Pierre and I often have this discussion - usually over a bottle (or two of wine). Every day we read in the paper the next new great benefit that comes from red wine drinking and we joke about how much more we could possibly squeeze in. So today, I found this story and decided this writer is on the right track!

My Red Wine Experiment by Bill Shein

HAVE YOU HEARD about the many health benefits of red wine? If not, you are living under a rock — which, you should know, does not have any health benefits at all. Red wine, however, can lower blood pressure, fight cancer, protect your heart, and bring stress-reducing joy to a meal of pasta or prime rib.

A recent study also found that high doses of resveratrol, a compound found in red wine, produced a tremendous increase in the strength and endurance of laboratory mice. The mice also began speaking with exaggerated French accents — but their new accents were somewhat less noteworthy than the fact that they were speaking at all.

In the study, the muscle-bound mice received a daily dose of resveratrol equivalent to drinking hundreds of glasses of red wine. But the researchers were quick to point out that "no one can drink enough red wine to obtain such doses."

Is that so? In the name of science, I decided to put their claim to the test. What follows are actual entries from my research log.

Glass 1 — I begin my experiment at a local diner, drinking Merlot with breakfast. Several people — clearly not scientists — look at me, horrified. I adjust my white lab coat and raise my glass in their direction. They look away.

Glass 6 — Finishing off the first bottle, I am strong enough to lift my plate in the air and yell, "Keep them home fries coming, Chefie!"

Glass 12 — At 9 a. m., I'm at my desk. I open a bottle of Shiraz. I start Microsoft Word and begin writing. Unaware of my increasing strength, I type too hard and break several keys.

Glass 27 - Maybe it's just me, but everything I write is utterly hilarious. For example: "I like blue. I really do. Blue is my favorite hue!" I giggle constantly while refilling my glass again and again — in the name of science.

Glass 50 — My formerly flabby arms are now inexplicably toned. I feel as if I can lift my refrigerator over my head, which I do. Many things spill. I go outside for a walk.

Glass 78 - Catching my reflection in a store window, I see that my "one-pack abs" have been transformed, without exercise, into impressive six-pack abs. When did I become shirtless? No idea.

Glass 134 — I fall madly in love with the Wicked Witch of the West, the most beautiful woman I have ever seen.

Glass 265 — While doing shoulder presses with a parked car, I notice that I now have 12-pack abs. Still no sign of my shirt (or lab coat).

Glass 400 — After lunch, I see the mayor on Main Street. I tackle him, pull up his shirt, and deliver a loud raspberry to his naked belly. He is not amused. I cackle uncontrollably for hours.

Glass 582 — To the best of my knowledge, I am now invisible.

Glass 583 — Still invisible.

Glass 584 — Yep, I am definitely invisible.

Glass 585 — According to the police officer cuffing me in an (occupied) dressing room at Victoria's Secret, I am no longer invisible. I post bail, even though no jail cell could possibly hold me. I am Schwarzneggian.

Glass 638 — Incredibly, my 12-pack abs are now 14-pack abs: Twelve abdominal muscles in front, and, somehow, two extra abdominal muscles on my back. Weird.

Glass 744 — A large crowd gathers at the wine store to view my transformation. I stand on a bench and share a line from Plato: "Nothing more excellent or valuable than wine was ever granted by the Gods to man!" People go wild, passing me around above their heads. Then I read aloud from "The Republic" while doing bicep curls with two small children. The crowd roars.

Glass 857 — As the sun sets, I drink a final glass of wine, make a few more notes, and then fall asleep. I do not wake for a long, long time. When I do, I discover that everything after Glass 12 may have, just possibly, been a dream. But in my pocket I find a summons to appear in court. Something about trespassing at Victoria's Secret. Weird.

Bill Shein is a trained research scientist. Do not try this experiment at home.

(This column first appeared in the Berkshire Eagle newspaper on Friday, April 27, 2007.

Cheers!

Gillian Parrillo
The Sacramento Executive

Posted by Gillian Parrillo at 2:53 PM | Permalink

May is National Foster Care Month. California currently has almost 80,000 children and youth in foster care. For some kids getting moved into foster care saves their lives but for many more it is the beginning of a life that affords them poor educational experiences, minimal medical care, and no opportunity to bond with mentors or role models. The prognosis for children who have spent time in foster care is poor.

These kids deserve a quality education, proper preparation for employment and a permanent relationship with a caring adult. One way to do this is to become a Court Appointed Special Advocate for these kids. Believe me, you will get as much out of building a supportive relationship with a child in foster care and guiding their cases through the crowded juvenile court system as they do. All these years later I am still involved with my two CASA 'children' who are now on their way to adulthood knowing that they will always have a person to call when the chips are down.

Gillian Parrillo
The Sacramento Executive

Posted by Gillian Parrillo at 7:44 AM | Permalink

UC Davis GSM has announced the finalists in its annual Big Bang Competition. They are:

AID Networks
Advanced Energy Storage Devices
Simple Robot
Stroke Intervention
Membrex

You can watch them give their final pitch, vote on the audience favorite, and watch the presentation of the first prize of $15,000 on May 16th. Many of these companies have gone on to win prizes at the national level and several others have become real businesses in the Sacramento region. Watch a startup start up before your very eyes.

Click here to register

Gillian Parrillo
The Sacramento Executive

Posted by Gillian Parrillo at 7:08 AM | Permalink

Dear Lou Dobbs:

I must respectively disagree with your constant attack on "illegal immigrants" in the U.S. You could not be further from the truth when you report on your CNN "news show" that illegal immigrants are bad for our economy and that they take away from honest job seekers.

Why don't you report the truth? You constantly represent your opinions as factual news. And I am disgusted with your "news". And your conclusions!

Sir, here are the facts:

Gillian and I spent this past weekend in Houston, attending a fabulous Impressionist art display at the Houston Museum of Fine Arts. And fine art it was - Degas, Monet, Manet, Renior, Toulouse-Lautrec, Chegal, Picasso, Van Gogh, etc. After a truly exhilarating day in the museum, we sought out local seafood cuisine and found ourselves at the Cafe Red Onion Seafood & Mas restaurant. Thanks to the Zagat Survey we chose correctly. The food was superb and the service was great. The decor was okay, but who cared that it wasn't better, as the wait staff, to include the bartender Shawn Spencer, made our evening memorable.

Shawn, a black man, (he corrected me when I addressed him as an African American - as he is an American) tended bar as he should - engaging, customer focused, and a good listener. Shawn, a product of a white Italian father and a black mother, has big plans - he dreams of owning a restaurant. And I think his dream will come true. Why? He has a great mentor - the chef and owner of the Red Onion.

After dinner, Shawn took time to introduce us to the owner, who has five restaurants and 180 employees in the Houston area. Gillian and I were impressed with the team, the food, and the owner.

Starting in 1995, the owner and his wife, Barbara, built the business from a five-stool store with three employees, to a 180-employee workforce. The employees are provided a company-backed healthcare plan. The chef grew up learning the business in Chicago, starting as a dish washer, eventually moving up to sous-chef, and then taking the plunge into entrepreneurship.

The chef - Rafael Galindo, a native of Honduras, but now a voting American citizen, with 180 employees, revealed a very personal thing about his past during our conversation - Rafael, the proud American and owner of a multi-million dollar restaurant empire, and highly rated by the Zagat Survey, had been an illegal immigrant for ten years.

I am damn proud of Rafael Galindo. And you Mr. Dobbs are dead wrong.

Pierre Cutler
The Sacramento Executive

Posted by Pierre Cutler at 6:11 PM | Permalink

Two Mondays ago, on travel to Iowa (I go there a lot - why you ask? See the answer at the bottom of this post), USA Today featured a full page on the best performing stocks over the last twenty five years. I was stunned by the variety of the companies and the returns. (the data was based on Ned Davis Research analysis of stocks from September 15, 1982 through April 5, 2007).

Had you been wise enough to invest $10,000 in any one of the following stocks in 1982, here's what you'd be worth today (percentages are annual return on investment):

1. Franklin Resources (mutual fund manager) $6,432,000, 29.5%;
2. Danaher (industrial tools) $4,801,300, 28.0%;
3. Eaton Vance (mutual fund manager) $3,854,400, 26.9%;
4. UnitedHealth (medical insurance) $3,777,200, 26.8%;
5. Cisco (network equipment) $3,373,200, 26.2%;
6. International Game Technology (casino equipment) $3,353,600, 26.2%;
7. Biomet (medical devices) $3,063,100, 25.7%;
8. Microsoft (software) $2,936,600, 25.5%;
9. Best Buy (consumer electronics) $2,880,300, 25.4%;
10. Oracle (software) $2,863,500, 25.4%;
11. Stryker (medical artificial joints) $2,548,300, 24.8%;
12. Countrywide (mortgages) $2,426,000, 24.6%;
13. Expeditors International (freight) $2,396,000, 24.5%;
14. Home Depot (retail home improvement) $2,394,500, 24.5%;
15. Dell (computers) $2,314,800, 24.3%;
16. Robert Half (staffing) $2,127,000, 23.9%;
17. Credo Petroleum (gas driller) $2,028,000, 23.7%
18. Adobe Systems (software) $2,008,900, 23.6%;
19. Precision Castparts (jet engine castings) $1,953,700, 23.5%;
20. Berkshire Hathaway (Warren Buffett companies) $1,952,400, 23.5%;
21. Smithfield Foods (pork food products) $1,951,400, 23.5%;
22. Paxar (apparel) $1,902,300, 23.4%;
23. Time Warner (media and entertainment) $1,825,800, 23.2%;
24. Paychex (business services) $1,802,000, 23.1%;
25. Harley-Davidson (motorcycles) $1,790,800, 23.1%

How can you pick the next Microsoft or Cisco? Start by examining the industries that are anticipated to grow like the profile of a hockey stick - that is large addressable markets, preferably in the early stage of maturity. And then look for companies with great management teams who emphasize customer focus, quality product or service, and stong financial controls (cash is king - just believe in Warren Buffett's model). Here are a dozen (a baker's dozen) industries to look for the next big thing: energy, entertainment, education, healthcare, medical devices, internet, consumer electronics, water, environment, finance, bio technology, security, and food.

I particularly expect great opportunities lie ahead in proteins and genetics. The next two decades will be to proteins and genetics what the last two decades were to computers and software.

I also expect vast wealth will be made in alternative energies, but not until the second half of the next twenty five years.

My third favorite area is finance - money always makes money.

Get ready for an incredible ride!

Oh, and why do I go to Iowa so frequently? It's simple - I did not discipline myself 25 years ago and invest. And so I must work. That ugly four-letter word.

Take control. Invest. Do it now. Pay yourself first. Never miss a payday. And when you're 50, you won't have to go to Iowa like me.

Pierre Cutler
The Sacramento Executive

Posted by Pierre Cutler at 6:38 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Courtesy of Reuters

Gillian Parrillo
The Sacramento Executive

Posted by Gillian Parrillo at 3:06 AM | Permalink

Now this guy is going to need a lifetime of poopbags and his owner really should be wearing a hat promoting the site - a trucker's poopbags hat.

Enjoy Mike

Gillian Parrillo
The Sacramento Executive

Posted by Gillian Parrillo at 4:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

What an interesting speech Darian Rodriguez Heyman, Executive Director of the Craigslist Foundation, gave at the annual Sacramento Entrepreneurship Academy's Showcase event. It was one of those speeches that makes you reach for a pen and a scrap of paper and scribble all over it because you don't want to miss even one of the great nuggets.

Darian talked about his life goal to maximize his sphere of positive influence. What a fabulous thought. What about if every time we considered doing something we asked ourselves that question, "Is this going to maximize my sphere of positive influence?" I think we would live very different lives.

Darian also talked about companies managing themselves on the triple bottom line - profit, community and environment. What a different way companies might conduct themselves if the last two measures mattered on Wall Street as much as the first.

He recommended a book called "How to Change the World". Later I researched it:

HOW TO CHANGE THE WORLD tells the stories of people around the globe who are solving many of the world's most intractable problems. Full of hope and energy, exciting solutions and compelling characters, this book shows how a growing wave of "social entrepreneurs"- individuals with initiative, creativity, savvy and determination- are reshaping the world for the better.

He talked about Youth Venture (getting youth to help give away grant money). And today I got an email on this very subject:

The Administration for Children and Families is piloting a program to give college undergraduate and graduate students the opportunity to review and make recommendations on the award of grant application for federal funding. At this time, this pilot project is limited to six area colleges and universities in the Washington DC. Even though the pool of schools is limited this year , we want to make you aware of the effort beginning across Federal Departments to include youth in the review process of grant applications. And he discussed putting youth at the Board level and training them to be active (and savvy) philanthropists in the future.

What a wonderful and inspiring speech. Thanks Darian. You have a lot of people thinking in Sacramento.

The Craigslist Foundation runs an annual Non-Profit Bootcamp in NYC and San Francisco. Here is a snippet about last year's event:

In 2006, Nonprofit Boot Camps in the SF Bay Area and in NYC attracted over 2,500 emerging and established nonprofit leaders for a day of workshops, keynotes, one-on-one coaching and professional development. The event earned a 97% approval rating and was the largest nonprofit gathering in Bay Area history for the second year in a row.

If you are interested in attending or sponsoring this world-changing event, (San Francisco is scheduled for August 18th), please let Darian know we sent you. It's part of maximizing the Sacramento Executive's sphere of positive influence!

Gillian Parrillo
The Sacramento Executive

Posted by Gillian Parrillo at 12:47 PM | Permalink

"Connecting is all about your friendliness, your ability to engage, and your willingness to give value first.

When you combine those three attributes, you will have uncovered the secret of powerful connections that lead to RICH relationships."

Jeffrey Gitomer
Little Black Book of Connections

Posted by Pierre Cutler at 6:23 PM | Permalink

I am about to shop for shades for my windows and after reading the following, I instantly knew from whom I would buy - Hunter Douglas. Doing good things as a corporation will definitely bring customers to your door and keep them there! And congratulations also to Davis-based MicroCredit Enterprises CEO, Jonathan Lewis, who constantly finds innovative ways to help the world's poor.

HUNTER DOUGLAS FUNDS ENDOWMENT FOR MICROFINANCE SUSTAINABILITY MicroCredit Enterprises to Operate Fund; Donation to Assist the Estimated 1.1 Billion Desperately Poor People Davis, Calif. – April 24, 2007 – MicroCredit Enterprises, a leading not-for-profit venture that provides philanthropic guarantor-backed microloans to aid third-world poor, today announced the creation of the Hunter Douglas Endowment for Microfinance Sustainability. Thanks to a generous contribution from Hunter Douglas, the leading manufacturer and marketer of custom window coverings in North America, MicroCredit Enterprises can continue in its quest to reduce global poverty through self-help opportunities. The Hunter Douglas Endowment for Microfinance Sustainability is a liquidity account that underpins the MicroCredit Enterprises financial model, acting as a cushion to guarantors and lenders. The Hunter Douglas donation to the endowment will leverage $10 million in overseas microloans, providing food security for 500,000 poor people (60 percent of whom are children) on an annual basis and in perpetuity. Every penny benefits the program; no overhead costs are paid by the endowment. “This endowment represents a commitment to hope and opportunity that will make a significant difference in the lives of desperately poor people,” said Jonathan C. Lewis, Chief Executive Officer of MicroCredit. “Moreover, with a securely funded endowment in place, MicroCredit Enterprises can now attract more microloan guarantors” California-based MicroCredit Enterprises is an innovative, anti-poverty venture which leverages private capital to deliver tiny business loans to destitute people. To date, the venture has secured $20 million in guarantees for loans to aid the desperately poor in developing countries. MicroCredit Enterprises uses the collateral assets of individuals and institutions to borrow debt capital that is channeled through overseas, locally-run, non-governmental microfinance organizations. Marv Hopkins, Hunter Douglas Inc President and CEO said “Micofinance is a proven concept that is close to our entrepreneurial roots. Microcredit’s innovative approach opens up a new way for successful entrepreneurs in the first world, to support poor women entrepreneurs in the third world, and we regard this endowment as an opportunity to help jumpstart that process. It is a significant step in our company’s ongoing commitment to enhancing lives in the community at large and our belief that we are all neighbors on this small planet.” Microcredit Enterprises has developed an innovative concept, which enables private individuals and charitable institutions in the US to support the extension of loans to high quality microfinance institutions in developing countries, by becoming guarantors. Rather than making cash donations, guarantors pledge assets, on which they can continue to earn a return. About MicroCredit Enterprises Based in Davis, California, MicroCredit Enterprises is an innovative, not-for-profit, anti-poverty venture which leverages private capital to make tiny business loans to impoverished people, mostly women, in developing countries. MicroCredit Enterprises uses the collateral assets and personal guarantees of individuals and institutions to borrow debt capital in the United States that is channeled through overseas, locally-run, non-governmental microfinance organizations. The impoverished loan recipients generally have no credit history, no collateral and no formal education, but with microloans, they create and build home-based businesses. MicroCredit Enterprises’ economic development objective is to reverse the cycle of poverty in economically distressed countries using the tools of the marketplace to provide self-help opportunities to millions of impoverished women and their families. On the Net: http://www.mcenterprises.org About Hunter Douglas Hunter Douglas Inc. is a national sponsor of Habitat for Humanity, covering windows in every Habitat home built in the U.S. and Canada. Headquartered in Upper Saddle River N.J., the company is the leading manufacturer of custom window coverings in North America. For more information, contact Hunter Douglas at 1-800-274-2985 or visit: www.hunterdouglas.com.

Gillian Parrillo
The Sacramento Executive

Posted by Gillian Parrillo at 12:45 PM | Permalink

Now we live in the city, I walk my dogs. That means that I am responsible for (and I wish more people would step up for their dogs) my dog's excretement. For months now, I have searching for just the right bag to use for my newly acquired responsibility. I bought bags, but that seemed crazy, and besides they are really small. I asked for plastic, not paper, at the grocery store despite signs of obvious displeasure on the face of the checkers, especially at Whole Foods, but the peer pressure was getting to me. The plastic sleeve that the newspaper comes in was working perfectly, but I only get one paper a day and I have two dogs multiplied by two walks - just not enough supply. And all the time I was thinking that this couldn't be good - using plastic. And finally I went online and did a search for environmentally friendly dog poop bags and I was shocked at the information I found. All this time I have been mummifying my dogs' leavings. I have been putting perfectly biodegradable 'stuff' into a plastic bag to ensure it will be found completely intact in 100 years. Now that's crazy and crazy enough to get me to make a change. www.poopbags.com here I come.

Gillian Parrillo
The Sacramento Executive

Posted by Gillian Parrillo at 5:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

From Trip Adviser, the top ten eco-friendly resorts. Have a great time and conserve all while in the lap of luxury. Pierre and I stayed at no. 7 last year and didn't even know we were being 'green' until I saw this list today.

1. Jean-Michel Cousteau Fiji Islands Resort, Fiji

2. Lapa Rios Ecolodge, Osa, Costa Rica

3. Post Ranch Inn, Big Sur, Calif.

4. Inkaterra Machu Picchu, Machu Picchu, Peru

5. Concordia Eco-Tents, St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands

6. Daintree Eco Lodge, Daintree, Australia

7. Hotel Punta Islita, Playa Samara, Costa Rica

8. Lodge at Chaa Creek, San Ignacio, Belize

9. Inn by the Sea, Cape Elizabeth, Maine

10. Hotelito Desconocido, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

Gillian Parrillo
The Sacramento Executive

Posted by Gillian Parrillo at 5:19 PM | Permalink

Text message GOOGLE (466453) and enter your Airline and Flight Number (e.g., AAxxxx) and get back flight info. Now, that's cool.

I tried it a few times. Works like a charm although the gate info doesn't match with the AA website, which is a little worrisome.

Gillian Parrillo
The Sacramento Executive

Posted by Gillian Parrillo at 7:30 AM | Permalink

Courtesy of bizjournals.com

J.D. Stack has been named chief executive officer of the Sacramento Area Regional Technology Alliance.

Stack has served the Sacramento Municipal Utility District as its economic development program manager since 1993. He's been a member of the SARTA board since 2005.

Stack will replace Oleg Kaganovich, who joined the nonprofit organization in 2003 as executive director and chief operating officer. Kaganovich, who will join venture capital fund DFJ Frontier as principal in its West Sacramento office, was promoted to chief executive officer in 2005.

Stack has been active with several local entrepreneurial development initiatives, including the McClellan Technology Incubator, CleanStart and Partnership for Prosperity.

CleanStart is a renewable-energy business incubator that's an initiative of MTI and SARTA. It was created from an innovative needs assessment study that was jointly funded and managed by the California Energy Commission, SMUD and MTI. Partnership for Prosperity is a proactive economic development plan for the Sacramento region launched in part by the Sacramento Metro Chamber.

"I'm proud to join SARTA to be part of a team helping drive technology business development in the area," Stack said in a news release.

"The Sacramento region is now recognized as a great place for tech companies to establish, grow and succeed, and I am looking forward to the opportunities presented by SARTA that allow me to share this vision with others," he added.

SARTA, a tech-focused public-private partnership with a mission to accelerate the growth and development of the tech sector in Greater Sacramento, is directed by a 45-person board of directors. The board consists of regional leaders of academic institutions, investment groups, business associations and tech corporations.

The search for a new CEO was conducted by the board and by Kaganovich, who announced his departure last month. After he helps Stack transition into his new role at SARTA, Kaganovich will join DFJ Frontier.

"J.D.'s knowledge, experience and strong relationships with the economic development and business community will help SARTA continue to grow its relevance and importance," Matt Mahood, president and CEO of Sacramento Metro Chamber and a SARTA executive committee member, said in the news release.

"His coalition-building skills and organizational expertise will be a true benefit to SARTA's members," SARTA chairman Dan Koellen said.

Congratulations to both J.D and Oleg on their important new roles in the Sacramento technology community.

Gillian Parrillo
The Sacramento Executive

Posted by Gillian Parrillo at 12:34 PM | Permalink

California Lectures will host two Native American writers on Thursday April 26th at the Crest Theater. Leslie Marmon Silko, considered the most accomplished Native American writer of her generation, author of Ceremony (Contemporary American Fiction Series)which is newly released in a 30th Anniversary edition, will be in conversation with Sherman Alexie. Mr. Alexie is a prolific writer of books and screenplays, including Reservation Blues, Indian Killer and Smoke Signals.

Admission is $23, students' rate is $15.

You can buy tickets by clicking here or calling 800-225-2277 or in person at the Crest Theatre.

I think you will have a great time. And what the heck, there are no Kings playoff games to go to. Seems like there might be a lot more Mavs playoff games to go to soon either!

Gillian Parrillo
The Sacramento Executive

Posted by Gillian Parrillo at 7:22 AM | Permalink

One of the funnest (and funniest) nights we had in Sacramento was the first SARTA Poker Tournament. Lots of good natured, but highly competitive, poker playing. (Yes, that was Michelle Hallsten, partner in a local prominent law firm, with the sunglasses on to ensure no one could read her eyes and she got into the final table and yes, that was Tom Kandris, CEO of a locally established company who came in second). There was great food, great rivalries, and a great time had by all. And we have by now forgotten that it poured cats and dogs, it was freezing, and a trip to the bathroom required a flashlight (and many a shoe left in the mud!)

And then there were no more as the State of California had issues with poker touraments whether they were for a great charity or not. But now that the state has made this event legal (with lots of lobbying by SARTA members), so SARTA is throwing another one. Plan on attending:

DETAILS
Date: Friday, April 27th
Time: 5:00pm - 10:00pm (Cards will be dealt at 6pm)
Location: Morgan Creek Country Club
Tournament Entry: $250 partially tax deductible donation (players limited to the first 100 individuals to sign up, and includes a free dinner ticket for each player and 1 guest).
Non-Player Dinner Tickets: Can be purchased for $55 (member) or $65 (general/non-member) to come enjoy the food, music, ambiance and tournament as a spectator
Dinner: Full BBQ dinner & wine included with each ticket
Dress Code: Very Casual/ Feel free to wear jeans, cowboy boots, or anything in which you will be most comfortable.
Prizes: Details available shortly
Additional Entertainment: Live music, full bar, golf & more!
Your Player and Guest registration fees are tax deductible 501(c)3 Tax ID#68-0332874
Register here

Just watching the Sacramento Angels and other local business leaders and seeing how competitive they are, is worth the price of admission!

Gillian Parrillo
The Sacramento Executive

Posted by Gillian Parrillo at 5:09 AM | Permalink

The Kings have fired Coach Musselman. They hired him with high hopes a year ago and things went from bad to worse pretty quickly. But at least give credit to the Kings organization for realizing they made a mistake and fixing it quickly. It is a lesson to be learned by all of us.

Despite all of our best efforts when hiring a new employee, sometimes we make a mistake. Admitting it and doing something quickly is important. An unwillingness to do so simply perpetuates a bad situation.

Any ideas on who will be next? Do you think Adelman will be invited back?

Gillian Parrillo
The Sacramento Executive

Posted by Gillian Parrillo at 9:47 AM | Permalink

Things You Can Do To Moderate Your Impact On This Earth:

1. Do you run the shower waiting for the water to heat up? Catch the water in a bucket and use it to water your plants.

2. Shop for locally produced products and save the energy required to transport non-local products.

3. Thick vegetation close to the house keeps rooms cooler.

4. Buy unpackaged or minimally packaged products.

5. Take your own cup to the local coffee shop and save paper and styrofoam cups.

Remember, we are holding the earth in trust for the next generation and in my opinion we are getting an F grade right now.

Gillian Parrillo
The Sacramento Executive

Posted by Gillian Parrillo at 9:13 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

In the April 23, 2007 issue of Business Week, a magazine one might reasonably hope to have a balanced perspective on environmental issues, an article has appeared entitled “Climate Wars: Episode Two,” by John Carey.

Beneath the title, the teaser line reads as follows: “With the skeptics almost silenced, businesses are fighting over how to cut carbon emissions.” Silenced? Does anyone in America remember the first amendment? Does anyone in America still remember that skepticism is one of the foundations of science? What if the skeptics are right?

Our concerns with global warming alarm are well documented: Climate models don’t adequately take into account the role of changes in land use nor the role of water vapor; they don’t allow for balancing mechanisms in the earth’s climate; they emphasize industrial CO2 emissions at the expense of countless other factors. One good volcanic eruption and all of a sudden we’ll be wanting to warm the earth - but don’t bother the journalists - their minds are made up and the debate is closed.

What’s perhaps most amazing is these journalists who have relentlessly demonized the energy and transportation industries - the biggest industries on earth - for correctly trying to insert a note of caution into the mad rush to blame anthropogenic CO2 emissions for every thunderstorm or hot day, are abruptly free of their cynicism now that these companies are on board. Carey writes approvingly, like some forgiving parent, that the major oil companies and automakers have “evolved.”

Carey can’t help taking an easy shot at President Bush, who despite whatever else you may think of him is right on this one. As Carey says, “There are still holdouts, not the least George W. Bush. His mantra is that China and India must sign on if the U.S. is to impose curbs…” Mantra? How about a good point? China and India together produce nearly 5.0 gigatons of CO2 each year, compared to not quite 6.0 gigatons for the U.S. But China and India have 2.4 billion people, compared to .3 billion in the U.S. Even if industrial CO2 matters - and a skeptic would be underwhelmed at that notion - what happens as China and India continue to industrialize?

Maybe Carey and other journalists - along with any conscientious environmentalist - ought to realize that mandating CO2 emission reductions are going to empower the biggest businesses on earth. Maybe they should realize that as we embrace this obsessive fanaticism, outlawing backyard barbeques and incandescent light bulbs, the only companies powerful enough to remain in the industrial production game will be those select members of monopolies and cartels. Maybe the corporate multinationals have simply realized there’s a lot of money, taxpayer’s money, to be made by rolling over. And who can blame them?

Why doesn’t anyone in the media report on how scientists who have continued to question global warming alarm and the role of industrial CO2 have been intimidated and silenced - assuming “silencing” people is still a bad idea in the United States? Why doesn’t anyone in the media follow up on the myriad of reports that continue to raise questions about the wisdom of doing anything in the name of reducing CO2 emissions - such as devastating the remaining tropical rainforests to grow “carbon neutral” biofuel, when it may be the tropical rainforests are more critical to the global climate than regulating CO2?

There are many disturbing fallacies in Carey’s article. How about contrasting his bias against evil businesses who have suddenly been brought to heel, to his almost reverential, totally uncritical treatment of the environmental organizations who have opportunistically stoked this hysteria? Environmental organizations in the United States have been taken over by radicals, who are anti-growth, anti-capitalism, anti-car, anti-industry; they want to force everyone off the sacred “open space” and cram us all into ultra-high-density mega-cities; essentially the radical core of the environmental movement is communist. They have literally billions of dollars each year they use to spread propaganda and lobby politicians, and the global warming scare is the best thing that ever happened to them. Hiding behind their nonprofit status, they are as big as big business can get. But unlike businesses, these environmental radicals have declared economic war on the world.

Hopefully before it’s too late Americans will recognize the truth, that radical environmentalism has corrupted the environmental movement, coopted journalism, cowed our policymakers, and undermined open scientific discourse. Radical environmentalism is the reason homes cost two or three times what they should cost, and the reason we haven’t got enough roads to drive efficiently to work and back, and instead have to wait in gridlock for hours every day. They are the reason for energy and water shortages, and they will be to blame when rationing and punitive pricing is the norm for those essentials. Have there been important goals that environmentalists have accomplished? Of course. But they have gone too far.

Anyone who watches the news with a critical eye should be concerned about the certainty with which this is being pushed. It is the biggest propaganda campaign in U.S. history. It is being sold, and to think there are no hidden agendas, or room for skepticism, is a mistake of epic proportions. And believe it or not, the environment may be the biggest victim of all, along with our liberty and freedom.

Ed Ring
Editor, EcoWorld

Posted by Gillian Parrillo at 5:18 AM | Permalink

California Assembly Bill AB 1655 (Lieber) proposes the closure of the Division of Juvenile Justice. The current annual cost of the program is $175M. It boasts a 74% recidivism rate. The California Inspector General recently reported that youth still languish in conditions that lead to suicide attempts and the system trains youth for a lifetime of incarceration. The Governor has proposed that almost half of the current population be transferred back to the counties. While we are about it, why don’t we declare the DJJ a disaster and try something different, preferably something local, more effective and less expensive.

We are failing our youth. Locking them up for the rest of their lives is not the right answer. It’s not the right social answer, the right humanitarian answer, nor the right fiscal answer.

Gillian Parrillo
The Sacramento Executive

Posted by Gillian Parrillo at 6:56 AM | Permalink

Three and a half years ago, Dallas decided to tackle the seemingly unfixable problem of homelessness. They hired a couple of homeless czars, started building a $21M assistance center, and launched a 10-year plan to get people off the streets and into permanent housing. And the results so far show it’s having a significant positive effect. The number of Dallas County homeless dropped 9% in a year and the chronically homeless dropped 23%.

Let’s hope that Sacramento’s new focus on solving this difficult problem also has the same (or better) positive outcome.

Gillian Parrrillo
The Sacramento Executive

Posted by Gillian Parrillo at 7:31 AM | Permalink

“If we fail to get our fiscal house in order, we could bequeath our descendants unconscionable debt and slow the global economy to boot,” warns Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas President Richard Fisher .

We have been warned, but will we listen and react?

Gillian Parrillo
The Sacramento Executive

Posted by Gillian Parrillo at 7:28 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

I am sitting on an American Airlines flight to Sacramento on the way to celebrate the accomplishments of a group of bright, dedicated students at the Sacramento Entrepreneurship Academy’s annual Showcase event. And as I think about these students and all those who have gone before them and how much they have changed the world for the better, it makes the loss of more than 30 students at Virginia Tech even more wasteful. I raised kids in Virginia and watched many of their friends go off to ‘Tech’. My best friend’s daughter graduated from ‘Tech’. So to me it wasn’t some random place where tragedy occurred, it was a place I felt personally connected to. And now we must make some sense out what happened and give meaning to the lives that were lost – otherwise they will be completely wasted.

I think it’s terribly unfortunate that the alleged gunman is not an American citizen as I fear some will call for more regulation of foreign students and they will add one more foreign face to those they fear and despise. And they will miss the answer that this isn’t about race or culture. It’s about violence and easy access to guns. Let’s start with a national debate about guns. And let’s not stop until not one more person dies because a gun was at hand and the shooter thought it was a panacea.

Gillian Parrillo
The Sacramento Executive

Posted by Gillian Parrillo at 2:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)

The Sacramento Executive was founded on the notion that the key to success is networking. Our mission is to link executives to all that is great in Sacramento. In keeping with our mission, today we are introducing you to the guru of networking - Jeffrey Gitomer. Jeffrey Gitomer's "Little Black Book of Connections" is a great resource and primer for networking. Gitomer's premise is:

"All things being not quite so equal, people STILL want to do business with their friends. Hint: To climb the ladder of success, you don't need more techniques and strategies, you need more friends."

Pierre Cutler
The Sacramento Executive

Posted by Pierre Cutler at 5:30 AM | Permalink

Early studies give credence to the theory that bees are abandoning their hives because the radiation given off by cell phones and other electronic devices is interfering with the bees' navigation systems. Currently 70% of the East Coast commercial bee populations are lost and 60% of those on the West Coast. The phenomenen has now spread to Europe. The outcome could prove devastating as most of the world crops are pollinated by bees. Albert Einstein once said that if the bees disappeared, "man would have only four years of life left".

Read the whole article in the UK newspaper, The Independent

Does this give more credence to the research that shows increases in brain cancers, lower sperm counts and a loss of brain cells all attributed to cell phone use?

Gillian Parrillo
The Sacramento Executive

Posted by Gillian Parrillo at 8:20 AM | Permalink

Per Capita Foreclosure Activity By County

1 Sacramento 2605
2 Riverside 2747
3 San Joaquin 2872
4 Yuba 2909
5 Stanislaus 3597

This data is supplied by Foreclosure Radar. They have surmised a booming market in foreclosures is on the horizon and per their website "will be launching a next generation foreclosure service with truly unique data, tools and analysis." It is to be launched this month. If you want to be notified at launch, you can enter your email on their website.

There's always a market - in good times and bad. Good for Foreclosure Radar for reacting so quickly.

Gillian Parrillo
The Sacramento Executive

Posted by Gillian Parrillo at 6:54 AM | Permalink

Sacramento is one of the United States' most underrated cities, according to ShermanTravel.

The report placed Sacramento at No. 10 on its "must see" list of places not often considered tourist destinations. ShermanTravel says of Sacramento:

Governor Schwarzenegger's much-ballyhooed magnetism aside, California's capital has never had the same allure as say, San Fran or L.A. But with an increasingly sophisticated food scene – think farm-fresh Bolognese cuisine at Biba or maple-glazed pork chops at the clubby Esquire Grill (one of Ahnold's favorite restaurants) – this agricultural hub appeals to even the snobbiest city-slicker. Between bites, take in the Gold Rush-era charms of Old Sacramento, bike along the banks of the Sacramento and American Rivers, and stroll amid downtown's stately Victorian homes and tall evergreens. You may even catch a glimpse of the "Governator" himself at the impressive capitol building. Wash it all down with a visit to the Sierra Foothill wineries in the Shenandoah Valley – a mere 45-minute drive to the east.

The ten underrated cities are, in order: Baltimore; Fort Lauderdale, Fla.; Houston; Kansas City, Mo.; Louisville, Ky.; Minneapolis; Pittsburgh; Portland, Ore.; Providence, R.I.; and Sacramento.

Gillian Parrillo
The Sacramento Executive

Posted by Gillian Parrillo at 8:03 AM | Permalink

Wednesday, April 18, 2007
Basic Principles All Tech CEOs Must Know
9:00am-12:00pm
Instructor: Jeff Burkholder, President/CEO
NMV Productions
Location: McClellan Technology Incubator

Course Description:
Targeted marketing is key for young companies. This workshop, taught by Jeff Burkholder, will provide key lessons, anecdotes, case studies and basic "how-to" knowledge of successful marketing.

The 3-hour course will give CEOs a broad overview of branding, marketing and PR principles, and directly relate them to launching and building their companies.

The workshop will cover:
• Branding basics: What branding IS and what it is NOT
• Why branding matters
• The importance of, and how to develop, your messaging and positioning.
• The power of PR and why it's a must
• Channel marketing

Attendees are sure to walk away with a stronger understanding of marketing overall and a clearer idea of how it can play a big part in their company’s success!

Future Workshops:
May 16: Protecting Your IP
June 20: Lessons Learned - Common Tax & Accounting Mistakes
July 18: Writing a Business Plan to Get Funding

Register Here The price is right $75 (and discounts for SARTA or MTI affiliations).

Gillian Parrillo
The Sacramento Executive

Posted by Gillian Parrillo at 1:35 PM | Permalink

Today I took my in-laws (I'm such a trooper!) to the 6th Floor Museum, right by the grassy knoll and inside the Book Depository. It is the second time I have visited in the past year. It is a very moving place. Foremost a place to ponder the assassination of JFK, but also to remember the times that were JFK's presidency. A time full of hope and believing in the impossible and being seen as a shining beacon in the world. It was the time of space exploration and of the Peace Corps. A time of civility and a time for due reverence for the arts.

It made me think about how people, including me, flocked to this country because it truly was a place where you believed you could achieve your dreams and aspirations and you could work in concert with others to improve the world. And nothing was impossible. No one would tell you couldn't achieve whatever it was that you aspired to do. And everyone around the world looked to the United States as a great and benevolent place.

Now everytime I visit the museum I get angry that all that has been lost. Yes, sure, people still flock here. But I don't think they flock here to become a part of something great. They come because they have to put food on the table of their families in poor countries around the world, they come to get an education, but they don't come and yearn to become a citizen. And I think that's sad as what America was took place because we embraced so many different cultures as part of the whole.

Gillian Parrillo
The Sacramento Executive

Posted by Gillian Parrillo at 1:12 PM | Permalink

The Doris Duke Charitable Foundation has set up a $100 million fund to underwrite 5 years of global warming research. The foundation's Climate Change Initiative will look at policies that can speed up the use of new technologies and broaden the use of existing ones to reduce carbon dioxide, methane and other industrial gases that scientists blame for heating the atmosphere.

The mission of the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation is to improve the quality of people's lives through grants supporting the performing arts, wildlife conservation, medical research and the prevention of child maltreatment, and through preservation of the cultural and environmental legacy of Doris Duke's properties.

Doris Duke, whose life was full of ups and downs in terms of bad selections of husbands, lovers, an adopted daughter, and butlers, left a huge fortune to her foundation, which is doing very positive things including this latest initiative.

Gillian Parrillo
The Sacramento Executive

Posted by Gillian Parrillo at 6:23 AM | Permalink

The Chronicle of Philanthropy carries an article written by Caroline Preston entitled, "Long Hours, Low Pay Turn Off Young Non-Profit Workers." Based on results from a survey, the article says that few of the young non-profit workers expect to spend their entire career working in the charity world. The turn off - long hours and low pay. The low pay is driving men and minority groups out of the field leading to a lack of diversity. This leads to charities paying women lower salaries for comparable work. They speak about sexism and racism and glass ceilings existing in what they had believed would be a more equitable part of the marketplace.

This is a sad commentary on an industry segment that has much need of bright, motivated employees.

Gillian Parrillo
The Sacramento Executive

Posted by Gillian Parrillo at 10:06 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

A couple of days ago I wrote about a product, ChargeCarte, that allows users to charge their batteries when they are traveling. Today I read how Georgia Tech researchers have created a prototype, which they called a nanogenerator that uses vibrations to power portable devices. They give a scenario of inserting a device in your shoe and the pure act of walking would generate power. The researchers believe that a device such as this will be on the market in five years or less and could make regular batteries obsolete.

So, a good idea today, surpassed tomorrow. The ChargeCarte guys better sell as many as they can now before their product is obsolete. But knowing that a change in technology is on the horizon could significantly slow sales unless the ROI is particularly compelling.

Other lesson learned, when you come up with a new business idea that seems great, do you research and see what else is out there.

Gillian Parrillo
The Sacramento Executive

Posted by Gillian Parrillo at 6:11 AM | Permalink

For the fourteenth consecutive year, the entrepreneurship program at Babson College is ranked number one by U.S. News and World Report (2008 school edition). Three California schools made the top ten - Stanford University, USC's Marshall, and UC Berkeley's Haas. The top ten rankings:

1. Babson College
2. Stanford University
3. Harvard Business School
4. University of Pennsylvania (Wharton School)
5. MIT (The Sloan School of Management)
6. Indiana University (Kelley School of Business)
7. USC (Marshall School of Management)
8. UC Berkeley (Haas Business School)
9. University of Michigan (Ross School of Business)
10. University of Texas (McCombs School of Business)

Pierre Cutler
The Sacramento Executive

Posted by Pierre Cutler at 4:18 PM | Permalink

The age old debate. How many marketing people do you need per engineer? This is an interesting article published in Intech Magazine for the Instrument Society of America and brought to my attention by Mark Zetter of Amplify:

Marketing is not the dark side
By Dick Morley

I am an angel. I invest in certain companies.

So far, I have helped start more than 100 companies.

Angels are a little different from venture capitalists because an angel uses his wife's money and is only good for about $100K. Venture capitalists use other people's money and invest millions.

As an angel, I try to invest in companies whose president is marketing oriented. That doesn't mean the person has to have a marketing degree. However, his or her concern must be with the outside world, with what the road is, and with where the road is taking the company.

We try never to invest in a company whose ratio is less than 1:1. That is to say, there is a true marketing person for every technical engineer. By this, I mean a marketing person, not just a sales person.

So far, using this yardstick, we've been fairly successful. About 20% of the companies in which we invest have been successful.

Up to now, our investment reasons for the ratio are anecdotal, but Ralph Grabowski, a good friend, took the reasoning to another level. By analyzing companies, he found one could not win unless the ratio is greater than 1-to-1-more marketing people than engineers.

Grabowski did his ratio study while associated with Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). MIT has more startups than you can shake a stick at, and many of them fail. Grabowski ana-lyzed approximately 100 startup companies, rating them from flaming failures to soaring successes.

True technology companies usually fail with a resounding thud.

Failure means "not com-mercially successful." There are some companies in the middle. We angels and venture capitalists call them the "living dead."

They start up, get to a small size, and stay there. They are failures or nonentities.

We could also define these nonentities as lifestyle companies, law firms, medical offices, or store front establishments. It does not mean they are bad; it is just they are not worth an equity investment because there is no equity growth.

The y-axis on our graph is the ratio of marketing to engineering staff. If for every two engineers on staff, you have two marketing people, the ratio is 1:1. Grabowski defines marketing as not sales, but a true directional strategic effort to establish a path. His analysis includes about 80 companies. His data suggests there is no probability curve of success related to the marketing/engineering ratio. There is no probability involved at all; it is downright definite.

You definitely will not be a success if you are operating with a less than 1:1 M/E ratio.
This does not necessarily mean that you will be successful if you maintain a ratio of 1:1 or better, but we can sure predict that if the marketing staff is not sufficient, you will fail.
The data presented on the actual curve found in the Grabowski reference indicates that a better ratio might be 2:1 or 3:1.

What to do? Process engineers do not, by themselves, affect the direction of the company. We can, however, look at the fundamental budget and staffing of projects. Most companies, according to Grabowski, have diffuse engineering projects that do not contribute to growth as defined by the facts of market analysis.

If we provide the facts, decisions are obvious. Facts are hard to get; decisions are easy. These facts need to go to the desk of the CEO and Board of Directors.

We can make anything, but we cannot sell anything. Allocation and focus are necessary to our company. Logic and emotion have no place in the market direction. Facts are everything. If we do not follow the facts, we will be out of work.

Marketing is not the dark side; we are.

Deal with it.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Dick Morley (morley@barn.org) is principal of R. Morley, Inc., a global consulting firm specializing in manufacturing & process controls.

Gillian Parrillo
The Sacramento Executive

Posted by Gillian Parrillo at 3:18 AM | Permalink

Can you believe this view? Taken from our room at the Sandia Resort and Casino just outside Albuquerque, New Mexico on Friday. Gillian and I had a fantastic time. The room was great. The casino was a blast. We won a little money and had a lot of fun. Ed, Michelle, Bob and Kay, wish you were with us!.

From Gillian: For those who imagined we were dabbling in ancient Indian culture during our trip to New Mexico, we promise we were, except for the last day, when we dabbled in modern Indian culture - casinos. And for those who are interested who Ed, Michelle, Bob and Kay are, if you can find them, they will have STORIES about our times together in Dallas in the late 90's - racetracks, gambling...and that's all I am revealing.

Pierre and Gillian.
The Sacramento Executives

Posted by Pierre Cutler at 8:00 PM | Permalink

Here is a unique opportunity to honor one of the pioneers of the Information Age, Mr. Vint Cerf, Honorary Chair, IPv6 Forum and Chief Internet Evangelist at Google. Vint will be honored with a Paul Harris Fellow Award from The Rotary Foundation for the contributions he made to humanity with his role in the invention of the Internet. Vint will be sharing words of wisdom regarding the future of the Internet in a presentation titled: Internet: The Next 10 Years & Beyond.

Join members of CAv6TF and Rotary International in welcoming Internet visionary Vint Cerf to Davis on April 16th as he kicks off the 2nd Annual Investorfest 2007. Vint's keynote will feature on the topic of "Internet: The next 10 years and beyond".

As a member of Rotary International, CAv6T, and/or a friend of Geof's (or a friend of Gillian's, which is almost as cool as being a friend of Geof's) you get to attend this evening of heavy hors d'oevres and hosted wine reception at a discounted rate of $50.

Vince is a super-nice, gentle, wonderful guy, who has a brain the size of the world, but doesn't make it super obvious. He is also a big wine lover. And don't make a joke with him about Al Gore being the father of the Internet, as Pierre did, because Vince feels pretty strongly that Al played a big part in making the Internet the giant it is today by being a champion of government funding. And, after all, Vince was there to tell the tale. And Pierre stands corrected, which doesn't often happen!

Gillian Parrillo
The Sacramento Executive

Posted by Gillian Parrillo at 7:55 PM | Permalink

When the new students at the Sacramento Entrepreneurship Academy begin the year they are required to form a team and come up with several new business ideas from which they will chose one. This is one of the hardest tasks that the students have to accomplish. They look for something huge that will change the world for good, they dismiss simple ideas as not being important enough. But often, the simplest idea is a great new business idea. Today I was in the Albuquerque Airport and I saw one of those ideas in action. A slap to the side of the head idea. A device that allows travelers to charge their multiple electronic pieces of equipment – an Ipod, a cell phone, a computer. It costs $3 for a 30 minute charge and it has all the different plugs of the most used electronic gear. It’s called a chargecarte and you can view it on Smartecarte’s website. Yes, that's the company that makes the rental luggage carts. I guess they needed a way to broaden their business.

Gillian Parrillo
The Sacramento Executive

Posted by Gillian Parrillo at 10:37 AM | Permalink

Pierre and I are visiting New Mexico - the land of enchantment, the land of arguably the most experienced presidential candidate, Bill Richardson, and, as we have found, the land of the most friendly people in a tourist destination that we have ever met.

We flew to Albuquerque and drove up to Santa Fe. We stayed at the Hotel Plaza Real which had reasonable rates and a great location, although it's a little tired. The first night we ate at El Farol, a tapas restaurant that was recommended by a local. It's right on Canyon Road, the road that holds a great majority of the galleries in town. We arrived, were seated and our waitress promptly took our order. Then the slips began. She couldn't get the cork out of the bottle of wine - it crumbled. She tried a second bottle - same thing. Finally, she met success with the third bottle. We ordered several delicious tapas from the menu. The first plate arrived and was not as ordered. We very nicely and politely informed the waitress that we had received the wrong plate. She seemed ready to dispute our order, but re-thought. Then the beef plate arrived and was clearly overdone. By then the waitress had sort of given up on us and it took a while to get her attention and explain the problem. This time she did argue, but eventually returned with a piece of meat cooked as we had originally ordered. All in all, the food and wine were decent, but the minor slips both in service and in attitude of the waitress marred our experience.

Next day, we spent practically the whole day visiting galleries on the Canyon Road as we are looking for a large piece of art for our space in Dallas. All of the gallery owners were extremely friendly, providing a high level of service and knowledge. It's rare to find such genuinely eager service providers in an area that is overrun by tourists pretty much year round.

After our multiple mile walk, we were ready for dinner. I had picked Bistro 315, before we left home, a restaurant that multiple websites had been very high on. When we arrived, it resembled a hole in the wall and didn't seem very promising. But this is precisely when exceptional service turned an average dinner into a momentous one - all in the person of Deborah.

Pierre ordered a bottle of pinot noir. Deborah brought it to us and from the first sip, Pierre was disappointed. I chastised him for not dialoging with Deborah about what she would recommend. After all, this was a wine bar and restaurant and the wine list held more than 300 selections, of which, I was sure, Deborah was more familiar than Pierre. After a while, he admitted that he should have and began discussing various wines with Deborah and others of the wait staff. Now it was time for dinner and by this time we were very comfortable asking Deborah for her recommendations. And now it was time to have a decent bottle of wine - Deborah recommended. Pierre told her that we would leave any we didn't drink for her to consume later. This generosity prompted by the ridiculous laws of New Mexico that don't allow you to take an open unfinished bottle with you when you leave. She brought us a fabulous bottole of French Burgundy. And then we learned about her interesting background which included being born and raised in Buffalo, New York, spending 14 years in Paris, and then following a guy to Santa Fe. By this time, Deborah brought us two glasses of sauternes and a free creme brulee for dessert. The chef, whom we imagined was French, came out to chat and we learned how he had found his way from Peru to be a chef at a French restaurant in Santa Fe. We had a memorable dinner. Compared to the night before, the food was the same or maybe even a little inferior, but the service was superb. Thanks Deborah for a wonderful evening.

So, please bear with us while we ramble through New Mexico and maybe don't manage to post every day. Next we are off to Taos with two more great dining experiences ahead of us.

Gillian Parrillo
The Sacramento Executive

Posted by Gillian Parrillo at 7:17 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Listen to all of the elevator pitches from the most recent Business Plan Competition at Rice University. Maybe it will help you refine yours!

Gillian Parrillo
The Sacramento Executive

Posted by Gillian Parrillo at 7:02 AM | Permalink

Two years ago several Chico-based angel investors pooled their money and invested it in the Sacramento-based DFJ Frontier Venture Capital fund. Last week, they were laughing all the way to the bank when DFJ Frontier portfolio company MaxPreps was acquired by CBS Corporation.

Let's hope that the angel investors reinvest their original funds plus the profit and help some other local entrepreneurs seed fund a company. That's what angel investing is all about...although frankly this was one of the quicker payoffs.

Gillian Parrillo
The Sacramento Executive

Posted by Gillian Parrillo at 1:35 AM | Permalink

State Sen. Darrell Steinberg has introduced a bill to make attacking homeless people a hate crime. Prosecutors could seek up to a year in jail and $5,000 in fines. So-called 'bum fights" often conducted by young adults with no apparent motive, are taped and posted on the Web.
Several other states are also in the process of passing similar laws.

Gillian Parrillo
The Sacramento Executive

Posted by Gillian Parrillo at 1:21 AM | Permalink

UCLA's EyeLight team placed fifth in last weekend's business plan competition at Rice University. 36 graduate schools competed for more than $300,000 in cash and prizes. ResuRX Pharmaceuticals from Johns Hopkins University took the top prize.

EyeLight's elevator pitch - click here.

EyeLight also won the Medical Device Award.

The Rice Alliance for Technology and Entrepreneurship hosted the event. Since 2001, the Rice University Business Plan Competition (RBPC) has become the richest guaranteed prize money intercollegiate business plan competition in the world. The three-day event is intended to simulate the real-world process of entrepreneurs soliciting start-up funds from early-stage investors and venture capital firms.

Terraview of UC Berkeley and Omega Sensors of San Diego State University also participated.

About EyeLight, Inc:

EyeLight, Inc. is an early stage start-up firm dedicated to developing surgical interventions for eye diseases . EyeLight pioneered the Excimer Laser Trabeculostomy (ELT) procedure for glaucoma, available now in Europe, and are currently developing Enhanced ELT, for world-wide glaucoma patient therapy . The company is actively seeking venture partners.

EyeLight contacts:

8733 Beverly Drive Suite 301 Los Angeles, CA 90048-1800
Phone: (310) 855-1112
Michael S. Berlin, M.D. berlin@ucla.edu or
T. Scott Rowe scottrowe@cox.net

Pierre Cutler
The Sacramento Executive

Posted by Pierre Cutler at 9:10 AM | Permalink