Fortified Press
-
12
September
2013
-
01
February
2013
80/20 Video: 4 Essential Skills for Making Quick and Effective Videos
If you’ve ever filmed and edited a short video you know it’s an infuriatingly time-sucking process. After my company, Gotham Bicycle Defense Industries, ran our LaunchRock campaign we had hundreds of eager customers and we knew the best way to connect and create a bond was via video. But, holy crap, was it hard!...
-
08
January
2013
MASSACHUSETTS’ BIGGEST KICKSTARTER CAMPAIGNS
Cyclists are fighting back against thieves and aggressive drivers. After their friend’s bike light was stolen one night, he was hurt while riding home and MIT grads and Batman-fans, Brad Geswein and Slava Menn, came up with a solution...
-
03
January
2013
A Bike Light Thieves Can’t Steal
In 2011, two MIT engineers had a dream: build a theft-proof bike light. Earlier that year, their friend was hit by a car at night after his bike light was stolen and they wanted to make sure that no more unnecessary crashes happened because of the all too common bike light theft...
-
28
December
2012
How a Kickstarter Campaign Propelled One MIT-Born Company into a Wildly Successful 2012
At the beginning of 2012, Gotham Bicycle Defense Industries launched their first product on Kickstarter. Built by MIT alums Slava Menn and Brad Geswein, the item was called “The Defender” and touted as the world’s first theft-resistant bike light...
-
21
December
2012
Crowdfunding for Startup Capital -- And Market Intel
Kickstarter and other crowdfunding platforms, where entrepreneurs and other creative professionals can raise money from consumers, have become a popular way for entrepreneurs to get funding without giving up equity. But these platforms can also provide valuable market insights and other benefits...
-
11
December
2012
5 Gifts To Make Biking More Safe, Stylish, And Fun
If you’re one of the ever-increasing number of urban bikers in this country, you’ve had a good year. Cities across the country are recognizing that cyclists are a big part of their commuting population and are starting to emphasize infrastructure. Unless you’re extra hardcore, you’ve probably put away the ride for the winter, but here are some ideas for great bike accessories to help you once things thaw out in the spring...
-
05
December
2012
10 Great Gifts For Travelers - 2012 Edition
If your favorite traveler gets around on two wheels, a good bike light is essential – and easily stolen. So Gotham Bicycle Defense Industries (launched this year on Kickstarter by some MIT grads) came up with the Defender, billed as the world’s first anti-theft bike light. Thanks to a custom-designed security screw, the company reports that none of the thousands of Defenders sold to date (in 29 countries) has been stolen. Its 100-hour battery life will last a typical commuter about 6 months, and the revolver design is pretty badass. In black, $65 (chrome available next year for $59)...
-
10
June
2012
Five Bicycle Lighting Systems for Night Riding
Ideal for urban riders who lock their bikes outside, the Defender steals its style from a six-shooter cylinder à la Dirty Harry. Each chamber holds a LED and the light produces a sum of 50 lumens – plenty for most city riding. Built from aluminum, it weighs in at just over half a pound and installs in less time than it takes to read this roundup. But the true brilliance of the two-setting headlight is a bolt with a proprietary head to make theft close to impossible.
-
17
February
2012
A Burly Bike Light To Keep You Safe From Thieves And Cars
As a cyclist in New York City, Slava Menn faced a persistent problem: His bike lights kept getting stolen. Then last September, his former MIT classmate Brad Geswein told him the story of a friend who had been hit by a car after losing a bike light to theft. “We realized that it’s more than a nuisance,” Menn says. “It’s a real problem.”...
-
15
February
2012
The Defender! Killer Commuter Bike Light from Gotham Bike on Kickstarter
Slava Menn, co-founder of Gotham Bicycle Defense Industries, started talking to us about a commuter bike light project a while back, inquiring whether features like theft-proofness and ease of use were of importance. Since several of our contributors commute daily in major cities (Los Angeles, Portland) and the rest of us use our bikes for short errands, we gave them our feedback and went on about our business....
-
11
February
2012
Kickstarter: A Bike Headlight To End All Bike Headlights
Last year I locked up my bike over on Pike street for an evening out with my friends. When I came back a few hours later, both my headlight and taillight had been stolen. What a crackhead was going to do with my budget headlight I don’t know, but the real problem was that I had to ride home in the middle of the night with no lights...