John Jonelis
Written by a very special correspondent, Mark T. Wayne:
Did you know that, out of the multitudes of people that undergo knee surgery, 7% go bad within a year?* .No, I don’t mean to imply that patients with new knees turn to a life of crime, though some may do so. There are no numbers whatsoever to prove otherwise. There’s nothing to stop a man once he can run from the scene of the dastardly deed for the first time in years on his spanking new knees. Continue reading
Filed under Characters, Entrepreneur, High Tech, Low Tech
Again at this season, the haunting words of a favorite song come back to me:
“You don’t ask a drowning man if he wants to be saved,
When you know he’s sinking down—down beneath the crashing waves.” Continue reading
Filed under Death, Faith, Relationships
John Jonelis
Verbatim transcript from a special correspondent
Loop Lonagan back at Impact Engine Investors Day. The Chase auditorium’s packed with angel investors and venture capitalists AND philanthropists that’d rather invest in self-sustaining ventures than just dump their money down the old rat hole. Continue reading
Filed under Characters, Entrepreneur, Giving, New Novel
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
Filed under Characters, Crowd Sourced Novel, Electric Power, High Tech, Low Tech, Poverty, The Economy
John Jonelis
Verbatim transcript from a special correspondent
Loop Lonagan here at IMPACT ENGINE Investors Day. I got an exciting report on the education of our kids. This’s real interesting stuff—and real important. Ever’body knows dat education is the difference between living in poverty and not. To tell the truth, maybe I didn’t pay so much attention when I was in school. But that’s the whole point. Lotsa kids in dis country is fallin’ behind the world bigtime Continue reading
Filed under Characters, Education, Politics, Writing style
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
Filed under Characters, Entrepreneur, The Economy
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
Filed under Characters, Entrepreneur, The Economy
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
Filed under Characters, Conflict, Entrepreneur, The Economy
John Jonelis
Loop Lonagan here at FFF and we’re in for a treat. Mitch Schneider is pitching his new company, Kauzu. I like companies that do well by doin’ good fer people. And this one’s all about local jobs that keep people off the streets. Continue reading
Filed under Crowd Sourced Novel
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
Filed under Characters, Entrepreneur
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
Filed under Characters, Conflict, Entrepreneur, Politics, Relationships, The Economy
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
Filed under Conflict, Entrepreneur, Politics, The Economy
Controlled Design Management – Part 1
Controlled Design Management – Part 2
Controlled Design Management – Part 3
Controlled Design Management – Part 4
How Hyperlocal Social Economies Evolve
Investors Losing Patience with Pivots
Millennials are Becoming Obsolete–Already!
Chicago–the Best Incubator in America?
Driving Value When Funding Runs Low
The 10 Commandments of Startups
Your Business and Your Children
The Hidden Danger in Your Data
Underestimating the Competition
The Girl in the Black Leather Pants
The Apprentice Meets Digital Boot Camp
Fear of Failure Is Not an Option
The Secret World of 3D Printing
Fascination of a Thought Leader
If We Build it, They Will Come
Shark Tank Meets The Apprentice
The Gamemaker's Father 