1. Who are you?
My name is Moshe Tamssot and I am the founder of the Innovation Center, Inc.
(www.innovationcenter.com). I've spent my entire career creating and
commercializing new consumer products, services and technologies, across a
broad variety of industries. I've been involved with the internet since
1983.
As an intrapreneur I have driven innovation from within companies such as
American Express, Norcen Energy Resources, GE, and most recently Kraft
Foods, where I founded Kraft New Services, Inc. As an entrepreneur, I have
worked with dozens of companies from start-ups to blue chips leading,
participating in, or advising on innovation initiatives.
2. Why are you coming to or interested in CityCamp?
The economics of city living have created/forced a relatively new form of
shared property ownership, the Condominium Association. The Condominium
Association is the fastest growing form of governance in the United States.
There are currently more Board Members than Councilman, with the power to
pass legislation that hits closest to home (from collecting taxes known as
"assessments", to evicting pets).
I view these Associations as a city microcosm, in that they echo many of the
challenges/opportunities of city administration. These Associations have the
potential to serve as experimental nodes in micro-democracy, generating
learnings that could roll up into a larger open city initiative that
connects community nodes.
While cities are slowly opening up, the condominium industry whose power
players include Developers, Property Management Firms, and Association
Boards of Directors, draw their power from being non-transparent and preying
on Homeowner apathy. In most states, Homeowners have very little real legal
recourse to effect change (for example, if a Homeowner sues their
Association, in many cases the Association's these legal fees can be charged
back to the Homeowner by the Association, mooting the effort).
I envision creating a platform that returns power to the Homeowners, and
shines a light on how these associations are being governed and managed. A
common platform would invite process/procedural harmonization in line with
new industry best practices, without having to rely on state by state
regulation and oversight of the industry.
Having served on a Board of Directors for six years, I'm looking forward to
connecting with others, sharing my experiences, and learning from yours.