Handshake Media, Incorporated had its origins in a weblog development company founded by Anne Giles Clelland as a sole proprietorship in November, 2007, and even earlier in a website development business she operated in the late 1990s. Her first major client in 2007 was business acceleration center VT KnowledgeWorks, located at the Virginia Tech Corporate Research Center in Blacksburg, Virginia. Handshake continues to manage Inside VT KnowledgeWorks, the VT KnowledgeWorks blog, and to consult on VTKW's social media strategy.
In June 2008, Jim Flowers, Director of VT KnowledgeWorks, invited Anne to accelerate her business by joining VT KnowledgeWorks as a member company.
Consultants pivotal to the early development of the company, in order of first discussions, include: Iain Clelland, Jim Flowers, Alex Edelman, Robert H. Giles, Jr., Mary Wilson Burnette Giles, Charles Lattimer, Doug Juanarena, Pat Matthews, and Cory Donovan.
Handshake Media, Incorporated was incorporated in the Commonwealth of Virginia on August 5, 2008.
Our Interns
Adam Scouse, The Hypothetical Entrepreneur, Virginia Tech Class of 2009, first intern for Handshake 2.0, fall of 2008.
Melinda Marcus, Defining the Local Social Entrepreneur, Virginia Tech Class of 2010, second intern for Handshake 2.0, fall of 2008. Melinda Marcus won the 2009 Caught in the Act of Leadership Award from The Business Leadership Center, Pamplin College of Business, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia.
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This short presentation shares the philosophy of Handshake 2.0 during its first year, from launch on July 28, 2008, through July 28, 2009.