TECH cocktail Chicago #5 - The One Year Anniversary
June 27, 2007
Wow - I can’t believe it was a year ago when Frank and I first put on this event. It was a crazy idea to be sure since we had no idea how many people would come or if people would get any value from it but a year later with four events in Chicago under our belts and one in D.C. (and one on the way in Boston) I can safely say TECH cocktail has turned into everything we hoped for and much much more.
The Chicago tech scene has also sprung to life it seems over the past year. Now we’ve got great events in town like Chicago Beta and Web Ascent along with staples like BarCamp (which we were fortunate enough to be part of this time around via a donation we made to the cause). We’ve got company’s springing up all around us. Some companies are even being sold to the big guys and the big guys are continuing to add to their presence in Chicago.
It has also been a big year for both Frank and I with the the move over to AOL and the sale of FeedBurner to Google respectively.
It has been fantastic to get to know all of you over the past year and to work with a lot of you and I am definitely looking forward to another great year. That said, what better way to kick things off than to start with another TECH cocktail. The TECH cocktail 1 year Anniversary event!
This is the official announcement and we’re hoping to let all attend who want to come this time. In any case please RSVP as soon as you can so Frank and I can get an accurate headcount. Here are the details:
Date: Thursday, July, 12th 2007
Time: 6:30pm - 9pm
Place: John Barleycorn’s in Wrigleyville (3524 N. Clark Street) Upstairs
RSVP: Click Here
Details: Drinks are free yet again as is admission
We’re looking forward to seeing you there!
Oh - one more thing. Frank threw together this nifty badge for all of you that would like to add it to your blogs. The URL for the image is: http://www.ericjohnolson.com/images/i-enjoy-techcocktail-chicago-5-badge.png : I would suggest linking it to TECHcocktail.com or the RSVP page at http://techcocktail-year1.eventbrite.com/
Smart Bet: Entrepreneurs Pitching In
June 25, 2007
Jason Jacobsohn from the CEC shot us a note the other day about a really cool poker tournament coming up called Smart Bet. This year will mark the 2nd anniversary of the charity tournament which is run by a handful Chicagoland entrepreneurs.
First, Frank and I would like to urge folks to attend if they can to help the cause. You’ll also get the benefit of being able to network with your fellow entrepreneurs.
Second, Smart Bet needs a lot of dealers for the event so if you are up for it please shoot me a note (eric [at] techcocktail.com) and I’ll forward you on to Jason. Jason assured me that no experience is required and there will be some pre-event training for all dealers.
We all know this is the closest we’ll get to the World Poker Tour so come on out to have some fun and to support the cause. Who knows, you may even earn some seed money for your next company.
My oh my … myAOL
June 19, 2007
As many TECH cocktail’ers know I moved out to DC last September just a few months after our first TECH cocktail in Chicago to take on a new role with AOL and have been flying in for the Chicago TECH cocktails every since. I have not been able to really talk about what I have been working on until now. Check out this sneak peek video of the new myAOL.
There are more details on TechCrunch and Somewhat Frank - I hope you all check it out when it launches soon.
Want To Help Companies Innovate?
June 18, 2007
Inventables is a Chicago-based startup that aims to find new innovative products that could help other businesses. If you are interesting in helping companies innovate, you might want to contact Inventables as they are currently looking for someone with management consulting experience and an engineering degree. The candidate should have managed a team and be adept at managing client relationships focused on business improvement, product development, and innovation issues. This experience must be working with consumer product companies that have revenues over one billion dollars. Strong communication and presentation skills combined with the ability to make clients feel comfortable and confident are a must.
For more information check out the full job description.
FBLA-PBL Contest in Need of Judges
June 13, 2007
I was made aware of a day of competitions that the FBLA-PBL (Future Business Leaders of America - Phi Beta Lambda) is putting on via a friend of mine. Turns out they are in need of some tech related judges for some of the competitions. I have a soft spot for the FBLA as I founded the chapter at my high school (Shepherd Hill Regional - Go Rams!) so I have agreed to sit in as a judge on either the E-Business or Web Site Development competitions (still waiting to hear which one works for my schedule). Here are the details and the slots they need to fill:
Slots:
Digital Video Production (8:00 - 3:00 presentation) - 6 judges needed
E-Businesses (12:30 - 6:00 presentation) - 2 judges needed
Multimedia (8:00 - 3:00 presentation) - 6 judges needed
Web Site Development (8:00 - 1:30 presentation) - 1 judge needed (that’ll probably be me though)
Event Details:
Location: Hyatt Regency on 151 E. Wacker.
Date: Friday, June 29th
Perks: Judges get a parking voucher, breakfast (if you have any early panel) and lunch.
This is a great chance to give back to the next generation of business leaders and entrepreneurs so I hope some of you out there will do this with me. If you’re interested in being a judge please shoot me a note (eric [at] techcocktail.com) and I’ll get you the judge form (takes 30 seconds to fill out) and the contact info of the person you should e-mail it to. End of PSA…
Meet the Angels
June 12, 2007
Do you know any angel investors you can refer me too? I get asked that question all the time and unfortunately my answer is always no. I know a lot of VCs both here and on the coasts but for some reason I have never met many angels. So needless to say I was psyched when Raman Chadha of the Coleman Entrepreneurship Center at DePaul University told me about an event coming up where the focus was on entrepreneurs meeting local angels.
The details for the event are below and I have to say that Raman has put together a stellar lineup. As a side note I asked Raman to mention TECH cocktail to the angels so hopefully more of them will come to TC 5 (to be announced shortly).
MEET THE ANGELS: TALES FROM THE TRENCHES
Presented by the Coleman Entrepreneurship Center at DePaul University
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
5:30pm - 8:30pm
Union League Club of Chicago, 65 W. Jackson, 7th Floor, Crystal Room
$60 Early Registration; $75 after June 13th
Panelists and Roundtable Hosts:
Frank Ballantine, Reed Smith LLP
Michel Feldman, Cornerstone Angels
Bob Geras, LaSalle Investments
Michael Gruber, Cornerstone Angels
Michael Hanna, BioAngels
Bill Houston, Cornerstone Angels
Ron Kirschner, Heartland Angels
John Lump, DePaul Blue Angel Network
Bob Okabe, RPX Group
Dennis Serio, Illinois Business & Investor Forum
Ira Weiss, Hyde Park Angels
TECH cocktail is now on Facebook
June 10, 2007
Due to the obsession with Facebook that both Frank and I have right now we thought we should probably get a Facebook group together for all the TCers out there. It will let us all interact in between TCs by writing on the wall, posting pictures and participating in the discussion board.
Combining the Facebook group with our thriving LinkedIn group (422 members and counting) should kick the post party interaction into high gear. Get on to the Facebook group when you have a chance and keep an eye out for the upcoming TC 5 Chicago announcement. It’s going to be big since it’s the TECH cocktail 1 year anniversary!
Online Marketing Rockstar Wanted at Chicago Startup - Cappex
June 10, 2007
Cappex, a Chicago-based startup, in the college admissions industry that has been involved with TECH cocktail for quite sometime. I met Mike Moyer, president & COO of Cappex at the first TECH cocktail in Chicago back in July 2006. He was working a couple different startup ideas and one of them turned into Cappex. Cappex helps students find colleges that want them before they actually apply…more on Cappex here.
Cappex is a young, fast growing entrepreneurial organization currently seeking a highly motivated individual with a strong record of professional achievement to join our company as an Online Marketing Manager (i.e. Online Marketing Rockstar).
Here are the job details:
The Online Marketing Manager will be responsible for developing and managing our online marketing efforts including affiliate programs, SEO and paid search. This is a great job for someone who has developed some good skills, but wants to take a lead role in development and execution.
Duties
* Prospect new affiliates
* Manage affiliate relationships
* Accountable for affiliate P&L
* Negotiate new offers placements
* Provide offer analysis to sales and management team
* Optimize site for search engines
* Identify paid search terms
* Launch programs and provide regular reporting and analysis
Requirements
* Bachelors Degree
* 3+ years as an online affiliate manager
* Must have a strong understanding of online marketing
* Experience with CPA, CPL, CPM, and CPC campaigns
* Strong decision making and problem solving skills
* Independently motivated
* Proficient in all MS Office products
To Apply:
Contact Mike Moyer, Cappex president & COO, at mmoyer@cappex.com.
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Preferred Accounting Services Provider: Frost, Ruttenberg & Rothblatt, P.C. 
Preferred Legal Services Provider:
Hinshaw & Culbertson
Preferred Charity:
Teaming for Technology
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