Jeff Beckham

Co-sponsored with venture capital firm Austin Ventures, the meet-up also gave several Austin startup companies a chance to shine, as they set up booths in the back of the club to talk with interested applicants, partners, and investors. Among the startups grabbing attention were:

• Keyvault: a service to protect the your passwords and other secure information as they travel across the Web;
• JamsBio: a social network around music that lets members create and share playlists based on their interests or special events;
• On Networks: a digital media production company that just snagged Saturday Night Live star Amy Poehler as a partner on a new original series.

A full list of the sponsoring companies can be found here.

Earlier in the day, TechCrunch co-editor Erick Schonfeld is hosted a discussion the importance and history of grassroot campaigns on the web. There was a bit of a stir early Thursday as the Statesman pointed out that not a single woman was among the 18 panelists. Schonfeld accurately pointed out, however, that no woman contacted him expressing interest in joining the panel.