|
|
 | |
Back to List
|
| | 04/30/2012
|
| | |
| | Scoop
|
| |
|
| | [Actually 4/9/2012]: The May Report: 4/9/2012: Shaken, not stirred, and what a shot out of the woods on 10 in sudden death by Bubba Watson! Good Pesach and Happy Easter; Some of you may be wondering why my headlines are book length these days, and have really supplanted 'Briefly noted' -- a fair question -- and the answer is that putting a name in the subject line brings it up much higher in a Google search and I've tested this; Bill Anthony may be full of blarney, but he'd like to hook up with some other lawyers to sue Groupon and better yet, sue the underwriters and there already 2 shareholder suits; Aside from this being a case of ambulance chasing, my main concern is that in the last six months, since they were honored at the CEC dinner on Oct. 6, 2011, the rate at which Lightbank (Brad Keywell and Eric Lefkofsky) has been investing has slowed considerably -- they were averaging a deal a month for 2 years, but since Oct. 2011, I think they've done just 2 new deals; A possible break in the case of why Linda Darragh dumped Chicago Booth for Kellogg -- my info. is that when Ellen Rudnick was promoted to be above Linda, Linda started to lose enthusiasm because her responsibilities were cut; I'm hearing from a guy who was thrown down the stairs when he interviewed at Acquity Group because they did not fall for his bs, that Matt Schmeltz is a 1st class je*k, that he yelled at a new guy he'd hired after just one week -- hey, in general sales managers are the je*ky ones; From the 1871 blog dated Mar. 14: "The independent panel reviewing the applications consists of nine members who were selected by the board of directors of the Chicagoland Entrepreneurial Center. They are entrepreneurs and developers and have each, in their own way, had considerable experience working with a large number of startups through their careers. The original five members were: John Bracken, Brian Fitzpatrick, Amanda Lannert, Dan Lyne and Neal Sales-Griffin. We now have a total of nine, including Adrian Holovaty, Harper Reed, Shawn Riegsecker and Genevieve Thiers."; My new email correspondent Yamnor.hud (or Duh, Ron May) writes that "I am not sure what the big mystery is with Iain Shovlin... most folks involved in the successful Chicago early stage scene know of Iain." Well, Yamnor, "most folks" somehow does not include the likes of J.B., Bob Geras, Lon Chow, Ira Weiss, and Jeff Carter and I'd say those guys are darn well connected; Just to clarify what this is all about, Iain Martin Shovlin or Iain Shovlin is the angel investor behind Techweek and in all likelihood the guy who gave the green light to get rid of Jon Pasky as the director; and given that many people have told me that the investor wishes to not have his name known, apparently he's gotten what he wished for :-); a producer at NBC's Dateline told me Saturday that Matt Lauer can't stand Ann Curry because she's so "difficult" and since Matt just re-signed for mega-bucks ($25MM), she'll probably be gone from Today soon; btw, thanks to Richard Cross for helping me get out of the Mart on March 30th
|
| |
|
| | April 9, 2012
The May Report: 4/9/2012: Shaken, not stirred, and what a shot out of the woods on 10 in sudden death by Bubba Watson! Good Pesach and Happy Easter; Some of you may be wondering why my headlines are book length these days, and have really supplanted 'Briefly noted' -- a fair question -- and the answer is that putting a name in the subject line brings it up much higher in a Google search and I've tested this; Bill Anthony may be full of blarney, but he'd like to hook up with some other lawyers to sue Groupon and better yet, sue the underwriters and there already 2 shareholder suits; Aside from this being a case of ambulance chasing, my main concern is that in the last six months, since they were honored at the CEC dinner on Oct. 6, 2011, the rate at which Lightbank (Brad Keywell and Eric Lefkofsky) has been investing has slowed considerably -- they were averaging a deal a month for 2 years, but since Oct. 2011, I think they've done just 2 new deals; A possible break in the case of why Linda Darragh dumped Chicago Booth for Kellogg -- my info. is that when Ellen Rudnick was promoted to be above Linda, Linda started to lose enthusiasm because her responsibilities were cut; I'm hearing from a guy who was thrown down the stairs when he interviewed at Acquity Group because they did not fall for his bs, that Matt Schmeltz is a 1st class je*k, that he yelled at a new guy he'd hired after just one week -- hey, in general sales managers are the je*ky ones; From the 1871 blog dated Mar. 14: "The independent panel reviewing the applications consists of nine members who were selected by the board of directors of the Chicagoland Entrepreneurial Center. They are entrepreneurs and developers and have each, in their own way, had considerable experience working with a large number of startups through their careers. The original five members were: John Bracken, Brian Fitzpatrick, Amanda Lannert, Dan Lyne and Neal Sales-Griffin. We now have a total of nine, including Adrian Holovaty, Harper Reed, Shawn Riegsecker and Genevieve Thiers."; My new email correspondent Yamnor.hud (or Duh, Ron May) writes that "I am not sure what the big mystery is with Iain Shovlin... most folks involved in the successful Chicago early stage scene know of Iain." Well, Yamnor, "most folks" somehow does not include the likes of J.B., Bob Geras, Lon Chow, Ira Weiss, and Jeff Carter and I'd say those guys are darn well connected; Just to clarify what this is all about, Iain Martin Shovlin or Iain Shovlin is the angel investor behind Techweek and in all likelihood the guy who gave the green light to get rid of Jon Pasky as the director; and given that many people have told me that the investor wishes to not have his name known, apparently he's gotten what he wished for :-); a producer at NBC's Dateline told me Saturday that Matt Lauer can't stand Ann Curry because she's so "difficult" and since Matt just re-signed for mega-bucks ($25MM), she'll probably be gone from Today soon; btw, thanks to Richard Cross for helping me get out of the Mart on March 30th
Editor and publisher: Ron May, ron@themayreport.com, ronaldmay@aol.com,www.themayreport.com, 773-525-3944.
If you missed an article, go here:
www.tmronline.com/A55951/tmrarticles.nsf/vwFullNewsletter
(ALL REPORTS HAVE NOW BEEN POSTED ON THE TMRONLINE.COM SITE AND THANKS TO PROMINIC FOR FIXING THE PROBLEM)
Otherwise, just go to www.themayreport.com where all the articles are archived and the search function on the new site is now working
Louis Brandeis: "Publicity is justly commended as a remedy for social and industrial diseases. Sunlight is said to be the best of disinfectants."
frequently attributed to Edmund Burke: "All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing." but the quote and its many variations have been the subject of dispute. See http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Edmund_Burke for more.
"Larsen E. Whipsnade": You Can't Cheat an Honest Man (1939), a comedy film starring and scripted by W. C. Fields
Andre' Gide (1869 - 1951) in his "Les Nourritures Terrestres. Envoi:":
"What another would have done as well as you, do not do it. What another would have said as well as you, do not say it; written as well, do not write it. Be faithful to that which exists nowhere but in yourself --- and thus make yourself indispensable."
_____________________________
****************************************
Cyber Forensics & Security Conference & Expo
April 19 & 20, 2012
Illinois Institute of Technology - Wheaton, IL (Chicago Area)
Join us for this outstanding Cyber Security & Forensics multi-track, technical conference that attracts 200+ professionals, 50+ speakers, 20+ sponsors, for an intensive one- and a half-days. Sample presentations include:
Keynote - Dan Kaminsky - Securing The Future: Complexity and Simplicity
FBI and Cyber Crime - FBI Regional Computer Forensics Lab and Special Agent FBI Chicago Cyber Squad
Cyber Security: A New Frontier for Cross-Jurisdiction Alliances - Rafael Diaz - Illinois Terrorism Task Force: Chief Cyber Security Advisor, Central Management Services: Chief Information Security Officer
iOS Forensics with Open Source Tools - Katie Strzempka - Senior Forensic Engineer at viaForensics
An IT Professionals' Guide to Using Data Analytics to Prevent and Detect Fraud - Sandra J.H. Rolnicki - Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago
Non-Traditional Intrusion Detection For Non-Traditional Intrusions - Tom Liston - Senior Analyst for InGuardians, Inc.
And, more!
Attend - $200 (Ron May reader rate - $100) Use discount code: MAY
Sponsor/exhibit ($500-1,500)
Participants have included Cisco, Microsoft, IBM, KPMG, Computer Associates, the FBI, Fermilab, Argonne National Lab, Chicago Police Department, CompTIA, Motorola, Sungard and many others.
For more information, please visit www.cpd.iit.edu/forensecure, or contact Scott Pfeiffer at pfeiffer@iit.edu or 630-682-6001.
**************************************
__________________________
TABLE OF CONTENTS
The Scoop section:
-- Reuters: Obama signs bill to boost business startups
-- Layton Olson: Chicago communication infrastructure calendar April - May 2012 -- Basis for networked economy assemblies in wards and community areas
-- Crain's: John Pletz, Groupon shares hit all-time low, shareholder sues
-- Crain's: General tech news and I have no idea why I'm including this
-- Mark Lawrence: How SpotHero has changed its business model
-- Kevin Willer: Blog post from March 14, 2012 on the 1871 review committee
-- Ron's correspondence re: Iain Shovlin with Yamnor.hud (or Duh, Ron May)
-- Five well known and very well connected investors say they've never heard of Iain Shovlin
-- Briefly noted: The skinny on Founder Institute, by Ron May
-- May 2-3, 2012: 10th Annual University of Illinois Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology Nanotechnology Workshop 2012 -- in Urbana
-- Mashable: JOBS Act: What Crowdfunding Means For Your Startup
-- The JOBS Act Signing: A Giant Step for Entrepreneurship in America
-- Monday, April 9: CCEA Happy hour at Theory, 9 W. Hubbard, 5:30 to 8pm;http://cceaapril9.eventbrite.com/
-- Thursday, April 26, 2012 from 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM (CT): CCEA & GCCA
-- Strategic Planning Conference -> Chicago (4/30-5/2)
____________________________
****************************************
April 17 - Annual Fair/Pair for Entrepreneurs
Come join us for a mini trade show combined with a mini Taste of Chicago. Our annual Fair/Pair features businesses who support small to medium sized companies paired up with a local food and beverage vendor. Attendees will circulate throughout the various "pairings" to sample great food and drink plus have access to businesses who can support your business all in one night!
Plus you can qualify to win a Kindle!
Current Food/Beverage Vendors Attending:
Finch Beer
Foiled Cupcakes
Scott and Lisa's Gourmet Pretzels
Argo Tea
MJ Catering
Spark of the Heart
Current Business Vendors Attending
US Voice & Data
IBM
Productive Scheduling Solutions
KnowledgeShift
Adalyze Technologis
Tandem HR
Racom Comomuniations
Venture SHOT/Funding Feeding Frenzy
Heartland Group
BTE Consulting
Open One Solutions
UBS Investments - Jeffery Tear
When: April 17th
Time: 5:30-8:00 pm
Where: IBM Innovation Center 71 S. Wacker 6th Fl
Fee: $10 for members $20 at the door
$35 for non-members $40 at the door
Click here to register
http://www.mitefchicago.org/
*******************************************
_____________________________
The Scoop section:
_____________________
Reuters: Obama signs bill to boost business startups
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/04/05/us-usa-jobsact-idUSBRE83414F20120405
Obama signs bill to boost business startups
By Alexandra Alper
WASHINGTON | Thu Apr 5, 2012 6:16pm EDT
(Reuters) - President Barack Obama signed into law on Thursday a bipartisan bill to kickstart small business growth and he promised rigorous oversight to make sure the measure does not harm investors, as critics have warned.
The bill to make it easier for small firms to raise capital and go public marked a rare accomplishment in an gridlocked Congress. Obama, his fellow Democrats and his Republican foes were all eager to show voters in an election year that they could agree on something to boost the fragile economic recovery and fight high unemployment.
"For startups and small businesses, this bill is a potential game changer," Obama said at a White House signing ceremony flanked by lawmakers from both parties. "Startups and small business will now have access to a big new pool of potential investors, namely the American people."
The bipartisanship on display on Thursday is unlikely to last.
Both parties are busy sharpening their election year messages and there is little left on the congressional agenda that has the support of both Republicans and Democrats.
The bill, which was drafted in the Republican-controlled House of Representatives, will make it easier for companies to solicit private investors and relaxes filing requirements associated with initial public offerings.
It also allows startup companies to engage in crowdfunding, in which investors take small stakes in companies over the Internet.
The measure has the strong backing of business groups and entrepreneurs, particularly in the technology industry.
Slava Rubin, co-founder of the crowd-funding site Indiegogo, attended the signing and said in a statement that the bill would give every American an "equal opportunity to stimulate tomorrow's new companies and job growth."
Some Democratic lawmakers, regulators and investor advocates, however, have expressed concerns the new law will roll back critical shields that protect unsophisticated investors from securities fraud.
Democratic Senator Carl Levin, who sponsored a failed amendment to boost investor protections in the bill, warned the new law would open the door for more "Enron-style frauds."
"When we look back on this day, I'm afraid we will see that the misnamed JOBS Act hurt investors, made our capital markets less competitive, and ultimately cost American jobs," he said in a statement.
Seeking to blunt such criticism, Obama directed his administration, including the Justice Department, to keep a close eye on the bill's effects and highlighted protections already in the legislation.
"To make sure Americans don't get taken advantage of, the websites where folks will go to fund all these startups and small businesses will be subject to rigorous oversight," he said.
He also said the Securities and Exchange Commission will play an important role in implementing this bill.
SEC Chairman Mary Schapiro had expressed concern the original House version of the bill eroded too many critical investor protections. The Senate fixes, which she welcomed, do not address all of her issues with the legislation.
The bill signing marked a rare occasion for Republicans and Democrats to trade back slaps instead of brickbats.
The Republican delegation at the ceremony was led by House Majority leader Eric Cantor, a frequent critic of the Democratic president. Cantor has played a leading role in stalling some of the main components of Obama's jobs plan.
Calling it a "straight up solutions-oriented bill," Cantor said the legislation "says we're committed in America, we're open for business."
(Editing by Tim Dobbyn and Andre Grenon)
_______________________________
Layton Olson: Chicago communication infrastructure calendar April - May 2012 -- Basis for networked economy assemblies in wards and community areas
Subject: Chicago communication infrastructure calendar April - May 2012 -- Basis for networked economy assemblies in wards and community areas
Date: 4/9/2012 10:20:18 A.M. Central Daylight Time
From: leo@howehutton.com
To: leo@howehutton.com
CC: field@iit.edu
Colleagues with interests in communication infrastructure and public-private financing,
1. Note proposal by members of Chicago City Council for City Council oversight, including appointment of an Alderman to the 5 member Infrastructure Trust. The ordinance may be considered April 16 in Finance Committee and April 18 in full City Council, unless deferred for further consideration. City Council members and others are interested in understanding the trust better, including in relation to potential funding for public works projects, including water/utilities, transportation, built environment, in their wards and areas of the city.
Aldermen Pat Dowell and Ameya Pawar offer changes and qualified support to Emanuel's Chicago Infrastructure Trust - Chicago Tribune - April 9
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/editorials/ct-oped-infrastructure-0409-20120409,0,2860478.story
2. Note May 22 Chicago program of American Planning Association on tax increment financing in Chicago, and adaptation of TIF to new guidelines and new forms of public-private financing.
Tuesdays at APA-Chicago -- May 22 5:30 - 205 N. Michigan, Suite 1200
http://www.planning.org/tuesdaysatapa/chicago/
April-May will be an interesting time for understanding the linkages between communication infrastructure and services, and wider public works, and built
and natural environment infrastructure and monitoring. The integration of communication conduit in plans for 1500 miles of water/sewer replacement projects will be an important step for each ward. Such public works lifecyle investment lays the basis for ward-wide and area-wide (250,000 residents in community college/university service areas) community visioning and oversight assemblies of cross-sections composed of community-business-institutional leaders in strong local investment and service networks.
I will be away April 12 - May 14. Upon return, I hope to attend the May 22 event to help catch up. Dr. Jerry Field, technology consultant and long time journalist, will be monitoring Chicago infrastructure activities.
Layton Olson
Safe & Healthy Communities Project
Community Life Initiative
Contributing editor PCI web news
312-263-3001
__________________________
Crain's: John Pletz, Groupon shares hit all-time low, shareholder sues
http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20120403/NEWS07/120409931/groupon-shares-hit-all-time-low-shareholder-sues
Groupon shares hit all-time low, shareholder sues
Print | Email | 19 comments
By John Pletz April 03, 2012
(Updated 5 p.m.)
(Crain's) — On the day Groupon stock closed at $15.02, an all-time low, a shareholder sued the firm, accusing it of misleading investors about its financial prospects and concealing weak internal controls.
The lawsuit was filed four days after Groupon unexpectedly revised its results for the fourth quarter, its first as a public company, and said it had a "material weakness" in its internal controls because of a failure to set aside enough money for customer refunds.
According to a complaint filed in federal court in Chicago, the company overstated revenue, issued materially false and misleading financial results, and concealed how its business was not growing as fast and was not nearly as resistant to competition as it suggested.
Groupon also did not reveal its "poor and inadequate" internal controls, and concealed in its registration statement and prospectus for its November 2011 initial public offering that it did not comply with various countries' laws, the complaint said.
Julie Mossler, a Groupon spokeswoman, was not immediately available for
comment.
The new low stock close also followed word that the Securities and Exchange Commission has launched an informal inquiry.
Shares of Groupon are now roughly half of what they were when they hit a high of $31.14 on their opening day of trading, Nov. 4. The stock's previous lowest close was $15.24 on Nov. 28.
The SEC's probe is preliminary, according to the Wall Street Journal, which first reported the story. The commission declined to comment.
The lawsuit seeks class-action status on behalf of shareholders who acquired Groupon shares between Nov. 4, 2011 and March 30, 2012.
Among the other defendants are Groupon Chief Executive Andrew Mason and several banks that helped take the company public, including lead IPO underwriters Credit Suisse, Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley.
The plaintiff is Fan Zhang, who said he paid nearly $61,800 for 3,000 Groupon shares in February, and sold them in March at a loss of more than $9,000.
The continued drumbeat of bad news ratchets up criticism of the company, which earned a reputation for aggressive accounting after a lengthy battle with the SEC during its IPO preparation that caused it to revise financial results before going public.
"This is not normal," said Rick Summer, an analyst at Chicago-based Morningstar Inc. "To call it growing pains is a free pass I don't think the company deserves. It's not sufficient to say 'Trust us — the business is going great.' "
Groupon restated its fourth-quarter financials late Friday, reporting 2.9 percent lower revenue of $492.2 million and a larger loss of $65.4 million, up from $42.7 million reported earlier.
Groupon said the revision, which reduced fourth-quarter earnings and revenue, was caused by the need for higher reserves for refunds on deals that have higher price tags, such as Lasik eye surgery and laser hair removal. The company didn't provide additional details on how much the total refunds were compared with its reserves at the time.
A high number of refunds began showing up in January and were disclosed to top management by the company's chief accounting officer in February, a source close to the company said Tuesday.
The company 's auditors, Ernst & Young LLP, said it found Groupon had a material weakness in its internal accounting and financial controls.
"Two bad things happened: Their business wasn't as robust as they thought it was, and they don't have their act together on the accounting front," said Lou Kerner, founder of the Social Internet Fund, which invests in pre-IPO social-media companies. He followed Groupon in its run-up to last year's IPO. "I'm not sure which is more damaging, but both are bad."
(Reuters contributed to this story.)
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
What do you think?
Anthony G. wrote:
Free Advice....If someone offers you billions for your start up....take it...Also...in the entire length of my Groupon subscription (15mos) I have taken one coupon. I dub them my daily let down as far as offers. Maybe they should buy some browsing technology or marketing data?
4/4/2012 1:27 PM CDT on Chicago Business
Recommend
Report Abuse
Permalink
David A. wrote:
I have to agree with John C. and Ken A. here.
I never did understand what Groupon was selling or how it planned to make money; its business model seemed as sound as the dotcoms in the 1990s with terrific "burn rates" but no viable profit model.
Two old expressions come to mind: P. T. Barnum's observation that a sucker is born every minute, and the timeless adage that a foll and his money are soon parted. Bottom line: if you don't understand it, then don't buy it; and if it sounds too good to be true then it probably is.
4/4/2012 10:52 AM CDT on Chicago Business
Recommend (2)
Report Abuse
Permalink
Lynne G. wrote:
Suit doesn't hold water. A lot of tech analysts (myself included) were vocal about the hot mess that is Groupon. Investors need to do due diligence. If that investor had, he wouldn't have pkunked down a buck -- Well maybe for a 2-fer at Subway ...
4/4/2012 2:27 AM CDT on Chicago Business
Recommend (4)
Report Abuse
Permalink
Kathleen C. wrote:
Coming soon: Deal-of-the-day on Groupon shares.
4/3/2012 10:50 PM CDT on Chicago Business
Recommend (6)
Report Abuse
Permalink
Alex G. wrote:
I'm all for innovation and generating enthusiasm for start-ups, but was Groupon's business model really viable to begin with? That's the first question that it's investors and current shareholders really should have asked themselves.
4/3/2012 5:53 PM CDT on Chicago Business
Recommend (5)
Report Abuse
Permalink
ethel m. wrote:
I am just not understanding why this is such a surprise. In the run up to the IPO there were numerous articles about the financials of this company. Did people look the other way and ignore the articles in fear they would miss the next Google?
4/3/2012 5:26 PM CDT on Chicago Business
Recommend (6)
Report Abuse
Permalink
John C. wrote:
Ken A. brings up a most excellent point. How are these mickey mouse, sorry Disney, operations even allowed to float an IPO without even elementary accounting systems and personnel in place?
There just was another disaster straight out of the box, those BATS exchange people. They blew it on the first day and trading their own stock!
Isn't anybody out there, the SEC, security industry groups, CPA's, etc. even doing an elementary checkup/certification on all these mopes so that they at least meat minimally generally accepted business standards?
All these stories convince me is that nothing has really changed in the financial industry and it still is buyer beware - especially with these pump-and-dump IPO hucksters that pawn this toilet paper off on unsuspecting investors.
4/3/2012 4:42 PM CDT on Chicago Business
Recommend (6)
Report Abuse
Permalink
John C. wrote:
First of all, they cater to the bottom-of-the-barrel type of customers, the misers and cheapskates who are nothing but trouble for businesses to begin with; rude, mean, demanding and relenentless penny pitchers and mouchers. This is apparently the biggest complaint the Groupon businesses have; the poor clientele. I have heard that barely 1% of them will ever turn into regular PROFITABLE customers. Stop the giveaways and there go the "customers"!
Second of all, the businesses themselves are probably marginal at best and desperate. Why else would they give away their products like this and hurt their reputation by being known as a "discounter" that attracts lower level customers?
Ok, there are exceptions like the museums and larger companies. But like with the museums, which are loaded with cash and do Groupon as a pr vehicle, the larger companies look at this as a pr vehicle too and not as a primary advertising strategy.
I bet the folks at Google that wanted to buy Groupon are thanking the lucky stars that they dodged "the bullet" on this one!
4/3/2012 4:36 PM CDT on Chicago Business
Recommend (2)
Report Abuse
Permalink
Ken A. wrote:
I was CFO of a Groupon clone and to read about these accounting/financial issues is quite amusing. It wasn't that long back that Groupon was reporting Gross Revenue without taking into account the merchant's share. So you have to ask yourself "why were these accounting issues not properly vetted before the company went public"? Simply stated: the WallStreet I-Bankers only cared about getting the IPO done and whatever should happen later was of no concern to them. Groupon's salesforce is largely made-up young, inexperienced "professionals" who probably don't know the first thing about "due diligence". They are tasked to sign deals and if a merchant goes out of business or fails to fulfill the terms of the deal, then Groupon eats the loss. Groupon is under tremendous pressure to deliver earnings and will continue to sign deals to meet the expectations placed on them by the analyst who follow the stock. The bottom line: Groupon was set up to fail from the start having to rely on inexperienced leadership and a business model that is fundamentally flawed. I wish it wasn't so but I'm afraid the truth is painfully obvious.
4/3/2012 4:32 PM CDT on Chicago Business
Recommend (10)
Report Abuse
Permalink
John C. wrote:
P.S.
I have an idear for a name change, from Groupon to PASSon!
4/3/2012 4:30 PM CDT on Chicago Business
Recommend
Report Abuse
Permalink
Read more:http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20120403/NEWS07/120409931/groupon-shares-hit-all-time-low-shareholder-sues#ixzz1rYIsT7QM
Stay on top of Chicago business with our free daily e-newsletters
_____________________________
Crain's: General tech news and I have no idea why I'm including this
http://www.chicagobusiness.com/section/news08
Home > Technology >
Chicago Technology News
Updated 3:25 p.m.
Groupon stock sinks to new, new low
(Crain's) — As Groupon's stock swooned, two shareholder lawsuits were filed against the company in federal court seeking class-action status.
Slide show
Google adds Art Institute works to its online museum
(Crain's) — The Art Institute of Chicago is one of more than 100 museums included in the Google Art Project, which began last year with works from 17 museums around the world.
EU launches 2 antitrust probes against Motorola Mobility
(AP) — The European Union's competition watchdog says it has opened two investigations into whether Motorola Mobility, which is being bought by Google, is unfairly restricting competitors from accessing essential patents.
Updated
Groupon restates Q4 earnings
(Crain's) — Groupon restated its fourth-quarter earnings today and disclosed in its annual report that auditors issued a statement that the company had material weakness in internal controls.
EU antitrust regulators may probe Motorola, Apple, Microsoft dispute
Watch the video
Developing a mobile app for on-the-go moms
(Crain's) — The most popular refrain one hears from mothers is, "I have no time." But one entrepreneur is hoping they will have at least 30 seconds to read or view tips on her new mobile app.
GrubHub moves HQ to the Loop
(Crain's) — The online food-ordering service is moving into the top three floors of this landmark Loop tower after outgrowing its Bucktown headquarters.
Chicago lags smaller metro areas in patent output
(Crain's) — Patent output by Chicago companies is on the rebound, but the city is trailing the nation's hotbeds of research and innovation.
Tech startup space 1871 sets official opening date: May 2
1871, a new downtown hub for tech startups, will open its doors on May 2.
Tech startup hub 1871 sets May debut
(Crain's) — 1871, a new downtown hub for tech startups, will open its doors on May 2.
Motorola Solutions wants court to clear suits against customers
(AP) — Electronics maker Motorola Solutions Inc. filed a federal lawsuit Wednesday asking a court to throw out several patent infringement claims against its customers.
Motorola Solutions CEO Brown collects $29.3 million in 2011
(Crain's) — Big chunk of the compensation — more than double what he made the previous year — was tied to Motorola's split into two companies.
'Shark Tank' for the high-school set
(Crain's) — Despite the pressure-cooker atmospherics, the finalists seem as confident as Mark Zuckerberg as they make their pitches. “I'm going to skip all modesty here," says one contestant. "These are some pretty brilliant kids.”
Updated 2:25 p.m.
Google looks to sell Moto Mobility's TV set-top biz
(Crain's) — Google Inc. has hired an investment bank to find a buyer before completing its $12.5 billion acquisition of the Libertyville-based company, according to the New York Post.
Trustwave to buy 300-employee malware defense firm
(Crain's) — Chicago-based Trustwave Inc., which provides security-compliance software to the credit card industry, added malware defense to its toolbox with an acquisition.
Updated 2 p.m.
Motorola Solutions' Brown: End of 'journey' with Icahn
(Crain's) — Four years after Carl Icahn muscled his way onto Motorola Inc.'s board of directors, pushing for a breakup, he's cashing out.
Motorola Mobility, Solutions start competing with each other
(Crain's) — Motorola's warring tribes are back, at least a little bit.
US Cellular keeps losing subscribers in 4Q
(AP) — The regional cellphone company lost wireless subscribers for the seventh quarter in a row, but posted a small increase in revenue as subscribers spent more.
CEO Jha soon out at Motorola Mobility: report
(Crain's) — The chief executive is close to being replaced by a Google Inc. insider as the Silicon Valley company completes its $12.5 billion takeover, Bloomberg News reports.
AT&T Internet service outage lasted 6 hours
(Crain's) — Some AT&T Corp. customers looking to get online this morning were unable to connect, as service was disrupted for about six hours.
.
Read more: http://www.chicagobusiness.com/section/news08#ixzz1rJHT7RX9
Stay on top of Chicago business with our free daily e-newsletters
__________________________
Mark Lawrence: How SpotHero has changed its business model
Subject: Re: Guys, getting caught up -- if that's possible! How has your biz model changed?
Date: 4/5/2012 10:05:35 P.M. Central Daylight Time
From: mark@spothero.com
To: RONALDMAY@aol.com
CC: jeremy@spothero.com
We have partnered with major parking lots and garages and not focusing on individual parking spaces. We have also added monthly parking. We allow you to available monthly parking options in the area and book right then and there.
http://spothero.com/chicago-monthly-parking
Mark
On Thu, Apr 5, 2012 at 6:25 PM, <RONALDMAY@aol.com> wrote:
--
Mark Lawrence
Co-Founder SpotHero Inc.
http://spothero.com
On LinkedIn
On Yelp
On Fox Good Morning Chicago
Need a Monthly Parking Spot in Chicago?
___________________________
Kevin Willer: Blog post from March 14, 2012 on the 1871 review committee
http://www.1871.com/2012/03/the-1871-application-review-process/
Mar 14, 2012 | Post by: kevin No Comments
The 1871 Application Review Process
Earlier today, we notified the first companies whose 1871 membership applications have been accepted. More than 300 companies have applied to 1871 since the application process was opened in mid-January. An independent panel has been reviewing this pool of applicants to identify the most promising digital startups who have demonstrated the potential to succeed in executing their vision. We are very excited to welcome our first tenants to 1871 as soon as we open our doors.
The independent panel reviewing the applications consists of nine members who were selected by the board of directors of the Chicagoland Entrepreneurial Center. They are entrepreneurs and developers and have each, in their own way, had considerable experience working with a large number of startups through their careers. The original five members were: John Bracken, Brian Fitzpatrick, Amanda Lannert, Dan Lyne and Neal Sales-Griffin. We now have a total of nine, including Adrian Holovaty, Harper Reed, Shawn Riegsecker and Genevieve Thiers. We are pleased to have this great group of people reviewing the applications and helping to make the decisions that will shape the 1871 community.
By the way, if you are reading this post and have applied for membership but have not heard, that means that your application is still being considered.
___________________________
Ron's correspondence re: Iain Shovlin with Yamnor.hud (or Duh, Ron May)
++++++++++++++++++++++
Iain Shovlin
Inbox
x
from: yamnor hud yamnor.hud@gmail.com
to: ron@themayreport.com
date: Thu, Apr 5, 2012 at 7:31 PM
subject: Iain Shovlin
mailed-by: gmail.com
signed-by: gmail.com
: Important mainly because of the people in the conversation.
yamnor hud yamnor.hud@gmail.com
7:31 PM (3 hours ago)
to me
Ron -
I am not sure what the big mystery is with Iain Shovlin... most folks involved in the successful Chicago early stage scene know of Iain. He is a very smart and measured investor that prefers to have a low profile... refreshing in today's day and age. Anyone that knows him would very much like to have him on their board which something which he rarely does, often advising those select companies behind the scenes. His operational and investment background at Bain and TCV coupled with experience at a number of other industry conferences make him a great asset in helping to steer the Techweek ship. Geoff and Jon of midVentures did an admirable thing starting the ball in motion here and Iain seems to be making sure that the vision continues with humility and that so every community stakeholder can benefit from a successful and growing event. In short, he gets it....
Contrary to his professional profile, he is a gregarious scotsman.. often seen in colorful shorts and a blazer...and not just when its warm out. I do hope you have the fortune of meeting him someday.
Have a wonderful holiday,
Yamnor Hud
(sorry not to provide more info...but all in good spirit!)
_____________________________
Subject: Yamnor, do you think I'm stupid? Yamnor: Ron May in reverse. Oprah/Harpo :-)
Date: 4/5/2012 11:46:48 P.M. Central Daylight Time
From: RONALDMAY@aol.com
To: yamnor.hud@gmail.com
CC: ronaldmay@aol.com
April 5, 2012
Yamnor,
The big deal is that they were making a big deal out of keeping the name of the board members secret, not the advisory board, but the real board, an\d the names of the investors in Techweek (fka midVentures) secret.
1. Iain Martin Shovlin is from NYC, Scotland, where?
2. How long has he been in Chicago?
3. Is he still with TCV or has he quit to run Guild Capital, LLC?
4. What brought him to Chicago?
5. What are his ties to Eric Lefkofsky and Brad Keywell?
6. What are his ties to J. B. Pritzker, Matt McCall, Lon Chow, Kevin Willer, Troy Henikoff, Matt Moog?
7. Is he part of an angel group like Hyde Park Angels or Firestarter?
8. Why did he give $2,500 to Congressman Quigley, given that he appears to be new to Chicago?
9. What other pols is he connected to?
10. What other companies, locally or nationally, has he been an angel investor in?
11. What does he want to get out of his investment in Techweek? He's not doing it as charity, is he?
12. My info. is that he must have been the main person behind getting rid of Jon Pasky, so why did he decide to get rid of Jon?
Yamnor, generally, when people go out of their way to hide something as has been done here, just as when there's smoke, there's often fire.
It is also standard practice in business and politics to say "what's the big deal?" or "everybody knows that" when the secret is uncovered and the truth is exposed as a way of deflecting the issue..
Your letter is proof of that.
Many politicians use the line "Oh, that's old news" when it is clearly not.
Show me any publication that has stated that Iain Shovlin is an investor in Techweek.
If everything is so above board, please arrange a meeting between me and Iain Shovlin.
I would appreciate any help you can be.
Ron May
or Yamnor if you prefer,
773-525-3944
www.themayreport.com
________________________________
Subject: Iain Shovlin
Date: 4/6/2012 7:46:56 P.M. Central Daylight Time
From: yamnor.hud@gmail.com
To: ronaldmay@aol.com
Ron -
No I do not think you are stupid....quite the contrary, you seem to be very intelligent...so forgive my weak alias. As I said, all in good spirit. Here's the thing - you may be intelligent but it appears to me that even well meaning people who are attempting to do good things for our community seem to come under your fire. Fair enough...that seems to be your " investigative" style but it doesn't seem conducive to encouraging people to speak with you openly.
All the positive voices and leadership in our community these days, i think that carries the day. I consider Iain to be one of those voices and respect his "this is not about me" approach. That seems to be the right direction for something like tech week - not to sound corny (or communist) but it's the people's conference. He appears to be a savvy investor and so I would expect that it is not a charitable endeavor...if it's a success, more power to the whole tech week team and how amazing would it be for our ecosystem?
I can do my best with your questions....but have you tried to contact Iain? Maybe you are getting no info from the tech week management? I have heard him introduced as the chairman of tech week in public so maybe that just isn't newsworthy? I agree that there would be no real reason not to so maybe that was the tech week staff "protecting" an investor from you. :)
[Editor's note: May here. I have indicated Yamnor's answers using brackets.]
On Thursday, April 5, 2012, wrote:
April 5, 2012
Yamnor,
The big deal is that they were making a big deal out of keeping the name of the board members secret, not the advisory board, but the real board, an\d the names of the investors in Techweek (fka midVentures) secret.
1. Iain Martin Shovlin is from NYC, Scotland, where?
[Scotland I believe...strong brogue]
2. How long has he been in Chicago?
[Dunno...I get the sense he travels quite a bit]
3. Is he still with TCV or has he quit to run Guild Capital, LLC?
[I believe guild capital for a few years]
4. What brought him to Chicago?
[I know he has some investments here...maybe that...or maybe he fell in love]
5. What are his ties to Eric Lefkofsky and Brad Keywell?
[None that know of]
6. What are his ties to J. B. Pritzker, Matt McCall, Lon Chow, Kevin Willer, Troy Henikoff, Matt Moog?
[None that I know of other than just investor networking....have you asked them?]
7. Is he part of an angel group like Hyde Park Angels or Firestarter?
[No]
8. Why did he give $2,500 to Congressman Quigley, given that he appears to be new to Chicago?
[Dunno, someone probably asked him too....back scratching? Thats usually how that works but that said quigley seems to be a pretty well liked congressman, yes?]
9. What other pols is he connected to?
[Dunno]
10. What other companies, locally or nationally, has he been an angel investor in?
[Dunno...I think he advises a few but not sure of specific investments]
11. What does he want to get out of his investment in Techweek? He's not doing it as charity, is he?
[See above....what other extrinsic value would a tech investor get sitting at the middle of a tech conference....seems to me it's like standing in traffic]
12. My info. is that he must have been the main person behind getting rid of Jon Pasky, so why did he decide to get rid of Jon?
[Geoff and Jon just ran data 2.0 in san Fran? It is part of tech week....Is that getting rid of Jon?]
Yamnor, generally, when people go out of their way to hide something as has been done here, just as when there's smoke, there's often fire.
It is also standard practice in business and politics to say "what's the big deal?" or "everybody knows that" when the secret is uncovered and the truth is exposed as a way of deflecting the issue..
[I think you will find Iain is very well known and many know of his involvement with tech week...I simply don't think it is a big deal or I just am personally not seeing it... maybe you should take it personally :) ]
Your letter is proof of that.
Many politicians use the line "Oh, that's old news" when it is clearly not.
Show me any publication that has stated that Iain Shovlin is an investor in Techweek.
[Again, if it mattered, someone would have reported on it....obviously the guy prefers to be low key and let the tech week leadership speak for the event. obviously some of the players have shuffled - I guess we can only hope they know what they are doing. I think all of us have a large stake in the success this conference.]
If everything is so above board, please arrange a meeting between me and Iain Shovlin.
[I can agree to pass on the request]
I would appreciate any help you can be.
[My pleasure]
Ron May
or Yamnor if you prefer,
[I will stick with Ron....I am liking my new name so much I now have a twitterhandle....@yamnorhud ]
773-525-3944
www.themayreport.com
_______________________________
Subject: Yamnor hud, good Twitter handle, responding to your note...
Date: 4/8/2012 8:37:04 P.M. Central Daylight Time
From: RONALDMAY@aol.com
To: yamnor.hud@gmail.com
CC: ronaldmay@aol.com
April 8, 2012,
Yamnor hud,
First, I like twitter handle.
Thanks for the response you gave me.
You may be correct that Iain Martin Shovlin has been named publicly as the chairman of Techweek, but that flies in the face of everything I've been told about the real board and the angels behind Techweek by a number of people, including Geoff Domaracki, Jon Pasky, Brian Mayer, Meagan Lopez, Arabella Santiago, Danny Bloomfield, and many others I have talked to.
If there is a publication naming him, I'd sure like to see it.
I spoke to Jon Pasky and Meagan Lopez at the Technori after party on March 27th, and neither would tell me anything. Jon said that if I do find out, it won't be from him, and when I called Meagan Lopez the next morning at her office at Social Katy, she too was mum. I did get the sense from her that there is one key person behind the funding, but no names.
I can't say who gave me the key lead (to protect a source) unlocking the mystery of many moons, but it was someone I spoke to at Rockit on April 3rd.
Even at that point, all I had was the first name Ian and the firm Guild Capital.
But with the help of one of my elves (aka minions, mentors, gofers, or even un- and under-employed goofballs) which now number about 6 regulars and another 6 to 10 stringers (for specific topics), I was off to the races.
Jon is very careful about what he says which makes me wonder why Arabella is so easily willing to say things that are critical of Jon.
I respect an investor's desire to keep a low profile, as you call it, but my job -- and I realized this many years ago -- is to get the information that the inside club (aka clique, cabal, elite, etc.) wants kept quiet or secret.
Groupon is a great example.
Wouldn't everyone want to know what conversations and deliberations go on behind the scenes which result in such sloppy (aka negligent, legally questionable) financial reporting.
I sure would, and if I were able to find it out, I would publish it without hesitation in a New York minute.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++
From TMR, 1/11/2012
How much angel money did they get? I threw out the figure of $500K, and Jon said that they are not disclosing the amount but he also said he would not confirm nor deny that the figure is in the range.
Who funded them? Jon said that the angels do not want to be named. When I asked him if I might know them, he said I might. That conversation was somewhat tongue in cheek because I joked that if a mini van containing Kevin Willer, Matt Moog, Brian Hand, Troy Henikoff, Howard Tullman, JB, McCall, Brad and Eric went over a cliff, there goes the Chicago tech community -- which has about a dozen (really about 30) key high visibility players.
++++++++++++++++++++++++
From the headline, 3/19/2012
Why is the Techweek board, smug and snug, hiding behind the apron string of anonymity?
+++++++++++++++++++++++++
From TMR, 3/12/2012
I gather she [Arabella] may have better connections than Jon; she also said that they don't just want an event -- they want to aim for the world stage and that means connecting to other hubs; Arabella indicated that they had lost sight of that; Who knows what really goes on behind the scenes? Techweek has an advisory board which is public information, but the real board is still not disclosed and is being kept secret
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Yamnor, that's all for now.
Ron May
773-525-3944
ronaldmay@aol.com
www.themayreport.com
_____________________________
Five well known and very well connected investors say they've never heard of Iain Shovlin
+++++++++++++++++++++++
Subject: Re: J. B., Good Pesach. By any chance, do you know an angel named Iain Shovlin?
Date: 4/9/2012 11:46:26 A.M. Central Daylight Time
From: JBPritzker@pritzkergroup.com
To: RONALDMAY@aol.com
Good Pesach Ron! Hope you are feeling ok. I don't know the angel investor you mention. Who is that?
JB
J.B. Pritzker
Managing Partner
The Pritzker Group
www.pritzkergroup.com>
312-447-6000
On Apr 9, 2012, at 11:09 AM, "RONALDMAY@aol.com>" <RONALDMAY@aol.com>> wrote:
___________________________
Subject: Re: Jeff, would you happen to know an angel investor named Iain Shovlin?
Date: 4/9/2012 9:09:46 A.M. Central Daylight Time
From: jrcarter@me.com
To: RONALDMAY@aol.com
Give me context. Doesn't ring an immediate bell
Sent from my iPhone please excuse any mispellings
On Apr 9, 2012, at 8:56 AM, RONALDMAY@aol.com wrote:
_____________________________
Subject: RE: Ira, by any chance do you know an investor named Iain Shovlin? Good Pesach.
Date: 4/9/2012 9:16:06 A.M. Central Daylight Time
From: ira.weiss@chicagobooth.edu
To: RONALDMAY@aol.com
Nope. What are you looking for, and who is he?
From: RONALDMAY@aol.com [mailto:RONALDMAY@aol.com]
Sent: Monday, April 09, 2012 8:54 AM
To: Weiss, Ira S.
Cc: ronaldmay@aol.com
Subject: Ira, by any chance do you know an investor named Iain Shovlin? Good Pesach.
_______________________________
Subject: Re: Bob, do you happen to know an angel investor named Iain Shovlin?
Date: 4/9/2012 11:03:36 A.M. Central Daylight Time
From: bob@vcbob.com
To: RONALDMAY@aol.com
Never heard of him, Ron.
On Mon, Apr 9, 2012 at 10:57 AM, <RONALDMAY@aol.com> wrote:
Bob Geras
LaSalle Investments
Venturing since 1968
___________________________
Subject: Re: Lon, a few questions.
Date: 4/9/2012 9:59:44 A.M. Central Daylight Time
From: LChow@apexvc.com
To: RONALDMAY@aol.com
Hi Ron,
See answers below.
I don't know the angel investor
I have not heard anything about the scenario you described below.
We will be supporting 1871 in some way, not sure of format or structure.
Lon Chow
Apex Venture Partners
225 W. Washington, Suite 1500
Chicago, IL 60606
312-857-2800
From: <RONALDMAY@aol.com>
Date: Mon, 9 Apr 2012 10:51:57 -0400
To: Lon Chow <lchow@apexvc.com>
Cc: <ronaldmay@aol.com>
Subject: Lon, a few questions.
April 9, 2012
Lon,
How are things going?
A few questions.
1. Do you happen to know an angel investor named Iain Shovlin?
2. I heard about a month ago that there is a local start-up which jumped the gun on its next round of funding.
They were telling people that they had the funding, and even offered jobs to a bunch of sales people (I heard eight), but then when the funding did not materialize, they had to renege on the offers they had already made.
Your name came up in the conversation, so I thought you might know something about this firm.
Any help would be appreciated.
Also, is Apex looking to rent one of the 6 suites at 1871 for $96 a sf?
Ron
773-525-3944
ronaldmay@aol.com
___________________________
Briefly noted: The skinny on Founder Institute, by Ron May
* Here's the story on Jason Jacobsohn, jason@jacobsohn.com, and the Founder Institute, FI, www.founderinstitute.com/join/ideation
1. It is an international organization with local affiliates in 22 cities.
2. They have had one graduating class here in Chicago so far. The participants are required to meet some pretty rigorous standards.
The program involves three meetings per month but they adjust for holidays over a three month period, actually closer to four months, and again it depends on holidays.
The meetings are organized along the lines of functional and structural issues that start-ups are facing such as research, naming and branding, legal and IP, product development, and marketing and sales.
3. At each meeting, there are 3 mentors who are experienced entrepreneurs such as Ross Kimbarovsky, George Deeb, Kevin Taylor, and Irv Shapiro.
Members of The Big Idea Forum (TBIF) board who have been mentors include Mil Ovan, Peter Tapling, Steve Subar,Ted Greene, and Brett Holland.
4. It's not just doing business plan presentations and being critiqued.
It's more like taking a class or a seminar with homework.
The entrepreneurs can be starting from square one and as far as I know, there are no pre-conditions other than that you have an idea.
Actually, that is not true.
Jason explains that "You don't need to have an idea to start the program. You are admitted based on your aptitude of being an entrepreneur."
5. The program does cost the entrepreneur a non-refundable $900 to be paid up-front. The $900 covers course costs such as operations and mentor travel.
Plus the tuition money covers operational costs of Founder Institute. Some of it is used at the local level and some is used at the operational level of the entire program.
Some entrepreneurs drop out, and some are actually asked to leave.
The biggest reason you can be asked to leave is that you don't do the work.
In the first graduating class, they started with twenty firms, and they graduated fourteen. The meetings are held in the offices of the law firm Much Shelist.
6. Of the money they collect from the enrollees, 3.5% is put aside for a bonus pool to be shared by all participants, including the mentors, founders, and Founder Institute if a liquidity event happens.
So far, they have had no liquidity events, since they just graduated their first class so there has yet to be any distribution of the 3.5%.
There is no accumulation of the 3.5% from class to class, so the bonus pool from Class #1 is not added to Class #2, etc.
Once a liquidity event happens each participant in that particular class gets his/her distribution. There a formula for how the money gets split up, but Jason is not sure about exactly what it is. Part of it depends on the number of participating companies, mentor ratings, etc. Mentors receive their pro-rata share of any distribution only for the class they participated in. If a mentor participates in two classes, then that mentor is eligible for a distribution for each class.
7. Jason also gets paid based on when the Founder Institute collects on a bonus pool distribution.
8. Also, if your firm raises funds while you're in the program or after graduation, then there is a conditional tuition payment of $4,500 that is only collected if the founder receives funding. A founder needs to raise at least $50K for this to be collected.
There is no up-front deposit, and the $4,500 is only collected if the money is raised.
Most of the time the founder will raise money after graduation. So, usually the $4,500 tuition is paid after graduation once capital is raised and this timeframe extends out for 18 months after graduation.
Even if a FI graduate firm raises $1MM, the payment to FI is still only $4,500, Jason explained.
9. Some of the people and companies that have gone through the program include John Whelan of Engage-a-Pro, Chris Motley of Betterweekdays, and Anton Dy Buncio of Foodsherpa.
Some of the graduates still want to be under the radar.
10. As a kind of kick-off for the Founder Institute program, an event was held just this Tuesday night while I was at Rockit and Built in Chicago.
It was held at the offices of True Partners Consulting which is a fairly large tax consulting firm at 225 W. Wacker Dr.
Here's who spoke, and the topics covered.
The event was sold out with 100 people in attendance.
I don't know how much can be done in three hours, but my sense is that many of the people at this event may go on to enroll in the Founder Institute.
BTW, Jason Jacobsohn was at Technori on March 27th (I thought I saw him from across the room) and he liked the Zealous Good presentation the best which was quite consistent with the straw poll I took that night.
Also, in the offices of VentureSHOT about a month ago, they held a seminar on getting legal advice which Jason ran, and that was in conjunction with www.EFactor.com. Jason has been co-organizing and hosting their events in Chicago for the past three years.
++++++++++++++
http://chicagoideationbootcamp2.eventbrite.com/
Chicago Startup Ideation Bootcamp - from the Founder Institute
Tuesday, April 3, 2012 from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM (CT)
Chicago, IL
Ticket Information
Type
End
Quantity
Technical or Engineering
Founders or prospective Founders with a programming, technical or engineering background.
Ended
Free
Sold Out
Business or Marketing
Founders or prospective Founders with a business, marketing, sales, financial or strategic consulting background.
Ended
Free
Sold Out
Product or Design
Founders or prospective Founders with a product management, project management or design background.
Ended
Free
Sold Out
Waiting List
If your appropriate ticket above is sold out, you can sign up for the waiting list here and we will contact you if a slot opens.
Ended
Free
Sold Out
Share this! Share Tweet .
Event Details
So you have an idea for a startup, do you? But what is the next step? This is it.
In just three hours, the Startup Ideation Bootcamp will help you improve your idea, come up with new ideas, and even recruit potential cofounders. Join us for a fun evening.
What is the Startup Ideation Bootcamp?
The Startup Ideation Bootcamp provides expert advice with real-world practice. The evening begins with talks by leading startup Founders designed to teach you the components of good and bad startup ideas. For example, is your market big enough, is there organic growth potential, and a clear path to profitability? Then, attendees can share their ideas with both experts and peers to receive constructive feedback. The evening format is based on the best practices of the Founder Institute, the largest pre-seed incubator in the world. Light snacks and drinks will also be provided by our venue sponsor True Partners Consulting LLC.
Who Should Attend?
•Anyone who has an idea for an early-stage company.
•Anyone that is interested starting or joining a new startup.
•Anyone interested in learning about the Founder Institute.
What is the Agenda?
Founder Talks
06:00 to 06:30 PM - Welcome to Ideation Bootcamp!
06:30 to 07:00 PM - David Culver on Startup Ideation
07:00 to 07:30 PM - George Deeb on Pitching
07:30 to 07:45 PM - Break
Idea Feedback
07:45 to 08:30 PM - Attendee Sharing Ideas to the Audience w/ Feedback
08:30 to 09:00 PM - Speed Idea Sharing to Peers
09:00 to 11:00 PM - Drinks at a Monks Pub, 205 W. Lake Street, Chicago
Who will be Speaking?
The Local Director of the Founder Institute, as well as some of the program's highest rated Mentors, will speak and provide feedback on company pitches. Confirmed speakers include:
David Culver, Co-Founder, Forward Momentum
David Culver is the Co-Founder and Chief Collaboration Instigator of VentureSHOT, Chicago's "High Energy" Entrepreneur Collaboration Center & Business Incubator. VentureSHOT also hosts the Funding Feeding Frenzy event series that connects entrepreneurs with Angel Investors, VCs and other Private Capital sources. David is also the Co-Founder of Forward Momentum and Adventerra. He is responsible for the Vision, Business Strategy and Strategic Marketing aspects of these companies. David has a degree in Economics and enjoys helping entrepreneurs launch new companies with a focus on revenue generation and encouraging seasoned entrepreneurs to re-energize their businesses and grow them rapidly
George Deeb, Managing Partner, Red Rocket Venture Partners
George Deeb is the Founder and Managing Partner of Red Rocket Venture Partners, a consulting and fund raising firm for startups. From 2009-2010, George was the CEO of MediaRecall, a B2B digital video services and technology business. George lead the sale of the business to Deluxe in February 2010 at up to a 10x return on invested capital. Between 1999-2008, George was the Founder and CEO of iExplore.com, the #1 adventure travel website with over 1MM visitors per month (now a division of TUI Travel PLC, the largest seller of leisure travel in the world). iExplore was a venture backed business, including a strategic relationship with National Geographic. Between 1991-1999, George was an Investment Banker with Credit Suisse First Boston, doing mergers and acquisitions and corporate finance in the retailing/consumer industry group. George received his BBA in finance from the University of Michigan in 1991.
What is the Founder Institute?
The Founder Institute is a global network of startups and mentors that helps entrepreneurs launch meaningful and enduring technology companies. Through our four month pre-seed incubator program, you can launch your dream company with expert training, feedback, and support from experienced startup CEOs, while not being required to quit your day job. Our unique Bonus Pool also shares equity upside with all participants, creating local, teamwork-based ecosystems where great startups can flourish. In less than two years of operation, the Founder Institute has already helped launch over 400 technology companies in over 20 cities worldwide.
How do I join the Institute?
Learn more about the Founder Institute here.
The Founder Institute is now accepting applications for the Chicago Spring 2012 semester. Click on the link below to apply.
If you could benefit from expert training, advice and feedback to launch a meaningful and enduring technology company, apply today. If you apply using the link below and show up to the event, you will be invited to take the Predictive Admissions Test for free;
www.founderinstitute.com/join/ideation
Thank you, and enjoy!
++++++++++++++++++
May again.
That's pretty much what I know and don't know at this time.
________________________________
May 2-3, 2012: 10th Annual University of Illinois Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology Nanotechnology Workshop 2012 -- in Urbana
Item for inclusion in May Report
Inbox
x
Morehouse, Emily Elizabeth morehous@illinois.edu
8:54 AM (1 hour ago)
to me
Registration is now open for the 10th Annual University of Illinois Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology Nanotechnology Workshop 2012 to be held May 2-3, 2012. Information about the workshop and how to register can be found at http://nano.illinois.edu. Please register by Friday, April 27, 2012 so we are able to adequately plan for meals.
Confirmed keynote speakers for the event include:
Piotr Grodzinski, Director, Office of Cancer Nanotechnology Research at the National Cancer Institute;
Lloyd Whitman, Deputy Director for the Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology at the National Institute of Standards and Technology; and
Tayo Akinwande, Program Manager for the Microsystems Technology Office, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), and professor of EECS at MIT.
Chancellor Phyllis Wise and College of Engineering Dean Ilesanmi Adesida will also deliver welcome remarks. The workshop will be attended by academia, industry, policy makers, and the local tech community.
The workshop will also have a judged student poster session. Awards will be given for the best posters.
For more information, visit http://nano.illinois.edu or contact Irfan Ahmad, Executive Director; or Emily Morehouse, Program Coordinator, CNST at nanotechnology@illinois.eduor 244-1353.
Emily Morehouse, Visiting Program Coordinator
Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology
University of Illinois
1102 Micro and Nanotechnology Laboratory
208 N Wright Street, M/C 249
Urbana, IL 61801
217-244-1353
morehous@illinois.edu
Bookmark our new website: nano.illinois.edu
Follow us on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/NanotechIL
Like us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/cnstillinois
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Subject: RE: Emily, the nano event is in Urbana, correct?
Date: 4/9/2012 10:43:17 A.M. Central Daylight Time
From: morehous@illinois.edu
To: RONALDMAY@aol.com
Yes, that is correct. It will be held at the National Center for Supercomputing Applications and the Micro and Nanotechnology Laboratory.
Emily Morehouse, Visiting Program Coordinator
Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology
University of Illinois
1102 Micro and Nanotechnology Laboratory
208 N Wright Street, M/C 249
Urbana, IL 61801
217-244-1353
morehous@illinois.edu
Bookmark our new website: nano.illinois.edu
Follow us on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/NanotechIL
Like us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/cnstillinois
From: RONALDMAY@aol.com [mailto:RONALDMAY@aol.com]
Sent: Monday, April 09, 2012 10:05 AM
To: Morehouse, Emily Elizabeth
Cc: ronaldmay@aol.com
Subject: Emily, the nano event is in Urbana, correct?
_____________________________
Mashable: JOBS Act: What Crowdfunding Means For Your Startup
http://mashable.com/2012/04/05/jobs-act-crowdfunding-startup/
JOBS Act: What Crowdfunding Means For Your Startup
14 hours ago by Bill Clark 6
310
inShare.
Share on Tumblr
email
share
.
Bill Clark is the CEO of Microventures, a securities broker/dealer that uses a process similar to crowdfunding which allows backers to invest $1,000 to $30,000 in startups online. You can follow him on Twitter @microventures.
President Barack Obama is expected to sign the JOBS Act today, officially opening up a new source of funding for small companies and startups. Much of the attention so far has been on this component of the bill because it would allow financing via crowdfunding. Participants can raise as much as $1 million a year without having to do a public offering — a step requiring state-by-state registrations that can cost thousands of dollars.
The belief — and hope — is that this type of funding will open up more opportunities for capital to flow into startups. That, in turn, will help grow new companies and create new jobs.
SEE ALSO: Can the JOBS Act Jump-Start Entrepreneurship?
The reality is that crowdfunding may not be right for every startup. Some business models are more capital intensive and wouldn’t fit within the constraints of crowdfunding. There are several factors to consider before pursuing this type of funding. Let’s take a look at what they are, and what this new piece of legislation might mean for your next fundraising round.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Consider Prior Raises
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
If you have raised money previously and that total is more than a $1 million in the last 12 months, then you will not qualify for the crowdfunding exemption. If you can wait until the 12 months are up, then you should be OK to use the exemption in the future.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2. Have a Communication Plan
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Have you thought about how you would communicate with potentially a 1,000 or more investors brought in through a round of crowdfunding? You may not have enough time in the day to address all their questions or concerns. The last thing you want is for this to take valuable time away from running your startup or business. If you use a funding portal, that company should help you manage your communication with your investors. Companies like Caplinked also provide tools that a startup can utilize to message with all of its investors at the same time.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3. Keep Your Secret Sauce In Check
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Some companies don’t want to share a business plan or idea unless those involved sign a non-disclosure agreement. The fear is that a competitor will get their hands on it. If you put your business plan on a funding portal that anyone can look at, then this could be a problem. You do, however, need to give potential investors enough information to make a good decision, so here are the items you need to provide so that investors can still do their due diligence: company name, address, bios of the officers and Board of Directors, a business plan and description of the business, and how you intend to use the funds raised.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4. Show Them the Money
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
If you don’t want your competitors to see how much volume you are doing or how you make money, then you probably don’t want your financials out in public. (This is one of the reasons that Facebook waited to do its IPO.) But if you crowdfund, you may need to provide different amounts of financial information to your investors depending on the amount you raise. Here’s the breakdown:
Less than $100K: You are required to provide your income tax returns and have your financial statements certified by your CEO.
$100K to $499K: Your financial statements will need to be reviewed by a public accountant.
$500K to $1 Million: You will need to provide the investors with audited financials.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
5. Lawyer Up
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The investments you receive through crowdfunding will be for equity in your company, so you will need to have a lawyer structure the deal and set up the necessary funding documents. It would be ideal to have a Private Placement Memo that would disclose all of the risks to an investor. The legal documents can get pretty expensive. At the low end I would estimate you might pay $7,000 for a business that is not very complex. The costs just go up from there.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
6. Look at Front Costs
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
There are a lot of costs that you will have to pay before you even put your opportunity online for people to invest in. Between audited financials, legal fees, and paying to hold your money in escrow, you could spend $10,000 to $15,000 before you raise your first dollar. If you are only raising a small amount, the cost might not be worth it. Or, if you’re a startup, you might not have the funds to set up crowdfunding.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
7. Have a Plan B
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Because the SEC has 270 days to implement the regulation, startups will not be able to use the crowdfunding exemption until early 2013. In the meantime, there are a few other options startups should consider. They can raise what are essentially loans from sites like Prosper.com or LendingClub. Or, they can get a peer-to-peer loan to test out, so they can see if crowdfunding would be right for them. AngelList is a good service to list your startup on, and it will make your company visible to active investors.
Image courtesy of iStockphoto, Hiob
Print StoryEmail StoryReprints
READ NEXT
Startup-Focused JOBS Act Heads for a Final Vote Mashable
We Recommend
Top 10 Twitter Pics of the Week
Paid Distribution
A Solid Analysis Will Not Always Lead To A Winning Trade DailyFX
Paid Distribution
The 5 Must-Reads on Enterprise Social within the Last Month Tibbr Blog
'Angry Birds Space' Downloaded 10M Times in 3 Days
[?]
Topics to follow
Startups 8,736 followers
Follow
Contributor 1,651 follower
Follow
Crowdfunding 47 followers
Follow
Funding 184 followers
Follow
Jobs act 6 followers
Follow
For more Business coverage
Follow Mashable Business
Become a fan on Facebook
Subscribe to the Business channel
Download our free apps for Android, Mac, iPhone and iPad
More Stories in Business
8 Tips To Maximize Your Brand’s YouTube Presence1
How One Non-Profit Aims to Create Open-Source Government0
Top Related Stories
Sink or Swim? Twitter Reviews ‘Titanic 3D’ in 140 Characters or Less1
Obama Signs ‘Game-Changing,’ Crowd-Funding JOBS Act2
6 Comments
To leave a comment on this story, please log in with Facebook or Twitter
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mario AntonettiFollow
This might open up new sources of funding, but it also adds huge elements of risk for investors with little or no oversight. If you’re investing you might as well consider the money gone, and use money you are fully prepared to part with.
The reason for the restricted means of funding is so that shady companies with poor business models aren’t able to scam the common person.
But they still do, I guess. Like Groupon, for example.
13 hours agoReply0
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DanielColeFollow
In theory it will be amazing. My concern would be complicating future rounds. Moving from seed stage angels into round A VC can be confusing enough; now add to that the 650 additional investors from your seed round. Ugh.
Also, you get to disclose all your personal tax returns which is always fun.
In theory I love the idea, more capital available to more companies. I think this will take 5 years before a streamlined, understandable, and regulated process is in stood up.
13 hours agoReply0
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SnowyMattFollow
I’m not sure if this article is editorial, report, advertising or otherwise. I’m starting to wonder what the angle is on each Mashable article. It is becoming fuzzy when they have the author place an ad for their own company as the intro to a piece.
12 hours agoReply0
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cy12Follow
Will make things even more competitive for consumer oriented startups in terms of first mover advantage: now you need to be the first with an idea on one of the hundreds of crowdfunding platforms. (cant have exactly the same idea on 10 different crowdfunding platforms)
11 hours agoReply0
-----------------------------------------
Matt TimmFollow
I’m curious how the restrictions stated in this article affect the SCOR, which is a little utilized tool for crowdsourcing that has been available for many years. Can anyone comment? I would love to hear from Bill Clark on this subject as a company I am involved with is considering the use of a SCOR to raise money in the coming months, with the intent to use FB to interact with prospective investors. Target demographic is 25-35 years olds with the understanding that $$ will be raised in small increments, but through fundraising we will be generating market interest/pull simultaneously.
10 hours agoReply0
----------------------------------------
Alejandro CremadesFollow
Dont forget http://www.rockthepost.com
9 hours agoReply0
_____________________________
The JOBS Act Signing: A Giant Step for Entrepreneurship in America
The JOBS Act Signing: A Giant Step for Entrepreneurship in America
Inbox
x
Bruce Montgomery tatvshow@yahoo.com
Apr 6 (3 days ago)
to me, Ron
Images are not displayed. Display images below - Always display images fromtatvshow@yahoo.com
The JOBS Act Signing: A Giant Step for Entrepreneurship in America
Read more: http://business.time.com/2012/04/06/the-jobs-act-signing-a-giant-step-for-entrepreneurship-in-america/#ixzz1rHZBumzQ
BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI / AFP / GETTY IMAGES
People watch as US President Barack Obama signs the JOBS act during a ceremony in the Rose Garden of the White House April 5, 2012 in Washington, DC.
At the White House yesterday, I had the pleasure of watching one of the most forward-thinking pieces of pro-business bipartisan legislation to date signed into law by President Obama: the Jumpstart Our Business Startups (JOBS) Act.
The JOBS Act reduces many of the regulatory barriers that have, up to this point, made it nearly impossible for young startups to raise much-needed capital from investors. If hundreds of Members of Congress and thousands of young American entrepreneurs, myself included, are correct — and I believe we are — this historic moment is going to redefine business as we know it.
Among other capital formation measures, including the expansion of mini-IPOs, the amended JOBS Act includes an edited version of Congressman Patrick McHenry’s “crowd funding bill,” which allows startups and small businesses to raise up to $1 million annually through a number of small-dollar donations using web-based crowdfunding platforms.
Even amid concerns about the long-term potential investor fraud (which was answered, in part, by an amendment from the Senate designed to protect non-accredited investors), the United States Congress still went forward and did the right thing: they stepped up, with majorities in both the House and the Senate, to overwhelmingly support a bill that many young entrepreneurs feel will significantly improve the U.S. startup ecosystem.
(MORE: Will the JOBS Act Live Up to its Name?)
I think this show of bipartisanship sends a crystal-clear message to Americans, and to young entrepreneurs in particular: The U.S. government believes in our power to fundamentally change the economic course of this country. And our elected officials are finally allowing us the freedom to do so more easily, in part by using the crowdfunding platforms that have already made sweeping changes in the lives of many young inventors, fundraisers, artists and entrepreneurs who wish to make a difference.
That even our legislators can see through the barrage of well-intended criticism and understand that making it easier for small business owners to raise investment capital is a clear win for logic–and for long-term change. Around this same time last year, the Obama Administration hosted a conference called “Access to Capital: Fostering Growth and Innovation for Small Companies.”
The key takeaway? Capital investment fuels business growth in general, and it’s especially critical to sustain young, high-growth companies (which only make up 1% of all companies, yet generate 10% of all new jobs each year).
Probably not a surprising insight to anyone in the business world, but as most young entrepreneurs know, raising investment capital in this economic climate is no small feat. Most U.S. small business owners end up knee-deep in credit card debt and bank loans instead, or they give up so much equity up-front that they can’t fuel the growth — and therefore, the hiring — that actually drives the economic engine of this country.
In our annual Youth Entrepreneurship Survey of 1,600 Americans aged 16 to 39, the Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) and Buzz Marketing Group found that 88% of Americans feel the government does not support them. Bipartisan legislation like the JOBS Act gives me renewed hope that our elected officials are listening, and that they’re willing to take a chance on us — the young people who will lead this country forward in the next 10, 20 and 30 years.
(MORE: The End of Email? A New Social Network Built For Office Communication Says Yes.)
These are exactly the kind of proactive changes my organization (YEC) has been fighting for through its #FixYoungAmerica movement; hopefully, the JOBS Act is just the beginning, and there will be many more pro-entrepreneurship reforms to come. Meanwhile, I trust that the young entrepreneurs I work with every day will take this opportunity to prove to us all that they can and will embrace the entrepreneurial spirit that defines this country — so we can all get back to work.
Read other related stories about this:
Obama signs jobs bill, praises private sector USA Today
Obama: JOBS Act a 'game changer' Politico
Related Topics: entrepreneurship, JOBS Act, President Obama, Companies & Industries, Economy & Policy, Finance, Jobs, Technology & Media, Wall Street & Markets
Read more: http://business.time.com/2012/04/06/the-jobs-act-signing-a-giant-step-for-entrepreneurship-in-america/#ixzz1rHZ6Xws6
Bruce Eric Montgomery
Executive Producer & Host
Technology Access Television
200 S. Wacker Drive, 15th Floor
Chicago, IL 60606-5865
(312) 725-8601
tatvshow@yahoo.com
www.TechAccessTV.com
www.twitter.com/TechAccessTV
www.facebook.com/TechAccessTV
www.YouTube.com/TechAccessTV
_______________________________
Monday, April 9: CCEA Happy hour at Theory, 9 W. Hubbard, 5:30 to 8pm;http://cceaapril9.eventbrite.com/
Monday, April 9, and Thursday, April 26: CCEA: April 9 Happy Hour & Energy Start-up Competition April 26
Subject: CCEA: April 9 Happy Hour & Energy Start-up Competition April 26
Date: 4/2/2012 2:35:44 P.M. Central Daylight Time
From: bryan@chicagocleanenergyalliance.org
To: ronaldmay@aol.com
Two great events coming up!
Happy hour, April 9, 2012: Spring is here, learn about wind in a post PTC environment, find out where the growth is, and talk to a broad array of industry professionals across the energy spectrium!
New additions: ZipCar will be on site discussing their new Chevy Volt fleet. The Volt will be on site, and ZipCar will be giving away a year membership!
Also, we'll have a rep from the Chicago Fire giving a way free tickets. Register today to reserve your spot: http://cceaapril9.eventbrite.com/
______________________________
Thursday, April 26, 2012 from 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM (CT): CCEA & GCCA
http://april262012gcca.eventbrite.com/
2012 Later Stage Awards Competition ~ CCEA & GCCA
Thursday, April 26, 2012 from 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM (CT)
Chicago, IL
Ticket Information
Ticket Type
Remaining
Sales End
Price
Fee
Quantity
Early Bird
79 tickets
Apr 24, 2012
$10.00
$1.54
01 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30
Full Price
50 tickets
Not Started
$20.00
$2.09
N/A
Enter promotional code
Order Now
Share this! Email Share Tweet .
Event Details
The Chicago Clean Energy Alliance (www.theCCEA.org) is proud to announce its first clean tech competition on Thursday, April 26, from 4 - 8 p.m. at the law firm of Perkins Coie, 131 S. Dearborn, Suite 1600 in the Chicago Loop.
Twelve companies will pitch to a panel of angel investors, venture capitalists, and energy experts. The winners qualify to enter the 2012 Later Stage Awards competition hosted by the Global Cleantech Cluster Association (www.globalcleantech.org).
The Later Stage Awards recognize the most innovative and fastest-growing green technology companies in the world. Companies are judged by a panel of over 30 venture capitalists who collectively manage $3.5 billion in the clean tech space.
The Chicago Clean Energy Alliance is one of 33 clusters across the globe that is part of the Global Cleantech Cluster Association, and provides clean tech start-ups with the rare opportunity to gain international visibility and access to professional investors. The contest focuses on later-stage companies but pre-revenue firms are welcome to compete.
Companies are welcome to compete in 10 categories: Agriculture, Advanced Materials, Energy Efficiency, Green Buildings, Renewable Energy, Solar, Transportation, Wind, Waste, Water), and each category winner will be awarded the official title: “Best in Class--GCCA Later Stage Award 2012", as well as being actively promoted to a leading, hand-selected investment community across the globe. To find out more about the judges, go to:www.globalcleantech.org/awards/judges.
Application Details
Prospective applicants must be nominated by a cluster to qualify for the competition.
Prospective applicants must be nominated by a cluster to qualify for the competition. The deadline to apply is April 30, 2012 and there is no cost associated with the application at this time. Applications to the ‘Chicago Cluster’ are not limited by geography and may originate from anywhere on the planet. If accepted, you will be notified and required to complete an online form describing your company. Winners are announced on November 13, 2012 at the gala event in Savannah, Georgia.
The Chicago Clean Energy Alliance is committed to a clean and sustainable economy and brings together the top players in the alternative energy field to promote and discuss cutting-edge ideas, disruptive technologies and innovative companies.
Our affiliation with the Global Cleantech Cluster Association allows us to expand our network to a global scale and bring more attention and resources to bear on the development and success of the most promising clean tech companies in Chicago and the Midwest. To apply through the CCEA, e-mail a short executive summary (2 – 3 pages) or PowerPoint presentation (10 – 12 slides) to David Carman at: david@theccea.org.
We also hope to see you at our next social event on April 9th. Click here for more info.
Attendee ListSort by: Date | First Name | Last Name
CHESTER KOLODZIEJ, President, SUPERMATERIALS INC
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Donald Yeomans, Wealth Management, Merrill Lynch
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jerry Brown, Attorney, Law Office of Jerry Brown
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ashley Craig, Sr. Manager, Business Development and Operations, Willdan Energy Solutions
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ben Kerl, Wind Developer, Champlin Windpower
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jeremy Sutton, Investment Management, Goldman Sachs
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
William Carrier, Consultant, Carrier & Assoc.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Doug Willett, President, Professional Environmental & Energy Services
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
David LEvine, CEO, R1
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Elizabeth Cadwallader, Owner, Fund in formation
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Len Bland
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Kit Mackie
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Craig Gordon
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jack Curley
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gary Ginter
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tom Kappel
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alain Castro
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
John King
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
RAYMOND MARKMAN
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Kate Houlihan
__________________________________
Strategic Planning Conference -> Chicago (4/30-5/2)
Strategic Planning Conference -> Chicago (4/30-5/2)
Inbox
x
CharlesRCone@aol.com
Apr 6 (3 days ago)
to me
Hi Ron,
I wanted to tell you about the annual Strategic Planning Association (ASP) conference being held in Chicago for 3 days later this month (4/30-5/2). This is the first time we are holding the ASP conference here, so please feel free to share this with your readers.
Thanks!
Chuck Cone
ASP - Chicago
----------------------
ASP’s Annual Conference!
Rethink... Reset... Execute for Results
http://www.strategyplus.org/conference.shtml
April 30th – May 2nd
Lincolnshire Marriott Resort
The conference will bring together thought leaders and practitioners dedicated to advancing all aspects of strategic thinking, planning and action.
Keynote speakers are Dr. Michael E. Raynor, Director, Deloitte Consulting LLP, author of The Innovator's Manifesto, and Rob Romasco, President-elect, AARP.
The conference offers:
Unique networking opportunities with leading executives, practitioners and thought leaders.
A chance to share best practices and strengthen professional skills.
The ability to discover the new methodologies needed to manage the risks and unknowns in your organization.
Annual Conference Presenters will include:
Robert Zimmerman, SVP & Chief Strategy Officer, Walgreens
Alex C. Dornstauder, Chief of Strategy, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Barron Evans, Global Customer Engagement Advisor, Eli Lilly
Steve Holley, Global Director of Business Development, Oakley, Inc.
Sean Geehan, author of the national best-selling book, The B2B Executive Playbook
Richard M. Pfohl, D.S.L., Founder and Principal of Navigos Consulting, LLC
Frank Mruk, Associate Dean, Business and Strategic Planning, New York Institute of Technology and Executive Director, New York Center for Strategic Innovation, LLC.
Howard Rasheed, Ph.D., founder of The Institute for Innovation and Associate Professor of Business Strategy and Entrepreneurship at the University of North Carolina Wilmington
Dr. Stanley Rosen, SMP, Defense Acquisition University
Rob Baxter, Vice President Strategic Planning & CIO, Shamrock Foods Company
Donald Pinner, VP and COO, Hunterdon Regional Community Health
Leland Russell, co-author of Winning In FastTime
Lisa Marie Perkins M.A., Corporate Strategist, The City of Red Deer
Terrianne Reynolds, Assistant Dean for Planning, Chicago Medical School
Diane Alario, Business Transformation Lead U.S. Army, ARDEC
Featured Deep Dive Speakers:
Howard Rohm, Co-Founder, President and CEO, and Gail S. Perry, Vice President Strategic Solutions, The Balanced Scorecard Institute
Randall Rollinson, President of LBL Strategies, Ltd
Stephen Haines, CEO & Founder, Haines Centre for Strategic Management
The Annual Conference will also include a tribute to founder and longtime, Executive Director, Janice Laureen. Don't miss your opportunity to honor Janice's many contributions to ASP and to celebrate her legacy.
To register or to learn more about the conference ->http://www.strategyplus.org/conference.shtml
Questions? Contact ASP at info@strategyplus.org.
_________________________________
END OF REPORT |
|
|