Interested? Visit http://openmarketshealth.hireology.com/s/433 for more information.
2012 Launch DePaul Semi-Finalists:
ActivBunch
Celtic Creations
ClaimWorks
E-Rental Tools
Field of Diamonds
HackScreen
Invisa Solar
Little Net
Media Revamp, LLC
OPUS
ReceiptMe
Roofs for Rainbows
Scout Station
TABULATOR
TextSavior
The Bus Stop
Third Space Now
Description:
Entrepreneurs Unpluggd is a media and events company based in Chicago that consists of an event arm where we produce live in-person events for entrepreneurs, and a content arm that consists of our website full of blog articles, video interviews, videos of our speakers and more.
The company is run by two entrepreneurs who share a passion for entrepreneurship and storytelling (@startupstella and @timjahn).
]]> The OpportunityDuties include:
If you're a smart, entrepreneurial student looking to gain experience in online marketing and social media for business, they want you.
About You
What You Get
You'll gain valuable experience working with a nationally recognized startup that is well connected in the startup and entrepreneur scene. You'll gain valuable experience in online marketing, using social media for business, and insight into how an online business operates.
Note: This is an unpaid internship but can be registered for school credit. YOU MUST SUBMIT LINKS TO YOUR FACEBOOK, TWITTER, AND LINKEDIN PROFILES TO BE CONSIDERED.
If interested, please apply via: depaul.experience.com
]]>Becoming an independent member of the Farmers family allows you to:
Be in business for yourself, not by yourself! You’ll be in business for yourself, making your own day-to-day business decisions, but not by yourself. You will have the backing, guidance, and support of your District Manager, District Office staff, and State Office staff. Farmers provides agents with training that uses state-of-the art business building techniques.
As a member of the Farmers family you will:
Interested in learning more? Contact Adam Busch.
]]>In addition to $50,000 in startup funds, winners will also receive additional support including
free legal and accounting services, reduced rates on commercial and residential space, business mentoring, and access to local angel networks.
For more information, visit http://archgrants.org/competition/.
]]>
Al Herbach: My first entrepreneurial experience was running a software services company with my wife from the mid-80's to the late 90's. We had a ton of fun and built a great company that served clients all across the country. At our peak, we had over 50 employees. In 1997, we decided to sell the company to the company who developed the software that we supported. It was a happy time, but also a bittersweet time. We were able to negotiate that all of our employees would have positions with the new company, so at least the team got to stay together for a while. I worked for the new company for 3 years, learning how a Fortune 100 company works (and doesn't). I wouldn't trade either of those experiences as learning opportunities for anything.
But then the entrepreneurial bug bit me and I left the F100 company to start a new venture. It was now 2001 and the tech bubble had burst. The new company was built to develop marketing events for technical companies. However, budgets were being cut for all marketing efforts. So we pivoted (a skill I recommend to all entrepreneurs) to work on non-profit events. Our first big event was scheduled for Tuesday, September 11, 2001. You might remember that date. We cancelled the event at 9:30am, eventually rescheduled for November and produced a successful event. But the stars were not with us on this venture. Some people say that you learn more from failure than from success. I think I might agree. I learned a lot about my capabilities and also the types of things that are not successful.
Coleman Center: What are you currently working on today? Or hope to in the future?
Al Herbach: I have my fingers in a few different activities. I am the CEO of SchmaltzOnline, an online Jewish deli, based in Naperville. You can order all your favorite items for shipment directly to you or someone you love via FedEx. E-Commerce is a new field for me and I am enjoying the challenge of integrating all of my skills in support of E-Commerce marketing and delivery. I have also started a new firm, Strategiz LLC, with several partners to provide advisory and business consulting services to women entrepreneurs. This company is at the very beginning stages, but we hope to be able to support women owned and managed firms. As part of the Coleman Center offerings, I moderate a CEO Peer Group for a group of entrepreneurs. We meet monthly and help each other solve business problems through experience sharing. In my spare time, I actively provide mentoring for student entrepreneurs for both the Coleman Center and the Academy of Entrepreneurial Leadership at the University of Illinois.
Coleman Center: As an entrepreneurial consultant, what advice would you give a struggling entrepreneur?
Al Herbach: First, remember that you are not alone. There are a ton of resources available at little or no cost to help you out. The number of experienced and successful entrepreneurs who freely give time to mentor and advise early stage entrepreneurs here in Chicago is amazing. Other entrepreneurs also are often willing to lend an ear and provide good counsel. Start building a network of folks who you can call upon for idea swapping, product reviews or problem solving. And it goes without saying that you should be willing to be a listener for others.
Second, don't strive for perfection. As Steve Jobs famously said, real artists ship. But take a little of Bill Gates to heart. It took three releases for Microsoft to get Windows somewhat right. They are continually shipping product and incorporating new features and bug fixes along the way. Same with Google. So, get your first release out early. It doesn't have to include every feature and might not even work exactly as you want it to, but let your customers have the opportunity to help guide your product development. I see many companies who are working on their second or third user interface design and have never released the product to the marketplace. And this does not only relate to technology companies. Service companies and manufacturing companies also fall into this trap.
Coleman Center: You’re such an active member of the Coleman Center. What made you join the Coleman Center in the first place?
Al Herbach: I had signed up for a class being offered by the Coleman Center about Angel Investing. After the class, Raman invited me to talk about my history with DePaul and I offered to help students out. When I took my MBA courses in the 80's, there was no Coleman Center. I thought that having the Center was a great way for the students to get the support they needed to help start businesses. After seeing how the Center worked, I was asked to join the Advisory Board and I have been a member for over 5 years now.
Coleman Center: Our students respond so well to you as mentor. What do you enjoy most about mentoring? What advice would you give others interested in mentoring?
Al Herbach: It's funny. A friend introduces me as a Professional Mentor. It is hard to be a professional mentor (as professional implies being paid), but I do enjoy working with companies and their founders at their formative stages. At this time, a significant portion of the entrepreneur's focus is on the product or service. Sometimes, I can provide a more holistic view that takes into account how to get customers, how to get funding or how to develop a monetization strategy. The thrill is in seeing the suggestions that you provide help the entrepreneur to grow and the company to more fully form.
I would tell someone contemplating becoming a mentor that they will be humbled by the process of helping entrepreneurs develop their businesses. You need to bring an open mind because being a mentor is mostly about listening and asking good questions. The answers will come naturally if you ask the right questions.
June 6, 7,8th 2012 in Berkeley, CA
Who can apply?
Early-stage companies and past business plan participants that are located in the US. US-only companies at this time please.
How do I start?
By March 11th, please email one or two paragraphs addressing the following items to ttb.venture.forum.scr@siemens.com
1) Please explain what is the problem you are solving
2) Please explain how this problem is being solved today
3) What makes your idea better than today’s solution
4) How is this related to Siemens
This step is optional but highly recommended – you will receive feedback.
How do I apply?
By April 8th, please email a business pitch (12 to 15 slides) that covers at least the following to ttb.venture.forum.scr@siemens.com
1) Technology overview
2) Go-to-market strategy
3) Competitive advantages
4) Next few milestones for the company (18 to 24 months) that would cover technology, business, and funding
5) Possible collaborations scenarios with Siemens
6) Information about the company founders
Why should I participate?
Interact with other startups, Siemens executives, venture capitalists from silicon valley, and others to learn:
• How to get a large company interested as a customer or partner
• Negotiating with a large company (intellectual property rights, development contracts, investments, prototyping)
• What to do if things go wrong
• Why and when to engage with Siemens
• How to approach Siemens, and help on putting together a win-win partnership
Important Dates
March 11 Interested applicants may submit a one page application for feedback by this date
April 8 Full proposal submittal deadline
April 23 Notify forum participants
June 6, 7, 8 New Ventures Forum
Information and contact:
www.ttb.siemens.com • www.facebook.com/SiemensTTB
ttb.venture.forum.scr@siemens.com • (510) 665-1330
Siemens TTB • 1995 University Ave, #375 • Berkeley, CA • 94704
About AllergySafeTravel.com
AllergySafeTravel.com is an online resource for people with food allergies who have difficulty traveling. Traveling with food allergies is a large undertaking that requires many hours of planning, research and phone calls to ensure a safe trip. AllergySafeTravel will save the traveler much time in that all the information one needs to travel to a certain destination will be found in one location online. More than ten million people in the U.S. suffer from food allergies.
]]>As a socially connected person at your university, we would like to personally invite you or any of your other contacts who are currently enrolled students to apply. We realize that this brand is female skewed; however we are an equal opportunity employer and encourage all who are interested in applying (so feel free to recommend both fashion-forward males and females!).
If you are not interested in applying, but know someone who might be a good fit, we will pay you $100 for every referral we end up hiring who completes the program successfully!
We are looking to make all final hiring decisions by 2/3/12, so if you or any of your contacts are interested, please contact sofial@mryouth.com.
]]>Location: Chicago, IL
Education: BS in IT, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or equivalent
degree/experience
Background: * 3+ years experience in web-development, graphic design, object-oriented programming
* Experience working with start-ups, new business
* Experience managing development of large cloud-based databases
* Project management skills
* Experience in contract software development contract negotiations
* Knowledge and desire to keep up on the latest developments in web development
* Able to work closely with a team
* Ability to present/demonstrate the technology to large audience\
General Description:
The CTO will initially work to complete a base working demonstration of the concept website and app to be used for investor pitches. After further investment is obtained the CTO will assume the role of project manager for the website design and implementation.
The majority of the technical development work will be outsourced to professional contract web-development companies. The CTO will work closely with contractors to design and continuously improve the technology, while holding to the development schedule/milestones.
The CTO will also be responsible for top-level graphic design of the website using their professional experience and vision to create the most efficient user-friendly interface possible.
The CTO will be an integral part of the management team, and will work closely with the CEO and the CMO to continuously innovate the business plan and technology to fit the market while carefully monitoring available financing. Based on an understanding of the business plan, the CTO must be able to independently make key technology based decisions.
The CTO will be expected to energetically present the technology in simple understandable terms to a large audience.
Compensation: To be negotiated.
Contact: Kyle Joseph, email: kyle@claimworks.net, phone: (309) 472-1533
]]>Location: Chicago, IL
Education: BA in Sales/Marketing or equivalent degree/experience (Preferable MBA)
Background: * 5+ years experience in marketing/sales for technology based business
* (Preferable) Background working in the insurance industry
* Experience working with start-ups, new business
* Experience managing a large number of diverse customer accounts
* Experience in managing a CRM database
* Ability to present/demonstrate technology to large audience
* Able to work closely with a team
* (Preferable) Enjoyment in keeping up on the latest developments in technology
General Description:
The CMO’s initial responsibility will be to establish a strategy to obtain/manage strategic partnerships with home insurance brokers and insurance providers. They will determine how to provide these strategic partners with a way to encourage concept distribution and usage of ClaimWorks within their customer-base, while simultaneously seeking feedback for product improvements.
The CMO will be an integral part of the management team, and will work closely with the CEO and technical development team to continuously innovate the business plan to fit the market.
Post concept validation the CMO will be responsible for the successful execution of the sales/marketing plan. This includes establishing and managing strategic partnerships, contract negotiations, creation and distribution of sales/marketing materials targeting end-users, and continuously seeking product and concept feedback from strategic partners and users at all levels. Additionally the CMO will be asked to build/manage a team underneath them to support customer demand, as needed.
Compensation: To be negotiated
Contact: Kyle Joseph, email: kyle@claimworks.net, phone: (309) 472-1533
]]>• Work to create and implement social media strategy
• Handle user support requests
• PR outreach and press release writing
You should:
• Be a self-starter
• Interested in technology startups
• Strong written and verbal skills
• Be willing to do what it takes to get it done
Willing to offer school credit if applicable.
If interested, please email your resume and any of your past work that might be relevant to this position to Mark Bertrand.
About Cloudbot:
Cloudbot is backed by Lightbank (Groupon Founders), AngelPad, Hyde Park Angels and Draper & Associates. We are building a mobile and web app that pulls each user's online presence into one simple user interface.
Cloudbot helps manage the profiles, contacts and activities users maintain across multiple applications by bringing all of their social activity together into a single hub. Cloudbot eliminates the scattered, segmented data silos that naturally form as apps explode in popularity. In addition,
Cloudbot's universal address book and integrated social connections make it easy to call, email, send a Facebook or LinkedIn message, post a tweet, share a document via DropBox or GoogleDocs, schedule a meeting, and more.
]]>Joseph Mollo: Chippewa Five is a design and manufacturing start up that began in Spring 2011. Our first product, a high-end customizable beer pong, table took off with a viral media blitz that landed our first clients. After customer validation, we realized we had a unique opportunity in a niche market to do something special for ourselves and the game of beer pong. Over the last nine months, we have been fine tuning our product and processes to make sure The Chippewa Five brand becomes synonymous with quality craftsmanship and lead design.
Coleman Center: Who's involved on your team?
Joseph Mollo: I recently teamed up with Daniel Manriquez, DePaul class of 2012 in Finance and Economics, to help develop C5 into a sustainable business. Daniel has taken reign over the financial and administrative aspect of the company, while I prepare for a more rigorous media and marketing campaign in the near future. Daniel helped set up our interim website chippewafive.com where our custom beer pong tables can be viewed as well as the many product-reviews and features C5 has been involved in. Daniel was also instrumental in landing our first Chicago based event, The American Mustache Institute's Annual 'stache bash' which took place in October 2011 at Joe's on Weed St. Bar in Chicago.
Coleman Center: What sparked the idea for your venture?
Joseph Mollo: From my woodworking past, I wanted to design a beer pong table that was more than a social game, but also a furniture piece that commanded attention on its own. The concept bridges the gap between frat-house fun and social sophistication.
Coleman Center: Where do you currently stand in the process of launching your venture?
Joseph Mollo: We are currently in the process of maintaining a steady stream of sales while gauging the segments of the market C5 sees as our top tier users. Recent success includes a flash sale on fab.com, a 2011 company in the running for start up of the year. The custom pong table was well received in the design community.
Coleman Center: How have you utilized the services at the Coleman Center?
Joseph Mollo: New Venture Labs is my first experience with the Coleman Center. Half way through the course and under the mentorship of Raman Chadha, I feel privileged to be part of an institution that supports students in the field of entrepreneurship. I would encourage any student interested in entrepreneurship to visit the center and speak with the many experienced mentors who can put you on the path toward turning an idea into a business opportunity.
Coleman Center: What are your plans for growth?
Joseph Mollo: We are currently working one day at a time to develop a sound business plan and production model to take C5 from a budding start up to commanding design and manufacturing company behind our innovative custom beer pong table that is changing the nature of the game.
Coleman Center: Anything else you'd like to share?
Joseph Mollo: I encourage anyone interested in our start up and product to visit our Facebook page to share thoughts, comments and critiques of our custom pong tables. We value each and every customer's opinion no matter how small. We are gracious for all support from the DePaul community and Coleman Center in helping C5 take a step in the right direction every day.