Imagine this. 18 of the nation’s leading mobile bloggers & tech journalists all coming together for two epic days in San Francisco.

What possibly could bring together such an incredible group of tech-minded awesomeness?

One word: Waypoint.

What exactly is Waypoint?

Simply put, Waypoint is a program where we invite a group of tech media into our walls to see and help shape the future of our products.

To support the program, we host an annual event, where we invite our Waypoint members to join us in the Bay Area to share with them our current projects, product line up, and future concepts.

This year, our Waypoint event begins next Monday, April 16^th.

Over the course of the two day event, our Waypoint members will hear from and speak to key members of our company. Everybody from our CEO to our various mobile, auto, and web team members will share withthe “Waypointers.”

And then, they’ll let us know what they think.

One of the biggest benefits of the Waypoint program is that it opens communication with our Waypoint members and it results in honest feedback. Sometimes we find that the Waypoint members agree with our projects and other times, they’re happy to provide us with constructive criticism. Either way, we love these conversations and are extremely thankful to our Waypoint members for providing us with their honest opinions. In the past, they have even helped make changes to our products.

Why get a group like this together?

Simply put, it’s because we’re always looking for ways to improve our products for our customers and what better way to do it then by gathering some of the smartest people in tech and asking their opinions?

What do our Waypoint attendees think of the event?

Watch this video as last year’s Waypoint attendees tell you in their own words.

(If you’re interested in seeing what the 2010 attendees thought of our first Waypoint event, check it out here.)

Waypoint begins on Monday in San Francisco! As you could imagine, we’re really looking forward to the event.

Interested in following the conversation from Waypoint? Be sure to follow it on Twitter by following the #Waypoint2012 hashtag here.

Who’s attending Waypoint 2012? Here’s all of the members who will be in attendance in San Francisco.

• Angel Webster of Android Gals (Follow her on Twitter)
• Antonio Wells of AndroidTapp (Follow him on Twitter)
• Antuan Goodwin of CNET (Follow him on Twitter)
• Blake Stimac of IntoMobile (Follow him on Twitter)
• Chris Burns of SlashGear & Android Community (Follow him on Twitter)
• Damon Lavrinc of Wired (Follow him on Twitter)
• David Boyd of CrackBerry (Follow him on Twitter)
• Dieter Bohn of The Verge (Follow him on Twitter)
• Ed Hardy of BrightHand (Follow Brighthand on Twitter)
• Jason Cipriani of CNET Blog Networks (Follow him on Twitter)
• Michael Gorman of Engadget (Follow him on Twitter)
• Nan Palmero of BlackBerryCool (Follow him on Twitter)
• Paul Barraza of Life on My Mobile  (Follow him on Twitter)
• Ross Rubin of Engadget/NPD Group  (Follow him on Twitter)
• Sam Laird of Mashable (Follow him on Twitter)
• Scott Webster of Android Guys & CNET Blog Network (Follow him on Twitter)
• Tim Flight of GPSReview.net  (Follow him on Twitter)
• Troy Brown of Life On My Mobile  (Follow Life On My Mobile on Twitter)

Have a question for our Waypoint members?

I’m going to be roaming around the Waypoint meeting with my video camera so I can give you an inside look at the event and all of those who attend. Do you have any questions for these bloggers? Let me know in the comments section below and I’ll choose the best ones to ask them.

Don’t forget – Follow the conversation from Waypoint on Twitter by following the hashtag #waypoint2012.

As part of our 2011 Corporate Philanthropy efforts, we recently donated proceeds to Angels on Stage, a “theater troupe of children with differing abilities.” Founder DeAnna Pursai started the non-profit in honor of her sister, Angel Ellenberger, with the goal of providing a musical and artistic outlet to help youths with disabilities gain personal confidence and self-esteem. Angels on Stage also seeks to raise awareness of special-needs children, receiving funds from the community, families, and local donors by putting on an annual production of a classic play.

Now in its 4^th season, Angels on Stage recently performed their rendition of Disney’s Alice in Wonderland. When I stepped into the Center of Performing Arts at Evergreen Valley College, it was bedecked with whimsical artwork for the play: a cloth backdrop of giant mushrooms and flowers, a wacky road sign representing the frenetic, late, and lost nature of the White Rabbit (need Telenav there, Mr. Rabbit?), a row of decorated top hats along the windowsill in honor of the Mad Hatter, and a poster board with biographies of all the Angel stars.

The lavish set and wonderful costumes were just some of the delights of the afternoon. The stage came alive as the Angels recited their lines with gusto, getting the audience to sing “Zippety-Do-Dah” along with the bubble-blowing caterpillar and laugh at the comical routine of Tweedle-Dum and Tweedle-Dee. It was a professional production and yet totally relaxed in its execution. If an Angel forgot his or her line, it was okay; a head directory whispered the prompt to them below stage. If they forgot where they were supposed to go, a Buddy Coach volunteer who entered the scene with them would gently guide them. There was an atmosphere of support and nurturing, allowing the youths to have fun and shine as the stars on stage. At one point, the Mad Hatter halted mid-line to wave and send a shout out to her grandmother in the audience. Here were kids breaking out of their secluded, shy shells to show the world what they are capable of.

Often throughout the play, audience participation was encouraged, bridging the line between actors and patrons, binding them together as a unit. The Cheshire Cat (Head, Body, and Tail) sashayed through the rows of seats, handing out wrapped gifts of Angels on Stage paraphernalia. I ended up being the recipient of a gift in commemoration of my Un-Birthday, courtesy of Wonderland. There’s nothing quite like shaking hands with these youths after their heart-felt performance, meeting the founder to congratulate her on a show well done, and stepping into the warm sunlight of a clear day with blue skies and the lyrics to “Painting the Roses Red” looping in your head. Holding on to your Un-Birthday present, and being reminded that life is a gift, to be filled with meaning and laughter, to be enjoyed to its fullest.

Daisy Luu

Manager, Technical Writing Team

Life is either a great adventure or nothing. – Helen Keller

Recently, Telenav’s 2012 kickoff celebration and campus inauguration took place with one idea in mind – adventure! The party, held during mid-week, was a great way to close out our first month at our new office and featured a night filled with good food, great cake, smiling people and, of course, a conga line. Why the celebration? The evening was dedicated to three things: 1) To celebrate the start of 2012, 2) Telenav’s new headquarters and 3) the launch of our newest product, Scout!

The two-hour event started off with a formal ribbon cutting ceremony by our very own CEO, HP Jin. Speaking to the Telenav team of close to 200 in front of our new headquarters, HP shared his excitement about 2012 and the journey the company is set to embark on this year. With our Scout-wrapped Ford Explorer sitting out front of HQ, the team gathered around HP as he kicked off the campus inauguration by cutting a yellow ribbon to call 950 De Guigne, our official new home.

Following the ribbon cutting, the celebration moved into the main dining area, where for one night, our office was transformed into “Club Telenav.”

With fluorescent flashing lights, an entertaining DJ duo and chic furniture to complement multiple gourmet food and drink stations, Club Telenav was rockin’ and hanging out with the Telenav team definitely made for a fun, refreshing night. Oh, and how could we forget the variety of Telenav cakes – banana cream, chocolate and vanilla!

To cap off the night, dancing took over the room with silly footwork, cheerful laughter and a conga line that will be remembered for months to come. Until of course, the next one.

I want to give a special shout out goes to Kelly Valentine, Telenav’s own expert event organizer, who put together a splendid night filled with fun moments, good times and a glimpse of even more of both to come.

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