Squad, one of our home sprouts, is hosting a contest! The 2013 Creative Codeversationalist Contest will recognize those who creatively cover the coding industry in great new ways. Squad is looking for people who understand and write about trends and news in the industry. Overall, Squad Codeversationalists should have a passion for all things coding.

The contest is running now through April 15th, and the Top 10 nominees will be chosen on April 17th. After that, the Top 3 Codeversationalists and Top Student Codeversationalist will be voted on from April 17th to May 1st.

How are nominees selected? That’s where you come in! Squad is welcoming nominations of bloggers, reporters, and student writers that are doing their best to bring coding into everyday conversation. If you know someone that fits the bill, or if you think you’d be a great nominee, enter today on the Code Together website!

Since SproutBox’s home base is a college town, we want to highlight the student opportunity that this contest offers as well. Students are often ahead of the game in terms of what’s trendy and new, and often work collaboratively on projects. Their knowledge and advice are just what Squad is looking for in a Coderversationalist. IU students and students from other schools should definitely nominate the talented bloggers and coders they know for this great opportunity!

You can keep up with the Coderversationalist conversation on twitter by following @weCodeTogether and the hashtag #codeversationalist.

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We’re really excited about the TEDxBloomington conference, which is coming to the Buskirk-Chumley Theater on March 22nd. In case you don’t know much about TEDxBloomington (or TEDx events in general), TEDx is a independently-organized program that brings people together to experience a TED-like event. TEDxBloomington began when a group of IU alumni decided to give back to the Bloomington community by bringing innovative and creative individuals together to exchange and spread ideas.

This year’s TEDxBloomington conference theme is JumpIN!, which spotlights presenters who have taken Ideas Worth Spreading to improve their communities and the world. TEDxBloomington 2013 features speakers that come from all over the country— Tampa, NYC, Silicon Valley, Chicago— and from right here in Bloomington.

Some of this year’s talks and performances include lead Google Doodler Ryan Germick, Math In Your Feet creator Malke Rosenfeld, and Sarah “Intellagirl” Smith Robbins, as well as an impressive group of IU professors and faculty. Topics include communication, health, sports, art, philanthropy, dance, and more. Each presenter and performer has a different twist on the JumpIN! theme, and the wide range of speakers and topics guarantees that you’ll find INsights, INtrigue, INnovation and more at TEDxBloomington this year.

It promises to be a great time with something for everyone, no matter your particular interest. The best thing about TEDx events in general, and TEDxBloomington in particular, is the spreading and exchanging of new ideas both within the community and outside of it. We bet you’ll have a great time, meet exciting new people, and even learn something! Register now to be a part of this exciting and creative Bloomington event.

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With this winter wonderland all over country, what better way to spend your snow day than to plan an adventure travel trip with our showcased Sprout, PathWrangler.

What they are about: Making building and storing experiences easier than ever before. Aim to provide the best platform for individuals who seek adventure and pursue activities that express themselves in a unique way.

Interview with Doug Heinz, one of the founders:

Continuation of what they are about…“Let’s face it, planning an adventure trip or an outdoor excursion is like herding cats. It is maddening to get everyone and everything prepared. Our web app brings the conversation together in an interactive place designed specifically for adventure and outdoor enthusiasts to dream and organize their trip together. It works for everyone from Himalayan guides to weekend warriors.

We take the conversation that normally occurs over emails, spreadsheets, PDFs, Word Docs, etc and put it into a central place where your team/group interacts with each other from a single version of the truth. It is interactive, dynamic and a way to get everyone involved.

It doesn’t end there. All that hard work turns into a place for everyone to tell their personal stories and share photos after the trip. They can be private to you, your team, or broadcasted through Facebook to friends, family and other followers afterward.”

Why did you start this company?
“I started PathWrangler because I believe the human experience is being lost in travel.  But to understand our motivations, we must clarify what our market is and isn’t.  Adventure Travel is not just extreme sports, it is the combination of 2 of these 3 elements 1) Physical Activity, 2) Cultural Exchange, and 3) Interaction with the Environment.  Our market has been growing because it has a raft in the automated, robotic way that travel has become commoditized.  However, current technology solutions haven’t been sufficient to solve the needs of these travelers.  We created PathWrangler because of this.”

What is your company’s biggest accomplishment?
“PathWrangler was used to help people get to all 7 continents, the highest point on earth (Summit of Mount Everest), the lowest point in the United States (Death Valley), North and South Poles, Namibian Safaris, the jungles of New Guinea and Brazil, through the glaciers of Patagonia, the ruins of the Aztecs and Mayans in Mexico, the ski huts of France and Switzerland, through the mountains of Scotland, across Siberia and to the top of the Sierras.

Not only do we support commercial tour operators, but we also support Universities and Outdoor clubs in managing their expeditions, but also bringing their students & members closer together.

Over 1,000 trips have been created and run through PathWrangler.  At our current rate, we should put another 0 on the end of that number next year.”

Do you have any advice for future entrepreneurs?
“Advice to entrepreneurs: don’t think there is any blueprint or direct line in getting your business off the ground.  Your assumptions will crumble before your very eyes and if you look around and compare your struggles to others success perceived successes, you’ll be back updating your resume on LinkedIn with a nice cold cubicle waiting for you.  This is the main crux that fuels perseverance.  There are MANY paths to your business succeeding.  But none of them have included following directly in the footsteps of someone else.”

What did you get from working with SproutBox?
“SproutBox was instrumental to where we are today.  They got the foundation of our business structure set up and were responsible for connecting me with our seed investory.  Also, I’ve known Brad Wisler since college.  So, beyond just my relationship with SproutBox, Brad (and Mike!) has been people I’ve been able to count on as a close friends who’ve been there before.”

What are some fun facts about the company/employees?
“Eric Remza guided Mt Everest this year. Also, check out our bios at https://pathwrangler.com/team.”

Make sure to keep updated on PathWrangler by reading their blog, following them on Twitter, and liking them on Facebook!

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