(Photo: The Yard)
No Sleep 'Til Back in July, Betabeat revealed that Williamsburg-dwelling coworking space The Yard would be launching a General Assembly-like roster of classes--and at "Brooklyn prices," no less. Well, the curriculum site is now live, with a full list of offerings. Examples include iOS app development for beginnings and Intro to Makerbot. A course on Kickstarter makes the joke about would-be creators of mason jar cocktail shakers almost too easy.
Your Digital Newsstand Now live: DuJour, an ultra-luxe magazine targeted to the rich and fabulous. Glossy photo shoots are all well and good, but DuJour hopes to distinguish itself by thoroughly integrating print and digital--meaning readers can finally click through to featured items that strike their fancy. Giving the pub a long leg up: A partnership with Gilt Group, which'll allow the magazine to launch with a subscriber base of three million.
Learning with Friends Ed tech platform Lore is now open to students, taking yet another stride toward being a social network, rather than simply a platform for classes. Rather than awaiting an invite from an instructor, anyone can now create a profile and start poking around. “We created Lore to make education better by connecting people.” said CEO Joseph Cohen in a statement, adding, “This is the next step. And we’re excited to see the new relationships and communities students form on Lore.”
Don't Miss the Bus Earlier this month we introduced you to Readyforce's Hacker Tour 2012 and its mission to recruit talent for startups, rather than Google or Goldman. Since then, the campaign has racked up even more sponsors, doubling the amount of support from VC-backed companies. Organizers are also offering two "pro-bono" spots for non-profit tech companies, plus three for early-stage companies. The tour kicks off September 12 at Cornell.
Summon the Stylistas Mark your calendars, people of fashion tech: On October 11, StyleCaster and the 92nd Street Y are holding their second State of Style event, on the heels of a sold-out February event. The idea is to "unlock the potential of new media in the style space." Speakers include designer Rebecca Minkoff and Buzzfeed president Jon Steinberg.
New Hires Jewelry startup BaubleBar has secured itself a VP of digital marketing, poaching from the tastefully appointed halls of the established fashion world. Previously, Shilpa Shenoy headed up digital marketing at Barneys New York, where she oversaw a site redesign and the launch of barneyswarehouse.com. Prior to that, she did stints at Helmut Lang and Theory.
Acquisitions Private equity firm Catterton Partners has acquired thirteen-year-old online promotions company ePrize. Terms weren't disclosed, but the company did rake in $53 million in revenue in 2011 and it has almost 500 employees. Because ePrize is profitable, CEO Matt Wise told Betabeat, the acquisition wasn't about operating capital, but rather having deeper pockets for strategic acquisitions.
3-D Printing We hear that Makerbot, New York's one-company manufacturing revival, recently signed a lease on its very own storefront. The Wall Street Journal reports the company will set up shop at 298 Mulberry, between Houston and Bleecker. Go ahead and update your Christmas shopping to-do list; we'll wait.
