Going the Extra Miles
Doylestown businessman plans biking trek to benefit charity.
By Karen Appold
What do computers and cycling have in common? For Mike Rubillo, a Doylestown businessman who owns two computer technology companies, the answer is that they are both challenging. “Technology is always changing, so you have to keep up with it. With cycling, you challenge yourself with hills, speeds and distances,” he says.
Because computer technology and cycling are opposites, Rubillo is attracted to both. “I do cycling because it’s completely different from my detail-oriented and intense work, which has a lot of deadlines and pressure. With cycling I can escape from that and enjoy the countryside,” he says.
And, from July 3 to 7, Rubillo plans to do exactly that when he and close friend Barry Peters bike across Pennsylvania to raise money for the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Philadelphia & Susquehanna Valley, where Rubillo has volunteered for the past five years. Their goal is to raise a minimum of $10,000.
“Because I spent so much time on my two companies in recent years, I set a new goal this year that was outside of my comfort zone that wasn’t business oriented,” says Rubillo, an avid cyclist. “I also wanted to share this goal with my father, who just retired. I would cycle across Pennsylvania and he would drive behind me giving support.”
Peters, also an avid cyclist and Doylestown resident, was eager to join in. “I am incredibly excited about participating in Cycle PA 2010. I have long searched for the time and the cause to give back to the community,” says Peters, an executive with Telerx Marketing, a customer service firm.
The 321-mile trek will begin at Bull Island, NJ, and end in the small town of West Alexander, PA. The trio will take Route 30 and Old Lincoln Highway, and stop at some historic points along the way.
When he’s not training for his trip, Rubillo runs The Catalyze Group and Circular Draw, both Doylestown-based businesses. Clients are in the pharmaceutical, publishing, banking, legal and governmental industries. As a software consultant for almost 18 years, Rubillo specializes in Microsoft technologies and can create custom Web sites, computer applications, data bases, and iPhone or Droid apps.
His hot technology right now is Microsoft Tags. Readers of Bucks & Montgomery Living magazine are among the few in the nation who can take advantage of this cutting-edge technology. A small, colorful code on a magazine page can be activated through a smart phone. The Tag takes the reader from the one-dimensional print page to the advertiser’s Web site to read more about the company or perhaps watch a short video.
“Those introduced to this progressive technology think it’s incredible,” Rubillo says. “Considering it is only one year old, it is being adopted quickly. The number of new customers continues to double from the previous month every month.”
The technology is particularly appealing to marketing professionals because by adding a Tag, it doesn’t limit a package’s space to provide information. The return on investment, how many people clicked on the Tag and which pages they viewed can all be tracked.
The Catalyze Group is playing a critical role in B&ML’s newest venture that launched in June–a TV show hosted by Rich Noonan that showcases the magazine’s advertisers. Microsoft Tags provides the link between the print and video or print and Internet and also provides monitoring and tracking.
Rubillo’s other business, Circular Draw, is a green product designed to replace printers. With this technology, users can photograph a screen and view information from a mobile phone screen instead of printing it out.
A kickoff celebration for Cycle PA 2010 will be held at Triumph Brewery on Tuesday, June 29, at 5:30 p.m. Tickets are $50, and includes wine, beer and hors d’oeuvres. Tickets will be sold at the door. Credit cards are not accepted.
To support the riders, visit http://catalyzegroup.com/Charity.aspx. For additional information on the June 29 kickoff fundraiser, visit http://limeevents.net/cyclepa. Rubiollo thanks his girlfriend, Margaret Mary Bodden, family, coworkers and friends for their support.
Karen Appold is a freelance writer in Royersford (www.WriteNowServices.com).
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