Wednesday, November 29, 2000

Holiday parties, launches and its business as usual


Meanwhile, the holiday party season is picking up momentum. This week also marked the 5th  anniversary of Lynda Meyer’s Net Technologies, which has expanded office space and staff, and showed off a new DoTell video presentation to guests. TechTV launched in New York with a new club opening — LIGHT — not far from the Christmas tree ceremony in midtown. And if you love those champagne bars, but don’t want to trek all the way uptown or downtown, the Flatiron District now has Flatiron Flute to satiate your bubble cravings. The Women in New Media group offered a useful evening discussion on compensation issues for the workplace, and NYNMA continued its business-building class series with discussions on marketing.

O Christmas Tree!


O Christmas Tree, How are thy leaves so verdant! It was a beautiful balmy November night (till later) and a select group of invited guests gathered on the 3rd floor of SiegelGale’s offices for an upscale soiree for the annual NYC Christmas Tree lighting ceremony on Wednesday, the 29th. Outside on the terrace, “Joystick Nation” author JC Hertz was well prepared with a fur-collared ensemble and good conversation with SiegelGale Interactive VP Andrew Zolli. The Rockettes performed outside on another stage (there were four), while inside, Jupiter Communications’ Kate Berg and Revolution magazine Editor-in-Chief Stovin Hayter chatted. I sipped a cranberry martini as I chatted with LeBoeuf, Lamb, Greene & MacRae’s Raj Godfrey-Mahapatra about his entrepreneurial networking group, and met Michael Allen (of The Michael Allen Company). Digital Club Network’s Andrew Raisej and Wit Soundview’s Zoe Adlersberg were among the digerati who came by. BusinessWeek’s Diane Brady, who was about 10 days away from giving birth, chatted with Joycelyn Henri and I about maternity laws around the world, while Marc Anthony belted out his hit-song. As the moment got closer, a handful braved the beginning rains and sipped hot toddies as the tree was lit. Hurrah!

Tuesday, November 28, 2000

CEOs Ecom and the World


This relatively quiet week was also marked by two mini-conferences: the Chief Executive CEO Conference and the e-Commerce Conference. I stopped by the CEO conference cocktail reception at the Windows on the World on Tuesday, November 28. I met dotCEO magazine Editor Chris Larson, who told me that this new publication will be coming out in January 2001. Chief Executive magazine COO and Publisher Carol Evans introduced me to Rohsen Tech and Marketing’s David Rohlander and Chief Executive magazine’s J.P. Donlon. We chatted with The Interactive Resource’s Christine Harmel when Skyscout’s President James Gellert, Corporate Communications Manager Heather Salmond and Corporate Development Director Andrew Milgram joined us. On my way out, I chatted with Tom Shattan of The Shattan Group, who told me that his private equity firm never invests in pure dot-com plays. And as the Windows on the World Turns, so do the Days of Our Internet Lives.

No Shoe-in for Schumer


This recent non-election as it is, Senator Schumer was unexpectedly called down to Washington the day he was scheduled to speak the morning of Tuesday, November 28, for a Linden Alschuler & Kaplan, Inc.-hosted Silicon Alley Political Forum. Knovel.com president & CEO Chris Forbes, VentureSurf Jason Dimen and Justin Model and Genosys’s Kevin Gori were among the guests invited. I also chatted with Ukibi, Inc.’s Marie-Laure Vercambre, Jennifer Brown and Ying Zhao. Columbia Journalism school student Mia Goldberg and Newsday’s technology reporter Pradnya Joshi were among the press covering the occasion. Doubleclick’s Chief Privacy Officer (and former Schumer staffer) Jules Polonetsky made an interesting point in his panel presentation: if government wants press coverage for one of its issues, add the word “Internet” to it and the press will come.

As juices and coffees were sipped before the morning panel, I met NYC Board of Education president William Thompson, Jr., Mintz Levin Cohn Ferris Glovsky and Popeo attorney John Delehanty, and TrammellCrowCompany SVP James Millard. Former NYC Economic Development Corporation President Charles Millard opened the discussion and introduced Flatiron Partners’ Managing Partner Jerry Colonna, who pointed to the two biggest problems in the industry’s growth — the digital divide and the gap in education which is creating a lack of qualified employees. Senator Schumer spoke of the cycles in the private sector, from the industrial revolution to today’s modern age. He said that we need to define rules and set a platform for continued growth. “We’re at the end of the beginning of the technology phase when government couldn’t and shouldn’t be involved,” he said. “It is developing at such a rapid pace, to try and regulate it when it’s still in such change and flux is almost fruitless.” The morning continued with guests like Redwood Partners’ Randy Schoenfeld and Oscar Capital’s Rick Lerner listening to AlleyCat News editor Anna Wheatley and Nixon Peabody’sPartner Jerome Coleman making their points about the government’s role in the Internet.

Tuesday, November 21, 2000

Cocktails with Courtney ~ Going Global

Cocktails with Courtney are continuing to go global. Check out our site
            for dates and places and sign up as sponsorship-it's the best party line
            in any town! Our Morning Circle continues this month with "Where in the
            World is Wireless?" with a wonderful round of speakers. Sign up to attend
            and enjoy a full hot breakfast as you network around the table. November
            21. UBS 10 East 50th Street. Cocktails with Courtney Black Tie is around
            the corner. We're finalizing the smashing location and setting the date.
            But time is running out to sign up as a sponsor so call today!
            (212-473-9500) This is the choice event in the holiday season and we
            benefit a local charity for the betterment of our society

The Morning Circle event: "Where in the World is Wireless?"


* November 21: Morning Circle
UBS Bank. 10 West 50th Street
8:00 AM - 9:00 AM
Topic: "Where in the World is Wireless?"

Monday, November 20, 2000

Investment and Business on the Far East side - Japan


            Relatively and literally in the Far East (depending on your perspective
            in NYC), the Japan Society held a one-day conference on Venture Capital
            and the Internet in Japan at its building on 47th Street and 1st Avenue.
            Starting off the day with a major speaker, attendees got to hear Patricof
            & Co. Ventures' Alan Patricof talk about opportunities and challenges in
            approaching the Japanese VC market. Gaijin, Inc.'s Mark Frieser (looking
            more dashing than an Englishman in a fashionable pin-striped suit, with
            colorful shirt and tie) presided over a panel on Japan's wireless web
            with Mobile Internet Capital President and CEO Dr. Ikuo Nishioka, IRI
            Japan President and CEO Hiroshi Fujiwara and Whitney & Co. MD Paul
            Slawson. AlleyCat News Editor-in-Chief Anna Wheatley moderated a panel on
            the view from America, and guests got to hear Mari Matsunaga, creator of
            I-mode web services, close the day with a thoughtful prediction of the
            future of the wireless web. Afterwards, in a swell reception in the
            Society's lobby area, Mark introduced me to the illustrious Netyear Group
            CEO Fujiyo Ishiguro, Japan Internet Ventures MD Bruno Grandsard and Japan
            Society's Corporate Programs Director Daniel Rosenblum. Xmuros MD Chin
            Kook and Business Development Manager Marjorie Kwan told me about the
            day's activities. Before leaving, I had a positively lovely conversation
            with LINC Media's (Japan Inc magazine) Karen Ng and Digital Garage's
            Deboarah Westby. Water softly flowed and lapped in the fountain, while a
            tree and flowers swayed as busy networkers wove in and out, carrying out
            proper bows and exchanging business cards. Ah, the simple delights of
            networking after a full day of fruitful learning.

The Cyber Scene in Denver ~ by Suzanne Lainson

On November 20, the Internet Chamber of Commerce held its last
event of the year. This time it was at the new Westin Westminster
Hotel. Since we entered through the convention center entrance, I
didn't see the main lobby, but the back end was quite nice. And
upscale restrooms, as I recall. As usual, the event attracted lots
of attendees (almost 1100 registered). Plus forty-one exhibitors.
http://www.icc.org

Among the familiar faces were Mike Gellman and Brandon Shevin of
SpireMedia, Ann Thompson of The Jedi Group, and Jon Otsuki of
Otsuki Group. Don Cohen, founder/owner of the Tool King, introduced
me to Amy Berk, president of MarketontheWeb.com. I also chatted
with John Sierwierski, who runs GearDirect.com, a Boulder-based
sporting goods site.
http://www.spiremedia.com
http://www.jedigroup.com
http://www.toolking.com
http://www.marketontheweb.com
http://www.geardirect.com

There were several breakout sessions and I chose to sit in on one
presented by Chris Wand and Dan Feld of Softbank Venture Capital.
Among the points they made were:
.....Softbank is committed to Colorado.
.....They look for companies with a strong management team, a
market opportunity, and sufficient market size. Can the company be
a dominant player in a big market?
.....Softbank only does Internet companies. This way it can
maximize relationships and promote synergies.
.....Hotbank, the Softbank incubator that Dan oversees, only takes
in Softbank-funded companies. Its sole purpose is to help Softbank
companies have greater success. Unlike some other incubators, it
doesn't offer a huge internal staff but rather helps tenants
identify and procure what they need. There will be ten to twelve
companies housed at the incubator at any given time, approximately
fifteen to twenty over a year's time.
http://www.sbvc.com

On December 5, First Tuesday came to town. It's a concept that
brings entrepreneurs and investors together in a social setting.
Started in 1998 in London, First Tuesday has spread to over 100
international cities. Quite a few locals expressed interest in
attending; more than 2000 registered for the 500 available slots.
The by-invitation-only mix for the evening ended up being 52%
entrepreneurs, 17% investors, and 31% service providers. The event
was held in Brooklyn's, a massive two-story sports bar and
restaurant adjacent to the Pepsi Center. We had the run of the
place (and the nearby free parking was a real plus).
http://www.ftdenver.com

The first person I saw was Alex Teitz, editor-in-chief of
Femmusic.com. He updated me on what was happening with his company.
Sounds like it's garnering lots of good connections within the
independent music industry. I also saw Mike Gellman and Brandon
Shevin of SpireMedia. I found it interesting that they wore
different tags. Brandon came as a service provider and Mike as an
entrepreneur. Then I spotted Marc Holtzman, Colorado's Secretary of
Technology, and his deputy director, Terry Huffhine, and went over
and introduced myself. Marc was a guest speaker along with Tom
Detmer, president/CEO of 24/7 Media. I didn't realize until after
the fact where the presentation room had been set up so I didn't
catch their speeches. (But videos are now available at the First
Tuesday Denver website.)
http://www.femmusic.com
http://www.spiremedia.com
http://www.247media.com

I saw Andre Pettigrew, marketing VP of FastIdeas Accelerator, and
we talked about having run into each other at a performance of "Gum
Boots" at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts. I also talked
to Dick Pankoskis, president/CEO of COSA Technologies. Among others
I chatted with were the ClickPLAY crew (Alan Kaplan,
founder/chairman, Kelly Lefkowitz, CEO, and Richard Sharp,
communications coordinator), Patty Rivera, CEO/founder of
Kiditcard, Andy Cervantes, new COO of the Privacy Foundation, and
Jonathan Cohen, president/CEO of 20 Tons, a B2B plastics site.
http://www.fastideas.com
http://www.clickplay.com
http://www.privacyfoundation.org
http://www.20TONS.com

I was at the event for at least an hour before I started noticing
the money people (identifiable by their red name tag holders). I
don't know if they all came late or I hadn't been paying attention.
I spotted one clump talking together. Then I noticed another clump.
Then another clump. I made a tour around the upstairs floor,
looking for red and saw quite a bit of it. In fact, I saw more
money people gathered together at First Tuesday than I had seen at
any other Denver/Boulder networking event. The entrepreneurs were
approaching them fairly tentatively (but ever hopeful), so I doubt
that any deals were being done on the spot. But I did see some
cards being exchanged and I overheard some money people say, "Give
me a call next week." Several fundseekers told me, "I've exchanged
emails with so-and-so before, but this is the first time I had a
chance to meet him," so I know they appreciated the opportunity for
face-to-face interaction. Among the many VCs in attendance were:
Andy Casazza with iSherpa, Sara Gutterman with Boulder Ventures,
Timothy Fitzgerald with Sturm Group, Christopher Onan with Wolf
Ventures, Tom Cullen with Lone Tree Capital, and Chris Wand with
Softbank Venture Capital.
http://www.isherpa.com
http://www.boulderventures.com
http://www.sturmgroup.com
http://www.wolfventures.com
http://www.sbvc.com

The Colorado Internet Keiretsu was having its meeting the same
night. It wasn't too far away, at The ChopHouse in LoDo near Coors
Field. I would have dropped in except for one thing: parking. It is
neither cheap nor convenient in downtown Denver so since it was
free and convenient where I was and the weather had been crummy, I
decided to stay put until it was time to head back to Boulder.
http://www.cik.org

Friday, November 17, 2000

Courtney Pulitzer's Cyber Scene Calendar of Events


-------------------------------------------------------------

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November 21, 2000

* * Courtney Pulitzer Morning Circle Breakfast: "Where in the World is Wireless". Sponsored by OneStudio and UBS Bank. Noted speakers:
Donna Campbell, Director, Ericsson Cyberlab Owen Davis, Owen Davis, Chairman, CEO and co-Founder Seth Goldstein, Principal, Flatiron Partners Gordon Gould, CEO, UPOC.  Time: 8AM Sharp to 9:00AM.  Place: UBS Bank 10 East 50thStreet(btwn Madison and 5th Avenue)

* * Charting Your Course to an Internet IPO-Safe Harbors: Keeping Most
Time: 8:30am to 10:30am. Place: 1133 Avenue of the Americas, between 43d & 44th Sts. Cost: Free. Rsvp: Christine Eschenauer, (212) 336-2592, eschenac@pbwt.com, www.pbwt.com

* * 2000 Emerging Technologies Conference.  Time:  8:20am to 5:15pm
Place: Sheraton New York Hotel, 811 Seventh Ave. (at 53d St.).  Cost: Members, $250; nonmembers, $350.  Rsvp: (800) NYS-SCPA, www.nysscpa.org/FAEOnline/course.cfm?acrm=ETCON

* * Is Wireless the Next Frontier?  Time: 11:30am to 2:00pm
Place: Westin Hotel, Morristown, NJ; for directions: (973) 539-7300. Cost: Members, $25; nonmembers, $45.  Rsvp: Clara Stricchiola, (973) 267-4200 x193; clara@vanj.com


November 27, 2000
* * The Power of Strategy in E-Business. Time: 5:00 TO 7:00 P.M.
Place: 52 Vanderbilt Avenue, across from the west exit of Grand Central
Terminal; 18th floor. Cost: Members, $40; nonmembers, $50; students and first time guests, $30.  Rsvp: Leonard Steinberg, (516) 679-1256,
lsteinberg@leonardsteinberg.com, www.imcusa.org/chapters/imcNYChap.html

November 28, 2000
* * Open House for Advanced IT Management Program.  Time: 6:30pm.
Place: Columbia University, 510 Lewisohn Hall, 116th St. & Broadway. Cost: Free.  Rsvp: Dennis Green, (212) 854-7436, www.ce.columbia.edu/aitm


* * CEOs to assess the future of E-commerce at the chief executive groups second annual CEO conference Tuesday, November 28- Wednesday, November 29.  Place Windows on the World in New York City.  Rsvp: Elizabeth Ames, I-media Communications Inc. 212.517.6484: 917.721.6277

November 29, 2000
* * Archiving & Managing Your Video Footage: In-House & on the Web Time: 10:00am to 2:00pm. Place: Pulse Digital, 915 Broadway (between 20th & 21st Sts.), 15th floor. Cost: Free. Rsvp: Ruth Ellison, (212) 387-8800, rellison@pulsedigital.com

* * Archiving & Managing Your Video Footage: In-House & on the Web
Time: 6:00 TO 8:00 P.M. Place: Pulse Digital, 915 Broadway (between 20th & 21st Sts.), 15th floor. Cost: Free. Rsvp: Ruth Ellison, (212) 387-8800, rellison@pulsedigital.com

> WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 29, AND THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 8:30 A.M. TO 7:30 P.M.
> EVENT: eLearning Global Conference
> HOST: Diplomatic Planet
> DESCRIPTION: Meet the leaders from the public sector who are defining the
> future of the education and eLearning industry.
> LOCATION: DP Net's UN Plaza Conference Center, 42nd St. and 2nd Ave.
> COST: $1500, preregistration required; group discounts available
> CONTACT: David W. Alvey, (212) 952 1548, confreg@diplomaticplanet.net,
> www.diplomaticplanet.net/deducate/index.html

November 30, 2000


* * Silicon Sidewalk Tradeshow. Time: 6:00pm to 10:00pm. Place: BasketBall City, 35 Lomasney Way, Boston (near the Fleet Center). Cost: $10 online, $20 at the door. Rsvp: More information: www.siliconspot.com/sidewalk or email Brian(briand@siliconspot.com).


December 6, 2000
WIN is pleased to welcome Meg Walsh , CEO of Oncology.com, as our featured guest for the next "Conversations With.." lunch on Wednesday, December 6. Time: 12 PM. Place: 50 Vanderbilt Avenue, NYC (across from Grand Central).  Cost: $55 members, $75 guests (late registration is an additional $10 and subject to availability). This event is open to WIN members and guests. For Membership information, please send an email to info@winm.org. Please RSVP and send payment early to reserve your place. Seating is limited.  Payment is necessary to confirm reservation. Sorry, no refunds can be made.

Happy Thanks Giving!!

----------------------------------------------------------------------
Future New York


* * Touched by Angel.  Date: November 29, 2000.  Place: New York, Marriott Marquia. Steve Brotman, Managing Partner, Silicon Alley Venture Partners leads our band of Angels. Chris Mutkowski, CEO, InternetAngel$ and CEO Coach, McAdory Lipscomb, Jr.take on the start-ups and help them get ahead. The great start-up derby returns to New York. Send your 150-word submission now to pitch@ibreakfast.com
Once again, we present our band of angels and an audience of Investors,
Media and Business Development executives who will help you get to the next level in your funding efforts.


* * WIN is pleased to welcome Meg Walsh , CEO of Oncology.com, as our featured guest for the next "Conversations With.." lunch on Wednesday, December 6.  Date: December 6, 2000.  Time: 12 PM Networking 12:30 PM lunch is served 1-2 PM speaker.  Place: The Yale Club 50 Vanderbilt Avenue, NYC (across from Grand Central).  Cost: $55 members, $75 guests (late registration is an additional $10 and
subject to availability). This event is open to WIN members and guests. For Membership information,
please send an email to info@winm.org. Please RSVP and send payment early to reserve your place. Seating is limited. Payment is necessary to confirm reservation. Sorry, no refunds can be made.
To reserve either: a. MAIL BEFORE November 27 with your check, to Women In New Media, OR b. FAX BEFORE December 1 with your credit card info (MasterCard, Visa, or Amex only) to 212-369-5282.
 

"Business to Business 2001" Conference and Exposition. A B2B e-Business Conference and Exposition on Strategy, Solutions, and Internet Technology in "NO TECH" Language for Small & Medium-size Company
Enterprises and Women and Minority Businesses. Date: March 27th & 28th, 2001.  Time: 8:00 AM - 6:00 PM (both days).  Place: The Roosevelt Hotel New York, Madison and 45th Street New York, New York. Cost: 2 Day Conference $295. 1 Day Conference $225. Exhibition Only $95. RSVP:  Http://www.business-to-Business2001.com or email us at - info@djmassociates.com

Boston


* * Corporate Venturing hosted by Strategic Research Institute. Date: October 30-Tuesday, October 31. Place: Boston, MA. Cost: $1,595. Rsvp: www.srinstitute.com/divisions/cx/cx336.html

 


California


* * Model Party Invite. Date November 16, 2000.  Time 9:00PM to 2:00AM.  Place:  GoodBar 9229 Sunset Blvd, Beverly Hills. Rsvp: megaone.com/indiesite/colours.htm chase-indie@usa.net, www.indiesite.com
---------------------------------------------------------------
Event Space Available
---------------------------------------------------------------
* * Event Space Available: Technology/Incubator Building on Houston Street between Sullivan & Thompson seeks strategic partners/investors to create state-of-the-art storefront event space/technology gallery.  Fantastic location, incredible details/ambiance. 5,000 sq ft storefront, 5,000 sq ft usable basement space. Send inquiries to: jdm@jdm.com
---------------------------------------------------------------
* * Our weekly select Calendar of Events. It is sent every Friday so you can prepare for the coming week's events. As we want to provide as much value as possible, please send us your suggestions to help us improve the format, delivery and scheduling.

Joanna Fabozzi, Editor

* * To List Your Event Here
Send an email with the following information completed:
Date:
Title:
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The Cyber Scene in Denver - by Suzanne Lainson

The Cyber Scene in Denver ~ by Suzanne Lainson
slainson@thecyberscene.com

On November 17 I had three events in Denver. The first one was the
all-day StartUp Basecamp, held at the Denver Marriott City Center.
The concept was dreamed up by Jon Nordmark, CEO of eBags, and Joyce
Colson, a partner with Colson-Quinn, to help entrepreneurs
negotiate starting and running a business. (I'm going to guess that
eBags had something to do with those fantastic backpacks we were
given to hold our info and other freebies.) Approximately 400 were
in attendance, a mix of not only eager entrepreneurs, but also
those from established businesses who were there to network. I ran
into Erin Geegan, founder and chief development officer of
Neovation. Just as I was telling her about the TiE-Rockies meeting I had attended two nights earlier, I spotted one of its founders,
Sapna Shah, so I introduced them. Andre Pettigrew was manning the
Fast Ideas table (he's VP of marketing for the
incubator/accelerator) so I said hi. I also dropped by the Clarus
table and chatted with associate B.J. Bernier, and then over to
Deloitte & Touche table to introduce myself to Lezlie Forster,
marketing director.
http://www.startupbasecamp.com
http://www.ebags.com
http://www.colsonquinn.com
http://www.neovation.com
http://www.tie-rockies.org
http://www.fastideas.com
http://www.claruspr.com
http://www.us.deloitte.com

At lunch I sat next to Allan Roth, of Allan Roth & Company, a
management consulting firm. He had recently relocated from Aspen to
Colorado Springs, which, according to the American Electronics
Association, is the fastest growing tech city (based on the
percentage increase in tech jobs) and the second most tech-savvy
city (based on the percentage of households with computers and
Internet access) in the country. Schools also came up in the
conversation because Allan lives in the Cheyenne Mountain School
District, which, according to the Wall Street Journal's Offspring
magazine, is one of the top in the country. After lunch I
introduced him to Erin Geegan, who began her company in Colorado
Springs.
http://www.allanroth.com

I sat in on a few sessions and tried to take notes although there
was so much info I couldn't get most of it down on paper. Bill
Ernstrom, president/CEO of Voyant Technologies, and Art Zeile,
CEO/founder of InFlow, talked about valuations. Chuck Bay, CEO of
Broadbase, talked about ways to keep employees happy so that, come
hell or high water, they will stay with you. Mark Dreher, principal
with iVention Group, said that before he invests, he wants to know
how a company can get to $100 million in revenue. Gary Rohr, co-
founder of iSherpa, said that there are no unique ideas and it's a
red flag if an entrepreneur claims to have one. What Gary wants to
know is how his venture capital firm can help a team leapfrog that
inevitable competition.
http://www.voyanttech.com
http://www.inflow.com
http://www.broadbase.com
http://www.iventiongroup.com
http://www.iSherpa.com

Mid-afternoon I was heading out the door to make the next event. I
ran into Andrew Currie, co-founder of Email Publishing (which was
sold to MessageMedia). He was arriving to speak about selling your
company.
http://www.messagemedia.com

Next it was off to the Loews Giorgio Hotel near Cherry Creek for a
presentation on high tech business opportunities in Mexico. It was
hosted by the Mexican Investment Board, Denver-based LATGO (Latin
American Trade and Technology Group), and the publishers of Denver-
based Emerging Markets Magazine. (LATGO will be the exclusive
representative of the MIB for the western United States.) During
the time I was there, the two speakers I heard were Jose Trevino,
executive VP of the Mexican Investment Board, and Fernando Lezama,
country manager for Freelance.com in Mexico and president of the
Latin American Association of IT Organizations. Among the topics
covered: Mexico's new president, Vincete Fox, has a pro-business,
pro-technology focus. Mexico is a growing tech market, particularly
Guadalajara where more than 90,000 workers are employed by more
than 125 companies. Mexico's young population should make an
attractive Internet target market.
http://www.MIB.org.mx
http://www.LATGO.com
http://www.emergingmarketsmag.com
http://www.freelance.com

There were a number of networking opportunities which I missed
(including the lunch and evening cocktail reception), but I did
have a chance to talk to a few people. I met Fernando Barrutia
Franco, president of LATGO, Meredith McDonald, the Latin American
director for the State of Colorado's Office of Economic Development
and International Trade, and Ray Ortiz, chairman of Denver's
Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. He and I talked about the importance
of hiring indigenous talent when trying to market to an unfamiliar
culture.

My next event was Hi Tech Friday, being held at Fado Irish Pub in
lower downtown Denver near Coors Field. It had started to snow and
I debated whether to go to it, stay put and enjoy the cocktail
reception, or head back to Boulder. I decided I needed to check out
Hi Tech Friday so I went. Silly me. The roads were bad and it took
me forever to get there. When I finally arrived, it was so late
that I just stuck my head in, grabbed a little free food (potatoes
and fish, as I recall), looked around, and left. The storm kept
most folks away, but I spotted a few familiar faces: Patty Rivera,
CEO/founder of Kiditcard, and Todd Cleveland, an account executive
with Evoke, who said he lived just a few blocks away. An hour and a
half later I was home.
http://www.evoke.com

The City as Gallery

            When you've got an eye for art, the world around you is beautiful,
            interesting, fascinating, compelling. Strategic consulting and services
            firm Zefer has risen to a new level of panache by hosting its own
            gallery. By showcasing creative people from New York in gallery showings
            on a regular basis, they expose their employees, invited guests and the
            public to new artful perspectives. Now different artists are given
            another venue to show their expressiveness. A collection of dot-commers
            gathered to oohs and ahhs, and 10 point-and-ponder photographs by Nina
            Roberts. Nina also photographed Zefer's opening party in NY. After
            speaking with NY managing director Melissa Grossman, it was obvious this
            is a win-win situation for all parties who partook in this lovely, artful
            activity.

Setting new standards

            Always true to its name, The Standard set a few new standards this week
            with the launch of its new stock index at the posh Cipriani's on 42nd
            Street. The Standard's Strategic Development VP Joe Walowski, who
            negotiated the deal, explained to me that with three writers from the
            publication and three analysts from Epoch, they chose the first 100
            companies to be listed on the American Stock Exchange in their index
            (XIS). The Industry Standard Editor-in- Chief Jonathan Weber and
            TheStreet.com's Editor-in-Chief Dave Kansas were chatting about the
            market, which was the big topic for most everyone in attendance. Weber
            told me Bernhard Warner has joined European Editor-in-Chief James
            Ledbetter in London, where the office has grown to 25 in number. The
            Industry Standard Executive Editor Eric J. Savitz explained the processes
            to myself, Flooz.com's CEO Robert Levitan and PR 21s EVP Renee Edelman.
            Epoch's Managing Director of Trading Stanford Green stood by the stage
            and chatted with guests curious about their choices. Inside.com's
            Business Development Director Andrew Gelman strolled along the marble
            floors, past the buffet bursting with delicious foods. The buffet was in
            fact one of the major topics of the night - lobster salad, shrimp
            cocktail, rack of lamb, smoked salmon, risottos, fresh pastas and salads
            keep guests coming back for seconds all night long. Doubleclick's CEO
            Kevin Ryan, Epoch's Scott Riles and Looksmart's CEO Evan Thornley were
            among the 60-70 CEOs who came to rub shoulders in the opulent setting for
            this momentous occasion. LaunchCenter 39's Marketing VP Cherry Arnold
            introduced me to general counsel Brad Muro and recommended the spinach
            and pesto cannoli. Soliloquy's Jonathan Saxon came over to say hello and
            The Standard Writer Mark A. Mowrey discussed the high points of the
            night. 3Path's CEO Brian Smiga and I chatted with YouDecide.com's Miriam
            Eaves, The Standard's Publisher and Interactive VP and InTransition's
            Laurie Malen. Wit Capital's Zoe Adlersburg and her friends sat
            comfortably at a table and chatted while USLaw.com's Seth Price and
            iHatch's Chip Austin and I marveled at the dessert buffet on the other
            side of the room. Nicole Berlyn told me of her new-found independence as
            a consultant, and as I was gathering my coat the bartenders were still
            attentive to lingering guests, the band cranked out another modern jazz
            song, and the gift bags (with silvery piggy banks) were available for the
            taking on one's way out.

TCS Intro: 11/17/00

* Happy Birthday DAD! Many Cocktails with Courtney attendees may notice a tall, handsome, striking gentleman always attired in a sharp suit with a friendly face, soft graying hair and a digital camera. This said person is my father, Arthur, who has been a constant source of strength, support and reasonableness as I continue forging my way through cyber space and with my business. He's helped me since the first CWC event, and countless other ways with my business and life. I love him dearly and wish him the
happiest of birthdays today (November 17th) and many, many, MANY more!!!!

Bits & Bytes -and- Shakers & Stirrers 11/17/00

Shakers & Stirrers
            CondÈNet Names Shepard Editor in Chief of Epicurious

            [*] BITS & BYTES
            Womensforum.com Gets Keen.com
            Exhibit on Contemporary Russian Art
            Environmental Defense Shoots for Profit
            Availant Teams With Compaq
            Culturefinder.com Launches Affiliate Network
            Forbes.com Taps Orb
            BesSelections Teams with NYStyle.com
            Rxaminer and BestHalf Partner
            AdNetware Launches
            Popular Game Show to Come to the Uproar Network
            Faspay Launches German Version

Cyber Scene Social Notes ~ 11/17/00


            In an attempt to help facilitate better networking for new media
            professionals and "Scenesters," here are some points that will be added
            during the weeks. They will be archived here.

            * Email etiquette: Descriptive subject lines make it easier for the
            recipient to discern the importance and topic of your email.

Thursday, November 16, 2000

A Chariot To FUN

            As New York and coincidence would have it, I ran into Dan Witz, an old
            friend of mine, a traditional oil painter who now works in digital realms
            as well, at the Zefer Gallery (www.bway.net/~dwitz). His paintings stem
            from the photo-realism realm and capture people, animals and things
            frozen in space and time. He is especially good at Hummingbirds and at
            convincing this entirely inappropriately attired (fancy hat, short skirt,
            high heels, clutch pocketbook) journalist to join him on his BMW
            motorcycle to the next event. Seizing the opportunity, I decided my hat
            will live through the crushing wind, and I could stand to have my
            stocking'd legs face the city on a bike. So, I hopped on and we went
            jetting through Soho to my appointed stop. From Zefer to Location One to
            FUN (under the Manhattan Bridge), I relished the cool air on our faces
            and the artwork. FUN was hosting its Open Mouse, where Natalia Blamch,
            Jorge Castro, Max Herman, Suhee Wooh, Bret Nicely, Madame Chao and Yael
            Kanarek featured their works on the large, expansive wall. Music
            delighted our ears and visuals delighted our eyes. Drink tickets tickled
            our taste buds, but smoke polluted our noses. Rhizome Executive Director
            Mark Tribe greeted us and explained a bit of the program. We settled into
            a banquet to be enveloped in sensorial art. And we were. As the
            projections went on and the final artist set up, we hopped back on the
            bike and headed back uptown to Soho. A lovely, chilly, artfully inspired
            night with a dash of excitement. What a way to make living in NY!

Museums gathered in a Gallery

            AMMI.org, Guggenheim.org, MOMA.org and Whitney.org were well represented
            by illustrious figures and moderated by Unifiedfield.com. Actually, it
            was the (e) fusion: art + the alley connect panel series on Museums in
            the New Millennium. NYNMA and Thundergulch, in association with Location
            One, brought together the Whitney's Maxwell Anderson, the American Museum
            of the Moving Image's Carl Goodman, the Guggenheim's Jon Ippolito and the
            Museum of Modern Art's Astrida Valigorsky to discuss art, installations
            and the future of all these heady topics on Thursday night. Standing in
            the spacious, cool, white, loft gallery of Location One, Unified Field's
            Eli Kuslansky moderated the witty, intellectual discussion. In response
            to questions, Ippolito stated that he would buy art on a CD, citing
            Jeremy Blake's works (on DVD) as an example. There was discussion about
            how the Internet has changed art and the way people view it - from public
            art-public space (ex. the Pyramids) and art in churches to capitalism's
            push to make art available to the general public. Finally, we're now at
            the point where the Internet has made it possible to view art globally.
            This is one medium where artists have been experimenting since the
            beginning. Video and television artists came to the Internet much later,
            but artists have been creating and experimenting with art on the Internet
            since its very early days. A final question was posed: "How do you
            collect art on the Internet?" While the question hung in the air, I
            thought: bookmarks. Or if each "piece" has its own domain, you could buy
            the domain name and the entire site. Hmmm. A whole new meaning for "ghost
            sites."

Silicon Alley gets Super Art

            Thursday nights are the big night out in most towns, and New York City is
            one that comes alive like no other. This Thursday, instead of the usual
            dot-com dramas with digerati, Silicon Alley was privy to a plethora of
            art-inspired evenings. The evening started off at Schneider Integrated
            Communications' new office party. They'd expanded into larger space with
            cubicles and glass-enclosed conference rooms. Guests and co-workers got
            to enjoy wine generously donated by Bruce Schneider's personal Long
            Island vineyard. A mystery wine-tasting session included Schneider's
            Chardonnay and Cabernet Franc. Schneider SVP Scott Shapiro introduced me
            to entrepreneur Neil Somerfield, as munificent asparagus wrapped in
            salmon passed by. A bit further back, MPRM's SVP John Murphy joined
            Schneider's Ross Moonic and me, as we marveled at the changes in their
            space since last year's party and more sumptuous hors d'oeuvres passed
            by. Bruce Schneider told me that I was on the mark so far in guessing the
            wines. As the sampling continued, I bid adieu till next time...

Wednesday, November 15, 2000

The Cyber Scene in Denver ~ by Suzanne Lainson


On November 15 I had two events to attend. The first was the open
house for Neovation’s new Westminster location. The company began
in April 2000, the result of a merger between Chicago business
consulting and systems integration firm Waterstone Consulting and
Colorado Springs digital strategy, creative design, and
implementation agency Interactive Papyrus, after both were
purchased by CIBER, a Denver-based e-business solutions provider.
Now there are three Neovation offices: Colorado Springs,
Westminster, and Chicago. I got to the event early so I missed most
of the guests, but I did get the grand tour from Suzan Raycroft, VP
of marketing. (Plus I got my favorite freebie, a ball that lights
up when you bounce it.) The heart of each Neovation center is the
NeoCITE usability test lab, a place where users can experiment and
can also be observed focus-group style. Not quite Disney World, but
toss in some interactive toys and you've got a major play area.
Braddon Hall, a designer, showed me some demos. He noted that a
number of projects have been for corporate intranets and therefore
involve lots of essential, but less flashy work. I also learned
that his wife was expecting their second child and he was ready to
go the minute the pager went off.
http://www.neovation.com

I had a chance to talk to Erin Geegan, Neovation’s founder and
chief development officer. She’s had a hectic summer pulling
together offices in three locations and putting corporate
management in place. She mentioned that she still was on the
lookout for a chief creative officer and would welcome inquiries
from people outside Colorado. I also chatted with Stephen Collins,
CEO, and Ian Brackenbury, business development manager of Anark.
Their company has created a rich-media broadcast platform that
integrates 3D, video, audio, text and graphics.
http://www.anark.com

Then I was off to the Top of the Rockies in Denver for the TiE-
Rockies meeting. Like last time, I was late and didn’t have much
time to network (I’d estimate that approximately 100-125 were in
attendance). I did catch up with Sapna Shah, who was manning the
membership table. She said they have been quite pleased with the
turnouts and are making plans for next year’s meetings.
http://www.tie-rockies.org

Since the presentation was scheduled to start soon, I grabbed my
food (and a very nice layout it was -- definitely upscale cocktail
party fare rather than the happy hour munchies all too typical of
some business gatherings), and then I paused a moment to take in
the view, which is impressive. I can picture those Denver Petroleum
Club members (who call the Top of the Rockies home) staring out at
the lights of downtown Denver with a drink in one hand and a cigar
in the other. (Oh, maybe not. Colorado is a fairly smoke-free place
these days.)

Like last month’s TiE-Rockies meeting, this month’s speaker was a
heavy hitter: James Crowe, CEO of Level 3. He was introduced by
Sureel Choksi, CFO of Level 3 and one of the founders of TiE
Rockies. (There are currently sixteen TiE chapters in North America
and five in India.) Jim’s talk was about entrepreneurship,
presented very effectively without benefit of either notes or
audio-visuals. Some of his points:

The average VC looks at something like 1000 business plans for
every 100 he reads. Of those, he invests in ten. Two succeed and
pay for the other eight. In other words, only two out of 1000 ideas
survives. In comparison, one out of five new restaurants makes it.
With the odds of failure as an entrepreneur so high and the
sacrifices so great, the only reason to undertake such a career
path and endure the agony is if nothing else you could possibly do
will satisfy you. And if something inside you tells you that you
will do this regardless of the financial payoff.

You need three ingredients for success:
1. A vision, a passion.
2. A team. And this is much harder to find than a good idea.
Finding people is the single most difficult thing there is. (In
fact, Jim announced at the beginning of his presentation that one
reason he was at TiE-Rockies was in hopes of luring some of its
members to work for Level 3.) 
3. Capital. Whatever amount of capital you think is sufficient,
triple it. And that still won’t be enough. He has never met anyone
who said they raised too much capital. Every morning each
entrepreneur gets up saying, “I don’t have enough cash.”

The minute you become complacent, other companies will hire your
employees and take your customers.

Wall Street is going to make as much money breaking up mergers as
they did putting them together.

Level 3 wants to continue to drop prices because by doing so the
company expands usage. As Jim noted, “You ain’t seen nothing yet.”
http://www.level3.com

And with that, I’ll wrap up this week’s report, even though Jim had
many more pithy comments to share. Suffice it to say, I came away
impressed with him and, as always, with TiE-Rockies.

Tuesday, November 14, 2000

Pitching at a Party

Like Salons of centuries past, The Elevator.com held a gathering at theVictorian-styled Gamut restaurant on Tuesday, November 14th. EventMe, MyUtility and InABox presented (or quawked out their pitches sans microphone to the collection of attendees. Afterwards I chatted with EventsMe's Dietmar Deterling and eRsvp's Ajay Arora. Gary Krimershmoys told me his site (AppliancePlanet.com), which sells large appliances via the web, has always been profitable. Hoorah!

Super Duper Wireless Suds

          Some old-timers in Silicon Alley may think of NYNMA's Cyber Suds as a
            necessary evil. Some may not even think of it at all. But if you ventured
            out on Tuesday night to the Wireless Cyber Suds, you'd have gotten a good
            dose of new energy. It wasn't the largest one I've been to, but it had a
            good enough turnout to give the Puck Building's downstairs galleries a
            full, but not crowded, atmosphere. The music was great, and I got to see
            some familiar faces who are now doing some new things. Joe Rubin of
            HeyNetwork told me about his firm's new wireless service, ShareSpan. And
            Emmanuel Tzavlakis boogied over to present his back to me - showing off
            K2 Designs' new name - K2 Digital. Intercom's William Gabriel, Asia
            Booster's Laurent Waessa and Ken Kushner and George Isaacs of R2K
            Distributors all had enthusiastic news about their dealings. Jai
            "Wireless Know-It-All" Decker told me he was proud of me for keeping all
            my clothes on at Burning Man (in '97). Smart PR's Ed Gyurko told me that
            his firm is handling more corporate identity/analyst work. TechTV's
            Andrew Simon and Rare Medium's Reginald Greiner were checking out the
            scene by one sponsor's booth. Launch.com's Todd Alan, Ian Shapolsky and
            Labatts John Vellines were enjoying the suds part of the CyberSuds.
            Before leaving, I was able to have a quick Hello to NYNMA's Director of
            Educational Programs Ellen Auwarter. While all this networking was going
            on, Gaspedal Ventures hosted a pitch session the same night in Chelsea,
            while further downtown in Soho, Media Bistro held its regular soiree for
            journalists at Scharmanns.