@BostonTweet wants us to #DownloadBoston
By: Jim Martinho - Thursday, Apr 17, 2014 - 3:05am
When you shave with Gillette razors or pick up a Harpoon variety pack on your way to a friend’s place, you’re probably aware that you’re helping out a Boston business. But did you know you’re also supporting a homegrown product anytime you track your pace with RunKeeper, pay for something with LevelUp, or have that Harpoon beer delivered to your front door with Drizly?
Or maybe you’re thinking, “Wait a second — I can have beer delivered to my front door?”
That’s why Tom O’Keefe started #DownloadBoston. Better known as the voice of @BostonTweet, the prolific Twitter account with 112,000 followers and counting, Boston’s local king of 140 characters wants to increase awareness of local startups in the city and beyond — so the next Mark Zuckerberg doesn’t leave Boston for Silicon Valley, that sunny, HBO-approved mecca of entrepre-nerds.
According to the site, #DownloadBoston advocates for Boston startups by:
– encouraging all media to feature Boston startups much more regularly,
– lobbying established companies to incubate and partner with local startups,
– begging PR, legal, and professional firms to provide pro-bono services,
– partnering with local cafes, eateries, retailers, and businesses,
– leveraging the reach of @BostonTweet
O’Keefe is partnering with local cafes, eateries, and other businesses to promote #DownloadBoston and the 46 startups to their customers. Starting in May/June, Cafe 360 will be hosting an Appy Hour where for one week a month the cafe will feature (on screens and via their workers) one #DownloadBoston startup each day — 5 days, 5 startups, each month. Also in the works are projects with local media and monthly events at WeWork. Any funds raised by #DownloadBoston will be used to increase the awareness of the site and the member apps.
I can’t believe I’d never heard of Wanderu, which is like Orbitz for cheapskates like me who take buses and trains instead of traveling by air like a civilized person. Instead of compulsively checking Megabus, Boltbus, etc., for the cheapest fares next time I’m planning a trip to visit my girlfriend in Philly, I can just plug the dates into Wanderu and let them do the work. They even convinced Arya Stark to pose with a monkey at South by Southwest:
Photo via Twitter/@MaisieWilliams
Check it out. You might find you’re already using an app developed right in your backyard, or discover a new one that can save you 12 bucks on bus fare. Hey, that’s two six-packs of Gansett.