agriculture. This data will be the subject of the conference’s most exciting element- the staging of a Developer Competition in which teams of developers will have 24 hours to create an application that visualizes some aspect of the agriculture data. Other activities planned include a Linux installfest and demonstrations from the Jamaica One Laptop Per Child Project.

The Slash Roots team hopes that this inaugural ./roots Developer Conference will mark the first of many annual ./roots conferences to come. We urge the Jamaican tech and academic communities, and private and public sectors, to show their support for this development initiative by engaging themselves in the conference events.

This conference would not be possible without the help of our partners, the Mona School of Business and the IDRC, who have given significant financial support as well as organizational guidance. In addition, the conference organizers would like to thank our sponsors thus far – Spatial Innovation, MC Systems, Lime Jamaica, Digicel, Samuda & Johnson, Pings Manufacturing and Trafalgar Tours – for coming on board in support of this effort.

For more information, to register for the conference or to apply to enter the developer competition, please visit the conference website at www.slashroots.org. We hope to see you there!

The true ROI of Social Media

Dmitri Dawkins — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 15:07:20 +0000

Earlier I was having a discussion with @iniQiti on Twitter about the true ranking of social media efforts. He was telling me how his 3rd party twitter rankings were high and it helped build SEO (Search engine optimisation) for his twitter account. I disagreed with his trying to rate it via SEO or follower ratio or number of tweets, because I believe social media is about interaction. Thankfully Gary Vaynerchuck (@Garyvee) sent out a tweet featuring the video below which confirmed what I was saying:

What grades your social media efforts are interactions, how useful your tweets or facebook posts are, how it helps people, how it relates to others. Social media is building a relationship, with your friends, other personalities and brands. If your social media efforts do not help, or build relationships, then why bother? Now some people will add that hey, they are just trying to broadcast information useful to their followers, this is also building a relationship because your followers then begin to trust you for quality content and in some cases understand you may not be able to reply specifically to them. The fact is trust, in social media people trust you for your content (opinions, blogposts, videos, photos, news, etc,). Changing or adjusting your content for better rankings or seo is not the aim, the community is the aim, build your community, word of mouth is a better recommendation than any search engine.

In all of your efforts, reporting, etc remember people first, ask yourself, are you helping someone or are you just pushing out useless content on a daily basis? It doesn’t matter if you have x amount of followers if they are bots, or you have no interaction, find your niche and provide for it.

JAMPRO launches interactive web-based Investment Map

Dmitri Dawkins — Fri, 04 Feb 2011 15:57:39 +0000

Parris Lyew-Ayee (centre at podium) Managing Director of Mona GeoInformatics Institute (MGI)

Yesterday I attended the launch of Jampro’s (Jamaica Promotions Corporation) Interactive Investment Map. Jampro is in charge of ensuring sustainable development arising from foreign direct investment into Jamaica. Without a doubt this new tool has helped them leap forward by providing factual information in an easy to use interface for the world.

The Investment Map is an online tool built atop the Google map platform that conveniently provides pictorial views and data on key infrastructure, investment projects, lands for development and natural resources. You can try it out by clicking here: http://projects.monagis.com/jampro_test/

Dr. Parris Lyew-Ayee with the Mona Geoinformatics Institute developed the map for Jampro using data from government departments. The map makes it easy to find key investment opportunities in Jamaica. The map was developed at a cost of approximately two million Jamaican dollars, and praise was given to open source tools, which helped to keep the development cost low.

Dmitri Dawkins asking about open access to the data

The first thing that came to mind was the possible 3rd party uses of this data. I asked about the access to this data for everyone, fortunately Claude Duncan, VP of Investment Promotion at JAMPRO, took the time out to address the question and said the data would be available to everyone. Currently they (Jampro) are considering ways to enable people to access the data for this map, outside of the map itself. This is good news for Jamaica’s budding software development industry, access to the data will allow them to create more tools that benefit the local economy making this a truly multi-faceted investment.

(From Left) Parris Lyew-Ayee, Claude Duncan, Myself and Kelroy Brown discussing the investment map

One guest at the function questioned who would be in charge of updating the data, Jampro with additional funding hopes to ensure the data is updated as necessary, including new data from the upcoming census. They also noted that some data is dated based on the source such as the last census (2000). Hopefully in the future with geo-location services like Foursquare gaining popularity in Jamaica, we can integrate social communication to update statistics in this map (venue names etc.).

Overall I like the push of this new tool, I think it will be very useful and I applaud Jampro for using available technology to promote Jamaica. Special thanks to Mark Thompson for inviting me and providing photos from the event. For more photos please see below: