Brian Raney
This site is a compilation of my web presence. My life is:
1. running businesses - I run a software company called APAX Software and more recently founded a business accelerator called Awesome Inc that focuses on three topics - creativity, technology, startus.
2. soccer - I coach an 11 year old boys team for LFC. I also play for fun.
3. friends / family - I don't spend as much time with these people as I would like to, but hopefully someday I will and they will understand (actually they are already very understanding).
About Me- @ brianraney twitter stream
- My Blog - takeitupalevel.com
- My Facebook
- My LinkedIn
- Awesome Inc.
- My Flickr Photos
- My YouTube
- Contact
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About Me
- Brian Raney, age 29, is an entrepreneur currently working on one startup and managing 2 other ventures. He began his entrepreneurial career while in college by building BookExchange.com, his first startup. This company started off serving University of Kentucky students but now serves a dozen campuses across the nation.
After college Brian went on to start APAX Software, a software firm specializing in mobile and web based applications. APAX had great success in its first year stimulating the launch of Awesome Inc, a business accelerator in downtown Lexington, KY. Awesome Inc focuses on helping individuals with high tech or creative ideas turn those ideas into companies by providing space, mentorship, and other resources that enable startups to move faster and make fewer mistakes.
Currently, Brian is working with an Awesome Inc spin off called BuildingLayer, an indoor map company. BuildingLayer focuses on creating maps and wayfinding solutions for complex indoor buildings such as hospitals, airports, and malls. It's like Google Maps for indoors. Brian is a co-founder of this company and serves as COO.
Brian also coaches youth soccer for Lexington Football Club and is a part time instructor of Economics for local universities. He is involved with the following organizations: Young Entrepreneurs of Lexington, the Kentucky Entrepreneur Hall of Fame, Startup Weekend, Social Media Club, and Southland Christian Church.
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Tweets
- rt @ awesome_inc The Team Alpha cookout and volleyball game were great! http://t.co/czDr48ll
- rt @awesome_inc Everybody give @allister_litt a big welcome to Team Alpha! Good to have you on the Team!
- @daniel_johnsen @AeroSuch love that site. And agree...it's probably conservative.
- RT @awesome_inc: Everybody check out @AeroSuch at the open CKIC meeting tonight, 5/1/2012, at 6:30 http://t.co/3H3FtgZr
- rt @awesome_inc Awesome Inc.'s own Scott Wagner & Evan Leach win Student Venture Challenge! Congratulations! http://t.co/GGEuY8O3
- check it RT @awesome_inc: Information about tomorrow's 5 Across meeting here: http://t.co/la0msP2Q
- hardcore kickball team pic http://t.co/5DmuHeiO. cc @AeroSuch @KristaAnnaO @LaurenJanesz @theresehe7 @rleskiv @Kath_a_rine
- rt @mxnation Check out the keynote at MobileX by Sean Shadmand from @socialize. http://t.co/PbYdizKv cc @sshadmand @awesome_inc #mxlex
- thanks! RT @saranyan: What a day it was. Great job @awesome_inc @brianraney for organizing such a warm conf! look forward being back. #mxlex
- MobileX speakers like ky ale. http://t.co/f41QRbrR cc @awesome_inc @saranyan @brendanlim @KerryCarter8 @tonypham #mxlex
- Listening to @brendanlim talk about his experience at Y Combinator http://t.co/Eg7gYQdo
- #mobileX speaker @KerryCarter8 talks about merging lessons learned in the NFL with running a mobile company. http://t.co/m9io8VLA #mxlex
- "Mobile devices are the hot girl that everyone wants to ask to dance." #mxlex keynote @sshadmand
- RT @mXnation Today is the last day to get your mobileX tickets at the standard rate! http://t.co/agEfYy94
- RT @aerosuch: Uneventful (yet more common) stories you won't hear on #LexingtonPoliceScanner: fans pose with police for friendly pic...
- @nihalmehta #horses indeed. #gobigblue. Just leaving downtown NOLA now. http://t.co/tfhpYarU cc @aerosuch @joshsambob @bobmattax
- Even in NOLA it's true- #louisvilledoesntexist. http://t.co/4bFOgv4c
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Posts
- May 19, 12
In no particular order, below are my top six goals for 2012…I tried to make all of these goals SMART goals (thanks to my mentor: Lou Allegra). Specific Measurable Attainable Relevant Time Bound 1. Start or accelerate 20 companies – More on this goal in a future blog post. The basics – Awesome Inc will ...
- May 19, 12
Entrepreneurial Communities, How to pitch a VC, Customer Development. These were a few of the topics that were discussed at the Techstars Network Conference in Las Vegas last weekend. This was a gold mine, for an entrepreneur in his 20’s (since I turn 30 this week, I’m using that phrase ...
- May 19, 12
About four years ago I had a meeting with Dr. Todd about a business idea. During that meeting, I discussed with him two options I had as I finished my graduate degree from UK. Down one path was a steady programming job, a solid income, and all the comfort that ...
- May 19, 12
I recently reached out to Paul Graham to inquire about speaking at a mobile tech conference Awesome Inc is hosting called mobileX. For those who don’t know, Paul Graham is the founder of Y-Combinator. He’s like the Chris Berman (ESPN) of sports, but for tech startups. Some ...
- May 19, 12
We have a lot of codes, rules, and culture stories at Awesome Inc. We have the public favorite, rule #4: "always do something awesome over something not awesome". We have our soundtrack that includes the song, the other song, the thing and number 3. We have some ...
- May 19, 12
Today was one of those days where I realized how filled with awesome my life is. I have the best friends, the best job, and pretty much get to do the all the best stuff. I started my day bright and early (around 11 am). Went to lunch at Joe Bologna's ...
- May 19, 12
One of the pictures on the break room wall at Awesome Inc is of Tom Perkins. I would speculate that most of my friends don’t know of Tom Perkins. Most of them probably don’t even know of his venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, (KPCB) which happens to ...
- May 19, 12
By Brian Raney Startup Weekend is coming to Lexington for the 2nd year in a row on Nov 20-22, 2009. Startup Weekend is a 54 hour startup event that provides networking, resources, and incentives for individuals and teams to go from idea to launch. It is all about building ...
- May 19, 12
What I learned from hosting the Awesome Inc Mobile miniConference: 1. Plan further ahead and on the proper date – Everyone says this all the time, I know. But we decided to throw this conference just 2 months before the event went off. Certain things such as sponsorship, panels of speakers, ...
- May 19, 12
The first Awesome Inc Mobile miniConference is complete. The conference was a huge success. We had over 100 people attend and 10 speakers from CA, Georgia, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Ohio, and Kentucky (plus one video conference from Israel). The conference included 2 keynote speakers, an iPhone development workshop, a pitch contest, ...
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Status
- Accelerators need to be transparent with their results #swsw #accelerate
- Hey Facebooks: need your help identifying the top sports movies that are ultra motivational...got any ideas for me?
- #OH at Christmas by my Mom - "let's red laser it to get more info". So proud.
- Last night I had an orchestra playing right outside my apartment That was enjoyable. Tonight - a housemusic concert...not so enjoyable. I wonder the price to make them stop?
- #OH at #OH at AwesomeTouch satellite office - "not sure if you want 'lol' on your customer tear sheet." cc Awesome Inc Betaspring-Summer2011
- FLL -> LEX
- LEX -> FLL
- just checked out the@AwesomeTouch screen at the Hilton in downtown Lex...congrats to @AeroSuch and team. http://ow.ly/i/9jbj
- #OH at family thanksgiving..."you guys might like these veggie sticks"...my brother's response - "I doubt it"
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Info
- Internet | Lexington, Kentucky Area, USExperience
- 2011 - PresentCOO & co-founder / BuildingLayer
- Aug 2010 - PresentCOO & co-founder / AwesomeTouch
- Sept 2008 - PresentCEO / APAX Software
- Jan 2008 - PresentFounder / Awesome IncAwesome Inc is a business incubator/accelerator located in Lexington, KY with a focus on three things: 1. Startups 2. High Tech 3. Creatives Awesome Inc also serves as a venue/studio for entrepreneurs and creatives at night offering a dance studio, art studio, hackerspace, meeting rooms, and events venue.
- Oct 2008 - Nov 2011Organizer for Lexington, KY / Startup WeekendOrganized Startup Weekend events for Lexington, KY. 54-hour events for start-ups, entrepreneurs, biz devs, designers, and developers all working to create companies and products in one weekend. www.startupweekend.org
- Jan 2009 - Mar 2009Instructor / Asbury College
- Feb 2007 - Oct 2008Owner / SFENITY Software DevelopmentSFENITY Software Development merged with APAX Software Development in October, 2008.
- Jan 2007 - May 2008Instructor / KCTCS
- Jan 2007 - May 2007Instructor / Transylvania
- Jan 2002 - Mar 2007Research and Instructional Technology / Department of Communication
- Dec 2004 - Jan 2007Founder / BookExchange.com
- Aug 2005 - Dec 2006Teaching Assistant / Department of Economics
- May 2001 - Aug 2001Database Manager / GE Capital
Education-
2005 - 2006University of KentuckyMS in Economics
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2001 - 2005University of KentuckyBS in Computer Science
Additional Information-
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