 | | December 8, 2009
The May Report: 12/08/2009: The father of venture capital in Chicago and maybe even the whole country is dead at 80; Too many events coming up; ITA board meeting Wednesday morning
Editor and publisher: ron@themayreport.com, ronaldmay@aol.com, www.themayreport.com, 773-525-3944.
If you missed an article, go here: http://www.tmronline.com/A55951/tmrarticles.nsf/vwFullNewsletter
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The Midwest Entrepreneurs' Forum Wednesday December 9th 2009
Networking Event
Date: Wednesday December 9th, 2009
Time: 5:30 - 9:00 PM
Location: Union League Club - 2nd Floor Lounge 65 West Jackson Chicago, IL.
Cost Online Registration with Credit Card will be $30 for MEF Members and
$40 for Non-Members.
Admission at the Door will be $30 for MEF Members and $40 for Non-Members.
For Online Registration, Please go to:
www.MidwestEntrepreneursForum.Org AND CLICK ON CALENDAR OF EVENTS AND SELECT
NETWORKING EVENT
Reservation fees are non-refundable! By registering on line you agree that
you have read this and that you agree.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
The Scoop section:
-- Edgar Francis "Ned" Heizer, Jr., the father of venture capital in Chicago and maybe even the whole country is dead at 80
-- Three letters about the ITA
-- Bob Geras wants his entire letter printed
-- Briefly noted, by Ron May
-- Chicago Social Media Club Holiday Event
Tuesday, December 08, 2009 from 5:30 PM - 8:30 PM
-- Tech the Halls: Friday, December 11, 2009 at 10:00 PM
-- eFactor: Wednesday, December 9th, 6pm to 9pm
-- C2V Reminder & Registration
-- Wednesday, December 9: 2-8pm: Brinks nanotech seminar with NanoBusiness Alliance
-- ASP 2010 Conference - Advanced Registration Deadline Extended to January 15, 2010
-- 2010 Tech Trend: Mobile Community Reports $150 Million in 2009
-- IU unveils $10 million Innovate Indiana Fund for investment in faculty research
-- FTC Deadline Here -- Bloggers, Internet Advertisers Need Comply
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The Scoop section:
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Edgar Francis "Ned" Heizer, Jr., the father of venture capital in Chicago and maybe even the whole country is dead at 80
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http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/chicagotribune/obituary.aspx?n=edgar-francis-heizer&pid=136954227
EDGAR FRANCIS HEIZER Jr. Share E-mail Visit Guest Book
Edgar Francis "Ned" Heizer, Jr., 80 , of Lake Forest and Bermuda died December 3, 2009. Ned was a man of many ideas and big dreams. He was always looking toward the future and thinking of ways to make our country a better place for all. Ned had many friends. He willingly offered his advice and council to his family and friends. Husband of Molly Hunt Heizer for 57 years; father of Linda Heizer Seaman, Molly Hunt (John Dufficy) Heizer and Edgar Francis "Skip" (Lynn Hill) Heizer, III; grandfather of Whitney Seaman Watson, Natalie Seaman, Emma Heizer and Corbon Heizer; brother of Ann Heizer Dewey and the late Harper Heizer. Ned will also be missed by his caring friends Rosa, Joyce and Tammy. In lieu of flowers contributions may be made to the Mayo Clinic, Parkinson's Disease Research, Dept. of Development, 201st St. SW, Rochester, MN 55905 or to the Geneva Foundation for Balmoral Care Center, 1100 Pemdridge Dr., Lake Forest, IL 60045. A Memorial Service will be held at 2:30 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 9, 2009 at the First Presbyterian Church of Lake Forest, 700 N. Sheridan Rd., Lake Forest. No visitation. Interment will be private. Info. Wenban Funeral Home, Lake Forest (847) 234-0022 or www.wenbanfh.com
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http://pipl.com/directory/people/Ned/Heizer
New York, United States
Capital , Venture Capital Association , Edgar , National Venture Capital Association , Illinois , Enterprise Development , Founder And First Chairman , Entrepreneurship , Delta Upsilon , People Named Ned Heizer, People Named Heizer
A quick fact about Ned Heizer:
"Ned Heizer is an innovator, an absolutely brilliant guy, and the father of venture capital, not only in Chicago but nationwide, " said David Coolidge... Source: findarticles.com... [findarticles.com]
Related web page for Ned Heizer:
Web Extracted Biography - Zoominfo
Ned Heizer, NY, US, Milestone Venture Partners...
www.zoominfo.com/Search/Person...ersonID=789668802
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Three letters about the ITA
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#1: From: Name withheld upon request
Subject: ITA chest thumping, Flip replacement
Date: Thu, 3 Dec 2009 20:14:53 -0800 (PST)
To: ron@themayreport.com
Ron,
Don't publish my email or name. You're right, Terry and Fred are both really self-absorbed, and neither are deserving of being so egotistical. We did sign up with the ITA to try it out, primarily for networking, but I bet I've had over a dozen people call me in the past 2-3 months alone trying to sell me some sort of service - legal, consulting, recruiting.... The chamber comparison is absolutely accurate. I am also not impressed with the caliber of their events or management. I've heard from several people that believe ITA is really going down hill with Terry and Fred continuing to run the show. It's really too bad. We certainly don't need another Flip or this continued theme in Chicago, yet we keep letting it happen. They need to make some drastic changes at the ITA before it's too late.
Private
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#2: From: Name withheld upon request
Subject: ITA concerns
Date: Fri, 4 Dec 2009 08:32:22 -0600
To: ron@themayreport.com
Please don't publish my contact information or email address. Howerton's history of lawsuits and personality flaws are hurting ITA's reputation, plain and simple. They clearly need a change in management.
Is Fred really an actual business partner with Terry on Tech Nexus? Seems like a high risk move on his part and clear conflict of interest. I REALLY don't understand why Chicago tech can't get it right for once. We can't afford more lost opportunities!!!
Don't publish
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#3: From: John P. Katsantonis jpkattt@att.net
Subject: "UPSTART!! THAT'S IT....UPSTART!! THIS MEANS WAR...."
Date: Fri, 04 Dec 2009 16:01:42 -0600
To: The May Report ron@themayreport.com
This whole thing reminds me of "Duck Soup," with Ron as Groucho/Rufus T. Firefly, and Howerton/Hoch as "the other guys," as follows~jk
This man's conduct is inexcusable !
Gentlemen ! I did not come here to be insulted .
You swine !
Come again ?
You worm !
Once more .
You upstart ! That's it!! I'm afraid this regrettable occurrence may plunge our countries into war .this is terrible !
I've said enough.
I'm a man of few words.
I'm a man of one word: scram !
A man doesn't live who can call a Firefly an upstart. The mayflower was full of Fireflys and a few horseflies too! The Fireflys were on the upper deck, and the horseflies were on the Fireflys .
I deeply regret the unfortunate affair with his excellency, but his attitude left me no alternative .
Maybe we can still avoid this terrible war .
If we only could.
I am prepared to pocket my pride and forget the matter, if he is.
I'm sorry we lost our tempers.
I'm willing to forget if you are .
Forget ? You ask me to forget? A Firefly never forgets . Why, my ancestors would rise from their graves and I'd only have to bury them again .
Let go of me, you bully !
I'm willing to do anything to prevent this war .
It's too late .I've already paid a month's rent on the battlefield .
Oh, your excellency, isn't there something I can do ?
Yes, but I'll talk to you about that later .
Won't you reconsider ? Please relent for my sake .
Well, maybe I am a little headstrong, I come by it honestly. My father was a little Headstrong. My mother was a little Armstrong. It was silly of me to lose my temper on account of that little thing you called me .
Little thing I called you? What did I call you?
Gosh, I don't even remember what it was .
Well, do you mean "worm" ?
No, that wasn't it .
I know, "swine."
uh-uh .
No, it was a seven letter word .
Oh yes, "upstart." that's it. Upstart.
My path is clear. This means war !
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Bob Geras wants his entire letter printed
From: Bob Geras bob@vcbob.com
Subject: Fwd: CONFIDENTIAL Re: Here's the point.
Date: Fri, 4 Dec 2009 15:37:03 -0600
To: Ron May ron@themayreport.com, ronaldmay ronaldmay@aol.com
Ron,
As long as you're going to print part of my email to you which I clearly marked: "CONFIDENTIAL....NOT TO BE PUBLISHED, NOR ATTRIBUTED, ETC."
Why not print it all??.....here it is. By the way, so much for your honoring confidentiality requests.
I asked for confidentiality because is was a personal appeal to your better side, not for you to construe it as an attempt by me to "curry favor with the big boys" by having my defense of them published. But you still accused me of doing just that in your long diatribe on the subject today, anyway. A little disingenuous, on your part wouldn't you say?
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Bob Geras <bob@vcbob.com>
Date: Mon, Nov 30, 2009 at 2:40 PM
Subject: CONFIDENTIAL Re: Here's the point.
To: RONALDMAY@aol.com
CONFIDENTIAL....NOT TO BE PUBLISHED, NOR ATTRIBUTED, ETC.
Ron,
Mea Culpa. The answer is no, I didn't do any first hand investigation into the merger of ITA/ITDA nor the status of the money that was involved nor the rest of the terms. The BOD of the ITDA made a determination that a combined entity would have greater staying power and influence in the Community than a sum of the parts acting independently and without as much coordination as would happen if merged. Why should I doubt that? Glickson, Reck, Churchwell, etc. etc. are all good people who would not profit from some kind of conspiratorial effort to enrich Howerton and Hoch.....Why should they risk their reputation by doing that? In my opinion it's ludicrous to even think that way.
So, Ron, why should I waste my time trying to verify or discredit some dubious, and damaging assertions which are highly unlikely to have any validity anyway? That's what most of your readers will think as well. Is Howerton infallible? Is Hoch? Am I? Are you? How many times have you been sued? How successful has your business been? How often have your assertions been faulty or grossly exaggerated? How many deals have I made that have gone sour? How many times have I done a pitiful job of due diligence or oversight regarding my investments? The answer to the above are way too many. So? What does that prove? It proves only that even basically good people often make mistakes. Soooo? Is that such a foreign revelation to you? Why the glass is always half empty attitude?
Why would you approach the whole TechNexus/ITA/ITDA situation from such a cynical point of view right from the gitgo? One could work oneself up into a paranoid conspiracy fanatic about most everything if you wanted to live your life that way. One of my daughters who is an avid Right Winger is convinced that Obama is a tool of the Ultra Liberal conspiracy to socialize and destroy our country. She digs up a LOT of "evidence" which backs up her claim.
Just as many Muslims around the world still feel that 9/11 was an Israeli plot and have reams of "proof" to back up that theory. Kennedy was assassinated by the Mafia, Martin Luther King's murder was ordered by Herbert Hoover, Aliens are behind global warming. Flip Wilson's Geraldine aways blamed her misdeeds on the fact that "The Devil made me do it!" C'mon, Ron. It's not I, that is smoking something.
Now, regarding your proposed questionnaire to the Board of ITA. Your very first two questions are combative, imply fraud, negligence and/or breach of fiduciary duty, and will put them on the defense an shut them down from responding to ANY of your questions. The entire tone and exercise smacks of an indictment rather than an objective attempt to get information.
Now Ron, enough on this. Please get back to being a coach and cheerleader for our Entrepreneurial Community and not make all kinds of negative noise which is going to get people cynical, discouraged and think: "Oh, well. It's Illinois....so what would you expect? The hell with it all!" Is this really what you want? That IS going to be the result of your approach to this "investigation"
And if your suspicions turn out to be greatly exaggerated or even "wrong" (heaven forbid!) you may have done sever damage to many reputations, and made cynics out of most of the Community.....so you'll print a retraction on move on. But at what cost?
Bob
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Briefly noted, by Ron May
* A few things quickly.
1. Ned Heizer was a legend in the VC world. He effectively invented the business.
2. I am very nervous about the ITA board meeting Wednesday morning.
3. Who, if anyone, will find a voice and speak up?
4. The ITA's budget for salaries alone is in excess of $500K. But the real movers and shakers are the folks in the roundtables who get paid nothing while Fred and others sit and watch.
5. The real thing to keep in mind is this: If this thing goes ka-boom in a year when they run out of money, it will leave a big hole and we will all suffer as a result.
6. I would not want to be answering questions for the Sun-Times and the Trib. when it happens.
7. Howerton may have Glickson and Geras in his hip pocket, but average folk are not along for the ride.
Remind me to tell you why Polish immigrants don't go back: they're ashamed.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DcMRyfgfpFo
Brad is in outer space here.
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Chicago Social Media Club Holiday Event
Tuesday, December 08, 2009 from 5:30 PM - 8:30 PM
http://smcchicago1209.eventbrite.com/
Chicago Social Media Club Holiday Event
Tuesday, December 08, 2009 from 5:30 PM - 8:30 PM (CT)
Chicago, IL
Ticket Information
Ticket Type Sales End Price Fee Quantity
Through December 7 Ended $10.00 $1.24 N/A
Day of Ticket and at Door 1h 48m $15.00 $1.36 0 1
Enter Discount Code
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Event Details
Twitterati Glitterati Social Media Club Chicago Holiday Event
Program: An Evening with Two Social Media Authors
Shel Israel - Twitterville and Erik Qualman - Socialnomics
Join us as we wrap up 2009 and look ahead to 2010!
5:30 - 6:30 Mingle and Jingle: beverages, pizza, goodies and mixing
6:30 - 7:30 Program and Book Signings
7:30 - 8:30 Make Merry and Bright: socialize and make plans for 2010
Attire: Holiday sweaters welcome, prizes for wackiest, ugliest and most creative
Host Sponsor
CME Group and Allan Schoenberg
Marketing Partners
Search Engine Strategies Chicago
Word of Mouth SuperGenius
Event Speaker Sponsor
Thanks to crowdSPRING and Ross Kimbarovsky for arranging Shel Israel's presentation and to Barbara Maldonado for connecting SMC Chicago with Erik Qualman.
Refreshment Sponsors
Dominos Pizza by Ramon DeLeon
Wow Bao Hot Asian Buns @baomouth
Tres Generaciones Tequila
Goodies Etc.
Door Prizes - show up and you might win!
Tickets to Banana Shpeel
Have a prize you'd like to donate? Send a message to @smcchicago
Social Media Club Chicago
Social Media Club [SMC] is a worldwide organization, with local chapters, that serves as connecting organization for anyone interested in social media. Membership is free and open to all levels, including beginners. Chicago's SMC chapter, launched in October 2008, presents events that mix socializing, networking and learning. Barbara Rozgonyi [@wiredprworks], founder and Jeff Willinger [@jwillie], president, lead the Chicago SMC chapter. Amy Korin [@interactiveamy] coordinates volunteers; Tim McDonald [@tamcdonald] manages communications; and Chris Geier [@chrisgeier] oversees technology. Event attendees include entrepreneurs, corporate communicators, journalists, business professionals, publishers, marketers, media creators, citizen journalists and technology types. For more information, visit http://smcchicago.org, email smcchicagonews@gmail.com, follow @smcchicago on twitter.com or call 630.207.7530.
About crowdSPRING
crowdSPRING is an online marketplace for creative services. For buyers, crowdSPRING is a place to post a creative project, watch the world contribute ideas and choose the one they like. For creatives, crowdSPRING is a global stage for creativity where title and experience don't matter. More than 45,000 graphic, web and industrial designers (from over 170 countries) work on crowdSPRING. crowdSPRING is a privately held company based in Chicago. For more information, visit http://www.crowdspring.com.
About Search Engine Strategies
Search Engine Strategies Chicago Conference & Expo, December 7-11
From Social Media to Local Search to Video SEO, Search Engine Strategies Chicago puts you in front of the experts who will help you sort which technologies and channel will take you to the next level and which are just hype.
Search Engine Strategies is the pioneer of educational conference series in search engine marketing. It's the venue where the industry visionaries and thought-leaders gather each year to discuss the newest trends, share insights, and present the strategic action plans you need to grow your business.
Save 20% on a One Day pass (enter SMC20).
Save 35% on a Platinum Passport (enter SMC35)One day Pass: $895 | Platinum Passport: $1995
Workshop: Social Media and Your Business
Cost to attend workshop: $745Enter SMC20 and save 20%.
See more at www.SearchEngineStrategies.com/chicago.
Social Media Club members receive a 20% discount when using SMC20
Word of Mouth Supergenius SMC Chicago Discount
Word of Mouth Supergenius is where you'll learn to be a fantastic word of mouth and social media marketer with 12 how-to classes, 12 real-world case studies, and 6 brilliant authors. You'll learn practical, hands-on techniques to get started, grow your program, and earn amazing word of mouth. Receive $104 off using discount code "SMCSentME". http://gaspedal.com/supergenius
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Tech the Halls: Friday, December 11, 2009 at 10:00 PM
http://tth.eventbrite.com/
Tech the Halls
Friday, December 11, 2009 at 10:00 PM (CT)
Chicago, IL
Email
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Ticket Information
Ticket Type Sales End Quantity
Attendee Dec 11, 2009 Free 1 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
This event holder has not yet specified any payment methods for this event.
Please contact Jelly Chicago directly for further information.
Event Details
For the second year, Jelly Chicago and the local startup community is organizing a holiday party to celebrate the season, and you're invited! The party is being held at Noble Tree Coffee & Tea on Friday, December 11th starting at 10:00 PM. The party is free-just bring yourself, your friends and a cheerful disposition.
We'll also be accepting donations for Cabrini Connections, a grassroots non-profit organization founded to address the large number of children who live in educationally disadvantaged environments.
When
Friday, December 11, 2009 at 10:00 PM (CT)
Add to my calendar
Where
Noble Tree Coffee and Tea
2444 N Clark St
Chicago, IL 60614
Other Maps:
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Hosted By
Jelly Chicago
Jelly is a casual place for freelancers, entrepreneurs, etc. to meet and work together. We meet at Noble Tree on Monday and Wednesday afternoons.
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eFactor: Wednesday, December 9th, 6pm to 9pm
The E.Factor Hosts an Evening of Networking and Information Sharing
The Dos and Don'ts of Social Media : Increase Your Audience, Grow Your Business
Wednesday, December 9th, 6pm to 9pm
District Bar - 170 W Ontario St; Chicago
FREE for Premium Members; $10 for Basic Members
Reserve Your Spot Today at: www.efactor.com/p/events/id=321
Agenda
6:00 to 6:30pm: Networking Reception
6:30 to 7:30pm: Social Media and Online Strategy Q&A with Panel
7:30 to 9:00pm: Individual Roundtables and Networking Continued
Panel of Industry Experts
Amy Ravit Korin is the founder of interactiveAmy.com LLC, a consultancy focusing on social
media and integrated marketing strategies, digital publicity and personal branding for
individuals, businesses and brands.
Hayley Bierkle is the principal of Green Apples Public Relations - a full service PR firm specializing
in lifestyle, culinary, arts and nonprofit clients.
Jeff Woelker is the Senior Digital Strategist at Slack Barshinger, a business to business marketing
agency based in Chicago.
Jessica Zweig is co-founder and co-owner of CheekyChicago.com - an online magazine and social
guide dedicated to the cosmopolitan woman.
Stephen Heasley is an Internet Marketing Consultant with ReachLocal, which was recently
ranked #1 fastest-growing technology company in North America.
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C2V Reminder & Registration
From: Almazan, Alexandrina aalmaz3@uic.edu
Subject: C2V Reminder & Registration
Date: Fri, 4 Dec 2009 15:11:39 -0600
To: ron@themayreport.com
Just a friendly reminder that Concept2Venture is two weeks away! To
register your attendance to C2V, visit:
https://web.cba.uic.edu/C2VReg/C2VReg.aspx
Stefanie Lenway (Dean of UIC's College of Business Administration), and Rod
Shrader (C2V Director) cordially invite you to join us at UIC on December
15, 2009 for our fifth annual campus-wide business plan competition. At
Concept2Venture, graduate and undergraduate students from all 15 UIC
colleges can compete for $21,000 in cash prizes, plus a wide array of
in-kind business services. If you have any business associates you feel
would also be interested please let us know and we will send them an
invitation as well. If you have any questions please contact
Holly Griffin at holly@uic.edu
Thank you! We hope to see you there.
Holly Griffin
Assistant Director of Academic Administration
University of Illinois at Chicago
College of Business Administration
--
Alexandrina Almazan
Event Coordinator Student Assistant
University of Illinois at Chicago
College of Business Administration
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Wednesday, December 9: 2-8pm: Brinks nanotech seminar with NanoBusiness Alliance
From: Jennifer Harris jharris@clovisinc.com
Subject: NEXT WEEK: Brinks nanotech seminar with NanoBusiness Alliance
Date: Fri, 04 Dec 2009 15:08:36 -0600
To: ron@themayreport.com
For The May Report (release pasted below and attached:
Brinks Hofer Gilson & Lione and NanoBusiness Alliance Present Nanotechnology Seminar and Annual Networking Event
When: Wednesday, December 9, 2009,
What: Nanotechnology Seminar: 2:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
What: NanoBusiness Alliance Party: 5:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Where: Brinks Hofer Gilson & Lione, NBC Tower, Suite 3600, 455 North Cityfront Plaza Drive, Chicago
To register: Call Monica Kharmatsky at (312) 840-3187, or register online at http://www.usebrinks.com/event.cfm?event_id=265 .
Cost: Both events are free; registration required.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Jennifer Harris, Clovis
(312) 346-1700
jharris@clovisinc.com
Carolee Swallie
Brinks Hofer Gilson & Lione
(312) 321-4717
cswallie@usebrinks.com
Brinks Hofer Gilson & Lione and NanoBusiness Alliance Present Nanotechnology Seminar and Annual Networking Event
CHICAGO-Brinks Hofer Gilson & Lione, one of the largest intellectual property law firms in the U.S., and the NanoBusiness Alliance will jointly present a nanotechnology seminar at Brinks' offices in Chicago on Wednesday, December 9, 2009, from 2:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
The Illinois MCLE-accredited seminar will feature presentations from leading experts in academia, business and intellectual property who will address cutting-edge topics in nanotechnology. Guest speakers include Sean Murdock, executive director, NanoBusiness Alliance, who will discuss developments in nanotechnology; Mohan Rao, Ph.D., managing director, LECG, who will cover valuation of early-stage technologies; and Vinayak P. Dravid, Ph.D., director, Northwestern University Atomic and Nanoscale Characterization Experimental Center, who will address investor perceptions and misperceptions.
Speakers from Brinks include attorneys Laura Beth Miller, chair of the firm's International Trade Commission Group, James Naughton, chair of the Green Technology Group, and Christopher Wight, counsel at Brinks specializing in patents and complex technology transfer.
After the seminar, attendees are invited to join executives, academics, entrepreneurs, investors, attorneys and other professionals at the NanoBusiness Alliance's annual holiday party, from 5:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Both events take place at the offices of Brinks Hofer Gilson & Lione, NBC Tower, Suite 3600, 455 North Cityfront Plaza Drive, Chicago. The events are free; however, registration is requested by December 7, 2009. For more details and to register, contact Monica Kharmatsky at (312) 840-3187, or register online at http://www.usebrinks.com/event.cfm?event_id=265 .
About Brinks
Brinks Hofer Gilson & Lione is one of the largest intellectual property law firms in the United States and serves the intellectual property needs of clients around the world. Brinks has more than 180 attorneys, scientific advisors and patent agents who specialize in intellectual property litigation and all aspects of patent, trademark, and copyright law. The firm also advises on issues relating to intellectual asset management, trade secret, unfair competition, and technology and licensing agreements.
Brinks routinely handles assignments for companies in the electrical, chemical, and mechanical engineering sectors; the biotechnology, pharmaceutical, and nanotechnology industries; and for companies whose work relates to Internet and computer technology law. The firm's trademark practice works on behalf of clients who deal in a wide variety of products and services. Founded in 1917, Brinks is based in Chicago and has five additional offices across the country. More information is available at www.usebrinks.com .
About the NanoBusiness Alliance
The NanoBusiness Alliance is the industry association for the emerging nanotechnology industry. Through its extensive network of leading startups, Fortune 500 companies, research institutions, non-governmental organizations and public-private partnerships, the Alliance shapes nanotechnology policy and helps accelerate the commercialization of nanotechnology innovations. The NanoBusiness Alliance has offices in New York, Chicago, Connecticut and Washington, DC. For more information, visit www.nanobusiness.org.
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ASP 2010 Conference - Advanced Registration Deadline Extended to January 15, 2010
From: Janice Laureen executivedirector@strategyplus.org
Subject: ASP 2010 Conference - Advanced Registration Deadline Extended to January 15, 2010
Date: Fri, 4 Dec 2009 09:38:06 -0800 (PST)
To: ron@themayreport.com
--------------------
2010 Annual Conference
Positioning for Long-Term Success in a Short-Term World
Date February 22 - 24, 2010
Location Pasadena, CA
Venue Pasadena Convention Center
Advanced Registration Deadline Extended to January 15, 2010
Strategic thinking and planning often gets lost these days because businesses are too pre-occupied with crisis management and tactical thinking... to their ultimate detriment. At the 2010 Conference, we will present best practices that will position attendees for long-term success.
ASP's Annual Conference is the nation's premier forum for professional discussion and exchange of information and experiences among strategic planning practitioners.
The conference will include keynote presentations from experts in their fields, educational workshops and forums, as well as professional and personal networking opportunities. We are pleased to announce the following keynote and featured speakers:
Vicki Hamilton
SVP - Enterprise Performance Office, Turner Broadcasting Systems
Dave Logan
Co-Founder - CultureSync & Professor - Marshall School of Business, USC
Charles Kennedy
SVP of Research, ABC Television Network
ASP has negotiated preferred travel and accommodation rates for the conference. Please book your hotel room at the Sheraton by December 31, 2009 to received the ASP Conference discount.
This is a professional development and networking opportunity you cannot afford to miss in 2010! Take advantage of the Advanced Registration rates by January 15, 2010
Click here for more information.
Pamela Johnson & Tina White Potter
Co-Chairs - 2010 ASP Conference
Our postal address is
12021 Wilshire Boulevard
#286
Los Angeles, California 90025
United States
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2010 Tech Trend: Mobile Community Reports $150 Million in 2009
From: Kristin Connor kconnor@5wpr.com
Subject: 2010 Tech Trend: Mobile Community Reports $150 Million in 2009
Date: Fri, 4 Dec 2009 11:16:59 -0500
To: ron@themayreport.com
$30 Million Annual Revenue to $150 Million in 2 Years, Nielsen Names Snackable Media Largest Premium Mobile Service
According to Mashable, Foursquare is next year's Twitter. Perhaps for residents of big cities boasting many bars and restaurants. But what about untapped Middle America?
As the largest paid mobile community, PredictoMobile and its parent company Snackable Media, which is reporting over $150 million in revenue in 2009 from $30 million in 2007- continues to grow with 2 million registered users, gaining recognition as an industry leader in the mobile space.
In 2006, CEO Eyal Yechezkell conceptualized an idea for the masses to make predictions about American culture, texting votes in about America's stars and train wrecks, news and political figures, sports - basically anything in the news cycle - with each prediction drawing between 5,000 to 20,000 participants responding via mobile phone or on Predicto.com.
"It may surprise many that while we trail behind Twitter in certain ways, we do lead in one key aspect - revenue generation," says Yechezkell. "By giving America a chance to weigh in on pop culture and awarding prizes, our audience continues to grow and we're looking forward to 2010."
With a solid business model and rapidly increasing annual revenues, Predicto recently celebrated its two year anniversary and has plans to expand into international markets in 2010.
For more information of to speak with CEO Eyal Yechezkell, please contact me.
Thanks!
Kristin
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Kristin Connor
Senior Account Supervisor
5W Public Relations
1120 Avenue of the Americas, 7th Fl
New York, NY 10036
Direct: (212) 584-4291
Main: (212) 999-5585
Fax: (646) 328-1711
kconnor@5wpr.com
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IU unveils $10 million Innovate Indiana Fund for investment in faculty research
From: iuinfo@indiana.edu
Subject: IU unveils $10 million Innovate Indiana Fund for investment in faculty research
Date: Fri, 4 Dec 2009 10:26:15 -0500
To: ron@themayreport.com
News Release
Last modified: Friday, December 4, 2009
IU unveils $10 million Innovate Indiana Fund for investment in faculty research
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Dec. 4, 2009
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Indiana University today (Dec. 4) unveiled a new $10 million venture capital fund aimed at investing in the development of innovations and technologies created at the university.
Indiana University President Michael A. McRobbie said the goal of the new Innovate Indiana Fund would be to assist in the translation of new concepts and technologies created at IU into the marketplace as commercial products, services and treatments developed by emerging technology-based companies.
Indiana University President Michael A. McRobbie has announced the creation of a $10 million Innovate Indiana Fund designed to invest in new concepts and innovations created at the university.
Print-Quality Photo
"Indiana University understands the need for commercially-focused research and technology development and the important role the university plays in serving as a catalyst for economic growth for Indiana," McRobbie said. "In fact, creation of the Innovate Indiana Fund directly addresses the Indiana Commission on Higher Education's recent request for the state's research universities to find new ways to contribute to the economic enrichment of Indiana. This fund gives us yet another tool to help us in our role as an economic driver in the state."
Funded solely from university and private donor sources, the Innovate Indiana Fund will provide $5 million over the next five years in early stage seed funds and another $5 million over that same time for late stage seed investment. Individual early seed investments would range from $50,000 to $150,000 each, while late seed investments would range from $150,000 to $350,000 each, according to IU Vice President for Engagement Bill Stephan.
"Indiana University is committed to supporting its world-class research faculty and fully intends to utilize the Innovate Indiana Fund as an important resource available to entrepreneurially-oriented research faculty members to provide them with critically needed capital in initial development stages," Stephan said. "This new fund can also play a part in attracting other top talent to the university as it sends a clear signal that IU is focused on entrepreneurial research and understands that commercialization must be a priority for the future."
Tony Armstrong, president of Indiana University Research & Technology Corp., said funds could begin to flow to start-ups in 2010. IU RTC will offer start-ups access to business incubation and laboratory facilities at the Emerging Technology Center in Indianapolis and the recently-opened IU Innovation Center in Bloomington, while also providing value-added business planning and development resources, investment "pitch" preparation and introductions to capital providers.
"IU RTC is the conduit for Indiana University to turn ideas and discoveries into viable businesses which in turn stimulate Indiana's economy," Armstrong said. "What is unique about the Innovate Indiana Fund is that it will not invest in other funds and only in technologies and companies. And the companies that the IIF will invest in will be Indiana companies that have a direct connection or affiliation with Indiana University that are working on commercial applications, marketable products and services of IU-developed research and technology."
Targets for the Innovate Indiana Fund include the creation of four or five companies each year, that one in four early seed investments also obtain non-IU seed funding during subsequent seed stages, and that half of the late seed investments obtain other venture capital funding.
In addition to the fund serving as a catalyst in the commercialization of IU-developed research and technology, it would also be operated and managed to succeed from a financial returns standpoint. An additional target for the fund is a compound annualized return of 15 percent for reinvestment into the fund in its fifth year.
IU officials said the fund has the potential to stimulate additional interest from Midwest and national venture capital companies and that its creation is well-timed to build on recent intellectual property successes at IU that are drawing interest and income from out of state sources.
"Early stage capital is scarce both in Indiana and in the United States as a whole, and emerging companies frequently face a funding gap when capital is needed for the initial steps necessary to transform technology from research into a commercial product," McRobbie said. "IU can play a significant role in bridging this critical capital gap by serving as a vital new source of funding, thus enhancing opportunities for Indiana technology and life science companies to not only be formed, but to thrive as well."
Named to serve as Investment Committee Members for the Innovate Indiana Fund were IU School of Medicine Dean Dr. Craig Brater, attorney and Biocrossroads Director Charles Schalliol, IU chemistry Professor Ted Widlanski, TL Ventures Managing Director Emeritus Dr. Gary Anderson, former Angel Learning Chief Executive Officer Christopher Clapp and IU RTC's Armstrong.
For more information, please contact Steve Chaplin, University Communications, at 812-856-1896 or stjchap@indiana.edu.
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FTC Deadline Here -- Bloggers, Internet Advertisers Need Comply
From: Priscilla Caldwell priscilla.caldwell@cox.net
Subject: FTC Deadline Here -- Bloggers, Internet Advertisers Need Comply
Date: Thu, 3 Dec 2009 15:11:31 -0500
To: ron@themayreport.com
FTC December Deadline here; bloggers & internet advertisers need comply
Online Business Expert Jim Edwards Interviews FTC (Federal Trade Commission) Official to Clarify New Internet Marketing, Blogging and Affiliate Advertising Guidelines
The FTC recently provided an online, in-depth interview examining the Internet applications of recent changes / additions to the FTC Act with Jim Edwards of Guaranteed Response Marketing, LLC. The expanded interpretation of the regulations went into effect December 1, so every marketer and advertiser conducting business online will benefit from seeing this interview, not only to ensure compliance, but to eliminate rampant confusion about the changes. The Jim Edwards FTC Interview can be viewed in its entirety at: http://www.igottatellyou.com/blog/ftc-change-interview/
Richard Cleland, assistant director of the FTC advertising practices division, specializing in health claims and health product marketing, participated in this extensive interview. Cleland first refers to the regulation: "The original FTC act 'prohibits deceptive and unfair acts or practices in commerce and misleading advertising of drugs, foods, cosmetics devices and services,' and these prohibitions apply online and offline." The additional guidelines provide expanded interpretation on how these prohibitions apply to online marketers, bloggers and affiliates. With the dramatic increase in the number of bloggers and affiliates promoting and selling products online in recent years, "The Internet makes everyone a national advertiser - an international advertiser," stresses Cleland.
The interview includes real life examples of online advertising and the requirements regarding affiliate disclosures and testimonials, on which Cleland comments whether they comply or violate the spirit of the regulations. Disclosure of compensated affiliates must be clearly stated on any website. According to Cleland, "Transparency is the spirit of the regulation."
Edwards says, "Rich Cleland helps unveil the mystery and misconceptions about online advertising ... Every single Internet marketer, blogger or affiliate should watch and listen to the webinar and learn how the industry can work with the regulators to ensure standards are upheld."
The issue of affiliate marketing is broader than endorsements and raises additional concerns. Edwards describes recent fraudulent activities as "socially engineered." The 'Mommy blogs' inadvertently prompted the attention of the FTC to online endorsements, as thousands of bloggers were reviewing and recommending products and services while not disclosing their affiliations "Many of these blogs were complete shams with fake posts and fake responses, ruining the whole honesty and transparency of social media," Edwards notes. "If you are receiving free merchandise (and expect to receive more in the future) and the author is giving a positive review of the product, then, yes that blogger would be subject to the regulation. It's about consumer protection," Cleland asserts in the interview.
Regarding testimonials, Cleland states "The requirement here is to disclose what the generally expected results are in the depicted circumstances." The days are long gone for customer testimonials citing "results may vary" or "results not typical." According to Cleland, the FTC aims to protect consumer sovereignty and prevent damage to any consumer physically, financially or mentally. The FTC discourages an affiliate from making unsubstantiated representations about a product, especially in instances when the consumer's health or finances may be at risk.
Though some bloggers may claim they have a First Amendment right to say what they want under the guise of "social media," Cleland asserts that they "do not have a First Amendment right to mislead in a commercial context." The FTC does not have authority to exact civil monetary penalties for violations of these guidelines. They can, however, conduct an investigation when fraudulent activity is suspected, which could result in severe legal consequences.
The Jim Edwards FTC Interview can be viewed in its entirety at: http://www.igottatellyou.com/blog/ftc-change-interview/
For questions about the recent changes, contact the FTC via email at endorsements@ftc.gov.
Press Center: http://igottatellyou.com/press-center/
Media Contact: Priscilla Caldwell
757-870-6222; Priscilla.caldwell@cox.net
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