Category Archives: The Economy

August 12, 2013 · 4:00 am

BNC TUESDAY NIGHT SMACKDOWN

Techweek Part 3 at BNC Venture Capital –

John Jonelis –

The audience roars! This roomful of raucous investors demand answers the way hungry wolves tear at meat. Men and women shout as if in the trading pits of the CME. I see wallets wagging in eager hands, but the kids presenting tonight are unprepared for such a high level of scrutiny and the questions keep coming—one louder than the last. Now the speaker shouts to be heard as the meeting spirals out of control. Continue reading →

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Filed under Characters, Entrepreneur, High Tech, Low Tech, Poverty, The Economy

Tagged as customer loyalty, local, local business, local customers, one day delivery, reliable delivery, same day delivery

June 14, 2013 · 4:00 am

IF WE BUILD IT THEY WILL COME

Moises Goldman PhD – resident scientist

EDITOR’S NOTE–Everybody’s familiar with the phrase. But is there a genuine application in industry for IF WE BUILD IT, THEY WILL COME? Here’s one offered by a highly respected source:

Many in industry believe that logistics is now THE important field of study. Nothing could be further from the truth. Continue reading →

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Filed under Entrepreneur, Low Tech, Politics, The Economy

Tagged as common sense, factory, location, logistics, open mouth, open mouth plant

June 7, 2013 · 4:00 am

THE SUM OF THE WHOLE

Higher Education and the Economy

Moises Goldman PhD – resident scientist

In today’s digital environment, the words entrepreneurship and innovation are the flavor of the day. Universities and even certain high schools believe they are preparing their students to go out into the world armed with the necessary tools to excel. But are they? Continue reading →

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Filed under Education, Entrepreneur, High Tech, The Economy

Tagged as collaboration, cubical, does college prepare, efficiency, optimize, project management, team, team building, teams

March 5, 2013 · 4:00 pm

LIGHT UP A CONTINENT

Impact Engine – Part 4

John Jonelis

Verbatim from a special correspondent:

Ever hear o’ light poverty? Yeah, it’s a real thing ‘n’ it causes real poverty. But now somebody’s got a clever way t’ fix the problem. Lemme tell you about it. Continue reading →

THE TWO WHEELS OF CHANGE

Impact Engine – Part 2

John Jonelis

Verbatim transcript from a special correspondent

Loop Lonagan here at IMPACT ENGINE Investor Day. This is the new Chicago incubator fer companies that do well by doin’ good—and doin’ it profitably! Think of it—we’re gathered here to get richer by makin’ all them other poor slobs around the world prosper! This I like!

The keynote speaker is FK Day. (He calls hisself FK fer short.) And he tells us a story that knocks us outa our seats. This is a real unusual chain of events that speaks about the virtues of capitalism doing alotta good by helping folks raise their own well-being. Continue reading →

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Tagged as africa, andromeda strain, bicycle, bicycle brakes, bicycle shifters, bicycles, bike, bikes, Buffalo Bicycles, business, charities, Chicago Cubs, Chicago Cubs Charities, cicycles, doing well by doing good, economic development, education, feeding a family, FK Day, getting to school, getting to work, healthcare, Impact Engine, impact investing, Kellogg, long distance, maintenance, Northwestern, poverty, rough roads, rugged terrain, SRAM, standard bicycle, standard parts, standardization, supply chain, third world, transportation, tsunami, walking, World Bicycle Relief, zambia

January 30, 2013 · 8:00 am

WHAT’S GOOD?

Impact Engine – Part 1

John Jonelis

Verbatim transcript of a recording by a special correspondent

Loop Lonagan here. Dis is somethin’ can change da world. It’s called IMPACT ENGINE ‘n’ it’s dare first investor showcase.

Already met one o’ da founders, Linda Darragh and she made a big-time impression on me. I saw dis gal charge-up a roomfulla sleepy thought leaders with da energy of an oxyacetylene torch. Ideas and plans fly off her like da Fourth o’ July. She’s the reason I’m here. Continue reading →

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Filed under Characters, Entrepreneur, The Economy

Tagged as big data, change the world, doing well by doing good, fail fast, give a man a fish, impact investing, new horizon, new paradigm, s.w.a.g., social entrepreneurship, swag, teach a man to fish

January 18, 2013 · 11:28 pm

7 TIPS FROM A WINNER

Funding Feeding Frenzy – Part 5

John Jonelis

VERBATIM transcript of Loop Lonagan’s recorded notes.

Loop Lonagan here. I’m gonna go full circle at dis Funding Feeding Frenzy.

No, I ain’t drunk—well maybe I am by now—but what I mean is, I’m goin’ back to the start o’ this event. After all that stuff I already talked about, I’m finally gettin’ ‘round to the first speaker at the FFF—Palette App—the company that won last time. Continue reading →

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Filed under Characters, Conflict, Entrepreneur, The Economy

Tagged as 7 tips, android, angel, apple, capital, cash flow, Challenge, crowd funding, David Culver, dot bomb, dot com, Drunk, Entrepreneur, Entrepreneurship, fff, funding, funding feeding frenzy, interview, iPod, jerrry freeman, Loop Lonagan, meeting payroll, motivating employees, motivation, palette app, paying the bills, pitch, raising funds, raising money, risk mitigation, self-directed ira, seven tips, simplify, tips, vc, venture capital, venture capitalist

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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Filed under Characters, Conflict, Entrepreneur, Politics, Relationships, The Economy

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 →

THE FISCAL CLIFF – A SURPRISINGLY SIMPLE STORY

I’m at the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago to try and understand the ecomomic situation in the good old USA. I’m here at the invitation of Northwestern University and grateful for the opportunity. Since the topic is economics, I’ll translate it into everyday language and reduce it to the points that impact you and me. Continue reading →

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Filed under Conflict, Entrepreneur, Politics, The Economy

Tagged as Banking, Fiscal Policy, Jobs, politics, The Cliff, The Economy, The FED