Clean Sweep for Votizen at Social Media Disruptathon

Last night Votizen did a clean sweep at the Disruptathon held at The Washington Post Building in DC. Participants recognized the social media company in the categories of best presentation, uniqueness, design, most disruptive potential, most liked, and best in show. These overwhelming results indicate it’s time to take notice as to why this company is so different. Votizen competed against a strong field of nineteen. (See list below.)

A Twitter campaign, Startup Visa, provided the genesis for Votizen. The free service uses social networks to establish a “connected electorate” by creating direct a communication channel among voters, candidates, and incumbents.

Currently in beta, Votizen seeks to make civic engagement simpler and more meaningful. The system verifies constituents so you cannot game the system. Its four basic features enable users to:

• View personal voting records
• Learn about the issues
• Endorse candidates
• Tell others what’s on their minds

In part, Votizen caught our attention because the business is so very different from anything we’ve seen before. Perhaps more importantly, it provides a channel to help people feel less disenfranchised at a time when elected officials resoundingly appear to favor personal interests over public interests.

Thank you to Pete Erickson and Disruptathon for bringing innovation to the forefront of our business community. As networking events go, this tops the ‘must attend’ list because it attracts the visionary thinkers whose companies have the potential to change the future in a very real way. Conversations at Disruptathon are always entertaining, insightful, and provocative.

Thanks also to the event sponsors Cynergy, Deloitte, Gannett, Socialize, USA Today, O’Reilly, WaPo Labs, MicroStrategy, iFormBuilder, Teqcorner, PointAbout Mobile, and SpeakerBox Communications, and The Washington Post Company. We like fun events that give us a crystal ball.

Presenting companies included: MyRete (WhosHere), Trendspottr, Uppidy, Heywire, LifeKraze, FullCircle (formerly MyTalk), Awesomize, Pixable, Angel, Sponto, Votizen, ProConIt, LocalResponse, Hatchd, App Update, Spinnakr, Curia, Star Studded, and SocialToaster. Look for highlights on some of these companies in upcoming posts.

Post By Marcia Moran (288 Posts)

Marcia Moran

Marcia Moran helps organizations reimagine what’s possible and provides the framework for clients to achieve stellar, long-term results.

As a Performance Architect, Marcia uses the principles discovered through neuroleadership and positive psychology to deliberately design the employee experience and corporate culture. Blended with pragmatic systems design, these elements free people to play to their strengths while reducing strife in the workplace. As a result, people can push beyond their known limits as individuals, as teams, and as companies.

Marcia is also the Vice President of Marketing for Kadoo, a cloud-based startup located in Reston, VA. Prior to moving to the Metro DC area, she worked as a business consultant for Up ‘N Running and advised startups and small businesses in the areas of management, operations, and marketing.

Marcia earned an MBA from Chapman University. She loves to travel, speaks Norwegian, and unwinds by kayaking and painting landscapes. Marcia recently co-founded Positive Business DC with Shannon Polly and Donna Hemmert. Positive Business DC provides resources to help people increase the levels of well-being in the workplace and at home.

Website: → Performance Architect

Connect