Organized by 500 Startups, Geeks on a Plane (#GOAP) is an invite-only tour for startups, investors, and executives to learn about burgeoning technology markets worldwide. We travel by planes, trains, and automobiles to the most exciting international startup scenes with the sole mission of uniting geeks and exploring cross-border opportunities. The result: a lifelong bond with fellow travelers, a wealth of new friends and business contacts in exploding technology markets, and a stronger appreciation for the cultural and economic ties that bind us globally.

Program Goals:

• Meet startups, geeks, and investors in cities around the world.
• Learn about trends in internet, mobile, and other tech platforms.
• Gain insight into local markets, demographics, business models.
• Meet cool people, new ventures, have fun on planes, trains, buses.

Our next trip will be GOAP Southeast Asia from June 1st – June 15th making stops in Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand & Indonesia!

Find out more about Geeks on a Plane (GOAP)

• Follow GOAP on Twitter (+ #goap tags)
• Visit GOAP on Facebook
• Watch GOAP on YouTube
• See GOAP on Flick (+ #goap tags)
• Read GOAP blog

Inquiries

Interested in getting involved with Geeks On a Plane in your country? Fill out THIS FORM to hook up with the Geeks!

Christen O’Brien
Partner & GM, Business Development, 500 startups
Email: christen at 500s dot co

Past Trips

• India, Spring 2013
  (Feb 19 – March 3: Bangalore, Mumbai, New Delhi) 
• Middle East, Fall 2012
  (Nov 1 – 15: Istanbul, Tel Aviv, Amman, Dubai) 
• Eastern Europe, Fall 2012
  (Sept 18 – 30: Moscow, Tallinn, Zagreb, Berlin) 
• Latin America, Spring 2012
  (May 10 – 20: Miami, Mexico City, Sao Paulo, Buenos Aires) 
• India, Winter 2011
  (December 8 – 20: New Delhi, Agra, Mumbai, Bangalore) 
• East Asia, Fall 2011
  (October 11 – 25: Tokyo, Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong) 
• South America, Spring 2011
  (April 29 – May 8: Sao Paulo, Rio de Janiero, Santiago, Buenos Aires)
  
• East Asia, Summer 2010
  (May 21 – June 3: Shanghai, Beijing, Seoul, Singapore, Tokyo)
• Tokyo, Winter 2009
  (Dec 15-22, 2009: Tokyo, Japan)
• Hawaii, Fall 2009
  (Nov 1-5, 2009: Honolulu, Hawaii – Rethink Hawaii)
  
• DC & Europe, Fall 2009
  (Sept 18 – Oct 2, 2009: DC, London, Amsterdam, Berlin, Prague, Paris)
  
• East Asia, Summer 2009
  (June 7 – 16, 2009: Tokyo, Beijing, Shanghai)

Dave McClure: Founder of GOAP & Founding Partner, 500 Startups

Dave McClure has been geeking out in Silicon Valley for over twenty years as a software developer, entrepreneur, startup advisor, angel investor, blogger, and internet marketing nerd.  Dave is the founder and general partner at 500 Startups, a Silicon Valley startup fund and incubator program. In 2009 Dave managed the FF Angel seed-stage investment program for Founders Fund, and also ran the Facebook fbFund REV social incubator.  His passion is helping startups with marketing, product strategy, and startup metrics, and he has been an advisor or investor in more than 80 companies including: Mint.com (acquired by Intuit), SlideShare, Mashery, TeachStreet, KISSmetrics, Simply Hired, Twilio, Bit.ly, Jambool (acquired by Google), Wildfire Interactive, SendGrid, Crowdflower, and CreditKarma, among others.

Dave is the founder of Startup2Startup, a monthly dinner series for Silicon Valley startup entrepreneurs & investors.  He has been a conference organizer for many tech & startup events including STARTonomics, Graphing Social Patterns, and Web 2.0 Expo (SF).  He has been a guest lecturer on social network platforms & applications at Stanford University.  Dave served as a board member for microfinance accelerator Unitus, advisor to microfinance lender Kiva.org, and co-founder of the Silicon Valley Microfinance Network.

Previously Dave ran marketing for job search engine Simply Hired, and its evil twin SimplyFired.com.  From 2001 to 2004, Dave worked at PayPal (acquired by eBay in 2002) as Director of Marketing, where he started the PayPal Developer Network program. Prior to PayPal, Dave was a database consultant & programmer for several companies, including Microsoft and Intel. In 1994 he founded Aslan Computing, an internet & e-commerce consulting group later acquired by Servinet / Panurgy in 1998.

Before coming to Silicon Valley, Dave barely graduated from the Johns Hopkins University with a BS Engineering in Mathematical Sciences and a minor in frisbee, billiards, & foosball. His interests include microfinance and economic innovation, entrepreneurship & venture capital, ultimate frisbee, cartoons & animation, and an ever-growing collection of funny-looking hats.

For more info visit Dave’s LinkedIn profile or his blog: Master of 500 Hats.