David LaPlante

EntrepreneurshipWeek USA Kickoff Event tonight at Desert Research Institute

UPDATE: Just received word that the event is CANCELED tonite due to SNOW (and a disproportionate number of 2WD minivans and Chrysler Sebrings setting a precedent of creating chaos on Reno's streets).

I'm headed up to DRI tonight at 5:30 pm for the kick off of EntrepreneurshipWeek USA, a nationwide event to celebrate and encourage entrepreneurs. Taking Logan to hopefully get a tour of the DRI Virtual Reality CAVE. The evening's highlights include:

• Lt. Governor Brian Krolicki
• Dr. Steve Wells, President, Desert Research Institute
• Fred Hamilton, Publisher, Reno-Gazette-Journal
• Meet the Business Report of Northern Nevada's "Entrepreneurs of the Year"
• Tour of DRI's CAVE and Ice Core Labs

EntrepreneurshipWeek is sponsored by the Nevada Commission on Economic Development (NCED), Nevada's Center for Entrepreneurship and Technology (NCET).

Some of The Week's events include:

• Monday, Feb 26 - Annual Engineer's Day (UNR) All day - College of Engineering (CoEN) Open House - Free
• Wed, Feb 28 - "POP is YOUR Connection - Connect with the Resources for Starting or Expanding Your Business" 10 am - Plaza Hotel and Conference Center - Carson City
• Fri, Mar 2 - Entrepreneur Expo - Reno-Sparks Convention Center- 9 am - 5 pm - Sponsored by: - NCET - Nevada's Center for Entrepreneurship and Technology - Nevada Commission on Economic Development

Here's a Q&A from NCET talking about about why this event is cool:

EntrepreneurshipWeek USA Q&A:

1) Who should attend Entrepreneurship Week and why?Anyone who is an entrepreneur, or anyone who had ever considered becoming an entrepreneur, should attend the EntrepreneurshipWeek USA events, especially the Entrepreneur Expo on Friday, March 2 at the Reno Convention Center.

2) What can attendees hope to get out of the event? Each of our events focus on one or more issues important to entrepreneurs. The Entrepreneur Expo, for example, will feature exhibitions by 30 to 40 organizations that provide services for entrepreneurs and aspiring entrepreneurs. We'll also have 10 to 15 speakers and panelists addressing topics such as "How to Write a Business Plan," "Strategic Planning," "Technology for Your Business," "Electronic Marketing for Small Businesses," "How to Go Public," and many, many more.

3) What is the significance in having an event like this in northern Nevada? EntrepreneurshipWeek USA is a new nation-wide event created to celebrate the importance of entrepreneurs. Given their role in Nevada's past, present and future, it's fitting that Nevada is doing more to recognize EntrepreneurshipWeek USA than any other state in the union. Our events have two very important elements. First, celebrating Northern Nevada's successful entrepreneurs, who can serve as an example to aspiring entrepreneurs. Their stories demonstrate that entrepreneurs come in a wide range of backgrounds and skill sets. Second, showcasing the numerous local, state and federal programs and non-profit organizations that exist to encourage and help entrepreneurs. Few Nevadans are fully aware of the vast resources available to entrepreneurs, and we hope that EntrepreneurshipWeek USA will help connect the resources and the entrepreneurs.

4) Describe some of the biggest challenges entrepreneurs face in northern Nevada. The biggest challenges facing Northern Nevada's entrepreneurs are access to investment capital and access to qualified Board members and experienced advisors. EDAWN and NCET are working closely together to identify - and in some case spur the formation of - additional sources of investment capital. At the same time, NCET is identifying a pool of experienced and qualified individuals who can serve on Boards of Directors and Boards of Advisors to new and growing companies. These companies can then draw on the wealth of knowledge and experience embodied in these people.

5) Why is entrepreneurship such a hot topic? Nevada is a state built by entrepreneurs. Currently, 85% of Nevada's companies employ 20 or fewer employees, proving that Nevada's economy is truly fueled by small businesses. Studies by EDAWN and NNDA show that Nevada's future growth will be driven by businesses started within Nevada, rather that by companies relocating to Nevada. For these reasons, we clearly need to focus on encouraging, helping and celebrating Nevada's entrepreneurs.

Technorati : CAVCaM, DRI, EDAWN, Entrepreneur, EntrepreneurshipWeek, Foundation, Kaufman, NCED, NCET, Nevada, Reno, development, econmic

Del.icio.us : CAVCaM, DRI, EDAWN, Entrepreneur, EntrepreneurshipWeek, Foundation, Kaufman, NCED, NCET, Nevada, Reno, development, econmic

"Perception Is a Critical Factor in Attracting Expanding Companies" - Expansion Management Magazine; Reno, Nevada Named in Top 50 Hottest Cities

Expansion Management Magazine just named Reno of of the "2007 AMERICA'S 50 HOTTEST CITIES"! In it, they call out that "Perception Is a Critical Factor in Attracting Expanding Companies." Yep. Perception is reality. Sometimes we call that branding ;-)

In their annual poll of 80 prominent corporate site location experts, Reno, Nevada ranked in the top 50 out of 360+ metros to arrive at their list of the best places to expand or relocate a business.

Congratulations to EDAWN for their continued success in managing the perception of the Reno. Perhaps the unsung hero here is the RSCVA. If it weren't for their relentlessly drumbeating our outdoor adventure and diverse gaming+ activities, Reno's profile would be much less. Furthermore, their open dialog with EDAWN about leveraging tourism and economic development messages together has really given this region legs to stand on.

My prediction: Northern Nevada will start to emerge over the next 10 years as one of the more "green" economies to live/operate in as the University of Nevada, Desert Research Institute, the State and the numerous homebuilders and commercial developers create a catalyst of profitable and attractive opportunities for living and business expansion. I've been privy to a lot of the discussions going on and it's really exciting.

In ten years we could be recognized as the #1 "green" city for business and living. Easy? No. Doable? Yes.

  Technorati : branding, development, economic, edawn, expansion, growth, management, ncet, nevada, perception, quality, relocation, reno, reputation

Entrepreneurship Week USA February 24 thru March 3, 2007

Entrepreneurship Week USA -- a nationwide celebration of entrepreneurship -- is February 24 to March 3, 2007. It’s a great opportunity for Nevada to showcase and encourage the entrepreneurs upon which Nevada's economic future depends. Nevada's Center for Entrepreneurship & Technology has partnered with Entrepreneurship Week to promote within Nevada.

“Entrepreneurs, educators, community leaders and young people across the US will celebrate the power of entrepreneurship and ignite the nation’s consciousness about the importance of being entrepreneurial.” 

Ideas for the week include open houses, workshops and an “Entrepreneur Expo.” The Expo includes workshops targeted towards entrepreneurs, including: Bootstrapping your Business | Incubators | How to Write a Business Plan | Financing Primer | Marketing | Technology for your Business.

The Entrepreneur's Expo would be free to attendees. Please visit www.entrepreneurship.com for more ideas and for general “eWeek” information.

tags: NCET, entrepreneurship, technology, Nevada, entrepreneurship week

First NCET Tech Thursday of the new year January 18th at the Redfield Campus

Please join us on January 18th for 2007's first Tech Thursday, Northern Nevada's premier technology and entrepreneurial networking event! EDAWN's Chuck Alvey will give a brief update on the Target2010 study and their action plan to make the Target2010 study a reality.  DRI Research Park's Jeff Pickett will provide an overview of DRI's incubator project and related feasibility study.

Facts and Figures   
Thursday, January 18, 5:30 – 7:30 pm, $10 donation at door. RSVP by Tuesday, January 16th to
Emily Lowe at RSVP at NCET dot org. 

Redfield Campus - Nell J. Redfield Building
18600 Wedge Parkway
Reno, NV 89511
(775) 850-2710

tags: NCET, nevada, entrepreneurship, technology, UNR, redfield, campus, EDAWN, Target 2010, DRI, Jeff Pickett, Chuck Alvey

Reno-Tahoe Chapter of Entrepreneurs' Organization holding event open to local business community...a must see speaker: Joe Calhoon

Joe Calhoon, CSP, is recognized as one of the nation's leading authorities on leadership development and organizational performance. In the past 20 years, Joe has given over 2,000 presentations to more than 400 organizations on four continents. His clients include Ritz Carlton Hotels, 3M, Best Buy, and General Electric. 

Before writing PRIORITIZE! - A System for Leading Your Business and Life on Purpose, Joe served for more than 10 years as a Senior Presenter for Stephen Covey teaching The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People® and Principle-Centered Leadership®. 

On Wednesday, January 17th, Joe Calhoon will be in Reno, at the Nevada Museum of Art to lead an informative, inspiring, and entertaining session where you will discover a revolutionary approach to business growth that can transform your business. PriorityAdvantage™ works with leaders and business owners who want to develop high-performing organizations. For more information visit http://www.prioritize.com/. 

Don't miss this opportunity to learn the three keys that unlock higher performance. Take your business (and your life) to the next level. RSVP Online. Please note that you must cancel your reservation at least 48 hours before the event or be billed for the event. Walk-ins accepted as long as space is available. Cash or check only. 

Brought to you by:

tags: reno, tahoe, entrepreneurs' organization, eo, eort, calhoon, edawn

Nominations open for the Business Report's Entrepreneur of the Year

The Business Report of Northern Nevada in partnership with Nevada's Center for Entrepreneurship and Technology are calling for nominations for Entrepreneur of the Year. Nomination deadline is November 17, 2006.

Click the image for details.

Technorati : entrepreneur, reno, nevada, ncet, cet, award, business

Oracle's Safra Catz, Senator Ensign and Nevada's Workforce Future

Quick event summary:

• The time, money and energy we --America-- waste on the IRS and our ridiculous tax-code evasion game if invested in R&D and education would ensure our global dominating class-barrier-breaking affluent economy. We piss our advantage away on lawyers and accountants playing a stupid cat-and-mouse game with the IRS. Stupid we collectively are.
  
• Most of the most common practices of successful, profitable and consistently performing businesses-- accountability, terminating weak performers, employee and management incentives, innovation culture, free markets, access to union-free labor -- is absent in our public schools.
  
• Our H1B Visa policy is insanely bass-ackwards. "Let's educate our global competitors here in the US and then kick them out so we can outsource our jobs back to them." Sweet.
  
• Sarbanes-Oxley ('Sox') has exported our best small and mid-sized public capital offerings to foreign countries. While well intentioned, the lawyers and accountants again are making all the money while small businesses that used to be able to raise public financing in the US are headed to Canada, Europe and anywhere they can but the US.
  
• Safra Catz for President in 2012. What kind of person can put up with Larry "the Largest Ego in the World" Ellison? Safra Catz. Cool. Level headed. Smart. Witty. Plays the game to win. Humble. Self-depreciating. All the skills to lead one of the largest and most relevant businesses in the world...Oracle. Safra, please come back!
  

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Like most businesses that depend on technology workers, we're constantly hurting for talent. Human capital is as important -- if not more -- than financial capital. Most sage entrepreneurs will tell you...and I'm one of them...human capital -- your workforce -- is what makes or breaks you. (By the way, we're looking for super cool talented kick-ass developers and creative's!)

First-off, what a great event. Awesome. I jotted down notes for about about 15 blog posts. It really got me thinking...

About the the only thing that sucked is that because it was organized by Senator Ensign & Crew a lot of "binary" people of the "D" flavor will immediately discount it and get crimped in their R v. D Kos-style black-and-white politics that dominates most dialog in an October predating an November election. If Reid had organized the event, the 98% of the same things would have been discussed.

So, kudos to Ensign & Crew! He did this event in Las Vegas yesterday as well. Yeah, he's trying to get re-elected. Duh. If you're not a fan of R's -- then at least respect the marketing. Splendid marketing. But at least my 'BS' detector didn't go off to many times today as I thought it would. The dialog was real and genuine. Education and workforce development is CRITICAL to Nevada. No matter what the attendees political flavor, everyone left with their thinking caps on.

The event stimulated great thought and dialog on education and workforce development to make help ensure that businesses (like mine) in Nevada can meet our human capital requirements. The silly thing right now is there's no shortage of "capital capital". We're consistently challenged (like most growing western cities) with attracting and/or retaining enough "human capital".

Again...kudos to Ensign. He's the MAN on the High Tech Task Force. That's a very good thing for Nevada.

While today's event was very science-math-education oriented, I think that there were a few facets of this problem that were not discussed and I'll pick those up in some future posts. Here's the teasers:

1. The Internet is not through trashing the paradigms of society and social institutions as we know it. Mainstream media is under the gun today. Education -- and our traditions built around education -- are about to be blown apart as well. Homeschooling and socialschooling(C) (I made that term up) is going to reshape how we educate.
   
2. I bet you can name 10 people most likely featured in any given issue of People magazine, can you name the top 10 scientists and mathematicians? Why Paris Hilton, Bono and Angelina Jolie will have more influence in solving our dilemma than the gray-haired PHD wielding education majors or the unions.
   
3. My experiences with public schools and parenting. New thoughts on what matters...can you say THESPIAN?
   
4. If access to knowledge, education and information is ubiquitous and a commodity, what separates a Stanford from a UNR? And why "who" you know still matters more than calculating the area of a dodecahedron...
   

tags: ensign, senator, senatorensign, Nevada, Reno, Las Vegas, education, workforce, schools, hightech, high-tech, oracle, Safra, Catz, TMCC, UNR

  Technorati : Catz, Las Vegas, Nevada, Reno, Safra, TMCC, UNR, education, ensign, high-tech, hightech, oracle, schools, senator, senatorensign, workforce
Del.icio.us : Catz, Las Vegas, Nevada, Reno, Safra, TMCC, UNR, education, ensign, high-tech, hightech, oracle, schools, senator, senatorensign, workforce

Congratulations to local entrepreneur Darik Volpa, "Best of Show for Nevada"

Fellow Reno-Tahoe Entrepreneur's Organization member Darik Volpa, CEO of UnderstandSurgery.com won "Best of Show" for Nevada at the 6th Annual Silver & Gold Venture Capital Conference at the Peppermill in Reno, Nevada. Congratulations Darik!

If you want a full run-down of yesterday's events, you can read a great summary by Reno-Gazette reporter Zack Hall.

All-in-all this was perhaps the best Silver & Gold Venture Capital Conference I've been too, and it is on par or better than many I've attended in California, Utah and New York. Golden Capital Network put on a great show. The energy level was high, the investors eager and plenty of entrepreneur's with great ideas and business plans.

A 'couple of my favorites:

• Obviously I love Reno, Nevada entrepreneur Darik Volpa's company UnderstandSurgery.com. He has developed has a unique product for the medical industry that has a tremendous market upside and can help people all over the world.
• While I didn't see the whole presentation, I did catch the 2-minute elevator pitch' by CEO Matthew Glenn of Plantsense. They make a sensor that you can place in a part of your home and it will take all kinds of readings and then you USB it in to your computer and it will make plant recommendations. (I should have started this company "LaPlante, CEO "Plansense" hahaha)
  
• Reno-based E-FanMail.com's CEO John Johnson has developed a wonderful way of showing support for sports teams through your email and allowing sports teams to raise additional awareness and sponsor dollars. I know a thing or two about email...and this has some promise to it.
  
• As I mentioned in my previous post, Rudi Wiedemann's Biodiesel Solutions and Arthur Neumann's Free Water are amazing ideas and will really change the world.

Thanks again to John Gregory for putting on such a wonderful show and, of course, Bob Goff of the Sierra Angels for tirelessly beating the "angel investing" drum for Reno-Tahoe.

 
  Technorati : biodiesel, bob goff, ceo, darik volpa, david archer, david laplante, entrepreneur, eort, eort.org, john gregory, nevada, peppermill, reno, sierra angels, tahoe, technology, understandsurgery.com, venture capital

Notes from Silver & Gold Venture Capital Conference and Investor Dinner...Investors Hungry for Deals

Last night was the welcoming reception for the Silver Gold Venture Capital Conference. My oh my! What a difference two years makes in investor confidence! The conference is packed and full of energy. It's BACK ON BABY!

Right up front here's the statistic that matters: Northern Nevada has 13 companies on the roster of 30 presenting companies.

That's up from 5 last year and almost 50% of the field. This is very very good news.

Presenting companies like Rudi Wiedemann's Biodiesel Solutions and Arthur Neumann's Free Water are not only killer concepts, but up-and-operating, clean, renewable energy-oriented businesses that will have global impact. I wish I was on the Board for these businesses!

Chuck Alvey of EDAWN did a wonderful job of kicking off the event by highlighting how well northern Nevada is performing in diversifying our economy...and yet not glossing over the challenges we face to continue that growth. The Target 2010 study they've released with Angelou Economics DEAD ON.(Of special note: Susan Voyles' article in today's RGJ on median-income buyers in the Reno area being priced out of the market is one of the better articles to grace the front page in weeks.)

Bob Goff of the Sierra Angels and the founder/former Chairman of Nevada's Center for Entrepreneurship & Technology kicked off a private investor dinner later on in the evening in which I was lucky to attend.

The "keynote" presentation was from Susan Preston of Seraph Capital Forum, and Entrepreneur-in-Residence, Kauffman Foundation for Entrepreneurial Leadership on new proposed Federal tax legislation for private equity investing.

Susan talked about her work on the The Access to Capital for Entrepreneurs (ACE) Act of 2006 (HR 5198) which she was the main architect. The ACE Act fills a TREMENDOUS gap in current equity funding between venture capitalists and angel investors. This bill addresses that gap by encouraging accredited investors to increase equity investments in certain qualified small businesses through the creation of a 25% tax credit for accredited investors and certain partnerships (including angel investment pools if all are accredited investors) that invest cash or cash equivalents at an arm's length in a qualified small business (as defined by the Small Business Act).

Please write to our Senators (particularly Harry Reid and John Ensign) and support this Act.

What does it mean to local entrepreneurs? It means that all these wealthy Californians that relocate to Nevada for our tax benefits are incentives to take a chance on us entrepreneurs instead of sticking it in stocks and mutual funds. (Sorry to be blunt, but that's what counts.)

That means more small businesses get funded in this state through experienced private equity, and that's a VERY GOOD THING. Banks, despite their prolific full-page ads of their CEOs smiling and touting how "small business friendly" they are actually SUCK when it comes to start-up capital. Credit cards are better sources of start-up capital than you local bank. Angels are better, but they need an incentive like this.

The Dinner Panel topic was Venture Capital Fund-of-Funds: Insights for Emerging Fund Managers.

While I thought I was in for a real snoozer, it was actually a fairly insightful discussion of how well California's pension fund managers are performing and their secrets to success. (Note: CalPERS and CalSTRS are in good hands.) Panelists included Jesus Arguelles, Investment Officer II, CalPERS Solange Brooks, Investment Officer, CalSTRS Guillermo Borda, Managing Director, Banc of America Capital Access Funds Charles Merritt, Parish Capital Jeff Mills, Probitas Partners Amit Tiwari, INVESCO.

Perhaps the strongest message I heard repeated was that "fund managers invest in people". While everyone wants to methodologize the formula of success in to track records, years of experience, business plans, etc., PEOPLE trusting and investing in PEOPLE was the consensus. So what does that mean for any entrepreneur out there: focus on your poeple skills.

You can have a better technology, a better education, a better business plan, a better business plan and still lose to the guy who can work a room.

  Technorati : ACE, ACE Act of 2006, Biodiesel, Bob Goff, EDAWN, HR 5198, Target 2010, angel, angel investing, entrepreneurs, investors, nevada, reno, vc, venture capital

Record Number of Nevada Companies Presenting at 6th Annual Silver & Gold Venture Capital Conference

From an email from Nevada's Center for Entrepreneurship & Technology:

A record number of Nevada companies are scheduled to present at the 6th Annual Silver & Gold Venture Capital Conference. At least eleven of this year's presenting companies are from Nevada, in contrast to last year when just three companies were from Nevada.

Co-sponsored by the Sierra Angels, the Silver and Gold Venture Capital Conference will be held October 3 and 4 at the Peppermill Hotel in Reno, NV. The conference will feature over 50 venture capital funds and angel investors - and 30 presenting companies - in four broadly-defined technology sectors: Life Sciences, Communications Technologies / Wireless / Semiconductor, Software and Internet Services, and Emerging Technologies.

The record number of Nevada companies reflects both the growing number and sophistication of Nevada's entrepreneurs, as well as the increasing influence within Nevada of this important Venture Capital conference.

This year's Nevada companies include clean energy, software, camping equipment, and specialty marketing services. (Complete list of Nevada presenting companies)

The Silver & Gold Venture Capital Conference begins at 4:30 pm on Tues, Oct 3 and wraps up at 5:30 pm on Wed, Oct 4. (View complete agenda here) Tickets are $395 per person. Seating is limited at this event, so please register now.

Technorati : Center for Entrepreneurship and Technology, Lake Tahoe, Nevada, Reno, entrepreneurship, event marketing, vc, venture capital

"Raising capital for your high-growth company" September 15 in Las Vegas

TBAN, Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce, Vegas Valley Angels and the Center for Entrepreneurship and Technology present: Raising capital for your high-growth company: Keys and Tools for Growing and Financing a High-Growth Company in Las Vegas. __________________________________ When: Friday, September 15, 8:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. (7:30 Registration and Continental Breakfast) Where: Golden Nugget Hotel and Casino 129 E. Fremont Street Las Vegas, NV 89101 Registration: $35 for TBAN and LVCC members; $45 for non-members with a reservation; $50 for at-the-door registration RSVP: Call Dida at (702) 649-3495, email info@didava.com or fax registration form to (702) 435-3432. __________________________________ This informative workshop will give you first-hand, real-life accounts of what it takes to become a successful entrepreneur. Three highly successful business owners who created and developed their companies until each sold for $50 million will share their stories and offer advice. The program will also discuss entrepreneurial networking opportunities and education in Southern Nevada, and representatives from numerous professional organizations will discuss mentoring options for the entrepreneur. TOPICS: Overview of term sheets and supporting security documents What to achieve before soliciting funds Key elements of a business plan that investors require Building the right management team How to value your company or opportunity How to structure your capitalization table Common mistakes to avoid when raising capital Resources available to better develop your fundraising plan Local funding options The value of outside directors and what to offer them * This program conforms to guidelines for Continuing Professional Education (CPE) credit for CPAs. Recommended credits are four (4). SPEAKERS: Mike Ballard Chairman, Vegas Valley Angels Fritz Battcher Hale Lane Bill Botts Vegas Valley Angels Mark Brennan Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf Arnold Gold Next Phase Jeff Jonas SRD/IBM SPONSORS: Hale Lane Attorneys at Law Vanguard Media Group Whitehead Wealth Management Stewart Archibald & Barney Nevada State Bank Accountants Inc. FAX REGISTRATION TO 702.435.3432 Mail form and payment to: Vegas Valley Angels 3620 N. Rancho Drive, Suite #106 Las Vegas, NV 89130 Reservations must be made by 11 a.m. on Wednesday, September 13, 2006. Cancellations must be received in writing by the reservation deadline to receive a refund. Fees are due if notice of cancellation is not received. Phone, fax and emailed reservations are considered firm and no-shows will be billed. For more information, call Dida at 702.649.3495 or email info@didava.com Registration Form Name: Company: Address: City: State: Zip: Phone: Fax: Email:

Technorati : capital, entrepreneurship, finance, las vegas, lasvegas, nevada, vc, venture capital
Del.icio.us : capital, entrepreneurship, finance, las vegas, lasvegas, nevada, vc, venture capital

RGJ Article: Entrepreneurship, technology important for building diversity, vitality

Chuck Alvey of EDAWN had a nice article in the RGJ in which he mentions Twelve Horses and my fellow EO'er Darik Volpa:

"In fact, one local entrepreneur, Twelve Horses CEO David LaPlante, came here to ski race, never expecting to stay for businesses. He told me recently that the ability to do both -- tourism activities and business -- prompted his decision to stay and start up a business.

Darik Volpa, CEO of UnderstandSurgery.com, came here for the business-friendly environment and the quality of life that our tourism industry both provides and highlights. LaPlante and Volpa both report that this region is perfectly suited for start-up ventures of primary companies. They also agree that while the area is good for entrepreneurs, attracting entrepreneurs is good for Western Nevada.

The tendency is toward higher levels of income and wages with creative people who tend to sink deeper roots into a community. They tend to care about the place they live and therefore give more back. Our region has some assets in place: business-friendly environment, competitive tax rates, the University of Nevada, Desert Research Institute and a growing cluster of local technology companies."

Reminder: CET's Tech Thursday June 15

Please join us on June 15th for Northern Nevada's premier technology and entrepreneurial networking event!

June's Tech Thursday is sponsored by the Siena Hotel Spa Casino. Hark back to the days of Cocktails.com in the Siena's spacious ballroom overlooking the Truckee River!

Chuck Alvey, EDAWN’s president/CEO, will provide a brief update on the Target2010 economic planning initiative underway in northern Nevada, and will preview the preliminary target industries identified as having the greatest potential for growth in the region.

Facts and Figures

Thursday, June 15 > 5:30 – 7:30 pm Siena Hotel Spa Casino [Map]

1 S Lake Street, Reno

$10 donation at door Appetizers and no-host bar

RSVP by Tuesday, June 13th to Emily Lowe at RSVP@CETNv.com.

Golden Capital Network Bringing Highly Renowned “Power of Angel Investing” Seminar to Sacramento Region

I received an email from the Golden Capital Network about what sounds like a great event on May 23rd.

To:        Friends/Colleagues of GCN
From:    Jon Gregory, President/CEO
Golden Capital Network Bringing Highly Renowned “Power of Angel Investing” Seminar to Sacramento Region

GCN Also Joins National Angel Capital Alliance
Sacramento, Calif.—April 17, 2006— Golden Capital Network (GCN) today announced it is bringing the exclusive “Power of Angel Investing – Angel Investing – An Overview” seminar, a program of the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation and Angel Capital Education Foundation, to the Sacramento Region for the first time on May 23.  The full-day seminar, which has received rave reviews in over 60 U.S. cities across the U.S., and in Canada, Australia and New Zealand, will occur at the new Holiday Inn Express in El Dorado Hills.  Early registration is strongly encouraged as attendance is limited to 35 participants in order to provide attendees with the greatest opportunity for interacting with the expert instructors.  Cost to attend the seminar is $295 for advance registration (by April 21) and $375 thereafter.  To view the full agenda and register for the event, visit the events page on GCN’s web site at www.goldencapital.net.

Reminder: CET Tech Thursday @ Twelve Horses Reno Office January 12, 2006

In my Inbox from CET:

Happy New Year from Nevada’s Center for Entrepreneurship and Technology! We have a fantastic year planned and we are kicking it off with our monthly Tech Thursday networking event. Join us for Northern Nevada’s premier technology and entrepreneurship networking event Thursday, January 12 from 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM at the Reno Tahoe Tech Center. This month’s Tech Thursday is sponsored by Twelve Horses, Morrison College, and Trans World Health Services who will provide appetizers and a hosted bar for the first hour of the event. Mark your calendars and RSVP now to rsvp@cetnv.com.

Details:

When: 5:30 pm Thursday, January 12, 2006

Where: Reno Tahoe Tech Center click here for directions

How: RSVP to rsvp@cetnv.com We look forward to seeing you there!

Donald W. Reynolds Business Plan Competition Announced

From my inbox:

Carson City, NEVADA. (January 5, 2006) – Nevada students are now preparing for the second annual Donald W. Reynolds Governor’s Cup, a business plan competition for university and college students statewide.  This year’s judging and awards gala will be April 26, 2006 at the Green Valley Ranch Resort in Las Vegas, Nev.

During the next several months student teams and their faculty advisors will prepare business plans and compete in undergraduate and graduate divisions for cash awards valued in excess of $100,000.  Unlike the 2005 Donald W. Reynolds Governor’s Cup, graduate and undergraduate students will compete separately in the 2006 competition.

Student teams that combine members from technical disciplines with members from business disciplines are encouraged.   “Multi-disciplinary teams strengthen the quality of the idea and quality of the execution of the plan,” said Dr. Peter Hackbert, Chair of the Entrepreneurship Department at Sierra Nevada College.

Student business plans will be judged by a panel of venture capitalists, industry leaders and other Nevada representatives.  The judges will decide the viability of students’ business ideas based on written plans and oral presentations. Students involved in the competition gain access to networks of successful entrepreneurs, lenders and investors, team-building opportunities, business planning skills, and media exposure. The 2005 Donald W. Reynolds Governor’s Cup first place winner, Stephanie Luongo a student at the University of Nevada, Reno, benefited from the feedback of professional judges.  “The judges gave us suggestions and looked at our business from different angles,” said 2005’s Luongo.  “They gave us confidence in starting a business.” 

The Donald W. Reynolds Governor’s Cup enhances Nevada’s image as an entrepreneurial and business-savvy state.  Students who participate in the business plan competition are more likely to be involved in a new business venture, creating more jobs and technology for Nevada.

For more information about the 2006 Donald W. Reynolds Governor’s Cup visit www.dwrgovernorscup.org.  The intent to compete deadline is February 15, 2006 and the business plan submission deadline is March 17, 2006.

The Donald W. Reynolds Governor’s Cup is produced in partnership with the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce - the ultimate business resource in Clark County – and managed by Nevada’s Center for Entrepreneurship and Technology (CET).  CET is a non-profit 501(c)3 and is dedicated to accelerating economic growth through entrepreneurship and technology. For more information about the business plan competition contact Jeanie L. Ashe at (775) 687-4325.  For more information about CET, contact Scott Frost, Chairman of CET, at (702) 523-1208.

Nevada #2 for business according to CEOs

More good news on Nevada's popularity via the Reno Gazette-Journal reporting on a recent survey conducted by Chief Executive Magazine:

CEOs nationwide choose Nevada as No. 2 state for business

Nevada was named one of the best states for business, according to a poll of 458 chief executive officers across the country.

The December e-mail poll, which was conducted by the Chief Executive Group, the publisher of Chief Executive Magazine, ranked Nevada in a tie for second with Florida. Texas earned the top spot, and Arizona and North Carolina followed the Silver State.

California was ranked the worst state...

2004: A Look Back -- Importance of region’s technology sector rises

Some comments of mine ran in the Reno Gazette Journal today on looking back at 2004 and the confidence in technology:

“There was definitely an energy and confidence that I don’t think any of us has seen in several years,” said Dave LaPlante, CEO of e-mail solutions company Twelve Horses and a key promoter of the region.

Click here for the article.

The article definitely gave credit where credit is due: Bob Goff made perhaps the biggest splash with raising Nevada awareness among investors and entrepreneurs. The Silver & Gold conference was a definite success. See a past post on this conference.

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Hard Hat, High Tech: How Technology is Changing Construction

An article for the Nevada Business Journal titled "Hard Hat, High Tech: How Technology is Changing Construction" recently appeared in the magazine and on NBJ's web site.

David LaPlante, CEO, Twelve Horses North America, is on the road a lot. With clients and employees worldwide, he spends less time in his office than he does in his conference room and less time there than he does ... well, elsewhere.

But wherever he goes, he takes his phone. Big deal. Cell phone, right? Not exactly. LaPlante's phone can plug into any data port anywhere and function as office phone and computer, and allow clients to reach him at his own extension. That's high-tech, and it's right at home in the conference room at Twelve Horses' office at the Reno/Tahoe Tech Center. The conference room sports a big horseshoe-shaped table with 15 stations so everyone present can be plugged in to power, data and VGA ports and connected to the Internet while video-conferencing on two major display screens and talking via microphones at every station rather than through a central speaker phone.

"It sounds like overkill. But I can't tell you how much more productive that is," said LaPlante. "So much we do in the world today is mobile commuting and mobile collaborating. I spend my life in the conference room. With customers and employees all over the globe and employees, we spend time on Web connections and conference calls."

I would like to offer one minor correction to this article.  My cell phone is not the VOIP Cisco phone that I attempted to explain when interviewed. However, my laptop is softphone enabled.

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UNR hires Tim Casey

I attended  a reception for Tim Casey at the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR) yesterday. You can find a Reno Gazette Journal article about the reception here.

Tim has been hired as UNR's director of economic development, and the move by UNR President John Lilley to hire Tim is perhaps one of the best announcements of the year. Especially for technology and entrepreneurship.

Some of Tim's background highlights:

• Chief Technology Counsel, Senior Vice President and Assistant Secretary for WorldCom, Inc. and MCI Communications
• Played a pivotal role in the development of both the Digital Millennium Copyright Act and the European Union's Directive on Electronic Commerce.
• Published ISP Liability Survival Guide: Strategies for Managing Copyright, Spam, Cache and Privacy Regulation
• Served as Editor-in-Chief of Patent Strategy and Management, a monthly publication devoted to maximizing the strategic value of a patent portfolio from 2001 to 2004

You get the idea. Tim's a graduate of the University of Nevada's Engineering School and has a lengthy family history in Nevada. I'm stoked that he's coming on board to help with the momentum building for this state. Only good things to come...

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Governor Guinn: "state must use popularity now to build future"

While I was away on the east coast, the Governor's Conference on Tourism took place at the Reno Hilton. The Las Vegas Review Journal ran a good story from the angle that Nevada can't stop innovating.

Guinn remarked, "Every time we look over our shoulders, another destination will be trying to overtake us. We have to keep shooting, or someone will overtake us in the quest to dominate worldwide tourism."

While capital investments such as new billion dollar hotel/casinos are (and always will be) needed, a solution to diversifying our economy AND helping Nevada stay on the forefront is right in front of our noses.

HINT: Two of the words in this Nevada Fortune 500 company's name spells our future: International Game Technology.

Yep. Gaming & Technology. Wealth creation through IP. "International" is relevant to the extent that every Nevada-based gaming and entertainment technology start-up business diversifies our economy and helps ensure that Nevada provides the best possible experience in gaming. And the royalties and licensing revenues will pour in "internationally." In economic terms, that means dollars from outside the borders of this state are flowing in and creating wealth.

Too bad IGT couldn't rename their company to International Gaming & Entertainment Technology. Too bad IGT couldn't snipe an Ed Zander type and do innovative things like paying out iTunes downloads out of slot machines.

"I lost $100.00 but walked away with the new EMINEM album!"

That might get those of us under 40 to start thinking a little less of Halo2 and a little more of playing games inside a casino. (When's the last time you saw people lining up for a slot machine release?)

Hmmm. Networked multiplayer gaming devices with big brand name partnerships that capitalize on technology and entertainment trends. Um, I gotta go...go start another company and file some patents that is!

Wouldn't it be nice if IGT invested $50 million over the next year or so in fostering technology startups by acting as a venture capitalist? Why stop there? What if the state put some dollars there? And maybe some of the casinos that would stand to benefit...especially publicly traded casinos looking to diversify their revenues. Technology. Entrepreneurialism. Diversified economy. High-wage, low-impact workforce. Sounds like a good mix to me.

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Lemonade and Traveling: Making downtime productive.

I arrived at Reno-Tahoe airport at 4:30 for a flight. Fog and ice in Salt Lake. Delayed three hours then re-routed through Atlanta. Thank God for my Sprint cellular modem. I finished three hours of e-mail and work.

In another three days, I synced and sucked down over 420mb on a Sprint cellular modem. I can hardly wait for 3G. While 2.5G is NOT dial-up, it is NOWHERE near DSL broadband.

During yet another trip, my flight out of LaGuardia was delayed an hour, which meant I missed my Atlanta-Reno connection. I caught a flight to Salt Lake only to miss the last flight to Reno by 30 minutes. I got in to SLC at 11:30 pm MST. First flight out of SLC to Reno was at 5:30 am. The decision goes like this: Do I get a room and get two hours of sleep and the hassles of getting to and from the hotel, or do I suck it up and stay at the airport and work.

SLC’s airport has Sprint’s blazing fast WiFi now. Easy decision. In two minutes,  I was, I believe, the only user of what I thought to be a DS3 connectivity. From midnight to 4:30 am I was able to work. Made a lot of phone calls to Germany and Ireland and in general made some lemonade out of lemons.

This is the third time this has happened to me. Once, I pulled an all-nighter only to have the 5:30 am and 8:30 am flights cancelled due to weather. That was rough. The graveyard janitor recognized me.

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Back to School Means Back to Sick

It's Monday and I swear 30 percent of the company has called in sick. I'm sick, too. However, that doesn't mean I get to take the day off. Unless I'm on the floor of my bathroom or physically unable to read, write or speak, I usually will still work. That's just the way it is.

It goes the same for playing. Unless I'm on the floor of my bathroom or physically unable to move, read, write or speak, I usually will still play. I can't imagine passing up a day of fresh powder over a sniffle. No way.

This, of course, always makes me skeptical of those who call in sick. When I finally am too sick to work, it means several days of a borderline hospital visit. Those who are sick for "a day" I guess just are looking for a convenient day off or they are not used to having to perform under the weather.

Some of this may come from my ski racing. I raced one winter with walking pneumonia hacking up lungbutter every five minutes. I guess you just develop a tolerance for being sick, put your head down, take an Advil and keep going.

It's getting to the end of September, which means all the germs have managed to circulate around the schools for three weeks, mutate, cling on to other kids, make it home and get their Moms and Dads. Happens every September.

Before I had kids, it was rare I got sick. In the last four years, I think I've had more colds and flus than in the last 15 years. Strange. Must have something to do with the genetics of your kid attracting the bugs that you have the best possibility of catching.

I popped an Advil before writing this. It will get me through the next few hours of conference calls. It's a double-edged sword. Stay at home under the pretense that it will keep everyone else from getting sick, or just stare down the inevitable and know that even if you do go to work sick, heck, there's 20 other bugs floating about anyway.

I remember calling in sick once when I really wasn't sick. It was when I was a freshman in college and it had just snowed 30 inches of fresh powder and I couldn't resist. I told them I had a bladder infection. WELL IT WORKED FOR MY GIRLFRIEND! :-) I really had no idea what that meant. I'm sure my female employer got a kick out of that one!

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Speaking at the Silver & Gold Venture Capital Conference

I've been invited to speak at the Silver & Gold Venture Capital Conference October 6, 2004 on the topic of doing business in the Silver State. This will be similar to the panel I spoke at in June at the Nevada Commission on Economic Development.

The conference features a panel of CEOs/Senior Executives from some of Nevada’s most innovative business success stories (including Aric Wood, co-founder and Senior Vice President of Xplane Corporate Services in Reno; Lou Castle, co-founder of Westwood Studios in Las Vegas; Rob Roy, CEO of Switch Communications Group in Las Vegas; Sarkis Kazakarian, Founder/President of Delta RF Technology in Reno; and, David LaPlante, CEO of Twelve Horses in Reno. The conference will also feature presentations by 28 start-up technology companies (including several Nevada-based companies!), a keynote speech by entrepreneur luminary and author Guy Kawasaki of Garage Technology Ventures about his new book “The Art of the Start," and over 35 leading angel and venture capitalists participating on panels focused on a wide variety of industries.

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CET Web Site Goes Live

The new CET Web site (www.cetnv.com) went live today.

NEVADA’S CENTER FOR ENTREPRENEURSHIP & TECHNOLOGY CELEBRATES ONE YEAR WITH NOTABLE PROGRESS AND STRONG STRATEGIC DIRECTION Group Raises Money, Launches Website and Wins Statewide Support

NEVADA (September 7, 2004)—One year ago, the group formerly known as the TechAlliance entered into a strategic partnership with the Nevada Commission on Economic Development (NCED.)  The new partnership was named Nevada’s Center for Entrepreneurship & Technology (CET) and became a statewide organization acting as a comprehensive resource for entrepreneurs and technology-based, start-up businesses.

Since its founding in late 2003, CET has been in its own start-up mode, keeping a low profile while making important progress.   During the past year, CET has raised an initial round of private financing and launched their web site that includes Nevada’s first-ever statewide resource directory as well as a comprehensive employment database.  In addition to these activities, CET has named a highly experienced board of directors, created a strategic plan, participated in several high-profile events and gained the support of the state’s highest elected officials.

Nevada’s Lt. Governor Lorraine Hunt has been instrumental in founding and supporting CET and has a long, proven track record of supporting entrepreneurship and technology development throughout the state.  “I have been thoroughly impressed with the progress that CET has managed to achieve in the past year,” said Lt. Governor Lorraine Hunt.  “I have always been dedicated to this important mission and having CET here to help make it happen is a true benefit to the business economy of Nevada.”

CET is dedicated to creating an environment throughout Nevada that accelerates business formation & expansion, job growth and wealth creation.  The mission of the organization is to accelerate high quality economic growth through entrepreneurship & technology.  CET recently completed the creation of a strategic plan that includes programs to fully support this mission.

“In order for CET to be successful, we needed to spend time working with the entrepreneurs in Nevada to understand fully what issues they are challenged by,” said Alison Estee, CET’s Managing Director and Co-Founder.  “We are confident that we have identified the real issues facing start-up businesses in Nevada and we have incorporated those challenges into our strategic operating plan.”

Recruiting the right board of directors was an important task that needed to be done with thoughtful consideration to achieve optimal results.  CET has comprised a board of highly-experienced and motivated leaders from the North and the South, who all share a common vision for Nevada: a vision for a diverse economy that fosters stronger entrepreneurship and technology-based economic growth.  CET’s board of directors are as follows;  John Altman, Louis Castle, Alison Estee, Roy Farrow, Scott Frost, Bob Goff, David LaPlante, Bill Payne and Bob Shriver.  Bob Goff, who has a long history of working within this vision for Nevada was voted to serve as CET’s first Chairman of the Board and Scott Frost was elected to Vice Chairman.

“Entrepreneurship and technology combine to provide the highest quality economic diversification available to a state or a nation,” said Bob Goff. “I consider the mission of CET to be one of the uppermost important initiatives to ensure the economic future of this great state.”

CET’s web site which recently launched is located at www.cetnv.com and is the first online site in Nevada to provide businesses and entrepreneurs with a comprehensive statewide resource directory to allow people to search for businesses and to become fully aware of what resources we have here in Nevada.  www.cetnv.com also includes a jobs' directory that will focus on matching Nevada-based high-tech talent with the requirements of the many technology-based companies throughout the state.

For more information on CET or to join the CET mailing list, please go to www.cetnv.com.  For sponsorship information please contact Alison Estee at Aestee@bizopp.state.nv.us or 775-720-9309.

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Résumé Spam: One sure way to avoid finding a new job

I'm constantly amazed at résumé spam. From e-mail to direct mail, the number of résumés that come to businesses without a cover letter and that are generalized to reach a wide audience is staggering. Every employer I speak with complains of the same.

If you're reading this and ever want to get hired at a business, don't waste your effort in spamming a résumé. They get deleted/trashed immediately.

If you want a job with a business, you need to show at a very minimum that you have researched the company and that you can demonstrate why your skills and experience are a good fit. Leaving that up to the employer is foolish. No one has time for that.

The cover letter is 90 percent of the pitch. If you send a résumé with no cover letter, you may as well be sending a pitch for Viagra or some banking request out of Nigeria.

This rule has NO EXCEPTIONS when it comes to sales positions. A sales rep that wants a sales job and cannot make the effort to craft a pitch is your first indication of how well they will perform.

Finally, a Thank You letter after an interview is MANDATORY. In that letter, you need to summarize your view of the interview and summarize again why your skills and experience are a good fit. This is especially important if you feel that you were unable to articulate aspects of your background or understanding during the interview.

I don't know what's going on in the colleges out there, but these two simple concepts were hammered in to me when I was in high school and college. And with resources like Monster.com, how can you have an excuse?

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