I remember when Project: Motion was formed when I was a young dancer at Memphis Concert Ballet (now Ballet Memphis). Dancing in a work directed by cofounder Judith Wombwell, I was struck by the difference between modern and ballet. Modern brought you close to the ground, one with the floor, the earth, where ballet pulled you away from it, straining always to be taller, longer. Modern dance has a way of making the most complicated moves seem natural and effortless. Modern was, and still is, difficult for my ballet-trained body to grasp. It is heavy but fluid, smooth and strong, big and sweeping, loud in its silence. I now take modern classes regularly with Wayne M. Smith and Louisa Koeppel of Project: Motion, and am constantly wowed and improved by their professionalism and their gift as teachers.

Project: Motion is one of Memphis’ best-kept secrets, a collaborative of true artists, dancers and choreographers honing and expressing their work. Their new show, P:M/25 Anniversary Edition celebrates the 25^th anniversary of this modern dance collective in Memphis.

The first half of the show features reconstructed past works. “Floor # 6” is a dazzling take on the “power suit.” Dancers dressed in work suits begin and end in an elevator playing mild music, in which they try to control and behave themselves. In between they are caught in the beating thrum of office politics, pulled and pushed by gender roles, games, gossip, and the struggle up the corporate ladder. This funny, bracing work stretches the boundaries of dance and resonates with anyone who has worked in an office.

“Selkie” is a moving, melancholy piece that tells an old Irish folktale. Louisa Koeppel and Lisa Clarkson draw in the audience with a story of returning to one’s true self, as each takes turns dancing with yellow mesh fabric. “Standing in Wait… Part 1 – A House in Mourning” features spoken text by bel hooks and Rumi. The black-clad dancers express grief in their halting, crying movements, holding one another and bracing against loss. This emotional piece is gleefully followed by “Apple”, a delectable take on the seven deadly sins by male and female dancers dressed in provocative satin.

After a brief intermission, the collective performs two brand new works. The first is “Broken Myth”, choreographed by Project: Motion cofounder Ann Halligan Donahue. It begins with a haiku by 17^th century Japanese poet Mizuta Masahide: “Barn’s burnt down — / now / I can see the moon.” Donahue says this poem opened her eyes after a long family struggle. Featuring Lisa Clarkson, Ondine Geary, Louisa Koeppel, and Adriane M. Sanders, “Broken Myth” explores pain and loss, and ends in the triumph of a decision. Lead dancer Koeppel’s character struggles with trust, heartbreak, and anger until she reaches clarity. Donahue says “Broken Myth” represents the myth of perfect love. In the end the woman is able to “see the moon,” a clear path amidst destruction, and to make a choice to be by herself, knowing it is nobody’s fault. The dancers paint the stage with glittering red and blue skirts, the rawness and power of a broken heart.

The final work, “25/25”, choreographed by Wayne M. Smith and Marianne Bell, sprung from an idea by Project: Motion Artistic Director Jay Rapp to create a piece of 25 different works in 25 minutes. The result is a rousing, playful celebration of dance in all its forms, from a tap number featuring Marianne Bell, Sarah Clark, and a bicycle, to a play-ballet in sunglasses and lace; from spoken word by Maxine Silverbird, to modern tumbles, chugs, sweeps and leaps; from a bumblebee bathed in yellow light, to a sexy partner dance. Each bit segués into the next in a new way. Smith describes his parts as “theatrical, introspective, and crazy”; Bell’s are jazzy and joyful. The piece ends with a bang.

Project: Motion’s dancers are not only excellent at what they do, but they have a special presence that lights up the stage. Project: Motion’s P:M/25 Anniversary Edition is 8 pm on Fridays and Saturdays and 2 pm on Sundays, October 21 through October 30, at The Evergreen Theatre, 1705 Poplar. Tickets are $20 adults, $15 students and seniors. Call (901) 214-LEAP or visit www.projectmotiondance.org.

Photo by Melissa Anderson Sweazy

Brad Feld, co-founder of TechStars, stated ‘that in order for a community to transform its entrepreneurial ecosystem six people need to work tirelessly without stopping or being distracted for twenty years’.

I agree. I’m one of these people for Memphis, TN. I’m a quarter of the way in.

Five years ago on August 31st, 2006 I left my job to chart a new course for entrepreneurship in Memphis. Like all entrepreneurial journeys mine started with a problem. I saw a lot of great technologies being built in our community (universities, etc.), but I could count the number of tech startups on one hand. My working hypothesis was if we coupled the founders with small amounts of capital and experienced mentors, we would have more tech startups in Memphis.

I was armed with neither experience nor capital. For any entrepreneur this is not a problem (or so the story is told). So, I found an experienced partner and we set out to raise the money. It turned out that no one would fund us, so we decided to forget the money and bootstrap. That same year TechStars got its start and so did our entrepreneurial “accelerator” Mercury Technology Labs (disclaimer: it was not cohort based).

Mercury Technology Labs was a tough effort made tougher by the fact that we were in Memphis. To give a little context, when we started there was one incubator and there were three venture capital funds that wouldn’t touch early stage tech deals, especially ones in Memphis. There was no angel network. If you were an entrepreneur and wanted incubation, you needed to pay the rent at the incubator. If you needed seed/angel money, good luck. It was not very vibrant.

Our portfolio at the time consisted of three tech startups. Bootstrapping meant operating out of cafes. Thankfully, we were able to get their products to market with some sales, though eventually all but one failed. It wasn’t a bad start those first six months, but it was too much of a grind. We realized we would be unsustainable long-term unless we worked to change our community’s entrepreneurial infrastructure and culture. If our goal was to increase tech deal flow, it meant we would have to invest our time and energy in new ways.

We had to pivot.

1. Space for Startups to Grow

We needed enough space to enable us to create value faster and make our teams more productive. In 2007, within our local incubator we built the Launchpad, a 1200 sq. ft. co-working space for digital nomads, hackers, and founders. To this day we still charge no money to use this risk-oriented space.

The point is to lower the economic barrier to entry for incubation to be zero dollars. Founders can use the space 24/7, create value, and exchange knowledge and feedback with peer startups going through similar points of pain. Instead of paying for incubator rent (or five overpriced coffees a day), the founders can invest in product development and marketing.

That wasn’t enough.

2. Founder Connectivity and Risk Culture

In 2008, we started LaunchMemphis. In five months what started as a community based project became the in-demand source for the dynamic innovation economy programming we saw in other cities — such things as Startup Weekend, Ignite Nights, Pitch Competitions and more. LaunchMemphis (501c3), reaches out to the invisible potential entrepreneurs of our community and gives them a chance to ‘try-on’ entrepreneurship and get early feedback on their startups.

3. Exposure

Now more potential founders were entering the system and quality of deals began to improve. Others started to take notice. In 2009, the State of Tennessee turned to us to help share our knowledge in ecosystem development to other parts of the Tennessee. This increased our connectivity to peers across the State and elevated our local startups to a higher platform.  We now have connections to incubators, investors, and founders across the State and region.

4. Leadership

The next year, with a change of mayorship in Memphis, the opportunity seemed right to start changing minds on the home front. In 2010, we reached out to local civic leaders and helped them re-position their economic development strategies to bring focus to entrepreneurship, as differentiated from small business. Now entrepreneurship on a state and local level is a top priority and money is heading towards our work and that of our peers.

5. Capital

The icing on the cake came this year.

You know you are on to something when external investors begin to enter your local startup scene. In 2011, Solidus Company, a venture capital firm in Nashville, invested capital to fund Seed Hatchery, our mentorship driven seed accelerator. We gave the six teams of our inaugural cohort, money, mentors, and milestones in the form of a 90-day marine-style bootcamp for entrepreneurs (think TechStars). The teams are now selling to customers and finding follow-on investors.

It has been a tough yet rewarding five years. Looking back most people won’t see the mountain of failures and false starts under my watch, but they were all necessary to get to this day. Both the successes (we had some along the way) and failures were worthy work and will continue to be. To my many collaborators over the years, thank you for diving in and investing … but let me remind you we still have 15 more years ahead — or at least I do.

I don’t know what the next five years will bring, but I know the work is far from done in Memphis, TN.

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Posted By Eric Mathews to ericmathews.com at 9/18/2011 04:42:00 PM

If you supply the energy and passion, FuelFilm will take care of the rest at 48 Hour Film Launch, the weekend of July 23rd.   Filmmakers, emerging filmmakers,  technical talent, on-screen talent, business professionals, and novices will all gather to pitch ideas and then pitch-in to get three or more films onto the screen.  It all begins July 23rd at 6:00p.m. goes through July 25th at 6pm at Emerge Memphis, 516 Tennessee St. Registration is $35 – online at www.48hourfilmlaunch.com or www.fuelfilm.org.

More details . . .

It is FuelFilm’s  most ambitious event of the inaugural 2010 season – the “48 Hour Film Launch” filmmaking, technical, and on-screen talent will join up in a high intensity weekend to take short films from concept to screen.

Sponsored by Nikon, who will be supplying digital-cinema DSLR camera packages, and with support from local sponsors, including Emerge Memphis and the Memphis and Shelby County Film and Television Commission, FuelFilm:Memphis will provide the space, the equipment and the fuel for participants to turn the top story ideas into short films.

Whether a seasoned or aspiring producer, director, writer, actor, editor, marketer, designer, or support crew, all are encouraged to bring their ideas, creativity, talent and drive.  All can pitch a story idea and vote for their favorite concepts, then split up into teams to make a short film of the “greenlit” stories. Local professionals will join novice filmmakers on each team in the areas of scriptwriting, cinematography, audio production, music composition, editing and graphics, providing guidance to the hands-on experience.

Based on entrepreneurial incubator Launch Memphisʼs “48 Hour Launch Weekend” format – this hands-on event combines community spirit, local expertise and goal oriented teamwork to produce real results. Early registration is encouraged as spots will fill up.

FuelFilm:Memphis is a not-for-profit organization promoting the growth of the Memphis film industry by educating filmmakers and investors on the development of independent film projects, and facilitating relationships between investors, producers, directors and writers to get more local films made in Memphis.

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Miles from Silicon Valley, Memphis is home to two location based mobile applications.  The iPhone has opened up an entire network for entrepreneurs to test their ideas by selling applications through Apple.  Major companies like Geiko, Facebook, and HBO have Apps to convey information to their consumers.  There are also soon to be popular location-based apps from Memphis startups NRange (App: http://bit.ly/9VVRFV) and MarksMenus (App: http://bit.ly/9HsoAp) that are unique and useful.

As a golfer, I have trouble judging the distance to the hole from various locations on the course (usually in the woods or sand traps!).  That’s where NRange comes in to play.  Now, I can just pull out my iPhone, Blackberry, or other smartphone, find the course that I am playing and see an aerial map of my specific hole with a distance to the front/back of the green, as well as to the pin.  With over 19,000 courses in the NRange database, it is powerful.  Even the public courses that I prefer in Memphis are mapped out.  It also includes a built in score card, advanced stats, and records for each hole.  As an amateur golfer, I could go out and easily spend a couple hundred dollars on a GPS designed specifically for golf, or I could merely log into iTunes and download it for free.

After I play my round of golf, I often enjoy a bite to eat.  Perhaps I’m really in the mood for Mexican food but prefer not to spend my time searching for a restaurant.  Here I may pull up my MarksMenus app while standing in Midtown Memphis and type in burrito.  Before I know it, I am met with a list beginning with Los Compadres; I click on it and it pulls up a complete menu with prices and reviews for each specific dish.  Maybe I start to get a “Memphis” craving and want to head downtown; I simply search for a certain dish like Ribs in Downtown Memphis.  It will show me a map to each choice.

Both MarksMenus and NRange are Memphis tech startups that participated in the LaunchMemphis entrepreneurial action programs.  Once mere ideas, these two companies have gained momentum and continue to grow more popular by the day.

Both are considered “location based mobile applications” in that they use GPS to locate and pinpoint attractions.  This “hyper localization” is the frontier of social media, advertising, and consumer engagement.  Destinations can now interface with consumers with meaningful information to guide experiences.

Congrats to MarksMenus and NRange for turning their their vision into reality.

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Written by Peter Hall, a Rhodes College sophomore and big supporter of LaunchMemphis.  For more information on LaunchMemphis, go to http://www.LaunchMemphis.com

The first experience is the annual Project: Motion fundraiser “Party in BLUE,” which will be held this Sunday, April 11 from 4-7 p.m. at the Molly Fontaine Lounge.  Attendees will enjoy specialty “blue” cocktails while enjoying the sultry sounds of Memphis blues artist Di Anne Price. More information can be found on the brand new Project: Motion website.

In keeping with the theme, the last show of the 2009-2010 season will be “eMPHasis on BLUE.”   That show will be June 4th-6th and 11th-13th at the company’s brand new location, Evergreen Theatre.

Both stylish and fun, Project: Motion provides polished experiences you will surely enjoy.  As a 501c3, all proceeds will benefit eMPHasis on Blue and the company’s educational programs going forward.

Hope to see you there.

Event Information:

Date: Sunday, April 11, 2010

Time: 4-7 p.m.

Tickets: $20 (Contact a Project: Motion dancer or board member, and receive a coupon code for $20 Off your tickets)

Location: Molly Fontaine Lounge, 679 Adams Avenue

Tickets: www.projectmotiondance.org

In accordance with state law [T.C.A. 7-2-108(a)(3)-(D)], the proposed metropolitan charter shall provide the name of the metropolitan government which name may be:

(1)   Memphis Metropolitan Government;

(2)   Shelby County Metropolitan Government;

(3)   Memphis-Shelby County Metropolitan Government; or

(4)   Such other name the Charter Commission deems historically and geographically appropriate (ex: Wolf River Metropolitan Government)

To chime in with your choice, please email your feedback to Andre here: Andre.Fowlkes@shelbycountytn.gov

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Its 6:00pm on Friday, March 5th.  The Tennessee Room at EmergeMemphis is crammed with innovative new ideas, enthusiasm, and an excitement to see what will materialize over the next 48 hours.  Fifteen presenters were given 3 minutes to pitch their “million dollar idea.”  Ideas ranged from a former-military personnel social networking site to a music website where you can locate regional artists.  After a series of questions from the audience, everyone dispersed around the room to meet with the presenters of each idea.  With a list of needs, the presenters hoped to acquire the necessary talents (marketing, programming, law, web design, etc) through the audience.

Before long, clusters of desks were arranged throughout the building and minds were budding with inspiration and eagerness; computers were set up, whiteboards were filled with notes, and Red Bull cans were everywhere.  For the rest of the night and into Saturday and Sunday, teams were formed and core groups were established around each idea.  Fifteen pitches turned into 8 startups: TippJar, TourneyCaddy, TheListofBands, OneSongConcerts, Romantic Playbook, One Day Pro, MyRepresentatives, ChronoComics.  Websites, Twitter accounts, Facebook fan pages, and logos were fashioned and the attendees could see the end in sight with just a few hours left.  Rendezvous BBQ, Finos, Ghost River, Red Bull, sodas, snacks, and hors d’oeuvre were available throughout the entire weekend to fuel the ambitious workers.

As the clock hit 6:00 on Sunday night there was a scramble to produce a final product with a PowerPoint.  Back to the Tennessee room, this time with a larger audience (open to the public), the founders of LaunchMemphis introduced the final eight startups and gave them the floor to impress the audience.  It was remarkable to see the passion for each idea just after a mere 48 hours.  Each presenter took the floor and pitched their idea and what they produced in just 48 hours with reassurance and relief.  Their ideas had finally materialized and all could see the teams’ hard work before their eyes.  Everyone was especially helpful and encouraging to the future of the startups.  With many more final pitches than the previous year, 48 Hour Launch created a wide spectrum of enticing and (hopefully) successful businesses.

A special thanks goes out to the sponsors: Center City Commission, Red Bull, Rendezvous, and Mouse Foundry Media.  Thanks to everyone who attended.  The LaunchMemphis team and I are looking forward to next year!

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For information on running your own 48 Hour Launch head to www.48hourlaunch.org or contact the folks at LaunchMemphis (info@launchmemphis.com)

Ursula Payne will be performing with Project: Motion

Project: Motion’s upcoming performance, called AXIS, is an intimate performance featuring three distinct & versatile guest artists as well as the Project: Motion dance collective.  The show runs February 26-28 at Theatreworks and will feature Juliet Waller Pruzan, Stephen Hando, Ursula Payne, and Memphis’s own Wayne Smith.

Seattle artists Juliet Waller Pruzan and Stephen Hando’s unpredictable and quirky theatrical dance style versus the fiercely dynamic work of Pennsylvania artist Ursula Payne will combine forces to deliver an evening of deeply imaginative and thought provoking art. The performance will feature solo works by the artists, two duets by Pruzan and Hando, a duet by Payne featuring Wayne M. Smith, and an ensemble work by Payne set on Project: Motion dancers.

Show Information:
February 26-28, 2010
Showtimes:  Friday-Saturday @ 8 p.m. and Sunday @ 2 p.m.
Prices: $20/Adults & $15/Students and Seniors
Tickets Buy One, Get One Free on February 28 (adult tickets only)
Location: TheatreWorks, 2085 Monroe, Memphis, TN

Reservations:
http://www.projectmotiondance.org
http://axis.eventbrite.com

Their first activity of 2010 is called “Pitch In” and it is THIS Saturday (details below).

The FuelFilm “Pitch In” is a workshop to inspire, motivate and challenge screenwriters and filmmakers to focus their film idea into the perfect pitch.

Featuring a 20 min intro and motivational discussion with screenwriter/author David Gerrold via video conference, followed by round-table feedback workshops to hone your story idea and elements, treatment or screenplay into a coherent and compelling one minute pitch in a positive and supportive atmosphere.

Date and Time – Saturday, February 13th at 1PM
Location – Emerge Memphis (Downtown) in the Tennessee Room
FEE: $10 ( Light Snacks and Deli Lunch Included)

Ticketing is here: http://fuelfilmmemphispitchin2010.eventbrite.com/

48 Hour Launch Pitch Night
Time and Date: Feb 25th, 5:30pm
Location: EmergeMemphis
RSVP Here via Facebook: http://bit.ly/c5pt0n
A chance to pitch your idea a week before the actual 48 Hour Launch weekend.

48 Hour Launch
Time and Date: March 5th, 6pm through March 7th, 6pm
Location: EmergeMemphis
Ticketing (note the Early Bird discounts): http://48hour.eventbrite.com/
48Hour Launch is one of the most powerful and unique entrepreneurship programs in the country. At 48 Hour Launch events creative individuals from all industries unite their talent in one location to launch new enterprises in a 48-hour period. The initiative, founded in 2009 in Tennessee, has attracted international attention, with many cities across North America planning on hosting 48 Hour Launch experiences in their cities.

Business Plan Boot Strapping Bootcamp
Time and Date: March 27th, 8:30am to 4:30pm
Location: EmergeMemphis
Ticketing (note the Early Bird discounts): http://bootcampmem.eventbrite.com/
We have retooled our Business Plan Bootcamp to have an even bigger impact — we’ll instruct you in an intense one-day seminar on how to get a business plan together and launched in 5 days at low or no cost. LaunchMemphis will teach you the skillful art of bootstrapping in the modern era. Get ready for jam-packed day with knowledge, information, and feedback.

3rd Annual Investment Forum
Time and Date: Targeting April 12th or 16th
Location: TBD
Application: TBD
Raising capital for a startup is one of the most challenging aspects of starting up a business. We hope to alleviate some of this pain through a venture forum where new and emerging businesses are brought together with early stage venture capital firms and angel investors. If you have a business in the pre-seed or early stage seed or angel stage, this is your chance to pitch investors. Alternatively, if you are an investor looking for up and coming companies in and around Memphis, we invite you to join the forum.

TribeCamp
Time and Date: April 24th, 8:00am-4pm
Location: TBD
Ticketing (note the Early Bird discounts): http://tribecamp.eventbrite.com/
TribeCamp is interactive and user-generated — it is like BarCamp and Social Camp in that it is an Unconference. Thanks to the internet, and the immediacy of modern communications, a tribe is no longer restricted by time or space. From a group of like minded people, a tribe of dedicated followers will emerge. Any group of dedicated individuals can join the cause from anywhere in the world. Tribes of the Mid-South and beyond are invited to join us in Memphis to learn from each other, have concentrated meetings of their with their tribal members or mix with other tribes. You’ll even learn about the tools that are enabling and empowering other tribes to get going. Whether you are part of a tribe or looking to learn as an objective observer this will be a unique experience guaranteed.

48 Hour Launch Reunion
Time and Date: June 24th, 5:30pm
Location: EmergeMemphis
A time for the participants and supporting community to come together and review the efforts taken by the companies launched at the 48 Hour Launch weekend in held in March.

Memphis Startup TV Launch
Time and Date: TBD
Location: TBD
A series of webisodes aimed at the entrepreneurial rock stars in Memphis. Produced in conjunction with the Chamber of Commerce and Center City Commission.