Here's to the Future! or SpinSuccess.com

Continuing the theme of "what do we do now?" MindArray's Tery Spataro and Viant's Marylyn Dintenfass hosted an open forum to enable some of Silicon Alley concerned netizens to get together and talk about the future of the industry. As Tery wrote in her email invite, "in order to predict the future we must collectively imagine it, see it prospering and growing in a positive direction. Let's not let the media and rumors be our self-fulfilling prophecy." Here, here! We're the over-riding expressions for the night. Among the vocal attendees were M.J. Segal Principal Mike Segal, Unplugged Games' Eric Goldberg, Gary Welz, David Blumenstein Plan B's Katie Gallagher, Adrienne Matt, The Interactive Resource's Christine Harmel, Eisnor Interactive's Jen Nash and Vizy Interactive's Andrew Edwards. American Express Director of Online Marketing and Koko Interactive's Glen Lipka and Katie Peters were also active participants. Richmond Research's Lou Giacalone and Richard A. Eisner's Bruce J Strzelczyk also added perspective. By the end of the night, results of the conversation were interesting. Let's start each telling the positive side of what's going on. Let's make sure the press knows about the success stories -- they need new material, and the "doom-and-gloom" aspect is getting old. So stay tuned for a SuccessStory.com-type Web site coming your way soon!

Ecomm's Internet Odyssey

There were plenty of predictions at the New York e-commerce Association Panel, "2001: An Internet Odyssey" on Wednesday, January 31 at the Marriott Marquis. Before the panel began I chatted with Diann Eisnor and Sam Ewan of Eisnor Interactive about continuing business as usual. Met Framfab's President Staffan Ekholm and McKinsey & Company's James Costantini, who were waiting for Framfab's client development and marketing SVP, and James' sister, Giulia Costantini. Webclippings' Noah Silverman and Barbara Shapiro were chatting it up as the crab cakes were passed around. I was in the last row of a packed room, along with Integrity Office Solutions' Marketing VP Patricia Hildebrandt and Environmental Defense's Director of Web Technology Shane Snipes. I-Hatch Ventures' Managing Principal and Co-founder Chip Austin introduced the night's panels with comments -- 2000 was a year of severe change. While we used to associate ourselves with "Who Wants to be a Millionaire," we now associate our business with "Survivor." There was a lot of venture capital, and there's still plenty of it available. But you should run your business as if you don't need it (or won't get it).

Each panelist had a few opening comments that started the evening off on an informative note. Juno Online Services' CEO and Founder Charles Ardai told us that they're doing quite well with their 14 million registered users. Zagat.com's Co-chair and Founder Nina Zagat mentioned that they don't have a dot-com part of the business per se -- the Internet is just another medium through which they reach and interact with their audience. They're also expanding internationally and into travel-related listings. Coming in with a VC-perspective, Draper Fisher Jurvetson Gotham's Managing Partner and Co-founder Daniel Schultz said that what's different from last year's VC mentality is that it went from "how many?" to "which" portfolios can I get?" The herd mentality isn't there anymore. New York Times' e-commerce Reporter Bob Tedeschi said that people should look at the web as a tool, and that thankfully we're back to the basics of business sensibility. The panel ensued for the next hour with equally informative banter, as I made my way to the next forecasting event of the night.

Rounding Out the Full Evening

One of NYNMA's signature events, the "State of New York New Media," was held at the Cooper Union on Tuesday, January 30th. The event drew over 500 attendees eager to know what the sages would say. There they sat and listened to the ever-witty moderator Eric Goldberg, president and founder of Unplugged Games. The equally sharp panelists were Flatiron Partners' Managing Partner Jerry Colonna, About.com's CEO Scott Kurnit, New York Times Digital CEO Martin Nisenholtz, Ziff Davis Internet & Chief Internet Officer Wenda Millard and Soundview chairman and CEO Bob Lessin. Afterwards I chatted with Geoportals.com's Tom Gilbert, Flatiron Magazine's Erika Jakubassa and Draper Fisher Jurvetson Gotham Ventures' Ross Goldstein. Katalyst.com's Larry Pearl and The Chameleon Group's Laura Allen were chatting it up. EventMe!'s Volker Detering told me about a new development with their service. Among the dignitaries were PriceWaterhouseCoopers' Tom Hyland, Westerly Partners' Michael Wheeler and Agency.com's Peter Kestenbaum. Mark Stahlman and PR 21's Renee Edelman were debating the positive and negative outcomes of the scenarios painted by the panelists. I saw Full Audio's Debbie Newman out again, while new media consultant Deb Schultz introduced me to Pyxis's Mark Allen. Bernardo introduced me to The New York Times advertising representative Andre Johnson, and before leaving I caught up with Internet Wire's Chairman and Chief Strategy Officer Michael Terpin. After a solid night of networking, I headed home to catch some Zzzzs.

ADV ~ NYNMA's "State of New York New Media 2001" Panel

NYNMA's "State of New York New Media 2001" Panel: Jan. 30, 6:30 PM, Cooper Union. Last year's panel predicted the collapse of the dotcom boom 3 months before the market correction. This year's event will explore the outlook for Silicon Alley in 2001. Which businesses can we salvage, and how? What new businesses should we build from last year's failures? Will Silicon Alley lead the wireless revolution? All-star panelists! For more info & registration: http://www.nynma.org

ADV ~ Mindshare Ventures

Mindshare Ventures - iStartup Fever Jan 29-30, 2001 Biz plans accepted through 1/12 for Speed-pitching, the funding securing opportunity through which selected entrepreneurs get to meet one-on-one with NYC's most active angels/VCs. (50+ attending.) Guaranteed funding of one company! Special promotion for entrepreneurs only: the 2-day conference AND Speed-pitching at a total rate of $395 (limited availability.) Very few seats remain at the regular rate of $895 for non-entrepreneurial attendees. Register at www.istartupfever.com or call us at 212.645.8140.

A Rich Media Odyssey

I stopped uptown briefly to listen in to the Emerging Interest meeting at the TBWA/Chiat Day offices. Mezzina Brown & Partners Internet Strategist Tom Hespos, TBWA/Chiat Day's Creative Director Doug Yeager and Mindarrow's CEO Rob Webber were speaking on rich media development to a packed house of attendees, including the darling ChannelSeven.com Reporter Pamela Parker.

Starting up the iStartupFever

Monday was also the start of the iStartupFever conference, held at Baruch College. There were teams of entrepreneurs, handfuls of VCs and lots of speakers at the opening night reception. Dara Tyson showed me her new cards -- presenting her own company, which showcases serial entrepreneurs to interested investors ESocrates.com's President Paul Shrivastava and Regional Sales Manager Jeff Varkonyi told me about some of their e-learning products. 1MinuteWebcasts.com were there taping interviews with speakers, and EpartTimeJobs' CEO Jayne Woolf and VC Malcolm Elvey of The Elvey Partnership were among the networkers busy passing cards throughout the night.
Ruby Tuesday had me prancing around Manhattan in my ruby slippers, as I traipsed from event to event. Having just spoken on a panel at the iStartupFever conference, I met up with some of the attendees at the Accenture-sponsored reception. McAdory Lipscomb, coordinating event manager and Accenture associate partner in the firm's marketing and communications, media & entertainment group, was the charming MC for the two-day conference. We chatted for a bit afterwards and exchanged thoughts on the business. YourResponse's Kiva Kolstein and Marcus Kline, PointMedia's Seamus Carroll, USCyberCoupons' Gary Moss, and XpressMD's Pankaj Talwar were among the contestants in the Speed Pitching session. VCs who endured the rounds of pitches were The Grimaldi Group's debonaire Vincent Grimaldi, Access Capital's President Miles Stuchin and Tech Crossover Ventures' Marc Teslar. Norwegian Trade Council's Hans Erik Karsten told me about developments in Norway, while Reuterspace' Diana El-Azar gave me the rundown on Paris. LawyerAccess.com's Josh Margulies and Kris Zdyb were out and about, schmoozing with the best of 'em, as were BreakfastNetwork.com's E Bogen and Bernardo of Bernardo's List.

An Awarding Night of Charity

The week started off with the lovely UJA-Federation of NY's Entertainment, Media & Communications division of the Technology & New Media Group's annual awards for achievement in technology. Pier Sixty was outfitted for the 700 guests who raised more than $600,000 for the dinner honoring America Online, Inc.'s President of Worldwide Interactive Marketing Myer Berlow and AOLTime Warner's EVP and President of Business Development David Colburn. Technology & New Media Group Chair Stephen Erhlich and the committee deserve congratulations for the hard work they put into the event. Among the notables present were MTVi's President and CEO Nick Butterworth, Full Audio's Debbie Newman and NYNMA's Alice O'Rourke.

Shakers & Stirrers and Bits & Bytes

NetworkDirect Names Conner CFO
New President and CEO
Hartnick Goes Solo
Womensforum.com Falls in Love
The Uproar Network Soars
Designerlines.com Partners with Global Interactive Direct
No Credit Info Stolen from Egghead.com
Agency.com Working for DirectTV, Inc.
Soliloquy, Inc. Gets Funded

ADV ~ The Cyber Scene

The Cyber Scene in looking for top-notch sales people. High Commissions and great opportunities! Please contact: info@pulitzer.com if interested.

The Cyber Scene in Atlanta ~ by Frank Wrenn

Different Mood, Similar Results

While I had a great time and met really interesting people at the Atlanta Interactive Marketing Association's Happy Hour on January 18, there was a palpable feeling in the air that things weren't how they used to be. Granted, the heavy downpour of rain surely kept away many of the former regulars, but there were probably other reasons for the small crowd. As I climbed the stairs at Gordon Biersch to the private-party area, I was greeted at the by Billy Kramer, AiMa's membership director (also of SportsIQ.com.) He and 360i.com's Danielle Falcone were passing out the beer tickets at the door. We chatted for a while, and then I grabbed a frosty beverage and heading to the food.

Just a few short months ago, I had heard the following conversation at an AiMaevent.
"How do y'all make money?"
"We don't. That's the beauty of it."

Times have changed, and many of those struggling start-ups are no longer struggling. They've been put out of their misery. But while the event had plenty of talk of lay-offs (it seemed to come up in every conversation), there was still a sense of optimism--that laid-off friends could easily find another job.

Another difference from events of old: there were also not as many people present from traditional "dot-coms." While there were some, including folks from LastMinuteTravel.com, there were plenty of people from agencies, including Hook Media and WestWayne. While chowing down on pizzas, wings, and potstickers, I struck up a conversation with Marc Goldberg, who is a new client acquisition manager at Sevista Messaging Technologies.

We talked a bit about The Cyber Scene and about his company, which enables businesses to send personalized, time-sensitive, event-based communications. In addition, their software enables businesses to tailor their content and services to individuals' preferences for true one-to-one communications. (www.Sevista.com) Afterwards, I chatted with Susanna Poulson and Ted Duff of Alta Vista, who were in town from New York on business. They certainly contributed to the talk of lay-offs, as Alta Vista had that very day announced job cuts of 200 people because of the weak online advertising market. Luckily for those of us who braved the torrents (and still had jobs or at least came out to find a job), the small attendance meant extra beer tickets if you stuck around long enough. Lucky late night imbibers included both Susanna and Ted as well as Billy Kramer and Danielle Falcone. Also enjoying extra Gordon Biersch micro-brews were Buddy Schwenk and Brian Conlan of Managed Storage International.

Lay-Offs at eTour, New CEO at IXL Alta Vista wasn't the only company announcing lay-offs last week. Atlanta's former media darling, eTour, cut 37 positions of its staff of 148. The company is reducing its operating costs in order to have positive cash flow by the end of the year.

In other news, eTour investor Bertram Ellis has stepped down as CEO of Atlanta-based IXL, which has seen its share of recent lay-offs as well. He will remain chairman. Stepping up to the plate is Christopher Forman, formerly of PricewaterhouseCoopers.

If you have information on Atlanta news and events, send it to me at frank@thecyberscene.com.

ADV ~ Venture Downtown

WANTED: Pioneering, Pre-IPO Companies Seeking Capital! NYNMA announces its CALL FOR COMPANIES for Venture Downtown 2001, Silicon Alley's leading Venture Capital conference. Twenty six early stage wireless, technology, and new media companies will have the chance to present their business plans to over 700 VC's, investment bankers, and potential strategic partners! Over $1 billion has been raised by companies that presented at Venture Downtown! Apply Now at www.venturedowntown.org

The Cyber Scene in Denver ~ by Suzanne Lainson

On January 25, I checked out Denver's first Pink Slip party, thrown by PR/marketing firm LH3 and held in the auditorium of the REI store (which is in a converted museum and has a three-story climbing wall right in the middle of everything). I got there before it started so I wandered around looking at end-of-season sales and trying on snowboarding jackets. Then after I had killed enough time, I went upstairs to the event. I talked to LH3 president/founder Lauri Harrison and VP Donna Crafton and to Vicki Steere, president/founder of CareersColorado.com while I waited for the pizza to come out. A rep from Guinness was also there handing out his company's new stout-in-a-bottle. Eager job seekers were filing in as I headed out to my next event. Since this was a sell- out, another one has been scheduled for February 22.

Then it was off to The Hotel Monaco, the hip luxury hotel in downtown Denver, for the launch of the Front Range Forum for Women Entrepreneurs. When I got to the lobby I noticed some familiar faces and realized it was a group of former Olympic skaters including Kristi Yamaguchi and Tara Lipinski (who is all grown up and is looking as tall and willowy as any 5'2'' person can). Their ice show, Stars on Ice, had performed in Denver the night before. FWE started in 1993 in Silicon Valley. Co-founder/CEO Denise Brosseau was in from San Francisco to speak to the gathering. Also addressing us were Louise Atkinson, senior advisor to Governor Owens and the Office of Technology and Innovation, and Cynthia Ryan and Susan Osborne, co-presidents of the Front Range FWE chapter One hundred women are listed as FRFWE founding members. It's a who's who of Colorado women running tech companies, handing out venture capital, and providing legal and other services. Erika Brown, president/founder of NetGoddess, introduced me to Kelly Brandner, VP of public relations firm Citigate Cunningham, which handles the FWE account. She recently moved up from Austin to open up the Denver office. I also had a chance to meet Kathy Simon, the new director of the University of Colorado's Deming Center for Entrepreneurship, and assistant director Cindy Scheopner. A pet project of mine is CU's Conference on World Affairs. We talked about possible synergies between the two programs. For example, Leonard Riggio, CEO of Barnes & Noble, will be on campus in April to address business students and will stay on to participate in the conference.

One January 26, I attended Hi-Tech Friday's at Evoke Communications (soon to be called something else). It was pizza and Guinness at this event as well. Todd Vernon, Evoke's CTO, and I were talking about various networking events in the area and who gets invited to which ones. John Robinson, director of business development for ad/design firm ProMotif was telling me about his company's move from Boulder to downtown Denver. (ProMotif created the Convergence Corridor multimedia campaign for the Metro Denver Network.) He said the move has been a good one, but of course as soon as they relocated, they picked up three new Boulder clients. Cathy Ewing, executive director, and Gayle St. John, finance director, of the Colorado Software & Internet Association were talking about having moved into new offices in Lafayette. Among the others I saw there were Stuart Hubbard, a principal with integrated communications firm charney/GBSM, and Jeff Finkelstein, director of consumer value and retention at Persona, which provides technology for online permission marketing and privacy management.

As a side trip, I checked out MassageSpecialists.com, right across the street from Alfalfa's, a healthy living grocery and deli which is a Boulder institution and has morphed into Wild Oats, the natural foods retail conglomerate. The .com part of MassageSpecialists comes from the fact that all appointment scheduling can be done via the Web. But the company also plays a role in the local tech economy through the companies it serves (e.g., Level 3, NetLibrary, Freewave Software). According to president/founder Dirk McCuistion, "We address specific injuries, especially repetitive stress injuries, to get specific results. We assess, treat, and reeducate. This leads us into biomechanics and ergonomics." The whole tech/massage linkage is a typically Boulder kind of thing. "People who are attracted to jobs in this area respond to companies that provide them lifestyle services."

NYC Junior HS benefits from Silicon Generosity (Cocktails with Courtney)

Quoting from Carl Sandburg on hopes and dreams, East Harlem Technical School Principal Maria Alvalez spoke from the heart to the guests at our 3rd Black Tie benefit, on January 25th at the Union Square W Hotel. She spoke of the importance of dream for growth. Her said that these kids don't know what they don't know, and thus, don't even know what dreams to pursue. Therefore, it is important for them to have someone else dream for them. So, they can be encouraged to pursue, persevere and succeed. She also commented that it is better to aim high and perhaps fail, than to aim too low and succeed. We also heard from Middle School Director Ben Waxman, who said this event most likely marked the very first black tie benefit for a New York City public school. Director of East Harlem Tech George Mathieu told us this was his first black tie. He encouraged us to invite the kids to our offices and to visit the school, where we could talk with them about other worlds and opportunities.
JDM Interactive's John McGann (from who I rent office space at 116 West Houston) told me this morning that to have such a formal event for this particular beneficiary, in light of recent and current economic and business conditions, was even more poignant. He cited the "social and ethical responsibilities that come hand in hand with developing a new industry, especially one that will have such an endemic effect on everyone's lives, and especially an industry that CAN affect less fortunate communities, for example, through education." His sentiments echoed throughout the night in the comments of other attendees, including Starvest Partners' Co-Chair and Founder Jeanne Sullivan and Environmental Entrepreneurs' Co-Founder and AT&T Extranet Director John Sullivan, who have been involved in technology for a long time and who care deeply about environmental and educational issues. Kate Berg, who left Jupiter to pursue her own dreams, PR21's EVP Renee Edelman and Flooz.com's Co-Founder, Chairman & CEO Robert Levitan are also among the netizens who care.

Lead sponsor Marsh Inc.'s new media SVP Michael Wiebe looked dashing in his tuxedo with red bow tie and cumberbund. He had more encouraging words about community involvement. Interactive Futures' CEO Steve Shaer, sponsor for the evening, cared deeply about this event and wanted to be sure his company was a contributor. Zefer, a third sponsor, also showed their support for the event by having a presence as well. Silicon Alley long-time leader David Friedensohn looked just as dapper in his tuxedo. He was one of the braver gentlemen who officially tied his own bow tie. Gazeta USA and JapanTV's Kenzo Hashimoto and AlleyCat Editor-in-Chief were hobnobbing along with LocalBusiness.com's Mo Krochmal and the New York City Economic Development Corporation's SVP Ann Gardner Kayman. NYSIA's President Bruce Bernstein and other long-time supporters MindArray's Tery Spataro, attorney Steve Filler, Koko Interactive's Katie Peters and Glen Lipka, Cowan Financial's Richard Frazer, and Roz Goldfarb's Amy Fried were all dressed to the nines and enjoying themselves.

WWWAC Board Members attorney Steve Masur, Richard A. Eisner's Bruce Strzelczyk (and new WWWAC president) and Colin Strasser all came out to support the evening's event. Lucent's Mads Lillelund introduced me to his lovely wife and new Alley-ite Global Crossing's Randy Stack. Akin Gump's Austin office sent the party invite to their NY director Willie Dennis, who happily attended. MOUSE's Executive Director Sarah Holloway was festive in her black feather boa, while and Founder & President (and Digital Club Networks' CEO/President and Co-Founder) Andrew Raisej looked quite Saville Row-ish in his tuxedo. Yo New York's Tamani Woolery was there with her crew, as was the 1-Minute Web cast crew, catching interviews with the guests. Continuous Media's Chip Lewis was also helping out by acting as our official photographer for the night. NYNMA's Ellen Auwarter and Iguana Interactive's James Ontra were circulating, while Niehaus Ryan Wong's Nathan Tinker entertained his guests at their table. Sun representatives Michael Seeling and Felix Knoll entertained their guests at a table, as did the Interactive Futures' crew.

Celebrity face-painter Rainbow Heart appeared near the end to glitter and sparkle up ladies chests, cheeks and hands. The classical music trio, Sterling Music, added aural elegance to the visually graceful grand ballroom with massive marble columns. The dramatic floodlighting mixed with gorgeous candlelight to set off the neutral tones and calm stress away - along with the Bombay martinis! As the evening came to an end, the East Harlem Technical School ramped up for added enthusiasm and devotion from a segment of our community that is dominated by the true netizens and winners in the truest sense.

Wicked Wednesday Launch

It wasn't necessarily an Internet crowd. It was more of a writing crowd. That's natural when you are invited to a party hosted by a number of writers, some whom work for the Internet industry. Inside.com's Chris Allbritton invited me to join Tali Giladi, and Suzanne and Wendy Riss, along with their friends at the cozy Solas' on January 24th. As guaranteed, coy, sidelong glances were darting around the room by the time I arrived. USLaw.com's Seth Price was surprised to see me at such an un-Internet-related event. But Hey, a girl's gotta have friends outside the industry too, right?! We spied Chris chatting with Demos' Director of Research David Callahan, who's also working on a novel. Catherine Perry is also working on a book, but works in the research department at Glamour as well. She introduced me to her friend Meghan Dailey, whose job as associate editor at the Guggenheim is only part of her livelihood. The evening hours were creeping along, and this writer needed her beauty sleep for the big black tie the next day. So, she donned her hat, kissed her pals goodnight and went on her way.

Angels we have heard on high!

The sumptuous University Club was ground zero for some entrepreneurs and angels at the Angel Capital Series half-day seminar presented by UniversityAngels, Inc. and the Wharton Club of NY on January 23rd. There were company presentations by startups like Artisan, iTendant and SkyScout. Akin Gump provided a workshop. Then there was a panel discussion moderated by HBS professor Robert J. Robinson, with panelists I-Hatch's Chip Austin, Grand Central Holdings' Gregory Belmont, RRE Ventures' Stuart Ellman and Alley Capital Venture's John Kiernan. Afterwards I chatted with Just Get Me Through This Founder & CEO Deborah Cohen and Columbia Business School's Carlos Desmaras, GasPedal Ventures' Andrew Schmeidler and FastWired's CEO Steven Kemler. They all had good things to say about the presentations and the diversified evening. Panelist Gas Pedal Ventures' Andy Sernovitz recommended that entrepreneurs make their Powerpoint presentations shorter. Decision Tree Media's CMO Sarah Miles was chatting it up with Spencer Trask representatives, who were showing off their Angel Investor publication. Grove Street Capital's Elaine Gilde and Sarah realized they'd met initially during their college days. UniversityAngels.com's CEO James Marcus and President Charles Sanford said that the panelists brought insight to many of the problems that entrepreneurs make. They also work hard to introduce quality companies to as many VCs as possible. Artisan Network's CFO Paula Charles and President Bob Cunha and consultant Jennifer Mendel took the opportunity to network during the cocktail reception, as did the hundred other guests in attendance. As the evening winded down, the salmon platter, roast beef, vegetables and pasta dishes were whisked away, and guests gathered their coats with fistfuls of business cards.

The Cyber Scene in Denver ~ by Suzanne Lainson

On January 22 I attended the Colorado Women in Technology meeting. It alternates between Racines in Denver and Trios in Boulder, where it was held this month. There's networking, dinner, and a speaker. This time it was a talk about XML given by Stacey Alexander, sales VP for Fourthought, a consulting and software development firm. I went expecting to see mostly engineers in jeans (because my engineer friends are the ones who first told me about the group), but instead found a much more diverse crowd. And not a pair of jeans on anyone. I introduced myself to ColoradoWIT founder Athena West and president Cara Hart.

I had just returned from a trip to Houston and happened to talk to two women who had Houston connections (which isn't all that common around here). Katie Keene, market analyst for kforce Consulting, relocated in August and Vicki Roberts, marketing director for Fourthought, grew up in the area. Immediately we started talking humidity because it is pervasive there and doesn't exist here.

During the meal I had a chance to meet Alison Levin and Lynn Sitzberger, program managers for GE Access, Noelle Werking, creative director for Idea Integration, and Annie Stoker, senior account manager for PR Newswire. I also met Uche Ogbuji, XML guru and one of the founders of Fourthought. He has lived in Nigeria, England, and now the US.

On January 24 I attended the TiE-Rockies group. This time it was held at the DoubleTree Hotel near the old Stapleton Airport. The area, which has an abundance of hotels, has become a popular and convenient location for business conferences. I said hi to Sapna Shah manning the membership table, went to the bar where I cashed in my free drink ticket for a whiskey sour, and headed over to the food table. (TiE-Rockies gets kudos for its consistently good food.) While I was loading up my plate, I heard someone talking about Omaha. Since I lived there for several years as a teenager, I turned to join the conversation. Aaron Young, an analyst with iSherpa, just returned from a trip to Omaha and Sureel Choksi, CFO of Level 3, had lived there for awhile. We compared notes. I said that I had shared a Coke with Warren and Susie Buffet in their kitchen and then Sureel mentioned that he had just met Tom Rogers (Warren's nephew and an old friend of mine) at a Level 3 investors meeting. Tom's a partner with Omaha-based VC fund Odin Capital Group. Next I chatted with Cathy Ewing, executive director of the Colorado Software & Internet Association, and Erich Stein, president of Erich Stein Communications. The conversation ranged from local business publications, to Aspen (where Cathy attended high school), to Erich's attention-grabbing red tie. Then Mohan Ashtakala, editor and publisher of The Himalayan News, came over and introduced himself.

The speaker for the evening was Jagdeep Singh, co-founder and chairman of OnFiber Communications. Before that he co-founded Lightera Networks, which was acquired in 1999 by CIENA Corporation. He talked about entrepreneurship in today's market.

Some of his points were:

Yesterday capital was available, the focus was on growth, lots of start-ups were funded, recruiting was easy, and there were many IPOs. Today capital is tight, the focus is on profitability, few start-ups are funded, recruiting is more difficult, and there are many bankruptcies. Entrepreneurs tend to fall into two categories: those wanting quick hits and those wanting long-term businesses. The quick-hit entrepreneur is significantly affected by the current economic environment, but the long-term business entrepreneur is not. In the first case, economic climate impacts strategy; in the second it impacts tactics. For a long-term business, an entrepreneur needs to find a problem to solve, a world-class team, and a long-term barrier of entry. Far more start-ups fail because they pick the wrong problem, not because they lack the ability to solve the problem, The focus needs to be on value to customers, not cool technology. (His approach is to find deep-pocketed business customers and identify their big problems.) The team needs to involve smart people who are team players, have relevant industry experience, and have the ability to execute. The best barrier to entry is to create a situation where it is prohibitively expensive for customers to switch to a competitor. An entrepreneur needs the ability to sell people on joining the company, needs to be persistent (some of them are persistent to the point of delusion), and needs a high tolerance for stress. And luck plays a role. And as luck (or more accurately, good connections) would have it, the next TiE-Rockies speaker will be Scott McNealy, chairman/CEO of Sun, on February 24.

ChickClick Annual Dinner

Once a year, there's a night a bit more special than the others for a group of women in the Silicon Alley scene. Thanks to Bankrate's President and CEO Elisabeth DeMarse and North Haven's President Adele Morrissette about 30 women can gather to get together, meet new friends, network and enjoy a delicious dinner. When I arrived, I chatted with Screaming Media's EVP for global content management and development Marianne Howatson and Flatiron Partners' Partner Dana Beth Ardi. ProAct Technologies' Miriam Eaves was busy networking away, and Hartnick Consulting's President Kate Hartnick and Grant Media's President Gretchen Grant exchanged helpful life-ideas. Dinner was served, during which each woman introduced herself and conveyed thoughts, needs and available expertise. I sat with DIVA Capital's Co-Founder/Partner Joanne Wenig and Mission Consulting Managing Partner Dorothy Curran. Earthweb's VP of Corporate Development Teresa Uthurralt and Grove Street Capital's Elaine Gilde chatted it up at another table with The Realm's Marketing Manager Michelle Bouchard. Meanwhile, NYTimes Business Reporter Leslie Wayne was sitting with Edgar Online's Susan Strausberg. Not only was the conversation and dinner delightful, but each guest had the opportunity to enter into a drawing for a "Go Goddess" game.

Shakers & Stirrers and Bits & Bytes

Dimert Joins Razorfish Board
Currie Joins The Warren Group
Spencer Starts Screaming
Out of the Icebox and Onto the Desktop
GMV Lands on Opposite Coasts
Bloomberg Expands Tech Center
Two-Day Tech Expo
Big Apple Showcases Technology
Essential Benefits Go Online
Garden.com Flowers Again
MSNBC and Motley Fool Team Up

Korecktions ~ Upside Management

Upside's CEO and Editor-in-Chief correct spelling is David Bunnell. And J.T. (James Thomas) Farley is the managing editor, not Jason. The correct stats of the staff are: 13 in the Radio department; entire office has 19 when you count in the other departments.

The Cyber Scene in Denver ~ by Suzanne Lainson

The local tech networking scene won't head back into high gear until next week, but I did check out two events. One was the Boulder Business Series, which brings together MBAs from America's elite schools. The meetings are held in a conference room at the historic Boulderado. Opened in 1909, it's a luxury hotel that retains its Victorian charm. (One highlight is the stained glass ceiling.) Back in the 1970s, before the hotel was restored, it was a popular hangout for beat authors William Burroughs and Allen Ginsberg.

There had been a snowstorm all day so the best we could muster was business casual. While we sipped our wine, I had a chance talk to David Belin, senior research analyst for RRC Associates, and Daniel Lubar, partner of dataDistributions Corporation. We talked about the ski industry because RRC does research for a number of ski resorts, and DDC, a value-added wireless service provider, offers SnowMinder, which sends out ski area snow reports to phones and pagers.

Wireless was also the subject of the presentation, made by David Hose, CEO/president/founder of SignalSoft, a wireless location services provider (a category the company created for itself). He gave us an insider's view of the wireless market.

Among his amusing insights:

* Marketing people like color presentations and techies like black- and-white.

* Representatives of the wireless industry are always meeting to talk about standards. Two or three times a year they will meet in a nice city, stay in a nice hotel, and meet in a conference room in the basement. If you to be a part of this industry, go to those meetings.

* The founders of SignalSoft knew this was a lucrative industry because companies like Lucent threw incredible, expensive parties.

>From the beginning in 1995, SignalSoft has been market driven rather than product driven. The opportunity was spotted first, then the product was created. Typically technology companies are created the other way around. Right now the company has identified four service categories and has products for each: information (location-based content), billing (variable billing based on usage location), safety (locating 911 calls), and tracking (of assets, vehicles, or people).

Then it was a very short trek home (I love those downtown Boulder gatherings). Even better was an announcement on the nightly news that the University of Colorado had just received a donation of $250 million, the largest donation ever made to a public university. Noteworthy is the fact that the money has come from Silicon Valley. Claudia and Bill Coleman, chairman/CEO of BEA Systems in San Jose, were the generous benefactors. (BEA does have offices in Boulder and Denver.) The money will be used to develop technology to help people with cognitive disabilities.

The next day, January 17, I dropped in at the B2B BootCamp being held at the Arvada Center. I had a chance to hear Sherri Leopard, CEO/founder of Leopard Communications, talking about branding and how online marketing can be used as part of an overall marketing strategy. It's about business, not technology. Start simple, grow fast, make it scaleable and secure. Know how your customers perceive you and work from your strengths.

During lunch I sat next to Ken Custer, publisher of Advertising & Marketing Review. Later I had a chance to talk to Kent Jarnig, executive director of the B2B BootCamp, Larry Nelson, host of the World Wide Web Radio Show, Kari Nelson, founder of Recess Active Entertainment, John Freudenberger, CEO/founder of The Inside Lane, and Ty Bohannon, founder of eBusiness Strategies. The same theme ran through all the conversations: Colorado is on the move and it is still possible to play a major role in shaping the journey. The keynote speaker was John Sifonis, a director in Cisco's Internet Business Solutions Group. If you have just one Internet presentation to see, make it this one. It was excellent. I'm told his book, Net Ready, is a must-have, so if you can't catch him in person, buy it. Among his many points:

* The Internet has raised expectations. People are saying, "We want it free. We want it perfect. We want it now."

* It's easy to establish a Web presence; difficult to create a Web- based business. The old organization model was based on simple, clear, few, and fixed. The new organizational model is based on complex, vague, many, and change.

* In the old organization, information flow was based on a need to know; in the new organization information flow is based on trust.

* In today's business environment, planning is totally non-linear and at best extends 12 to 18 months. Ideas should be quickly tested and then rapidly abandoned if they don't work.

* It is cheaper to continually raise the level of customer satisfaction than to acquire new customers.

* Everyone is getting into your value chain. As a result, it is hard to know what business you're in.

* Business strategy is IT strategy. Highly successful companies view IT as an asset, not a cost.

As John pointed out to us, it's a competitive world out there. Change or die. And with that, I'll sign off for this week.

Announcing Courtney Pulitzer Venture Circle

Members of Courtney Pulitzer Inner Circle, our club for internet-related professionals, can now enjoy our network and contacts for seeking venture funding. This is now a formal and regular function of Courtney Pulitzer Creations LLC. Whether a cutting-edge application technology or web-based service, and everthing inbetween, we can find the right VCs suited for you. And if you are an investor, we have start-up companies seeking funding. Contact us for details!

Publisher's Note ~ The Sky ISN'T Falling!

If I've said it once, I'll say it again. The Internet industry isn't falling apart, the sky isn't falling and there was no (major) earthquake in NYC on Wednesday morning. If anything, the Internet is becoming more infused in our lives. It's found in smarter technology and devices, and it is becoming, like Michael Wolff says, just another medium through which companies can express themselves.

ADV ~ MARSH

MARSH and it's group of sister Marsh & McLennan companies (MMC) including Putnam Investments, Mercer Consulting Group & Marsh Capital is a global professional services firm who is in step with the rapidly changing world of e-commerce.

Together we reflect a commitment to providing solutions for the complex risks associated with the virtual world, networks and information assets. MMC can add value to enterprises with risk and insurance services, human relations programs and consulting, enterprise management, economics consulting, capital funding, investment management, investment banking and image management.

The Bea-st Systems

Calling all hard-core techno-geeks! Wanna learn about one of the leading e-business infrastructure companies? Wanna get techno-speak presented to you in an IMAX-screen environment? Wanna have a chance to win a Compaq iPaq?! Well, you missed your chance 'cause all this exciting stuff happened at SPIREknowledge, Inc.'s seminar on BEA Systems' new Collaborate product. The evening started with a hefty amount of networking at the former B.Altman's department store-turned-NY Public Library and City University Graduate Center on 5th Avenue and 34th Street.

During this time, I got to meet Refinery editor Alan Eisenberg and Executive Producer Andrea Adler. I also chatted with iXL's Innovator James Dawson and NewTechReporters' Managing Editor Harald Weiss. Flowers by Daye's Ritsuko Daye Deura, Morgan Stanley Dean Witter's Joe Roberts Jr. and Bluestone Software's Karsten Beyer stopped by my table as they ventured over to NYCTemp's, Unisys' and GlobalSight's tables. Novo's Stephanie Huang, KarmaCom's Karma Martell and Citibank's Diane Schneider heard my pitch about the Black Tie and our Morning Circle events. I enticed a few others with candy and chatted with Long Island-based FatWire Corporation's Jim Gleason, Enterprise Ireland's Technology Products SVP David Byrne and Mimecom's Bill Houston and Larry Scott.

After the guests - more than 100 of them - gathered into the nice, new auditorium, SPIREknowledge President Stephen Madsen spoke on B2B frameworks and integration methodology. SPIREknowledge has a good perspective on this, since they hire top-dog IT consultants and place them at jobs that best match the client and their needs. It helps that their people don't work on a commission basis, a big difference from many other recruiting firms. SPIREknowledge can focus on the right match, not just placing someone for the sale's sake. Madsen knows his stuff, too - coming from Campbell Soup Company as IT director, not to mention stints with IBM and EDS. And he's not afraid to wear a pink whistle attached to his nametag holder. (Disclosure: everyone's holder had a whistle). After his presentation, AlleyCat News' Anna Copeland Wheatley came up to give away three of the iPaq's. A BEA executive then spoke on "BEA Collaborate and Process Integrator" and "Successful Implementation Realities Presented by BEA Engineers/Executives." Between those presentations, yours truly was a second presenter of two more iPaq's. Finally, Agency.com's Senior Technical Director Mitch Golden presented a case study based on their experiences working with BEA Systems. Then the final iPaq's were given away.

ADV ~ BEA Systems Exploring New Products

BEA SYSTEMS TO EXPLORE NEW PRODUCTS: COLLABORATE AND PROCESS INTEGRATOR Thursday, Jan. 18, 6:00-9:15 PM at The Graduate School & University Center. SPIREknowledge, Inc. is hosting a five-part, information-packed seminar exploring BEA Systems' Collaborate and Process Integrator presented from three viewpoints: BEA Engineers/Executives, real-world applications of BEA technology (presented by Ritesh Patel, VP of Technology, AGENCY.COM) and B2B Frameworks and Integration Methodology (presented by Stephen Madsen, President, SPIREknowledge, Inc). Ten Compaq iPAQs will be given away at the event. Cocktail hour featuring drinks and hors d'oeuvres supplied by Restaurant Associates, This will be a great opportunity for networking and meeting with sponsor companies. eRSVP only. http://www.ersvp.com/reply/event7605 For info, email: info@spireknowledge.com http://www.spireknowledge.com

Perspectives and Resolutions

What happens when you put a speaker from KPMG, Chase Bank, Brobeck Phleger & Harrison, and Draper Fischer Jurvetson Gotham Ventures on a panel devoted to "Perspectives on Implications and Resolutions of Accounting Issues Raised by e-Business?" You get three hours packed with information useful for any leading business thinker. More than 100 investment bankers, lawyers, presidents, CEOs and managers from fortune 100, private and public companies rose early to meet at Chase Bank to hear professionals' points of view on compensation, revenue recognition, income-statement presentation, capitalization and transactions in an entity's own stock.

Mario Dell'Aera, partner in charge, KPMG's New Media/Internet practice, provided opening remarks and served as a panelist. Panelists included KPMG SEC Reviewing Partner and Internet Resource Partner Chris McWilton; Brobeck Phleger & Harrison New York Business and Technology Group partner Mark Mandel; and Chase Bank Vice President and Group Manager, New Media and Internet Technology Group, David Gibbs all doled out good amounts of information for the attendees intent on knowing what to do.

Dell'Aera spoke with me afterwards to help encapsulate some of the highlights: Planning techniques and ways to address the issues, stock compensation, repricing of options and alternatives to repricing, investments and alliances or stock for service arrangements, gross versus net revenue reporting, barter transactions, and software hosting contracts. All these topics were addressed from the perspective of a private and public company, and panelists imparted the importance of understanding the ramifications of contracts you sign. Finally, Dell'Aera preached his newly coined phrase (trademark pending) "P2P" - Path to Profitability or Prepare to Pay! How you handle these questions and issues is vital to the success and profitability of your company. All these issues require close coordination with four to five parties (financial, legal-internal and external, external auditors, business development). There is no legal room in the near term future for wrong answers, and understanding these rules can help you understand business!

The Internet Renegade

The Internet Renegade It was a windfall of a night for some Alley networkers who showed up to the restaurant Windfall on Wednesday, January 17th for Scott Andrews' and Internet Renegade's Biz Dev Mixer. MindArray's Tery Spataro and Koko Ineractive's Amy Lieberman were chatting near the entrance of the roped-off area. Softsplit.com's Jan Bergthun told me about her new position there and introduced Access Communications President Art Feinglass to me. Over in a booth, Strategic Recruiting's David Shiffman and Teran Mendelsberg relaxed with one of their more anonymous co-workers. As more chicken wings were coming out to satiate networkers' appetites, I gathered my coat and headed up to the next event!

The Iconoshow

In the middle of a dreary day, Wednesday, January 17th, Michael Tchong and the Iconocast team hosted a lovely luncheon to announce two products at AZ. Guests enjoyed cocktails and networking before sitting down to a choice of Tuna or Duck - and the presentation, of course. I enjoyed chatting with my table-mates, MarketingSherpa.com's Aimee Kessler Evans, Frederick Doner (president of his own firm) and NYNMA's Ellen Auwarter. NYNMA consultant Sherry Reisner's table enjoyed some entertainment from Sony's RoboDog until Michael began the show. In a lovely and polished Powerpoint presentation, he outlined some facts showing that there really isn't anything to worry about.

>From 1996-2000, for instance, 7,355 companies received a total of $830 billion. Now in 2000, 210 companies closed. Hey - the very restaurant where we were has a one-in-five chance of closing! Not only that, but in 2000 there were 3 million jobs and only 41,515 that resulted in job cuts. So, life changes. Not everyone is going to win, and there will always be upstarts. As the credo of the Spanish Civil War states, "Better to die on your feet than live on your knees."

To help us navigate these uncharted waters, Iconocast introduced IconoMAP - the Streetwise map for the Internet. The presentation then took on a more consumer focus, leading up to Iconocast's launch of "Prosumer," the first email newsletter with 3D animation. (It's also available in plain, old HTML!) Powered by Revinia, this publication will be engaging readers in a dialog, as long as they want to continue responding. Now companies might be able to combat the Harvard University study that discovered that companies lose their customers every 5 years. Perhaps the 43 percent of respondents in a 1996 Reuters survey, who delayed their decisions significantly due to "analysis paralysis" or too much information, might feel empowered to decide now. In any case the newsletter will target the upscale market and highlight consumer trends.

The trendy lunch ended with a sumptuous chevre cheesecake that I gobbled up before chatting with ChannelSeven's Pamela Parker and IntregraMed's Ken Abbott. Guests finished their wine and slowly gathered coats and hats, and headed back out into the gray day - but with brighter spirits.

Rsvp in NYCity, Go to Utah

Starting the week off, RsvpNYCity had their launch party and Sundance Film Festival Sendoff on Monday, January 15th, at Solas. Dewars, IndieWire, GenArt and UPOC were among an assortment of film-related organizations that sponsored the evenings festivities. Upoc even took advantage of the scene by providing branded stretchy gloves for all those independent filmmakers heading out to Park City, UT. GlobeFinancial CEO Martin White and CAP Gemini's Julio Cassels joined filmmakers Bruno Hadjadj and Thomas Rugani as they inspected a table displaying dot-com artifacts. RsvpNYCity's Jeffery Abramson and Mitchell Rosen came over with greetings, while Upoc's VP of Operations Alex LeVine and VP of marketing Gregg Clayman made a killing signing up users for their wireless alerts and taking silly pictures of friends. Upoc's Christine Courtney and New York Magazine's Amy LaRocca were among the fashionably attired females at the event, where guests danced the night away even as the party winded down.

ADV ~ American Friends of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra

American Friends of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra is the fundraising branch of the Orchestra for the United States. Their Associates group seeks to foster a new generation of donors (24-40 years of age), and will be participating in this year's Annual Gala for the Orchestra. The Gala is on January 15, 2001, and tickets for the concert and post-concert black-tie affair range from $185 to $600. This year, the Orchestra brings us together in peace to celebrate the harmony of an all-Beethoven program at one of New York's most fashionable and sought-after social events. For more information, please contact Seth D. Palmer, AFIPO Associates Gala Vice Chair, and fellow digerati, or cerebral@cortx.com.

Shakers & Stirrers and Bits & Bytes

Brandeis Joins iNEXTV
Flooz.com Appoints Berry
Grossman Leaves Zefer
Black Expands into Latin America
StarCite Meets Online
The New V-Day
Is Image Everything?
The 'Oneline' Brand Experience
MLX.com and New York Observer Team Up
Get Your Vertical Market

ADV ~ Web Digest For Marketers (WDFM)

The weekly email newsletter, Web Digest For Marketers (WDFM) now publishes vertical issues every other week, targeted at specific industries and job functions, called "Focus Issues." Upcoming Focus Issues will drill deeply into such disciplines as Media Buying, Internet Marketing Stats, Search Engine Optimization, Building Site Traffic, Email Marketing, Competitive Recon, as well as a issue exclusively devoted to Internet Marketing Consultants. Going for free to over 34,00 subscribers this mercilessly short and informative review is a must-read! Check it out at: http://wdfm.com

ADV ~ AIM Research

LAST CHANCE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!FREE RESEARCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AIM is doing a survey on actual corporate email usage. Those who Participate by taking the survey receive all of the results for free! The survey is only 14 questions! The information collected is not tied to any person or company but is published about the industry in general. This is a great chance to find out how companies like yours are collecting and using email. Click here to take the survey, last chance is 1/19/2001!!!!

Publisher's Note ~ Charity Benefits

There's enough buzz in the industry to keep things spurring forward, despite the media's insistence on playing up the downturn. And this January, there are enough events to keep one's mind busy and focused on the business at hand -- making business and money.

This month is also marked by two significant charity benefits. The Association for Interactive Media held its evening of charity event on January 10th, and we will be hosting our 3rd Silicon Alley Black Tie benefit on January 25th. There are some significant differences between these events, as indicated below.

AIM's event focused on raising awareness and money for three Children's charities (illness, life skills and missing). The Cocktails with Courtney event will benefit one. We are working with a NYC public school to bring the students technology and access. AIM had a cocktail hour, silent auction and sit-down dinner. In keeping with that tradition, we will feature cocktails, hors d'oeuvres and a silent auction. AIM housed their event at the opulent Russian Tea Room for a second year in a row. We will be moving from the extravagant Metropolitan Club to the trendy and simply elegant W Hotel on Union Square. AIM had significant sponsorship. We had the unfortunate experience of having our original lead sponsor pull out two-and-a-half weeks before our event.

Thus, AIM's event went off smashingly, while I am entreating all my devoted readers -- and anyone to whom you can forward this newsletter -- to please help us ensure a successful event. And please Rsvp for our benefit on January 25th. We are trying to raise as much money as we can for the East Harlem Career Academy-a junior high school focused on careers and technology. If your firm has some cash to donate, please let us know. If you have time to mentor; teach a class; host an open house; or donate hardware, software or services, please let us know. This is a year-long initiative, and we will be signing up companies throughout the year. This event is our kick-off to a year of charity and volunteerism. We need to focus on our future generations as our country moves into a new era of political leadership and economic change.

Please lend your support by coming, volunteering, getting your company involved, and signing up as a sponsor.

Thank you all for considering this, and for remembering that charity Begins at home. We must care for our city, the children in our city, and the personal and social benefits of such actions.

For more information: AIM / CWC

From Human Resources to Human Radiowaves

The week wasn't without a good selection of other happenings. For instance, AlleyCat News took on the challenge of tackling HR issues with their HR-focused conference. The Moving Image Gallery launched an audio installation by Jody Elff on Thursday, January 11th. The technology uses a computer to extract sonic elements from the gallery environment (ex. people chatting, glasses clinking), and then responds by adding to these ambient sounds. The guests are surrounded with the sounds they make, combined with computer enhancement, for a full sensory experience.

And on the Upside

With only moments to spare, I jetted from the WWWAC election review in the Canadian Consulate down to 1500 Broadway for the launch of UpsideFN. That's right. Upside magazine is launching it's version of Financial News. It's only three hours of programming a day (repeated), but they're gearing up for broadcasting much more solid information. They start the day off with Dawn Patrol, which is an hour of live pre-market information, and follow it up with Market Update segments throughout the day.

The recording studios were a delight in do-it-yourself systems. All high end equipment - a laptop here, a sound board there, big mics and computer monitors all arranged strategically on an ample sized desk. Jason Farley, managing editor of Upside Financial Network, showed me their new offices, which house thirteen staffers, mostly for the FN department but with some writers (online and magazine) and sales. Upside's CEO and Editor-in-Chief David Bonnell and President Scott Hunter were on hand to answer questions, chat with guests and show their approval for this new venture into cyberspace. Onwards and upwards!

WWWAC is Back

While wind and rain and snow and sleet fell, melted, fell again and melted again, New Yorkers braved through the week. On a relatively dry and moderate night, Thursday, January 11th, the WWWAC group held a smashing panel and election for their new board. Sixty or so WWWACies heard author and writer Michael Wolff; Sonata's CEO and Co-Founder Owen Davis and Primedia Venture's Venture Partner Jason Chervokas deliberate on the past and future of the Internet industry's success and failure in New York. The comments revolved around how there are no more "happy accidents" to save us (Chervokas), and that things are going to get worse (Davis). Michael Wolff held his traditional view that the Internet is going to go away, and that media failed on the Internet. Davis went on to say that we will see more companies fail over the next six months than we've seen in the previous six months. However, Davis said the market will turn around by the summer/early fall. Davis echoed Wolff's comments regarding media, and said that we're not yet in the George Gilder age, where we have unlimited bandwidth. But once we do, media will be able to take off better.
On the topic of money, Chervokas said that one of the problems with the environment we came out of was that equity financing was available and that venture capitalists' expectations were so great because there was such risk involved. Wolff added that things will go back to the pre-funded model of business - where companies can get by with a small staff and are cost-conscious. Businesses can explore who and what they are, and grow organically -- as opposed to suddenly mutating after vast cash infusions. Wolff went on to say that "Internet companies" will go away and will migrate to old economy companies. New media will become a tool of existing media and retailers, just as print, TV and collateral are support media.

I disagreed when all three said that Internet veterans (people who've worked in the industry since about 1994) have no marketable skills to offer other businesses. I argued that those people weren't "internetting" - they were selling, creating, programming, servicing, etc. They used skills they already had or that they developed. And they will be able to translate those skills to traditional clients. I also disagreed that people who've only worked in the Internet industry, ie. students who never worked in any other industry or medium, have no skills to bring to traditional industries. Again - the skills that people brought to Internet firms weren't "Internet skills" per se. Sure, there is a whole new skills set that has evolved from the work people have done in this new industry. But it's the same as learning and using the newest office machine, network, communications device available. People were doing their jobs - in an Internet company. They weren't doing Internet in a job.

In any case, typical for WWWAC meetings, questions from the audience ranged from disgruntled, pointed, argumentative and philosophical. Banter ensued between the panelists and audience. Then it was election time.

WWWAC Board candidates that were present spoke about their platforms. Attendees could place their ballot that night or go online for more information or to vote.

AIMing for charity

The opulence overwhelms as you look upwards at the massive gold-laden chandeliers with dancing bears. More dancing bears, etched in floor-to -ceiling mirrors, reflected flickering candlelight, The roomful of glittery guests was immersed in sparkling conversations. Near the entranceway, Carol Peters introduced me to 1MinuteWebcast.com's Sadia Carone, who explained that their goal of getting 1-minute email-able video clips from attendees. 1MinuteWebcast's president Mark Pressman added to the information by telling me that their video news release-like model is being used by the Cancer Society for the organization's Dog's Walk and various conferences.
IMarketingNews's Ken Magill and Rosko Direct's John Rosko were enjoying the evening as they perused some of the Silent Auction items. Wave Systems' Director of Charitable Programs Cristine Cronin told me how her boss wants to establish a way for charities to accept credit card donations via their online credit card processing. The two most ambitious chaps I met this evening were ClickZen.com's President Richard Hecker and CEO Ruchit Shah. Sixteen and seventeen years old respectively, These two started this profitable and popular online ad agency a year ago. After having met online via Ruchit's stock-reporting site, there was a tip, a sale and then the idea that they could do something better, the two hit it off and began collaborating with a $280.00 investment. Now with more than 2 billion ads served and $1.5 million in revenues, they're hiring and planning to go to NYU Stern Undergrad. Lori Schwab, Knowledge Strategies's Eileen Shulock and NYU's Center for Direct Marketing's Associate Director Lynda Confessore all had happy, bubbly things to say (it was Lori's birthday). Bells began ringing, and as I made my way up to the 3rd floor, where dinner was being served, I chatted with FuckedCompany.com's Philip Kaplan.

During dinner, we heard speeches from AIM's Ben Isaacson and representatives from the charities: Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America, Future Possibilities, and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. We heard shocking facts about missing children and inspiring stories of how many are being found, thanks to online databases. Afterwards, Blinn PR's Steve Blinn introduced me to @NY's Senior Editor Christine Gordon. I also chatted with Fox News's Charles Zakaib and David Hnatiuk and BchinaB's Founder Jeremy Haft. These two strapping young men have a great collaboration between the graphics and music departments, respectively. TheStreet.com's Executive Editor Jonathan Krim spoke before the gathered guests. Dawn Fotopoulous and I caught up a bit before heading home. Before I left, I spied AIM's "Diva" of Marketing Alexis Bonnell entertaining NY Business Forums' Burt Alimansky and Dara Tyson. Leaders and heads of companies enjoyed the sumptuous setting, dinner and conversation, all while supporting three important causes.

The Cyber Scene in San Diego ~ by Lilia Phleger Benjamin

San Diego may be next on the list for rolling blackouts, but that isn’t stopping the action on the local cyber scene! My first stop on January 9 was the very crowded netHappyHour, a venture started six months ago by Craig Nelson (vice president, High Technology Banking, Comerica Bank-California), and Brian Yui (CEO, HouseRebate.com). Their goal was to create a “networking event for high-tech entrepreneurs, VCs, investors, and fun people to meet in an informal happy hour setting.” In other words, said Craig, a “no rubber-chicken zone.” The netHappyHour takes place every second Tuesday at Michael’s Bar at the imposing Gotham City-like Hyatt Aventine in La Jolla. http://www.nethappyhour.com

As I walked into the bar, crammed shoulder to shoulder with what was rumored to be 200 people, I began my search for either the hosts or the sponsors of the evening. Before I found them, however, I caught the eye of Herman Bergman (CFO, Solectek) http://www.solectek.com/. Solectek, founded in 1989 and based in San Diego, designs, manufactures, and markets wireless connectivity products. I then met William Lofft, a partner with Project Accelerators http://www.projectaccelerators.com/. If you have a great idea, the team of five partners at Project Accelerators could be just the people you want to meet. They have parlayed their years of business experience into an organization that has seen many successes in its first year. As Richard Gray, another partner, says, “We provide expertise for companies on the move.”

I also met David Steel (CEO, Zoovy) http://www.zoovy.com/ and got some background on his company and where they are headed with their e-commerce solutions for small to mid-size merchants. That led to a conversation with Long Island transplant Sean Malone, now the director of sales at Intellispace http://www.intellispace.net/, who in turn introduced me to Bonnie Smith, a realtor with HouseRebate.com. If I hadn’t just bought a house six months ago…

I introduced myself to Cynthia Guiang, c