Prairie Portrait: Melanie Haas of Prairie Cube Media

Silicon Prairie News: Having worked for an agency while running your own business on the side, can you compare and contrast your processes and approach for the two different types of work? Melanie Haas: A lot of small businesses are built on a passion for what they do, but lack the knowledge or experience to…

Name: Melanie Haas

Bio: I love helping people and finding creative solutions to problems. I write, I code, I cook, I read to my kids.

Title: CEO of Prairie Cube Media, Front End Developer at VML, Editor at Teachnet.com, a few other things.

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Age: 33

Residence: Overland Park, Kan.

Website: prairiecube.com

Twitter: @mel_haas

Linkedin: http://www.linkedin.com/in/melaniehaas

Intro music: “Take Our Turn” by The J Band

Silicon Prairie News: Having worked for an agency while running your own business on the side, can you compare and contrast your processes and approach for the two different types of work?

Melanie Haas: A lot of small businesses are built on a passion for what they do, but lack the knowledge or experience to reach their customers in the best way, while also being profitable. Often, I find that small businesses need help with other aspects of their business in addition to marketing. I serve as a consultant on a variety of levels, and I’m also a web developer. So on my own, I touch many parts of a business, which I enjoy a lot because I can get creative with solutions to problems and I get to work with some really wonderful clients who believe in what they do. VML is a very different experience because those clients have the business side figured out, and often are spending millions annually on web development. Our focus is on writing good, clean code, working with new technologies and having the opportunity to be innovators. I see many more computer languages at VML, and I benefit from having the support of an IT department as well as great server-side (back end) engineers who work in tandem with front end developers. Oh, and it doesn’t bother me that I no longer wear pajamas all day. My desk faces the runway at the downtown airport, which has to be among the best views in town!

SPN: You’ve described yourself as someone who enjoys using the web and other tools to help entrepreneurs realize their potential. What are three factors that commonly keep today’s entrepreneurs from reaching their potential, and how do you use your expertise to help entrepreneurs overcome those particular obstacles?

MH: The three factors that first come to mind are fear, lack of knowledge (usually processes), and unrealized potential. Fear fades when you have confidence in what you’re doing, and that comes with knowledge. It may sound goofy, but working on your elevator pitch is really worthwhile. And the more you talk about your business, and the more you network, then the more you will also begin to connect with people who can comment on and help you refine your processes, even if they don’t realize that’s what they’re doing by having a conversation with you. I believe you have to get out there and network as part of the process of refining your business plan. (Insert shameless plug for attending KC Geek Night here.)

SPN: As an organizer of Kansas City Geek Night, what’s the pitch you make to people unfamiliar with the event about its benefits?

MH: Geek Night! If you are looking for tech inspiration, if you need to sit with your laptop and get work done, or if you’ve had a long day of writing code or working on a startup, you probably belong at Geek Night. The group is a very open format. Come or go whenever you like and remember that what you get out of it is proportional to your effort. It’s a great networking opportunity and we commonly drink a fair amount of wine. The topic of startups in Kansas City is common, and I’ve been introduced to some great technologies by members. Lately I’ve taken on the role of seeking out first-timers to get them talking and networking, because it’s not uncommon for geeks to be a little bit shy.

SPN: You call yourself an evangelist for “real food.” Can you explain what that means and where your passion for it came from?

MH: I grew up with asthma, and in 2000 I picked up a magazine in while waiting in a doctor’s office that changed my life. It cited research that transfats had become recognized as a major factor in constricting airways, and omega-3 fatty acids were proving useful in combating asthma when incorporated as part of childrens’ diets. It wasn’t a leap to figure out how to apply it to my own life. Over a one-year span I cut processed foods from my diet and not only was I able to throw out the asthma meds and live a normal life for the first time I could remember, but as a bonus I also lost over 20 pounds. Now that I have kids, it’s my mission to make sure they they don’t eat garbage, and honestly, I’m really reaching out and trying to influence their schools and parents too. And it’s working. If people want to talk about the health care problem in America, I have to soapbox about the way we abuse our bodies with conventional processed foods. It’s just like smokers – most people know they’re eating junk, but they continue to make that choice. Educating children about real food at a young age is a way to begin to break the cycle.

SPN: Time for some prognosticating fun. As someone who’s passionate about education and technology, what do you foresee as far as major disruptions technology will cause to the education system?

MH: I am beyond excited for where technology is going to take us. Already there are some fantastic studies showing that kids with access to wifi connected laptops are dramatically improving their grades. I’m looking forward to textbooks on tablets instead of 50-pound backpacks. This week at TED there was a great presentation by a company that is replacing cadavers with life-size tablets-as-tables, so that med-school students can readily access views of all the internal organs and structure. Also, I look forward to a changing attitude towards the code that makes all this technology possible. I really would love to see more opportunities for young people to access technology curriculum that will produce tomorrow’s engineers in all fields. Unfortunately, technology isn’t going to change our current situation of cutting government funding to districts, and forcing teachers to “teach to the test.” We don’t have enough teachers right now that “get” technology. Many of them can barely turn on a laptop. So I struggle with how they’re going to put emerging technologies to good use. There’s obviously a huge education gap at the educator level. We have to pay teachers as professionals and we have to start funding their schools. There is a serious lack of resources both in terms of talent and dollars, and it’s a nationwide issue.

 

Credits: Photo courtesy of Haas.


Prairie Portraits: To learn more about this series, see our introduction post, or visit our archives for past Prairie Portraits. To suggest an individual for a future Prairie Portrait, contact editor@siliconprairienews.com.

This story is part of the AIM Archive

This story is part of the AIM Institute Archive on Silicon Prairie News. AIM gifted SPN to the Nebraska Journalism Trust in January 2023. Learn more about SPN’s origin »

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