PSFK Conference San Francisco Speaker Jeremy Townsend

We are thrilled to be having Jeremy Townsend of The Ghetto Gourmet joining us for PSFK Conference San Francisco 2008 on our “San Francisco Snapshot” panel, where passionate SFers will discuss what aspects of local culture inspire them the most, and what makes the Bay Area tick. The panel will be led by Colin Nagy (Attention) and will include Liz Dunn (FunnyOrDie) and Amit Gupta (Photojojo).

First, who are you and what do you do?

I’m Jeremy Townsend. I’m a writer, event producer and creative marketer. I’m the founder of the Ghetto Gourmet. Using the internet, a fun brand and a little mystery, I took a monday night “underground restaurant” project and organized over 300 community dining events all over the country. I juxtapose the culinary and performing arts in “secret” locations and invite a bunch of strangers. I like to make great things happen, and I’m always looking for new challenges.

You’ll be speaking on our “San Francisco Snapshot” panel. Can you explain what you find inspirational about the Bay Area and why? What makes it different than any other place in the world?

There is a general openness in the Bay Area that makes it a great sandbox and incubator for news ideas. I think that comes from the West Coast being a little younger and wilder than the East Coast. People come here with a desire for adventure, a willingness to trust and an passion for building something new. When I first came here I was struck by how many people seemed to lead two lives: a corporate full-time career and a terrifically unrelated hobby or passion that, with any luck, might someday take over their day jobs. The Bay Area is not just permissive of experimentation, we tend to encourage it. There is a curiosity and genuine interest in seeing what people can come up with.

Five sites that provide you with inspiration:

Improv Everywhere
intellectual properties
TED
Inhabitat
thehappycorp

Thanks, Jeremy!

Why not learn more from Jeremy at PSFK Conference San Francisco on July 17?