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09/16/2009
Scoop
[Actually 09/09/2009]: The May Report: 09/09/2009: Wholesale price of U. S. Ambassadorship to Canada found: 4,700 bucks!; How David Jacobson went from litigator to 'builder of communities' (FirstTuesday) to Mobile Wednesday to Mr. Ambassador; Avery Cohen on the ITDA; McCall ranks 23rd among VC bloggers; Rob Schultz at 115
September 9, 2009
The May Report: 09/09/2009: Wholesale price of U. S. Ambassadorship to Canada found: 4,700 bucks!; How David Jacobson went from litigator to 'builder of communities' (FirstTuesday) to Mobile Wednesday to Mr. Ambassador; Avery Cohen on the ITDA; McCall ranks 23rd among VC bloggers; Rob Schultz at 115
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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MIT Enterprise Forum Chicago Sept. 15 Event: Resources for Innovators and Entrepreneurs
MIT EF Chicago kicks off the 2009 season with a program that tees up a series
of events on resources available to entrepreneurs in the Chicago area. Even
though an entrepreneur might have a marketable and protectable approach and
technology, entrepreneurs need to address:
* Space and Facilities
* Strategic and Developmental Consulting
* Money--Raising and managing
* Legal--IP, contracts, and other
Join us on September 15 for a panel discussion with several of the Chicago area's
leading experts in supporting entrepreneurs:
Fred Hoch, Illinois Technology Association
Ron Kirschner, Heartland Angels
Nick Rokop, IIT Knapp Entrepreneurial Center
David Weinstein, Chicagoland Entrepreneurial Center
Lanny Feder, Protective Intellectual Property Services, LLC, will moderate.
We are lucky here in the Chicago area because there are so many groups that
can provide assistance to entrepreneurs in the infrastructure, strategy and
legal areas during the early days of a company that it is not possible to
address them in one meeting.
Future meetings will address these and other topics in greater detail.
REGISTER at
http://tinyurl.com/nccghn
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
The Scoop section:
-- Avery Cohen on ITDA Expert Perspectives 360 - Licensing and Partnership for Effective Technology Commercialization
-- The Top 125 VC bloggers
-- Larrry Cheng's blog: College Optional
-- Ed Longanecker: Correction -- he covers 11 states
-- Newseum Launches 'The Future of News' in Televised Series Hosted by Frank Sesno
-- Chicagoan David Jacobson, Obama fund-raiser tapped for Canadian ambassador
-- Chicagoan David Jacobson, Obama deputy finance chair, in play to be Ambassador to Canada
-- Obama fund-raising crony, David Jacobson, headed for Ottawa
-- Obama Taps Ex-Sonnenschein Partner for Ambassador to Canada
-- Obama tied to lobbyists, but boasts of not taking money
-- Jeff Meredith comments on David Jacobson
[Editor's note: Time is now an issue and Jason Fried will have to wait till tomorrow morning.
Correction: The Return is not the firm that I thought Flip mentioned. It was Data Return and he emailed me that.
I am also going to keep my mouth shut on David Jacobson today. I was disappointed to see the president failing to keep his campaign promises. Despite the $25 to $200 contributors we are still a long way from getting money out of politics. I have talked to a number of folks from Neil Kane to Darcy Evon to Michael Muth about David Jacobson and Canada and the whole fundraising thing. One story is that Jacobson called Lundin and Weinstein into his office at Sonnenschein and yelled during the meeting, "Barack's a f***ing rock star!" and that meeting was right after Barack's speech at the 2004 Democratic National convention. Darcy attended a fundraiser put on by David and Katherine Gehl and she gave $250 to his Senate campaign in 2004. So, David was in early on the fundraising and he was co-chair under Penny Pritzker. The person who puzzles me is Weinstein. Why wasn't he playing the angles on this? If he had been, he might be in Washington, D. C. right now. There is confusion about one thing. Did David run several trade missions to Manitoba while he was doing FirstTuesday? Was he involved in some form of Economic Development? ED runs both ways you know and in that context Michael Muth reminded me that the Consulate would be focused on bringing Canadian firms here to get business. I tried to find out what if anything David has done with Canada and checked the TMR archives, since Darcy said he ran six or seven trade missions there. The archives show nothing. The only thing I can think of is that it was tied to Mobile Wednesday somehow. BTW, Darcy, Flip had to be reminded who you were Sunday. Cullinane had to tell him. I could not believe that he did not remember you. I know, I know, Flip is not good with remembering names and he probably couldn't pick Dever out of a line-up -- a police line-up that is!
Neil said that he tried to reach David to congratulate him but was not able to reach him. Neil has his own Obama stories to tell and was a contributor early on, but he did not parlay it into a job in Washington. There will be more on this and I hope that someone like Michael Rosenthal chimes in.
BTW, Jacobson committed to raising or bundling $50K but he ended up bundling more than $100K.
Thanks Avery for the write up and I look forward to Ad:Tech.]
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http://www.wirthchicago.com
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provide financing from $5,000 to $500,000 with only a one page
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only preserves your cash but may also provide significant tax benefits
- check with your tax accountant and tax attorney.
Does your company sell to other small businesses? Close more sales by
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program for you and provide co-marketing dollars and support. Give us
the opportunity and we will earn your business.
For more information contact:
Frank Rogers
630-325-1458
frogers@wirthchicago.com
http://www.wirthchicago.com
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DePaul University's Center for Creativity and Innovation presents the 3rd Annual Innovation Conference:
"INNOVATING THE UPTURN: CREATING THE FUTURE"
September 17, 2009
9:00am-4:00pm
DePaul University Conference Center
1 E. Jackson, 8th Floor, Chicago, IL
Register Online. For Conference Details:
http://creativity.depaul.edu
or call 312-362-8395.
Conference Overview:
In the current period of economic recovery, businesses continue to confront economic and market challenges that require new approaches, collaboration with new strategic partners, and new ways to meet the evolving needs of the marketplace. Innovation plays a significant role as companies continue to innovate during the economic downturn to sustain business and to prepare for future growth. Businesses committed to innovation with a pipeline of improved offerings will be better positioned for new opportunities in their industries.
The 2009 Conference brings together innovation leaders and experts across industries and sectors from organizations such as: Kraft, Radio Flyer, Wm Wrigley Jr., Brightstar, Streetwise, GrubHub.com, Fiveaccessories, DuPage County, LBL Strategies, Crafted Fun, University of Granada, Spain, DePaul University, and more!
Keynote Address: Tom Schlegel, Vice President of Product Development, Radio Flyer, winner of the Chicago Innovation Award: "Reinventing The Brand Through Design"
Plenary and Breakout Session Topics Include:
• "Driving Growth Through Open Innovation"
• "Innovate Relentlessly to Compete for the Future"
• "Building an Innovative Context to provide the Foundation for Innovation"
• "Creating Job Opportunities and New Marketing Avenues Through Socially Conscious
Partnerships"
• "DuPage County's Path to Excellence: The Practical Application of Innovation and Strategy"
• "The Business Opportunities that Social Networking is Making Possible"
• "How the Economy Has Changed the Game at Retail - and Why Innovators Will Win"
• "Yes! Envisioning Your Story in Times of Change"
• "Creating the Future: Emerging Industries and Innovation"
• "The New City: Chicago as a Model of Sustainability"
Cost: Early Registration (through Aug. 22, 2009): $149 ($175 thereafter)
Note this year new lower price in support of the conference theme!
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The Scoop section:
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Avery Cohen on ITDA Expert Perspectives 360 - Licensing and Partnership for Effective Technology Commercialization
Subject: ITDA Expert Perspectives 360 - Licensing and Partnership for Effective Technology Commercialization
Date: 9/8/2009 11:31:24 P.M. Central Daylight Time
From: AveryCohen@Metrist.com
To: RONALDMAY@aol.com
Licensing and Partnership for Effective Technology Commercialization -- IDTA Expert Perspectives 360
Chicago - Tuesday, September 1, 2009
The Illinois Technology Development Alliance (IDTA) provided an interesting opportunity to gain insights from an expert panel.
The Panel:
+ Bruce Lund, toy and game inventor, who has worked both sides of the licensing equation.
+ Dr. Alan Hauser who works in commercial development at Northwestern University's Technology Transfer Program, facilitates moving university innovations to the marketplace through new venture creation and licensing.
+ Michael Stolarski is an IP attorney, formerly responsible for IP licensing and litigation strategies at Motorola.
+ Jodi Flax Soriano, Director of Business Development at Ohmx Corporation, a company that develops instruments and assays for the in vitro diagnostics industry. She is a graduate of Northwestern Biotech and MBA programs and formerly worked for Motorola Life Sciences.
The Audience:
There were about 40 people at the meeting, including Jim Orrico, who is still looking for financing for his pivoting patient transfer platform while clinical trials are running; he is also now looking into licensing strategies. In addition there were around a half-dozen IP attorneys (corporate and law firm) and a couple of licensing agents. Managers and entrepreneurs from a wide range of technologies, including logistics software development, the chair of the Black Inventors Society, and start-ups from biotech, medical devices, software, and energy technologies.
The Discussion: Licensing Innovative Technology
Bruce Lund talked about their most recent toy, a hydrogen powered toy rocket. This toy was an innovation, there was nothing like it in the marketplace when they came up with the idea. (I need one of these!) Now the IDTA has been helping his company license the toy's technology with an SBIR grant from the government for use in non-leathal technology.
Jodi Flax Soriano talked about her company, a Northwestern spin-off. They work in a crowded field. They got a $1M for an option develop and patent their first product and now they have 40 patents in their portfolio of diagnostics.
The first question had to do with financial expectations. In technology, Hauser reported that the standard is that 25% of the profit -- operating margin -- goes to the IP holder. If your technology is required to get the product to market, you can negotiate toward 25% of net profit. If you have a lock on a range of patents it could be even more. If your patent "just makes it better," you could be looking at 5%.
Of course, this depends on how many parties own IP components in the products. Lund pointed out that they may provide the robot technology for toys, but Disney may provide the characters. In the toy industry, they negotiate on the wholesale price rather than net profit. 5% is typical, with 7-9% on a premium technology. 2.5 - 3% when their technology is paired with other IP, like a Disney character.
There are some other parameters to technology licensing deals. For example, an "upside overage" clause that provides a bonus when sales reach certain numbers of units. Lund gave the example of "Furby," which had an escalator in royalty rates. That toy sold over 40 million units on expectations in the hundreds of thousands. The creators got "incredible royalties." Lund often negotiates minimum royalties as well.
Soriano talked about how when they started in the diagnostics industry, the field was already crowded. They used a consulting firm, Global Prior Art, to do patent searches, creating a "Patent Map" for them, showing visually what patents had been granted and where there were openings. That document guided their development strategy.
There was a question about "provisional patents" and patents pending. Lund pointed out that the life of most toys is six months, so often the patent isn't issued until the toy is off the shelves. They may file a patent, but may not go through all the steps. Soriano on the other hand described her company as "very patent focused. We want to file as soon as we can."
There were several questions about negotiating, including non-disclosure agreements. Lund said that the big toy manufacturers won't sign an NDA. Stolarski said he helped write Motorola's policy along the same lines. Lund described that, in the absence of an NDA, they still have people sign a copy of the picture and a list of what was disclosed. But Lund went on to say that it's a small industry and people won't bring you ideas if you get a bad reputation. It's bad business to steal ideas, and besides, nobody really knows if your idea is going to be successful.
Hauser said that "professors talk too much." He coaches the academics not to talk about an invention until the patent application has been submitted.
In addition, with so many patents being filed today, there is a risk that there is an existing patent for your idea. Stolarski pointed out that this is part of "the game".
The final group of questions centered around the tactics of licensing. How to make the case to the company to license your IP. There was an example that a large company might be interested in the technology, but couldn't roll it out. Is it better to license to smaller or bigger companies?
Hauser said that in the pharmaceuticals and diagnostics industry, large companies are often afraid to cannibalize their own existing business. He described an experience where a he worked fairly far along on a deal with the internal R&D department, but ultimately the existing product line was a "sacred cow".
Lund said he used to work with small companies, but they all went out of business, so he works with big companies.
Soriano suggested a very specific approach: segment the market and find a player who is missing your piece; where it would not be disruptive to them but would enhance existing technology or products and help them compete better.
Lund talked about the basics, building a licensing relationship with people in big companies requires that you deliver more, better, sooner. "Never let them down." He mostly works existing relationships, so he's not sure of the starting point but, he pointed out that part of his relationship strategy includes using the phone, not email, as it is more direct and active.
Soriano's advice was to understand the target customer, what is driving them and how your technology can impact their business.
As always, please contact me with any questions or corrections.
Avery.
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Avery J. Cohen
Principal
Metrist Partners
http://www.metrist.com
phone: 847.926.8280 | cell: 708.602.3945 | skype: averycohen
linkedin:
http://www.linkedin.com/in/averycohen
| twitter: @averycohen
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The Top 125 VC bloggers
http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/09/08/the-top-20-vc-bloggers-september-2009/
The Top 20 VC Bloggers (September 2009)
33 Comments
by Erick Schonfeld on September 8, 2009
When it comes to lists of top VCs, one of our favorites is the top VC bloggers. Larry Cheng, a partner at Fidelity Ventures, started keeping just such a list last May, based on how many subscribers each VC blogger has on Google Reader. This morning he updated his VC blogger leaderboard. The top 20 are below, all 100 are on his own blog, Thinking About Thinking (No. 71).
These rankings obviously do not correlate with venture returns, but they are one measure of who are the most interesting VCs. Guy Kawasaki and Fred Wilson kept their No. 1 and No. 2 spots on the leaderboard, but Benchmark's Bill Gurley made a big move from No. 9 to No. 3. That pushed most everybody else down a notch. Dave McClure made his debut on the list at No. 13. And Peter Rip moved up 37 spots to No. 15. Here is the full leaderboard:
Top 20 VC Bloggers
Rank (Change) Name, Venture Firm, Blog (Subscribers)
1. (-) Guy Kawasaki, Garage Technology Ventures, How To Change The World (24,356)
2. (-) Fred Wilson, Union Square Ventures, A VC (21,881)
3. (+6) Bill Gurley, Benchmark Capital, Above The Crowd (8,897)
4. (-1) David Hornik, August Capital, VentureBlog (8,037)
5. (-1) Brad Feld, Foundry Group, Feld Thoughts (7,543)
6. (-1) Marc Andreesen, TBD, Blog.pmarca.com (5,727)
7. (-1) Ed Sim, Dawntreader Ventures, Beyond VC (4,162)
8. (-2) Josh Kopelman, First Round Capital, Redeye VC (4,071)
9. (-1) Jeremy Liew, Lightspeed Ventures Partners, LSVP (3,512)
10. (+3) Seth Levine, Foundry Group, VC Adventure (1,569)
11. (-) David Cowan, Bessemer Venture Partners, Who Has Time For This? (1,526)
12. (-) Christopher Allen, Alacrity Ventures, Life With Alacrity (1,419)
13. (new) Dave McClure, Founders Fund, Master of 500 Hats (1,417)
14. (-) Multiple Authors, Union Square Ventures, Union Square Ventures Blog (1,365)
15. (+37) Peter Rip, Crosslink Capital, EarlyStageVC (1,107)
16. (-1) Rick Segal, JLA Ventures, The Post Money Value (1,043)
17. (-) Mike Hirshland, Polaris Venture Partners, VC Mike's Blog (1,038)
18. (-2) Jeff Bussgang, Flybridge Capital Partners, Seeing Both Sides (1,018)
19. (+2) Mendelson/Feld, Foundry Group, Ask The VC (1,017)
20. (-2) Tim Oren, Pacifica Fund, Due Diligence (924)
http://larrycheng.com/2009/09/08/global-vc-blog-directory-ranked-by-of-google-reader-subscribers-sept-2009/
21. Jeff Clavier, SoftTech VC, Software Only (878)
22. Mike Speiser, SutterHill Ventures, Laserlike (869)
23. Matt McCall, DFJ Portage Venture Partners, VC Confidential (661)
24. Stu Phillips, Ridgelift Ventures, Soaring on Ridgelift (597)
25. Eric Friedman, Union Square Ventures, Marketing.fm (572)
26. Jason Caplain, Southern Capitol Ventures, Southeast VC (531)
27. Jason Mendelson, Foundry Group, Mendelson's Musings (522)
28. Nic Brisbourne, Esprit Capital Partners, The Equity Kicker (517)
29. Scott Maxwell, Openview Venture Partners, Now What? (483)
30. Albert Wenger, Union Square Ventures, Continuations (477)
31. Ryan McIntyre, Foundry Group, McInblog (463)
32. Larry Cheng, Fidelity Ventures, Thinking About Thinking (433)
33. David Beisel, Venrock Associates, GenuineVC (429)
34. Raj Kapoor, Mayfield Fund, The VC In Me (415)
35. Will Price, Hummer Winblad, Will Price (412)
36. Howard Morgan, First Round Capital, Way Too Early (401)
37. Dan Grossman, Venrock Associates, A Venture Forth (365)
38. Christine Herron, First Round Capital, Christine.net (354)
39. Baris Karadogan, Com Ventures, From Istanbul to Sand Hill Road (349)
40. Fred Destin, Atlas Venture, Fred Destin's Blog (343)
41. Keith Benjamin, Levensohn Venture Partners, SF Venture (333)
42. Rob Day, @Ventures, Cleantech Investing (323)
43. David Feinleib, Mohr Davidow Ventures, Tech, Startups, Capital, Ideas. (319)
44. Saul Klein, Index Ventures, LocalGlo.be (315)
45. Vineet Buch, BlueRun Ventures, Venture Explorer (313)
46. Ouriel Ohayon, Lightspeed Gemini Internet Lab, MYBLOG by Ouriel (307)
47. Bijan Sabet, Spark Capital, Bijan Sabet (296)
48. Steve Jurvetson, DFJ, The J-Curve (274)
49. Philippe Botteri, Bessemer Venture Partners, Cracking the Code (263)
50. Andrew Parker, Union Square Ventures, The Gong Show (257)
51. Mark Peter Davis, DFJ Gotham Ventures, Venture Made Transparent (237)
52. Rob Finn, Edison Venture, Ventureblogalist (236)
53. Marc Goldberg, Occam Capital, Occam's Razor (233)
54. Allen Morgan, Mayfield Fund, Allen's Blog (231)
55. James Chen, CXO Ventures, PureVC (228)
56. Daniel Cohen, Israel Venture Partners, Israel Venture Capital 2.0 (223)
57. David Aronoff, Flybridge Capital Partners, Diary of a Geek VC (222)
58. Max Bleyleben, Kennet Partners, Technofile Europe (219)
59. Jason Ball, Qualcomm Ventures Europe, TechBytes (213)
60. Jeremy Levine, Bessemer Venture Partners, Nothing Venture, Nothing Gained (210)
61. Rob Hayes, First Round Capital, Permanent Record (206)
62. Michael Feinstein, Sempre Management, The Fein Line (198)
63. Michael Eisenberg, Benchmark Capital, Six Kids and a Full Time Job (194)
64. Pascal Levensohn, Levensohn Venture Partners, pascalsview (193)
65. Chris Fralic, First Round Capital, Nothing To Say (187)
66. Sagi Rubin, Virgin Green Fund, The Grass is Greener (182)
67. Richard Dale, Sigma Partners, Venture Cyclist (176)
68. Steve Brotman, Silicon Alley Venture Partners, VC Ball (167)
69. Dan Rua, Inflexion Partners, Florida Venture Blog (160)
70. Paul Fisher, Advent Venture Partners, The Coffee Shops of Mayfair (159)
71. John Ludwig, Ignition Partners, A Little Ludwig Goes A Long Way (157)
72. Sarah Tavel, Bessemer Venture Partners, Adventurista (156)
73. Martin Tobias, Ignition Partners, Deep Green Crystals (152)
74. Stewart Alsop, Alsop-Louie Partners, Alsop-Louie Partners (150)
75. Rob Go, Spark Capital, Rob Go Blog (148)
76. Matt Winn, Chrysalis Ventures, Punctuative! (148)
77. Ho Name, Altos Ventures, Altos Ventures Musings (147)
78. George Zachary, Charles River Ventures, Sense and Cents (145)
79. Jacob Ner-David, Jerusalem Capital, VC In Jerusalem (144)
80. Kent Goldman, First Round Capital, The Cornice (144)
81. Satya Patel, Battery Ventures, Venture Generated Content (140)
82. Ed Mlavsky, Gemini Israel Funds, GOLB: Is This Israel? (139)
83. Michael Greeley, Flybridge Capital Partners, On The Flying Bridge (138)
84. Rich Tong, Ignition Partners, Tongfamily (136)
85. Sid Mohasseb, Tech Coast Angels, Sid Mohasseb (133)
86. Rachel Strate, EPIC Ventures, Wasatch Girl (129)
87. Marc Averitt, Okapi Venture Capital, OC VC (128)
88. Peter Lee, Baroda Ventures, Seeing Eye To Eye (128)
89. Mo Koyfman, Spark Capital, Mo Koyfman (127)
90. Justin Label, Bessemer Venture Partners, Venture Again (126)
91. Ted Driscoll, Claremont Creek Ventures, Evolving VC (126)
92. Adam Fisher, Bessemer Venture Partners, Savants in the Levant (124)
93. Gregoire Aladjidi, Techfund Europe, Investing In What's Next (123)
94. Todd Dagres, Spark Capital, Todd Dagres Tumblelog (123)
95. Multiple Authors, Foundry Group, Foundry Group (121)
96. Santo Politi, Spark Capital, This and That (121)
97. Multiple Authors, True Ventures, Early Stage Capital (120)
98. Lee Hower, Point Judith Capital, Venturesome (118)
99. Robert Goldberg, Ridgelift Ventures, Tahoe VC (117)
100. Vinit Nijhawan, Key Venture Partners, Entremeister (112)
101. Multiple Authors, Highway 12 Ventures, Highway 12 Ventures Group (109)
102. John Abraham, Arrowpoint Ventures, JMA's Views On Everything (105)
103. David Dufresne, Desjardins Venture Capital, Dav-Generated Content (101)
104. Brad Burnham, Union Square Ventures, Unfinished Work (100)
105. Charles Curran, Valhalla Partners, VC Blog (99)
106. Brian Hirsch, Greenhill SAVP, New York VC (99)
107. Max Niederhofer, Atlas Venture, Life In The J Curve, baby (97)
108. Multiple Authors, Brightspark Ventures, Let the Sparks Fly! (97)
109. Jon Seeber, Updata Partners, Jon's Ventures (96)
110. Todd Klein, Legend Ventures, Media VC (96)
111. Adi Pundak-Mintz, Gemini Israel Funds, Adisababa's Weblog (95)
112. Don Rainey, Grotech Ventures, VC in DC (94)
113. Art Marks, Valhalla Partners, Entrepreneurial Quest (90)
114. Multiple Authors, Founders Fund, Founders Fund (90)
115. Rob Schultz, IllinoisVENTURES, Go Big or Go Home (88)
116. Allan Veeck, Pittsburgh Ventures, Pittsburgh Ventures (87)
117. Greg Foster, Noro-Moseley Ventures, SouthernVC (83)
118. Cem Sertoglu, iLab Ventures, SortiPreneur (67)
119. Anupendra Sharma, Siemens Venture Capital, So Little Time, So Much... (25)
120. Steve Jurvetson, DFJ, Uploads from Jurvetson (25)
121. Jeff Joseph, Prescient Capital Partners, Venture Populist (21)
122. Multiple Authors, Tech Capital Partners, Tech Capital Partners Blog (15)
123. Multiple Authors, Walden Venture Capital, Walden Views and News (11)
124. Josh Sookman, RBC Ventures, Ubiquitous Startups and the VC (6)
125. Vishy Venugopalan, Longworth Venture Partners, Longworth Venture Partners Blog (2)
If you know of any other VC blogs, please put the URL in the comment field. It will be included no later than the next quarterly update.
Tags: VC, Top+VC+Blogs, VC+Blog+Directory, Venture+Capital
[Editor's note: May here. Here's a hottie VC:
http://spacejockeys.blogs.com/about.html
Local VCs Matt McCall came in 23rd and Rob Schultz of Illinois Ventures comes in at 115. Hey, Matt beats out Steve Jurvetson who has his name on the door of Matt's firm, after all.
++++++++++++++++++++
Subject: Re: You just missed the top 20 VC bloggers coming in at 23. Congrats.
Date: 9/9/2009 3:49:18 P.M. Central Daylight Time
From: matt@newworldvc.com
To: RONALDMAY@aol.com
Thanks, Ron. I need fin the time to post more...:-)
Matt
Matthew B McCall
(c) 847-305-1970
Pardon my typos but big thumbs and a small iPhone.
On Sep 9, 2009, at 3:33 PM, "
http://tinyurl.com/nnb6z6
23. Matt McCall, DFJ Portage Venture Partners, VC Confidential (661) ]
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Larrry Cheng's blog: College Optional
http://larrycheng.com/2009/08/26/college-optional/
College Optional
Posted in Misc, Philosophy, Venture Capital by larrycheng on August 26, 2009
I have always believed that a great education is invaluable. The ability to learn new things, grasp new concepts and retain information are all important ingredients of success. But, how valuable is a college education - which is only one form of education? In the business world, I think a college education is extraordinarily nice to have, but not a must have. I'd certainly recommend that everyone get a college education, but if for some reason you can't or you didn't - perhaps your best bet is to go find a career in business.
Reinforcing that point of view is the sheer fact that there are many successful CEO's that do not have college degrees. Some of these include but are not limited to:
Richard Branson, CEO, Virgin Group
Michael Dell, Founder and CEO, Dell
Barry Diller, CEO, Interactive Corp
Bill Gates, Founder and Chairman, Microsoft
Paul Allen, Founder and Chairman, Vulcan Group
Dean Kamen, Founder and Chairman, Segway
Mark Zuckerberg, Founder and CEO, Facebook
You could say that they are outliers, and you would be completely right. They are outliers in their lack of formal education - but also outliers in the magnitude of their success. Even if you look at my portfolio of six emerging technology companies, two of the CEO's do not have college degrees. And both of those companies are going gangbusters.
At the end of the day, I'm not sure that the traditional college educational process of reading a textbook, listening to a lecture, and then taking a test is a process that is often replicated in the real world of business. Sitting in a classroom listening to a teacher every day for four years in so many ways is exactly the opposite of what someone with an entrepreneurial DNA should want to do.
After seeing many talented executives come in without a college education, there seems to be a blueprint to succeed if you don't have a college degree:
Learn how to sell.
Find a problem you're passionate about solving.
Be courageous and more willing to take risk.
Make a lot of friends.
Develop instincts by failing quickly.
And perhaps the most fundamental thing you need to learn to succeed in business whether you have a college education or not is to learn how to take $1.00 and turn it into $1.10 (without lying, cheating, stealing, swindling, etc.). I don't mean that in a theoretical way. I mean literally, take a dollar bill out of your pocket right now, and figure out how to get someone to pay you $1.10 for it a week from now. Usually that means you take the $1.00, go buy some stuff, package it up in a value enhancing way, and see if you can sell the end result for $1.10 to someone other than your mom. If you can do that with $1.00, you're off and running. The same principles that enable you to turn $1.00 into $1.10 are the ones that will apply for turning $100 million into $110 million. That ability is what some call business instincts - and instincts aren't always learned in college.
Tags: college, business, CEO
22 comments
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Ed Longanecker: Correction -- he covers 11 states
Subject: RE: The May Report: 09/09/2009: It's 09/09/09 and we won't see that again for a hundred years!; Flip ambush II -- this time at North Pond Restaurant; ITDA; Slack corrected; Gian Fulgoni with some very interesting stats
Date: 9/9/2009 2:10:27 P.M. Central Daylight Time
From: ed.longanecker@techamerica.org
To: ronaldmay@aol.com
Ron,
Thanks for including some of our updates (Illinois HIE request, Midwest Global Security Challenge). Also, I actually cover 11 states from a state policy perspective. I, of course, have a particular affinity for Illinois for a variety of reasons, including the fact that I live here, we work with the majority of the mid-large tech employers in the state, and because Illinois is certainly unique given the strength and diversity of the tech economy. We are absolutely committed to supporting and growing the industry in Illinois and have engaged in many targeted initiatives over the past five years. Regarding the other items in your report, all I can say that we do indeed have an unmatched portfolio of "public" sector resources, among many other areas of expertise.
Here are a couple of links that might be of interest to your readers. Please also note my NEW phone number below. Thanks again, Ron.
TechAmerica Committees and Working Groups: Public Sector, Commercial Sector, Standards, Engineering & Technical: Stay abreast of issues that could impact your business and connect with potential partners and customers. Sign up for TechAmerica's industry leading committees and working groups and expand your network today!
http://www.techamerica.org/Docs/fileManager.cfm?f=committee%20selection.pdf
TechAmerica Resources in a Challenging Economy: Cost Savings, Business Development, Pubic Policy Expertise, Access to Investors, and more. Please ensure your company is taking full advantage of your membership investment. Take a moment to review the programs and resources chosen specifically for our member companies.
http://www.techamerica.org/challengingeconomy
Best regards,
Ed Longanecker
Executive Director, Regional Director of State Government Affairs
TechAmerica Midwest
NEW PHONE: 630-282-4262
ed.longanecker@techamerica.org
www.techamerica.org
AeA & ITAA have merged to form TechAmerica
Where the future begins
__________________________________________
Newseum Launches 'The Future of News' in Televised Series Hosted by Frank Sesno
Subject: FYI: Newseum Launches 'The Future of News' in Televised Series Hosted by Frank Sesno
Date: 9/9/2009 11:53:42 A.M. Central Daylight Time
From: bconnolly@furthermore.com
To: pponce@wttw.com
CC: RONALDMAY@aol.com, dhayner@suntimes.com, ericzorn@gmail.com, dusty@speakeasy.net, geoff@chitowndailynews.org, jslania@luc.edu
http://news.prnewswire.com/DisplayReleaseContent.aspx?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/09-08-2009/0005089982&EDATE
Newseum Launches 'The Future of News'
WASHINGTON, Sept. 8 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Newseum is launching "The Future of News," a new 10-part television series featuring lively, cutting-edge conversations with well-known journalists and new media pioneers about the evolution of news reporting in an Internet age.
The initial 10 programs will be hosted by Frank Sesno, award-winning broadcaster and professor at George Washington University. Panelists include NBC's Ann Curry; The Washington Post's Bob Woodward; ABC's Sam Donaldson; Tina Brown, founder and editor-in-chief of The Daily Beast; Craigslist founder Craig Newmark; Instapundit Glenn Reynolds; new media critic Jay Rosen; Politico co-founder Jim VandeHei; and Charles Sennott of Global Post.
"The Future of News," produced at the Newseum and distributed by American Public Television, will feature in-depth discussions and debates about traditional news media adapting in a digital world, new media solutions outside traditional news business models, citizen journalists, the future of newspapers, the "digital divide," the speed of news and other topics.
Each 30-minute program will highlight emerging news sources and offer timely tips on how news consumers can navigate the ever-expanding maze of digital information. Touch-screen technology will be used to introduce viewers to Web sites that offer credible alternatives to traditional news providers. In addition, the guests will discuss the role of a free press in a digital democracy.
Video segments produced by the Newseum's award-winning producers will set up each week's topic. The Newseum's vast content, which includes thousands of historic newspapers, photographs and news-related artifacts, will be incorporated into the programs to provide historical context.
"The Newseum is uniquely positioned to lead the discussion about where people will go to find accurate news in the future," said Paul Sparrow, vice president of broadcasting for the Newseum. "This show will be a User's Guide to News 2.0, bringing together the best and the brightest in both traditional and new media."
"The Future of News," which is slated to air in early 2010, will be available via the varied distribution platforms of public television. The Newseum programming is partially funded with a grant from the Ford Foundation. Additional underwriting is welcome. Funders are entitled to a 15-second acknowledgement at the beginning and end of each show and will be included in all online and print material.
__________________________________________
Chicagoan David Jacobson, Obama fund-raiser tapped for Canadian ambassador
http://blogs.suntimes.com/sweet/2009/06/chicagoan_david_jacobson_obama.html
Chicagoan David Jacobson, Obama fund-raiser tapped for Canadian ambassador
By Lynn Sweeton June 4, 2009 4:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
(photo by Lynn Sweet)
David Jacobson at the White House
(photo by Lynn Sweet)
Election Day, 2008. David Jacobson, campaign deputy finance chair with Penny Pritzker, finance chair, in Chicago.
WASHINGTON--President Obama tapped Chicago attorney David Jacobson, who was the Obama presidential campaign deputy finance chair, to be the U.S. ambassador to Canada on Thursday.
Jacobson is already at the White House. He is a special assistant to the president in the Office of Presidential Personnel. His focus is on filling slots on executive branch boards and commissions.
Before heading to Washington, Jacobson, 57, who grew up in north suburban Highland Park, was a partner at the Chicago office of Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal LLP. He specialized in securities and complex litigation.
THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
________________________
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 4, 2009
President Obama Announces Intent to Nominate Key Administration Posts
WASHINGTON - Today, President Barack Obama announced his intent to nominate the following individuals for key administration posts: Carlos Pascual, Ambassador to Mexico; David Jacobson, Ambassador to Canada; Brigadier General James B. Smith, Ambassador to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; Donald Gips, Ambassador to the Republic of South Africa; Patricia N. Moller, Ambassador to the Republic of Guinea; Nicole A. Avant, Ambassador to the Commonwealth of the Bahamas; Kenneth H. Merten, Ambassador to the Republic of Haiti; and Anne E. Derse, Ambassador to the Republic of Lithuania.
President Obama said, "I am grateful that these individuals will help represent our nation abroad during this important time for our country and the world. They bring a depth of experience and I look forward to working with them in the months and years to come."
President Obama announced his intent to nominate the following individuals today:
Carlos Pascual, Nominee for Ambassador to Mexico
Mr. Carlos Pascual is vice president and director of the Foreign Policy Program at the Brookings Institution in Washington, DC where he has overseen applied research programs on Latin America, China, Asia, the Middle East and Europe. Mr. Pascual directed a major global initiative on transnational threats, developing proposals to build a new alignment of global powers that would increase responsibility and accountability for emerging economies in international security and multilateral bodies. Before joining Brookings, he was a career Foreign Service Officer, serving in government for 23 years. Mr. Pascual served as the Coordinator for Reconstruction and Stabilization at the US Department of State. Prior to that, he was the Coordinator for US Assistance to Europe and Eurasia. Mr. Pascual served as U.S. ambassador to Ukraine from October 2000 until August 2003. He formerly served as a special assistant to President Clinton and National Security Council senior director for Russia, Ukraine, and Eurasia. Mr. Pascual was Deputy Assistant Administrator in USAID for Europe and Eurasia, guiding the development of programs in Central Europe and the former Soviet Union. He served with USAID in Sudan, South Africa and Mozambique. He received an M.P.P. from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University and a B.A. from Stanford University.
David Jacobson, Nominee for Ambassador to Canada
Mr. Jacobson is currently serving as Special Assistant to the President for Presidential Personnel. Prior to serving in the White House, Mr. Jacobson spent 30 years gaining expertise in the areas of complex commercial, class action, securities, insurance and business litigation as a partner at the law firm Sonnenschein, Nath & Rosenthal LLP. While working as a partner at Sonnenschien, Mr. Jacobson also founded AtomWorks, an organization to bring together corporate, civic and academic leaders in order to foster nanotechnology in the Midwest. He also served as a member of CEOs for Cities, a national bipartisan alliance of 75 mayors, corporate executives, university presidents and nonprofit leaders organized to advance the economic competitiveness of cities. Mr. Jacobson received a J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center and was the Administrative Editor of the Georgetown Law Journal. He received his B.A. from Johns Hopkins University.
Brigadier General James B. Smith, Nominee for Ambassador to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Brigadier General Smith (USAF, Ret.) is International Business Development Executive, Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems. Previous assignments at Raytheon include Vice President of Government Business in Wichita, Kansas, and Vice President of Precision Engagement in Tucson, Arizona. Prior to joining Raytheon, he was director of Navy C2 programs for Lockheed Martin Mission Systems. Gen. Smith served as deputy commander at the Joint Warfighting Center of the U.S. Joint Forces Command in Suffolk, Virginia, where he was responsible for managing the joint force exercise and training development program. General Smith's distinguished aviation career includes combat sorties during Desert Storm. He commanded the 94th Tactical Fighter Squadron and 325th Operations Group. He served as the CSAF chair at the National War College and as Vice Director of Operations for the North American Air Defense Command. Gen. Smith previously served as commander of the 18th Wing at Kadena Air Base in Japan. He holds a Bachelor's degree in military history from the U.S. Air Force Academy and a Master's degree in history from Indiana University. Gen. Smith is a distinguished graduate of the Naval War College, the Air Command and Staff College and the National War College.
Donald Gips, Nominee for Ambassador to the Republic of South Africa
Donald Gips is currently the Assistant to the President and Director for Presidential Personnel. Prior to serving in the White House, Gips helped lead then President-elect Obama's Presidential Transition Team as a Co-Chair for the Agency Review team. From 1998-2008, Gips was Group Vice President of Global Corporate Development for Level 3 Communications, where he led merger and acquisition efforts and was the Chief Strategy Officer. Gips previously served in the White House as Chief Domestic Policy Advisor to Vice President Al Gore. Mr. Gips also was Chief of the International Bureau at the Federal Communications Commission where he was responsible for the WTO negotiations and all spectrum policy, and helped launch the Americorps Program at the Corporation for National Service. Before entering government, he was an Executive Manager at McKinsey & Company. Gips his MBA from the Yale School of Management and received his undergraduate degree from Harvard University.
Patricia N. Moller, Nominee for Ambassador to the Republic of Guinea
Ambassador Patricia Moller, a member of the foreign service since 1987, has served as U.S. Ambassador to Burundi since 2006. In the course of her career Ambassador Moller has served in five other overseas locations including in Munich, Germany, Chennai, India, Belgrade, Serbia, Yerevan, Armenia, and Tbilisi, Georgia. From 1991 - 1996 in Washington DC, she served first as a Watch Officer, then as Staff Aid to the Assistant Secretary for Intelligence and Research, and later as Vietnam Desk Officer bilateral negotiations to reestablish diplomatic ties between the two countries. From 1996 to 1999, she was assigned to Belgrade, Serbia, departing when NATO bombing of the country began. From 2000 to 2002, she served as Deputy Chief of Mission in Yerevan, Armenia and from 2002 to 2005 as Deputy Chief of Mission in Tbilisi, Georgia. Ambassador Moller has three times received the Department's Superior Honor Award and three times been granted a Senior Foreign Service Performance Award. Ambassador Moller has a BA from the University of Tampa.
Nicole A. Avant, Nominee for Ambassador to the Commonwealth of the Bahamas
Ms. Avant serves as Vice President of Interior Music and Avant Garde Music Publishing. A business woman, philanthropist and activist, she has been recognized for her tireless efforts to mobilize the younger generation towards greater charitable and political involvement. She has worked as an academic counselor at The Neighborhood Academic Initiative, a USC mentorship program for high school students. Ms. Avant serves as a board member for the Bogart Pediatric Cancer Research Program, the Center for American Progress and Best Buddies, and was named one of the American Cancer Society Next Generation Leaders in 2007.
Kenneth H. Merten, Nominee for Ambassador to the Republic of Haiti
Kenneth Merten currently serves as Deputy Executive Secretary at the Department of State. A career Foreign Service Officer, he joined the Foreign Service in 1987. His previous overseas diplomatic assignments include Economic Counselor in Paris, France, Economic Section Chief, Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Economic Officer at the U.S. Mission to the European Union, in Brussels, Belgium, Economic Officer in Bonn, Germany and Vice Consul in Port-au-Prince. Mr. Merten's Washington assignments include two tours in the State Department Operations Center and service in the Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs and on the Cuba Desk, as well as a year as Special Assistant to the Special Advisors on Haiti. Mr. Merten holds a B.A. from Miami University in Ohio, and a Masters in Public Administration from American University. Studies at the Université d'Aix-Marseille in France and at Karl Franzens Universität in Austria complement his other academic work.
Anne E. Derse, Nominee for Ambassador to the Republic of Lithuania
Anne Derse is a career member of the Senior Foreign Service since 1981 and has served as Ambassador to the Republic of Azerbaijan since May 2006. As Director for Biodefense Policy at the Homeland Security Council (HSC) 2005-2006, Anne Derse helped develop the Implementation Plan for the U.S. National Strategy for Pandemic Influenza. Prior to that, She helped establish the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad in 2004-2005 as Minister Counselor for Economic Affairs. Ms. Derse worked as Executive Assistant in the Department of State's Under Secretary for Economic, Business and Agricultural Affairs from 2003-2004. As Minister Counselor for Economic Affairs at the U.S. Mission to the European Union (USEU) from 1999 to 2003, she led the USEU team managing U.S.-EU economic relations. She served as U.S. Commissioner on the Tripartite Gold Commission, adjudicating sovereign claims for gold seized by the Nazis and recovered by the Allies after World War II, while assigned as Economic Counselor at the U.S. Embassy in Brussels 1997-1999. Ms. Derse helped coordinate United States' participation in the 1996 APEC Summit as Economic Counselor and Deputy Counselor at the U.S. Embassy in the Philippines 1995-1997. She served as Special Assistant for Asian Affairs to State's Under Secretary for Economic, Business and Agricultural Affairs from 1993 to 1995. As Finance and Development officer and Deputy Economic Counselor in Korea 1989-1993, she helped establish the Presidents' Economic Initiative, the Dialogue for Economic Cooperation and Treasury-Ministry of Finance Financial Policy Talks. She also served as trade officer in Singapore 1985-1988, staff assistant to the Counselor of the Department of State 1983-84, and as Vice Consul in Trinidad and Tobago 1981-1983. Ms. Derse received an MA from Johns Hopkins University and a BA from Macalester College.
Categories:Barack Obama 2 Comments
By Inheritance tax Help UK on June 5, 2009 5:54 AM
Many people are getting involved in investing as a way to plan and save for the future. Investments after all can be changed from job to job and can handle changes in the work force that job specific retirement plans may not be able to.
By hpgiant on June 5, 2009 1:16 PM
Gips is from Highland Park, that makes 2 highland park natives as ambassador in the same day and means that it is the suburb doing the best thus far in getting top appointments in obama land.
Also might want to mention how much these folks raised for obama seeing as how we have a pay to play issue here in illinois.
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Chicagoan David Jacobson, Obama deputy finance chair, in play to be Ambassador to Canada
http://blogs.suntimes.com/sweet/2009/04/david_jacobson_and_canada_and.html
Chicagoan David Jacobson, Obama deputy finance chair, in play to be Ambassador to Canada.
By Lynn Sweeton April 26, 2009 12:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Nov. 4, 2008. Election day at Hyatt Hotel on East Wacker Drive in Chicago. Obama Finance Chair Penny Pritzker and David Jacobson, deputy finance chair were making sure their top donors were taken care of during the election day festivities.
(photo by Lynn Sweet)
WASHINGTON--Chicago attorney David Jacobson, who was the Obama presidential campaign deputy finance chair-- is in play to be named ambassador to Canada.
Jacobson is already at the White House. He is a special assistant to the president in the Office of Presidential Personnel. His focus is on filling slots on executive branch boards and commissions.
Before heading to Washington, Jacobson, 57, who grew up in north suburban Highland Park, was a partner at the Chicago office of Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal LLP. He specialized in securities and complex litigation.
Canada is the U.S. largest trading partner and supplier of energy.
The idea that an Obama pal is going to Ottawa demonstrates the importance of the relationship with Canada for the Obama White House. If indeed Jacobson is nominated, this would follow in a tradition--long-standing-- of having someone in Ottawa who has the President's ear.
Like the Canadian embassy in Washington--on a premier spot close to the Capitol--the only embassy on Pennsylvania Avenue--the U.S. embassy in Ottawa is in a prime spot--a stone's throw from Parliament Hill.
Categories:Barack Obama 2 Comments
By jeffery mcnary on April 26, 2009 1:59 PM
why not? he paid for it. what damage can he do? the canadians are already laughing.
By Barbara DeMain on May 23, 2009 3:29 PM
Mr. Jacobson,
I heard via the gripe vine that the job of
Cultuaral Attache in Berlin is still open.
From Richard von Weizaecher to Hans Dietrich
Gentscher ............ I have the credentials,
I am married to an American Conductor, google
"John DeMain, Conductor".
I have lined up many recommandations, I am the
one.
Respectfully
Barbara DeMain
_____________________________________________
Obama fund-raising crony, David Jacobson, headed for Ottawa
http://therealbarackobama.wordpress.com/2009/04/26/obama-fund-raising-crony-david-jacobson-headed-for-ottawa/
Obama fund-raising crony, David Jacobson, headed for Ottawa
April 26, 2009 by Procrustes
David C. Jacobson (right), a Chicago attorney who served as the Play-Doh Prez's campaign deputy finance chair, is "in play to be named ambassador to Canada," Lynn Sweet of the Chicago Sun-Times tweets today.
FYI this is not the first time that Jacobson's name has come up for the post. Al Kamen wrote April 16 at WaPo:
Also on the foreign policy front, Team Obama is still hard at work bundling a group of ambassadors to key overseas posts. We've been hearing that Chicago lawyer David Jacobson, who served as deputy national finance chairman for the Obama campaign, is a leading contender to be ambassador to Canada. Jacobson's left his Chicago firm and is in town, but e-mail and cellphone messages got no response.
Jacobson would join a healthy group of fundraising heavyweights and donors penciled in for top embassy jobs. But policy veterans are also in the mix for good postings.
Kamen's comments don't make Canuckistan sound like a plum assignment, now do they?
Canwest News Service reported April 17:
Jacobson has done litigation work nationwide for prominent clients such as Allstate and General Motors, according to an online profile, and is also a specialist in Internet economy legal cases.
Canadian diplomat Colin Robertson said a key criteria for any American ambassador is having a personal relationship with Obama and, as a major campaign fundraiser, Jacobson could fall into that category.
"They've all been able to pick up the telephone and reach the president," said Robertson. "That's critical that that person has the confidence of the president." [...]
Outside of his law practice, Jacobson has also been associated with several organizations, including CEOs for Cities, an umbrella group representing 75 mayors, business leaders, academics and non-profit groups that promotes strong economies in cities.
Sweet writes today:
Jacobson is already at the White House. He is a special assistant to the president in the Office of Presidential Personnel. His focus is on filling slots on executive branch boards and commissions.
Before heading to Washington, Jacobson, 57, who grew up in north suburban Highland Park, was a partner at the Chicago office of Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal LLP. He specialized in securities and complex litigation.
We should mention here that Jacobson's law firm lobbied for AIG.
Sweet also tries to clue us in why the Canadian post is a good thing (other than being less than a two-hour flight away from Jacobson's Chicago home):
Canada is the U.S. largest trading partner and supplier of energy.
The idea that an Obama pal is going to Ottawa demonstrates the importance of the relationship with Canada for the Obama White House. If indeed Jacobson is nominated, this would follow in a tradition-long-standing- of having someone in Ottawa who has the President's ear.
Like the Canadian embassy in Washington-on a premier spot close to the Capitol-the only embassy on Pennsylvania Avenue-the U.S. embassy in Ottawa is in a prime spot-a stone's throw from Parliament Hill.
Bundler
In her November 4, 2008, post Sweet wrote Jacobson was a member of Obama's inner circle of friends who shared fund-raising duties with Finance Chair Penny Pritzker.
Obama bundler David Jacobson was committed to raising a minimum of $50,000 during the presidential campaign. Jacobson's law firm, Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal, has a lobbying operation in Washington, D.C. Jacobson himself has not been identified as a lobbyist.
As for his personal campaign contributions, FEC records for David C. Jacobson do not show any funds for Obama's senatorial campaign, although he is reported to have been "deeply involved in Obama's Senate and Presidential campaigns."
Jacobson did contribute $2300 to Obama for America (primary) in March 2007 and $2300 to the Obama Victory Fund (primary) in July 2008.
It appears that Barack Obama is not the only Democrat for whom Jacobson has done fund-raising favors. Leslie Campbell wrote April 22 in Canada's Embassy Mag:
[Jacobson had been a fund-raiser for] "Illinois Senator Richard Durbin and other Democratic luminaries... Jacobson is an equal opportunity bundler, having contributed to Hillary Clinton's primary campaign, Senator Durbin's re-election campaign and Obama for president."
Government-Industry "Revolving Door"
And then Campbell raised the little matter of the government-industry "revolving door":
If the appointment comes to pass, Jacobson would be very much in the mould of former ambassador to Canada Gordon Giffin, an Atlanta lawyer who spent his early years in Canada but whose claim to the Ottawa sinecure came from raising money for Democratic campaigns, including Clinton/Gore.
Two other former ambassadors, Paul Cellucci, former Republican governor of Massachusetts, and James Blanchard, former governor of Michigan, also had political connections to thank for getting the Canada post.
Giffin, following a path well-worn by political ambassadors, now makes much of his living representing Canadian private and public sector clients as a lobbyist. This practice is increasingly derided as the "revolving door" of government where fundraisers and political friends of politicians win powerful public appointments only to turn them into a lucrative second career advising on how to game the system.
Chicago's "Techie" Mover and Shaker
"Attorney David Jacobson is out to ensure that the Windy City doesn't miss any chance to be a leader of tomorrow's technologies," Roger Crockett wrote in the January 3, 2002, issue of BusinessWeek:
Chicago rarely comes up in discussions of this country's tech meccas. It's no Silicon Valley, and it's sometimes an afterthought to up-and-comers like Denver, Dallas, and Austin, Tex.
But don't tell that to aircraft manufacturer Boeing. In November, a few months after the aerospace giant picked Chicago (over Denver and Dallas) as its worldwide headquarters, more than 1,000 raucous representatives of Chicago tech elite crammed into a hotel ballroom to welcome Boeing to its new home. Even Illinois Governor George Ryan showed up. "This event exceeded my expectations," says David O. Swain, Boeing's chief technology officer.
Who pulled together this vast showing of Chi-town's tech world? It was David C. Jacobson, an attorney specializing in e-commerce for the law firm Sonnenschein, Nath & Rosenthal. And over the past two years, he has ignited a spark in a local tech scene desperate to catch fire. A tireless worker with an infectious smile and disarming charm, Jacobson's fuel has been monthly networking events called First Tuesdays. These cocktail-hour gatherings have become Chicago's roaming Il Fornaio - the famed Silicon Valley restaurant where tech entrepreneurs, financiers, and corporate execs gather to brainstorm ideas and strike deals. [...]
Don't let Jacobson's attorney shingle fool you. He displays a mix of entrepreneurial knowhow and evangelistic zeal rare to lawyers. He eschews suits and ties, preferring black t-shirts and mock turtlenecks under a sport coat. His beard is always four days old, as if he's been up late developing software code. And he never has a conversation without bringing up the topic of improving technology in Chicago. "I don't have a personal agenda here," Jacobson says. "Honest to god, I'm just trying to do what I think is a good thing to do."
That's Ambassador Crony, to you
Don't forget, the Play-Doh Prez's mega-fund-raising crony, Lou Susman, is headed for the Court of St. James in London.
P.S.
RBO would have liked to have shown you a picture of the PPD with his close fund-raising ally David Jacobson - but, apparently, there aren't any. Go figure.
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Obama Taps Ex-Sonnenschein Partner for Ambassador to Canada
http://legaltimes.typepad.com/blt/2009/06/obama-taps-exsonnenschein-partner-for-ambassador-to-canada.html
June 05, 2009
Obama Taps Ex-Sonnenschein Partner for Ambassador to Canada
A new batch of ambassador appointments announced yesterday by the White House includes former Big Law partner David Jacobson, who made himself useful on the campaign trail as a bundler for Barack Obama.
Jacobson, currently serving in the White House as special assistant to the president for presidential personnel, spent the previous 30 years practicing law at the Chicago headquarters of Sonnenschein, Nath & Rosenthal. He is now Obama's pick to become the U.S. ambassador to Canada.
At Sonnenschein, Jacobson focused on commercial, class action, securities, insurance, and business litigation. Though he grew up in the suburbs of Chicago, he came to Washington for law school, earning his J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center.
During the campaign, Jacobson bundled as much as $100,000 for Obama, and personally donated $4,507, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.
Last month, Williams & Connolly partner Laurie Fulton, who bundled as much as $200,000 for Obama, was selected as the president's choice for ambassador to Denmark.
Posted by Marisa McQuilken on June 05, 2009 at 11:41 AM in Politics and Government | Permalink
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Obama tied to lobbyists, but boasts of not taking money
http://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/election2008/2008-04-15-obama_N.htm
Obama tied to lobbyists, but boasts of not taking money
Updated 4/16/2008 11:34 AM | Comments 3,172 | Recommend 168 E-mail | Save | Print | Reprints & Permissions |
Enlarge By Melissa Golden, Getty Images
Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama addresses the Building Trades And Legislative Conference Tuesday in Washington.
OBAMA FUNDRAISER NUMBERS
38
Members of law firms that lobby in Washington
31
Partners
10
Former federal lobbyists
6
Manage lobbyists
$3.5 million
Minimum the lawyers pledged to raise
$138 million
Lobbying fees earned last year by their firms or subsidiaries
Source: Obama for America, Senate Office of Public Records, Center for Responsive Politics, USA TODAY research
CLOSE-UP: BARACK OBAMA
In-depth: Latest Obama news, video, photos, timeline, more ...
Barack Obama on the campaign issues: Iraq | Immigration | Health care | Education | Abortion | Gay civil rights
Yahoo! Buzz Digg Newsvine Reddit FacebookWhat's this?By Ken Dilanian, USA TODAY
WASHINGTON - Barack Obama often boasts he is "the only candidate who isn't taking a dime from Washington lobbyists," yet his fundraising team includes 38 members of law firms that were paid $138 million last year to lobby the federal government, records show.
Those lawyers, including 10 former federal lobbyists, have pledged to raise at least $3.5 million for the Illinois senator's presidential race. Employees of their firms have given Obama's campaign $2.26 million, a USA TODAY analysis of campaign finance data shows.
TESTING THE LIMITS: Obama's claim of independence questioned
OBAMA FUNDRAISERS: Which lawyers bundle money?
Thirty-one of the 38 are law firm partners, who typically receive a share of their firm's lobbying fees. At least six of them have some managerial authority over lobbyists.
"It makes no difference whether the person is a registered lobbyist or the partner of a registered lobbyist, if the person is raising money to get access or curry favor," said Michael Malbin, director of the Campaign Finance Institute, a non-partisan think tank.
Obama spokesman Tommy Vietor said that while Obama's refusal to take money from lobbyists "isn't a perfect solution or symbol, it does reflect Obama's record of trying to change the way that Washington does business." He declined to elaborate.
Lobbyists have long played key fundraising and policymaking roles for candidates, and lobbyists are raising money for both Hillary Rodham Clinton and John McCain.
Obama fundraisers who work for law firms that lobby and share the fees include:
•Allan Katz, a Florida lawyer who chairs the government relations practice of Akerman Senterfitt. The firm took in $3.6 million for Washington lobbying last year, according to public records compiled by the non-partisan Center for Responsive Politics. The firm touts on its website "an enviable level of access" for clients.
•Mark Alderman, managing partner of Philadelphia's WolfBlock law firm. The firm's lobbying subsidiary earned $930,000 in Washington last year representing clients including defense contractor Lockheed Martin, records show.
•Scott Blake Harris, managing partner of Harris, Wiltshire & Grannis, a Washington telecommunications law firm. Harris withdrew as a lobbyist for Microsoft and Cisco in June, but his partners still lobby, he said.
"My practice isn't going to be helped by this at all," said Harris, who said he got involved with Obama after his 14-year-old son interned in the senator's office. "I went to see him because of how nice he'd been to my kid, and I was captivated by his vision."
Katz, who got to know Obama over dinner, said his lobbying business "will be fine whether he wins or whether he loses."
Alderman said he was "just blown away" after meeting Obama. "This is not a business proposition for me," he said.
OBAMA FUNDRAISERS: Lobbyist ties
These 38 fundraisers for Barack Obama's presidential campaign work for law firms that have lobbying operations in Washington, D.C. The dollar figure reflects the minimum amount each has pledged to raise for the campaign.
BUNDLER
MIN. PLEDGE LOCATION FIRM
Scott Harris $200,000 DC Harris, Wiltshire and Grannis
Allan J. Katz
$200,000 FL Akerman Senterfitt
Michael Lawson $200,000 CA Skadden, Arps
John Levi $200,000 IL Sidley Austin
Karol Mason $200,000 GA Alston & Bird
Thomas J. Perrelli $200,000 VA Jenner & Block
Thomas A. Reed $200,000 VA Kirkpatrick & Lockhart Preston Gates Ellis
Christina Tchen $200,000 IL Skadden, Arps
Tony West $200,000 CA Morrison & Foerster
Mark L. Alderman $100,000 PA Wolf, Block, Schorr and Solis-Cohen
Timothy M. Broas $100,000 MD Winston & Strawn
Peter Bynoe $100,000 IL DLA Piper
Gregory B. Craig $100,000 DC Williams & Connolly
Norman Eisen $100,000 DC Zuckerman Spaeder
Nicole Lamb-Hale $100,000 MI Foley & Lardner
Andrew Schapiro $100,000 NY Mayer Brown
Charles C. Adams Jr. $50,000 Switzerland Hogan & Hartson
David Burd $50,000 DC Arnold & Porter
Tom Cole $50,000 IL Sidley Austin
Michael H. Dardzinski $50,000 China Reed Smith
Howard W. Gutman $50,000 MD Williams & Connolly
Jeff Horwitz $50,000 NY Proskauer Rose
David C. Jacobson $50,000 IL Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal
Hrishi Karthikeyan $50,000 DC Covington & Burling
Ronald Kirk $50,000 TX Vinson & Elkins
William T. Lake $50,000 DC WilmerHale
Edward Lazarus $50,000 CA Akin Gump
Jack Levin $50,000 IL Kirkland & Ellis
Kenneth G. Lore $50,000 DC Bingham McCutchen
Charles B. Ortner $50,000 NY Proskauer Rose
Susan Pravda $50,000 MA Foley & Lardner
Paul N. Roth $50,000 NY Schulte Roth & Zabel
John Schmidt $50,000 IL Mayer Brown
Robert M. Sussman* $50,000 DC Latham & Watkins
Kathryn Thomson $50,000 VA Sidley Austin
Barry B. White $50,000 MA Foley Hoag
Steven M. Zager $50,000 TX Akin Gump
Robert S. Litt n/a MD Arnold & Porter
* Robert M. Sussman retired as a partner on December 31, 2007.
Source: Obama for America, Center for Responsive Politics, Public Citizen
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Comments: (3,172)Showing: Newest first Oldest first Most recommended New: Most recommended!
Logo1953 (0 friends, send message) wrote: 9/8/2008 7:27:28 PM
How about Hunter Biden? - Joe Biden's son has been a registered lobbyist since 2001 and brought in over 2 million dollars this year alone to his law firm in the lobby biz. Obama- Biden might not want to pull this thread. And then there's that nasty fraud suit involving the hedge fund. ooops - children are "off limits."
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jumbob (0 friends, send message) wrote: 6/7/2008 10:51:40 AM
Change, change, change. Has anyone gone back and looked at the speeches G.W. Bush was giving in 2000? All them were about him as a candidate of "change" and setting a "new direction". Basically, Obama has dusted off the Bush campaign speeches and brought them out for another go. Heck, he even has the same bumbling style and "open mouth insert foot" ability.
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usmale (0 friends, send message) wrote: 6/7/2008 8:47:19 AM
Change? Looks like the same old same old. Lawyers are the reason Washington is so screwed up now!
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crw (0 friends, send message) wrote: 6/7/2008 8:29:47 AM
jimseitz wrote: 1m ago
If Barak Obama will not be swayed by the opinions of his lobbyist connected contributers, then why not give that benefit of the doubt to every other politician who accepts money in the same manner? Is Obama somehow above all this while every other politician is held slave to it? If you believe that then there is no hope for you at all. How naive can you be? This is the real world, Obama does not walk on water. Come on........
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You missed the point. Obama's supporters, the Media and Obama himself set him up as the golden boy,a Messiah who does not wrong.
He has criticized his opponents for taking lobbying money, while leaving out the facts about himself. He DOES take lobbying money and David Axelrod has worked in the past in lobbying(although he never registered as a lobbyist, he did the same work and took the money). Did we not learn any lessons from the Bush administration? I see the Obama supporters making the same mistakes and covering their eyes and ears when it comes to their Messiah. And yes, I am a lifelong Dem.
When people put him up on a pedestal as a hero, they set him up for a hard fall when the facts come out.
and more than 3,000 more comments...
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Jeff Meredith comments on David Jacobson
Subject: Re: David Jacobson
Date: 9/1/2009 4:34:44 P.M. Central Daylight Time
From: jallenme@yahoo.com
To: RONALDMAY@aol.com
Suggested headlines:
Jacobson, Former Supplier of Free Steaks for the Chicago Tech Press, Becomes Ambassador to Canada
Jacobson is Chicago's Latest Bundle of Joy
You have to admit this, Ron: if not for the charity of rich people like David, you and I would never know what a good meal tastes like. You can't accuse the guy of being stingy ...
Jeff
--- On Tue, 9/1/09, RONALDMAY@aol.com <RONALDMAY@aol.com> wrote:
> From: RONALDMAY@aol.com <RONALDMAY@aol.com>
> Subject: David Jacobson
> To: jallenme@yahoo.com
> Date: Tuesday, September 1, 2009, 5:01 PM
>
>
http://blogs.suntimes.com/sweet/2009/06/chicagoan_david_jacobson_obama.html
>
>
http://blogs.suntimes.com/sweet/2009/04/david_jacobson_and_canada_and.html
>
>
http://therealbarackobama.wordpress.com/2009/04/26/obama-fund-raising-crony-david-jacobson-headed-for-ottawa/
>
>
http://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/election2008/2008-04-15-obama_N.htm
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