NYC Meeting in Two Weeks

Posted by Rezwan on Jan 23, 2010 at 11:13 AM
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Recap of the Fantastic First Meeting

The Focus Fusion Society had its first meeting in NYC on November 12, 2009.  The meeting was attended Eric Lerner, A. Haboub and K. Murali from LPP; and Michael Graziano, Michael Sander, John Shellito, Jim Marsen, Joseph Gorski, Bob Fitzgerald, Daniel Kohn, Marie Shultz and myself. 

Our thanks to Michael Graziano for coordinating the meeting and choosing the delightful venue (Ruby Foos - because of the “fusion” food theme, of course.) 

Thanks to Bob Fitzgerald for introducing an investor to LPP - you helped raise some serious money for research!

Thanks to John Shellito and Michael Sander for volunteering to organize future events at your respective universities.  We look forward to them.

Those of you attending the meeting - please add your impressions and highlights in the comments section and I’ll incorporate them.  The table was big and round, and I feel I missed a lot of the conversation on the other side of it.

The Ruby Foos venue was an entertaining inauguration for FFS meetings.  It was a confirmation of the interest and enthusiasm out there and a trial run of the logistics of getting a group together in the city.  It was not, however, the most conducive place to have a brainstorming strategy meeting.  No worries, that’s the job of our next meeting.

Planning the 2nd Meeting

Volunteer a Venue!

The 2nd NYC Focus Fusion Society meeting needs to take place in a venue that is more conducive to brainstorming.  The training room at the Nonprofit Support Center is an ideal venue for such a meeting.  As you see from the link, it’s located a few blocks from NY Penn Station, is available at night for $125, and has several island tables so that we can split up into groups and reconvene.  Also - it has plenty of white boards for writing on the walls, internet access, bathrooms, basic coffee/tea capability and nice views. 

This room is currently available on the 15th and 16th of February (Monday or Tuesday).  We need to book it ASAP - but I’d like to hear from anyone out there if you can get us into an alternative meeting space for free.  Perhaps through your community group, church or university.  $125 saved is like $125 donated.

Meeting Agenda

The Second NYC Focus Fusion Society Meeting is designed to be fun, yet effective and functional.  In this meeting, we will brainstorm the following topics (Don’t be overwhelmed.  This is a meta brainstorm about what we can brainstorm about.  No penalty if we don’t get to cover it all.):

• Nonprofit Organization - How do we build an effective, pioneering nonprofit with the unique goal that we have?
• Strategy - What strategies should we adopt?
• Fundraising - How do we raise some serious funds?  I hear someone wants to put on an opera for fusion.
• Volunteers and Members - How do we increase genuine membership?  How do we best deploy and coordinate the activities of members?
• FFS Website - How do we develop the FFS website to support socio-economic-fundraising for research goals?
• DPF Website - How do we develop the DPF website to support researchers communication and data needs?
• Educational and Documentary projects - How do we assemble and organize the skills and expertise to develop quality educational materials and documentaries?
• Other Projects - How do we divide our goals into projects (Advocacy, Building Awareness, Collaboration…oh my!  What else?)
• Podcasting - we need to start one.  If you have the equipment to host one - bring it and we’ll have our first strategy meeting podcast-ified.
• Add your own item. 

The objective of this meeting is to get all our ideas out on the table (brainSTORM!).

If we have time, we’d also like to begin matching ideas with specific champions (e.g. people) and resources - or see what we need in terms of people, funds and resources to make the various components happen.

First Step

For now, let’s take it one step at a time.

1. Someone - Perhaps YOU!  - will get back to me on an alternative venue.
2. I’ll book that venue (or the one above) and announce the date/time/place.
3. Enthusiastic members will RSVP!
4. We’ll all show up and have a great time brainstorming!

And…ACTION!