“Why am I doing this?” That’s the question dominating a President’s Advisory Committee board meeting (PAC). None of the members—all business owners—intend to give or sell their business to their children. Instead, in a reversal of traditional social norms, all of them plan to use their wealth to empower their children on whatever paths the kids happen to choose.The members range in age from early forties to mid-fifties. Each of them has done very well. Their children range in age from the early grades to out-of-the-nest adults.
Category Archives: High Tech
YOUR BUSINESS AND YOUR CHILDREN
Filed under Conflict, Education, Entrepreneur, Entrepreneurship, Giving, High Tech, Low Tech, Relationships, Startup Companies, Startups, The Economy
OIL FROM WATER
What if you can make oil out of water? What if, you also end up with more water? A discovery like that will benefit our country and the world.
The technology now exists. Commercialization is beginning. Continue reading
Filed under Entrepreneur, Entrepreneurship, High Tech, Politics, Startup Companies, Startups, Story, The Economy
THE HIDDEN DANGER IN YOUR DATA
From the Journal of the Heartland Angels
Today, entrepreneurs have tools and technologies to collect, monitor, and document more data than ever before. You’re likely swimming in data, since customers leave a trail of it everywhere to be captured and analyzed in real time. Continue reading
Filed under Education, Entrepreneur, Entrepreneurship, High Tech, Low Tech, Startup Companies, Startups
UNDERESTIMATING THE COMPETITION
Ever face a crisis situation? Raw panic? Of course you have. We’ve all been burned by miscalculation, greed, and shoddy research. People have been making the same mistakes for quite a long time and a young woman from the 10th Century can teach us a pointed lesson about the importance of accurately sizing up the competition. Continue reading
Filed under Biography, Characters, Education, Entrepreneur, Entrepreneurship, High Tech, Influence, Low Tech, Politics, Relationships, Startup Companies, Startups, Story
INJURIES TREATED BADLY
Kids are dropping dead on the athletic field. Dead! These are our kids—those highly cherished and precocious little brats, grades K-12. Just a few years back we suffered a miserable year—120 deaths according to the Youth Sports Safety Alliance. Here’s a huge problem waiting to get fixed. Continue reading
Filed under Conflict, Death, Education, Entrepreneur, Entrepreneurship, High Tech, Low Tech, Startup Companies, Startups
THE GIRL WITH THE BLACK LEATHER PANTS
This is a winner. You wanna wow the judges? Win the crowd? Get your game face on, kiddo! Hit ’em with real passion, overflowing personality and a canon shot of enthusiasm.
Filed under Characters, Entrepreneur, Entrepreneurship, High Tech, Low Tech, Startup Companies, Startups
CLOSER TO HEAVEN
Danger and deprivation make up the joys of any wilderness expedition. Have you ever heard an adventurer speak of anything else? I have not, sir! Our bold band is bound for a rare excursion! Today, we hope to try our mettle against the Canadian Wild! Continue reading
Filed under Characters, Conflict, Death, Entrepreneur, Entrepreneurship, High Tech, Low Tech, Startup Companies, Startups, Suspense, Writing style
ROUGHING IT
“Don’t you want to feel safe?” asks Rosalind Russell. In response, Clark Gable knits his brows. “I never have. What’s it like?” * Vigorous travel is a grueling sport! One anticipates deprivation and hardship on any trip of significance. One seeks adventure! Exhilaration! One does not select air transportation to wrap oneself in a safe cocoon. No sir! Air travel exists for one and only one purpose. SPEED! Continue reading
Filed under Biography, Characters, Conflict, Entrepreneur, Entrepreneurship, High Tech, Influence, Low Tech, Relationships, Startup Companies, Startups
BE THE ONE THEY CAN COUNT ON
“Winners have a sense about other winners and you can’t miss the shift in their interest and attention when they encounter another of their own species. Wanting to win is fine – wanting to do the work that it takes to win and to keep at it until you do win is what makes the difference in the end.” Continue reading
Filed under Biography, Characters, Education, Entrepreneur, Entrepreneurship, High Tech, Low Tech, Startup Companies, Startups
WHIZ KIDS
You don’t want to compete with this kid. Believe me. Just watch his intensity as he pitches his business to some of the private equity luminaries in the city. I’m a judge at this event and try not to show my feelings of awe as he answers all the tough questions in a pressure-cooker environment without so much as a flinch. There’s an intimidating team behind him too. They’re all in middle school. Middle school! Continue reading
Filed under Education, Entrepreneur, Entrepreneurship, High Tech, Low Tech, Startup Companies, Startups
MEASURING THE FUTURE
From the Journal of the Heartland Angels
Yes you can – you CAN measure the future!
Drawdown
According to the Kauffman Foundation, Angel Investors—on average—enjoy a capital gain on three out of ten deals. Out of those—on average—one is a huge blockbuster winner, three—on average—do marginally better than break-even, and the other six—on average—are complete losers. The winner is so huge that, according to Kauffman, Angels do very well indeed—that is, on average.
You may ask, “Hey Jonelis, why all the harping on the word average?” Because average is a fantasy. It doesn’t exist for you. It doesn’t exist for me. It’s a composite of the whole crowd. Continue reading
Filed under Education, Entrepreneur, Entrepreneurship, High Tech, Low Tech, Startup Companies, Startups
























































































































































































