About StartupTrekTV
Startup Trek TV has been my technology industry video blog, during a time of transition for me between businesses. For a time in the recent past, I enjoyed interviewing promising tech startups on video tape, then compressing it down into a 3-5 minute video. That is what this blog is about. Over the next six months, I’ll be moving all of these videos onto YouTube, deleting my blog posts, and shutting down this site.
All of my posts on StartupTrek featured my own photography, and when possible, video coverage. Recently I made a sweep through Boulder, Co and video interviewed some of the great startups that call Boulder home.
About Steve Bell
I am currently starting a new Microsoft-related venture in Seattle, Redmond Data Solutions Inc. We’ll be headquartered at RedDSI.com
RDS is a Microsoft development firm specializing in crafting custom Microsoft cloud-based solutions for clients ranging from mid-market to Fortune 1,000 corporations.
We specialize in developing ASP.Net web applications, configuring and customizing SharePoint site collections, deploying medium and large-scale Microsoft Business Productivity Online Services (BPOS) installations, development and hosting of custom Microsoft applications in the Windows Azure platform, and customization of related Microsoft software technologies.
RDS is a Microsoft Channel partner based in Redmond, WA. Our mission is to solve problems for our clients in a cost-effective and timely fashion.
In the past
In the past, i have been a serial tech entrepreneur, a tech blogger, and tech venture formation enthusiast. I’ve enjoyed starting projects, small tech companies, and meeting fellow entrepreneurs.
Before re-locating from the Bay Area to Seattle in Jan 2010, I was active as a member of Bay Area Angel investing groups. For the past two years I taught entrepreneurship part time at the Orfalea School of business at Cal Poly (San Luis Obispo, CA) and helped my friends at Cal Poly to develop some new programs centered around “learn by doing” entrepreneurship.
In 1997 I founded, provided Angel financing to, and ran the Silicon Valley Networking Lab (SVNL). Over five years my team and I built it into the largest software interoperability testing and and certification lab in the US, serving industry groups and corporations before selling it to HP-Agilent in Feb 2000. SVNL certified more than 7,000 Wi-Fi products over an eight year period, while serving as the exclusive certification center for the Wi-Fi Alliance. We stayed busy 24×7 throughout the nuclear winter, invented a new business model for software interoperability certification, and provided the networking industry a valuable resource.
For the past few years I’ve been focused on web-based entrepreneurship, developing skills to build online businesses. I’ve created a number of small online businesses and e-commerce sites using Joomla, Drupal, Wordpress and have learned quite a bit about programming and customizing sites. My current interest is in mastering every aspect of search engine optimization, in order to help other businesses grow by making their web presence more effective.
So I’m a technical software-internet entrepreneur, currently hip-deep in PHP, CSS, JavaScript, SVN, etc. But I also retain my fascination, less actively, with science-oriented interests including RF and analog design, and learning about biotechnology and DNA from my friends in the life sciences world.
In 1995 I founded Bell Consulting Inc., which became one of silicon valley’s busiest high tech strategy consulting firms, serving over 100 corporate, startup, and investment community clients. From 1998 to 2000 I served on the Board of Network Peripherals, until their merger with FalconStor Software in 2000. From 1997 to 2000 I served on the steering committee, and as treasurer of the Gigabit Ethernet Alliance.
I enjoy contributing to the technology industry. In the past I’ve worked as an organizer and panelist at IEEE Computer Networking conferences, John McQuillan’s Next Generation Networking conferences; Networld+Interop; Comdex; and related telecom, datacom, and computing industry conferences. I spoke at the NxTcomm08 conference about mobile computing, and trends in 3G/4G networks in Las Vegas last June.
Interviewing David Allen in Ojai, CA (2009)
Since the early 90’s, I’ve had an interest in using mobile handheld computing applications to manage projects and productivity. I was the first person (wow! mid 2002:) to develop and distribute online a full-custom software application for the then-obscure “getting things done” (GTD) methodology.
From 1979 to 1986 I worked at AT&T Bell Laboratories in Holmdel, NJ where I received co-patents for the invention of a new type of optical touch sensitive screen, and a voice switching integrated circuit design. While working in R&D at Bell Labs, I also co-founded, with Fred Waldhauer, a digital signal processing venture which eventually became Resound Inc.
I obtained a BSEE from Wichita State University, an MS in Computer Science and Math from UC Berkeley, and studied graduate MBA finance and entrepreneurship at UC Irvine in the 80’s. I have Series 7 & 63 securities licenses; having consulted for hedge fund, investment banking, and venture capital firms. I spent several years trading on Wall Street, and for a time in the Chicago Futures pits; but that’s another story:)