In a world where access to data is constantly available, Curtis Miller’s company helps startup Phoenix businesses with web development.
Flatterline, the three-month old company co-founded with Chris Chandler, helps clients reach goals such as customer expansion through creating iPhone applications or Twitter accounts.
One client, Hylo, seeks to offer hyperlocalized information about deals and events, especially through mobile devises. If a Hylo user were in Tempe, the application would determine the user’s location and what was going on around him.
In addition to developing their new company, the duo also seeks to foster other startup businesses in Phoenix.
“Part of the goal with Flatterline is to help foster the startup community by having events and participating in other events,” Miller said. “Some things focus on technology or are just for designers or just for photographers … but there hasn’t been a lot done in the entrepreneurial space, so we’re attempting to help there.”
To form connections between entrepreneurs and investors, Miller brought Open Coffee, a laid-back networking concept started in London, to downtown Phoenix. The weekly coffee shop meetings demystify investment and act as a forum for startup businesses.
“Entrepreneurs always looked at investors as scary people to approach,” Miller said. “What they wanted to do was open an informal dialogue over coffee to show that, hey, we’re people like you.”
Open Coffee has consistently strong turnouts, Miller said, only six weeks since its Phoenix conception. He also hopes to initiate Startup Drinks, a similar, after-hours get together.
Like Open Coffee, Startup Drinks would be held in downtown Phoenix at independent businesses, not commercial chains, since members are interested in the effort to revitalize downtown Phoenix.
“People go to Tempe a lot to do things or have events there,” Miller said. “So we’re trying to be sure our events assist the downtown vitalization effort.”
Miller earned his Masters in computer science from California State University—Fullerton in 2006, and then worked as a software engineer for Raytheon. He later worked as a developer with Chandler at a startup Web application company.
But now, working to build the startup community in Phoenix with Flatterline, Miller is doing exactly what he wants to be doing.
Thanks to Tyson Crosbie for the photo.
