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.

On Friday, June 9th, John Osher shared some thoughts about starting a business and being a successful entrepreneur with the Ohio Venture Association, based on his life experience.

Prior to Mr. Osher's presentation, Michael Weider of Gauntlet Technology Systems gave a Five-Minute Forum presentation on his company's patented technology that is designed to keep impaired individuals from starting their vehicles and to prevent vehicle theft.

 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

This Friday's meeting of the Ohio Venture Association is likely to be a sellout so make your reservations now!

The Union Club
1211 Euclid Ave.
Cleveland, Ohio
Map and Driving Directions
(free parking at The Union Club - enter garage off E. 12th St.) Price: Member: $25 with reservation/$35 without reservation
Non-member: $40 with reservation/$50 without reservation
Register online using our secure registration form.
    

John Osher never went to class on a sunny day. In fact, he struggled through seven years of undergraduate work at three separate universities before graduating from Boston University with a degree in Psychology. John has never been hired to work for any company, nor has he ever been elected or appointed to any office of any kind. And yet, he has proven to be one of America's most successful entrepreneurs over the past twenty years. He did it simply by short circuiting the system, by starting all of his own businesses and appointing himself President since the age of five. Now that he is older, he prefers to appoint himself Chairman.

The May meeting of the Ohio Venture Association at Lockkeepers featured presentations by two entrepreneurs seeking capital and the innovative story of Summa Enterprise Group.

OVA Board President Ben Calkins brought the meeting to order at Lockkeepers and allowed each person in attendance to introduce him or herself, following OVA's usual custom.

There were two Five-Minute Forum presentations. These speakers typically represent companies that are looking for start-up or expansion capital.

Sherry Aronson is president of Cure Systems, a company that provides enterprise software for hospitals that improves the quality of health care while enhancing cost efficiencies. Her company uses predictive analytics to anticipate and mitigate the risks in acute care environments. The result is a ten-fold return for its hospital clients and better outcomes for patients. The company has a partnership with the Cleveland Clinic Health System. They are looking for additional capital to complete product development and intellectual property protection.

Prelude2Cinema second in a series of fundraisers to support the Studio Expansion and the creation of a New Industry in Northeast Ohio. This Dinner is at Massimo's da Milano and takes place May 4th from 5pm to 7pm. It features a free dinner and a cash bar. The cost is only $20.00. Celebrities are expected to attend. You must RSVP by http://www.evite.com/app/publicUrl/alexmichaels@prelude2cinema.com/fundthestudio

I hope you will join me on February 24th @ 8:00am for the region's leading
Private Equity Investment Summit. The event will take place at the
beautiful, new Corporate College facility on Richmond Road (see attachment).

A resounding theme among entrepreneurs in NEO has for a long time been "I don't get respect". Now, a new study by Stuart Mendel, Assistant Dean of the Maxine Goodman Levin College of Urban Affairs at Cleveland State University and Co-director of the college's Center for Non-Profit Policy and Practice, validates that "Cleveland could foster small-business growth as a way to erase the "Poorest Big City in America" distinction it earned last year".

The July 11, 2005, Ohio Venture Association (OVA) luncheon featured Mark Coticchia, VP for Research and Technology Management at Case University, presenting a report on the progress of his organization since he arrived in Cleveland four years ago. He demonstrated that the progress has been amazing; all performance metrics tracked are at least 100% improved since 2001.

Next Luncheon Meeting Speaker:     

Mark Coticchia - VP for Research and Technology Management at Case Western Reserve University

Date:     July 11, 2005

Time:     11:30 Networking/12:00 Lunch Served/1:30 Adjourn

At their monthly member luncheon, on 05.09.05, the ever insightful Ohio Venture Association pitched something far a field of the usual build-it-and-they-will-come NEO entrepreneurial dreams by showcasing the biggest baseball champion of our lifetime, around here - the owner of Roy Hobbs Baseball, Tom Giffen. While some may think the sports industry is the exclusive domain of billionaire businessmen, Tom showed OVA attendees how being in the right place, at the right mid-life crisis, made one entrepreneurial journalist a self fulfilled and satisfied natural in the baseball industry, offering the audience many inspiring lessons for all ages.

The 04.11.05 Ohio Venture Association (OVA) luncheon at the Cleveland Union Club featured City of Cleveland Senior Executive for Technology Development, aka “tech czar�, Michael DeAloia. Michael is responsible for expanding information technology focused business development in Cleveland, and his results to date are impressive, as highlighted below. Preceding Michael’s talk was a “5-Minute Forum� by Anthony Margida, Ph.D., the Battelle Company Formation Advisor to GLITeC, making this a very important, tech-centric innovation immersion event.

Michael C. DeAloia

- Senior Executive for Technology Development

- City of Cleveland - “Technology Development in the City�

Monday, April 11, 2005

- 11:30 Networking/12:00 Lunch Served/1:30 Adjourn

The Union Club - 1211 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland Ohio

The 03.14.05
Ohio Venture
Association entrepreneurship networking lunch at the Union
Club assembled a remarkable mix of entrepreneurs, venture funders and
entrepreneurship champions to build relationships and gain perspectives on the
state of opportunity and momentum of collaboration increasingly defining the
Northeast Ohio business community. That theme was well expressed by the
presence and focus of keynote presenter Mike Stubler, Managing Director of seed
and early stage venture capital firm Draper Triangle Ventures,
which just established an office in downtown Cleveland at 737 Bolivar Road -
also home of Jump Start. The topic of Mike's talk was “Why NEO is attractive to
Early Stage Investors�. Everyone in the club was engaged.

Mike is a founder of Draper Triangle Ventures and has been investing
in early stage technology companies for over ten years. Draper
Triangle is the midwest-based fund of Draper Fisher Jurvetson,
a leading silicon valley-based early stage technology venture firm
that has created a network of 16 affiliated regional venture funds
with over 70 investment professionals and $3 billion under management.
Founded in 1999, Draper Triangle recently closed its second fund
and has approximately $110 million under management. The Fund is
focused on early stage technology investments in information technology,
medical devices and other advanced technology companies located
in Ohio and western and central Pennsylvania. In connection with
closing the second fund, Draper Triangle opened an office on Bolivar
Road in Cleveland. Mike is leading the Fund's activities
in northeast Ohio.