[TheVOICE] DMV Roundup: Students, Charity, Hackathon & Optimism

A lot is going on in Washington D.C., Maryland and Virginia with startups, business owners and entrepreneurs. It is a great place to be an entrepreneur. Here are some great articles you should read from the week of November 11, 2012.

• Why is the DMV a Great Place to be an Entrepreneur? [ANSWERS] – (DMV CEO) – Dana Taylor of Intelligent Ethos explains why the DMV is a good place to be an entrepreneur.
• 10 Thriving Startup Companies in the DMV – (DMV CEO) 10 Startup Companies that you should know if D.C., Maryland and Virginia.
• Blackboard’s departing founder, an opportunist who made his own luck – (Washington Post) – As the Blackboard founder leaves, the author provides a look at his life and success.
• National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce Celebrates 10 Years – (Georgtown Dish) – Friday, November 16, 2012 was proclaimed ‘National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce Day’ in the nation’s Capital by Mayor Vincent Gray.
• 3 DCWEEK Tech Cocktail Winners Represent the Innovation and Diversity of the DC Startup Scene – (Tech Cocktail) – Washington DC startups Encore, JetJoose, and Eventstir were named DCWEEK Winners at Tech Cocktail’s DCWEEK Mixer & Startup Showcase last Thursday.
• GU to Sponsor First Hackathon – (The Hoya) – This weekend, students, alumni, faculty and staff will participate in Georgetown’s first Hackathon, an idea development and implementation session.
• Entrepreneurship Day Promotes Student Innovation – (The Hoya) – More than 300 people attended the third Georgetown Entrepreneurship Day Nov. 9. The event, which was sponsored by the Georgetown Entrepreneurship Initiative, the Hoya Challenge and the MBA Entrepreneurship Club, provided students with the opportunity to reach out to business owners in the D.C. community.
• Rockville startup for entrepreneur match-ups wins state contest – (Gazette.net) – CoFoundersLab advances in InvestMaryland Challenge.
• Washington, D.C., Small Business Owners Continue to Be Optimistic About 2013 – (Bank of America) – The survey, which includes an oversampling of small business owners across the Greater Washington market, found that the majority of Greater Washington’s small business owners are planning on sustaining or growing their business over the next 12 months.
• UMD-Based VentureBoard Makes it Easier for Students to Connect, Build, and Launch Their Very Own Startup (In the Capital) – With the use of VentureBoard, students have the ability to  ”create profiles, build teams, and collaborate on the beginnings of great companies embarking on the new venture creation process with specially designed tools and educational resources when they are needed the most.”
• Startup Virginia to Host ‘Pitch for Charity' Event in Arlington (Arlington Patch) – Twenty businesses will have a chance to give a 1-minute pitch for cash, space and mentoring.
• Student Start-Ups: Economic Boom or an Economic Bust – (The Hilltop) – Students looking to make a little extra money may turn to selling candy out of dorm rooms, doing hair, or getting a part-time job. However, other students with high economic aspirations may look to make bigger investments and start businesses.