Friday, September 28, 2012

Meet Fast Forward Presenter >> Ryan Draving

What is your Big Idea for Philadelphia?
Silicon Philly! City of Innovation & Opportunity

Philadelphia has long been known as a center for innovation. It was the home of the USA’s first public library, hospital and university. Today, we know it as an upcoming hub for entrepreneurs.  Paul Graham, founder of Y Combinator wrote an article last year titled “Why Startup Hubs Work”. In the essay, he says that two things are necessary for a city to become a startup hub: environment and chance. 

A great environment is one of unbridled enthusiasm about starting companies and innovation. People involved in the Philly tech scene know that the excitement is palpable. Events around the city like Philly Tech Meetup are brimming with entrepreneurs. People active in the design and startup community know that chance plays a big part in success, especially when it comes to meeting people who can move your company forward. With the recent relocation of First Round Capital to University City, the boom of Philly area startups such as Monetate, Duck Duck Go and Warby Parker and the abundance of colleges in the area, the chances of a beneficial encounter are increasingly likely. All else equal, these two factors will lead to a city that nurtures, encourages and grows its entrepreneurs.


Ryan founded CompeteLeap.com.  As Lead SEO Consultant to Comcast Business, he provided recommendations and analysis to the Director of E-Commerce.  He is former Senior Marketing Methodologist at Philly Marketing Labs and first employee and VP of a nationwide e-commerce company which has reached $8 million in annual revenues.  Ryan also provided search engine optimization consulting to other Fortune 500 brands, and has helped achieve #1 SEO rankings for keywords targeted by companies such as PETA, Wal-Mart, Verizon, Nickelodeon, and AutoZone.  Ryan has helped local businesses gain customers online since 1998.



Contact
Web: Competeleap.com
Twitter: @competeleap
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/ryandravingD


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