1. SCVNGR in Bellingham
An entrepreneurial college project
Bellingham, WA
June 4th, 2011
Bellingham SCVNGR Project

2. University Experience
Going to college was the best decision I’ve ever made, it exposed
me to new ideas in an environment that nurtured learning and
growth. I certainly needed this experience: prior to it, I was immature
and lacking in many of the skills necessary to succeed in life. This
academic environment provided me with a foundation of knowledge
upon which I can build the rest of my life.
A major in psychology gave me exactly what I wanted - the ability
and tools to study and understand people and how we think, behave,
and interact with one another. However, in addition to my passion for
psychology, I’m also passionate about business and technology, and
these passions lacked a place in my psychology major. Fortunately, I
found outside sources that could provide me with experience in these
fields, even while I was taking classes.
Bellingham SCVNGR Project

3. Business and Tech
Downtown Bellingham Partnership
My first taste of dealing with businesses on a
more personal level. This partnership knew
all the local businesses and their owners, and
due to the tight-knit community, business
was personal. We put on events that enriched
the community and gave local businesses a
chance to shine. I worked on their
sponsorship packages and created contracts
for our event sponsors.
What I learned:
- How to manage business relationships
- How to plan events
- How to present options to elicit the desired response
BIG Idea Lab
The local entrepreneur hangout spot.
Idea riffs, lean startup sessions,
speakers, and more. Have a BIG idea?
Submit it here and maybe you’ll find
some financial backing. I worked with
entrepreneurs from a project management standpoint; helping them
streamline their efforts to be more efficient and effective (lean
methodology).
What I learned:
- How to create a business plan
- How to help others organize their thoughts/ideas
- How manage a project with efficiency in mind
Bellingham SCVNGR Project

4. SCVNGR
Through my research into game theory as
well as companies that use game
mechanics in the real world, I discovered
SCVNGR. I spoke with Jeff Kirchick (their
Universities Specialist) about their
platform and he taught me the ins and outs
of how it works. I immediately saw the
psychological underpinnings in the technology and wanted to
experiment with SCVNGR in my town. Jeff helped me use SCVNGR to
explore how technology and psychology could work together for
everyone’s benefit and I ended up using it to enrich my community
(see http://bellingham.komonews.com/news/community-spirit/so-
you-think-you-know-bellingham-now-you-can-test-your-
skills/648059). A variety of organizations even asked me to help
them with their marketing, community outreach, event promotions,
etc. using SCVNGR: Sustainable Connections (local non-profit),
Downtown Bellingham Partnership (local non-profit), The Woods
Coffee (local coffee chain), Disidual Clothing (local student-run
clothing company), Relay for Life of WWU (put on by the American
Cancer Society), and more.
What I learned:
- How to create business relationships
- How to create relationships between businesses and their
customers
- How to engage a community through technology
- How to create interactive activities that allow businesses
to engage their customers, while still providing real value
- How to work with businesses to create a marketing plan
that makes sense for their specific business
Bellingham SCVNGR Project

5. Sum Up
I learned way more from my project with SCVNGR than I did in all
the internships I had ever done - I was exposed to all sorts of
“behind the scenes” processes that I never knew existed (e.g.,
business development, strategic planning, social media coordinating).
Even my business and marketing major friends ended up benefiting
from this experience: they had studied a lot of what I did on a
conceptual level, but had never put much of it into use, and certainly
not with a new technology that has as much promise as SCVNGR. My
university gave me a foundation of knowledge, but SCVNGR took that
foundation and put it into action!
Awesome feedback from a Rewards from The Woods Rewards from the Disidual
SCVNGR fan Coffee SCVNGR hunt Clothing SCVNGR hunt
A flyer for a Ski to Sea SCVNGR A flyer for a local business A flyer for the Woods Coffee
hunt by a local salon event SCVNGR hunt SCVNGR hunt
Bellingham SCVNGR Project