Adam ‘Jax Daws’ Lotia is guest blogging about the bigBANG! 2011 Spark Lounge.  He is currently employed at the AT&T Foundry in Plano.  He graduated from UTD Spring 2011.

So what does it mean to spark and to create a bang at the BigBANG? It means paying a visit to the Spark Lounge! The lounge is where bigBANG! attendees learned about what the greatest, newest and fastest online tools. And how to leverage them for social good.

We are all aware of Twitter, Youtube and Google; but what’s the next big thing? Where are all of the people going, talking, interacting? The answers to these questions and many more were provided by specialists in this field. Think about these specialists as the fun firecracker Sparklers we all know and love.

Many of the Sparklers came from The University of Texas at Dallas’ Emerging Media and Communication program (emac for short). These students are studying social media, networks, and how the online world works. They know, where, how and when things will happen online. These Sparklers are powerful knowledge bases of information that everyone who came to the lounge benefited from their help.

Check out the Spark Lounge menu.  This was the launching pad for numerous conversations about social media, online giving, website building and more.

Next time you feel lost and overwhelmed with google’s new tool or where to start on a blog remember you have access to these great talented folks who are happy to help with a smile on their face and a limitless knowledge.  Feel free to reach out to me, Adam, and I can connect you with available students.  Their rates are competitive and they love to share their knowledge.  Shown above is emac student Bradley Griffith with a bigBANG! attendee.

Good Morning bigBANG! 2011 attendees, sponsors and volunteers!

Thank you to all of you for your positive feedback and support for bigBANG! 2011. As we announced on the blog and in several post event emails, the time is almost up to tap into the the Communities Foundation of Texas bigBANG! pool of matching money.

This $10,000 pool will be percentage matched against number and amount associated with donations via the bigBANG! and CFT DonorBridge portal. Please take a few moments to check out the Time Warner Cable commercial and make a contribution to one of the eligible organizations.You will see you also have access to their business prospectuses and the videos of their presentations at bigBANG! 2011.

Please reach out if you have any questions.  The deadline for gifts to be matched is midnight on August 17,  or two months after our June 17 event.  Remember, gifts must go through the portal to be tracked and matched.

Thank You!

-  Your friends at DSVP

Barbra Anderson, Travelocity from DallasSVP on Vimeo.

Travelocity is committed to the belief, “Better travel, better world.” The company feels that travel is the lifeblood that connects nations, people and businesses and the gift of travel comes with a responsibility. In 2006, this Sabre Holdings company founded its groundbreaking Travel for Good® program, which seeks to make the world a better place, one trip at a time. Every year Travelocity awards eight $5,000 Travel for Good volunteer vacation grants to deserving Americans who have demonstrated long-term commitments to community service. To date, the company has sponsored more than 50 people who combined have donated more than 2,000 hours to destinations in need around the world.  Download the prospectus.  Watch the video.

Vickie Yakunin, Time Warner Cable from DallasSVP on Vimeo.

Time Warner Cable’s (TWC) Connect a Million Minds (CAMM) is a five-year, $100 million cash and in-kind philanthropic initiative designed to address America’s declining proficiency in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), which puts our children at risk of not competing successfully in a global economy. Using its media assets, TWC creates awareness of the issue and inspires students to develop the STEM skills they need to become the problem solvers of tomorrow.  Download the prospectus.  Watch the video.

Trisha Cunningham, Texas Instruments from DallasSVP on Vimeo.

Texas Instruments believes that strong companies build strong communities, and strong communities build strong companies – this belief that started with TI founders more than 80 years ago and continues in TI locations around the world today.  TI’s commitment to building a better future is ingrained in everything TI does in the communities it serves — making sustainable contributions to society, investing to improve education and giving back as leaders and volunteers.  Download the prospectus.  Watch the video.

Pepsico Revised from DallasSVP on Vimeo.

PepsiCo Food for Good!  PepsiCo is a unique innovator in the CSR space, combining the entrepreneurial talent of their employees and social business issues such as childhood hunger. This summer, PepsiCo will oversee distribution of 500,000 meals to children at risk in Dallas and Chicago, touching some of the 19 million children nationwide who depend on government subsidized meal programs.  PepsiCo’s program is a creative way to engage local nonprofits, government and the passion of the PepsiCo associates.  Download the prospectus.  Watch the video.

Crayton Webb, Mary Kay from DallasSVP on Vimeo.

Mary Kay is one of the world’s largest direct selling companies with more than $2.5 billion in annual wholesale sales and more than 2 million people of all backgrounds selling Mary Kay in more than 35 countries around the world.   Mary Kay was founded in 1963 by Mary Kay Ash with the goal of enriching women’s lives and on the principle of the Golden Rule—treat others as you would like to be treated.  She emphasized the importance of giving back.  That’s why Mary Kay is committed to changing the lives of women and children around the world.  It’s part of the Mary Kay heritage.  In the U.S. Mary Kay is focused on preventing and ending the horrific cycle of domestic violence.  For nearly 50 years, Mary Kay has remained committed to doing well by doing good. Some know it as Corporate Social Responsibility. Mary Kay calls it “Pink Changing Lives.”  Download the prospectus.  Watch the video.

Hind Jarrah, Texas Muslum Women’s Foundation from DallasSVP on Vimeo.

Texas Muslim Women’s Foundation -  The Texas Muslim Women’s Foundation, Inc. (TMWF) was founded in 2005 with the mission to empower, promote, and support women and their families through education, outreach, philanthropy and social services. It is a multi-faceted organization that provides civic and other volunteer opportunities for the youth, provides education and interfaith dialogue to the community, which now reaches approximately 800 people each year. TMWF provides domestic violence programming and relief services specifically targeting an underserved population of Muslim women and children in the greater Dallas area that faces numerous barriers (language, culture, dietary) to accessing services. A very important component of the TMWF program is extensive community education for both mainstream domestic violence service providers and Islamic organizations about the special needs of this population of victims. In December 2010, TMWF was honored for these efforts by the Dallas Peace Center as the 2010 Peacemaking Organization of the Year.  Download the prospectus.  Watch the video.  GIVE NOW!

Bette Buschow, Resolana from DallasSVP on Vimeo.

Resolana is a community-based nonprofit with a mission of educating and empowering incarcerated women.  Resolana has built a supportive social learning community behind the walls of Dallas County Jail where women can utilize their time in custody productively, acquiring skills and resources to help them successfully reintegrate with their families and communities.  Resolana’s holistic gender- specific program is designed to address the core issues and risk factors underlying women’s substance abuse and criminal justice involvement.  Download the prospectus.  Watch the video.  GIVE NOW!

Toni Hill, Letot Girls Residential Treatment Center from DallasSVP on Vimeo.

Letot Girls’ Center - Domestic human trafficking has been misunderstood and overlooked. The FBI named Dallas and Houston as two of the 14 cities in the nation with the highest incidence of commercial sexual exploitation of children.  An estimated 400 girls are on the streets of Dallas County any given night. To fully address the critical and unique needs of exploited girls and their families in Dallas County, Letot Center will create a Girls’ Residential Treatment Center. Designed and developed specifically for girls ages 13 – 17, treatment will address issues unique to girls – extreme abuse, prostitution and abandonment – through a highly structured, long-term residential program which can serve up to 96 girls at a time.  The Girls Center will be housed in a new two-story, 55,000 square foot, $8.7 million facility which will be located on the corner of Denton Drive and Lombardy, adjacent to the existing Letot Center. The property was purchased by Dallas County from the Dallas Independent School District specifically for Girls’ Center.  A campaign has been undertaken by the Letot Center Capital Foundation and, to date, has raise more than $2 million.  When completed, the facility will be turned over to Dallas County and the Juvenile Department will provide for the Girls’ Centers’ estimated $2.25 million annual operating budget and building maintenance.  Download the prospectus.  Watch the video.