We recently heard about this ambitious young kid, and wanted to share a different kind of story than the usual company acquisition or funding round.

It’s really never too young to start a business – in 2011, when Brooke was 8 years old, she started a restaurant review blog with a kid-friendly twist. She took the B2B model and switched it to K2K. Kid to kid.

Bites with Brooke is designed with two goals: to help parents find the best restaurants to visit with their kids, and to encourage kids to try different foods instead of the standard mac & cheese. This kid isn’t reviewing chicken nuggets – think sushi, lobster bisque, omelets, and more.

What started as a creative writing outlet has transformed into a growing venture, with potential sponsors and advertisers. It’s a genuine business through and through – Brooke writes every word herself, created her own rating scale, designed her own logo, and has a growing fan base. She has even mastered SEO ranking. By leveraging organic content, she has branded the keyword terms “kid friendly” and “kid friendly restaurants” in the local cities she has visited. Think you need to pay for keywords? Think again.

Check out Brooke’s reviews at www.biteswithbrooke.com.

In November 2012, Startup PHL put out a “Call for Ideas” asking the question: “What are the gaps in Philadelphia’s startup and early-stage marketplace and how can our dollars make the most impact?”

Our idea? Venturef0rth Commons. We want to expand our offerings to support round-the-clock events and programming for the community, right next to our shared workspace. Modifications to our campus will allow us to create a “commons” space solely for educational/entrepreneurial/tech/design events such as Startup Weekend, DreamIt Ventures, meetups and inspiring speakers.

We find out the winners later this month – so stay tuned for an update!

Check out the full list of finalists here.

Starting on Wednesday, February 13, two trucks will set up shop in the Venturelot, driving forward every Monday and Wednesday from 10:30 am – 2 pm in the same location. For those unaware of the location (the horror), the exact address is 417 N. 8th St, on the east side of the building.

About the gourmet grub

Delectable offerings from Lil Dan’s Gourmet Lunch Truck and Farm Truck will be kicking off the parade of plates. If you eat, they will come. And keep coming. So come and eat. We’re expecting a great turnout for the launch day, and if you work in the area, you’re welcome to come on by! And even if you don’t work in the area, we don’t want you to feel left out, so come on by.

Kopelman, the founder of First Round Capital and venture capitalist extraordinaire, spoke to our audience about living the life of a VC, why he helps young startups, and how he balances life.

After a Q&A with Venturef0rth’s very own Elliot Menschik, Kopelman answered audience questions ranging from what keeps him up at night to how he feels about supporting entrepreneurs without a formal higher education. “He’s personable, he’s easy to talk with, and he just gets it,” said one audience member.

Some things that echoed in my head after the talk:

1. How can we keep young companies in Philadelphia? Help these companies grow so by the time they are successful with 15+ employees, they are too settled to leave Philadelphia. [Sneaky, huh?]

2. Why should we keep these young companies here? To help grow our entrepreneurial ecosystem by producing successful companies and, in turn, individuals who can go on to start new successful companies and keep the cycle going.

3. Every $1 that First Round Capital invests in a company is followed by $36 from other VCs in next round capital.

This dude has certainly helped Philadelphia and the early stage scene.

“The four-month program, which DreamIt says makes it Philadelphia’s first healthcare accelerator, will seed its chosen companies with up to $50K in capital (it will be taking a collective 8 percent stake in its startups), along with providing office space, mentoring and coaching from industry experts as well as access to critical health care-specific resources thanks to IBC and Penn Medicine…

According to DreamIt Managing Partner Karen Griffith Gryga, the accelerator’s companies have gone on to raise over $80 million in funding and are collectively valued at close to $330 million. DreamIt Health’s offices will be located at Venturef0rth, a Philadelphia lab and co-working space. Gryga will co-lead the health program along with Dr. Elliot Menschik, a teacher and entrepreneur, who most founded HX Technologies, a pioneer in medical imaging and health information exchange, which was acquired by MEDecision.”

The fact of the matter is we could boast more awesomeness of what this venture means to entrepreneurs, the healthcare scene, Penn Medicine, IBC and, well, us, but let’s let TechCrunch do it for us, right here.

The crew chief ensures that Venturef0rth members and the broader Philadelphia startup community have outstanding experiences every day they’re here where they’re building and scaling their businesses.

We’re looking for someone mission-driven, passionate about helping us build and support the startup community. We’re looking for someone who runs towards challenges, not away from them. Our chief should be unafraid to ask questions and realize that failure is as important to learning as success. The chief will be the first impression many will have of Venturef0rth and, often, the first contact with Philadelphia’s startup ecosystem. The role as brand evangelist and ambassador is not something to be taken lightly.

The crew chief be at the center of a rapidly growing community where everyone is working on the next big thing, focus is essential, time is of the essence. We’re looking for a people person who is stoked about working in multiple roles including hospitality, space management, events management, marketing, and community building. While our chief will spend some time behind a desk plying his/her expertise with digital tools, no small part of his/her time will be moving in and around our 11,000 sq ft facility, engaging with our members, making sure things are where they need to be and that our members have what they need.

At the same time, the chief will be leading multiple initiatives for Venturef0rth and responsible for all dimensions of their successful and timely execution. Our crew chief owns it and is expected to roll up his/her sleeves, function autonomously, and anticipate needs, roadblocks, or curveballs. The chief needs to be organized and detail oriented with the tenacity to follow up and follow through and sometime walk through walls. The chief needs to share our sense of urgency and believe that no job is too small. He or she is on the front lines of the tech startup world, but the cavalry isn’t coming…the chief is it.

Does this sound like you or someone you know?

If so, we’d like to meet so please reach out to us at hr@venturef0rth.com

Missed the talk? Presentation slides are available here: Firing and Hiring. Ray Bixler (Skill Survey) presentation 11/12/2012

Up Next at Venturef0rth: General Assembly’s Entrepreneurial Workshop Weekend

YPN member Joe Boxman of the Mayor’s Commission on Literacy asked Araten to share his experiences managing strategic and day-to-day operations of the rapidly growing company, which has partnerships with such notable brands as Nintendo, Sesame Street and NASCAR. Over 70 guests enjoyed Arnez Exquisite Catering and Victory Brewing Company brews while mingling with fellow YPN members and aspiring entrepreneurs in Philly’s entrepreneurship clubhouse (that’s us, fyi.)

Find more info on joining YPN here.

Up Next at Venturef0rth: General Assembly’s Entrepreneurial Workshop Weekend

BFTP’s presentation is available here.

Up next at Venturef0rth: Ray Bixler of SkillSurvey shares the secrets on building your dream team, Thursday, November 1. More details available here.