I'm headed up to #bif-6 on the Amtrak to share the SeeClickFix story with business leaders from around the world convening in Providence for a two day event of story-telling and sharing.  As always I'm struck by the ocean vistas seen from the train in North East corridor...I just wish I could have been allowed to bring my bicycle along with me.  I'm looking at you Amtrak and also you average citizen who wants to vote to support my SeeClickFix issue with Amtrak's bike policy.

But back to the mission at hand...I'm here because my good friend Matt Mason recommended me for the event. Matt spoke at BIF last year and says it has had a great impact on his career as a speaker. If you've never heard Matt speak before I suggest buying him a beer and preparing for painful laughter. I'd also keep an eye out for his pirate tales performed live in a city near you.

So what's BIF and who's speaking?

From their website, "The Business Innovation Factory brings partners together to collaborate across traditional boundaries on experiments that deliver transformative, systems-level innovation and address the most pressing problems of our time."

For me this will be a place where I will get to share the SeeClickFix story on stage alongside people I hold great respect for such as author Don Tapscott of Wikinomics fame and Start-Up legend Tony Hsieh of Zappos.  I will also get to reconvene with some old friends that have come-up in the start-up space alongside SeeClickFix such as Jacob Colker, of beextra.org. Jacob and I first met in Miami 2009 when we competed for and both won the WeMedia Pitch-it Competition. Since then we have looked to each other for advice as well as friendship in the sometimes chaotic start-up environment.

At Bif6 I will share the founding story of SeeClickFix and how the timing of our business has been positioned well within the rise of an open government movement, a hyper-local news movement and increasing desire by citizens to participate in their communities in a more actionable and meaningful way.

I may also take the time to report a few SeeClickFix issues in Providence alongside our other users in Providence. Check out the SeeClickFix Providence page here: http://seeclickfix.com/providence

Hopefully Providence is ready for New Haven...I'm tempted to wear my favorite t-shirt on stage.