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Tech community dressing up

The 2002 CTEK e-Ball proved to be "Event of the Year"
1535_ 5/02/14 - - It was 2002... and the Good News is that there will be another November 1, 2003 at the Renaissance Hotel - Interlocken! We're talking about the CTEK Entrepreneurs Ball and it's too bad if you weren't there. However, here's the next best thing, Lu Cordova and her CTEK team created a scene that fed the starving west. Being there was more fun than we've had in a long time. (Photos from last year below!) We asked what should you wear - now we'll see who was there and what they wore! Come back often, with over 200 photos we'll be adding and changing the view - again and again-frequently. The Omni was packed and spilling beautiful people all over. It was fun, it was exciting - the food was great - that sound system from Bang & Olufsen was outstanding... and I want one. We wore name tags (which was nice) but it definitely had the glamour and ambiance of a 'ball' !
RELATED LINKS: 2002 E-Ball || 2003 CTEK Portal || Lu Cordova Portal || 2002 CTEK Awards || KEYWORDS: CTEK, Lu Cordova, E-Ball, Trailblazing Creators of Successful and Emerging Companies, CTEK team, CTEK Entrepreneurs Ball, Brad Feld, Rick Patch

Business and Tech history that we lived and learned by (2002–2012)

Mantra for Venture Capitalists Today + Mobius VC Tips
1535_ 4/28/14_ It was 2004... Brad Feld, managing director of Mobius Venture Capital identifies what VCs are looking at today…including exit strategies, hot markets, checklist of the VC’s mantra, what Mobius VC is focused on today as well as essentials for the first-time entrepreneur who is building a new company. Everything is changing. All the rules are changing…or are they? SOFTBANK Venture Capital is now Mobius Venture Capital (And today it’s the Foundry Group). Brad Feld has cut his hair (unlike Samson, he has not lost his strength). Are these changes symbolic, superficial or just a sign of our changing times? Leadership in changing times has been elusive to many organizations…great leadership that is. Some say leaders have learned from their experience. We’ve heard people proudly point out they have 18 years experience…in truth, they’ve had one experience 18 times. Yes, leaders do learn from experience, but it’s the distillation of all the good and challenging events that makes the difference. Brad’s mother and father had a great impact on him…personally and professionally. Along the way in the business world (starting at age 15 in Brad’s case) there were others that also influenced his beliefs and values. He learned from some tough lessons as well as from his successes. Brad shares some of his "learning experiences" in this provocative interview.
RELATED LINKS: Brad Feld, Profile of an Industry Leader || Mobius Venture Capital || Feld Thoughts || Foundry Group || KEYWORDS: Brad Feld, Mobius Venture Capital, Foundry Group, Venture Capital, Change, VC’s mantra, Leadership, Dr. Stanley Feld, Daniel Feld, Cecelia Feld, Exit Strategies, Hot Markets
LISTEN TO: Brad Feld, Managing Director, Foundry Group

The Trend is Changing for Start-up Entrepreneurs

Built solely on research based investment management

Be focused on really being good at what you do
1535_ 4/22/14 - Since the 60s, Bernstein a New York based fund, has been built solely on research based investment management. That singular focus has led them to become one of the biggest companies and one of the biggest public firms in that arena. We're talking with Ward Cerny, Vice President, Bernstein Global Wealth Management and he said, "We've just focused on really being good at what we do and not all the other things that cause conflicts to our investment management clients, such as lending, mergers and acquisitions, having a proprietary trading desk. We just want to focus on ensuring the best outcome for our clients, the fiduciary, and that's what we do." For Ward's part, he is an advisor to individuals, foundations and endowments and in his niche of specialty is "helping business owners, in particular, plan out how their companies and transactions in relation to their companies, is going to benefit them. Transactions like selling a majority or the entirety of their company or buying another company, how is that going to affect them personally? How is it going to affect their goals and help them achieve what they want to get out of their professional lives?" That is quite a tall order. Ward said, "Another hurdle to overcome is most entrepreneurs feel very comfortable taking a ton of risk and having all their eggs in the business basket - just trying to get them to diversify so that their financial future is a lot more secure." Listen for more...
RELATED LINKS: AllianceBernstein || ACG Denver || M&A Channel || PodCast Directory || KEYWORDS: Ward Cerny, AllianceBernstein, Wealth Management, Corporate Heads, Professionals, Business Community, Private Equity, Investment Bankers, Association for Corporate Growth, ACG Denver, bytes=6130941
LISTEN TO: Ward Cerny, Vice President, Bernstein Wealth Management

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2014 Rocky Mtn Corporate Growth Conference - Conference Pre Launch

Launch 2014 Rocky Mountain Corporate Growth Conference
1529_ 4/8/14 - Enjoy seeing the photo album from 3/31/14 2014 Rocky Mountain Corporate Growth Conference (ACG)

Big Day for RM Corporate Growth Conference... Today

Entrepreneurs, mid-market, large corporations and public sector
1523_ 4/1/14 - Larry attended a high-profile ACG Denver luncheon and talked to a number of attendees about the business timing in the marketplace today. Larry interviewed Nate Oatman, ACG Denver Board Member, with Capital Value Advisors, an investment bank - a boutique bank based here in Denver, Colorado. Nate's firm works with middle market, privately held businesses, primarily helping them execute a transaction when it's appropriate, but also working with them multiple years in advance. And, they've been doing this for over ten years. Larry asked what the biggest challenges are facing us in the next years. Nate replied, "I would say there's a bit of a longer term uncertainty out there. I think a lot of our clients current and prospects, are trying to figure out, do they want to reload and go for the next level of growth or do they want to partner with someone else to do that. Or, are they ready to potentially exit and move on to a next chapter. So I think that is a challenge of 'hey we've recovered, the economy is doing very well', from our perspective, right now. But you know good business owners are always looking 3 to 5 years out. So I would say that's one challenge and the other is time. Right. Everyone we work with, and being a boutique outfit, we are very selective on who we work with and so that's always a challenge and we notice with our really strong clients, they're always searching for more time to achieve their goals." Larry asked, you're on the board at ACG, give us an overview of what you have coming up. "ACG is great, we've got our Corporate Growth Conference on April 1st where we anticipate getting about 500 business advisors, intermediaries, private equity groups, investment bankers, lawyers - so they'll be getting together and"...
RELATED LINKS: Capital Value Advisors || RM Corporate Growth Conference || ACG Denver || M&A Channel || w3w3.com Blog || In the News || KEYWORDS: Association for Corporate Growth, ACG Denver, Nate Oatman, Capital Value Advisors, Annual Rocky Mountain Corporate Growth Conference, Investment Bank, bytes=3073570
LISTEN TO: Nate Oatman, Capital Value Advisors,
and ACG Denver Board Member

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International organization working for Denver's corporate growth...

Bringing the ideas, the people and the capital together
1515_ 3/18/14 - The Association for Corporate Growth is an international organization based out of Chicago. Ward Cerny is president of the ACG Denver Chapter and Vice President of Bernstein Global Wealth Management here in Denver. "We have about 500 ACG Denver members, they span the gamut - corporate heads, professionals in the business community, private equity and investment bankers and we're placed with the premiere middle market organization for bringing the ideas, the people and the capital together when people need to grow their business. And so that's what we do, we provide the content, the meeting place over a nice lunch, dinner or breakfast, so that people can get the resources and advice they need to grow their business." On April 1st, we're having our Annual Rocky Mountain Corporate Growth Conference with General Stanley McChrystal as our Keynote speaker Former Commander of U.S. and International Forces in Afghanistan, will present his ‘Lessons in Leadership’. Larry asked what advice Ward would have for a potential investor. "I would say don't get overly excited, and in the depths of despair, try not to act out of fear. Keep the long run in mind, have a plan from the start and make sure as the valuations go down and everything is on sale that you don't sell at the worst time possible. Then as valuations go up to very high levels, don't get overly exuberant. Don't buy at a high market as well." Ward continued, "Our business is focused on, the only way to have superior results over the long run is to invest in research - over and over again. To make sure you have superior research, superior ideas and that's what will generate superior results." Even as Ward is an MBA in Finance and has worked in investment banking for a long time, "We have a deep bench of analysts around the world and they are really qualified in what they do - and the sum of all that research is what makes us the great institution that we are."
RELATED LINKS: ACG Denver || ACG Channel || AllianceBernstein || w3w3 Blog || KEYWORDS: Association for Corporate Growth, ACG Denver, Ward Cerny, AllianceBernstein, Corporate Heads, Professionals, Business Community, Private Equity, Investment Bankers, Annual Rocky Mountain Corporate Growth Conference, General Stanley McChrystal, bytes=6352878
LISTEN TO: Ward Cerny, President, ACG Denver

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Building successful companies for a successful country

Shared mission to build companies, a strong state and country
1506_ 3/8/14 - Through expertly facilitated discussion, What to do? becomes What to do. Perspective is achieved, a definitive plan of action is determined. In subsequent meetings, progress is checked and accountability ensured. We are speaking with Bob Carrothers, Vistage Chair and sponsor of Colorado Companies to Watch. Larry asked Bob why Vistage was a sponsor. "Because", he said, "our mission is the same. Helping to build successful companies is part of building a successful country, a successful state." Put 12 or so high performing business executives in a room and the potential is enormous. The role of a Vistage Chair is to question answers, not simply answer questions, so the core of an issue is exposed, clarity is achieved, and a forward path is charged. Vistage members control businesses with annual sales ranging from $1 million to over $1 billion, representing the most vital component of the economy. Around the world, Vistage-member companies generate nearly $300 billion in annual revenue and employ approximately 1.8 million people. In a recent analysis, Vistage CEO member companies significantly outperformed the compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of the average Dun & Bradstreet U.S. company from 2005 to 2009.
RELATED LINKS: Vistage Chair || CCTW || CCTW Channel || PodCast Directory || KEYWORDS: Bob Carrothers, Vistage Chair, Colorado Companies to Watch, Shared Mission, Build Companies, Executives, Entrepreneurs, bytes=5541201
LISTEN TO: Bob Carrothers, Vistage Chair

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"3D Printing is an Ecosystem, not a device."

Acquired for $403 Million in 2013
1495_ 2/12/14 - Terry Morreale, Associate Director and Chief Technology Officer for the National Center for Women and Information Technology or NCWIT was joined by Larry Nelson, co-founder of w3w3.com Talk Radio to interview Jenny Lawton, President of MakerBot. MakerBot is a company that specializes in 3D Printers, and has been on the cutting edge of the industry since its inception. Jenny has been with MakerBot since 2011 and has been responsible for the overall strategy and growth of the company, including strategic partnerships, product development, and retail. In addition to her work with MakerBot, she is a respected company builder, technologist, and advocate for fostering entrepreneurship. Brad Feld, serial entrepreneur, venture capitalist, is a longtime friend and mentor of Jenny. MakerBot was acquired by Stratasys in June, 2013 for $403 Million. Jenny said, "3D Printing is an Ecosystem, not a device." In addition to her work with MakerBot, she is a respected company builder, technologist, and advocate for fostering entrepreneurship. What's next for Jenny? she says, "MakerBot, has a long way to go, so there's a lot we're doing that's really exciting. We more than doubled last year in size and so I'm continuing to grow MakerBot right now and leading the next industrial revolution." Listen for much more as Jenny shares some great entrepreneurial advice...
RELATED LINKS: MakerBot || NCWIT Home || NCWIT Blog || Heroes Channel || KEYWORDS: Jenny Lawton, MakerBot, National Center for Women and Information Technology, NCWIT, Terry Morreale, Entrepreneurs, Brad Feld, Women, Girls, Technology, bytes=16056218
LISTEN TO: Jenny Lawton, Founder/President, MakerBot

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Financial Reporting for Private Businesses

Financial challenges, Big GAAP and Little GAAP
1491_ 1/28/14 -
It is technical and critical... Larry and Pat attended the Financial Executives International (FEI Colorado) monthly chapter meeting and interviewed the keynote speaker Greg Anton who is a founding partner of Anton Collins Mitchell LLP, (ACM) a Denver, Colorado based CPA firm. Greg was speaking about financial reporting for private companies and talked about two elements of business reporting. One, FASB the Financial Accounting Standards Board producing differential standards for private companies that are GAAP (Generally Accepted Accounting Principles) based. We also talked about how there are 29 million private companies in the United States and 15,000 public companies in the US. And how the financial reporting rules really are written for the 15,000 public companies. So when we have to produce GAAP based financial statements, the private company has to follow the public company rules. So the Private Company Council over at FASB is creating some small nuances and changes in the standards that are allowable for the private company to follow and still be in compliance with GAAP. In addition the AICPA has created a financial reporting framework for small businesses that don't need to produce GAAP based financial statements but they want to produce accurate reliable financial information for the managers of the business, for the business owners, the investors as well as for lenders that might lend money to the business where the active financial report information is produced in an accurate, reliable and consistent way. So the financial reporting framework itself, creates substantial changes in financial reporting and it really marries some of the GAAP principles and some of the Tax Principles on a simplified basis to create a financial reporting framework that is relevant and useful for a small private business. Really Main Street type of accounting versus Wall Street... Listen for more....
RELATED LINKS: FEI Colorado || Anton Collins Mitchell LLP || Blog || CIMCO || CIMCO Channel || Event Photos || KEYWORDS: Greg Anton, Anton Collins Mitchell LLP, Federal Executives International, FEI Colorado, Entrepreneurs, Goal Planning, Strategic Planning, Cost Structure, bytes=10372809
LISTEN TO: Greg Anton, Anton Collins Mitchell LLP

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The Language of Business...

Goal Planning & Strategic Planning Critically Important
1489_ 1/22/14 - STORY: Larry and Pat attended the Financial Executives International (FEI Colorado) monthly chapter meeting and interviewed the keynote speaker Greg Anton who is a founding partner of Anton Collins Mitchell LLP, (ACM) a Denver, Colorado based CPA firm with offices in Boulder, Denver and Greeley. Larry asked Greg what advice he would give entrepreneurs. "Ultimately financial reporting and accounting is the language of business. If you don't have some reference or some general idea of the language of business, it's really difficult to manage that business. If you don't understand how to read financial information, you really can't run the business... So you must have a general understanding - you don't, obviously, have to be an accountant to be a business owner." Greg said. "The reality is that most business owners we talk to need a keen understanding of the cost structure, the cost of their product, the cost of their service, what's the right price point in the marketplace, how do they create sales initiatives that pay for themselves." Greg also explained that he tells folks he deals with that it's really important to do goal planning and strategic planning around where you are going. He said, "I view it as you've got to have a daily plan for the things that have to be accomplished that day, that are critically important. You've got to have a strategic plan that looks out one, two, three years. And, you have to have a wide term plan that looks out into the horizon. If you don't have a vision of where your business is going to go - it's impossible to get from today to the future without that. Successful entrepreneurs have the vision of what they can do ...Listen for more...
RELATED LINKS: FEI Colorado || Anton Collins Mitchell LLP || Podcasting Directory || CIMCO || Social Entrepreneurs || KEYWORDS: Greg Anton, Anton Collins Mitchell LLP, Federal Executives International, FEI Colorado, Entrepreneurs, Goal Planning, Strategic Planning, Cost Structure, bytes=10372809
LISTEN TO: Gregory Anton, Anton Collins Mitchell LLC

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