Tag Archives: Chicago

August 8, 2017 · 7:00 am

INVESTORS LOSING PATIENCE WITH PIVOTS

by Howard Tullman

There’s no polite or easy way to say this, but winter is on its way in the venture world. It’s getting tougher and tougher for startups caught in the lukewarm limbo between ideas and invoices to get their early backers to up their bets especially when it’s not clear that they’ve found a viable business model and/or a way to stop the bleeding sooner rather than later. Too many pivots with too little to show for the dollars down the drain and pretty soon no one wants to hear your, “someday soon,” story or your next grand plan. Continue reading →

CHICAGO—THE BEST INCUBATOR IN AMERICA?

by Denny O’Malley

Recently, Inc.com published an article about the best cities for early-stage companies. The premise: Chicago is the surprise winner.

Why would that be? San Francisco and New York are both beautiful, thriving cities that dramatically represent the diversity of American ideas. San Fran—younger, more venture-oriented, with beautiful natural vistas. New York—the classic, bustling private and public equity concrete jungle.

What do they have in common? It costs a kidney to pay rent for a closet. Continue reading →

KIDNAPPED

By Mark T. Wayne

Weeks have passed since my last conscious memory. Weeks, I say! A man can lose his hat and perhaps even his pants, but to lose several weeks is inexcusable. Think what mischief might transpire over such a span of time! Continue reading →

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Filed under angel, angel investor, app, bill blaire, Characters, Entrepreneur, Entrepreneurship, loop lonagan, mark t wayne, mobile, mobile internet, vc, venture capital, wireless, wireless internet

Tagged as Abduction, amnesia, bull terrier, Chicago, dog, freshkills, holland tunnel, kills, murder capital of the world, new jersey, New York, paul bunyan, pet, staten island, story

October 4, 2013 · 2:09 am

WHAT MAKES IT GOOD

Techweek Part 4 –

by storied business consultant, Joe Perogi,

as told to John Jonelis –

Been hearin’ complaints ‘n’ controversy about Techweek this year. People gripe so you figure there’s gotta be a good reason, right? Yeah, I hear you. Yer sayin’, where there’s smoke there’s fire. But all them critics completely miss THE HIDDEN ROOM that you and me stumple upon—the hidden room that makes this thing truly amazing. Now the dust is settled, lemme take you on a tour o’ what I seen. Continue reading →

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Filed under Characters, Education, Entrepreneur, Entrepreneurship, High Tech, Low Tech, Politics, Startup Companies, Startups

Tagged as angel, Chicago, competition, enthusiasm, entrepreneurs, innovation, invention, Investors, Joe Perogi, new ideas, noise, passion, Risk, startup city, startups, techweek, TriNet, vc, venture, winners

May 1, 2013 · 12:22 am

WHAT’S CLEAN

Impact Engine – Part 6

John Jonelis

~ VERBATIM from a special correspondent ~

Loop Lonagan here. I’m at a place where my natural greed ‘n’ avarice can do some good fer dis poor worn-out world. This is the Chicago CleanTech Competition—what you might call a race between high-tech global janitorial services. Ten distinguished judges will pick the best o’ da best—companies that’re really doin’ somethin’ to deal with the mess we’re makin’ outa our little corner o’ God’s creation. What we got here is da last ten finalists in our great city and tonight that gets cut down to five. Continue reading →

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

Tagged as angel, angel capital, angel investor, bacteria, Big Money, Chicago, chicago clean energy alliance, chicago ventures, clean water, cleantech, dirty water, drinking water, e. coli, entrepreneruship and politics, Entrepreneur, Entrepreneurship, events, filter, gcca, global cleantech cluster association, Impact Engine, impact investing, innovation, innovation and culture, invention, investments, investor, Jobs, Kellogg, Loop Lonagan, new companies, Northwestern, philanthropist, pitch, portapure, social entrepreneur, vc, venture capital, virus, water, water contamination, water pollution

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

November 12, 2012 · 5:00 am

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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Filed under Entrepreneur, Influence, Relationships

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

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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Filed under Characters, Conflict, Entrepreneur, Influence

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

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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Filed under Characters, Conflict, Entrepreneur

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 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 →

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Filed under Biography, Characters, Conflict, Entrepreneur

Tagged as broker dealer, Chicago, cleveland, columbus, direct marketing, Entrepreneur, indianapolis, merger, meryll lynch, nfib, politics, president, risk capital, ronald reagan, selling a company, series 7, speech, startup, town hall meeting, us, venture capital

March 24, 2012 · 12:57 pm

ROYA FETOVA – 30

A Crowdsourced Novel
Read it here – Say what comes
next.

“Okay Paul, thanks for the report.” Agent Stan Harris flipped the file closed and moved it to the pile at his left.

Paul’s chair scraped loudly as he stood. “Stan, there’s something I want you to see.”

“What now? Another strangled giant?”

Paul grinned. “Just peek out your door a minute.” Continue reading →

2 Comments

Filed under Characters, Conflict, Crowd Sourced Novel, Crowdsourced Novel, Death, Interactive Story, Living Novel, Mystery, Relationships

Tagged as Chicago, CIA, computers, encryption, FBI, genius, Italian, Las Vegas, Mob, mobile app, mobile apps, New York, optimization, Russian, search, security, servers, smart phone, The Cloud

September 13, 2011 · 4:02 pm

ROYA FETOVA – 23

A Crowdsourced Novel

Read it here – Say what comes next.

Tony Ferragamo watched Nicholi “Nicky” Segovia stoop and inspect him. If this huge Teddy bear of a man was FBI, how did he fit in the picture?

Roya leaned against the kitchen table. “The gray hair isn’t good enough, Nicky. I’ll get the shears.” She left the room and came back with an electric clipper that looked like a leftover from a dog groomer. “Tonsure it.” Continue reading →

7 Comments

Filed under Interactive Story, Living Novel

Tagged as Chicago, disguise, killing, Mob, pistol, silencer, syndicate