Investments or loans range anywhere from $25,000 up to $500,000
1423_ 8/26/13 - Very quickly Darrin Ginsberg, CEO, Super G Holdings and founder of the Guppy Tank, reassured Larry Nelson that this wasn't a 'shark tank'. Darrin said, "This is a non-televised, local version of the Shark Tank. So what you see on TV, we just do a non-televised format. The reason we call ourselves 'guppies' is that we feel we are less intimidating than sharks and we're really not trying to take advantage of companies we're trying to invest in, but we're trying to help them along. So we figured the opposite of a shark is a guppy, hence the Guppy Tank. When you apply to the Guppy Tank you have the choice to ask for either a loan or an equity investment. If you're a small one man shop a loan might be a better avenue for you where you don't have to give up any of your equity. At the Guppy Tank, each deal is individually negotiated. There is an application process where the prospective client would send an application in. "They would tell us about their business, give us some financials and projections on where they thought they were going with the business, tell us how much money they need and what that would do for their business. From there they can say they're looking for an equity investment, or a loan, or some combination thereof. We've done several deals where we do what is called revenue based financing." Typical terms for Guppy Tank investments or loans range anywhere from $25,000 up to $500,000 per business. Listen for more details...
RELATED LINKS: The Guppy Tank || Hospitality Financing Solutions || Galvanize || Economy Builders || Podcast Directory || KEYWORDS: Darrin Ginsberg, Super G Holdings, Hospitality Financing Solutions, Guppy Tank, Entrepreneur, Financing, Investments, Loans, bytes=5069325
LISTEN TO: Darrin Ginsberg, CEO, Super G Holdings

Powered by Podbean.com

ViaWest, Awarded first-ever North American Tier IV Design Certification
1308_ 11/12/12 - As the senior vice president of data center operations, Dave Leonard directs all of ViaWest's day-to-day facility operations and procedures, as well as expansion projects and future data center builds. We're at ViaWest headquarters, to get the skinny on the expansion at this dynamic Colorado icon. Very unique and, another company that launched in 1999 (like w3w3.com and Defrag...) We are talking with Dave Leonard, ViaWest Senior Vice President of Data Center Operations. Dave has two separate teams, one that operates the data centers (there are 23 data centers). The second team builds data centers and they are building a new, very large data center in north Las Vegas to compliment their two existing data centers in Las Vegas. So, the expansion is very aggressive and keeps happening throughout our service territory - and coming soon, outside of our service territory. But, Las Vegas is a great example, we are very successful in Las Vegas filling up the existing data centers that we had and demand led us to build a large new data center which came online at the end of December 2012. Larry wondered what challenges ViaWest faced in this expansion? "You read about organizations like Facebook and Google building data centers out in the middle of nowhere, where there is very cheap power and conditions are very good for free cooling, for instance. We don't site data centers that way. We put data centers where we believe our customers are going to be. There are two things happening in the data center industry, building new data centers has been a good opportunity for ViaWest in two aspects, the green aspect, and the other is the quality of the data centers... Listen for more...
RELATED LINKS: ViaWest || Uptime Institute || Software Channel || Data Center Communities || w3w3 Blog || KEYWORDS: Dave Leonard, ViaWest, Uptime Institute, Las Vegas, Data Centers, Green, Marketplace, Data Center Operations, Local Partner, Service Territory, bytes=5214775
LISTEN TO: Dave Leonard, Sr. VP of Data Center Operations, ViaWest

Powered by Podbean.com

Networking Rules of Engagement, the do's and don'ts
1422_ 8/19/13 - Larry spoke with Howard Potter, the self-described recovering attorney and CPA who is here to talk about his favorite subject, networking. We're discussing his Networking Rules of Engagement, and then we'll talk about the 8th Annual Investment & Finance Cross-Networking Event on September 26th, 2013, hosted by Mr. Potter and sponsored by ACG Denver, w3w3.com and many others. Last year over 400 people attended this event and it has been sold out each of the last four years. The format is appreciated by all - there are no speakers, just a lot of time to network and make or renew your contacts. We asked him to talk about his networking best practices. Networking should be about 'How can I help you?' You walk into a meeting, the first thing you want to think is, 'What can I do to help these people in the room?' First, try to arrive a minimum of 15 minutes early. Those first minutes are the most important. You can get the ground work going, canvass the room, get a feeling for what's going on. I would also suggest, try to leave 15 minutes late, at the end of the networking time is some of the most valuable time that you spend. After the networking session is over you have to take the cards you've collected, make notes on the cards to remind yourself later of who you met. Talking about business cards - Never, Never, Never be without your business card. Howard goes so far to say if you are fishing or hunting - have a business card with you. The business card should be a card on which you can write and take notes so the people who meet you and you meet - you can make notes about who these people are and what their background is. Listen for more and be ready to take notes...
RELATED LINKS: Howard Potter || Investment & Finance Cross-Networking Event || M&A Channel || ACG Denver Home w3w3.com Blog || KEYWORDS: Howard Potter, Investment & Finance Cross-Networking, ACG Denver, Networking Rules of Engagement, Business Cards, Brand Yourself, bytes=4350853
LISTEN TO: Howard Potter, Cross Networking Event

Powered by Podbean.com

India is the first country to setup a National Knowledge Commission
554_ 8/19/13 - While Sam Pitroda, Chairman of WorldTel Ltd., has an illustrious technical background including patents and founder of multiple high-tech and digital startups in the United States and Europe, Sam spoke about his lifetime passion during his interview. Larry contacted him at his Chicago, IL. office and focused on 'education' and leadership'. This might seem like quite a leap from high-tech background which included founding Wescom which was one of the first digital switching companies in the world. "I spend most of my time these days as chairman of India’s National Knowledge Commission. We set up a commission to look at various aspects of knowledge institutions and infrastructure that India will need in the 21st Century. The commission is made up of 8 people coming from all walks of life; academicians, businessmen, professors, economists, mathematicians. Technology has played a very important role in all our development. Life expectancy has gone up, infant mortality has gone down, and communications have substantially improved the world over. We are well connected. But at the same time we are going through turmoil. I believe a lot of this has to do with the fact that technology changed too fast. And the organizations, government, policies, mind set, hasn’t kept pace with it. We have the mind set of the 19th and 20th centuries and we have technology of the 21st century." Sam a has new take on 'leadership'...listen now.
RELATED LINKS: National Knowledge Commission || C-Sam || TiE Rockies || Find It || KEYWORDS: Sam Pitroda, National Knowledge Commission, India, TiE Rockies, Education, Leadership > Bytes: 9950670 >
LISTEN TO: Sam Pitroda, Chairman of WorldTel Ltd.

Powered by Podbean.com

Investing and mentoring startups to success
1423_ 8/26/13 - Larry corralled David Cohen, CEO, TechStars, who just returned to Boulder after spending a month in London and it was good to be home. It's been quite a journey for David and the co-founders Brad Feld, David Brown and Jared Polis, and we talked about that. It was 2007 and David points out they go way back in the w3w3 Archives - you can check out some of those original interviews on w3w3.com. David became the active founder/CEO of the company, "We invested in ten little startups here in Boulder in 2007 and had a pretty interesting outcome, and said Wow!" Seven of them raised venture capital, and the reality was obvious, to use this great community in Boulder, to attract companies here, and bring in some new talent! Fast forward to current days and global success - a fabulous three month program focused on intensive mentorship with funding for each company. Back then it was only $18,000 - today it is $118,000. Their expansion first took them to Boston, their successes continued and now they are in seven locations including London. TechStars also works with and on behalf of corporations that run the program like Nike+ Accelerator, The Kaplan EdTech Accelerator, The Microsoft Accelerator, and R/GA Connected Devices Accelerator (just announced recently). Today, David tells us, "We are running about 12 programs a year globally and that's funding somewhere around 120-140 companies a year." PART 1 of 3
RELATED LINKS: TechStars || 2007 Interview David Cohen and David Brown || Foundry Group, Brad Feld || Entrepreneur Channel || KEYWORDS: David Cohen, TechStars, Brad Feld, David Brown, Jared Polis, Investing, London, Startups, Nike+ Accelerator, The Kaplan EdTech Accelerator, The Microsoft Accelerator, and R/GA Connected Devices Accelerator, Entrepreneurship, >bytes=3100737
LISTEN TO: David Cohen, Founder, TechStars

Powered by Podbean.com

Focusing Corporate View on Unseen Assets
1423_ 8/26/13 - Larry interviewed Michael Hess founder of the organization, Blind Institute of Technology (BIT). Mike started BIT with one mission in mind, and that is to bridge the gap between the Visually Impaired [VI] Community and the corporate environment. He is making an impact with the 80% unemployment within the visually impaired community. Mike is a very determined young man and, of course, he has a connection with this community and that connection only makes his story that much more impressive. Michael Hess is legally blind and a technical professional. Michael said, "I've learned how to leverage what I call, 'Tips, Tricks and Technologies' to my fullest advantage to overcome the very real obstacles that you will encounter in the corporate workspace." The federal government actually spends on average, and statistics show, as high as $11 Billion annually on the visually impaired community alone. And yet, Michael has been able to earn a six figure income for the last third of his career, out there in the private, very competitive, very visually centric workspace. Now he wants to take his education two-fold... he wants to teach other visually impaired community members the tips tricks and technologies that he's used to overcome the visual obstacles. He's also out there talking to executives with amazing organizations locally, Denver Water, Denver Health, Cricket Communications, Avaya, Webroot, Liberty Media, amazing local companies about the true asset which is the blind individual. "We have a lot of assets that we bring to the game every day that corporations are looking for. Natural innate skills like..." Listen for more...
RELATED LINKS: The Blind Institute of Technology || Project Management Institute Mile Hi || Podcasting Directory || CIMCO || Social Entrepreneurs || KEYWORDS: Michael Hess, Blind Institute of Technology, BIT, Visually Impaired, Project Management Institute Mile Hi, CIMCO, Community Reach, DU, Social Entrepreneurs, bytes=6875327
LISTEN TO: Michael Hess, Founder

Powered by Podbean.com

Corporate Social Responsibility and Business Ethics
1421_ 8/19/13 - Larry interviewed Francy Milner, the Associate Director for Campus and Community Partnerships at Leeds School of Business, University of Colorado Boulder - she has some great and exciting news for Boulder. She has been teaching in the area of social responsibility and social entrepreneurship at the university for the past eight years, starting out with Corporate Social Responsibility and Business Ethics. Francy is also part of a center here called, Center for Education on Social Responsibility at the Leeds School of business. A few years ago, Francy created an undergraduate course (and then a graduate course) in social entrepreneurship. Francy points out, "What's the difference? Most people don't know. Social Responsibility is the company taking into account all of their shareholders, consumers and employees and the environment, etc. Showing responsibility more broadly. When we talk about Social Entrepreneurship, it's people who found an enterprise with a social or environmental mission. A purpose to do good. It might be to provide clean water - or access to credit in developing countries for people who don't have that access. Francy is also teaching outside the business school, in the ATLAS Program... and she will continue that. Francy said, "There's a new incubator for students who want to launch their own social ventures, it's called Watson University." Listen for more on this exciting news.
RELATED LINKS: Leeds School of Business || Podcasting Directory || CIMCO || Social Entrepreneurs || ATLAS Institute || Watson University || KEYWORDS: Francy Milner, Leeds School of Business, ATLAS Institute, University of Colorado Boulder, Watson University, Social Responsibility, Business Ethics, Social Entrepreneurship, > bytes=5979640
LISTEN TO: Francy Milner, J.D., Associate Director for Campus and Community Partnerships at Leeds School of Business, University of Colorado

Powered by Podbean.com

The acquisition price was nearly $125 million
1419_ 8/12/13 - A decade ago, John Giacomoni was working as a professional research assistant in the Software Engineering Research Lab at the University of Colorado Boulder when the group took on a problem they couldn’t afford to solve. The affordable solution he envisioned as a CU-Boulder research assistant became a reality with the help of former CU-Boulder Assistant Professor Manish Vachharajani. Convincing others would turn out to be the real problem. "Funding agencies and investors, except for a handful of Boulder angels, universally said, ‘No way; no how. You guys are crazy,’" Giacomoni remembered. The work finally began to pay off in late 2009, when LineRate got its first angel investor, a Boulder local, whose interest attracted other angel investors. Ultimately, they raised $575,000 in angel financing for the company, allowing Giacomoni and Vachharajani to hire seasoned networking developer Mark Terrel, create a production-ready product, and recruit experienced startup leader Steve Georgis to serve as chief executive officer, which in turn, attracted a second round of funding totaling $4.75 million. The pair went on to co-found a company based on the technology, LineRate Systems, which they sold earlier this year to F5 Networks. The acquisition price — nearly $125 million according to filings made with the Securities and Exchange Commission — was the largest exit of a networking infrastructure company in the Boulder area in years. "John and Manish were incredibly persistent in going after their vision," CU-Boulder’s Tallman said. "They met with dozens of...Listen for more...
RELATED LINKS: LineRate Systems || F5 Networks || CU Technology Transfer Office || CU TTO Channel || TTO Blog || CU TTO || Software Channel || KEYWORDS: John Giacomoni, Manish Vachharajani, LineRate Systems, F5 Networks, Software, Alexander L. Wolf, Research Funding, Angel Investors, CU Technology Transfer, CUTTO, bytes=13770817
LISTEN TO: John Giacomoni & Manish Vachharajani

Powered by Podbean.com

Mastering Change in the Midst of Chaos™1307_ 11/12/12 -

Here’s what you’ll learn in this 200 page book!
     - Apply the Principles of A-to-Z Planning to
        Build a Winning Team
     - Tap into Your Team’s Mental DNA to
        Increase Performance
     - Understand Your Sector’s
        History, Trends & Ground Swell

Regardless of the economy, application of these 3 initiatives will help you achieve your goals, meet your bottom-line metrics and accomplish incredible results. These 3 initiatives are Powerful, Proven and People-Oriented. Larry predicts there will be more significant changes in 2013 than in the last 10 years combined…across all sectors. Read More at Mastering Change .

Order now… It’s yours for $10.00 and we’ll pay the shipping in the US… (last chance - free shipping)