...How has the IT/Digital Media industry grown in Providence for the past five years?
B: I guess I’d like to think that my earlier attempts to start a geek group sort of didn’t work out well not only because of my lack of organizing skills but it was also due to the fact that there really wasn’t a critical mass. I think that when Jack arrived here, I didn’t think we’d get this many people. So I think something happened between when we did the other groups and now, it’s grown big time. I think the years before we started Providence Geeks two years ago, something was growing here and I think it’s just the perfect time to launch this.

One thing you’ll run into if you come into a Geek gathering, is that you’ll run into many people who’ve been hungry for this kind of meet-up. And even now, they’re reaching for something more. There’s conversation around co-working, of people trying to get together and work in a space even though they don’t really work together in the same job. It’s kinda like what people do in coffee shops with WiFi, or a little bit more formal with some services and features geared towards geeks. People want to connect and that’s a cool thing...

...Where do you see the largest potential for growth in this industry?
B: I think it’s in the small start-ups. Someone has an idea and they have a few friends that they can hire to work on that idea and they can knock it out really quickly, using new technologies. One of the things that Jack asks to a lot of these presenters is, “where do you see yourself a year from now?” And a lot of the answer is hire more people. They might have 3 people when they presented at a Geeks meeting, but a year from now, it’s possible that they could’ve grown.

J: I think other areas that are strong are the intersections with the design community, and with the health care industry. One of the things that I’m going to do with RI Nexus, and one of the things that the Geeks is always trying to do is get more involved with the universities, bring those communities together...

...For the next generation, what does it take to be a “geek?”
J: That’s an interesting question. The generations that are coming up now are the first ones that are truly digital natives. They spend their youngest years knowing computers and mobile devices and all that sort of stuff. Prior generations, at some point, it was like visiting a foreign country and you had to learn the language. I think it’s fascinating what’s happening to the younger generations, and we’re really trying to work with them and integrate into the schools as much as possible because there’s just so much potential there. They have an innate understanding of the medium, and we’re seeing it now with start-ups like Facebook, that are being started by undergraduates and are becoming some of the more powerful companies in the country...