VC Ron Conway's 'One City' enlists techies, celebs to help schools
A spoof video about an overhyped tech product called "MyBook" aims to get tech companies to donate books and resources to San Francisco public schools.
Some of tech's heavy hitters are teaming up with San Francisco celebrities to help out local schools. And they've announced the effort in the form of a spoof video.
Tech advocacy group sf.citi, founded by investor Ron Conway, put together the video. sf.citi's goal is to bridge the gap between tech companies and community organizations in San Francisco. It announced an initiative on Tuesday called "One City," geared toward projects like volunteering in public schools, teaching kids and adults to code and helping in soup kitchens and homeless shelters.
"More than 20 tech companies have already joined One City's first initiative, Circle the Schools. This is just the beginning," Conway said in a statement. "Circle the Schools connects tech companies with our public schools to give our students the tools and resources they need to succeed, one school at a time."
The video starts with Twitter co-founder Biz Stone chatting with a reporter about something new he's working on.
"Rumor has it that you have something really big and exciting up your sleeve," the reporter says. "What can you tell us about it? Are we talking about that secret tablet-sized object you had in your hand at Disrupt?"
Stone starts to answer, saying, "My book..." and is interrupted by the reporter, who says, "The MyBook. You heard it here first, folks."
Word spreads of "MyBook" with hip-hop icon MC Hammer, Hall of Fame quarterback Joe Montana, San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee and many others saying they can't wait to get their hands on the MyBook.
Ultimately, the MyBook was just a normal book Stone was carrying around. The video ends with a kid in school saying a bunch of tech companies are donating books to public schools in a program called Circle the Schools.
Here's the video: