Spotlight on Geeky Startups: The UberDork Cafe Dream

July 28, 2010 - By Justin E. Gehrke

As true geeks, we here at Geek Shui Living constantly keep our eyes open for anything that looks, smells, or tastes like geekiness. Back in June, I had the privilege to come across a geeky startup, based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The brainchild of Natali, a person whom I have the unique pleasure of following on Twitter. A self-confessed (and monikered) dork, Natali is one of those people that others tend to flock toward, based on her positive attitude, keen wit, and demonstrated intelligence. In this case, I came across a Kickstarter project started by Natali.

What is her goal? Well, she has a dream. That dream is to start a business, called the UberDork Cafe. Of course, to start a business one needs either their own capital or funds from investors. Living in the real world, we know that now isn’t necessarily the best time to run to the bank and ask for a business loan. In Natali’s case, she is appealing to the geek masses. What is her humble request? She is asking for geeks to unite and donate anywhere from $1 to $1,000 to help her get things started. At this point, you might be asking what this really has to do with technology and geekery in general. That’s where it gets really interesting. Trust me. You want to be a part of this.

A culinary, tech startup where the needs of the many truly outweigh the needs of the few.

The fact is that Natali’s dream isn’t just to start a business from which she can derive a steady income with which to support her family. The business plan is to operate a cafe with a delicious menu, but, ultimately, the dream is bigger than that. Yes, it will be her business, but one of her core concepts is to spread the geek love to others in her community. According to Natali, the cafe will provide a safe, family-oriented environment that serves not only good food, but knowledge as well. As Natali puts it on the project’s homepage:

“The goal is to use as many local vendors as possible. To showcase local artists and talent as well. Whether it’s someone guest-teaching a class, hosting a local knitting group, a comic artist lecture or meet and greet or allowing local artists to exhibit and sell their works, there will be much opportunity to support the great vendors and artists that my community (both in location and in spirit) has to offer.“

To this end, the idea is to have both adult and child seating areas. Additionally, there will be a game room, complete with video gaming consoles and educational games. There will also be a classroom area where local artists, teachers and other community-minded individuals can give back something to members of the community, in the form of classes, expositions, and other educational forums.

In a recent profile of the project on Game Couch, Natali was asked why people outside of the greater Milwaukee area and around the country should want to donate to this worthy startup. Natali explained:

“What if there was some place to go do all of that while surrounded by people that got you? What if there was a place where geeky kids could go hang and meet other kids instead of avatars? Where people that believed in them so much that they might have a chance at a scholarship to go build the best video game ever or gadget that would save lives? ….that all needs to start somewhere. Why not here?“

Her remark on scholarships touches on another unique and admirable aspect of the project. Natali’s goal is to be able to eventually provide annual scholarships to budding art and science geeks, in the local area. For her, it’s just as important to help other children, as it is to help others. Does all of this capture the complete idea and essence of the UberDork Cafe. A visit to the project’s homepage educates visitors on the complete dream, her concept of operations, and the many details associated with achieving it. Of course, the reality is that dreams like this generally aren’t cheap. Natali’s initial goal was to raise $5,000 to allow her to secure, furnish, and stock the locale. There are also significant costs relating to licensing and permits. The date for her to secure the minimum pledges necessary to get things moving is August 13, 2010. Fortunately, she was able to reach her minimum goal well ahead of schedule. The important thing to remember, though, is that $5,000 is the minimum. In order to maximize the chances of success, the UberDork Cafe will need a significantly higher pledge total. This is where you, the reader, come in. The minimum pledge amount is $1.00. Let’s assume that you donate $10.00 and put things into their proper perspective. In today’s world, $10.00 will buy you:

Two lattes from Starbucks (before tax).
One iTunes album
Two Happy Meals from McDonalds
One movie ticket (depending upon geographic location)

What if you could trade one or more of these things, for just one day of your life, to help someone make their dreams and the dreams of others come true? In perspective, it seems like a worthy cause to me. If Natali is able to achieve the success to which she aspires, you will be able to count yourself among the benevolent people who helped. Of course, you may not be able to pledge $100 or even $1,000, and no one is asking you to go hungry. To a degree, you’ll be grouped in the same category of “tech angel investors,” that includes names like Kevin Rose, Jason Calcanis, Mike Arrington, and Matt Coffin. In the end, will it be the dollar amount that you pledged that really matters or the fact that you did it at all? I think we all know the answer to that one.

Ready to help make the UberDork Cafe dream a reality? Visit the project homepage to learn more and make your pledge. Would you like to help but can’t afford it? You can help by simply taking the time to share this post via Facebook, Twitter, or email, so that others can pledge their support.