Privacy and safety have always been key issues in social networking, especially when it comes to children. While Facebook’s terms and conditions say that kids under 13 aren’t allowed on the site, no one is going to stop a 12 year old from claiming that she was born a year earlier. To make things easier for parents and provide a place for 8-13 year olds to connect, Everloop is a site that “creates a privacy loop around kids’ connections.” Below is my interview with Hilary DeCesare, co-founder and CEO of this social network for tweens.

1. What benefits does Everloop provide to tweens that may be too young for Facebook and too old for Club Penguin?

Online, tweens want fun while parents want safety, and Everloop delivers both. With more than 600 million Facebook users across the world, social networking site has changed the way people communicate and share information. Everloop has created a unique age-appropriate social media experience by interconnecting customized micro-social networkscalled “loops”. Loops featured on Everloop include community loops of common interest (art, science, culture, reading, sports, fashion, etc.). Social “looping” was specifically designed to allow tweens to share, communicate, and collaborate discretely with their friends while online.

The site also features creative applications, music, games, videos, photos, animation, user generated content and other integrated online experiences. No other social platform on the market today offers as many real-time communications, content-sharing, and collaboration features designed specifically for tweens.

2. What are some of the things that these kids are most interested in doing in social networks?

We’ve found that kids love sharing content with each other, chatting, playing games, creating groups and using technologies that are similar to those being used by their older siblings and parents.

3. Today’s tweens are growing up surrounded by technology and social media. It’s all very normal to them. What kinds of things do you think they will expect from the websites of the future?

I think kids expect and deserve a lot of the same tools adults use and that’s why we offer many similar features provided by major social networks. Unlike many other tween platforms, we don’t deny them these exciting technologies they’ve become familiar with, we enhance them to become safer and more enriching for younger audiences.

4. What are your thoughts on the gamification of education?

There is definitely a place for play in education and we’re eager to see how social networking can contribute to that intersection of gaming and learning. Since computers entered the classroom, gamification has taken many forms, from spelling, math and typing challenges to geography and more. What we’re now calling “gamification” brings it to another level through social interaction and mobility and it’s a natural way to get kids thinking strategically as they aim to “win” their educational challenge or get the right answer.

5. You offer self-serve tool options for companies, organizations and brands. Are you already working with any schools and brands?

Yes, we have relationships and programs with a leading supplier of digital content for schools and with top brands such as Mad Science and Simon and Schuster.

6. What happens when Everloop tweens get older. Does Everloop grow with them or is Everloop just an in-between social network?

We are working on a tool that enables Everloop tweens that grow with the platform to export and transfer their content and memories to 13+ social networks.

7. How do you keep the wrong people from coming into Everloop?

Everloop has the most comprehensive, safe, and fully COPPA-compliant social network designed and built specifically for tweens age 8-13 in the marketplace today. While competitive social networks such as Imbee, GiantHello, and whatswhat.me offer a subset of these tools, none offers full suite and level of sophistication that Everloop employs.

We approach security from 3 perspectives: Secure Sign Up, Parental Monitoring, and Moderation.

1. Secure Sign Up: We have developed a process where any kid can sign up without parental approval but cannot interact or post to any member. Parents are immediately involved upon sign up.

2. Parental Monitoring: Using our Privacy Panel, parents have the ability to see incoming/outgoing email, friend requests/acceptances, group activity and Evercredit purchases.

3. Moderation: Everloop applies a 3-prong-approach to moderation, including 1) Everloop uses the Crisp NetModerator U13 moderation and profiling system for social environments. Crisp Thinking is the world’s leading expert on child safety online and designer of NetModerator and provides world class automated moderation technology for posts, groups, IM Chat, email and SMS. 2) an internally developed UGC/Messaging human moderation tool. 3) empowers kids to identify communication that does not feel right or even un-friending members.

8. What can parents do to protect their kids online while also encouraging them to connect with friends?

Outside of Everloop, parents should educate themselves on the risks involved in adding their children on Facebook. It’s illegal for a reason. Parents should also be aware of COPPA-compliance and seek platforms that adhere to those safeguards to maintain secure Web experiences for their kids. Parents don’t have to deny their kids Internet use, they just need to monitor and participate in their activities to ensure that they’re learning how to be good netizens.

On Everloop, parents control and set their Privacy Panel to monitor their child’s activities and are alerted of actions through email, SMS/text message, or on their Privacy Panel’s dashboard.

9. Bonus: Any advice for future entrepreneurs?

As with any endeavor, it’s essential to build a product or company that fills a void and provides vital resources for an underserved need. Focus. Live, breath, run your company around specific focus area. Every member of the team needs to all be on the same page or distractions will kill the business.

David Kaiser is the co-founder and chief executive officer of Coincident TV, a software suite that allows content creators and distributors to design, manage and measure interactive video engagements across digital platforms. Kaiser is a serial entrepreneur behind seven startup companies, including RespondTV and Navisoft, and was also the first VP of engineering at Macromedia (acquired by Adobe).

Check out our interview with David below and connect with @coincident_tv on Twitter.

1. As experiences become more immersive in the social web, Coincident TV has created an interesting platform that intertwines content, social media, and ecommerce. Please tell me more about how the company came about and what your vision is.

I thought of the idea behind Coincident TV (CTV) in 2008 while at home watching the news with my laptop beside me. After a story caught my attention, I went online to look up more information but found myself frustrated with the disconnected experience. Although simple, it sparked the idea to build a technology that enables hypervideo, the merging of online video, social media, weblinks and commercial transactions.

My vision is to change the way we watch TV by transforming how we view and interact with online video. The goal of hypervideo is to create an interactive experience for the audience, enabling greater engagement between fans, programs, brands, businesses and content owners.

2. What would the ideal implementation of Coincident TV look like?

The great thing about Coincident TV is that it’s flexible and scalable, so the ideal implementation of CTV technology is whatever the author wants it to be. The software suite, both an editor and a player, enhances the video production and viewing experience. Whether it’s a content creator wanting to add real-time social media access to their video or a content producer looking to create revenue-building solutions through increased brand integration, the sequence and combinations of possibilities is only limited by what the author develops.

3. The Coincident TV executions I’ve seen on Fox.com for Glee and So You Think You Can Dance, and the demos on your Web site do not have the option to embed, which has become a key feature for YouTube, Vimeo and most video sites. Is embedding something that you have not decided to pursue or have clients not requested for it?

We are poised to jump into video embedding in a big way this Fall. While most technologies presently focus on sharing individual videos or pieces of content, Coincident TV will soon enable any video viewer to quickly and easily assemble entire video playlists and channels to share across the web. They’ll be able to use videos from YouTube, Blip TV, their own computers – literally any source. Users will also be able to add their own content links and other annotations into their content channels – without ever editing or even accessing any of the source videos. We see this as a quantum leap forward for embedding and we’re excited to launch the application.

4. What is your personal view about HTML 5 vs. Flash?

Flash is still the dominant and ubiquitous standard. And while our technology was originally conceived to work with Flash, we definitely understand the long-term potential of HTML5. And since CTV is based on a proprietary language, we were able to quickly adapt our software suite, both the editor and the player, to support HTML5. We see this as a huge competitive advantage for our platform: build one CTV file and it seamlessly works in Flash, HTML5, even Android.

5. What were some of the best lessons that you learned from working at Navisoft and Macromedia?

I learned the importance of surrounding yourself with a team as dedicated and passionate as you are. At both Navisoft and Macromedia, I worked with enthusiastic teams of technology professionals and our hard work paid off. AOL acquired Navisoft in 1994 and our technology became AOLPress and AOLServer. At Macromedia, we developed Director, the seminal PC animation application and precursor to Flash, and were later acquired by Adobe Systems in 2005.

6. What does it take to be a successful entrepreneur and how did you decide to become one?

While I have found it takes a number of things to find success as an entrepreneur, one key is having patience. It takes time to raise funding to get off the ground, and with any business, you don’t immediately start to see profits. It takes time and an investment. Although I didn’t start my career with the intention of becoming a serial entrepreneur, I discovered that I enjoy the challenge that comes with a startup that introduces new, exciting technologies, like CTV, to both businesses and consumers.

7. Is Silicon Valley still as essential for startups and tech companies or are cities like NYC becoming more attractive for talent, opportunities, and funding?

While Silicon Valley is still a hub for many startups and tech companies, the landscape is definitely starting to change and having a presence in other cities can be beneficial. While Coincident TV is headquartered in San Francisco, we also have offices in Los Angeles and New York. By having a presence in these cities, we feel we have an advantage as Hollywood and Madison Avenue are currently seeking new ways to monetize their content online and offer a more dynamic entertainment experience. We’ve been able to meet with studios and television executives and show them that Coincident TV can help them create an effective monetization model.

8. If you could bring web experiences to television sets, what would you do to ensure that people would find it appealing?

With Web television already available to consumers and new advances happening daily, Coincident TV wants to bring interactivity to these experiences.

Additionally, our technology can be applied to DVDs to create an experience similar to online video viewing. With CTV’s technology, DVD extras will have the ability to constantly be refreshed and can provide a unique experience
every time they are viewed, depending on the audience’s real-time interests and curiosity.

9. With the rise of Twitter and Foursquare, and the opening up of Facebook, social media continues to change the way we view privacy. Do you think “opening up” is essential for the evolution of the social web?

I think there has to be a balance. The evolution of the social Web is exciting because it is making everything more collaborative and engaging. People want to interact with each other and content online but not at the expense of their privacy. There has to be a happy medium where people feel safe sharing otherwise the advantages of the social Web will be negated.

Bob Phibbs is a business motivational speaker, and consultant. He is also the author of “The Retail Doctor.” While I don’t work in retail these days, retail is close to my heart because I come from a family of entrepreneurs and I worked in retail businesses from a very young age. Many retailers and small businesses have taken a hit in the last couple of years and I really think Bob’s book is a great read for anyone wanting to transform their business, from returning to basics to leveraging Social Media. Below is an interview with Bob.

1. You’ve written a great book about growing and turning around a retail business. How did you get started in retail and what motivated you to start sharing your expertise?

My first job was as a janitor at a jewlry store in Glendale California when I was 16. i learned then that appearances were everything.  I put myself through college working retail and like so many people my part time job became my career.  I build a small regional set of western wear stores from 5 to 55 before quitting and realizing I could do more on my own as a consultant. I never looked back.

2. Social Media has become an extremely hot topic for businesses because it is now fairly easy to engage directly with customers and potential customers. What are some of the most important things retailers should be doing to use Social Media effectively?

How about what they shouldnt do? Social media is not taking your Val-Pak coupons and tweeting them or offering Facebook Fan page coupons.  Most effective are finding ways loyal customers can share things meaningful with your other loyal customers. Encourage them to post a video of the child who received the gift purchased at your store. You can’t be like the big brands so keep it small and honest. That’s what brings people back time and again. In the book, I mention Pufferbellies in VA, I think they do a great job with  their blog and Facebook page.

3. What are some small business examples of doing “social” well?

Product videos like http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fyTJ78VZx5c
Local farmers like http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_X-9Vxcfhbs

4. Should entrepreneurs and CEOs be blogging, tweeting and creating videos?

Especially entrepreneurs because that’s how you show your expertise. Bill Marriott’s blog http://www.blogs.marriott.com/ isn’t just Marriott related but shows him as a person as well. That’s really important the larger you are because it humanizes the brand. Most people are so hung up on making a blog, tweet or video “perfect” that they do none of it. I say, jump in and learn. You can’t break something. You can always take it down but get over yourself. The Internet is people being human, not the manufactured images of Madison Ave.

5. What about ecommerce? How important is it for retailers to be able to sell online through online storefronts or third parties like Amazon and eBay?

I wrote a whole blog on why you shouldn’t do it: http://www.retaildoc.com/blog/online-shopping/abandononlineretailstore. Basically, if you can’t be as good as Amazon, don’t try. The margins aren’t there, the demands are high and cookie-cutter won’t work.

6. Without giving much away, what are some of the key things that retailers should be doing to “diagnose, treat, and cure” their businesses?

a) Look at your financials to see exactly where you are. Not profit and loss but average check/transaction, number of customer counts, etc.
b) Evaluate your crew how well they are moving the needle of sales. More than likely they are clerking the merch – that just won’t work.
c) Cut out your bottom 20% of categories and bottom 20% of SKUS to run leaner and put that money either in your wallet or into the top 10%.
d) Have a sales process.
e) Stop marketing like it’s the 50′s using coupons, Yellow Pages ads and fliers on cars.

7. How do our personalities affect the way we do business and what can we do to become better leaders/managers?

We tend to hire people just like ourselves which means we usually just “click” with customers like us. That can give a business a “hive” or “club” feeling if you are not that personality type. To become a better manager, you need to become a chameleon by being able to quickly recognize the four personalities, speak to them in a way they want to be spoken to and train your staff to do the same.

Turnover is one of the biggest problems in retail. How can a company find, train, and keep talented employees? Go shopping, give your card out to anyone who goes above and beyond in a dry cleaners, restaurant or other service business. Just hand them your card and say, “If you ever would like to pick up some more hours, please give me a call. You do a great job.”  Too many retailers hire by “Help Wanted” crisis which rarely fills any need but the schedule.

8. If you could change the way universities are teaching business today, what would you change to create better business leaders?

Have them sell something every day. A variety of things. We must bring back the entrepreneurial spirit of getting to know people if we are ever to compete. Right now book learning/computer learning/elearning is in a vacuum. How do we develop the young people who are risk and person -averse into someone willing to wait, to serve, to put their own needs second? Solve that and you’ll have been a great teacher.

9. Is there a point in which a retailer or small business should simply call it quits? What is the best exit strategy in such situations?

If you are not profitable for 2 or more years, get out. The second part is the hardest. You have to become profitable or you won’t get any money for your business so never try to sell when you are losing money. No one will buy a hardship. They will at most buy a job, but not a sinking ship.

10. What about those who are considering starting a new retail business. Is it a good time to do it and how can they differentiate in potentially saturated markets?

Please see this blog – as current today as last fall when I published it http://www.retaildoc.com/blog/starting-a-business/open Don’t open a “me too” business. You’ll be creamed. You must be different. You must be clear on why you are opening it. You must have a plan as to the need, how many widgets you need to sell to be profitable and how you are going to market. “Build it and they will come” is NEVER true.

I had the very cool opportunity to speak at this year’s SXSW Interactive as part of the Future15: Diversity series, which was organized by Glenda Bautista. The presentation, titled “The Online Latino: A New Digital Native,” was all about Latin Americans and the web.

While it is a myth that Latin Americans are not online, only 30% of them are. The presentation went into the challenges (poverty, inequality, censorship, and the social/economic/digital divide), as well as what is changing (tech hubs, encouraging governments, businesses rolling out infrastructure, and a rapidly growing online community).

If you’re interested in learning more about what is happening online and offline in Latin America, including Streisand effects, citizen journalism, social networking, innovative start-ups, and stories about the people that are converting ideas into movements, check out the slides and videos below. Feedback (through email or comments) is appreciated :)

Thanks to Diego Contreras (aka Diegoliath) for helping me with the design, Jon Gipson for recording the video, and Kara Andrade for writing the original proposal with me and helping out with ideas, insights, and stats.

SXSW Interactive is full of startups and entrepreneurs. Some of them attend to listen to the panels. Others are there to speak, to party, to showcase their products/services, or simply to be part of SXSW history. Perhaps they are there because they want to be around people like them or maybe they are there because they truly believe their work could change the way we live, work, and play. While I met many entrepreneurs from all over the US and all over the world, here are a three memorable conversations partly captured on film. Regardless of the products they make, these are guys that I enjoyed talking to and briefly getting to know. Enjoy.

Elli Grace is a fashion brand that was launched in February of 2009 by designer duo Sojung “Sue” Yang and Lamarr Nanton. Earlier this month, I spoke with Lamarr, who has 19 years of experience in apparel design and development with companies like Giorgio Armani and JC Penney, at the first Elli Grace retail location in Plano, TX.

See the three videos below to learn more about Elli Grace, Lamarr’s personal story, and some of the geeky stuff they’re doing to differentiate themselves in the fashion world (including blogging and tweeting):

Lamarr shows how to use a mobile device to charge customers from virtually anywhere that has a cell signal or Wi-Fi, after the jump..