April 27, 2004
The May Report: 4/27/2004: Gene Express to present at Midwest Venture
Summit; KACS and an interesting Tech Day afternoon; letters, events and a
newsletter from Michigan
Editor and publisher: Ron May, ron@themayreport.com, ronaldmay@aol.com,
773-525-3944.
*****************sponsorship******************
White Sox tickets for May Report Readers
Got a few hours May 4-6th? We'll make it worth your while.
As a reader of The May Report, TechTarget would like to offer you a pair of
complimentary tickets to an upcoming Chicago White Sox home game! Just
attend Enterprise Messaging Decisions (or just a few sessions), May 4-6 in
Chicago and you'll receive two seats to see Magglio Ordonez and Frank
Thomas take the field in what is sure to be a summer classic.
Best of all, attend the conference and you'll also be automatically be
entered to win a brand new Mercedes SLK!
Register
online: http://enterprisemessagingdecisions.techtarget.com/?offer=mayonly
Register by phone: 781-657-1610 or 1-888-274-4111 ext. 1610
Can't make all 3 days, but still want the White Sox tickets and a 1 in 300
chance at winning a Mercedes?
No problem!
We know it's difficult for you local attendees to stay away from work for
three straight days. So, if you can't make it to every session, we'll
understand. You'll get the tickets anyway. But, in order to win the
Mercedes, you must be present in the reception hall between 11:30-3:00 on
Wednesday May 5th.
What Enterprise Messaging Decisions can offer readers of The May Report
Enterprise Messaging Decisions offers many compelling, in-depth sessions
from the biggest names in the IT Industry including:
Mark Minasi - Take George Carlin, make him technical, clean up the
language, and you've got Mark Minasi. Mark was recently awarded the
Reader's Choice award for "Favorite Technical Author" at CertCities. Check
him out on day two as he dishes out the latest scoop from Redmond.
Nancy Flynn - This author of E-Mail Rules, Instant Messaging Rules, The
ePolicy Handbook, and Writing Effective E-Mail will reveal her strategic
e-mail management program - combining written e-mail policies with employee
training and enforcement to help you:
· Anticipate e-mail disasters
· Prevent accidental misuse
· Derail intentional abuse
· Curtail e-mail blunders
· Limit costly electronic liabilities
John Levine, author of Internet for Dummies, Michael Osterman of Osterman
Resecrch, Masha Khmartseva, senior analyst at The Radicati Group and many
many more!
Don't miss out - Register to attend
today! http://enterprisemessagingdecisions.techtarget.com/?offer=mayonly
****************sponsorship******************
____________________
TABLE OF CONTENTS
The Scoop section:
-- Gene Express to present at Midwest Venture conference
-- Briefly noted: Thursday's Midwest Venture Summit, Sandee Kastrul's
speech to the graduates of the KACS program; a link to the audio of the
wi-fi panel, by Ron May
1. READER COMMENTS AND RESPONSES
1a. Greenbrier & Russell purchases firm in Littleton, Colorado 1b. Steve Nelson: plug for WLS program: Sean Hannity from Hilton May 7th 1c. Jela Trivunovic: Back here from California and looking for a position
in internet and mobile marketing
1d. Comments about the offer of White Sox tickets (2 messages) 1e. Alan Nappier: Seeking a senior systems engineer 1f. Efoora mail (1 message) 1g. Jackie Bynsdorp: Identity Theft Seminar Opportunity 1h. Todd Natenberg: Has card scanning problem and needs help 1i. Chris Wright: Thank you note for TMR event
2. OTHER (Events)
2a. Tuesday, April 27: MEF Wheaton meeting: Brand Management is Essential for Merger & Acquisition Success: Sue Kirchner, Managing Partner of Identity
3.0, LLC
2b. Friday, April 30: Coleman Entrepreneurship Center & Kellstadt Center
for Professional Development: Underdog Marketing: How to Compete with the
Big Firms on a Limited Budget
2c. Wednesday, May 5 and Thursday, May 6: InvestMidwest Venture Capital
Forum in St. Louis, MO.
2d. Thursday, May 13: Inaugural Kellogg Alumni Entrepreneur Conference:
Larry Levy, George Anders, Steve Rogers.
3. Special Reports and Features
3a. TX3: Michigan's Technology Tri-Corridor e-Newsletter Issue 4 _________________
****************sponsorship********************
FIELD HARBOR PARKING IS CHICAGO'S BEST REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITY
WITH OVER 75% SOLD!
Located in the heart of the East Loop on Randolph Street, Field Harbor Parking is a unique investment that allows you to own your own Parking Condominium. Field Harbor Parking is surrounded by an abundance of fine dining, hotels, theatres, marinas, yacht clubs, and parks. Located just South of Field Harbor on Randolph Street, is Chicago's all new Millennium Park, and if you are doing business in Chicago, Field Harbor Parking is
also conveniently close to the Aon Center, Prudential Plaza, and many more
Class A office buildings.
Field Harbor Parking is not only convenient to the area it is also the easiest investment to purchase. You can qualify for zero-down financing from Associated Bank and Heritage Bank. This real estate investment is priced to SELL and you can generate immediate revenue from our many monthly
renters. Field Harbor Parking is brought to you by Mark Goodman and
Associates and is operated by Imperial Parking.
Field Harbor Parking also offers: A well-lit auto showroom-type environment, security, heated and oversized spaces, and too many more amenities to list here.
Don't miss out on your chance to own a unique part of Chicago! For more information please call Paulette Rodriguez at 312-856-1900. To see Field Harbor Parking online go to www.fieldharborparking.com
Field Harbor Parking Condominium (http://www.fieldharborparking.com
)
****************sponsorship******************
______________
The Scoop section:
___________
||||||||||||||||||||||advertisement|||||||||||||||||||||||
If you sell via ecommerce, you should talk to Acclivity Marketing. Acclivity provides web analysis by measuring online consumer buying behavior and customer conversion ratings to understand the patterns of site visitors. Acclivity also optimizes your website to get higher
rankings in the search engines. For more information, contact
geoff@acclivitymarketing.com.
||||||||||||||||||||||||advertisement||||||||||||||||||||||
_______________
Gene Express to present at Midwest Venture conference
From: TWOSBORN@aol.com
Date: Mon, 26 Apr 2004 18:27:21 EDT
Subject: Gene Express, Inc. -- Business Presentation at the Midwest Venture
Summit
To: ron@themayreport.com
Ron,
We are presenting Gene Express at the Midwest Venture Summit, Thursday,
April 29.The event will be held at the Sheraton Chicago Hotel and Towers,
301 East North Water Street, Chicago. Our presentation will be at both
10:05 am and 11:35 am.
Should you be planning to attend that event, we look forward to seeing you
then.
Cordially,
Terry
Terry W. Osborn, Ph.D., MBA
President & CEO
Gene Express, Inc.
975 Research Drive
Toledo, OH 43614
Cell: 847-778-0522
Toledo office: 419-380-9930
Chicago office: 847-295-5645
Email: Twosborn@GeneExpressInc.com or Twosborn@aol.com
Web site: www.GeneExpressInc.com
"Setting the Standard in Genomics"™
Discovery. Molecular Diagnostics. Therapeutics.
Gene Express, Inc., founded in 1992, is a commercial stage genomic
biotechnology company that sells the next-generation, patented,
quantitative, standardized multi-gene expression platform technology
(StaRT-PCR™). With its basic product line already developed and patented,
Gene Express has begun its commercialization efforts. Gene Express sells
600 gene assays to assist pharmaceutical and biotech companies with new
drug development, clinical diagnostic companies with innovative and
patented, molecular diagnostic tests, academic institutions with genomic
research, and the US Departments of Defense (DOD) and Homeland Security
with biohazardous materials detection. Gene Express generates revenue by
providing multi-gene expression analysis services at its Standardized
Expression Measurement (SEM) Center™ on high throughput, automated
equipment to researchers in the US, Europe and Japan. Gene Express also
designs, produces, and markets new gene assay system products that allow
standardized, reproducible, cost effective measurement of multi-gene
activity. Assays for multi-gene expression analysis can be ordered today.
Please contact our Business Development Team at 800-820-8341 to find out
how Gene Express can add value to your organization: web site:
www.GeneExpressInc.com
_________________
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||advertisement|||||||||||||||||||
If you have a computer problem, need to set up a network or have trouble with a software program or desktop, Home Computer Mechanics offers personalized service. For more details, contact kris@homecomputermechanics.com.
|||||||||||||||||||||advertisement|||||||||||||||||||||||||
__________________
Briefly noted: Thursday's Midwest Venture Summit, Sandee Kastrul's speech
to the graduates of the KACS program; a link to the audio of the wi-fi
panel, by Ron May
* With technology outsourcing becoming such a high profile issue, Tech
Pulse Chicago in conjunction with The May Report invites you to participate
in a survey of Chicago area technology worker's attitudes on the
outsourcing of technology projects.
Please take a moment to participate in this short survey. This survey will
close on April 30th. The results will be posted on the Tech Pulse Chicago
website on May 3rd and covered in an upcoming issue of The May Report.
http://www.sserve.com/fm/FML.asp?IID=38103489976851239930
More information can be found at http://www.techpulsechicago.com, as well
as an update link if you wish to remove yourself from receiving our surveys
and/or newsletters
* Mark Glennon and I get into a friendly argument just about every year ---
every year that they hold the VC conference, that is --- (and he is not the
only one --- I have had this argument with Bill Weaver too) about whether
the names of the presenting companies should be released before the
conference. But it turns out that some of the presenters have been revealed
by Michael Krauss in The Chicago Sun-Times. My first issue is the fairness
of releasing the information on a selective basis to one media outlet and
not to another. How likely is the Trib or Crain's to cover this conference
enthusiastically after they have been dissed? I never said that the
organizers were very smart. We do have a precedent for fair release of
information. That is how KPMG, which happens to be one of the sponsors
here, handled things --- but that was when Dick Reck was running things.
They embargo the names of the winners of their high tech awards and I abide
by that until the Monday the event is held. So, if I put out a report at
midnight on that Monday and the Sun-Times comes out at 5am, it is
effectively the same time. But that would require too much thought on the
part of the organizers.
But beyond the issue of fairness, there is this. A venture conference is
like any other collaborative effort. There are many constituencies
jockeying for favor and for their companies to get the best exposure. That
may be one reason that Terry Osborn took it upon himself to send me a note.
He was not mentioned in Michael Krauss' Sun-Times article. It probably
never dawned on the organizers that some companies might prefer to be
mentioned at greater length in TMR than get a mere mention from the king
maker Krauss.
I am curious to know, I told Glennon, how many of his own sponsors read
Krauss and The Sun-Times versus how many read TMR. I don't know about the
Krauss column, but I did check readers of this report. So, Mark, here are
my numbers for how many of your own sponsors read this report. This is not
all the sponsors, but it is many of them.
At the TiE venture panel a few months ago, Marc Sokol commented that they
routinely check to see what firms are presenting at venture conferences. If
Glennon thinks that more people will show up because he has kept the names
a secret, I think he is off track. And, note that the Venture conference in
St. Louis next week is revealing the names of the presenters in their
pre-conference publicity. See item "2c" in today's report. I am seriously
thinking of going down to St. Louis to cover that conference.
The following are some of the sponsors of the Midwest Venture Summit and
their respective number of readers of The May Report:
KPMG: 58 TMR readers
Freeborn & Peters: 11 TMR readers
Motorola: 144 TMR readers (including mot.com and motorola.com)
PriceWaterhouseCoopers: 42 TMR readers
Oca Ventures: 3 TMR readers
CID Equity Partners: 13 TMR readers
Slack Barshinger: 6 TMR readers
KB Partners: 5 TMR readers
Apex VC: 4 TMR readers
William Blair: 32 TMR readers
Holland & Knight (including MBC): 14 TMR readers
Illinois Coalition: 12 TMR readers
New World VC: 8 TMR readers
Sonnenschein: 24 TMR readers
Gardner Carton & Douglas: 26 TMR readers
Willis Stein: 2 TMR readers
Chrysalis Ventures: 1 TMR reader
Portage Ventures: 4 TMR readers
GTCR: 16 TMR readers (now that is not the same as Thoma Cressey, right?) Leo Capital Holdings: 2 TMR readers Gordon & Glickson: 18 TMR readers Neal Gerber Eisenberg: 7 TMR readers
Nonetheless, rather than putting out a release, and making it fair to
everyone, the conference organizers chose to play games and since they no
longer have Crain's or The Trib for marquee announcements, they have to go
to Krauss. Here is Krauss' article which does name seven of the 26
presenters. I notice that nPhase is presenting and wonder how a Steve
Lundin client managed to get into this conference, so I will probably see
him skulking around there tomorrow. But the fact that Osborn obviously felt
that he would take publicity into his own hands should be food for thought
for the organizers who decided to be judge and jury here.
I know that my argument appears muddled. It is this: if you are going to
release the info. before the conference, do it fairly for all media.
Second, why talk about some companies and not others? Terry Osborn is well
known to Chicago area entrepreneurs and VCs. Why should he be discriminated
against? Who decided what firms would be talked about and what firms not?
Aren't you creating a two-class system here? And it goes beyond the firms
presenting. Each presenting firm has a "champion" sponsor(s). They are also
left out in the cold. I know you can't make everyone equally happy (after
all, there is an order of presentation) but why make some unhappy?
Venture summit signals new collaboration
April 26, 2004
BY MICHAEL KRAUSS
http://www.suntimes.com/output/krauss/cst-fin-krauss26.html
Chicago's technology community takes a major step forward Thursday when the Midwest Venture Summit convenes at the Sheraton Chicago. The event signals a new collaboration among local venture capitalists at a time when returns on venture investing are rising. The event could become a global magnet for attracting investors, though organizers are taking things one step at a time.
"The value of the conference is twofold," says Mark Glennon, vice president, Leo Capital Holdings. "It creates a public profile for the entrepreneurial community, and entrepreneurs get introduced to investors. Deals get done at the conference."
The event showcases 26 entrepreneurial organizations seeking venture funding. Local presenters include: Arxan Technologies (software security), BridgePort Networks (mobile telecommunications), Dakota Beef (organic beef distribution), nPhase (machine to machine wireless sensors), PEAT International (waste remediation), Profind (Web recruiting technologies) and Renew Power (micro fuel cells).
Like a juried art fair, companies are vetted by a committee of VCs, and assigned a coach to assure the presentations and business cases are top-notch.
The conference also showcases research under way at local companies and universities. Presenters in that group include: Caterpillar, Battelle/NASA, Motorola, Northwestern University, the University of Chicago and Purdue.
The event's timing is opportune. Thomson Venture Economics reports private equity delivered an 18.3 percent performance in the fourth quarter, the second consecutive up quarter after three years of negative returns. Though one-year returns for venture investors were lower at 8.1 percent, the trend is clearly positive.
"It's a slow, steady recovery for venture capital nationally," says J.B. Pritzker, partner, New World Ventures in Evanston. "We've seen more deals lately. Entrepreneurship is picking up. A few more people seem willing to leave their corporate jobs to be an entrepreneur. I have enormous respect for people who do that. It's the business world's equivalent to conquering the frontier."
Another reason for local optimism is the measured approach organizers are taking to the event.
"I don't expect venture capital nirvana," says Steve Beitler, chairman, Illinois Venture Capital Association, and senior managing director of Dunrath Capital. "Illinois is the sixth most populous state. We're 11th in venture funding. It's reasonable for us to move from 11th to 6th."
Credit Beitler, Glennon and Pritzker, along with Scott Glickson, partner Gordon & Glickson; Dean Stieber, partner, KPMG, and Maura O'Hara, executive director, Illinois Venture Capital Association, with creating this week's momentum.
The collaboration among local private equity leaders bodes well. That ultimately means more locally based entrepreneurial ventures and more jobs.
* I want to get this out a reasonable hour, but I do have a very long
"Briefly noted" section coming up. I met with Mike Carruth over the weekend
and got the scoop on his new venture, DigitalBootcamp, and I also attended
the Tech Day at the Korean American Community Services center at 4300 N.
California. It was a great afternoon and very informative. I spoke to many
people. I also got a lot of info. on where various people from Divine ended
up, based on several conversations I had over the weekend at different
venues. Actually, almost all of the products are still on the market, just
under different entities. That is a story that has not been covered.
Here is the speech Sandee Kastrul of i.c.stars gave to the three
graduating students who had completed a ten week program, I believe, which
is followed by an internship. The students are trained under the auspices
of the KACS which is run by John Stanton, Michael Maranda and Tanya Kellam.
Their training is in computer hardware, not software, as i.c.stars focuses
on. As one of the three graduates, a woman who spoke after the ceremony,
said: "There are opportunity makers, breakers and takers." Yes, we can all
use that reminder.
But first, I have a link to a very informative panel on wi-fi and the
effort to build a wireless network in various communities which is in a
note from Andy Carra, formerly of Parlano and now of the CME, who runs
www.wigle.net, a site that tracks where the wireless networks are in Chicago.
Here is the link to the audio of the wi-fi panel.
Date: Mon, 26 Apr 2004 14:09:58 -0400 (EDT)
From: Andrew Phillip Carra
To: ron@themayreport.com
Subject: wifi panel
Hi Ron,
here's my recording of the panel. i'm plenty loud, but if i'd known i was gonna be recording it, i'd brought an omnidirectional mic.
http://mimezine.com/~arkasha/wifi-panel.mp3
-a. carra
(the WiGLE.net guy)
+++++++++++++
May here again. And now, for Sandee's speech to the graduates. This is not
an easy program. They don't just graduate anyone. According to Tanya
Kellam, they start off with about ten people and end up with three grads.
From: "Sandee Kastrul"
To:
Subject: Speech from Tech day at KACS on Saturday
Date: Mon, 26 Apr 2004 09:06:21 -0500
Organization: i.c.stars
Good to see you in the community Ron,
Here is the speech you requested.
Best,
Sandee
Sandee Kastrul
co-founder
i.c. stars |*
www.icstars.org
312-640-3851
support our mission
www.icstars.org/paypal.asp
Sandee's speech:
Technology is today
Today you are an egg head. It's a compliment. And so is a geek it means an
expert. Not to be confused with dork. Dork is not an expert and I don't see
any dorks before me. I see the future.
Today you celebrate your curiosity and your desire to break things only to
learn how to fix them
Today you stand before your community, your peers and your future to say You're here to stay To build to design and to innovate.
Technology is change.
Think back to when you first found this program and you knew it would mean
change
Think back to when you first saw a computer and wanted to touch it To figure out how it works, perhaps to break it and put it back together again To know what the heck zeros and ones had to do with anything.
We are either on or off
true or false
connected or not.
Today you stand before your future,
You are on
You are true and you are connected.
And that is technology.
There are many ways to utilize the gifts you have been given at KACS You can repair, build develop, design, trouble shoot the motherboard of
your destiny.
The motherboard of your destiny
Its not only technology day.
It's your day and so is tomorrow
Now that you know what technology can do. What will you do with it? Will you repair problems that you see in our world using technology? Will you build your community using technology? Will you develop solutions for your future employers using technology? Will you trouble shoot your way through school, work, and life using the
very same process that you have just learned. Will you one day make your
own innovation center?
What will you do with technology day which is your day which includes tomorrow. Your imagination is your only limit. You spirit is your sustenance And technology is your tool.
There has been quite a bit of talk about off shore outsourcing technology jobs. Many people think its wrong and many people think it's inevitable Free trade comes into question so does patriotism.
And perhaps you have thought that technology is not as stable as it once was. The technology has changed and will continue to do so. But don't let the discussions of economics or change fool you. You have the power to make change and it starts with what you know.
If YOU stopped developing your technical knowledge and so does he and he
and she and she.
We will be in a sorry state because the knowledge will lie in the minds of
others
in the products of others and we will be a product of someone else's
innovation.
Don't give up your right to create. To repair, to build, to develop, to
trouble shoot your imagination is your only limit.
Learn all you can today for tomorrow is yours too.
Technology is an art and you an artist. Don't stop creating yourself or
your artwork because of a political or an economic discussion. Create with
all of your heart. Because technology changes and you change and the
economy changes but your passion only grows when you feed it with imagination.
Think of all the people you admire. You admire them because they are strong
or smart or giving or spiritual but mostly because they are not afraid of
change.
And so true be you. Be not afraid. Embrace the bites and the bits and all
the bumps along the way for today is your day and so is tomorrow.
Listen to the hum or lack of hum when you build and rebuild when you install and disassemble when you click and clack when you command and when you connect.
Listen to the hum coming from your machine - coming from your heart it
may sound different but the song will remain the same.
It is the song of innovation, of creation and of appreciation. You enabled something or someone to do something better, stronger or
faster. And you made change.
Thank you for inviting me to address you today, your day and tomorrow we
will think of each and everyone of you because it will be your day too.
Embrace change. Technology rhymes with ecology and we are all interconnected. Congratulations. Beloved eggheads. _______________________
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||advertisement|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
HAPPY COMPANY. In the past 60 days BIGfrontier Communications Group
clients have appeared in the Financial Times, the New York Times, USA
Today, the Chicago Sun-Times, Wireless Week, the Orange County Business
Journal, UPI wire service, ebizq.net, Top of the Net, Chain Store News, M2M
Magazine, Crain's B2B and eWeek, among others. Our clients like to see
their company names in publications read by their existing and potential
customers and we like to see our clients happy. Maybe your company could
use a little of our brand of sunshine. BIGfrontier Communications Group:
Public relations and buzz marketing for technology companies
www.bigfrontier.org (773) 881-4670. Drop by and visit us in our new
offices in the Monadnock Building as of May 15th.
||||||||||||||||||||||||advertisement||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
_____________________
1. READER COMMENTS AND RESPONSES
1a. Greenbrier & Russell purchases firm in Littleton, Colorado
Subj: Article from bizjournals.com: Tech consulting firm sold
Date: 4/12/2004 5:37:35 PM Central Daylight Time
From: refertofriend@webmail.bizjournals.com
Reply-to: msenbar@attbi.com
To: ronaldmay@aol.com
Hello from bizjournals.com! Michael Enbar (msenbar@attbi.com) thought you might like the following article from The Denver Business Journal:
The sender's comment about the article:
i don't recognize the Chi firm maybe you do
Tech consulting firm sold
Published: April 12, 2004
------------------------------------------------------------
Chicago-based Greenbrier & Russel Inc. has purchased a technology
consulting firm in Littleton.
Greenbrier & Russel, a privately held business and technology services
company, paid an undisclosed sum for certain assets of InnerWest
TekPartners, founded two years ago by Rich Kennedy.
Kennedy, also the president of InnerWest, will join Greenbrier & Russel
as vice president and managing director of its downtown Denver office.
Kennedy, 39, will oversee the day-to-day functions of the office,
including recruiting new clients.
Copyright(c) American City Business Journals Inc. All rights reserved.
You can view this article on the web at: http://denver.bizjournals.com/denver/stories/2004/04/12/daily3.html
___________________
1b. Steve Nelson: plug for WLS program: Sean Hannity from Hilton May 7th
Subject: not for publication - just keeping me in front of you, Ron
Date: Thu, 22 Apr 2004 17:00:56 -0400
From: "Nelson, Steven R"
To:
Glad you're still out there kicking, Ron. Like the White Sox ticket
incentive. Always thinking, eh. ...l
[Editor's note: Ron May here. The next three paragraphs were about how WLS
and TMR might work together on future events, and that was probably what
Steve had in mind when he asked that it not be published. We continue where
it becomes obvious that he would like to see the letter published.]
Now...for publication - if you wouldn't mind giving us a plug.
WLS-AM will be hosting nationally syndicated talk show superstar, Sean
Hannity, as he broadcasts from the Chicago Hilton on Friday, May 7th from
2p until 5p. The show will be heard live around the country on over 600
station affiliates. 2400 fans will be in attendance at the broadcast which
will be heard here on 890AM from 7p until 10p, Sean's usual time slot on
WLS. A very limited number of tickets are still available at tickets.com
or by calling 800-511-1552.
Steve Nelson
Director of New Business Development
WLS NewsTalk 890 AM
190 N. State Street
Chicago, IL 60601
312-984-5277
fax: 312-357-1798
_______________________
1c. Jela Trivunovic: Back here from California and looking for a position
in internet and mobile marketing
Date: Fri, 23 Apr 2004 17:38:07 -0700 (PDT)
From: Jela Trivunovic
Subject: Re: The May Report: 4/23/2004: BEZ Systems leaving town
for Boston; Vibes hiring; Topiary, Genomics USA, Wendy Tarzian; a
human dimension to the Efoora scam: farmer Lynn Vanzant from
Belvidere, Tennessee speaks out; Navteq and more...
To: ron@themayreport.com
Hello Ron
I really enjoy your newsletters and found them
valuable in the course of my networking over the last
couple months. I recently moved back to Chicago from
San Francisco and have been looking for opportunities
in internet and mobile marketing. I have fifteen years
of marketing experience, with over eight with a high-tech/internet focus.
Your report highlights companies that I may not have
on my radar, such as Vibes. I checked out their site
and it seems they're not actively promoting positions,
except a posting for a web developer. Anyway, I plan
on forwarding my resume to the general email box, but
was wondering if you have a direct contact there?
I'm not sure what your policy is on sharing emails,
but I thought I would try. Also, any suggestions of
other networking associations, events, etc. I should
check-out? I'd love the opportunity to meet with you
at one of these functions just to get a lay of the
land.
Thank you in advance!
Jela Trivunovic
jela_98@yahoo.com
p.s. I find it frustrating that one of the companies
you mention in today's edition doesn't think there's
internet talent in Chicago...
__________________
Ron May here. Jela, the person to contact at Vibes is Jack Philbin. Other
organizations you may check out: CSA, TiE, MEF, MIT-EF, AMC, ARCH/Coalition
MMM to name a few.
__________________
1d. Comments about the offer of White Sox tickets (2 messages) ______
#1: Subj: RE: The May Report: 4/22/2004: White Sox tickets for May Report
Readers
Date: 4/22/2004 3:16:07 PM Central Daylight Time
From: Patrick.Heslin@microfocus.com (Patrick Heslin)
To: owner-mayreport@list.themayreport.com
Hi Ron,
I saw your opening line to the May report. "White Sox tickets for May
Report Readers" At one time I would have jumped at that opportunity. But having watched Jerry Reinsdorf run that team into the ground year after year you could put a gun to my head and I would refuse to open my wallet and take out money for Sox tickets."
Many teams are hiring technology savvy managers to build teams based on trends in statistics related to players abilities. (i.e. Theo Epstein in
Boston). I can assure you Reisnsdorf isn't smart enough to do anything
that innovative. I refuse to pay for Sox tickets until Reinsdorf is on a respirator or he sells the team.
Regards,
Patrick Hesln
+++++++++++++++++
#2: Subj: Re: The May Report: 4/22/2004: White Sox tickets for May
Report Readers
Date: 4/22/2004 7:31:47 PM Central Daylight Time
From: pejisim@paeconsult.com (phil)
To: owner-mayreport@list.themayreport.com
announcing!!!!!!!
The May Report wrote:April 22, 2004
The May Report: 4/22/2004: White Sox tickets for May Report Readers
White Sox tickets for May Report Readers
Got a few hours May 4-6th? We'll make it worth your while. ___________________ 1e. Alan Nappier: Seeking a senior systems engineer
Subject: Searching for a Sr. Systems Engineer
To: ron@themayreport.com
From: alan.nappier@itecresources.com
Date: Thu, 22 Apr 2004 16:14:01 -0500
I am hoping someone could assist me in filling a very urgent requirement for a Sr. Systems Engineer. I am a Technical Recruiter specializing in placment of IT professionals in the Chicago area. This position is with one of my top clients. The position offers excellent pay and benefits, along with a great working environment. The position is located in Chicago, just off Michigan Ave. I am searching for someone with in depth knowledge of Windows 2000, Active Directory, Network Security, Exchange and Cisco. The person I seek should be degreed and have an MCSE Certifcation - Cisco Certifications would be a plus. They should have experience in both local and wide area networks. The company I am working with is smaller in size (about 180 full time employees), but they have a very advanced network. This person will serve as the primary Systems Engineer for this mission critical network. The company, although well established and financially sound, is generating revenues via the web - meaning we need a top notch engineer to make sure things are running smoothly. I am anxious to talk to anyone who might be qualified or know someone who might be. I am willing to keep all referrals confidential, and also willing to offer a nice referral bonus to anyone that can put me in touch with someone who ends up accepting the position. All resumes or referrals can be sent to alan.nappier@itecresources.com. Thanks for your time.
Best Regards,
Alan Nappier, Managing Director
Itec Resources, Inc.
630.571.8300 office
630.853.1576 mobile
alan.nappier@itecresources.com
www.itecresources.com
_______________________
1f. Efoora mail (1 message)
Date: Thu, 22 Apr 2004 11:43:14 -0400
Subject: Efoora
From: Name withheld upon request.
To:
Ron, please keep my name, e-mail, and all contact information confidential. The BBS moderator just posted a message that he will delete all posts at the request of the Efoora BOD. Would you please publish an update and keep up with the events. It seems that you will now be the only source of uncensored information.
BTW, do you know what has happened to Rappin? Is he still being paid? ___________________ 1g. Jackie Bynsdorp: Identity Theft Seminar Opportunity
Date: Thu, 22 Apr 2004 06:20:25 -0700 (PDT)
From: J Bynsdorp
Subject: Identity Theft Seminar Opp = The May Report Material?
To: ron@themayreport.com
Hello Ron,
We met a few weeks ago at the IT Resource Center Benefit at the Hyatt
Regency. Since then I have received two May Reports and have enjoyed them
very much.
I am wondering if The May Report may be a good venue for marketing my
services to your audience.
I am a PMP-certified independent consultant who keeps my ear to the ground
and to industry trends as I apply my skills to address business needs.
Please view my website at www.bynsdorpconsulting.com for more information
about me, and the services I offer. My focus is on Project Management and
Business Process Re-engineering, and I act on an understanding of corporate
business processes. As a seasoned professional, I understand the
frustrations and problems faced by Project Managers. More importantly, my
experience producing results for Fortune 500 companies help me to overcome
most of the challenges faced.
I also do business process and software training which may be of
interest. In addition, I deliver seminars. Currently, as a victim of
identity theft, I deliver a presentation titled Identity Theft: Don't Be A
Victim! This seminar has been presented at various local and regional
businesses. I include startling facts and statistics about Identity Theft,
and also valuable information to protect you from becoming a victim. For
those who fall victim, I provide helpful information including FTC
statistics and affidavit information.
I am preparing a seminar on the Safe Harbor Project that will be available
for delivery during the summer. This seminar focuses on assisting
organizations in their preparedness before the end of year deadline causes
hefty fines and bad publicity for businesses doing international commerce.
Please write back and let me know your thoughts. Thanks in advance - and
Looking Forward to hearing from you Ron!
-Jackie
=================
Jackie Bynsdorp
Owner / Principal
Bynsdorp Consulting
www.bynsdorpconsulting.com
262 455 1953
===SPECIAL SEMINAR OPPORTUNITY===
Identity Theft: Don't Be A Victim!
Send info requests to:
info@bynsdorpconsulting.com
==============
_____________________
1h. Todd Natenberg: Has card scanning problem and needs help
From: "Todd Natenberg"
To: ,
Subject: Todd Natenberg, TBN Sales Solutions, needs your help: Business
card scanning solution? Do you have any ideas?
Date: Thu, 22 Apr 2004 08:52:10 -0500
Ron,
Hope all's well.
I need your help with some tasks.
Suggestions? Do you know of someone who I can hire for this? I believe you
perform this task as well for your publication:
Business Card Scanning
I get 100 business cards per two weeks that need to be scanned into my
computer. Here's what I now do:
I have CardScan500 and scan the cards into my laptop computer
I then synchronize with my Microsoft Outlook 2003 program
I then import the e-mail addresses into my Constant Contact newsletter- via
the internet
I then synchronize with my Palm Pilot, A Sony Clie
I need a way to get the cards uploaded into my Outlook 2003 without me
having to scan them.
1. If I did hire somebody, how would they do this?
2. I don t have a second computer at my house, and I don t really
want them at my place
3. I could photocopy the cards and mail them overnight to someone?
4. My goal is to get those cards into Outlook 2003- complete with my
notes on the back of the cards
GOAL: Send copies of business cards to someone who somehow gets card
information with notes into my Outlook computer within 5 days!
Can I put an ad in the May Report?
Please call (773) 755-1306 or e-mail todd@toddnatenberg.com with questions.
Sincerely,
Todd B. Natenberg
President/Author
TBN Sales Solutions
"I just got a job in sales! Now what?"
A Playbook for Skyrocketing Your Commissions
711 W. Gordon Terrace, Ste. 106, Chicago, IL 60613
Phone: 773-755-1306, Fax: 773-442-0840, Outside Chicago: 866-464-0339
e-mail: todd@toddnatenberg.com
www.toddnatenberg.com
TBN Sales Solutions increases commissions for salespeople and profits for
businesses through customized training, coaching and consulting. We
establish structures and procedures in all facets of the sales process,
through workshops and individual sales coaching, to teach reps to control
their own destiny, to impact the bottom line.
"Customers do not care how much you know until they know how much you care;
Sell how you want to buy."
____________________
1i. Chris Wright: Thank you note for TMR event
From:
Date: Wed, 21 Apr 2004 06:50:50 -0500
Subject: Thank you
To: The May Report
Ron,
Thank you for the dinner last night. I appreciated the opportunity to network with a number of new individuals.
I also remembered the mother of all palindromes for you;
A man, a plan, a canal, Panama.
Thank you,
Christopher Wright
Director | Sales and Logistics
3701 North Paulina | Suite 300 | Chicago, Illinois 60613
P 773.857.0417 | F 773.584.0875 | M 312.371.0613 cwright@hotspothere.com | www.hotspothere.com __________________ 2. OTHER (Events) 2a. Tuesday, April 27: MEF Wheaton meeting: Brand Management is Essential for Merger & Acquisition Success: Sue Kirchner, Managing Partner of Identity
3.0, LLC
Date: Wed, 21 Apr 2004 15:31:30 -0500
To: ron@themayreport.com
From: MEF Headquarters
Subject: MEF Newsletter April - Wheaton
MEF REPORTER
MIDWEST ENTREPRENEURS' FORUM, INC., Volume 7, Issue 8b, April 2004
Come join us on Tuesday, April 27, 2004 for our Wheaton Chapter Meeting:
Presentation: Brand Management is Essential for
Merger & Acquisition Success
Our meeting will be held at:
Daniel L. & Ada F. Rice Campus
of Illinois Institute of Technology
201 East Loop Road, Wheaton IL
(directions below)
Time: 7:00 9:00 p.m.
Cost: Free to members, $20 for non-members
(no reservations are required)
Directions to the Wheaton Meeting:
The meeting will be held at Daniel L. and Ada F. Rice Campus of Illinois
Institute of Technology, 201 East Loop Road, Wheaton, IL. The campus is
just North of Butterfield Road (Rt 56) and a half mile East of Naperville
road. You can take East West Toll road (I88) West to Naperville Road
exit. Go North on Naperville Road to Butterfield Road (Rt56) and turn
right or East. Turn left or North at the first stoplight and it is a short
distance on your right.
Brand Management is Essential for
Merger & Acquisition Success
Ask a lawyer who has just assisting with the merger or acquisition between
two companies what the future plans are for their client and the answer you
get will be, “ Our work is finished once the transaction is completed. Of
course we would like them to retain our firm as their legal counsel but
more often than not this does not occur.”
Who then should the new company ask for guidance as they merge together two
different cultures with different assets including their human capital?
What problems are they going to face as they bring these companies
together? What questions should they be asking themselves about their Brand
before, during, and after the transaction?
Tonight’s presentation will explain the issues that face every company that
has either merged with or acquired another company and answer these and
other questions.
Companies who have decided they need to grow through a merger or
acquisition are looking to do so for two reasons cost synergies and access
to new markets or clients. However, the transaction is inherently risky and
difficult to carry out successfully.
Some typical issues that arise when companies try to integrate are:
* Integration forces companies to focus internally and lose track of
pleasing their customers. Customers defect to the competition.
* Employees are demotivated or jumping ship. Productivity plummets.
* Executives and employees lack a clear vision of the future of the
company. They march in different directions.
* A firm suddenly finds itself with too many brands and not enough
resources. Brand equity declines for all brands.
All of these issues combined create confusion, derail the integration, and
ultimately result in lost profits and a failed merger or acquisition. But
there is good news! Companies can keep their eye focused on growth during
the integration process through brand identity management.
A merger and acquisition event is all about change. And change is never
easy. But focusing on the brand identity of the organization allows the
CEO and executive team to stay focused when making integration decisions. A
company’s identity is comprised of its core values, core competencies,
mission and brand promise. It drives business strategy. A company’s
ability to execute its strategy and live up to its brand identity promise
determines its success. Often times in an M&A transaction, this factor is
overlooked before, during and after the transition. And this is a critical
mistake.
Brand identity management plays a huge role in creating value during the
M&A transaction, especially during the integration process. Here’s how.
Name of the entity
First, the CEO of the new entity should consider the name of the newly
merged or acquired organization. Intentional or unintentional name changes
send signals on the strategic direction of the merger. How important is
this merger or acquisition to the company? What kinds of changes should be
expected? How much integration is to be expected? Companies need to think
long and hard about what name will carry the organization forward and set
up expectations for the changes ahead.
In many small to mid-sized companies, the name of the business carries a
large amount of emotional baggage. It is very difficult for a CEO to change
the name of a company his or her grandfather founded. Focusing on the brand
identity promise and how the name will support the company as it grows in
the future will help leaders to make this difficult decision.
Integration of two distinct cultures and core values into one new identity
Second, companies must create a plan for the integration of two distinct
cultures and core values into one new identity. This is especially hard
when one firm is acquiring its competitor, for example. The employees have
a hard time transitioning from rival status to co-worker. Whereas
management teams may know each other well from putting together the deal
and on-going professional associations, front-line employees may find it
nearly impossible to change their way of thinking overnight. The issue
requires communication.
This is also difficult during an international M&A situation. Adding
language and national cultural differences on top of corporate culture
differences can cause a tremendous amount of confusion and frustration
during integration. But clearly articulating to employees what the M&A deal
will accomplish and focusing on the brand identity promise to be delivered
to customers around the world will allow people at all levels of the
organization to resolve issues at the local level.
Lack of an Integration/ Communication Plan
Third, even if the management team has agreed on a new name and the
potential for merging of cultures, the lack of an integration/communication
plan prohibits forward movement on both fronts. According to a survey by
Mercer Management, nearly half of all mergers are unsuccessful in
shareholder value terms. One reason for that is failure to communicate to
all stakeholders how the merger will benefit them. If employees and
customers don’t understand how the change is going to affect them, they may
react negatively, destroying the value of the merger or acquisition. To
avoid that, a smart company communicates the new identity and vision of the
new organization throughout the M&A transaction to employees, customers,
board members, investors and the industry. This allows all stakeholders to
understand and assimilate the change, reducing the chaos period that
normally follows an announcement. Lost employees, customers or time due to
confusion or negative rumors can be avoided.
Evaluating your Brand Assets
Finally, in many M&A situations, companies find they are suddenly the proud
owners of a bunch of different brands. However, they don’t have the
financial resources to support them all and they don’t know which brands,
existing or acquired, have the most equity. Companies need to align their
brand assets with their business growth strategies. Making the decisions to
revitalize, create or liquidate brands within your portfolio will result in
cost savings, greater brand equity, focus, and increased revenue growth.
This process can be started even prior to deal close to speed up integration.
By acknowledging the importance of brand identity from the onset, keeping
it at the forefront during the process and addressing it as a top priority
in the integration of the newly created organization, a company can expect:
? Faster, more efficient integration
? Increased loyalty with employees, customers, suppliers, and other
stakeholders
? Cost savings from focusing resources on strongest brand assets as well as
avoiding confusion and mistakes during integration
? Consensus on the future vision of the company so all employees are
working to deliver the brand identity promise to customers
? Drastically improvements in the chances for a successful integration and
a profitable M&A deal.
If you are planning or have already accomplished a merger or acquisition
you won’t want to miss this exciting/informative presentation. If you are
an attorney you might find the presentation packed with information you can
use to differentiate your firm from your competition. If you work in the
field of mergers and acquisitions in any capacity you will leave with
knowledge that could make your life a little less hectic. As usual please
come prepared with your questions, as audience participation is always an
interracial part of the meeting.
Tonight’s moderator is Jerry R. Mitchell president of Jerry R. Mitchell and
Associates, Inc. and president of The Midwest Entrepreneurs Forum.Tonight’s
presenter will be Sue Kirchner, a Managing Partner of Identity 3.0, LLC, a
brand consulting firm that helps leaders, in rapidly changing environments,
build strong identities for their organizations. ___________________ 2b. Friday, April 30: Coleman Entrepreneurship Center & Kellstadt Center
for Professional Development: Underdog Marketing: How to Compete with the
Big Firms on a Limited Budget
Date: Wed, 21 Apr 2004 07:35:27 -0500
From: "Raman Chadha"
To:
Subject: Coleman Entrepreneurship Center Events
Ron, please post for your readers:
Underdog Marketing: How to Compete with the Big Firms on a Limited Budget Sponsored by Coleman Entrepreneurship Center & Kellstadt Center for
Professional Development
Fri., Apr. 30
DePaul Center, Rm. 7406, 1 E. Jackson Blvd.
8:30am 11:30am
$39
To register, call (312) 362-5913
A hands-on workshop on how the small firm learns to use its size and niche
to develop a strategic cutting edge, and can compete on a limited budget
with the big firms. Instructor: Michael S. Meyers
Marketing Planning for Entrepreneurs
Sponsored by Coleman Entrepreneurship Center & Kellstadt Center for
Professional Development
Wed., May 26
DePaul Center, Rm. 7406, 1 E. Jackson Blvd.
8:30am 11:30am
$39
To register, call (312) 362-5913
Short course on understanding the critical elements of a marketing plan
that shows how you can meet your revenue expectations. Instructor: Roger Lall
Raman Chadha
Associate Director -- Coleman Entrepreneurship Center Entrepreneurship Faculty -- Dept. of Management DePaul University 312-362-7203 rchadha@depaul.edu ___________________ 2c. Wednesday, May 5 and Thursday, May 6: InvestMidwest Venture Capital
Forum in St. Louis, MO.
Subject: FW: Newsletter Item - InvestMidwest Venture Capital Forum
Date: Tue, 27 Apr 2004 11:56:01 -0500
From: "Kelly Harris"
To:
Cc: "Kelly Harris"
Per our telephone conversation, here is the newsletters article for
InvestMidwest.
18 Midwest Companies Hope to Secure Capital at InvestMidwest
Venture Capital Forum
On May 5th and 6th, 18 entrepreneurial growth companies from throughout the
Midwest will gather at the Chase Park Plaza Hotel in St. Louis, Mo. to
present their business opportunity to an audience of the nation s top
venture capitalists, corporate and private investors and investment bankers
at the InvestMidwest Venture Capital Forum.
The 18 presenters were chosen from more than 75 applications based on their
company's business purpose, management team, products or services,
marketing strategy, market opportunity and financial summary. Each
demonstrated the potential to generate $20 million in annual revenue growth
within five years. These companies include; Akermin, Inc.; Chemport, LLC;
Enhanced Dental Franchising, Inc.; Hometown Drug Stores, LLC; HeadsUp
Technologies; Innovium, Inc.; LaGarde; MediNiche, Inc.; Nanonation; NavStar
Technologies, Inc.; PowerSmart, LLC; Quick Study Radiology; SBTV.com; Tech
Guys; Transaction Transport Technologies, LLC; TradeHarbor, Inc.; Tsunami
Research; and VistaWiz, Inc.
Since its first forum, held in St. Louis in May 2000, InvestMidwest has
helped generate more than $160 million in equity investments for several
innovative entrepreneurial growth companies and has grown into the Midwest
s premier annual venture capital forum. InvestMidwest s mission is to
provide access to equity capital for emerging, privately held companies
seeking venture funds from $1 million dollars to $20 million.
The 5th Annual InvestMidwest Venture Capital Forum s Founding Sponsors are
the Danforth Foundation and the Ewing Marion Kauffman
Foundation. Organizational Sponsors are the St. Louis Regional Chamber and
Growth Association (RCGA), Missouri Venture Forum, RCGA s Technology
Gateway Council, Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce, KCCatalyst, and
the Kansas Technology Enterprise Corporation (KTEC). For more information
visit www.investmidwestforum.com or call 314.444.1151. ____________________ 2d. Thursday, May 13: Inaugural Kellogg Alumni Entrepreneur Conference:
Larry Levy, George Anders, Steve Rogers
From: "Linda L. Darragh"
To:
Subject: Events
Date: Mon, 26 Apr 2004 14:07:20 -0500
Kellogg Alumni Entrepreneur Conference
Allen Center, Northwestern University, Evanston Campus
Date: Thurs, May, 13 2004 8:30 to 5:00
Both Kellogg alumni and non-alumni are welcome to the inaugural Kellogg
Alumni Entrepreneur Conference.
This conference will feature Larry Levy, Founder & Chairman of Levy
Restaurants; George Anders, page one feature writer for The Wall Street
Journal; and Professor Steven Rogers of Kellogg School of Management who
will facilitate a live case study analysis. In addition, over 25 successful
entrepreneurs from a wide range of industries and at different stages of
growth will speak on various facets of entrepreneurship including how to
build a team for growth, match capital alternatives to your stage of growth
and acquire and retain key customers. This is also a great opportunity to
network with other alumni who share your interest in entrepreneurship.
We encourage you to register for this conference by May 1st to allow for
time to mail the case study and a parking pass to you.
For a complete conference schedule and a list of speakers and to register
online, please go to:
http://kelloggalumni.northwestern.edu/Events/EventView.asp?EventID=422&headingid=&override=
Kellogg School of Management
Linda L. Darragh
Assistant Director, The Levy Institute l-darragh@kellogg.northwestern.edu
2001 Sheridan Rd.
Evanston, IL 60208
tel: 847-491-4907
fax: 847-491-5632
mobile: 847-226-8287
_____________________
3. Special Reports and Features
3a. TX3: Michigan's Technology Tri-Corridor e-Newsletter Issue 4 [Editor's note: Ron May here. The original document had a fair number of
click throughs which do not come through here given that TMR is a text only
newsletter. Nonetheless, I think it is such a good newsletter that we
should get a look at it.]
From: "Michigan Economic Development Corporation"
To: "ron@themayreport.com"
Subject: TX3: Michigan's Technology Tri-Corridor e-Newsletter Issue 4
Date: Wed, 21 Apr 2004 15:21:40 -0400
Quiz
Since the program's inception in 2000, how many companies have provided
pro-bono or low cost services to companies located in one of Michigan's 11
SmartZones?
A) 25
B) 96
C) 142
Click here for the answer.
Attention MI Biotech Companies!
Michigan is exhibiting at BIO 2004 in San Diego, June 6-9. We want to
recognize your business as one of Michigan's successful life sciences
companies. If you would like to be represented in our booth, e-mail your
logo and a 100-word description of your company to
bestl2@michigan.org. Also let us know if you will be attending BIO 2004 so
we can let potential business customers know you are there.
Did You Know?
The Grand Rapids metropolitan area, consisting of Grand Rapids, Muskegon
and Holland, ranks in the top 10 of the world knowledge competitive
index. The world knowledge competitive index is developed by Robert
Huggins Associates, a British-based economics consultant. The index showed
the top 14 knowledge economies were all in the United States. The index
measures 19 knowledge economy benchmarks, including employment, patent
registrations, research and development investment, education expenditure
and information and communication technology infrastructure.
Upcoming Events
Supply Chain Management Conference
April 28
BioMed Expo
April 29
Core Technology Alliance Inaugural Event
May 24
Telematics Update
May 25 & 26
BIO 2004
June 6-9
Automan Global Conference
June 8 & 9
Complete list of events
The Glance
Featured Site
Corporate Centre, Lansing
The Corporate Centre Office Industrial Park offers the best of both worlds
… ample acreage for manufacturing expansion as well as the availability of
an approximate 135,000 sf Class A office building on site. Read more
All Urban Opportunity Sites
All SelectSites
Quiz Answer:
C) 142.
SmartZones provide distinct geographical locations where technology-based
firms, entrepreneurs and researchers locate in close proximity to all of
the community assets that assist in their endeavors. Services that help
technology companies grow and expand, including business planning,
marketing strategy formation, assistance with intellectual property and
legal matters and matchmaking with venture capitalists are a sampling of
services provided at low cost or pro-bono for emerging technology companies
through Michigan's SmartZones.
Volume 1, Issue 4 April 2004
Technology Tri-Corridor Proposals Are Being Reviewed
One hundred and thirty one eligible proposals will compete for the $24
million in available Technology Tri-Corridor funding to spur research,
commercialization and job creation in life sciences, advanced automotive
technologies and homeland security industries. The proposals are currently
undergoing an independent peer review process. Awardees will be announced
in June.
The proposals include a wide range of projects, including a fuel cell
commercialization incubator, an unmanned aerial vehicle for homeland
security and a new treatment for acute renal failure. Click here to see a
complete summary of proposals in .pdf format. Read more
---
$1 Million in Matching Money Available to SBIR Phase I Grant Applicants
Michigan companies applying for Small Business Innovation Research
(SBIR) Phase I funding are invited to seek matching money through the
Technology Tri-Corridor Emerging Business Fund. This fund will match any
Phase I SBIR grant 15%, up to $15,000, per award, if the project relates to
one or more of the three Tri-Corridor industries: life sciences,
automotive technology or homeland security.
A total of $1 million is available in this fund, enabling about 66
SBIR Phase I grant matches in 2004. The goal of this fund is to increase
the numbers and competitiveness of Michigan SBIR proposals by providing
support to Michigan businesses and to increase the success of Michigan
businesses moving from Phase I to Phase II. Read more and apply for these
matching funds
---
Michigan Cities/Regions Rank Among "Most Livable"
Marquette County, Traverse City and Grand Rapids have been ranked
among America's top places to live, work and play. Partners for Livable
Communities, a national non-profit organization working at the frontlines
of livability for twenty-five plus years, will honor this decade's
America's Most Livable Communities at a ceremony this week in Washington, D.C.
With three cities/regions on the list, Michigan came in second only to
California, which had six. Marquette County's placement on the most livable
region list resulted in a prominent feature article in the April 12 edition
of USA Today. 2004's America's Most Livable Communities are among the
nation's top destinations for travel, business investment, relocation,
learning, retiring and living. Read more
---
Ford, OnStar, AMI-C Nominated for Telematics Awards
Telematics Update announced the 30 finalists for the Telematics Awards
2004 to be held during the Telematics Detroit Conference and Exhibition on
May 25-26. To register for this conference or for more information, click
here.
Michigan companies and people who work in telematics applications,
including Ford Motor Company, OnStar and Scott McCormick, vice president of
AMI-C (Automotive Multimedia Interface Collaboration), are among the elite
30 international representatives who have been nominated for awards. Read more
Hyundai Breaks Ground on Expanded Auto R&D Center
Southeast Michigan continued to enhance its reputation as an
automotive R&D center for foreign investment when the Hyundai America
Technical Center Inc. broke ground on its new headquarters. Read
more: More Michigan Advanced Auto Tech News
---
MSU Uses Strengths for Homeland Security Response
The Global Community Security Institute at Michigan State University
(MSU) is identifying and coordinating programs to optimize the
contributions that MSU researchers and educators can make to the nation's
homeland security system.
With MSU's top ranked School of Criminal Justice providing first
responder training, and MSU's expertise in the detection of radiation,
chemicals, biological agents and in remote sensing, geographic information
science (GIS), engineering, cyber security and human and veterinary
medicine, MSU is able to assist in identifying potential threats and
addressing those that materialize. In addition, MSU is part of a
partnership to respond to animal health emergencies. Read more
---
BioMed Expo: Moving from Science to Commercialization
The theme of this year's BioMed Expo: The Confluence of Science and
Commercialization, features a program of experts from venture capital and
the life sciences industry who will discuss the necessary culture and
environment for companies to thrive, commercialization and current trends
in venture and seed funding.
Don't miss the largest event of this kind in the region on April 29 at
the Eastern Michigan University Convocation Center in Ypsilanti, where
other participants from academia, start-ups and the life sciences industry
will converge. Click here to learn more and to register for BioMed Expo 2004.
Nine Biotech Start-up Firms Receive $1.9 Million in Funding
The governing board of Western Michigan University's Biosciences
Research and Commercialization Center approved recommendations to award
nearly $1.9 million to nine companies located at the Southwest Michigan
Innovation Center, a life sciences business incubator.
Included are company principals who have achieved international renown
in such fields as protein biochemistry, infectious diseases and
pharmaceutical development. Eight of the nine principal researchers who
will receive funding are former scientists from Pharmacia or Pfizer.
Anticipated revenue for the companies is nearly $7.3 million. Read more:
More Michigan Life Sciences News
Invite a friend to read the TX3 newsletter: Click here
Did a friend forward this to you? Click here or visit the URL below to
receive TX3: Technology Tri-Corridor newsletter each month. http://enews.michigan.org/enewsletterpro/tx3subscribe.asp
Not interested? Click here or visit the URL below to remove yourself from
the TX3 distribution list. http://enews.michigan.org/enewsletterpro/tx3unsubscribe.asp
You have received this newsletter because you agreed to receive email
materials from Michigan Economic Development Corporation. If you would like
to remove yourself from the TX3: Technology Tri-Corridor mailing list,
please click the above Unsubscribe link
Privacy Policy
© 2004 Michigan Economic Development Corporation.
300 N. Washington Square
Lansing, MI 48913
All Rights Reserved.
________________________
The May Report Ron May: editor, reporter, commentator,
and publisher. 773-525-3944. E-mails for Ron: ron@themayreport.com. Unless otherwise requested by the sender, all correspondence addressed to Ron May and/or The May Report is subject to publication in the newsletter and on the website. To unsubscribe from the free newsletter, go to www.themayreport.com, click on the free newsletter and send and unsubscribe request. _________________ END OF REPORT.