While snow piles up outside in NEO,  in Hawaii the anthurium are brilliant, waxy red.   A  friend just arrived Friday from Hawaii and hand carried these spectacular delicate stems.   What a thoughtful present.

Two weeks ago saw the second birthday of REALNEO. I started REALNEO in October, 2004, to provide “Regional Economic Action Links for North East Ohio” and implement for the region some exciting open source social networking technology. While the outcomes have not been entirely what I expected, and these years have in ways been rough, I've been thrilled to help drive and support some great developments in the community.

 The following story with its links ran in CASE Daily (Case's online newpaper) today. Do feel like you have entrepreneurial genes? I think I do! Please post your thoughts
"Do genes influence who will be entrepreneurs?"

ABC News (Reuters), June 5, 2006
http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=2041245

With the demand by Case Professor Krauss for a no-confidence vote against the Case president and provost, the levee broke flooding Case with the community sewage brimming its highest offices since hurricane Lewis smacked NEO several years ago, demanding the complete reorganization of Case. The rains since from Lewis' further public contempt for Case overflowed all the protection the president and board could retain, and now the Case community is in ruins.

People who complain there aren't leaders in Northeast Ohio fighting each day to improve our economy and quality of life are themselves ignorant and to blame for the problems in this community. Innumerable exceptional, dedicated, capable and effective leaders fight day in and out to improve everyone's lives here, every day - it is the people who do not participate actively in this process who are our region's "quiet crisis"?. Each day we have opportunities to be solutions - visit the REALNEO calendar frequently to get up to speed and learn where, when and how to make differences in the future of this community, participate in forums on-line, find and share insight with our community leaders, and take personal responsibility, now.

NEOSA and REI staged a remarkable economic development event
in this Future Forum, and Myers University Club was a great venue -
congratulations to all the organizers and presenters. The objective was to
"focus on the impact of new and disruptive technologies and trends -
helping us to visualize the potential and possibilities as well as the risk
inherent in all change" and attendees certainly got alot to think about.
To put things in blunt conclusion, the future is terrifying.

To a large degree University of California in San Diego gets credit for
reinventing their regional economy, most visibly through their
"Connect" services. Below is an article from their latest
e-newsletter which highlights how much they do to connect early stage ventures
there with all levels of funding - from "food and rent" grants to
partnering with large pharmaceuticals. Important model and lessons to learn of
NEO to connect with the new economy!

This article offers good perspective on applied nanotechnology in healthcare, which was the subject of a recent conference in NEO...

Nanotechnology comes of age...

...last Monday, when the United States Patent and Trademark Office
announced a new registration category just for nanotechnology
inventions.

See NY Times Article linked here

The
NanoMedicine Summit is a multidisciplinary scientific meeting devoted to
exploring innovative strategies for translating recent advances in
nanotechnology research into clinical practice and biomedical investigation.
The summit will bring together leading clinical practitioners and biomedical
researchers with top nanoscientists. Expert presentations and panel forums will
highlight state-of-the-art biomedical nanotechnology, discuss specifications
for nanoscale tools for biomedical research, and identify unmet clinical needs
ripe for nanobiotechnology solutions.