Below: Awesome Foundation NYC trustees: Catherine White, Jesse Chan-Norris, and myself

More photos on Flickr

This Monday, the Awesome Foundation NYC held our end-of-summer party at Tribeca Tavern, where we celebrated our recent grantees: Sub Base One by Lee Von Kraus and the Hip Hop Word Count by Tahir Hemphill.  Thanks to everyone for coming out and thanks to Grolsch Grants for the free beer!

Every month the Awesome Foundation NYC gives away $1000 a month to something that is awesome. It can be anything, anywhere….then we throw a party give out the award (always cash in a brown paper bag), and celebrate all things AWESOME that month.

You are invited to the:

Awesome Foundation NYC April Party
Monday, April 19, at 7pm
D.B.A. in the East Village
41 1st Ave. btw 2nd & 3rd

RSVP at http://awesomenyc.eventbrite.com

In previous months we have funded a laser tractor beam that prods amoebas in a bus and an Arduino-powered Anywhere Organ. This month we are funding something more reptilian in nature. Just what exactly? Come see for yourself in the flesh on Monday, April 19 at 7pm. These things have a curfew.

Who is the Awesome Foundation NYC?  Jesse Chan-Norris, Lee-Sean Huang, Sam Lessin, Steve Rosenbaum, Douglas Repetto, Dawn Barber, Clay Shirky, Colin Nederkoorn, Brandon Kessler, Catherine White, and Elizabeth Stark.

And how do you apply for an Awesome Foundation grant? http://awesomefoundation.org by the end of the month, awesome.

Hope to see you next week,
The Awesome Foundation NYC

The Awesome Foundation NY has made our first selection! It was tough NY – you completely blew us away with amazing incredibly brilliant ideas.

But – this month, for our inaugural grant, we’ve picked a LASER TWEEZER that makes amoebas eat bacteria.

Awesomeness to the MAX.

No – really, its a laser tractor beam that prods amoebas. We’ve awarded January’s $1000 grant to Ben Dubin-Thaler’s Cell Motion BioBus.

We’ll be celebrating with Ben at the First AF-NY Award Ceremony on Monday February 8 at 8 pm, at the Apple Bar, Waverly at Greene. Come and join us for a beer, meet the NY Micro Trustees – and we’re working on getting the BioBus there too. Beyond Awesome.

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Last night the Trustees of the Awesome Foundation New York met in person for the first time to get the ball rolling.

Photo (clockwise from top left): Jesse Chan-Norris, Lee-Sean Huang, Sam Lessin, Steve Rosenbaum, Douglas Repetto, Dawn Barber, Clay Shirky, Colin Nedercoorn, Brandon Kessler, Catherine White, and Chris Dixon

Reminder: Grant applications are due at midnight tonight! Tell us why your project is awesome and deserving of a $1000 dollar grant. Submit proposals here.

The Awesome Foundation for the Arts and Sciences is kicking off 2010 by announcing the official launch of the New York City chapter.  I will be serving as the NYC chapter’s Dean of Awesome.  More details on The Awesome Foundation Blog.

The current micro-trustees of The Awesome Foundation NYC chapter include:

• Catherine White
• Caterina Fake
• Chris Dixon
• Sam Lessin
• Clay Shirky
• Colin Nederkoorn
• Jesse Chan Norris
• Douglas Repetto

With 2 more to be announced!