Zenzi

Welcome to Zenzi Asks, a new web series where Zenzi sits down with individuals deep in the trenches of social media. Zenzi Asks will share insights from inspiring voices that are making a difference with their online social presence. No, they may not be CEOs or CMOs, but on social media’s uncharted waters, they are creating a
definitive splash.

We could not have asked for a better first interviewee than Clare Tischer, the Social Media & Content Manager for TechStars. TechStars is one of the nation’s largest start-up accelerator programs. With 5 locations including the Boulder headquarters, Seattle, New York, Boston, and Cloud in San Antonio; TechStars champions a new class of startups with 3-month intensive sessions. In addition to financial backing from VC firms and angel investors, TechStars provides mentorship from the best entrepreneurs in the world, poising each startup for success.

Clare, or @clareyt on Twitter, seems like an old soul. She is smart, articulate, kind, self-assured yet humble, emotionally attuned, with an extraordinary dry wit. A self-proclaimed ‘introvert’ on her Twitter bio, Clare graciously opened up when we delved in to her sleeping patterns, favorite apps, how she evangelizes the TechStars message, and more. Read excerpts of our first Zenzi Asks interview below, and check out the video above.

Zenzi: You blog for TechStars, do you ever get writers block?
Clare: I get writer’s block all the time, and I think it’s important to recognize it as healthy and normal. You’ll know when the posts come out in Q&A format, but I think that’s OK as long as it is content that matters. I know as a reader of blogs, I just want to hear what’s going on behind the scenes, something I couldn’t get on TechCrunch or VentureBeat … I want to tell the human side of TechStars.

Zenzi: What’s one thing you would like to see happen at TechStars that hasn’t happened yet?
Clare: In terms of my position specifically, I don’t have a team. It’s just me, so I would love to have more time to do strategy for the different programs. They’re all so different, not only in terms of location, but in terms of the managing directors, so more time in a more strategic role, specific to each.

Zenzi: Who are your top 3 recommendations to follow on Twitter?
Clare: I love @aviel, he is the co-founder of Simply Measured in Seattle, mostly because his tweets are dry and funny, and they just make me laugh. I love
@MarieForleo. She calls herself the creative gangster of love, and she has a daily email that she makes about her community rather than her own personal branding. I also love @DailyWorth, which is a community of women that talk personal finance.

Zenzi: What are a few of your favorite apps?
Clare: Definitely 360 Panorama, which is an Occipital product that came through TechStars. It’s a way to automatically stitch together panoramic photos. I really like GroupMe, it’s a text platform essentially to keep everyone connected. For example the current TechStars class in session has one, so if they want to message everyone they can, and a lot of it’s naughty, but it helps them form that bond as friends outside of work. I also like RunKeeper. I’m not a fitness nerd by any means but I like to track how far it is when I walk to work, and feel impressed with myself. I like Romotive, which is a TechStars company out of Seattle’s last program, and they turn your iPhone in to a robot.

Zenzi: Do you constrain your tweets to a certain focus or specialty?
Clare: I like to talk about entrepreneurial tech, personal finance, 90s pop music, and anything relevant around the founders that have been through our program.

Please note: A few responses have been shortened ever so slightly, and are not direct quotes.

(photo credit: Phoebealegg)