Hello Everyone

[D.A. Parson]

Hi All, 

My name is Derrick Parson, originally from Brooklyn, NY (Go Giants!), I graduated from the University at Buffalo (Go Bulls!) in 2009 with a M.Ed. in Ed. Tech with a concentration on distance/online learning and curriculum development. I began my career as a Director of Education at a local Boys and Girls Club with the focus on training and then transitioned to my field developing online courses for Bryant and Strattons College Online Dept. There I helped  to develop over 100 college courses in an array of fields, from Networking Administration to Criminal Justice. I did that for a few years until I decided that the educational model that the school uses is applicable to all job markets. Thus my entrepreneurial dream was born. I left B&S to build a start-up focused on online courses and trainings for community organizations, small-medium business/corps, and government agencies. While building what I thought would be my dream career, I shifted gears and focused on where learning will be 5-10yrs from now. This helped changed the original business model and now I am developing a socially engaging learning platform/application specifically for mobile devices called TrainingAPPles™. MLearning is where learning will be in 5-10yrs and engulf online learning completely! I currently operate out of DIG (If you're in/around the DIG space I'm the big and tall black guy with dreads always smiling... except now... Giants are 0-2) and am at the process where I have started to receive funding but need help on where to look to begin to build an MVP. 

I know my introduction was long, but I am excited to be here! Can't wait to hear from everyone! 

Derrick

[Clark Dever]

Welcome to the party Derrick.  Congratulations on making the leap to entrepreneur!

Clark Dever
Rogue Technologist
716.803.3213
cl...@clarkdever.com
http://www.clarkdever.com
http://about.me/clarkdever

Please excuse my brevity: http://five.sentenc.es/

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[Nicholas Barone]

Hi Derrick, this is Nicholas over at HelmUX.com. We're usually working over in z80 but i'd love to hear more about what you're working on. I'll pop over next time I'm in the innovation center.

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Nicholas Barone

nicholasbarone.com

716-912-9163

@nb3004

Founder at 

Helm Experience & Design

HelmUX.com

[Nicole Melander]

Hi Derrick. I have an extensive background in education including a stint as a full time faculty member at American U and 20+ years working with K12 and Higher Ed clients while at Oracle and Microsoft. I'm current EVP for Digital Strategy at one of the "big 3" textbook publishers, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 

While I can't provide much guidance on the venture cap side of things, I am happy to provide guidance on the education market.  Feel free to reach out to me directly if you want to grab a coffee sometime.

Sent from my iPhone. Please excuse typos and weird auto-correct errors. 

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[Christopher Hawkins]

Hi Derrick - Regarding your MVP, do you have technology questions like "how to build it" or business model questions like "what should it do"? Probably some of both. A few options for building it are: Do it yourself, find a technical co-founder, pay a dev shop. For a good app in the space you are going after, you probably want option #2 or #3. For #2 you need a person, for #3 you need money and probably advice. Is that what you are looking for?

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Chris Hawkins

Hawkins IT Group, Inc.

Ph: +1.716.848.9522

Fx: +1.877.438.2408

www.hawkinsitgroup.com

[@MrDAP_]

Thanks so much Clark! Its a huge scary leap, but I'm committed to it! 

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[@MrDAP_]

Hey Nicholas!

I would love to tell you more! And anyone else who wants to hear it, LOL! If you are around on Wednesday 9/23 I be in DIG from 11:30a - 5p!

On Tuesday, September 22, 2015 at 1:17:48 PM UTC-4, nb3004 wrote:

Hi Derrick, this is Nicholas over at HelmUX.com. We're usually working over in z80 but i'd love to hear more about what you're working on. I'll pop over next time I'm in the innovation center.

On Tue, Sep 22, 2015 at 1:15 PM, Clark Dever <clark...@gmail.com> wrote:

Welcome to the party Derrick.  Congratulations on making the leap to entrepreneur!

Clark Dever
Rogue Technologist
716.803.3213
cl...@clarkdever.com
http://www.clarkdever.com
http://about.me/clarkdever

Please excuse my brevity: http://five.sentenc.es/

On Tue, Sep 22, 2015 at 1:09 PM, D.A. Parson <derric...@gmail.com> wrote:

Hi All, 

My name is Derrick Parson, originally from Brooklyn, NY (Go Giants!), I graduated from the University at Buffalo (Go Bulls!) in 2009 with a M.Ed. in Ed. Tech with a concentration on distance/online learning and curriculum development. I began my career as a Director of Education at a local Boys and Girls Club with the focus on training and then transitioned to my field developing online courses for Bryant and Strattons College Online Dept. There I helped  to develop over 100 college courses in an array of fields, from Networking Administration to Criminal Justice. I did that for a few years until I decided that the educational model that the school uses is applicable to all job markets. Thus my entrepreneurial dream was born. I left B&S to build a start-up focused on online courses and trainings for community organizations, small-medium business/corps, and government agencies. While building what I thought would be my dream career, I shifted gears and focused on where learning will be 5-10yrs from now. This helped changed the original business model and now I am developing a socially engaging learning platform/application specifically for mobile devices called TrainingAPPles™. MLearning is where learning will be in 5-10yrs and engulf online learning completely! I currently operate out of DIG (If you're in/around the DIG space I'm the big and tall black guy with dreads always smiling... except now... Giants are 0-2) and am at the process where I have started to receive funding but need help on where to look to begin to build an MVP. 

I know my introduction was long, but I am excited to be here! Can't wait to hear from everyone! 

Derrick

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[@MrDAP_]

Hi Nicole, 

I am really committed to the new push of MLearning. I think it touch all the types of learners and may even create a new type! I would love to grab some coffee!  Although I am a tea drinker myself, LOL! Thats one thing DIG has an unlimited supply of is coffee and tea! So let me know the best way to contact you and if you are available we can talk here at DIG? If not DIG, anywhere else is fine as well, maybe Askhers on Elmwood! 

Derrick

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[@MrDAP_]

Hi Christopher! 

Most of my questions revolve around the "how to build it" category, and I think you somewhat answered that already! I've already revamped my business model and currently am fine-tuning my value prop and monetization tactics based upon the new model! With the current start-up funding I received from First Niagara & The Buffalo Urban League, I am in a position to move forward with what I visually think it should look like. So I was under the impression that was wireframes/sample designs. Then from there I would need to move to building out an MVP, so I would have to start working on the Mobile Dev Team as well as the Instructional Design Team. So I guess you are absolutely correct I have to start inquiring about #2- CTO or Technical Cofounder, and/or #3 - dev shop.   

Where should I begin my search? Any thoughts? 

Thank You for helping thus far!!! It means the world!! 

Derrick 

On Tuesday, September 22, 2015 at 2:43:12 PM UTC-4, Christopher Hawkins wrote:

Hi Derrick - Regarding your MVP, do you have technology questions like "how to build it" or business model questions like "what should it do"? Probably some of both. A few options for building it are: Do it yourself, find a technical co-founder, pay a dev shop. For a good app in the space you are going after, you probably want option #2 or #3. For #2 you need a person, for #3 you need money and probably advice. Is that what you are looking for?

On Tue, Sep 22, 2015 at 2:09 PM, Nicole Melander <nicole....@gmail.com> wrote:

Hi Derrick. I have an extensive background in education including a stint as a full time faculty member at American U and 20+ years working with K12 and Higher Ed clients while at Oracle and Microsoft. I'm current EVP for Digital Strategy at one of the "big 3" textbook publishers, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 

While I can't provide much guidance on the venture cap side of things, I am happy to provide guidance on the education market.  Feel free to reach out to me directly if you want to grab a coffee sometime.

Sent from my iPhone. Please excuse typos and weird auto-correct errors. 

On Sep 22, 2015, at 12:09 PM, D.A. Parson <derric...@gmail.com> wrote:

Hi All, 

My name is Derrick Parson, originally from Brooklyn, NY (Go Giants!), I graduated from the University at Buffalo (Go Bulls!) in 2009 with a M.Ed. in Ed. Tech with a concentration on distance/online learning and curriculum development. I began my career as a Director of Education at a local Boys and Girls Club with the focus on training and then transitioned to my field developing online courses for Bryant and Strattons College Online Dept. There I helped  to develop over 100 college courses in an array of fields, from Networking Administration to Criminal Justice. I did that for a few years until I decided that the educational model that the school uses is applicable to all job markets. Thus my entrepreneurial dream was born. I left B&S to build a start-up focused on online courses and trainings for community organizations, small-medium business/corps, and government agencies. While building what I thought would be my dream career, I shifted gears and focused on where learning will be 5-10yrs from now. This helped changed the original business model and now I am developing a socially engaging learning platform/application specifically for mobile devices called TrainingAPPles™. MLearning is where learning will be in 5-10yrs and engulf online learning completely! I currently operate out of DIG (If you're in/around the DIG space I'm the big and tall black guy with dreads always smiling... except now... Giants are 0-2) and am at the process where I have started to receive funding but need help on where to look to begin to build an MVP. 

I know my introduction was long, but I am excited to be here! Can't wait to hear from everyone! 

Derrick

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[David Bachowski]

Derrick,

Will you be at Startup Grind on Thursday? I'd also like to chat with you about your thoughts on education. I'm starting up a development bootcamp but one of pur biggest issues is scaling since we are in-person, service based model.

Thanks
Dave Bachowski
Whitespace Academy

[@MrDAP_]

Hey Dave, 

I most definitely will be at Startup Grind tomorrow! We can connect then!