Inman

New innovators to appear at industry confab

Founders of the newest Web 2.0 and real estate 2.0 streets will speak at Real Estate Connect in San Francisco, Aug. 1-3, giving a glimpse at their technologies, ideas and inspiration.

Executives from Ypulse, YourStreet, RealEstateVoices, My-Currency and ShackPrices are slated to appear on the “New Kids on the Block” panel on the main stage during the event.

The session features Anastasia Goodstein, publisher of Ypulse; James Nicholson, founder and CEO of YourStreet; Niki Scevak, founder of RealEstateVoices; Karim Tahawi, founder and CEO of My-Currency; and Galen Ward, co-founder of ShackPrices.

The complete speaker lineup and conference program are available online.

Anastasia Goodstein is an award-winning blogger and often-quoted expert on American tweens, teens and early twentysomethings. Ypulse.com reaches a highly influential audience of agency, brand and media executives as well as social marketers trying to reach youth. The blog has been featured in several leading publications including USA Today, BusinessWeek, Forbes and Fast Company.

James Nicholson is the founder and CEO of YourStreet, an innovative Web site that provides residents with the latest hyperlocal news and conversations going on in their neighborhoods. Previously Nicholson was founder and CEO of NetVentures, a pioneering e-commerce software company sold to CNET in 1999. He then served as an executive in CNET’s Commerce and Operations groups.

Niki Scevak is founder and chief executive officer of Homethinking LLC, a service that helps homeowners choose real estate agents based upon what they have done and consumer reviews about the job they did. Homethinking also launched RealEstateVoices, a social news site for homeowners and industry professionals interested in real estate. Prior to founding Homethinking LLC, Niki Scevak was an analyst with JupiterResearch and co-founder of The BookmarkBox, a Web-based bookmark manager and community search provider that was acquired in January 2000 by Blink.com.

Karim Tahawi is the CEO & founder of My-Currency and a longtime derivatives trader, exchange director, and entrepreneur. He founded My Currency Co. in March 2006. The company provides forecasts of housing values using markets and other crowdsourcing techniques. Karim received his master’s degree from The London Business School where he was a Sloan Fellow.

Galen Ward is the co-founder of ShackPrices.com, a Washington state real estate search Web site with an innovative map-based search interface. Galen created ShackPrices.com in 2006 with partner Doug Cole with the belief that home buyers need context when they’re looking for a home. Galen was one of the first co-bloggers to join Rain City Guide and blogs from time to time on the ShackBlog.

Real Estate Connect occurs Aug. 1-3 at The Palace Hotel in downtown San Francisco. The “New Kids on the Block” session is scheduled for Thursday, Aug. 2, from 11:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.

To view the full Real Estate Connect program or register online, visit the conference Web site.