Dean Martin impersonators are a dime a dozen, but seeing Jerry Colonna, managing partner of Flatiron Partners render his impression of the famous Rat-Pack crooner was a big hit with the crowd gathered at the Silicon Alley Entrepreneurs Club meeting on Tuesday, October 9, 2001 at Zanzibar. Founder of the SAEC group Gyan Parida greeted me enthusiastically and told me about the group and the considerable turnout for the evening.
I chatted with Interdimensions bizdev manager Luke Hasseloff who reported that the standing room only event (i.e. there were no chairs) was a bit silly by having networking going on in the back of the room and elsewhere in da bar. Silly indeed! Networking is tres bon, but to the distraction and discourtesy to the speaker! Tres mal! Luke told me about Tri-State Private Investors Network president Ellen Sandles, who also has a networking group and who showed up to check out the scene.
Cowen Financial Group's Will Morris felt that Colonna's talk was applicable in general, not just to entrepreneurs with the overview of where we'd been, where we are now and where we're going. Colonna was bullish on technology networking (not social networking-what? He's crazy!) and Jobs In The Money founder and manager Paul Forster said that Colonna was personal and personable. Not a bad combination and I would add that he looked leaner and more stylish than I'd seen before!
Quantum Venture Partners principal Amit Mulani also had positive feedback for Jerry's performance as "self-effacing." He was able to recognize his downturn in luck and business, which showed him to be just as human as the rest of us. More Quantum-ites Liliana Galeano and Raheel Patel enjoyed the evening and chatted after the official presentation with Careers on the Move principal Kathleen Sheehan.
Finally I had a nice chat with recent New Yorkers Jonia and Bradley Skaggs of Skaggs Design. They'd just moved here from San Francisco but this design and identity house is still keeping their SF digs. Hurrah! Another bi-coastal couple! After a quick chat with EventMe!'s Volker Detering I called it a night and headed out into the balmy Fall air.
A chronicle of the people and events in technology, internet and media since 1997, mixed in with snapshots of musings and observations.
