Silicon Valley is hosting a Japanese Tanabata Festival tomorrow at the Plug-and-Play Center in Sunnyvale. Tanabata Festivals celebrate the legend of Orihime and Hikoboshi whose love was denied when they were turned to Stars (Vega and Altair) separated by the Milky Way. Only allowed to cross the river of stars and meet one night of the year on the seventh night of the seventh month, that night’s reunion now marks a celebration of hopes and dreams fulfilled.
Customarily Tanabata participants write their wishes and dreams on colorful strips of paper called Tanzaku that are attached as decorations to bamboo trees. The Silicon Valley Tanabata Festival will be fostering the hopes and dreams of Silicon Valley entrepreneurs, who can tie their wishes to bamboo stalks, which as the fastest growing and among the most versatile of plants, offer a suitable symbol for the aspirations of high-minded entrepreneurs.
Renee Blodgett is the founder of We Blog the World. The site combines the magic of an online culture and travel magazine with a global blog network and has contributors from every continent in the world. Having lived in 10 countries and explored nearly 80, she is an avid traveler, and a lover, observer and participant in cultural diversity.
She is also the CEO and founder of Magic Sauce Media, a new media services consultancy focused on viral marketing, social media, branding, events and PR. For over 20 years, she has helped companies from 12 countries get traction in the market. Known for her global and organic approach to product and corporate launches, Renee practices what she pitches and as an active user of social media, she helps clients navigate digital waters from around the world. Renee has been blogging for over 16 years and regularly writes on her personal blog Down the Avenue, Huffington Post, BlogHer, We Blog the World and other sites. She was ranked #12 Social Media Influencer by Forbes Magazine and is listed as a new media influencer and game changer on various sites and books on the new media revolution. In 2013, she was listed as the 6th most influential woman in social media by Forbes Magazine on a Top 20 List.
Her passion for art, storytelling and photography led to the launch of Magic Sauce Photography, which is a visual extension of her writing, the result of which has led to producing six photo books: Galapagos Islands, London, South Africa, Rome, Urbanization and Ecuador.
Renee is also the co-founder of Traveling Geeks, an initiative that brings entrepreneurs, thought leaders, bloggers, creators, curators and influencers to other countries to share and learn from peers, governments, corporations, and the general public in order to educate, share, evaluate, and promote innovative technologies.
