Choremonster is a suite of web and mobile applications that makes kids want to do their chores. Parents set the chores and kids gain points for doing them that they can turn in for real life rewards, like an hour of xbox, a television show or even a canoe trip. Kids can also unlock over 250 monsters as they earn points for doing their chores each day.We sat down with Chris Bergman, from Choremonster, to learn a little more about how the company is doing after demo day and his experience at the Brandery.

What would you tell someone if they were thinking about applying to the Brandery?

Do it! There is little to no risk and the reward is countless. I’ve met a few startups who’ve felt that they weren’t quite ready to apply. Choremonster had a logo and an idea. We could have very easily used that excuse and skipped it. Instead we’re now building a great product and company.

How is ChoreMonster doing after Demo day?

Fantastic. We raised a seed round shortly after demo day and are currently in private beta. Our users love our product and are giving us great feedback to make it better every day.

Why did you want to attend the gaming conference in San Francisco?

The conference was GDC (Game Developer’s Conference.) I attended specifically to learn. I wanted to know more about game design theory as well as better practices for production.

Was there anything at the conference that inspired you for ChoreMonster?

Absolutely. I attended a game design workshop run by Frank Lantz of Zynga where we spent two full days working in game design. The exercises were enlightening to say the least. Also, any time I have the opportunity to hear George Fan (the creator of Plants vs. Zombies) speak, I jump on that action.

What has been the biggest struggle with the release of your beta?

More time! Time is definitely are biggest enemy. We have so many amazing features that we want to implement! However, we also want to delight everyone with our product as quickly as possible. It definitely requires a balance in priority.

What is the next step for ChoreMonster?

We’re continuing to work in our private beta and will open the gates to all users in the future.

Is there anything else you want to add?

I can’t wait to see what this year’s Brandery class brings!

Roadtrippers centralizes discovery, planning & booking into one beautifully designed experience, making it easier than ever to create & share epic trips or ‘bucket lists’ of must-see places. Everything is hand curated to ensure that Roadtrippers highlight classic diners, backroad antique stores, indie hotels, farmers markets & everything else that makes up the ‘real’ America & a great road trip! We sat down with James Fisher, from Roadtrippers, to learn a little more about the company and his experience at the Brandery.

What would you tell someone if they were thinking about applying to the Brandery?

The Brandery is superb for biz dev, and to take full advantage of that you’ll need to make sure product can keep up. I would definitely recommend coming in with a live product that you can refine and develop rather with than having to build from scratch.

What is your best experience at the Brandery?

The roller coaster ride of demo day – and hitting the town (hard) afterwards!

How is Roadtrippers doing after Demo day?

We are running a private beta that we and our users love, and we are near to closing our seed round. We think we are in for a great summer!

What inspired you to start Roadtrippers?

We used to take a lot of road trips ourselves but had a lot of problems in some areas finding non-chain places. We love the independent side of America.

What has been the biggest struggle with the release of your beta?

We built on the wrong platform to start with, which caused scaling issues and had a knock on effect on everything from biz dev to fundraising. In the end it worked out great though, as we built V2 with a new team and platform, applying lessons learned the first time to build something better than we ever imagined.

What is your next step after you launch your beta?

Embark on a huge PR mission to build our user base and go out and build partnerships like crazy.

For information on Roadtrippers go to http://www.roadtrippers.com/

By Kathy Merchant, President/CEO of The Greater Cincinnati Foundation

At The Greater Cincinnati Foundation, we’ve been on a long path of supporting education in its many forms. But why fund a spot at The Brandery? How could an education-focused startup company help?

edSpark is a new addition to The Brandery’s business accelerator program funded by GCF to encourage educational innovation and entrepreneurship. When The Brandery’s 2012 class begins this summer, we want to ensure that one company whose mission is to design creative solutions to educational needs will be among the startups that will receive financing and access to the partners, mentors and resources typically reserved for start-ups in the consumer branding space.

Why? None of us has all the answers for how to better educate our children, and GCF wants to help develop the tools of the future in education.

The educational models of the past may not be what today’s children need to be successful in the 21^st century. In fact, students will need less fact-memorization and more community and parental support, a great early childhood experience, and better training in critical thinking, math and science and interpersonal relationships. edSpark is one way to put resources into the private market so entrepreneurs can develop solutions to the complex issues facing education.

GCF has long supported the Strive Partnership, whose vision is to support the success of every child from cradle to career. The company chosen for the edSpark slot can address any of the five education goals that the Strive Partnership has developed from pre-kindergarten to post-secondary. These goals include that every child is:

• prepared for school
• supported inside and outside of school
• succeeds in school
• enrolls in some form of postsecondary education
• graduates and enters a career

Easy-peasy, right? No way! But that’s why the opportunity in this area is so great, and we already know that there are entrepreneurs out there willing to take this on. Once accepted, a startup with an educational focus will receive special help through education-oriented mentors and advisors in addition to the other benefits of a regular Brandery startup.

We’re eager to see what type of innovation will be developed from edSpark, and we hope you will apply. Applications are due May 15 with early-admission decisions being made on May 1. Startups focused on education initiatives should apply through the standard application process at brandery.org.

Applications for the next Brandery class are now live, so we’re hosting multiple “office hours” to help applicants get to know The Brandery a bit better.  This will give founders and startups a chance to meet the folks behind The Brandery and introduce themselves beyond just their applications.  Several founders from our first two classes of companies will be in attendance, so you’ll can get their first hand experience.

If you have been thinking of applying for the 2012 Brandery class and joining one of the top 10 startup accelerators in the country, then we would love to meet you in person.  If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact Brandery General Manager Mike Bott at mike@brandery.org.

Cincinnati Office Hours

• WHO:  Startup Founders & Entrepreneurs who want to apply to The Brandery
• WHEN: Tuesday April 3 from 5:00 PM- 7:00 PM
• WHERE: Brandery 1411 Vine St, Cincinnati, OH 45202
• WHAT: Register at http://branderyapril3.eventbrite.com

Virtual Office Hours

• WHO:  Startup Founders & Entrepreneurs who want to apply to The Brandery
• WHEN: Tuesday April 17 from 5:00 PM- 8:00 PM
• WHERE: Online more details to come
• WHAT: Register at http://branderyvirtual.eventbrite.com

Indianapolis Office Hours

• WHO:  Startup Enthusiasts, Founders & Entrepreneurs
• WHEN: Week of April 23 (Date/Time TBD)
• WHERE: Indy – more details to come
• WHAT: The Brandery’s take on “Why Branding is Essential to Startup Success”

As recently highlighted in the Wall Street Journal, marketing guidance for start-ups is growing and offering a range of new programs promising to provide start-ups with better access to traditional ad agencies and major marketers. “Incubator” programs such as the Brandery pair start-up entrepreneurs with mentors from larger, established companies like P&G and Landor. The Brandery is open to early-stage entrepreneurs around the country seeking marketing and branding advice as they work to get their business ideas off the ground. Start-ups usually focus on the technology not how they brand themselves. The Brandery is there to help the start-ups sell their brand and fill this gap in their business model. Read more about big firms mentoring start-ups and the Brandery at http://ow.ly/9YITF<http://t.co/NfRfcDqM>.

A strong brand can set you apart from the competition and lead you to success.This month in Entrepreneur Magazine, the Brandery is being featured as place to help businesses identify what differentiates them from their competition. You sometimes need an outsider’s perspective on how to build your identity and The Brandery gives startups just that. Startups in the accelerator program are paired up with brand marketers, designers, researchers and 8-10 mentors with related expertise. Read more about The Brandery and how branding can help you at http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/223127#

Mike Bott here from The Brandery, and I need your help.

We’re flying down I-75 in Cincy Startup Bus on our way to Nashville, and we need feedback on our business idea.  When we arrive at SXSW in Austin, we’re going to be pitching against buses from all over the US + Mexico City.  Here’s the ask: read our concept below and comment on this blog or tweet your thoughts to @SimplyDoneCo. The Startup Bus company with the most feedback will get a boost towards the Finals.

Problem: I should know, but I don’t. There are firsts in everyone’s life. Everything is under control, and then you find yourself in a situation that’s completely foreign.  The stress and discomfort of not being exactly sure what you should do next is palpable.  A few examples:

-       planning a wedding,

-       starting a business (or a StartupBus business!),

-       buying your first house,

-       having your first child or getting a pet.

You feel like you should know how to proceed, but you are wrought with doubt and a nagging feeling. Uncertainty overshadows the excitement of the event.

Solution: By building a brand around providing credible, time-based, personalized guides, SimplyDone.co will help you feel more confident about your knowledge, selections and planning for that something you’ve never experienced before.  To make the most of the experience, you’ll have a simple timeline you can use to reign in the big day, chalked full of expert advice, user generated content (ie, check out how someone else did it), and social integrations to help you easily get feedback from your friends and followers.

How do we make money? By combining revenue streams from local vendor referrals, national retailers and an overlay of LivingSocial’s daily deals, SimplyDone.co makes purchase decisions easier for those experiencing life’s firsts. We give local and national establishments opportunities to super-target those who are looking for their goods or services.  “Right place, right time” makes all parties involved winners!

So what do you think?

Tweet to @SimplyDoneCo or reply to this post.

Thanks!