Bamboo + Impact Management = SharePoint Miracles

There’s a big story brewing at Bamboo.  We are in the process of finalizing a large in kind donation of software and services to the American Red Cross.  I can’t wait to share the details about what we’ve been doing with the Red Cross and how this donation will help save lives and facilitate disaster relief efforts around the world.

But with all of the preparation leading up to SharePoint Conference 2009, and then the travel from DC to Las Vegas, I haven’t had the time to give this story the full treatment it deserves.

However, there is one chapter of this story that has to be told now.

Last week, just a few days before SharePoint Conference 2009, I got a somewhat panicked call from my primary contact at the American Red Cross.  The details of his situation were a little complicated, but the short version was that his team had planned to attend the SharePoint Conference but did not have conference passes (which were completely sold out) and had no budget available even if we could come up with spots for them.  Donors had provided travel for the team, the team was prepared to pay for lodging out of their own pockets, and yet they would be turned away when they arrived if we couldn’t find some way to help them.

My first call was to a contact at Microsoft who will for the moment remain nameless.  I dumped this mess on his lap at the eleventh hour and he came through almost immediately.  He was able to secure tickets, despite being forced to turn away many other parties, and provided half of the budget for the passes.  I hope I will be permitted to recognize this angel by name very soon, I am deeply, humbly grateful to you for your instant and unquestioning support.

My second call was to Dux Raymond Sy, our friend, business partner, and co-presenter at the big show in Vegas.  I reached Dux through Twitter… too late to be calling on a weeknight.  Dux called me back instantly and promised to make some calls and help me raise funds. 

But by Friday morning, I was still well short of funding the passes for the Red Cross.  Down to just a few hours, I turned to Jill Kunkel, Director of Bamboo’s Partner Advantage Program.  I asked Jill to reach out to Bamboo’s top partners and see if there was anyone who could step up and help make a little SharePoint miracle happen.

One of Jill’s first calls was to Pat Esposito at Impact Management.  With little more than an assurance that this was all in support of a good cause, Pat promptly volunteered to donate the full balance of the needed funding. 

I had the opportunity to meet Pat at the Bamboo booth the first night of the conference.  He was quick to dismiss my gushing thanks for his support of Bamboo and the American Red Cross.  Pat explained to me that while his first priority was the health and success of Impact Management, that it is critically important to him and his team to “do the right thing” and be a good citizen of the world.  That’s exactly how we try to do business at Bamboo, and probably why our teams work so well together.

I’ve told this story as best I can from the hallway of the conference room here at SharePoint Conference 2009.  There are more individuals to thank, and much more justification for the effort to get the Red Cross to this event.  I will be posting plenty of follow-ups throughout the week.

For the moment, please join me in thanking and celebrating the timely generosity of Pat Esposito at Impact Management.  If you are looking for a company to help you deploy Bamboo products and technologies, there is no one better than the team at Impact Management.  Character and values make a difference when choosing a vendor or a business partner.   Impact Management is a partner you can choose with confidence.  Thank you, Pat!

It’s a busy event here in Las Vegas.  Look for more updates soon.  Thank you to all of our friends and partners who helped ensure that the team from the American Red Cross could be here to benefit from all of the learning and networking opportunities this week.