Welcome to cred’s New HQ!

After four WeWork locations and much anticipation, we are excited to introduce you to our new credHQ! Nestled at 49 Geary in the heart of San Francisco’s Financial District, our office joins the company of a diverse group of prestigious art galleries, tech, and design professionals all in one building. 

Over the course of eight months, our team put a lot of thought, energy, and time into finding and curating a space that reflects who we are and the values of our organization. From our kitchen to our conference rooms, we had the opportunity to build and design the space to fit our needs from the ground up. Huge thanks to Braun + Adams and Peacock Construction for making it possible.

Our open floor plan makes room for much collaboration across teams—from our speaker management and event management teams, to our team of four-legged mascots Gunnar, Lucy, and Chloe! 

Devoted to all things events, we named our conference rooms after something close to our hearts: the many stages our clients speak on! You can find us having meetings on the Mainstage, Breakout Stage, or Green Room.

Our new office marks an exciting chapter in cred’s growth. We look forward to welcoming clients and candidates to a space that mirrors how far we’ve come and the journey ahead.

SXSW 2020 PanelPicker is Live: It’s Time to Vote!

Last year, cred was one of 73,716 attendees at SXSW! Along with experiencing all things in music and film at the festival, we got a chance to see our clients Mighetor, Foundation Capital, 500 Startups, Ripple, and Voicea, take the stage to discuss topics ranging from the future of work to AI to blockchain.

How’d they do it? On top of having great content, each session went through a round of public voting on SXSW’s PanelPicker—which opens today! Attendees are given a chance to voice the types of panels, presentations, and workshops they’d like to see during next year’s event. For 2020, cred submitted 16 sessions covering topics such as the future of work and cannabis. Learn more about each of these sessions below. 

Make sure to vote for your favorites before the PanelPicker closes on Friday, August 23!

cred Client: Ceros
Closing the Gap Between IRL and URL Experiences 
Featuring: Getty Images, GumGum, and Boston Content

cred Client: Ripple & Xpring
Blockchain Next Gen: The Rise of the Ecosystem
Featuring: Raised in Space and Coil

cred Client: AnyRoad 
Data x Experiences: Brewing Up Brand Loyalty 
Featuring: Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.

cred Client: Chewse 
The Roots of Connection: Growing a Love Company
Featuring: SnackNation

cred Client: Memzy 
Forgettable, That’s What You Are (Until Now) 

cred Client: Mighteor
Gender Equity in Fundraising: the Candor Clause 
Featuring: Sheets & Giggles and Matchstick Ventures

cred Clients: Hawke Media & Lemonlight 
Blazing Trails: Marketing in the Cannabis Space
Featuring: High Times and Arcadian Fund

cred Client: Ada Health
Creating a World Without Health Inequalities 

cred Client: LiveIntent
The Minority Report Podcast 
Featuring: Posture Media

cred Client: LiveIntent 
How DTC Brands Can Survive the Cookie Apocalypse
Featuring: Wayfair and Rue La La

cred Client: Virta Health 
Reversing Diabetes with Continuous Remote Care 

cred Clients: Sisense & meditation.live 
Why Robots Can’t Replace HR
Featuring: Ike

cred Clients: Voicea & meditation.live 
Work Smarter Not Harder: Finding Focus at Work
Featuring: Don Vaughn, PhD

cred Client: Strava 
Virtual Races, Real Results: The Future of Running
Featuring: New York Road Runners

cred Client: Sisense 
Behind the Scenes of a Major Tech Merger

cred Client: Zume
Packing Away the Plastic: Earth-Saving Solutions
Featuring: Method and The Ocean Foundation

cred Client: Flexport
Using the Global Supply Chain as a Force for Good
Featuring: Cotopaxi and Bombas

Getting to Know You: Meet cred’s Summer Interns

Earlier this month, we introduced you to our summer intern Caraline Pham. Now, we’re excited to introduce you to the two interns who will also be spending their summer here with us at cred: Sheila Tabar and Vyvy Nguyen, both of whom are rising seniors at UC Santa Barbara. Sheila will be joining our speaker management team, and Vyvy will be working alongside our growing event management team. 

Get the scoop on these two new credians.

(Left: Sheila Tabar, Vyvy Nguyen)

cred: Where are you going to school and what are you studying? Why did you choose to study that subject?

Vyvy: I am currently a senior studying Psychology and Communication at UC Santa Barbara. My majors allow me to further my knowledge of interactions between others and myself. 

Sheila: In the fall, I will be starting my senior year at the University of California, Santa Barbara. I am a double major, studying Environmental Science and Political Science! I chose these majors because I love learning the different modes of environmental and political communications to effectively convey messages! 

cred: Can you tell us a bit about yourself?

VN: I was born and raised in the Bay Area and am happy to be home for the summer working with cred! Some of my hobbies include yoga, traveling, and trying new food joints. I love being on-the-go and spending time exploring or hanging with my friends and family.  

ST: I am originally from SF, born and raised! I am so stoked to be back in the city this summer. In my free time, I love powerlifting, going to the beach, and trying new types of food!

cred: What do you want to achieve while interning at cred?

VN: I look forward to pushing myself out of my comfort zone! I’m really excited to learn the ropes of what great event planning looks like. 

ST: I want to further develop my knowledge in the PR field. I am excited to dive deeper into speaker management and enhance client relations with new skills. I am looking forward to assisting with the relationship between speakers and events! 

cred: If you could only eat one food for the rest of your life what would it be?

VN: Pizza. Deep dish, pan crust, thin crust—you name it. 

ST: Garlic noodles! Fire.

cred: Can you give us one interesting fact about yourself?

VN:  In my high school yearbook, for senior superlatives, I was voted “Most Likely to Steal Your Lunch” (no theft involved though, just their way of saying “biggest appetite”). 

ST: I have visited all four major Hawaiian islands! 

cred: What is one thing you want to accomplish in the next five years?

VN: I hope to have a career in marketing/events and have a cute pet cat. 

ST: I would love to be working in the PR industry back home, have my own pet dachshund, and master’s degree in Business! 

Interested in building your career at cred? Learn more about our open positions on AngelList or email Gina King at work@credpr.com with your resume!

Wonder: CreativeMornings San Francisco

This morning, we had the pleasure of attending the Creative Mornings SF June event centered around the theme of “Wonder.” Nestled into the General Assembly SF, we listened to Lea Redmond share her stories and advice of finding positivity in disappointment and rejection. 

Redmond is the founder of The World’s Smallest Post Service. This morning she shared her journey of creating her business and how she combated the ups and downs along the way. Redmond uses prismatic thinking—reframing your thoughts and mindset to lead to a positive outcome–to see any ‘no’ as a huge ‘YES.’  She discussed how prismatic thinking is about finding the good in the bad, or the rainbow on a rainy day. This sort of thinking is what led Redmond to run The World’s Smallest Post Service, launch a sticker line, sell reusable tote bags and even release a book. 

As Redmond said, “If we are able to find delight in being wrong, we are well on our way to seeing new things.” It’s thoughts like these that have kept Redmond going and have pushed her to overcome the no’s. She has taken each no, each rejection, and spun it to make different versions of her goals. Redmond leveraged her creativity to find her own version of success. What Redmond shared with us this morning is that creativity is important, especially in the face of rejection. If we want to pursue what matters and what is meaningful to us, it is important not to settle at no. 

It is this mindset that has pushed Redmond to find joy and success in what she does, and what has inspired other entrepreneurs to advance their businesses. 

Here at cred, we see this sense of wonder from many of our clients and are thrilled to work with them as they continue to inspire the way we think. With a mission to “help people undo the knots in their head,” Muse Co-Founder Ariel Garten empowers the value of reshaping one’s thinking to build a richer life through meditation and “rewriting self-debilitating fake narratives that hold us back.”

Find out where the next CreativeMornings event is happening near you by visiting here and get inspired!

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This credBlog post was written by Caraline Pham, our cred Summer Intern

Getting to Know You: Meet cred’s Summer Intern

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Here at cred, we've experienced a lot of growth, and our intern program is no different. This summer, we're welcoming three new interns to support our speaker and event management teams.

Up first is Caraline Pham, who will be interning with one of our speaker management teams. A native from Boston and rising senior at The University of Wisconsin-Madison, Caraline is excited to learn more about the PR industry and work with an array of clients.

Get to learn more about Caraline in the full interview below.

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cred: Where are you going to school and what are you studying? Why did you choose to study that subject?

Caraline Pham: I am a rising senior at The University of Wisconsin-Madison (go badgers!). I’m studying strategic communication, which is housed in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication. I am also earning certificates (UW Madison’s equivalent of minors) in business and digital studies.

I’ve always been interested in different forms of communication and how to use them effectively and everything I am studying has let me deep dive into that!  

cred: Can you tell us a bit about yourself?

CP: I am from Boston, so being on the other side of the country is definitely a big change, but I absolutely love it! I love doing hot yoga and a good charcuterie board. On the weekends you can find me trying new restaurants or spending time with my friends    

cred: What do you want to achieve while interning at cred?

CP: I am excited to gain more experience in the PR industry and work with an array of different clients. I am looking forward to learning more about speaker management and hope to learn the ins and outs of how to find an event that a speaker is excited to be involved in and the event is excited to have!

cred: If you could only eat one food for the rest of your life what would it be?

CP: Sushi (I know it doesn’t really seem like a breakfast food, but I wouldn’t rule it out)

cred: Can you give us one interesting fact about yourself?

CP: I used to pole vault!

cred: What is one thing you want to accomplish in the next five years?

CP: I would love to move to California and make San Francisco my home!   

Interested in building your career at cred? Learn more about our open position on AngelList or email your resume to work@credpr.com!

Women@DockerCon 2019: Issues and Opportunities Facing Professional Women Today

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This week, I attended the Women@DockerCon Summit, a private forum for women in tech to connect, discuss, and engage with each other, at Moscone West in San Francisco. This Summit preceded DockerCon, a 3-day technology conference organized by Docker, Inc., and brought together women (and a handful of curious men) in tech in a space where they could freely discuss the issues and opportunities facing professional women today. The event included a workshop and two panels complete with a stage full of lady bosses.  

Women@DockerCon allowed attendees to share their success stories, voice their concerns, and ask for help in a room of supportive strangers. Everyone—from pioneers in the modern women's movement, to the software development directors, to the participants in the audience—had something impactful to say about their experiences while working as a woman.

Communicating with Presence

“Half the people have Imposter Syndrome, the other half don’t know what they’re doing.”

Have you ever felt like a total fraud and that at any moment everyone around you was going to realize how little you know? Good news—you’re not alone! Francine Gordon, a professor at Santa Clara University has spent years working with women who consistently doubt their abilities, a sure sign of imposter syndrome. She explained that, like a duck swimming, you see the movement, but not the vigorous peddling underwater—everybody is working equally as hard, you just don’t see it!

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Francine’s workshop began three questions:

1. What situations trigger your feelings of being a fraud?

2. What have you held yourself back from because you felt like a fake?

3. What has been the most effective way of managing these circumstances?

One participant shared that she makes sure to speak up within the first 10 minutes of a meeting. She uses this tactic to hold herself accountable and ensure that she doesn’t succumb to self-doubt. Another shared that she was hesitant to ask the dumb questions in an important meeting, but she wished she had after Bill Gates came in confidently asking all the “dumb questions” she was thinking.

Investing in an Inclusive Future

Next were the panels where a wide range of fields were represented, such as venture capital, human resources, insurance, and more. They spoke on best networking practices, how to handle awkward situations in the workplace, and what they’re excited about going forward in their careers.

XFactor Ventures Investment Partner Erica Brescia focused on investing in companies with at least one female founder. She built her network by leveraging supportive communities like the Female Founders group on Facebook.

Angel investor Susan Kimerlin shared the best way to learn about your industry: finding somebody doing something interesting and seeing how you can help.

Backstage Capital Director Brittany Davis is excited about seeing a positive trend in female founders at the companies she’s investing in.

Working While Female

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CloudBees Senior Director of Global Human Resources Ellen Thorne explained that surrounding herself with a highly technical team allowed her to build important skills that wouldn’t have evolved otherwise.

New Relic Senior Director of Customer Marketing Cynthia Hester shared her best kept secret, “saying ‘thank you’ is the best way to say ‘no’ without pissing anybody off.”

Cisco Vice President of Global Marketing Aruna Ravichandran mastered the art of calculated risk, even if it meant taking a demotion and leading her family to think she was having a midlife crisis.

Liberty Mutual Insurance Director Honey Williams recounted how working at Subway and later dropping out of the AirForce sounded like failures, but those experiences taught her that you can’t be scared to make the decisions that are right for you, even when everyone around you tells you otherwise.

Being surrounded by so many powerful, bold women at Women@DockerCon reminded me of how much we can accomplish if we join forces and help each other take the next right step.

Interested in speaking at an event like Docker Con? Reach out to hear more about our speaker management services: speak@credpr.com

How’s Your Data Game? An Inside Look at Strata Data Conference

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If you are in an industry that touches data and engineering (who doesn’t these days?), there’s no doubt you’ve heard about O’Reilly events and specifically Strata Data Conference (@strataconf). If you didn’t have a chance to attend this year, we’re giving you an inside look at what went down this week when the cred team attended Strata Data at Moscone Center in San Francisco.

Who was speaking on stage?

Only the best and the brightest in the data space, including amazing fierce women leaders.

Amy O’Connor (@ImAmyO) kicked off the main stage content on Wednesday with her keynote on “The journey to the data-driven enterprise from the edge to AI.” As Chief Data and Information Officer at Cloudera, she talked about how the company “drinks its own champagne” by running Cloudera on Cloudera and what they’ve learned on their journey from the edge to AI.

On Thursday, former data scientist and product manager at Airbnb Theresa Johnson (@missjohnson) talked about how she organized uncertainty at Airbnb and why black box models are not helpful. She talked about the internal tools they built to drive an end-to-end metrics forecasting platform, leveraging machine learning, Bayesian inference, TensorFlow, Hadoop, and web technology.

Did it get technical? You bet it did!

On Wednesday, Sonal Gupta, Research Scientist at Facebook, taught us about natural language understanding in task-oriented conversational AI. She outlined a way to do more advanced compositional understanding, which can understand cross-domain queries, using hierarchical representations.

We love seeing our cred clients on stage, especially Manifold.ai CTO Sourav Dey (@resdntalien), who always brings his personality to very technical topics. He did two talks this week, I caught his second on Thursday where he talked about how to attack clustered data with Mixed Effects Randomized Forests (MERF).

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Who wants some swag? Let’s check out the Expo Floor.

From professional headshots and massages to “techtris” and skee ball, the fun never stopped at the expo.

We were excited to stop by the Okera booth and congratulate them for their win for Most Disruptive Startup. Their platform tackles the hardest issues behind data access and governance across distributed environments.

Sippy cups are no longer just for babies—this one is for WINE! The team at Alteryx must have known cred was coming, this was winner of favorite swag grab of the day. We also learned a bit about the company, which offers an end-to-end self-service platform for data science and analytics.

We also snagged some cool socks and stickers from Talend, a recognized leader in cloud data integration and data integrity.

Last, but certainly not least, we chatted with our good friend Jonathan Symonds, CMO at Minio, about the company’s open source, enterprise-grade, Amazon S3 compatible object storage. Also got some pretty cool T-shirts to boot.

Should you attend Strata Data?

If you fall into one of the three categories below, we definitely recommend you check out the next Strata Data Conference or one of the other great upcoming O’Reilly events.

• Work in data & engineering? This is a great opportunity to learn the latest and greatest tools in the industry, network with your peers, and potentially snag that next great job.

• Company with a data science & engineering team? If you’re trying to recruit top talent in the data science & engineering space, Strata Data is the place to connect with prospective candidates.

• Company looking to better incorporate data into your business? Attend sessions to see the many cutting edge ways data is being applied within companies across industries and visit the expo floor to meet some amazing companies who may be able to help with your data game.

Want to speak at an event like Strata Data? Get in touch and we’ll see if cred can help you get on stage. Also follow us on Twitter for more great event news and recaps.