A newly formed group called Penn Timebankhas a cool way of incentivizing you to help someone out. The idea is simple: it acts as an alternative currency where you give time to get time. So every hour you volunteer, you earn an hour of someone else’s time in the network.
Penn Timebank was recently granted $1,000 by Kelly Writer’s House and is hosting “an exchange afternoon” this Saturday. Drop by to learn how to make mochi and dumplings, dance, play guitar or ukelele, and more. You might just have a shot at being the next ukulele sensation after this guy (which is just as likely as you still having a perfect bracket).
For those avid UTB readers out there, you might remember a post from last year about a group of Engineers who were fed up with doing the business students’ grunt work and decided to fight back the only way they knew how…with their computers. Whartonite Seeks Code Monkey was created to put those tech-challenged Wharton students back in their place (the much more conveniently located Huntsman Hall) and glorify in their electronically based superiority, as Wharton students had the tendency to take the recognition for their tech-y startups that the engineers did most of the coding for.
Flash forward to 2012 where one Wharton student has learned the coding skills to back up his lofty start-up goals. Meet Whartonite Turned Code Money, who, in addition to giving us one of the best pictures of Donald Trump the internet could provide (here’s a close second), might be the savior Penn has been looking for to end the feud none of us have been paying that much attention to.
Our days on the struggle bus in search of wall outlets for our electronic devices may soon come to an end. Thanks to Penn ’11 grad Meredith Perry and the technology from her new startupuBeam, we won’t need to plug in our gadgets in order to charge them: this new technology has opened up the realm of wireless power. Perry’s company recently gained the investment support of Crunchfund, Google VP Marissa Mayer and Zappos co-founder Tony Hsieh (among others), who have granted her nearly one mill to fund her idea, as Business Insiderreports.
“But how does it work!?” you scream. Science! See, it functions by sending electric currents through open air. Much like lightning, one must be careful not to carry any metal objects on or near their person for fear of being electrocuted. Rubber mittens and top hats will be issued as a university-wide precaution. (Just kidding.)
Beyond the new funding and investors, Perry has not disclosed much more about the company, including whether or not our university will receive previously stated neat apparel. After all, our fashion trends could use some diversity.
Many of us have wondered what our CIS students end up doing in 10 years. (Many of us also wonder what a CIS student is?) It turns out these computer-gifted tykes we often see dragging through the Towne Building after a long night at the monitor often find their way to the top of their own totem pole after graduation– rather than another company’s. And Penn may be the part of the reason.
As BetaBeatreports, Penn’s students surpass those at Harvard when it comes to tech-fuelled entrepreneurship. That’s right: Penn, as well as MIT, Stanford, Columbia, and even NYU have prospective students looking at Harvard with skepticism. Penn, referred to as the “red-headed stepchild of the Ivy League,” (zing, but not really) has a strong alumni network in the flourishing tech scene in New York that supports Penn grads in their efforts to create startups. So what’s Harvard been up to in the meantime?
Introducing Meddik, the fun, new and easy startup for all your hypochondriac needs. Founded by Tim Soo (of invisible instrument fame) and Benjamin Shyong (of Boba Bros and µWave), this site gathers medical information from all over the web to give users better and more personalized access to understanding their health.
The site’s already nabbed $750 grand in its developing stages, and Soo tells TechCrunch that he hopes the site will cater “personalized, aggregated public and academic information, traditional and alternative remedies, in an effort to not just find a good answer to your health questions, but find the right answer.” Basically, it’s like an improved WebMD that aggregates information from across various health media instead of writing its own.
So no more mistaking your headaches for brain cancer.
You think you fancy because you landed a sweet internship this summer? That’s cool, but it ain’t being begged to drop out and start working for someone. Business Insider published an article today about College sophomore Dan Shipper, who, according to his personal website, has developed five tech startups since 2007. Given Dan’s impressive resume, he’s been recruited by several tech companies. 42Floors went balls out and published an open letter to Dan asking him to quit Penn and work for them. Read the letter after the jump:
For many recent Penn grads, it’s been a journey from Beige Block to Silicon Alley. A recent article from Business Insider recognizes a certain league of bros, mainly from ZBT, that have gone on to run tech startups in New York.
From the CEO of Groupon to the founders of the Webby Awards and Trendabl, it’s as if there isn’t a corner of the interwebz that Penn grads haven’t yet appropriated. Time will tell if the next installment of this list will acknowledge Circl.es, the glaring omission from the roundup. In the meanwhile, secret handshake time!
Flocking, the popular act of placing groups of pink plastic flamingoes in front lawns, is about to get a lot easier thanks to some Penn kids. This annoyingly catchy video highlights the conveniences of flockyourfriends.com, a site that will orchestrate the whole operation for you. It’s just perfect for your Great Uncle Joe or your Best Pal Tom! Wait, is that a certain President of Mars we spot?
Well, looks like Penn’s most legally-questionable alcohol delivery startup (what isn’t a startup these days?) finally collapsed, probably because the whole business scheme “broke tons of laws” and “didn’t have a liquor license” and stuff. Looks like you’ll have to get your booze from one of Pennsylvania’s Prohibition-era state-run liquor stores. Sorry, y’all. Pronto, where you at?
In any case, the site indicates that PennDelivers will still be delivering groceries and other items. Snore. Welp, better stock up now for tomorrow.
Does Silicon Valley want Wharton or does Wharton want Silicon Valley? Hard to say. But now that Wharton’s West Coast campus is big and pretty and fancy, the two are getting cozy, as Bloomberg reports.
Wharton’s Executive MBA program, for businesspeople who want to learn more business during their weekends, has a branch at the San Francisco campus now, for easy access to America’s technology epicenter. It’s not clear what a stronger West Coast presence will bring to Wharton, besides better weather.
Our days on the struggle bus in search of wall outlets for our electronic devices may soon come to an end. Thanks to Penn ’11 grad Meredith Perry and the technology from her new 
Many of us have wondered what our CIS students end up doing in 10 years. (Many of us also wonder what a CIS student is?) It turns out these computer-gifted tykes we often see dragging through the Towne Building after a long night at the monitor often find their way to the top of their own totem pole after graduation– rather than another company’s. And Penn may be the part of the reason.
You think you 
For many recent Penn grads, it’s been a journey from Beige Block to Silicon Alley. 
Well, looks like Penn’s most legally-questionable 