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| | The May Report: 12/04/2009: Hyde Park Angels and SoftTech VC invest $1MM in ReTel, a firm that was in the New Venture Challenge in 2008; At least Bill Merchantz has a sense of humor, but for Fred, Terry and Ron, we are now in a declared state of war
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| | December 4, 2009
The May Report: 12/04/2009: Hyde Park Angels and SoftTech VC invest $1MM in ReTel, a firm that was in the New Venture Challenge in 2008; At least Bill Merchantz has a sense of humor, but for Fred, Terry and Ron, we are now in a declared state of war
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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____________________________________
TABLE OF CONTENTS
The Scoop section:
-- TONIGHT's THE NIGHT! 12/3 TechThursday: HP Envy Music Video Editing Challenge!
-- Hyde Park Angels and SoftTech VC put $1MM into ReTel, a firm that was in the New Venture Challenge in 2008
-- TechAmerica CEO Signature Request - Grassroots Letter to President Obama on Jobs and Economic Growth: Deadline Today
-- Business Intelligence Meet up 12/8
-- Jason Rexilius: Take it easy man
-- Eric Brey at IIT
-- Bill Merchantz's funny comments on the scene Thursday morning in the lobby of the 200 S. Wacker Building with Fred Hoch and Ron May and May responds at great length
-- Bill Merchantz (2 more notes)
-- TECH cocktail Chicago 12 Update: December 10th
-- Tuesday, December 8: ACG Chicago Luncheon - The New Normal
-- Wednesday, December 9: Training Technology Tasting
-- Latest Exciting News from Accelper
_____________________________________
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NETWORKING EVENT
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 before November 30th will be $20
for MEF Members and $30 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.
Admission at the Door and after November 30th will be $30 for MEF Members
and $40 for Non-Members.
We are asking you to please preregister so we can better plan on the food
and other services we must order ahead of time in order to have a successful
event.
For further information send an email to:
info@midwestentrepreneursforum.org
Or call the MEF Headquarters at 630-305-0005
There will be two bowls at the registration table. One is for the drawings
for door prizes donated by our supporters. The second is for our networking
mailing list.
Everyone who puts their business card in the bowl marked networking mailing
list will receive a copy of all who registered
What is this event?
A semi-annual get-together of many of the Chicago area's most successful
entrepreneurs, MEF Board members, international representatives, a host of
budding entrepreneurs, and many of the Chicago area's most influential
business people.
Enjoy a cash bar and a wonderful hors d' oeuvres buffet.
. Anyone interested in meeting entrepreneurs, and entrepreneurial
supporters such as lawyers, accountants, consultants, academics, and others.
. Anyone interested in working with early stage or entrepreneurial
Companies
. Entrepreneurs looking for highly skilled management and ways to
enhance
their company performance
. Anyone interested in expanding a personal network
. Anyone interested in attending a great party!
. Members of the scores of companies who have presented to the group
in the past.
Door Prize Drawings will occur throughout the evening
If you need additional information please send an email to:
jerry@jerryRmitchellandassoc.com or call Midwest Entrepreneurs' Forum
(630-305-0005).
**************************************************
__________________________________
The Scoop section:
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TONIGHT's THE NIGHT! 12/3 TechThursday: HP Envy Music Video Editing Challenge!
From: Bruce Montgomery tatvshow@yahoo.com
Subject: TONIGHT's THE NIGHT! 12/3 TechThursday: HP Envy Music Video Editing Challenge!
Date: Thu, 3 Dec 2009 13:23:50 -0800 (PST)
To: The May Report ron@themayreport.com
TONIGHT's THE NIGHT! 12/3 TechThursday: HP Envy Music Video Editing Challenge!
http://www.eventbrite.com/event/490210232
Bruce Eric Montgomery
Executive Producer & Host
Technology Access Television
200 S. Wacker Drive, 15th Floor
Chicago, IL 60606
(773) 410-0608
tatvshow@yahoo.com
www.tatv.org
www.twitter.com/techaccesstv
www.facebook.com/brucemontgomery
_________________________________________
Hyde Park Angels and SoftTech VC put $1MM into ReTel, a firm that was in the New Venture Challenge in 2008
Subject: hpa investment
Date: 12/3/2009 12:18:27 P.M. Central Standard Time
From: Ira.Weiss@chicagobooth.edu
To: RONALDMAY@aol.com
We have not issued a press release yet, but we just made an investment in Retel Technologies and they sent a press release to TechCrunch yesterday.
http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/12/02/retel-technologies-raises-1-million-for-surveillance-video-analytics/
Once we have a press release, we will send it to you. Below is the press release from Retel.
Ira
ReTel Technologies, Inc. Raises $1M Seed Financing
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - ReTel Technologies, Inc., an advanced surveillance video analytics company, has recently closed its first round of institutional financing. The round, led by Jeff Clavier of SoftTech VC, will be used to expand ReTel's engineering and sales teams, as well as to continue development of ReTel's surveillance video-based business intelligence and analytics solutions.
Jeff Clavier will be joining ReTel's board of directors, along with Ira Weiss from Hyde Park Angels. In addition to SoftTech and Hyde Park Angels' investments, ReTel's seed round includes participation by Dave McClure via Founder's Fund Angel, Maples Investments, Zelkova Venture Capital, and eonBusiness.
"This is further validation of our technology platform and market opportunity," said George Aspland, ReTel Technologies CEO. "We're excited to have the participation of a number of top early-stage investors, including many with very direct and relevant experience that will help accelerate our business' growth."
Unlike existing surveillance video analytics products, ReTel's proprietary surveillance video analysis technology augments computer vision with a human feedback loop to create the most flexible and accurate video analytics system available, with capabilities that directly solve business issues faced by its customers.
ReTel's flagship product suite, ConstantAudit, helps franchisees and corporate employees at restaurant and retail chains gain access to powerful data about their stores' operational efficiency, employee productivity and consumer experience using the surveillance equipment they already have. Early customers include international chains and franchisees of chains such as Shell Petroleum and Dunkin' Donuts, with a number of additional chains currently participating in private pilots.
In addition to the financing, ReTel was recently chosen as one of seven finalists out of hundreds of applicants for Amazon.com's 2009 AWS Start-Up Challenge. The competition features the most promising early stage companies that leverage Amazon Web Services in their business.
About ReTel Technologies: Based in San Francisco, CA and Chicago, IL, ReTel Technologies develops advanced analytics that help businesses optimize their security, operations and consumer experience through ongoing analysis of surveillance video. ReTel's unique system seamlessly augments computer vision with human auditing to uncover actionable insights previously unavailable at scale or low cost. ReTel was founded in 2007, and is also a 2009 TechStars company.
About Jeff Clavier & SoftTech VC: Jean-Francois 'Jeff' Clavier is the Founder and Managing Partner of SoftTech VC. Since 2004, his company has invested in more than 50 consumer Internet companies, almost exclusively in Silicon Valley. In 2008, BusinessWeek named him one of 'The 25 Most Influential People on the Web,' praising his eye for fast-rising startups, such as news feed aggregator NetVibes, personal-finance service Mint, and social advertising network SocialMedia.
About Hyde Park Angels: Hyde Park Angels (HPA) is a Chicago-based angel investor network that makes seed and early-stage investments in businesses, primarily in the Midwest, in a wide variety of industry sectors. These include technology, healthcare, business and financial services, and consumer and industrial products. HPA's members include current and former corporate executives, entrepreneurs, and venture capitalists who offer domain expertise, strategic advice and coaching to HPA's portfolio companies. HPA is affiliated with the Polsky Center of Entrepreneurship at the University of Chicago's Booth School of Business.
Ira Weiss
University of Chicago Booth School of Business
5807 S. Woodlawn Ave. #429
W 773-834-3620
ira.weiss@chicagobooth.edu
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TechAmerica CEO Signature Request - Grassroots Letter to President Obama on Jobs and Economic Growth: Deadline Today
Subject: TechAmerica CEO Signature Request - Grassroots Letter to President Obama on Jobs and Economic Growth: Deadline Today
Date: 12/2/2009 1:34:44 P.M. Central Standard Time
From: ed.longanecker@techamerica.org
To: Midwest@techamerica.org
Good afternoon,
We are seeking technology CEOs to sign TechAmerica's letter to President Obama on the critical issue of jobs and economic growth. Due to a required quick turnaround, it is important we receive your participation today. We are hopeful that the letter will run in an ad in Thursday's Roll Call and possibly Politico newspapers in relation to President Obama's Jobs and Economic Summit tomorrow. Signing on is quick and easy and available from the link at the end of this email.
We believe that generating a robust recovery with expanded job growth will require working together with a clear national purpose. We ask you to sign on to our letter, which already includes CEOs of many member companies and supports several key solutions, among them:
* Accelerate release of stimulus recovery funds for broadband deployment and adoption, universal health IT, and green energy to restore U.S. leadership
* Cultivate the world's best and brightest workforce with training programs focused on future market demands and proficiency in STEM, support legislation to retain foreign skilled workers
* Spur investments by enacting a permanent R&D tax credit, revise the U.S. international tax code to ensure a level playing field with foreign competitors, create investment tax incentives
* Promote U.S. exports by expanding the Trans-Pacific Partnership and passing the U.S.-Korea Free Trade Agreement and other FTAs, expand trade in green technologies.
Read the complete letter and sign on now. Thank you.
http://www.techamerica.org/obama-jobs
Best regards,
Ed Longanecker
Executive Director, Regional Director of State Government Affairs
TechAmerica Midwest
NEW PHONE: 630-282-4332
ed.longanecker@techamerica.org
www.techamerica.org
AeA & ITAA have merged to form TechAmerica
Where the future begins
________________________________________
Business Intelligence Meet up 12/8
Subject: Business Intelligence Meet up 12/8
Date: 12/3/2009 10:29:27 A.M. Central Standard Time
From: jwillinger@rightpoint.com
To: RONALDMAY@aol.com
SharePoint 2010 Business Intelligence Demo by Microsoft, December 8, 2009
Register here: its free and there will be pizza and soft drinks:
http://www.meetup.com/BIChicago/calendar/11913089/#posted
Jeffrey S. Willinger
312.622.2300 cell
jwillinger@rightpoint.com
rightpoint
200 West Madison Street Suite 2240
Chicago, Illinois 60606
(312) 920-8390 office
(312) 920-8384 fax
www.rightpoint.com
http://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffwillinger
http://twitter.com/jwillie
____________________________________________
Jason Rexilius: Take it easy man
From: Jason Rexilius jason@hostedlabs.com
Subject: take it easy man
Date: Thu, 03 Dec 2009 08:29:57 -0600
To: The May Report ron@themayreport.com
Hey Ron,
You think you may be blowing the ITA/TECHcocktail scheduling snafu out of proportion? It is the holiday season and scheduling events at venues is not always at the promoters choice. Maybe they just couldn't get their normal venues on different dates? TECHcocktail is always on a Thursday after all so that limits them to only 3 choices this month.
I think you may be just venting your frustration that you have to hop between two events in an evening ;-) Did you ask them why they scheduled it that way?
cheers!
-jason
________________________________________
Eric Brey at IIT
Subject: Re: I met a woman who is a post doc for Eric Brey. Do you know him? What does he do?
Date: 12/1/2009 6:36:27 A.M. Central Standard Time
From: nrokop@iit.edu
To: RONALDMAY@aol.com
Yes I do: http://www.iit.edu/engineering/bme/faculty/brey_eric.shtml
Nik
--
Nik Rokop
Managing Director
IIT-Knapp Entrepreneurship Center
Illinois Institute of Technology
3424 S. State Street
Chicago, IL 60616
Phone: 312-567-3030
Cell: 312-404-4454
www.knappcenter.iit.edu
nrokop@iit.edu
On Dec 1, 2009, at 4:02 AM, RONALDMAY@aol.com wrote:
_________________________________________
Bill Merchantz's funny comments on the scene Thursday morning in the lobby of the 200 S. Wacker Building with Fred Hoch and Ron May and May responds at great length
Subject: Re: Bill, that was your moment of truth this morn. You didn't rise to the occasion.
Date: 12/3/2009 4:26:04 P.M. Central Standard Time
From: merchantz@sbcglobal.net
To: RONALDMAY@aol.com
Ron,
We have known each too long to "pull any punches". You were already screaming at Fred when I walked into the lobby. You wanted me to get you into the meeting and I refused, telling you it was Fred's call. I asked you to calm down, but you could not. I walked away but came back toward you when you called out to me again. You were so agitated that you threatened to sue me as a former director of the ITA, I "better have D&O insurance", you screamed.
That was going nowhere.
I left you for my meeting at that point. My view is that it was your moment of frustration, not my moment of truth. And the only rise that could have taken place was your blood pressure. Hope you have calmed down by now.
Ronnie, you still crack me up. Always did, always will. You, Ron Rice, Joe Bob, Bobo, Eddie Z, what a cast of characters that descended upon the tech scene. We are part of the uneducated and unsophisticated hooligans, the old clan, that the market has passed by. Your the "Shecky Green" of the tech scene my friend, the Seinfelds and Davids have passed you by. Don't let it frustrate you, accept it and grow old with dignity.
I'll always care about you, your well being, your health, your success, but not that much!
You can call if you like.
bill..............
-----------------------------
From: "RONALDMAY@aol.com" <ronaldmay@aol.com>
To: merchantz@sbcglobal.net
Cc: merchantz@sbcglobal.com
Sent: Thu, December 3, 2009 3:17:04 PM
Subject: Bill, that was your moment of truth this morn. You didn't rise to the occasion.
________________________________________
Ron May here. Bill, great note! I have heard that I remind people of Shecky Greene before, in fact going back to when I worked as an usher in a movie theater in high school!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shecky_Greene
My brother thinks I'm more like Don Rickles. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don_Rickles
I thought I was the Don King of Chicago high tech for promoting fights but Terry Howerton believes I am the Larry Flint of Chicago high tech for purveying pornography.
The first thing that comes to my mind when I read Bill's note, aside from laughing my head off, was that I am really at this point an old timer. I got into IT recruiting in September 1981 which is 28 years ago, making me something of a mastodon.
Bill, the key thing about your note is that it is funny. Humor is the hallmark of an intelligent and emotionally mature person, what Abraham Maslow calls self-actualization.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maslow's_hierarchy_of_needs
People with senses of humor are secure in their position in life and the working world.
A lack of humor indicates not only insecurity but a disabling ability to cope with the various verisimilitudes that life throws at you. The flexible wall that bends in the wind will endure far longer than the rigid wall that tries to resist and breaks.
Terry and Fred are in my view inflexible, intolerant, rigid, and ultimately self-defeating in their inability to laugh at themselves or to take the guff I give them in good spirit. To put it bluntly, both are oversensitive to criticism and thin-skinned. Terry was upset that I listed his traffic violations.
Now, let's just think about that a moment. Was it piling on? I don't know. Maybe, but I published public info. without comment. I did not pick and chose between lawsuits.
If I had been sued 36 times, I would not be looking through a haystack for the three or four instances where I was just like everyone else.
Scott Glickson told me a few nights ago that in business one has leases and leases run for years and it is possible to find yourself in default. I would agree and Scott may have been practicing law just a little too long for common sense to prevail. A few instances of misfortune in owing money -- OK -- but with Terry I. Howerton II there has been a long-term pattern.
BTW, I am sure Scott's colleagues in the legal profession will love this. He told me that you have to make payroll, but let the landlord and the lawyer go. Scott said to me that one can owe a lot of money and not necessarily be a bad businessman. Well, Scott, Terry has settled that. He has said emphatically that he is a bad businessman.
In Howerton's case, making payroll has not always been top of mind. Recently, he was not paying his developers in Kiev. But with the largesse of the ITDA money, the stash of the ITDA money, they can now pay that bill. Now Fred, by my calling it a stash or largesse, are you going to say I am being unfair? I calls it as I sees it.
Do you think for one minute that the ITA would have been in such a hurry to consummate the deal with the ITDA if the ITDA had $10K and not $750K in the bank?
I was watching some of the media coverage of Tiger Woods and one commentator said, "Let's not forget that he is involved with a school."
Gee, that is an intriguing comment.
Tiger is supposed to be role model for kids. Terry Howerton is supposed to be a role model for kids. Both have some chinks in the armor.
The role model issue is not whistling in the wind. It is real.
Here is a posting about Terry and Boy Scouts that does not reflect well on him or the ITA by extension.
The material about Terry is at the bottom of the page:
http://tinyurl.com/ykguyos
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Raymond
M/32
FORT BENNING,
Georgia
Instant Message
Send Message Posted: Sep 17, 2008 7:21 PM Ah the old legends, Let me tell you a tale...
It was the last week of camp, we were tearing down after the campers had left. And we had gone up to the TSB for something, I don't recall what. Terry Howerton was our program director that year. And he had parked his car over by the first aid trailer. Well we all noticed a strange truck pull up into the parking lot of the TSB, but we didn't think anything of it and went inside.
After a little bit, we heard someone pull out of the parking lot, and it sounded like they were having some trouble, so we went out of the TSB, and what should we see but Terry's car being towed off by that strange truck! Terry took off running after them.
It turned out apparently Terry had not paid his car payment for 2 months, so they were repossessing his car. The really funny thing was, his car was a manual transmission, and he kept it in gear to keep the car from rolling. He had it in 1st gear, and it got towed from the rear of the car. Which tore up his transmission! So to add insult to injury, he had to get his transmission rebuilt as well. As you can tell, we were not too upset about that, as Terry was not the most loved of program directors. It is still funny remembering him running down the road after that truck with his vehicle being towed behind it...
This ends the legend of the repossessed car. Next I will tell you of our arch nemisis, "duck-butt". Until then....
Gomer
Watch Dragon of the Riders of Bahonkas
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Those videos about CAAT are produced by Terry and are part of his own marketing campaign.
Terry Howerton without the ITA chairmanship is a nobody and he has told me that. Terry with FastRoot is just another hosting company and not a very special one at that.
If you don't believe me, look at the YouTube videos on CAAT and Howerton. Every one of them has a pop-up showing that Terry is the chairman of the ITA. That was a topic in our conversations which lasted a total of about 4 hours 15 minutes on September 21st and we also talked the day after the publication of the Cook County lawsuits.
His first question to me when he called me after the publication of the lawsuits was "So, are you tryijng to bring me down a notch or two?" A more enlightened person would not be responding in terms of his image, all important as that may be to him, or his status in the pecking order. He would have said that yes, this is public information and he would have said that he wanted to give me some insight on how all these suits happened. There was not a whiff of humility. It was attack the collectiion attorneys for mistakes Terry admits he made.
But there is no overly inflated ego with Terry Ivan Howerton II.
Terry told me directly that he could not get his calls returned without the ITA chairmanship. That is a pretty serious admission. So, the ITA is being used by him to further his goal of becoming the mayor's main man in technology.
Is Terry a role model that the ITA can be proud of for the folks at CPS to follow?
More important than CPS is the city.
That is a question the board should be addressing.
Remember that Terry is not doing all this good work in a vacuum. He is not in an isolation booth.
Not only does he put himself out there as a role model, he uses the ITA to market himself. He will say it is for the good of the community, not the lining of his own pockets. That may be true, but he is still using the ITA as a tool to achieve his objectives in other arenas.
Terry and I had some very long conversations after the September 17th Charity Poker incident and also after my first publication of his Cook County lawsuits.
During those two lengthy conversations, he was remarkably candid and admitted to me that he is highly flawed as a businessman, that he has lost his way, that he's a lousy businessman who spends about a third of his time on what he calls "community service" which he also said was his true passion as he added that much of it is ego.
BTW, during those conversations I realized that Terry and I have a lot in common. I sacrifice making money for doing what I love and so does he. That does not make us bad guys, but let's just be honest about it. Doug Cogswell, Mike Blair, Jack Noonan, even Terry Kirch who ended up going to jail for insider trading, and others in the CSA ran real businesses. Howerton plays at running a business.
There is a pattern with Terry that I am not going to get into today. He gloms onto role models which we all know can be dangerous. How many of you know that he, at the tender age of 19, was attempting to write a book, actually an autobiography, about a famous man in the history of the Boy Scouts, William Hillcourt?
http://www.nytimes.com/1992/11/14/obituaries/william-hillcourt-a-boy-scout-writer-and-columnist-92.html
Howerton had no college and that we all know is not a crime but he seems to need external validation from lots of places and the ITA is being used by him for him to build his own legitimacy.
This is the sort of thing I have tried and tried to communicate but when it is met mostly by deaf ears, I resort to some snarky remarks. I am indeed an imperfect messenger but don't throw the baby out with the bath water. Just because I am somewhat inept at times in making my point, Bill Merchantz, does not mean there is no legitimate underlying point.
Do you, the ITA board, want Fran Spielman of the Chicago Sun-Times or other respected education reporters looking into the finances of Howerton and FastRoot and by extension, how will that reflect on the ITA?
Let's keep our eyes on the ball here and not get distracted. Ron May is not the ball. He is a distraction, a convenient scapegoat and an excuse for the board to not do its job. The distraction they are pulling here is focusing the attention on that fat obnoxious guy with the cane instead of the public image the ITA is projecting.
So, what 's my beef with Terry Howerton?
Let's start at the beginning for me which was in 2005.
I received a copy of the article in the Kansas City Business Journal from a reader and I reprinted it. This infuriated Terry and he insisted that I come to his office for a sit down.
I did that and we started to get to know each other. Terry was upset that I had not called him and my point to him was that the article had been published in a respected newspaper. What was calling him supposed to do?
Terry maintained in that first meeting and afterwards that all the debts from his ventures in Kansas City had been paid.
But for over a year after that, I still got calls from time to time from people who said that I should check on Howerton and call his creditors to find out if the debts had been paid.
I figured at that point, since I had a relationship with him, that it was better to let sleeping dogs lie. My logic was that Terry had made the case that all the debt was in the past and it was no longer the way he operated.
He deserves a second chance, I thought. He and anyone can make mistakes, I thought. Let it be.
That, it turns out, was a big mistake.
It was a mistake because not confronting the truth or reality about someone when your gut tells you that you should is only asking for trouble.
So my first beef with Howerton is that he realized he screwed up in Kansas City which is largely why he fled KC and came to Chicago, but he has not fundamentally changed his ways. If Tiger keeps on cheating after the revelations that have come out, we will know he is not serious about change.
I won't go over every little hill and valley in my relationship with Howerton and the dozens of conversations we have had.
But I will make some general observations.
1. I feel that he always talks down to people. By that I mean that he appears to be taking superman pills and he thinks of himself as "the new Flip," the man with the vision to save Chicago high tech. If I had a dollar for every time Terry pontificated about some world view he has and every time he talked as though he was the man with the answers, I could retire. If I had a dollar for every time Terry told the story about how he came to Chicago from somewhere else and was surprised by what he found, well, I could retire.
2. I don't doubt that there are some visionary aspects to Terry's way of thinking and while the whole TechNexus idea was not new, it was correctly focused on the creating a community with synergies and it was the whole clubhouse idea that lifts one's imagination.
I don't know enough about it, but the CAAT idea is good, yet one can ask if it is the core mission of the ITA.
3. But there is a middle brow disdain in Terry Howerton towards any help from those who are more successful than he has been. To be blunt, he is condescending. He repeatedly told me several years ago that entrepreneurs need to rely on themselves here, and not on those who have already made it because most of the successful guys won't give back.
How convenient, I have often thought. What better way for Terry to make himself the center of attention, what better way for Terry to make himself the "go to" guy, than to position himself as the guy who holds the keys to the kingdom.
Ask yourself this: Would Matt McCall, Matt Downs or Lon Chow be likely to actually put money into FastRoot? What on earth would the due diligence on that deal look like?
Many of Howerton's assertions turned out to be patently false -- and just dead wrong.
For example, he and Fred started a program where entrepreneurs would come and speak about their experiences and the premise of it was meant to highlight firms that had a long track record. I recall a conversation with Terry in which I asked him point blank: By your standards Terry, would FeedBurner be qualified for the entrepreneurial session? He said that no, they would not because it was too early.
The ITA clearly goofed. They left out FeedBurner for an award, even a nomination in 2007 and within six weeks, FeedBurner had been sold to Google for $100MM.
I only heard Terry defend their position and never admit a mistake.
Another example of the Howerton/Hoch oversized ego was the dismissal of Tech Cocktail as having no connection to the ITA.
When Terry and Fred told me that the April 12, 2007 CityLIGHTS event was going to be on the same night as Tech Cocktail, they talked as though there was almost no overlap. But if very few people crossed over, why did Fred find it necessary to twist Jim Figliulo's arm to go to City LIGHTS? Fred told Jim that after all the help he had been, Jim owed it to him. Was that business or ego?
Terry was saying that the overlap between City LIGHTS and Tech Cocktail was no more than 10 or 15%, tops.
BTW, the dinner we were having when they told me of the schedule conflict was at Ruth Chris' restaurant. Terry was treating Fred and the staff at the time to dinner and I heard they were there and tracked them down. Dwight Koop was also there. The bill was around $460 and that may have been before the tip.
At the time, it did not bother me, but now that I know more about Terry's finances, I wonder whether the ITA reimbursed him for that meal.
Terry has often been the "big spender" and it seemed at the time to be his modus operandi. But now I wonder if he is getting funds transferred to him on the back end. You know who would be able to answer that question? The board of the ITA. If they would do their jobs.
So much of Howerton and Hoch is territory and ego.
Another example was Terry's continual assertion that the ITA has no connection to the old CSA. That turned out to be bunk.
I checked and the overlap of board membership for the old board and the new was very high.
The most direct conversation (or confrontation) Terry and I have had was at the offices of Tech Nexus when I point blank asked him about the incestuous relationship between FastRoot and the ITA and my question was "What happens if FastRoot fails?"
Terry looked at me like I was from Mars. Can the board please address that question next Wednesday?
Is there a safety net?
Our other squabble was over the whole business of not nominating FeedBurner and missing the boat more than once.
How on earth did the board ever accept the idea that Fred and Terry should personally own Tech Nexus? Can they fire Fred with that system? He personally owns part of Tech Nexus.
Should a board ever structure an organization this way?
Many times Terry has conflated the guys on "his board." When he says his board is he referring to the ITA or to FastRoot?
So much of Terry is just posturing. I call him "puffy chest" because a reader came up with that and it seems to fit. Also, he does look a bit like Peter Lorre.
http://tinyurl.com/yh8t83w
When Terry presented in March 2008 to the Midwest Venture Summit, I sat in and after the presentation he came up to me and asked that I not report the names of his clients which were mentioned in the presentation. I told him that fine, I would not mention them. But what was interesting is that most of those clients are small companies many of them in the ITA.
Was Terry using the ITA to market FastRoot? Of course he was and that is another article. No time for that today.
When it comes to Howerton and marketing and using the ITA, one story comes to my mind. I think it was Elliot Hirsch of SwapSimple who told me he did not like having to clear with Howerton going to an ITA networking party. For years, Terry was trying to be the gatekeeper for attendees at ITA events. He would send out the invites and he may have even paid for drinks and food, but he made himself the guy you had to go to in order to attend.
Some ITA members don't like that middleman role that Howerton has set up for himself.
That seems to have subsided now, but this was the set-up for a long time and FastRoot is still over-represented in the sponsorship roster for the ITA.
Another issue that came up at the time of the merger with ITDA was that some ITDA members wondered how much "air time" or exposure they would get at the ITA if they are perceived as being competitors to Howerton. Howerton denies that there is a problem, bot others are not so sure.
Wednesday, I talked about how the ITA lags behind. Its membership is not by and large cutting edge and many of he cutting edge firms came from the ITDA, ironically. I just checked. https://www.illinoistech.org/currentmembers.aspx
GrubHub is not a member of the ITA. PrepMe is not a member. Karan Goel told me they are raising more money when I saw him at TiE on November 20th. They may be licensing their technology.
GoPicnic and Julia Stamberger are not listed as members.
Here is the list of Web 2.0 firms that Howard Wolinsky listed in a 2007 article which I reprinted in TMR, so the list is not mine and that makes it more fair.
++++++++++++++++++++++
http://tinyurl.com/ylrx3dy
BLAGICA STEFANOVSKI, 30
CondoPerks at condoperks.com
Company no longer operational
AASHISH DALAL, 29
ParkWiz.com at www.parkwhiz.com
Not a member of the ITA, but firm still operational
NOLAN BAYLISS, 29
Co-founder of Naymz, the online identity management company at www.Naymz.com
Not a member of the ITA, but company still operating
PAUL BIRMAN, 25
Chief executive, www.Pawky.com, the short film Web site at www.pawky.com
Not a member of the ITA, but still running
MATT MOOG, 37
Founder of Viewpoints Network, a Web site at viewpoints.com designed to help people make major life purchases.
Not an ITA member, but very much alive.
KARAN GOEL
Founder of PrepMe.com, online test prep service.
As I just said, not an ITA member.
MATT MALONEY, 31
Founder of www.GrubHub.com, an online guide to restaurants that deliver in Chicago and other cities
Again, as I said, not an ITA member but very much alive.
GENEVIEVE THIERS, 29
Founder of Sittercity at www.sittercity.com
Not an ITA member, but very much alive.
KEITH SCHACHT, 27
Founder of JobCoin at www.jobcoin.com
Not an ITA member, website still working but Keith has moved onto other things.
ALEX CHIZHIK, 23
Chief operating officer, Planypus, an online planning organizer for busy young professionals at www.planypus.com
Not an ITA member, but still operating.
ADAM SIEGEL, 33
Founder of Inkling at www.inklingmarkets.com, an online predictive market
Not an ITA member, but very much alive.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
When Terry and I talked about the ITDA merger into the ITA, he made it clear to me that he did not think much of most of the ITDA members. They are very small firms, we agreed, but ironically, it turns out that we may have a case here of the tail wagging the dog. Many of the old ITDA firms may be providing the lifeblood for the expanded organization and if they are moving in the direction of a focus on funding, both venture and angel, some of those ITDA firms like Jim Orrico's company may be at the forefront. Not all the action is in Web 2.0 or IT or software or SaaS. And Terry, whatever happened to SaaS?
Monitoring what members the ITA has and does not have is a valid function of this report and again, it the job of the board to hold Fred's and Terry's feet to the fire.
All I can do is ask questions and raise issues. I have no access to their books. If they were smart, and they are clearly not smart, they would invite me to sit in on the board meeting next week as a silent observer. I would agree not to write about any confidential info.
I have lampooned many members of the tech community and I'm still talking to most of them because they're able to separate true vitriol from satire or even biting sarcasm.
Two people who can take it and still maintain a civil level of communication are Dick Reck and Tom Thornton. To a lesser degree, Adarsh Arora and with Jerry Mitchell it depends on what side of the bed he got up on. Scott Glickson and I talked for about an hour a few nights ago. We had not talked since August. Everyone of these guys has an over-inflated ego, but they often recognize that we are all part of the fabric of the economic development engine. I love it when Fred Hoch says to me that in his judgement, I am a negative influence on the local tech economy. Fred, do you believe in letting the market speak for itself? TMR has readers and who died and made you the arbiter of that? A book by Adam Smith written in 1776 might interest you Fred.
I am trying to think of a good example of someone who can dish it out, take it and all with a sense of humor. You know who actually comes to mind? Steve Lundin. He dishes it out and he's a gutter snipe, although he tells me he is not a back stabber but a chest stabber, but if you criticize him, he understands as a PR guy that crisis management calls for a light, even cavalier response. Most people don't get that.
You know what, there are a number of people who can dish it out, take it and have a sense of humor. Bob Geras, even if his humor is often goofy. Mike Carruth, Jason Rexilius, and of the big shots, I think we can include Gian Fulgoni. Neil Kane is a wet noodle and too wussy to get mad, but he can handle it. Nik Rokop is in the middle. I would give Terry Flanagan high marks for handling criticism with a sense of humor and Collin Canright also belongs in that camp. Daliah Saper too.
Some people who have no sense of humor about themselves are Steve Meade, Bob Lepkowski, Peter Balbus, Howard Tullman, Tom Churchwell, and a few others.
I guess that sometimes Jerry Mitchell really has to go into that pot. He thinks much the way Fred Hoch thinks. Ron May is hurting his organization, especially when he reports how many people show at his events. Fred and Jerry differ on what to do about it, but they agree that I am an evil influence and a drag on the tech economy. To my way of thinking, all these guys would have benefited from psychological help years ago.
On the other end of the spectrum is Ellen Carnahan who has highly developed diplomatic and people skills. Study what Ellen does. She treats everyone with respect and she also removed herself from the ITA board, BTW.
Someone else with Ellen's skill set is Matt McCall. I have criticized him for being a fair weather friend to entrepreneurs and he is not fazed. I even wrote that he is half Polish and that did not bug him. :-)
If you put yourself out there as anyone who is making $160K+ is doing -- and Fred's position is that of a public figure -- don't be surprised when you are criticized/attacked/questioned. Terry Howerton may not make as much at any given time, but he sure does represent himself as the big cheese of Chicago high tech to Dah Mayor. Take a look at all these marketing/fundraising videos that Howerton has produced in order to get money for CAAT and to boost his own ego/status.
http://www.chicagotechacademy.org/ - Note the video on the home page
http://www.youtube.com/chicagotechacademy - CAAT's Youtube channel
http://www.terryhowerton.com/
Let's not forget LeAnne Tourtellotte who is probably making $125K if she is making a dime. For that kind of money she should have the authority to reply to my emails and not be a lackey for Fred. :-)
Now that I know that the board of the ITDA insisted that the ITA hire Kathy and LeAnne, I have no doubt that they held her salary at its ITDA level.
Everyone seems to agree that Cary Nourie did little or nothing for his $125K. That is real money, folks. Can't we have some real expectations for it?
Anyone can put the words "Venture Capital" in the subject line for an event and fill the room -- the era of good feelings. But real results are another matter. Joe Scroppo (scroppo@comcast.net ) and I talked about this outside after the meeting. Guys like Curley and Brumbaugh did the real work, Joe said, and based on what I have heard, that is quite right. "They did a lot of stuff, a lot of stuff, that people have not heard of," he told me. Joe told me that no one he knows has heard from John Noel.
Dennis Serio was there and Joe Scroppo said that a number of audience members were also in the investment field. They covered a number of industry areas and geographic areas including Cleveland.
But if Fred is a Howerton lackey as I told him this morning -- something he emphatically denies but yet he supplies no evidence of cases where he has stood up to Terry -- then LeAnne can't be expected to make much of a mark.
The ITA does not encourage individual thinking or initiative. Individual thinking is actively discouraged.
Fred and Terry act like they are in the middle of Lake Michigan on some very thin ice.
Bill, a good general rule is don't write when you are ticked. If I am furious which I was Thursday morning, it is better not to vent right away. Calm down, take a deep breath first. Actually, after the whole confrontation with Fred, I stuck around outside the building, then went for about a half hour to Panera Bread and came back about 9:45am to catch people as they were leaving.
I got some cards and talked to both people who had attended the VC event which was well attended -- standing room only, according to Joe Scroppo -- and those who went to the CEO roundtable run by Joann Gucwa and Dr. Peter Meyers. There were about a dozen at the CEO roundtable and more than 50 at the VC panel.
Peter Meyers gave me a synopsis of what was said in the CEO RT, and it included some books they recommend for reading. They did a recap of 2009.
"Put the win back in your sale" was one book they suggested.
http://www.amazon.com/Put-Back-Your-Sales-Understanding/dp/1935391348
I gather this is an article and not a book, but Meyers mentioned "People hate to be sold to but they love to buy."
http://ezinearticles.com/?People-Hate-to-be-Sold,-But-They-Love-to-Buy!&id=854891
A few others at the CEO roundtable were Gerry Hoffman of the Gerald Hoffman Company http://www.ghco.biz/ , Kevin Hogan of Computer Professionals, and Dick Mulvihill of Hexistor.
A few of the people tied to the RT were Paul Tedesco who came afer the meeting to see Joanne. Tedesco told me he is retired now and he is 71 years old. Cognitor, he said, has not made it. He also said that he has written a book. For years I thought Tedesco was the Kevin Bacon of Chicago high tech.
http://www.amazon.com/Common-Sense-Project-Management-Tedesco/dp/1598631756
Tedesco said that he was there just to see Joanne and he told me that she and her husband have moved to Palatine.
Preston Urka was another attendee at the CEO roundtable. He runs a firm called FormForte and he left BofA two years ago. (preston.urka@formforte.com)
Preston told me the CEO roundtable covered pricing strategies, a few sales tips, etc.
Comment: most of the so-called CEOs are really consultants. The CEO roundtable could be called the Consultant Roundtable, but that is Chicago for ya.
At the VC panel, it was a real mix of neophytes to the whole field like Matthew Krudop of Intersect Solutions and he said that he is just starting to get the lay of the land. http://www.intersectsolutions.com/
Matthew told me that there are really two firms, one eight years old and one just a year old.
Old veterans were there like Dan Malven. His firm is Analyte Media and the website is confusing me. When I asked him about what they do, he referred me to the website and he flunked the elevator test.
www.analytemedia.com
http://www.analytemedia.com/board/
Matt McCall and Lon Chow are also on the board of that firm.
What confuses me even more than the site is that Dan mentioned his blog which I found and his last post was March 19, 2009. Oops, nothing like being current. Dan, I love the answer Obama gave in the debate and you correctly cite its brilliance when Obama said that change happens bottom up, not top down.
But that answer illustrates the problem with my role -- I'm at the bottom, not powerful like Hoch and Howerton, yet I am not heard very well.
http://www.startupconversations.com
Bob Blee of SVB was at the VC meeting as was Tom Gorman. Tom lives up North and he told me he often works at a coffee shop called Metropolis on Granville. I told him that Anna has made this her home away from home.
A person who was not at the ITA, Joe Rickard, was grabbing a cab outside and he told me he used to own a firm called Ganymede.
http://www.intellectives.com/Aboutus.htm#JoeR
He said that he got out at just the right time at the end of the dot com boom.
Mike Diamond from Telemedicine Solutions, aka Woundrounds, was there. He looked new to me and it turns out that the guy I remember is Dave Loveland, the COO of the firm. (mike.diamond@woundrounds.com)
http://www.woundrounds.com/about/management.html
Another attendee was new to Chicago, just here from Columbus, Ohio. Jeff Schmidt is CEO of www.jascommunications.com.
We talked very briefly about how much activity there is in Ohio.
I caught Matt Downs as he left and grabbed a cab. He is with Sandbox Industries and was one of the panelists and his email is matt@sandboxindustries.com.
Fred asked me what legal action I might take against them and I told him that honestly, I don't know. I've been thinking about it since the night of March 9th when Weinstein engineered my not even getting into the Four Seasons. I stood there for almost two hours and J. B. Pritzker made the evening for me when he injected humor. "They should have held it at the Hyatt," he quipped.
Again, humor is key and one good joke or quip can put things in perspective. We must take the subject matter seriously but not ourselves.
At about 11:10am I decided to check in with a lawyer. I got a cab to 312 North May Street -- I know, I know -- and talked to Arthur Loevy of Loevy & Loevy. These are the lawyers who handled Lew Borsellino's case and won the $11MM judgement. I have had Neil Kane disease, aka analysis paralysis, too long.
They recognized me at the Loevy law firm because of all the time I spent at the trial and Arthur was kind enough to talk to me for about a half hour.
The upshot of the discussion was that the rights of media to attend meetings are not protected here. Even Fox and MS/NBC have been excluded by different administrations.
But there is another issue that was not addressed in my meeting with Mr. Loevy who graduated Michigan Law in 1963.
A quick case update first. Putnam is going to appeal the decision. Judge Bartkowicz has not decided yet on the issue of interest on the $11MM award. There are really two types of interest, Arthur explained.
One is the interest since the fraud was committed in March 1998. The other is the interest that accumulates during the appellate time.
Scott Meadow, a ChicagoBooth professor, told me at their alumni gathering that he has known Lew for years and he said "he's the salt of the earth." And his language can be salty too.
Arthur Loevy said to me that the important thing is that the trial established liability.
Anyway, here is the issue that has been overlooked. I am not just barred from attending meetings, I am barred from the buildings and the entire property! That is ridiculous. What if I were going to see another firm in Tech Nexus or another firm in the building?
Three places have expanded my ban to the property of the building, not just the meeting. Four Seasons, The Illinois Science Center and the 200 S. Wacker Building. I think that could make a case.
They threatened to arrest me today when I was standing outside the building not bothering anyone. They told me I had to be off the property on the city property on the sidewalk. Cross over the line and I would be arrested they told me.
When I asked security who gave that order, I was told that it is none of my business. The highest security guy I talked to was Daniel Schuetz, director of security, and the number he gave me was 312-853-3185. An ITA board member might consider calling them to find out who asked that I not be allowed to cross the line onto the property and then he might consider whether he has D&O insurance.
Not crossing the line onto the property of an entire building is quite a far cry from not being allowed in a meeting. That is vindictive and mean spirited, kind of like TMR. :-)
Fred and I went at it for at least twenty minutes. Our so-called conversation started in the building and moved outside. I will give you the blow by blow anther day, but the upshot of it is that Fred (and others) don't like what I write.
They see it as hateful and vitriolic. "Why should I invite someone into my house who will piss on my rug?" -- or words to that effect -- Fred said. Fred said at least five times that I don't like them. Gee, that is funny because a few days ago when I was seeking advice on this whole thing, the genius Julian Pretto -- or should I say John Francis Pretto? -- told me that I really don't know where I stand with Fred and he was right.
But now I do.
Let me answer Fred on his charge. It is not "his" house. He is a temporary custodian of the place. The community owns the association. It is not just members. There are other stake holders, not shareholders, and I am one of them. I have had this argument with Jerry Mitchell regarding the MEF many times.
I view TMR as a community property. Why do you think I printed all those letters from Deepthroat? I feel that I have to take the heat if I can dish it out.
We all have to play by the same rules.
We get into trouble when the folks running organizations start thinking that way. It is the whole territorial, fiefdom mentality that makes Chicago third rate.
A more enlightened view of organizations is that they are a part of the economic development engine as is the so-called press.
There is room for all of us. Let a thousand flowers bloom.
Those who feel that they have to control it more than that should move to China or North Korea.
Another topic Fred and I covered was his assertion that what I write in the report and how I behave at meetings are not separate issues. "It's all part of the package," he said.
Boy, the implications of that statement!
I do not agree with it at all. If I don't behave myself at a meeting, kick me out. But what I write should not be in the purview of the organization I am writing about. If it is, then we are really talking censorship. So, Fred is not censoring me legally, but effectively, he is interfering with my ability to do my job. I have not looked into the issue of tortious interference yet, but that is a fancy way of saying he is preventing me from doing my job. If I go to 150 events a year and 20 of those events are ITA related, then that is about 13% of my material, at least.
Jerry Mitchell does not like what I write about him or his organization either but he is reluctant to start boycotting because it is a slippery slope and where does it end?
And he believes in a free press.
I also say that if you are that bothered by what I write, don't read it. Fred unsubscribed some time ago. So how does he even know what I write? I know, he is given the material by his minions.
Fred's argument is flawed in another respect. I at least put my name on what I write. Many anonymous letters do not have a name. Is Fred going to do a witch hunt?
This is a slippery slope indeed.
One interesting thing is that Fred marked the time as the last six months. Actually, he is conflating the ITDA and the ITA. I started revealing info. on the ITDA on July 8th. The merger happened in mid-September which is 2.5 months ago.
The ITA was not really in the picture in July, at least not publicly. But Fred is including anything I wrote about LeAnne and Kathy as attacks on him and his organization. But they were part of another organization at the time, a teeney weeney fact that seems to have escaped Fred.
The reason I bring this up is that if you look at the timing of how things have evolved, I thought it was the publication of the lawsuits against Terry I. Howerton II that brought about the bans. But it appears to be grievances from LeAnne and Kathy that has caused the bans.
Several people have said to me that the Kathy and LeAnne issue is a smokescreen.
Howerton is a hotheaded. Fred is cool headed but he pouts and seethes.
Let me get this out and we'll go over the details later.
One thing. I keep kvetching that Fred owes me $28.50 for the cost of going out to Skokie for the Monday Morning Meeting on October 26th.
That was what the cab cost me with my TAP discount included.
So, today, Fred pulled out three twenty dollar bills and I told him that was too much so he ended up giving me two twenty dollar bills.
But that is still too much so I will send Fred a check for $11.50 to balance it out and we are not counting the cost of going down there today.
I told Fred that I am not taking a bribe, even if it is only for $11.50. That was tongue in cheek. :-)
Speaking of bribes, I guess it depends on how you look at it, but I have had several people give me money and they may have thought at the time that it was buying them some better coverage, but it did nothing to help them. One of those folks was Adarsh Arora, who kindly did pay part of my way to the VC conference a few years ago. Another was Terry Howerton himself who offered to pay for a tux for one of the City LIGHTS events. I thought it cost too much money and paid half -- so we split it. Another briber was Mike Hettwer who most of you have roundly forgotten. Mike became a professional photographer and his pics have been in National Geographic. He went on a number of digs with paleontologist Paul Soreno. http://www.paulsereno.org/paulsereno/
I also heard Hettwer's name mentioned recently on Channel 11 in a report about some local school.
Hettwer bought me cigars and so did Mike Freud who started Liquid Generation. Freud also got me a watch as a part of a barter deal, but we never really ran all the ads he traded for. A much larger bribe was offered by a lawyer representing a firm I have had legal problems with and I did actually have to think about it. But in the end, I could not do it.
Except for the last person who is a lawyer and I really like him, I don't think any of these people thought they were bribing or trying to bribe me. I know Adarsh wanted me to attend the conference to contribute to the community. Howerton wanted me to look more professional and I really did. So I am thankful for that.
I don't feel Fred owes me money for Thursday because even though he clearly knew I was coming down there -- I sent two notes to LeAnne saying that and wrote it in the report -- we did talk and we cleared the air. Years ago, the Chicago Humanities Festival had the theme From Communication to Understanding and the keynote speaker Bill Safire said that most people think it is From Communication to Understanding to Agreement, a myth he disabused the audience of.
Fred and I see clearly now. We have understanding but not agreement.
We are at war. The declaration of war was today, no doubt about it. There may be some attempt to resolve the dispute but if it involves my agreeing to not ask tough questions or press their feet to the fire, that ain't happenin.
No deals here. I am not going to trade away my responsibility to report on what is going on in exchange for attending a few meetings.
One thing about me that mitigates against a long term battle is my unwillingness to hold grudges. Guys like Fred hold it in. I let it out and out and out.
I don't do well psychologically holding grudges or having anxiety producing situations. I was very nervous about today because I really did not know what would happen and I have not been sleeping well because of it.
To tell you the truth, I am relieved now. At least I know where I stand and can map a strategy.
Guys like Jerry Mitchell hold grudges and never forget or forgive a perceived sleight. Just talk to Jerry about Bart Carlson, Cate Brady, Sean Murdock or Nik Rokop. When he does you a favor and you forget about it, he never forgets. A Jerry Mitchell enemies list is longer than Nixon's. If he had gotten that out of his system thirty years ago, he would have been a better person.
Fred did apologize for not talking to me on October 26th. He said he was stuck in traffic and was not there when I got there.
I can see that, but I thought I was pre-registered, but Fred says it did not go through.
The bottom line here is that communication has sucked.
One last point and let me get this out. Bill Merchantz has a great sense of humor, that is obvious. But he mentions a "cast of characters that descended upon the tech scene. We are part of the uneducated and unsophisticated hooligans, the old clan, that the market has passed by."
That cast of characters, Bill, includes some unsavory characters as you know. This is my point.
Isn't it the responsibility of the board of any organization to be a watchdog, to do due diligence, to demand accountability and transparency?
This goes to an argument I have been having with Bob Geras. The essence of it is this.
1. Geras was furious about being scammed by Al Wasserberger.
2. The ITA board, Hoch and Howerton included, Weinstein and others were slow to see the problems with Al.
3. Bob Geras blamed me and himself for the lack of due diligence and the board of MediaRiver and the CEC for not doing its job. The CEC made Al a CEO in Residence before the program formally existed.
4. The solution: much better due diligence.
5. But Bob has apparently changed his mind and is now more inclined to think that focusing on the success stories and ignoring the problem children in his portfolio is the way to go. I don't think he really believes that in his heart of hearts. He is just posturing for approval from the powers that be so that he can be included in their little club.
6. In fact, Bob has completely changed his mind if I can take him at his word. But he does not really believe that it is OK to have an Al Wasserberger or two in your company or organization, as I said.
7. I included Bob as one of about fifteen people I sent a draft of a survey to which never ended up going to the ITA board, not yet at least, but it still might go to them over the weekend.
Here is what Bob wrote back:
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Subject: Re: Bob, for your eyes only. Any suggestions on how to this survey more objective?
Date: 11/30/2009 12:22:54 P.M. Central Standard Time
From: bob@vcbob.com
To: RONALDMAY@aol.com
Ron,
I think your whole effort to chase this "story" down is further diminishing your credibility and questions your motives (whether fair or not) to say nothing of tarnishing whatever positive contribution your Report has had in this community over the years. Regardless of your intent, The last thing this angel/startup/entrepreneur/investor Community needs is the appearance of a Blagojovich type scandal to discourage potential investors/sponsors/mentors and entrepreneurs from feeling good about the people involved in these endeavors.
Just like citizens in Illinois have become jaded, disillusioned and suspicious of politics in Illinois and Government in general because of all the bad publicity, causing apathy and lower attendance at the polls, etc., a similar pall and broad suspicion over the whole Hi Tech, early stage entrepreneurship landscape because of your well-intentioned but highly misguided "mission" is likely to do severe damage to the nascent stirring of much needed new enthusiasm and interest in this investment space after such a long drought. That's the LAST THING we need here.
Just look at how much interest and growth in membership the ITA accomplished after the demise of the Chicago Software Assn.? I think they've done a marvelous job of being a catalyst to re-energize this whole sector. Are some of the individuals spearheading this effort going to gain personally directly or indirectly from this? I certainly hope so!! Or what's their motivation to keep doing it? That's what business is all about. We all have a living to make. As long as the Community, the Entrepreneurs and potential Investors also benefit, that's a great win/win scenario that we desperately need here, Ron. Don't disparage these efforts when desperately need to encourage more of it.
This whole effort is toxic in it's effect, not cleansing or beneficial in any way, as you might think. Even your very questions are, in their own way, indictments and attacks on the people and organizations mentioned because of the implied inferences of wrongdoing. There may be some pebbles of "truth" and justifiable unanswered questions spurring you on, but please believe me when I tell you that this inquisition is the last thing this Community needs at this point and it's negative effects far outweigh anything good that you think might come from it.
Ron, I really hope that, for your own good, and for the good of the Community you drop this effort and direct your energy and talents to more constructive pursuits.
Thank you,
Bob
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8. And here are two notes I sent back to Bob.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Subject: Re: Bob, for your eyes only. Any suggestions on how to this survey more obje...
Date: 11/30/2009 1:04:18 P.M. Central Standard Time
From: RONALDMAY
To: bob@vcbob.com
November 30, 2009
Bob,
Old buddy, old pal, you must be on drugs. :-)
What was the whole Al Wasserberger thing about? Somebody done somebody wrong sometime.
Otherwise, why on earth did you care? Why did you call it theft and/or embezzlement? Why did you consider going to Lisa Madigan?
Bob, Terry Howerton may be up to no good in somewhat the same way that Al was, but we really don't know until the board -- that is their job, isn't it? -- looks into it.
If Terry is clean, the facts will bear that out, won't they?
That letter you sent me about focusing on the positive was well intentioned but it had nothing to do with reality.
I am asking you about how to make the survey more objective because I want it to be constructive. Asking questions is MY JOB and somebody has to do it, just as someone has to make angel investments -- for better or worse. :-)
Your note makes the members of the tech community sound as if they are nursery school children who have to be lead to the promised land. Can't they think for themselves?
And since when is it OK to ban people from events they've been attending for years?
Hope you had a good Turkey day.
Why don't you call Fred and Terry and ask them if both of us can sit in on the board meeting on December 9th? It should be enlightening.
Ron
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
And the second note back to Bob.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Subject: Here's the point.
Date: 11/30/2009 1:18:31 P.M. Central Standard Time
From: RONALDMAY
To: bob@vcbob.com
November 30, 2009
Bob,
Here is the point. You pointed the finger at me with respect to Al Wasserberger -- Why did I not come to you sooner and let you know what you really had in Al? And many other similar questions.
I didn't come to you because I was snookered too.
Al had us all fooled.
What if the same applies to the train wreck that may be in the making with Howerton and his incestuous relationship with the ITA?
Are you willing to stake your reputation and your money on the outcome with Fred and Terry?
If the ITA now blows up with the slush fund with no strings attached that they now have, won't it be just like Bob Bernard and Flip once again?
For a small organization, what was the rush? Why the need to make the deal in such a hurry? And without proper scrutiny or as you might call it, due diligence.
In your view, is the $750K largesse a drop in the bucket, a bank heist, a land grab, or a carefully considered and judicious transfer of funds?
If the ITA goes ka-boom, who will pick up the pieces?
Won't a disaster like that really do more damage to our community and its self-image than a few questions from a fat obnoxious reporter?
Bob, have you really played this thing out in your mind?
Do you see where it is headed?
Ron
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
9. Finally, Bob did write back to me, but he designated the note as confidential.
I will quote one paragraph here.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Subject: CONFIDENTIAL Re: Here's the point.
Date: 11/30/2009 2:40:39 P.M. Central Standard Time
From: bob@vcbob.com
To: RONALDMAY@aol.com
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....
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
May again. Bob has put his finger on it. Whether Dick Reck and Scott Glickson or Tom Churchwell are good people is entirely beside the point!
It is their behavior that we are concerned about.
They are good people -- whatever that means. But they may not be doing their jobs. You must read Plato's Republic. Is a doctor a doctor when he is not doing a good job? Yes, but he is a bad doctor at that time.
And that is the whole point about corporate governance.
Bob still does not seem to get that.
And Bob, this is what we call in debate a straw man argument.
It is not an either/or choice, Bob. You can be doing good as Terry and Fred often do and also not be livning up to expectations. And it is not a compensatory model. One good deed does not cancel out a bad deed.
If they put on a successful event as they did Thursday with the VC panel, does that get them off the hook for transparency and accountability? Clearly not.
The world is not black and white, it is shades of gray which is why we can't just be satisfied with the old so and so is a good guy and he is not part of a vast criminal conspiracy, therefore everything he does is right.
As Alexander Pope wrote in his Essay on Man, Whatever is, is right.
No Mr. Pope, it is not. We can do better than this.
BTW, the IVCA has 500 people signed up for their annual dinner on Monday, the 7th. I just got off the phone with Kathy Pyne.
______________________________________
Bill Merchantz (2 more notes)
_______________________
#1: Subject: Re: Since when's it OK to ban folks from mtgs cause you don't like what they write?
Date: 12/3/2009 10:15:27 P.M. Central Standard Time
From: merchantz@sbcglobal.net
To: RONALDMAY@aol.com
Ron,
The ITA and other tech organizations you cover are private, not for profit organizations. The meetings and events held are for members and are by invitation only. They are not open to the general public. They are not subject to the Illinois open meetings act like our government agencies, university boards, city council meetings, county board meetings, etc....
It is my opinion that in the past you have been invited as a guest to the many meetings and events that have been held, in the hope that you would positively promote the event, organization, people, etc.... Also my opinion that you have worn out your welcome with many of these organizations, including the ITA. Your negative rants about the people, their intentions, their failures, and character assassinations do not positively promote the events, organizations, people, or industry. You don't perform an educated nor sophisticated service for the participants in the industry, therefore, you are no longer invited or welcome at their events or meetings.
You did this, not them. The only reason your invited is to benefit your host. You crap all over your host, you don't get invited back. It's that simple.
bill................
---------------------------------------
From: "RONALDMAY@aol.com" <ronaldmay@aol.com>
To: merchantz@sbcglobal.com
Cc: merchantz@sbcglobal.net
Sent: Thu, December 3, 2009 3:20:25 PM
Subject: Since when's it OK to ban folks from mtgs cause you don't like what they write?
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++
#2: Subject: Re: Bill, I hope you're at the ITA board meeting next Weds and asking tough Q's.
Date: 12/3/2009 10:38:41 P.M. Central Standard Time
From: merchantz@sbcglobal.net
To: RONALDMAY@aol.com
Ron, (last note for the day)
I retired from Lakeview Technology in June 2007 and the ITA board that same year. The ITA honored me, and a few other retired board members, with Member Emeritus status, so I am invited to attend meetings and events. I am no longer an elected voting member of the board. So, I can attend the board meeting on Wed, and I can ask tough questions. But my motive is to positively guide the industry participants, see more people and companies succeed, help other entrepreneurs set & accomplish their goals, promote win/win relationships.
What is your motive and why?
bill....
-------------------------------
From: RONALDMAY@aol.com RONALDMAY@aol.com
To: merchantz@sbcglobal.com
Cc: merchantz@sbcglobal.net
Sent: Thu, December 3, 2009 4:13:46 PM
Subject: Bill, I hope you're at the ITA board meeting next Weds and asking tough Q's.
_____________________________________________
TECH cocktail Chicago 12 Update: December 10th
From: TECH cocktail News news@techcocktail.com
Subject: TECH cocktail Chicago 12 Update: December 10th
Date: Thu, 03 Dec 2009 08:22:59 -0500
To: ron@themayreport.com <ron@themayreport.com>
Forward this email to a friend »
Share this email with your network:
Our Website About Event Photos Sponsor Cool Jobs Community
TECH cocktail Chicago 12 next Thursday, December 10th!
With the turkey comas just now subsiding and all of the extra plans that are inevitably coming up due to the impending holiday season we wouldn't be surprised if you didn't know that TECH cocktail Chicago 12 is coming up on the 10th. That's why we're sending you this note in fact. This email contains all of the event details and the links to RSVP (that was one right there!). The event will surely be a great time and it will allow you to see some of the new and innovative Chicago area startups as well as catch up with old friends and meet new ones as we roll into the holiday season. Here are the key details:
What: TECH cocktail Chicago 12 - "a cocktail of tech people"
Date: Thursday, December 10, 2009 from 6:30 PM - 9:00 PM (CT)
Where:
John Barleycorn's (Upstairs)
3524 N Clark Street
Chicago, IL 60657
Price: $10 (You must be 21+ to attend)
RSVP NOW!
-----------------------------
SPONSORED BY
We want to start by thanking our platinum sponsor for this event, Microsoft, and their BizSpark program folks for helping out a number of local startups. The Microsoft guys will be at the event as usual so you can talk to them about their BizSpark program and about how you can get involved. Along with their event presence, Brian Gorbett (of the Microsoft Chicago office) will start blogging regularly for TECHcocktail.com very soon so please be on the lookout for his sure-to-be insightful posts on startups and technology.
We also want to thank our longest running sponsor, ChicagoMicro. These guys have been with us from the beginning and they still continue to support our work even in a tough economy. Please check them out for all of your IT and managed service needs.
-----------
STARTUP DEMOS
As usual, we are planning on having a number of innovative local startups demo at TECH cocktail Chicago 12 including some of the latest sprouts from Sproutbox. The TECH cocktail Chicago 12 preview post we're planning on publishing next week will have all of the details on the startups that are demoing at the event so please be on the lookout for that post.
Finally, we WANT you all there, so make sure to RSVP NOW!
Upcoming 2010 Events:
TBD: Stay tuned!
_________________________________________
Tuesday, December 8: ACG Chicago Luncheon - The New Normal
Subject: ACG Chicago Luncheon - The New Normal?
Date: Wed, 2 Dec 2009 13:07:16 -0500
Please join us for the December 8th Luncheon - The New Normal? Creative deal structures for challenging times. Register today to take advantage of the Early Registration pricing which ends Friday, December 4th. CPE Credits are available.
The New Normal?
Creative deal structures for challenging times
Date: December 8, 2009
Place:The Standard Club
320 S. Plymouth Ct.
Chicago
Time: 11:30 am - 1:15 pm
Today's difficult deal environment requires a more innovative approach. Join a panel of transaction experts to better understand how alternative methods of structuring deals can create value and opportunity in today's marketplace.
Panelists:
Colin P. Cross, Managing Director, Crystal Capital
Keith J. Shapiro, Co-Chair, National Business Reorganization and Bankruptcy Practice, Greenberg Traurig
Kenneth Tallering, Senior Managing Director & Founding Principal, Industrial Opportunity Partners
Moderator:
Raymond C. Anderson, Regional Group Leader, Restructuring Advisory Services, Crowe Horwath LLP
Colin P. Cross is a Managing Director and co-founder of Crystal Capital, a direct lender to middle market companies established in 2006. Prior to this he was a Managing Director of Back Bay Capital Funding LLC. He established Back Bay's Chicago office and was responsible for originating and structuring senior and second lien investments for the business.
In 1989, Mr. Cross co-founded Heller Investments, Inc., the direct equity subsidiary of Heller Financial, Inc. focused on acquiring majority control in overlevered and underperforming companies. Prior to 1989, Mr. Cross served ten years as a commercial lender and originations manager with Heller Financial, Inc. and BankBoston, N.A.
Mr. Cross has served as director or board chairman of Color Spot Nurseries, United Fixtures, Kroy, Crown Textiles, EWI, Inc., American Specialties, Harter Corporation and Jupiter Industries. Mr. Cross was the 2006 President and 2007 Chairman of the International Turnaround Management Association.
Keith J. Shapiro is Co-Chair of Greenberg Traurig's Business Reorganization and Bankruptcy Practice, Co-Managing Shareholder of the firm's Chicago office and a member of the firm's Executive Committee. He has more than 25 years of experience and appears worldwide in corporate bankruptcy matters and workouts representing troubled companies, financial institutions, creditors' committees, and hedge and private equity funds. He has played central roles in the bankruptcies and restructurings of Conseco Finance Corp., Ashton Woods USA LLC, United Airlines, DBSI, Inc., Tropicana Entertainment, LLC, Kmart Corporation, ICO Global Communications, Montgomery Ward and many others.
Mr. Shapiro was recently appointed to the International Board of Directors of the Turnaround Management Association. He was previously Chairman of the Board and President of the American Bankruptcy Institute, a member of the Board of Directors of INSOL International, and Chair of the Chicago Bar Association's Bankruptcy and Reorganization Committee.
Mr. Shapiro assisted in drafting the healthcare bankruptcy provisions of the 2005 amendments to the Bankruptcy Code, which were signed into law by President Bush on April 20, 2005. A Fellow of the American College of Bankruptcy, Mr. Shapiro is listed in Chambers & Partners USA Guide, Best Lawyers in America and Crain's Chicago Business' Who's Who in Law.
Kenneth Tallering has 22 years of transaction experience as a private equity investor, member of a corporate management team, and corporate attorney. He has experience in carving-out corporate orphans, acquiring family-owned businesses, completing public-to-private transactions and acquiring bankrupt companies. At IOP, Mr. Tallering co-manages the operations of the fund, in addition to sourcing and executing transactions and managing portfolio investments. He currently serves as a Director of Algoma Holding Company, Center Manufacturing, Inc., Gulf Coast Machine & Supply Company, EB Bradley Holdings LLC and Carlson Systems Holdings, Inc.
Prior to founding IOP, Mr. Tallering was a Managing Director at TMB Industries, a Chicago, IL based private equity firm specializing in acquiring middle-market manufacturing companies. While at TMB Industries, he also served as Vice President and General Counsel of Transportation Technologies Industries, Inc. (formerly Johnstown America Industries, Inc.). Prior to joining TMB Industries, Mr. Tallering was an associate at the law firm Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom in New York specializing in mergers and acquisitions and corporate finance transactions.
Raymond C. Anderson joined Crowe Horwath LLP in April 2009 as the Regional Group Leader of its Chicago Restructuring Advisory Services practice. He draws on 18 years of experience as a consultant, officer, director, and investor. Mr. Anderson specializes in corporate turnarounds, loan workouts, restructurings, and M&A.
Previously, Mr. Anderson was a Partner with Graue Mill Partners, LLC (GMP), a private equity investment firm, and a partner in Burnham Venture Management Inc., GMP's affiliated restructuring group. His operational experience encompasses the areas of strategic planning, accelerating growth plans, managing and developing strategic relationships, and managing and developing talent in underperforming companies and turnarounds. Over the last 12 years, Mr. Anderson held leadership roles in closing over 30 M&A transactions (including distressed entities), multiple private placements and bank financings, and a successful public offering.
Mr. Anderson holds experience in a wide range of industries, including industrial services, media, e-commerce/technology, marketing services, food, publishing, and distribution companies ranging from start-ups to publicly traded companies approaching $1 billion in annual revenues.
Registration Fees
Upcoming Events
Members: $40 registered by 12/4, $50 registered after 12/4
Non-Members: $55 registered by 12/4, $65 registered after 12/4
Register on line at www.ACGChicago.com
Cancellation Policy: All cancellations received in writing to networking@ACGChicago.com by 5pm, 12/7 will receive full credit.
Questions call 877-ACG-NETWORK (877-224-6389)
or email networking@ACGChicago.com
February 24, 2009
Awards Gala , Chicago Cultural Center
Sponsors
Diamond Sponsors
Platinum Sponsors
Gold Sponsors
BDO Seidman, LLP
Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP
BMO Capital Markets
Corinthian Capital Group, LLC
Crowe Horwath
Getzler Henrich and Associates LLC
Golub Capital
Silver Sponsors
AccuVal Associates, Incorporated
Amherst Partners, LLC
Austin McGregor
Burke Warren
Huron Consulting Group
The Jordan Company
Gould & Ratner LLP
Kensington International, Inc.
Mesirow Financial
Vedder, Price P.C.
Wells Fargo Business Credit
West Monroe Partners
Winston & Strawn LLP
Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP
Moglia Advisors
Tatum LLC
UHY LLP
Warady & Davis LLP
____________________________________________
Wednesday, December 9: Training Technology Tasting
From: nancy@knowledgeshift.net
To: ron@themayreport.com
Subject: Training Technology Tasting
Date: Wed, 2 Dec 2009 12:42:47 -0600
Hi Ron:
I thought I would pass you this information to post regarding information on an upcoming event. The Training Technology Tasting will feature 3-4 local training technology vendors paired up with beer from Two Brothers Brewery. The program will allow attendees to "sample" a newer training technology paired up with a beer from Two Brothers - it's somewhat a new spin on what Tech Cocktail has done but we wanted to make it a little more intimate with a higher focus on educating the attendee on these new technologies. There is a $25 fee to attend but all participants will receive a coupon for $25 that can be used against any of the featured technologies at this event.
This event will take place December 9th 5:30 to 7:30 at CourseAvenue's office
3S721 West Ave, Suite 600
Warrenville, IL 60555
To register for this event, people can go to this URL
http://knowledgeshift.x-shops.com/store/home.php?cat=323
Nancy Munro, CEO
630-221-8759 office
630-747-4048 cell
http://www.knowledgeshift.net
______________________________________________
Latest Exciting News from Accelper
From: Arvin Srivastava arvin@accelper.com
Subject: Latest Exciting News from Accelper
Date: Tue, 1 Dec 2009 21:38:43 -0500
To: ron@themayreport.com
1320, Tower Road,
Schaumburg, IL 60173
Tel: (847) 884 1900
Fax: (847) 884 7280
www.accelper.com
Latest Exciting News from Accelper!*
December 01, 2009
Dear Subscriber,
Innovation Training & Certification programs launched by Center for Professional Development at Illinois Institute of Technology
Innovation skills will enable you to create new opportunities either as an entrepreneur or as an employee in a globally competitive economy.
The Business Innovation class offered at IIT, Chicago offers participants a comprehensive approach to learning the reproducible innovation methodology for identifying opportunities for innovation to monetizing the innovative solutions.
After teaching the Business Innovation class over three years and positive feedback, the Center for Professional Development at IIT Chicago has launched training and certification programs for professionals. The programs include:
SC 824 Business Innovator Training and Certification (Innovation for Professionals)
SC 825 The T.E.D.O.C. Training (Innovation for Managers)
SC 826 Master Business Innovator Certification (Train-the-Trainer in Innovation)
SC 827 Innovation Overview for Executives (Innovation for Executives)
To learn more about these programs please contact Janet Reif at (630) 682 - 6030, or email at reif@iit.edu.
The 2nd Business Innovation Conference held at Illinois Institute of Technology
The 2nd International Business Innovation Conference was held at IIT Rice Campus in October 2009. The conference was attended by about 150 innovation professionals. Luis Reis, (COO, Sonae , Portugal ), Tom Kuczmarski (Founder, Chicago Innovation Award), Adam Hartung (Columnist, Forbes Magazine), C. N. Madhusudan (CEO, Vectorspan), and Alex Bratton (CEO, Lextech Lab) gave keynote presentations.
The 3rd International Business Innovation Conference (BIC) will be held Oct 4-6, 2010. We are seeking your active participation through your ideas, recommendation for topics, referral for speakers and sponsors, and support in making the BIC 2010 a more exciting event.
The Innovation Solution Book
Praveen Gupta authored a new book titled "The Innovation Solution" specifically designed for quickly understanding his powerful innovation framework, and simple tools for daily use. About 3000 copies were sold in its first month. We are giving away 5 free copies to our readers. Email your name and address with Subject: "The Innovation Solution" to qualify for your free copy at info@accelper.com no later than December 10 2009.
Presentations and Awards
Praveen gave several presentations and keynotes at the EMD Innovation Day along with Jeffrey Moore, the author of Crossing the Chasm, ASQ Quality Congress in Mexico , College of Lake County, and NACCE Annual Conference. If your organization is looking for an inspiring presentation on innovation, please contact us at info@accelper.com.
Arvind Srivastava presented "Achieving Process Excellence Using the 4-P Model" at the ASQ Chicago Section.
Accelper sponsored the NACCE Innovation Award to recognize Community College Entrepreneurship Centers for creating new businesses and jobs. If you would like to sponsor the Innovation Award, please visit www.nacce.com.
Accelper is offering a two-day workshop on improving Balanced Scorecard performance in Kuala Lumpur , Malaysia Dec 7-8, 2009.
The International Journal of Innovation Science
We are pleased to announce the publication of Issue 3 of the journal. Besides articles we have been able to include interviews of Prof. Clayton Christensen, Harvard Business School , Dean Dipak Jain, Kellogg School of Management, and Prof. C. K. Prahalad, Ross School of Business.
The Innovation Job Forum
A strategy meeting has been scheduled to look into ways to create new jobs in DuPage county and surrounding areas. We would like to invite corporate executives, HR leaders, and community representatives for their thought leadership. The first meeting will be held December 17, 2009 at IIT Rice Campus at 10:00 AM followed by lunch. To attend the Jobs Forum please RSVP at gupta@iit.edu.
The Special Event
"Practical Innovation" is Ellen Domb's 2-day TRIZ course that gets beginners using TRIZ to solve real problems. Click here to learn more and register for the class.
*Extra space inserted randomly within a word is unintentional due to technical difficulty.
Note: If you wish to unsubscribe please click on the link below.
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