Support Hustle 4 a Cure

In support of our friends Rajat & Jenny Shah, TST is excited to be part of their efforts to raise money to find a cure for Rett syndrome by donating time and expertise to help with online marketing for the Sejal Madeline Shah Fund.

The 2nd Annual Hustle 4 a Cure benefit will be on Friday, June 18th, 2010 at the Seneca Niagara Casino & Hotel. Come disco the night away while raising money for this important cause.

For more information on Rett syndrome, information on upcoming fundraisers, and to donate online please visit www.hustle4acure.com.

TST to sponsor NY Campaigns and Government Online Seminar

NY GOP Conference will Feature Nationally-Renowned Political Technology Firms

New York Republican State Committee Chairman Joseph N. Mondello and Upstate Coordinator Henry F. Wojtaszek today announced the 2009 NY Politics Online Seminar, a first-ever conference dedicated to ensuring Republican elected officials and campaigns from around the state are educated and trained in the latest cutting-edge technologies available. The conference will be held on Tuesday, May 19^th in Albany. “This is exactly the kind of training that our elected officials, candidates and local organizations need to effectively communicate with the public. It is the right idea at the right time, and it will make Republicans more effective in making government work for the families and businesses of this state,” said Chairman Mondello.

Event organizer Chairman Wojtaszek said, “Utilizing the latest online technology is critical if the Republican Party is going to turn itself around and start winning races again in New York State. There are new innovations every day that could improve our ability to communicate with the public, optimize our turnout operations on Election Day, and raise money for our candidates, and we need to make sure everyone is utilizing them. We are launching this online seminar to bring our party to the leading edge, unlock the potential of new technology, and win elections.”

Chairman Wojtaszek is spearheading the seminar effort and has already lined up numerous conference participants, which will include a mix of both nationally-known and locally-owned and operated firms. Thus far, speakers and presenters at the seminar include:

Campaign Solutions – An industry leader in online politics and public affairs for over a decade, Campaign Solutions specializes in online fundraising and advertising and has experience in all levels of campaigning, from presidential to local races. The company has raised more money on the Internet than any other political firm and raised the first online contribution in history.

First Tuesday in November – A new and rapidly-growing firm, First Tuesday in November patented an online system for identifying, contacting, and tracking voters in real time. The system has revolutionized Get-Out-The-Vote (GOTV) programs around the country.

PoliticalMedia.com – Coupling advanced technological solutions with cutting-edge creative design, the firm produces web animations and viral videos, integrates new Internet social networking sites into campaigns, and provides other services including blog infiltration, interactive website design, and online advertising.

Targeted Creative Communications (TC²) – TC² is a political advertising firm that provides candidates with superior direct mail, targeting, and campaign strategy. The firm integrates cutting-edge commercial marketing techniques into political advertising and has produced award-winning advertising in nearly every state.

FLS Connect – Specializing in telephone-based voter contact, fundraising, and issue management, FLS Connect has clients in all 50 states that have included: five presidential campaigns, Members of Congress, national and state party committees, statewide and local candidates, and private sector organizations.

The Solution Tree – Based in Western New York, the company unites expertise in graphic design, photography, and web design to provide business and marketing solutions for smaller, community-based clients. The company creates unique and effective websites that integrate social networking systems, contact management databases, email marketing and viral networking for political campaigns.

CampaignBase.com – Based in Syracuse, the company specializes in information management solutions that enable political campaigns – even those that are not well-funded – to take advantage of the latest Internet technologies and tools.

CBF Strategies – Based in Staten Island, the firm’s patented new “Visual Voter” technology integrates interactive mapping with database systems to allow political campaigns to target voters and improve their strategic advertising.

Janelle Bonanno- Janelle Bonanno is currently a law student at New York Law School where she is the President of the Republican Law Student Association. Janelle has been an active leader in online Republican communications, most recently breaking new ground by Twittering live throughout the Republican State Dinner.

Additional presenters will be added. The event is only open to registered Republican activists and candidates. Those individuals interested in attending the conference should contact their local county chair. Contacts for local county chairs can be found at www.nygop.org. The limited space is filling up fast and will be filled on a first-come, first-serve basis.

For more details visit www.niagaracountygop.com.

You're invited to network!

The Solution Tree is now on Facebook. Join as a supporter, write a review, and let OUR fans know about YOUR business. It is easy to do...just click here: The Solution Tree Fan Page.

Start a Website Business

On Wednesday, New York State's top economic development official and CEO of M&T Bank Corp., Robert G. Wilmers, spoke to over 125 venture capitalists about our current economic situation. Wilmers discussed the difficult challenges facing Western New York and noted that "the recession will last for a long time."

It looks as though 2009 is going to be a tough year economically but at TST we believe that along with adversity comes opportunity.

Adversity has the effect of eliciting talents which in prosperous circumstances would have lain dormant (Horace).

What was Wilmers advice? He encouraged his listeners to each start a Website business saying that “One of you might be the next Amazon.”

We couldn't agree more!

To read more on Wilmer's speech view article here:
http://www.buffalonews.com/145/story/511840.htmlI

Nurturing Minds in Africa

We recently received the following message from a good friend of Marnie's:

Polly Dolan has been in Africa for about a decade now. Previously, she was working for CARE, but she is currently working on her own personal project. She was alarmed by the fact that the state of education in Tanzania in particular is deplorable, and those who suffer the most from this fact are girls. Only 20% of Tanzanian citizens attend secondary school. Polly decided to focus on girls not only because they are given far fewer opportunities than boys, but also because of the reality that women can have a profound influence on their family, which has a ripple effect on society as a whole. It is for this reason that she has been working tirelessly on building a boarding school for girls in Morogoro, Tanzania.

Currently, she has 30 girls enrolled in the Sega Secondary School for Girls, where the girls are learning leadership skills, social responsibility, environmental care. The curriculum is based on experiential learning and stresses decision-making and life skills, strengthening self esteem, business and financial management for self-reliance, on-site activities in life science, horticulture, forestry, civic responsibility and democratic processes...

As of now, the school is open as a day school but once phase II of the construction is complete, in 2010, they plan to open for boarders. Until now, Polly has basically been bankrolling the project herself. However, at this stage she is ready to (and must) begin fundraising in earnest. Currently, Penn State has an exhibit of photos taken at the school, in their Brandywine Library. Obviously a big component of the fundraising effort is to promote awareness. Please visit the website, and if you have a few minutes, watch the video:
http://www.nurturingmindsinafrica.org/

What a terrific idea for corporate gift giving this holiday season! You may donate from that page, and print out the receipt and give it to your gift recipient as proof of your thoughtful generosity, or you can email Polly (pollydolan@iwayafrica.com) and she can send you a special gift receipt. I bet your friends & family don't need another pair of slippers as badly as a 12-yr-old Tanzanian girl needs the only way out of a bleak future.

Thanks for opening your heart.

All our best,
Marnie & Lesa