Category Archives: Entrepreneur

December 28, 2012 · 9:44 pm

THE LUCKY DOG

Funding Feeding Frenzy – Part 3

John Jonelis

Loop Lonagan here, sittin’ with my friend Warren D Mink at the Funding Feeding Frenzy. We’re waitin’ for the first presentation, and I’m expectin’ some kinda high tech gadget.

Mink’s a real sharp VC and he tells me we’re gonna have some fun with a consumer product he knows all about ‘cause he saw it at BNC Venture Capital last night. This one serves a good purpose, he says, and looks like a winner. I sit back and enjoy myself ‘cause I know I’ll get all the detail I need from Mink’s notes.

And this one ends up takin’ 3rd place fer da whole event! Summa the best inventions is the simple ones, and hey—how come YOU ain’t the first one to think of it? Continue reading →

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Tagged as BNC Venture Capital, cat, cooled dog harness, dog, dog clothing, dog harness, funding feeding frenzy, heated dog harness, horse, pet, pet collar, pet harness, pet products, pet specialty products, pet wellness, serial entrepreneur, sled dog harness, specialty dog collar

December 22, 2012 · 12:25 am

THE BUM IN ME

Funding Feeding Frenzy – Part 2

John Jonelis

VERBATIM transcript of a recording by Loop Lonagan—investor and man about town.

Loop Lonagan here. I’m headin’ out to this year’s Funding Feeding Frenzy. It’s the big event if ya wanna see all o’ Chicago’s best startups in one place. This time the FFF is happenin’ at a place called the Chopin Theater northwest o’ downtown and I wanna see how that’s gonna work out. Will there be a string quartet? They yusta hold it at a huge automobile showroom which seems weird but worked out. It had about half the floor space of McCormick Place and plenty o’ room fer hordes o’ people to roam. But this is gonna be a lot different. Continue reading →

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Tagged as alcholics, angel, angel capital, angel investor, Big Money, Bums, Chicago, chopin theater, Christmas, city, clybourn station, Derelicts, drug addicts, fff, funding feeding frenzy, gentrification of the city, hobbits, Homeless, investor, Jobs, Loop Lonagan, new companies, pitch, public servants, sherlock holmes, sleeping on a sidewalk, the chicago machine, the machine, the man with the twisted lip, vc, venture capital, Whack jobs

December 4, 2012 · 2:20 pm

THE CLIFFS OF INSANITY

Seven Solutions

John Jonelis

VERBATIM – A report from storied business consultant, J. P. Pierogiczikowski—affectionately known as Joe Perogi.

Joe Perogi here. I’m listening to Peter Orszag speaking real clear on The Fiscal Cliff. He comes all da way from Manhattan to give this great talk to us at The Chicago Council on Global Affairs.

This guy’s real smart. Sure, he’s way left o’ my way o’ thinking but he’s got alotta ideas, Ideas make money move. And he understands the politics as well as the economics – a rare combination. So after the talk, I read a buncha his articles, put it all together, and here’s what I come up with: Continue reading →

SHARK TANK MEETS THE APPRENTICE

Funding Feeding Frenzy – Part 1

John Jonelis

The big Funding Feeding Frenzy is almost upon us again. Loop Lonogan covered this event last time and here’s his transcript—verbatim:

Loop Lonagan here. I’m at the Funding Feeding Frenzy ‘n’ there must be more’n 1000 people here and lots more goin’ in and out all day. If you wanna see what’s happening in the Chicago Startup Community, this is the place to be and you can do it all in one single day. But don’t ferget—there’s sharks in them waters and they bite. Continue reading →

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Tagged as angel, big event, Big Money, Conflict, David Culver, Entrepreneur, Heat, investor, Loop Lonagan, Rong Mayhem, Sheldon Tommygun, short attention span, startup companies, startup company, venture capital, worn out judges

November 16, 2012 · 5:00 am

WHO’S RUNNING THE ASYLUM?

A colleague stuck his dictation in my DropBox account. I transcribe it here, verbatim:

Loop Lonagan here. This is a story about new tech that’s gonna clobber every one of us in our most secret and private worlds. And we can’t duck it. It’s already started and we’re gonna hafta live with whatever we get. Tonight I hear two highly placed speakers talk about how to do it the right way. The speakers figure there’s a big opportunity here, too. Continue reading →

CHICAGO’S NEW SOUTH SIDE

The City of Broad Shoulders is looking to the south. South of 119th street. South of Springfield. South of Mexico. Way south. Continue reading →

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Tagged as brazil, Chicago, commerce, export, free trade, IERG, import, international executives resource group, international trade, investment, open markets

November 4, 2012 · 5:00 am

THE POLITICS OF INVESTING

The Chicago Innovation Awards – Part 4

John Jonelis

I’m at 40,000 feet on Loren Bukkett’s Gulfstream G450 trying to squeeze out his views on two accolades at the Chicago Innovation Awards—the ones they gave to Governor Pat Quinn and Mayor Rahm Emanuel. So far Loren is holding out on me. Continue reading →

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Tagged as chicago politics, doggerel, Entrepreneur, Entrepreneurship, innovation, machine politics, politics, politics and innovation, startup

November 2, 2012 · 5:00 am

WORTHY OF AWARDS

The Chicago Innovation Awards – Part 3

John Jonelis

I’ve jumped aboard a Gulfstream G450 to interview the legendary Loren Bukkett. I want his take on the Chicago Innovation Awards. He finally puts away his phone and turns to me. “Okay, let’s talk,” he says. Continue reading →

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Tagged as angel, award, Chicago, disney, Family, invention, investor, jet, Risk, startup

October 31, 2012 · 5:00 am

THE NEW NORMAL

The Chicago Innovation Awards – Part 2

John Jonelis

I’m on Loren Bukkett’s Gulfstream G450 trying to squeeze an interview out of him. “I asked you about the mayor and the governor but I didn’t get a response. What about it?” Continue reading →

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Tagged as american idol, dan miller, due diligence, footworkingz, governor pat quin, gulfstream, hennessy, howard stern, hula hoop, innovation, investor meetings, Kellogg, mayor rahm emanuel, Northwestern, philip kotler, starting a business, tom kuczmarski

October 29, 2012 · 2:19 pm

THE SECRET OF HARD TIMES

The Chicago Innovation Awards – Part 1

John Jonelis

I’m talking to investing legend, Loren Bukkett—the Prophet of Pekin, immediately after a big event in Chicago. “Twelve whole years,” he says. “A hundred percent of their winners are all still in business. And tonight they break that perfect record.” He’s talking about the winners of the Chicago Innovation Awards and he’s got my attention. Which companies are going down? Continue reading →

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Tagged as 1871, angel investor, bankrupt, banks, bribe, charactere, Chicago, chicago innovation awards, citation, Conflict, creativity, demand, depression, Entrepreneur, Entrepreneurship, entrepreneurship and politics, equilibrium, events, g450, gulfstream, hard times, imbalance, innovation, innovation and culture, invention, Kellogg, Northwestern, perfect record, piper, prophet, recession, supply, tough times, vacuum, venture capital

October 22, 2012 · 4:00 am

THE BIG MATCH

The Story of Ray Markman-Part 13

Friday, 5:00 pm – The Conclusion

It’s 5pm at the Union League Club. We crowd into a squash court, not a boxing ring, and close the door. This is a private fight between Alexander Harbinger PhD and Loop Lonagan, man-about-town. That’s right—two of my colleagues and best friends are about to beat each other senseless. And I’m here to enjoy every second of it. Continue reading →

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Tagged as blood, Boxing, broken nose, Conflict, Duel, fight, gloves, marquis of queensbury, match, reach, ring, round, Rules, squash, street figter

October 15, 2012 · 4:00 am

THE PIVOT

The Story of Ray Markman-Part 12

Friday, 4:40 pm

I’m winding up my own conclusions about Ray Markman’s bold assertion that he never worked a day in his life. At the same time, Loop Lonagan’s big boxing match with Alexander Harbinger is getting close. I don’t know how you feel, personally about the sad spectacle of a friend beating up on another friend—in cold blood in a rule-based arena—but I plan to be there to enjoy every second of it. Continue reading →