Change is constant, and the company I own, BayFirst Solutions, is not immune to such forces. In this vein, I want to announce that BayFirst has realigned the company to focus on our core competencies and, in doing so, has transferred all rights to DeafDC.com and Deaf Professional Happy Hour (DPHH) to Viable, Inc. (www.viable.net), a provider of video and text relay services. Viable has been the exclusive sponsor of the DC DPHH and truthfully, is a better fit and more importantly are as passionate about DeafDC.com.
Viable also cares about the positive impact that our website has had on the community and intends to ensure its continued growth and prominence. To achieve that, Viable intends to turn DeafDC.com into an independent entity, complete with its own advisory board. I will join that newly formed advisory board and as always you can count on me to read and comment on blogs. I wouldn’t want it any way otherwise.
To ensure stability and the continued success of DeafDC.com, Shane Feldman, the DeafDC.com Manager and someone who has become a good friend, will continue his responsibilities at Viable, Inc. He is excited about this transition and Viable is extremely fortunate to have such a talented person join their team.
Although I first gave the thought of a transition a year ago, this was nevertheless a difficult decision because I have nurtured the growth of DeafDC.com since its inception. I have developed a wonderful bond with so many DeafDC.com supporters and DPHH-goers, to whom I owe so much gratitude. I have learned so much and have gained wonderful memories; every so often a blog or comment from DeafDC.com is injected into an in-person conversation and leads to lively, intelligent discussions. The website has impacted me enormously. I know it has also influenced our community, and for the better.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your support for DeafDC.com through the years. Please join me in thanking Viable for taking on this immense responsibility as DeafDC.com’s new caretaker. The future is bright for this stellar website.
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13 Comments
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Sounds to me like a wonderful business decision and a great move! Thanks to BayFirst and Rob for taking the initiative years ago in setting up DeafDC.com. As someone who’s worked on DeafDC.com for a long time, I don’t think anyone had any idea where it’d go, much less the impact it would make on the online deaf community and in the D.C. area. Now I can’t imagine D.C. without DeafDC.com.
I’m confident as well that Viable, with its excellent technical capabilities, will be a wonderful caretaker of this great website. Good luck, Shane, with your new job environment–I’m glad you’re still on the DeafDC.com team!
Adam,
Thanks for sharing your thoughts. It has indeed been an exciting ride for DeafDC.com, and it’ll get even better now that DeafDC.com is with Viable.
I concur with Adam Stone. Best wishes to all!
Should we expect Viable to dump VRS sponsors and advertisers who are their VRS competitors?
DeafSpook,
DeafDC.com will remain open to all interested advertisers. Viable has no plans to turn DeafDC.com into an exclusive advertising vehicle.
Not only VRS but relay in general too!
I’m lucky to have Shane down the hall from me! I’m glad to see DeafDC move on to a brighter future! Thanks to BayFirst for starting this site and bringing it to fruition!
Alright, that just about answers it. Wishing you all the best of luck.
Wow. Big news for DeafDC and Shane! Hope this opportunity will enable DeafDC to grow bigger and better! And congrats, Shane.
Best of luck, dudes.
Here’s to DeafDC.com! Our ship is so unsinkable, it’s rumored that the shrieking winds blowing across the dark oceans we sail are actually the frantic screams of icebergs trying to get the hell out of our way!
Whoo-ha!
Congrats Shane - see you next week :)
“CHANGING HANDS “? UMM I WOULD LIKE TO TRADE YOUR HANDS TO MY HANDS AND I SAID WOW IT BEEN SPEEDLY HANDS THAT FAST GESTURE WHOA AND GOOD BUINESS AND NOW CHANGE HANDS BACK AND I SAID THANKS YOU FOR INFORMATION FOR BUINESS AND UNDERSTAND NOW HEE SMILE “JUST KIDDING”
Rob (and Adam and all of you at Bayfirst): thanks so much for establishing and nurturing this terrific website. It not only affects the DC deaf community, but those of us who are in other places (I’m two hours away) but still regularly read it for the news and lively discussions. You’ve helped pull together the deaf community in a new way, and opened our conversations to non-signing readers, as well. many thanks for this important service. Shane, best wishes as you undertake the transition! I’m glad you will still be managing things.