Tag Archives: venture capital

April 18, 2017 · 10:00 am

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 →

THE FRENZY

Bill Blair – special correspondent –

as told to John Jonelis

Bill Blaire here. Mr. Jonelis wants I should go to this FUNDING FEEDING FRENZY thing. Says I’m gonna give a completely different slant compared to the resta this crowd here. I cut my teeth in the Local #1 Boilermakers, then as a Cement Contractor till I packed up my tools fer good. Continue reading →

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Filed under Characters, Entrepreneur, Writing style

Tagged as angel, angel capital, Bill Blaire, Blackline Review, Cardoona, Equity investing, fff, Geek Bar, Glenn Gottfried, investor, Jane Pickling, L train, Loan shark, Ludditis, Ludditis Shots & Beer, Phil Murphy, Pierce O'Shea, portapure, Private equity, Rocco Spumoni, Shark Tank, Sharks, Smart Gardner, vc, venture capital

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

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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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

November 23, 2012 · 5:00 am

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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Filed under Characters, Conflict, Entrepreneur

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

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 →