March 2012

March
Forum Facts:

Speaker:
Kevin Clifford Whittington
Managing Director
Portfolio Partners LLC

When:
Friday, March 2, 2012

Time:
7:15 a.m.
Registration & Networking
7:40 a.m.
Breakfast & Program
9:00 a.m. Adjourn

Where:
Greenbriar Country Club
12655 Big Bend Rd.
St. Louis, MO 63122

Cost:
Members free
Guests $49.00 per person

Guests Must Prepay
(Visa, MasterCard, Discover and
American Express accepted)

Register at:
www.MissouriVentureForum.org

Or call 314-241-2683

DeadlineNoon
Wednesday,
February 29, 2012

(No refunds after the deadline)
www.MissouriVentureForum.org
At the March meeting, Kevin C.
Whittington, Ph.D. will discuss the
path that led him from academia to
entrepreneurship. He will discuss his
experience of how entrepreneurs can
launch start-up enterprises by being
mediators of technology transfer and
working with both the faculty
researchers and universities.

Dr. Whittington is the Managing
Partner of Portfolio Partners LLC, a
St. Louis-Based Technology Transfer
Firm. The firm works with faculty
researchers and the university's tech-
nology transfer office to launch and
grow new enterprises. Portfolio Part-
ners represents the interests of the
faculty researcher and the university
outside the institution.

His first brush with academia put
him on a career path of translational
research or biomedical research
aimed at transforming scientific dis-
coveries into clinical applications to
reduce the incidence, morbidity, and
mortality of disease.

With a B.A. in Biomedical Engineer-
ing and Physics from J ohns Hopkins
University, and a Ph.D. in Neurosci-
ence from University of Maryland,
Whittington be-
gan to investigate
technology trans-
fer, the process of
taking an inven-
tion from its in-
ception in a labo-
ratory to a com-
mercialized prod-
uct. His firm provides the new start-
up enterprise with fundraising, senior
management, business strategy, legal
advising, sales and marketing, brand-
ing, scientific consultation, intellec-
tual property strategy, coordination
of professional services (e.g., law,
accounting, etc.), government and
public relations, networking, and de-
velopment of business culture and
professionalism.

Currently, Portfolio Partners LLC
has partnered with a faculty
researcher and the Office of Technol-
ogy Management at Washington
University School of Medicine to
launch a drug discovery start-up
company in St. Louis, Missouri.

Whittington grew up in Creve Coeur
and attended Ladue Horton Watkins
High School.
From Translational Research to Technology Transfer
A presentation by Kevin Clifford Whittington, Managing Director, Portfolio Partners LLC
MVF Members! Attend the Friday, March 2 Breakfast Meeting, put your
card in the basket and you could win a complimentary registration to Invest-
Midwest in St. Louis on April 4-5! For details on InvestMidwest, see page
10 of this newsletter.
Members A Chance to Win a Ticket to InvestMidwest
2




Steve Thomas

Off to a Great Start
Presidents Column
I couldnt help but to be
excited at our first 2012
Breakfast Meeting. It was
great to see so many familiar
faces after the J anuary hiatus.
There was a lot of buzz and
excitement in the room from
the time networking began until the networking
ended, well after the presentation. MVF is
clearly a meeting place for those who wish to be
part of the entrepreneurial marketplace in the
region.

I listened closely to our speaker, Chris Sommers
from Pi Pizzeria as he described his path to suc-
cess. I was impressed with his passion but also
with how well Chris described some discoveries
that could be lessons to live by for every entre-
preneur. Whether he came to these thoughts by
design, through education or happenstance, they
rang very true.

Chris mentioned that we live in a thank you
economy. This phrase he credited to author
Gary Vaynerchuck who published a book by that
title (The Thank You Economy available on
Amazon). I plan to read it. Businesses today
must behave with the welfare of their customers
in mind. The customers expect to be extremely
pleased, even thrilled in their interactions with
you and your products. People will stand for
nothing less than that. Today's customers, happy
or mad, have a voice and the social media tools
to help or hurt you. Every successful entrepre-
neur knows that in his/her heart. Getting victo-
ries and creating goodwill is especially essential
in a start-up. For example, having customers
sell your products for you by telling others how
great you are is part of the secret sauce behind
local start-ups like Nawgan and Yurbuds.
Chris also stated that he had learned to embrace
his ignorance. That is a great way to describe
the dilemma most start-ups run into. In a new
venture, what you dont know can hurt you. As
a matter of fact it can kill you. Impressive that
the founder of a new venture knows that igno-
rance is not bliss but a liability. Even more im-
pressive is when the guy with the idea rounds
out his team with people who possess the knowl-
edge or skills he needs. Hearing about the recent
Startup Weekend and the ongoing Third Thurs-
days at ITEN are perfect examples of where en-
trepreneurs with ideas can go to learn how to
grow. There are many such venues for informa-
tion in our community.

Lastly, I was impressed by Chris' passion for his
venture. That same passion was true from our
Two-Minute Forum presenters about their new
venture, Inclusion Sports. For Chris, this pas-
sion created new ideas and new opportunities
such his new social media tool, Squid.

The February Breakfast Meeting really set the
tone for what MVF promises for members and
guests this year. Between the Membership Cof-
fees, Breakfast Meetings, Educational Events
and Invitation Events there will be something for
everyone in our community. If you have an in-
terest in a particular topic, please let us know in
our survey following the meetings. I hope you
all will continue to join us in sharing the pas-
sion, excitement and information exchange that
is MVF.

Steve Thomas, President
3

Board of Directors

Officers

President:
Steve Thomas
The Net Impact

Vice-President:
Bob Cockrell
Montgomery Bank

Secretary:
J oe Soraghan
Danna, McKitrick, P.C.

Treasurer:
Marie Carlie
Stone Carlie

Immediate Past President:
Bob Calcaterra
Start-Up Midwest

Directors

Two Minute Chair:
Bill Ellis
Branding for Results

Marketing/Communications Chair:
David Meyer
Spoke Marketing, LLC

Membership Chair:
Nicole Ursch
Midwest BankCentre

Outreach Chair:
Vince Garozzo
Greensfelder, Hemker & Gale, P.C.

Program Chair:
Anna Doyle
Centric Consulting

Technology Chair & Newsletter Editor:
Sorin Vaduva
ImRel, LLC

Directors At Large

Nick Akers
Innoventor, Inc.

Ken Harrington
Washington University

Tim McFadden
Armstrong Teasdale LLP

J imODonnell
ODonnell Capital Company, LLC

Frank Stokes
Innovate St. Louis

Chris Walsh
InvestMidwest Venture Capital Forum

Mark Witzling
Citi
March Organization Spotlight
Arch Grants was established in March 2011 as a 501(c)(3) entity
to create a more robust startup culture and infrastructure in St.
Louis. "We recognize that a critical mass of entrepreneurs is
forming within the city and we believe that St. Louis offers
advantages and amenities that no other city can offer, particu-
larly affordable space, powerful broadband capacity, access to support ser-
vices and professional firms and a developing group of entrepreneurial com-
panies."

On its first round of non-equity funding, the organization will award at least
10 grants of $50,000 each at the beginning of May 2012 following a competi-
tion starting on March 9. The grant recipients will also receive additional
support in the form of pro bono legal and accounting services, reduced rent on
office and residential space, business mentoring, collaboration with local uni-
versities, and access to the St. Louis investor community.

The business plan competition is open to all for-profit entities, across all in-
dustries. "If youre committed to helping establish St. Louis as the place for
entrepreneurs to be and if your venture aims to scale in terms of job creation
and/or sales, we welcome you to apply."

Information about the application process can be obtained by visiting
archgrants.org.


Are You An Expert in Your Field?

At MVF, we spend our time looking for that investor, supplier, account-
ant, attorney, future employee or partner that can help our endeavors
move forward. The conversations are colloquial and do not always give
you the chance to tell how good you are in your own field. But I have a
solution for you: write an article in our newsletter and share your exper-
tise and knowledge. All our members are eager to learn something new,
find out what is going on in other industries, and see who their MVF
peers are.

If you have something to say in your field of expertise, write an article
and submit it for review to me at sorin@imrel.com or J udy Meador at
J udy@missouriventureforum.org.

Sorin Vaduva, Newsletter Editor
ARCH Grants
4

Education Committee
The Education Committee has six events planned for
2012. By the time you read this, the first will have
occurred and was sold out. We presented
Alternative Sources of Funding on February
21st, with panelists Darcia Betts, Rick Palank and
J oy Ann Venverloh.

Our next Roundtable event, Building A Profitable
Business is scheduled for March 22. The panelists
will be J udy Meador, Mitch Smith and George
Rosenthal. See below for location, time and other
details. Go to www.missouriventureforum.org/ to
register.

Please Save The Date for our next Education event,
Wheres The Cash? scheduled for 4:00 to 7:00
p.m., Thursday, May 17, 2012 at the Sheraton Clay-
ton Plaza, site of several recent MVF education
events. The subject of the presentation will be a
summary of the many sources of funding for entre-
preneurs. This event will be a panel discussion;
three panelists will describe possible sources in sev-
eral major categories: equity, such as micro-funding,
crowd funding and angels; traditional bank financ-
ing; alternative financing such as mezzanine funds,
factoring and grants; and a variety of other possible
sources. There will be a Q&A session, so if you
have questions, come and find out if we have
answers!

Two more Roundtables are scheduled for J uly and
August. The Education Committee will be finalizing
plans for these events over the next two
months. Watch this space for more details.

Our annual Outlook for Capital
2013 event will also be at the
Sheraton Clayton Plaza, on
Thursday, November 15, 2012
from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. Panelists
and other details will be decided
over the summer.

If you would like to help with
these events, the committee is al-
ways looking for people. This is a
good opportunity to work closely with several tal-
ented business people in a collaborative effort, to
showcase your talents and skills, and to improve
your reputation in the entrepreneurial commu-
nity. You also would have the satisfaction of con-
tributing to the continued success of the MVF Edu-
cation program.

The Missouri Venture Forum has been producing
education events for 10 years, and we have achieved
some significant accomplishments in that time. Our
potential is even greater, and you could be a part of
that success. Call me, Bob Cockrell, or contact any
member of the committee for more information.

Bob Cockrell is Chair of the Education Committee and
can be reached at 314-579-4621.
Bob Cockrell
MVF Education Upcoming Events
When: Thursday, March 22, 4-6 p.m.

What: Building A Profitable Business

Panelists:
J udy Meador, Former owner St. Louis Small Business
Mitch Smith, Author & broker, Crane Insurance
George Rosenthal, President, Throttle Net
Where: RubinBrown, One North Brentwood
11th floor, Clayton, MO

Cost: $15 per sessionMVF Members
$20 for nonmembers

Register: www.MissouriVentureForum.org or
call 314-241-2683
Register Now for the March 22 RoundtableAttendance Limited to 25
5

Two-Minute Forum Committee
Your brand is your most valu-
able asset and needs to be
treated as such. If you dont
manage your own brand, some-
one else will. Needless to say,
not everyone has your best in-
terests in mind and those that do
may not have a truly accurate
understanding of your brand
and your goals. This becomes increasingly impor-
tant in situations which are time constrained, such
as the MVF Two-Minute Forum presentations.
Building a solid brand based on authenticity and
clarity is the best way to maximize both the short
term and long term results of your branding efforts.

My advice to anyone interested in branding their
business, or themselves, is to first make certain that
they know what branding is (and isnt), what it can
(and cannot) do for you and your business. A logo
is not a brand. A catchy saying is not a brand.
Your brand is your value proposition, your promise
to the public, your reputationin short your brand
is the intangible sum of your attributes. Your brand
should result in an emotional connection with your
customers.

If youre building a new brand (or re-branding an
existing one) my very top line advice can be sum-
marized in three words Purpose, Perspective, and
Patience.

What is the purpose of your branding? Know your
why and know your objective(s). Who do you
serve and how? What is the emotional connec-
tion youre attempting to achieve to establish that
all important connection to your target customer?
If you are re-branding, focus on what is, as well as
what isnt currently working for you? I recommend
to my clients that they engage in what I call a
Branding Breakout (Brand audit) as a first step.
Think of this as a balance sheet for your brand
which begins to identify your assets and liabilities.

Seek fresh perspective from people that you trust
and that are knowledgeable about branding and
marketing. I often use the phrase Move the Flash-
light which means to look at whats there in a
different light or perspective. When we are used to
seeing something one way it is very beneficial to
review it in a different light, especially from a
qualified expert. This is especially true with a new
venture which is driven by an idea or an ideal. Of-
ten times new businesses fail to be open to adapting
and adjusting to allow their idea, product or service
to meet the needs of the market. If youre attempt-
ing to have the market fit your vision, you have a
very low chance of success.

Lastly, have patience. Branding is a process. Take
the time to make certain that the brand you are
building (or if re-branding that the changes you are
looking to make) truly reflects what is best for your
business. All too often businesses are reactive
without taking a look at the long-term ramifications
of what it is they are proposing to build or change.
Branding is not a race. Rather it should be a me-
thodical, intelligent approach to your business
which will guarantee you more success as you
move into the future.

Bill Ellis is Chair of the Two-Minute Forum
Committee and can be reached at 314-966-8889.
Powerful Branding in Three Words
Bill Ellis

Learn more about how to apply to be a Two-Minute Forum presenter by going
to www.MissouriVentureForum.org and
click on Two-Minute Forum
on the menu on the left side of the home page.
6

Sponsored by:
MVF Membership Committee and Frontenac Bank Invite you
to a FREE Networking Coffee Wednesday, March 28
The first Networking Coffee for the New Year will be Wednesday, March 28 from 7:30 to 9:00 a.m. The
Coffee is sponsored and hosted by Frontenac Bank at its location at 801 South Lindbergh. The bank is
located about 1/2 mile north of I-64 on the west side of Lindbergh at the Southwest corner of German Blvd.
and Lindbergh.

This is an opportunity to network with St. Louis area business leaders and learn more about Missouri Venture
Forum. The event is free but reservations are requested. Register at www.MissouriVentureForum.org.

Two-Minute Forum Committee
INCLUSION SPORTS is a St. Louis based company
that has patented an innovative sport game called
BulletBall. For the first time, a non-adaptive'all-
inclusive' sport which allow persons with a disability
to play competitively on a level playing field against
anyone; disability or not!

BulletBall is also extraordinary because of its thera-
peutic benefits in providing a way for patients to
have fun while improving their modality on the way
to recovery.

The more people with disabilities can be integrated
into society and be part of the workforce, the better it
is for them and for the American economy. Bullet-
Ball is a great way to break down barriers and is a
way to level the playing field not only in the confines
of the game itself, but in the way people regard their
own potential.

The population of people with disabilities is increas-
ing drastically and the challenge is, one, to integrate
disabled people into mainstream society and two, to
increase opportunities for this population to experi-
ence real and meaningful success. This sport is a step
toward both and the economic impact could be sig-
nificant.

INCLUSION SPORTS has partnered with the Senior
Olympics, YMCA, Rehabilitation Institute of Chi-
cago, World Sports, and the Wounded Warriors
Transition Unit.

The company is seeking assistance with developing a
marketing campaign, sponsorships for the Senior
Olympics and other sport venue commitments, legal
expertise on Intellectual Property and company struc-
ture, and other resources.

For additional information, contact Marc Griffin
at mgriffin@inclusionsports.com or call 314-533-
2731 or visit www.inclusionsports.com.

February Two-Minute Forum Presenter INCLUSION SPORTS
(l-r) Charles and Marc Griffin, INCLUSION SPORTS
7

Nicole Ursch
Membership Committee
Over the last six years, I thought I had been exposed to
everything the Missouri Venture Forum was like. It is
like an inspiration when we have entrepreneurs such as
Chris Sommers from Pi Pizzeria come and tell us their
stories. It is like an education when you attend the
events such as Getting Money From Angel Investors. It
is like a light bulb when you hear the Spotlight Organiza-
tion speakers talk about the different ways they are sup-
porting entrepreneurs. It is like a sigh of satisfaction
when you hear Two-Minute presenters pitch their new
idea. But I had no idea that the Missouri Venture Forum
was anything like an associates degree. And yet in one
very profound way, it is.

Over the holidays, my family had dinner with some close
friends. The children were sufficiently fed, had opened
their presents, and quickly departed to the basement to
play. In these brief moments when the holiday gathering
isnt consumed by the barrage of I need a snack, he isnt
sharing, and can you get this Lego out of my nose, the
conversation is slightly more calm, light and mature.
That is, until your friend throws a question at you that
leaves you speechless.

My friend, a nanny in her mid 40s, had enrolled in an
accelerated medical assisting program. She accepted a
part time nanny position with a schedule that would al-
low her to attend classes, and they worked out her hus-
bands work hours to accommodate her changing sched-
ule. She talked to her small children about what it would
mean for them and felt sufficiently satisfied that she had
tied it all up with a neat little bow and was ready to dive
in. That is, until the school cancelled the classes. My
friend begins to scramble. She is calling schools all over
town to see if they have similar programs only to find
one with comparable curriculum. The drawback for her
is that it is a two year program resulting in an associates
degree, meaning there will be core curriculum in addi-
tion to the classes focused on her chosen field. So she
asks me, Nicole, do you think I should go to college?
I pause. I pause some more. I pause further, wishing my
son would run up the stairs and tell me he wanted an-
other cookie, so that I would have more time to think
about my answer and wouldnt be forced to just blurt out
what I was truly thinking. But no such cookie request
came. I could pause no longer and finally told her, No,
I dont think you should go to college which was fol-
lowed by wide eyes and then an exchange of blank
stares. And then right on cue, someone came upstairs
with a Barbie shoe lodged in her ear.
A few days later, I called her to talk
more about her question. I asked her
why she was so surprised by my re-
sponse and discovered that she asked
the question because she was certain
my answer would be yes, that she
should enroll in the two year pro-
gram. She further elaborated that
since education is such a priority in
my life and the life of my son, surely
that would bleed over to the other
people in my life as well. I explained (as I forfeit the
chance of ever getting a job within the university system)
that I dont think traditional college is for everyone. In
her instance, she has a career goal in mind that can be
accomplished in less time and for less expense if she
went through the accelerated program than if she went
for her associates degree. I recommended she keep
looking to find an accelerated program that meets her
needs. And much to the delight of both of us, she did.

So how is the Missouri Venture Forum like getting an
associates degree? Simply put, its not for everyone.
We are a networking organization whose focus is bring-
ing together people who are genuinely interested in help-
ing entrepreneurs. There is no prescribed way to do this,
but it should be at the forefront of all members minds
and their main reason for being part of the organization.
All of us have a vested interest in the new businesses that
find their home in the St. Louis area. These firms may
provide our next job, or those for our children or grand-
children. They may provide us with the inspiration to
finally get out there and do our own thing. As members
of the Missouri Venture Forum who dont have the abil-
ity to yet call ourselves entrepreneurs, we need to belong
because we want to do what we can to help make those
who have already taken the leap more successful. I hope
those of you that are already MVF members have our
primary goal in the forefront of your mind, and those of
you thinking about becoming a member will do so be-
cause you have a passion for helping entrepreneurs suc-
ceed.
Nicole Ursch is Chair of the Membership Committee and
can be reached at 314-544-8585.
MVF Like Getting An Associates Degree
8

New Member
Have news about yourself? Received an award?
Moved? Changed positions? Gotten a promotion,
been a featured speaker? Send your information to:
Judy@MissouriVentureForum.org

Lee Crockett, CEO, Venture Advisors Inc.
Venture Advisors creates, implements, and manages
business mentoring programs for municipalities,
economic development agencies, and small business
incubators. The programs provide tactical, business
mentoring to start-up and small businesses to help
them launch, grow, and achieve sustainability.
Introduced by Sam Hopmeier, Innovate Venture
Mentoring Service
Olin Cup Competition Winners Announced
In a move reflecting the wave of entrepreneurial activity happening in the region, at the Olin Cup Awards Cere-
mony on February 1, an unprecedented three teams were selected to receive up to $50,000 each. Sponsored by
the Skandalaris Center for Entrepreneurial Studies at Washington University in St. Louis, the annual Olin Cup
typically awards $70,000 in seed investment money to fund start-up businesses, and a $5,000 student prize. This
year, investments may total up to $150,000 for three teams:
SoMoLend, a web-and mobile-based peer-to-peer lending company.
Eyelten Therapeutics, a company designed to develop therapies to treat age-related macular degeneration
Loadmaster ToolKit, a pocket computer with custom software to streamline loading and managing cargo
on military airlifters.

The $5,000 student prize was awarded to Ryan Rakestraw, a first-year MBA student at Olin Business School
and a member of Freiezo, LLC, a company developing high-efficiency distributed wind energy systems.
Thank you MVF Sponsors!
www.stlouisarchangels.com
www.stcpa.com
www.advantagecap.com
www.evans-dixon.com
www.stonecarlie.com
www.carmodymacdonald.co
www.charterbusiness.com

www.stlrcga
CPAs, Business Consultants and Wealth Advisors
9

Events of Interest
Wednesday, February 29 Founder Institutes "Ideation Bootcamp," designed to help you articulate your start-up business
ideas, is from 6:00-9:00 .m. at T-Rex, 611 Olive St., 12th floor. The speaker is Peter Griess, Infrastructure Engineering with
Facebook who previously worked at a start-up that was purchased by Yahoo. The event is free. There will be beer and pizza,
and the best pitch will receive a $100 cash prize. Space is extremely limited, so register today at http://stl-
startupideation.eventbrite.com/

Friday, March 2 Missouri Venture Forum Breakfast Meeting from 7:15-9:00 a.m. at Greenbriar Hills Country Club. $49 for
nonmembers. See front page for details. Register at www.MissouriVentureForum.org or call 314-241-2683.

Friday, March 2 The Skandalaris Seminar Series: Developing Skills, Perspectives, and Relationships, is a free opportunity
for commercial and social entrepreneurs from the community and campuses of Washington University to explore possibilities,
learn, and connect with each other. All events are free and open to the public. The event is from 1:00-4:00 p.m. The topic is
The Business Plan and Telling Your Story. Please RSVP online at www.ideabounce.com

Thursday, March 8 ITEN 2nd Thursday from 4:00-6:00 p.m. at Tavern of Fine Arts, 313 Belt Ave., 63112. Speaker: Sarah
Spear, Executive Director, Arch Grants. All are welcome to come and network with mentors, entrepreneurs, investors and
others.

Thursday, March 22 MVF Entrepreneurial Roundtable from 4:00-6:00 p.m. at Rubin Brown, One North Brentwood. The
topic is Building A Profitable Business. See page 4 for details.

Wednesday, March 28 MVF Membership Networking Coffee from 7:30-9:30 a.m. at Frontenac Bank, 801 South. Lind-
bergh. No charge but please RSVP at www.MissouriVentureForum.org. See page 6 for details.

Thursday, March 29 IdeaBounceat 5:30 p.m. on the Washington University Danforth Campus in Steinberg Auditorium.
IdeaBounce

is an opportunity for any entrepreneur or innovator to post their idea to the www.ideabounce.com. From the Ide-
aBouncesite, the Skandalaris Center chooses 15-20 bouncers to give their 2-minute elevator pitch to a panel of judges and
audience of creators, inventors, investors, business people, service providers, customers, mentors, and others. Post your idea
to www.ideabounce.com by Monday, March 26 at 9am to have your idea considered to be chosen to pitch. Or, attend the
event to hear ideas, participate in the open mic portion, and meet others in our concluding networking reception.

April 4-5 InvestMidwest provides an opportunity to hear high growth companies from throughout the Midwest to present and
network with the audience of over 300 attendees including 60 -70 venture capital investors. See page 10 for details and visit
www.investmidwestforum.com or call 314-503-1019.

Wednesday, April 4 Coffee with the Experts from 8:00-9:30 a.m. provides opportunities for startup social and commercial
entrepreneurs to have a 10-minute private conversation (and a free cup of coffee) with panelists with various areas of exper-
tise, including experienced entrepreneurs, investors, and service providers. The only requirement to make an appointment is to
have an idea posted on www.ideabounce.com. Contact the Skandalaris Center at sces@wustl.edu or call 314-935-9134 to
schedule an appointment

Wednesday, April 4 Save the Date for Capital Innovators Demo Day. For more information go to
www.CapitalInnovators.com

Friday, April 6 Missouri Venture Forum Breakfast Meeting from 7:15-9:00 a.m. at Greenbriar Hills Country Club. $49 for
nonmembers. Register at www.MissouriVentureForum.org or call 314-241-2683.

Wednesday, April 11 Awards for the YouthBridge Social Enterprise and Innovation Competition include a keynote recep-
tion, poster board session, and cocktail reception. RSVP online at www.ideabounce.com

Thursday, April 26 Gateway to Innovation Conference (G2I) will explore how IT drives growth in social media, mobility,
the life sciences, manufacturing, finance, global commerce and industries yet to be discovered. Interactive break-out sessions
with regional executives and industry leaders will address the convergence of IT with other business imperatives. An evening
gala and awards program will recognize the efforts of local leaders and help foster the regions most significant economic
cluster. Apply now to have your early-stage venture featured in G2I's Entrepreneurial Showcase that gives a select number of
innovative companies an opportunity to be seen by all of the conference attendees. Go to http://www.g2iconference.com/ for
details.
10

Information for Entrepreneurs





The i6 Project provides $25,000 - $100,000 of funding to support commercialization of bioscience technolo-
gies or business concepts from universities or other research institutions, entrepreneurs, or individuals
throughout the St. Louis region. It supports innovations in the broadly defined areas of bioscience including
but not limited to: human health therapies, diagnostics, & devices; animal health; plant science; bio and
renewable energy; and health care/bioscience service companies. The i6 program is intended to provide the
first significant financing of new companies and is designed to support activities that will increase the prob-
ability of obtaining follow on funding.

Primary uses of the funds might include market assessments, lab experiments, and/or prototype develop-
ment. Funded projects also receive the opportunity for additional support from the BioGenerator beyond the
i6 Project funding. Such support may include access to the BioGenerator Accelerator Labs facility, manage-
ment support, and fundraising assistance.


The 13
th
annual InvestMidwest is scheduled for April 4-5 and will be held at the Hilton St. Louis at the
Ballpark. The early bird registration rate of $350 is available through March 16. Missouri Venture Forum
is an organizational sponsor of the event.

InvestMidwest provides investors the opportunity to see presentations from the best high-growth compa-
nies throughout the Midwest43 companies representing 11 states will present in the three industry tracks
of life sciences, IT/general business and clean energy/sustainability. These companies were selected from
over 100 applications by the 34 members of the InvestMidwest selection committeethe professionals that
volunteered their time and expertise to this process are from 24 organizations representing five states.

The event also provides the opportunity for entrepreneurs and investors to networkthe event attracts over
300 attendees and includes 60-70 venture capital professionals and 25-30 angel investors.

Recent research has confirmed the impact of the InvestMidwest programcompanies that have presented
at InvestMidwest have raised over $850 million in funding and through acquisitions since presenting at
InvestMidwest.

For more information regarding the 2012 InvestMidwest,
please contact Christine Walsh at cwalsh@stlrcga.org or 314-444-1151.
Register Now for the 2012 InvestMidwest

Request for Applications St. Louis Regional i6 Project
Third Round Applications Due April 2, 2012
Applications for this round will be due on April 2.

More information can be found at http://www.biogenerator.org/i6 or by contacting
Charlie Bolten of the BioGenerator at cbolten@biogenerator.org or (314) 615-6355.
11

Happening in St. Louis
Startup Weekend January 27-29 Recap
by Jay DeLong

St. Louis first Startup Weekend was an overwhelm-
ing success. Held at downtown incubator, T-REx,
the event was sold out with over 100 attendees from
as far away as New Orleans, participating in a fast-
paced business development competition. The first
night kicked off with Square co-founder and local
entrepreneur, J im McKelvey, discussing the impor-
tance of self-evaluation and objectivity when start-
ing your own business. Mr. McKelvey was followed
by Bob Lozano, founder of Appistry, who shared
his thoughts on the importance of balance and ca-
maraderie among teams in a startup.

Following the speakers, over 40 attendees pitched
their ideas for a concept they would like to develop
over the weekend. Ideas ranged from a mobile app
that would convert a smart phone into a strobe light
or glow stick to a program that would chart a childs
chores or tasks and offer incentives via online retail-
ers. Participants were given 30 minutes to seek out
the ideas they would like to work on, and at the end
of the night, 12 teams were formed and starting
working.

Saturday was a workday for the teams, with lunch
from Pi Pizzeria owner, Chris Sommers, who par-
ticipated in a Q&A session with the teams over
lunch and spoke to his lessons learned while starting
his own businesses, several of which are IT based.
To lend their expertise, five local entrepreneurs,
Dan Klotzer, Sultan Meghji, Gregg Smith, David
Strom and Chuck Vallurupalli spent the afternoon
mentoring each team, answering questions and help-
ing teams refine their ideas.




With teams pitching their final products on Sunday
night, teams worked feverishly through Sunday.
Sunday night teams pitched to a packed audience,
and four judges. The judges ranged from an entre-
preneur, Mark Sawyier of Off Campus Media; to an
investor, Brian Blanchard of Hypervize; to lawyers,
Brian Salmo and Chris Swenson of Polsinelli
Shughart. The decision of the judges to name the
top three teams was difficult given the caliber and
unique concepts of each team. However, at the end
of a 54-hour work-a-thon, AnalyticsJ ust.Us took the
top spot. Presenting their winning application that
uses proprietary programming to mine specific legal
data to predict outcomes, the AnalyticsJ ust.Us Team
received:
$500 credit for office space at T-REx
Business & Technology feasibility
analysis from Hypervize
Pro-bono incorporation services from
Weiss & Associates, P.C.
Lunch/Mentoring session with Hal
Gentry, managing partner of Capital
Innovators
Microsoft BizSpark Program
$100 Downtown Gift Card
The Lean Startup by Eric Ries
Startup Weekend T-Shirt

Second place went to Amppad, an immediate elec-
tronic delivery service for political discourse, and
third place went to Debt Dash, an online debt man-
agement tool.

Jay DeLong is Vice President, New Ventures &
Capital Formation, St. Louis RCGA.
12

Happening in St. Louis
Recap of StartUp Missouri Launch
by Jay DeLong

Startup Missouri launched with 90 individuals, more than two-thirds entrepreneurs, and included service providers,
incubators, policy influencers, and members of local media. The attendees heard from eleven entrepreneur speakers
from across the state.
Attendees developed mission and objectives of Startup Missouri, and a specific action items were identigfies that
should be accomplished in Startup Missouris first year. Following lunch, the assembled crowd split into three discus-
sion groups, whose outcomes are summarized below. The meeting concluded with identifying 4 central action items
for Startup Missouri to accomplish in the next year:
1. Create a central portal for the entrepreneurial community in Missouri (web-based).
2. A Pro-MO Campaign, to promote Missouri as a thriving entrepreneurial hub
3. Educating entrepreneurs and investors about the process of capital formation to promote deal flow in Mis-
souri
4. Promote passage of angel investor tax credits (AVIA) and MOSIRA in MO state legislature
Entrepreneur Presenters:
Ryan Bell, Gremln; Seth Burgett, Yurbuds; Beth Daniels, Around the Table Games; J ustin Albright, NAB Automa-
tion; Mike Brooks, Regional Economic Development, Inc. (REDI); J amie Stephens, Bookd; J im von der Heydt;
Nawgan; Eric Gulve, BioGenerator; Marla Esser, HomeNav; Greg Kratofil, Google Fiber Project Kansas City; and
Alex Eaton, MOBIO. The video address was by Reid Hoffman, founder of LinkedIn.
Discussion 1 - Resource Connections: Moderated by Brian Matthews, of River City Internet Group.
The primary idea that emerged was the need to develop a centralized portal to connect the entrepreneurial
organizations in different regions of the state
Need to leverage existing resources by appointing region heads responsible for understanding what
is going on in each affiliated region.
Discussion 2 - Capital Formation: Moderated by Kyle Welborne, FinServ Tech Angels.
Promote and/or provide education amongst both startups and potential investors about the process of
investing
Promote Missouri as a good place to begin a business (Pro MO)
Discussion 3- Statewide Policy: Moderated by Greg Kratofil, Posinelli Shughart
1. Explain the utility of legislation to increase capital availability through such policy as:
Missouri Angel Investor Tax Credit
Missouri Science and Innovation Reinvestment Act
SBIR provisions, with the state matching federal funding
2. The purpose of Startup Missouri
To educate and disperse information to entrepreneurs
To promote needs of entrepreneurs to legislators in J efferson City through first person entrepreneur
testimony
Become a PR firm for entrepreneurs around Missouri, promoting strengths, possibilities and job creation

Jay DeLong is Vice President, New Ventures & Capital Formation, St. Louis RCGA.
13

(l-r) Gayle J ackson, Energy Global Inc.; Derek Weber,
goBrandgo!; Darcella Craven, Veterans Business
Resource Center
(l-r) Patti Harty, Sandler Training | Stark & Associ-
ates; Laura Dierberg Ayers, Attorney at Law;
Chuck McCloskey, Charles C. McCloskey, LLC
(l-r) Laurie Washington, Attorney at Law; Allison
Krepel, Saint Louis University Law School; Michael
Moberly, Knowledge Protection Strategies

(l-r) Lee Crockett, Venture Advisors Inc.;
Mike Devereux, Emerging Business Resources Corp.
(l-r) J anet Katz, Katz and Associates, PC; February
speaker, Chris Sommers, Pi Pizzeria; J im Brasunas,
IT Entrepreneur Network
(l-r) Mike Minkler, CMIT Solutions of Clayton;
J .D. and Pierce Powers, Powers Insurance and
Benefits
Scenes From The February MVF Breakfast Meeting
14

From the Editor

by Susan Martin

First days on the job sometimes are handled so
poorly that theyre enough to make any new hire
run home vowing never to return to their new digs.
But it doesnt have to be that way. In fact, it
shouldnt be that way if companies want their new
employees to quickly become contributing mem-
bers of their team.

Many companies are expanding or replacing tradi-
tional employee orientation programs with
onboarding, the HR buzzword of the millen-
nium. The difference between employee orienta-
tion and onboarding is the amount of time spent
connecting the new employee to the job, to the
team and to the companys values. The payoff of
the onboarding process is better retention and a
more fully engaged, assimilated employee.

Orientation is what happens the first day or the
first week that a new hire is at the company. It
usually consists of completing required forms, un-
derstanding benefits and policies, etc. Orientation
leads into the lengthier onboarding process, which
should last at least six to 12 months. During this
time, the employees manager has the opportunity
to connect with the new hireto get to know the
new person and what they want from the job and
what they can contribute.

New employees usually start a job excited, like a
charged battery. However, usually around the
three-month mark, that excitement either continues
or begins to wane. To keep a new hire charged up,
throughout the onboarding
process the manager should
engage in conversation about:

Relationshipsteach the
new employee how to build
relationships with co-workers.
Passiondiscover what
the new hire is passionate
about and help channel those
passions at work.
Challengelearn what chal-
lenges will keep the new person
excited to grow and stay with
the company.
Focushelp the new employee understand the
companys vision and how they can contribute.
Balanceunderstand whats important in the
new hires life outside of the workplace and sup-
port a healthy work/life balance.
Intentionboth the manager and the new hire
should determine the lessons learned from
these conversations.

Effective onboarding makes new employees feel
connected to the company and its purpose. And
the odds are that a new employee will stay with the
company and will be more productive in a shorter
amount of time if the company invests in a good
job of onboarding.

Susan Martin is with AAIM Employers Associa-
tion and can be reached at 314-754-0203.

Onboarding a New Employee
Enterprise Newsletter
Editor Sorin Vaduva
can be reached at
Sorin@imrel.com
Follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/moventureforum and
on Facebook by searching Missouri Venture Forum.
15

Missouri Venture Forum Committees
Chair: Bob Cockrell Montgomery Bank
Ron Ameln St. Louis Small Business Monthly
Patrick Clarkin Charles L. Crane Agency
Cathy Davis Davis Creative
Bill Ellis Branding for Results
J an Hendrickson Senniger Powers LLP
Margaret Kenyon AAIM Employers Association

Pete Peters InnovateVMS
Bill Prenatt Simply Successful LLC
Chuck Reitter CA Reitter Consulting, LLC
Brian Rogers Evans & Dixon, L.L.C.
J oe Soraghan Danna McKitrick, P.C.
J oy Ann Venverloh Lexx Funding, Inc.
Entrepreneur Education
Purpose is to educate and guide entrepreneurs by developing and presenting educational programs.
Marketing/Communications
Purpose is to promote the Missouri Venture Forum and partner organizations and
write and edit the Enterprise newsletter.
Chair: David Meyer Spoke Marketing, LLC
Newsletter Editor: Sorin Vaduva ImRel, LLC
Cathy Davis Davis Creative



Barry Gleeson The Alternative Board (TAB)
Ann Marie Mayuga, AMM Communications
Membership
Develop and implement programs, activities and events that will foster and support the
recruitment and retention of members and also provide a benefit to the members, as well as
carry out the mission of the Forum.
Chair: Nicole Ursch Midwest BankCentre
Nick Akers Innoventor, Inc..
Andy Bourey Vistage (TEC) St. Louis
Millie Cain First State Bank
Rochelle Freeman New York Life
Dale Furtwengler Furtwengler & Associates, P.C.
Barry Gleeson The Alternative Board (TAB)
Hal Hardin Insperity

Margaret Kenyon AAIM Employers Association
Doug Kolker Mueller Prost PC
Tim McFadden Armstrong Teasdale LLP
Steve Thomas The Net Impact
Sorin Vaduva ImRel, LLC
Mark Witzling Citi
Interested in joining a Committee?
Call the Committee Chair:
Education Bob Cockrell 314-579-4621
Marketing David Meyer 314-517-8459
Membership Nicole Ursch 314-544-8585
16

Two-Minute Forum
Purpose of the program is to help entrepreneurs succeed in their entrepreneurial endeavors by providing exposure to the Forums
membership and the entrepreneurial community.
Chair: Bill Ellis Branding for Results
J im Brasunas IT Entrepreneur Network
J ay Logsdon The Logsdon Group


Alan Ludmer The Voyager Group
Brian Peterson UHY Advisors

Outreach
Purpose is to encourage collaboration between MVF and other organizations that support the regions
entrepreneurial community.
Chair: Anna Doyle Centric Consulting
Bob Calcaterra StartUp Midwest
J im von der Heydt Nawgan

Two-Minute Forum Bill Ellis 314-966-8889
Outreach Vince Garozzo 314-516-2624
Program Anna Doyle 314-265-4233
Technology Sorin Vaduva 314-600-0709
Missouri Venture Forum Committees
Questions? Call the MVF Office at 314-241-2683 or visit www.MissouriVentureForum.org
Program
Identify and arrange for topics and speakers for the monthly meetings and determine other events with
different meeting formats that would be of value to members.
Chair: Vince Garozzo Greensfelder, Hemker & Gale, P.C.
David Butler Heartland Innovations, LLC
Chris Walsh InvestMidwest
Technology
Purpose is to develop, enhance and maintain the Forums technology infrastructure.
Chair: Sorin Vaduva ImRel, LLC
Ken Bentlage Bentlage Marketing
J oe Furlong Washington University
Interested in joining a Committee?
Call the Committee Chair: