Re Union of the Sage

Johnson School force is ready
I knew this was no big mistake
There's a fine group drawing
My friends together
For a June reunion break



If I listen close I can hear them singers
-ooh ooh Sage-
Voices of old friends heard in atrium echo
Re Union of the Sage is on the climb
Moving up they’re gonna race they’re gonna break
Tompkins county line

Carbombs at the Chappy
Give me strength make my head light
Give me anything even Ithaca IPA
Those Canadians will go all night

The Union of the Sage is on the climb
It's gonna race it's gonna break
Gonna move up Tompkins County Line

(my appologies to Duran Duran and anyone who knows how to properly use photoshop)

Snow Truck

Yesterday I was in sunny Chapel Hill. Today I returned to snowy Ithaca. More driving video:

Strangers in the Snow
Soundtrack courtesy of Frank Sinatra. Frank in the snow. It's poetic, beautiful, and damned annoying.

If you don't care for that music selection, here are two other road videos in the snow with different soundtracks:

• The Fat Boys
• Bon Jovi

Driving to RDU

Shahyaan and I are in North Carolina this week presenting Mezmeriz at the Venture Capital Investment Competition at the University of North Carolina business school.

I had set up a series of meeting up and down the east coast, so I ended up driving down. I had to wait a little bit before picking up Shahyaan at Raleigh-Durham airport, so I shot this video


So Sunny
When Shahyaan left Ithaca, it was 22 degrees and sleeting. It was 70 and sunny at RDU.
Beautiful.

List of Current Cornell Startups

Recently Cornell published a list of startups that use patents and intellectual property develop at the university. They highlight Achronix, Novomer, and Tetragenetics. Those are great companies to profile. However, I want to highlight a few more:

Afrik!: Fritswa's designs merge imagery from the countries of the African Diaspora with modern hip hop fashion, serving as a way for young hip hop minds to consider their heritage.

BinOptics: Alex and his team are making lasers that are smaller, cheaper, and more precise than anything out there.

Colinsworth: They have created a suite of technologies and services that allow people to safely buy high valued items on eBay without fear of fraud or counterfeiting. Disclaimer: #1: I am on the advisory board.

e2e: Makers of a cheaper, better version of particle board; all from bio-friendly materials. Fiberboard is a $7BB industry that creates a product from petroleum (bad) that pollutes offices with formaldehyde gas (also bad).

Fingerlakes Aquaculture: They grow fish. Indoors. You would be blown away by how high tech this operation is. The technology is around how well they clean the water, allowing them to reuse 99% of it. Next time you order a fresh, delicious tilapia filet in the northeast, there is a good chance it came from these guys.

Kexster: Find your next house or apartment on a map. This free service lets you see prices and availability.

Mezmeriz: Revolutionary new miniature high-definition video projection system which is based on proprietary new microelectronic mechanical (MEMS) mirror technology. That is tech lingo for "awesome new TV's". Disclaimer #2: This is my current startup.

Gene Network Sciences: Colin and his team are helping make drug discovery better and faster.

Mitegen: Tiny scoops for picking up tiny fragile crystals. If you are moving crystals around at a micro-scale, these guys are the only game in town.

Pure Yummies: Delicious organic health drinks naturally sweetened with pure miel de agave. Berry Beautiful is my favorite.

Scrimple: Matt and his team are collecting free coupons for all the things a college student could want.

Simply Audiobooks: Rent, buy, or download your favorite audiobooks. I love listening to books in the car, and these guys do it better than anyone.

SightSpeed: The world's best video conferencing software. The software rocks and is free. And the "World's Best" claim is courtesy of PC World, who have given SightSpeed that award for the past four years. Disclaimer #3: I am the founder of this company too.

Systanix: They have developed a way to revolutionize the way drugs are manufactured. They will enable new pharmaceuticals to come to market cheaper and faster than ever before. And they will drive the cost of generics even lower. These guys are the epitome of "disruptive technology".
___________________________________________

These companies are just the tip of the iceberg. I carry with me a sheet of over 70 Cornell startups in progress. The entrepreneurial spirit emitting from Ithaca and the Cornell community couldn't be stronger. Go Big Red Entrepreneurship!

Polly Sees Polly

Justin, Adam, and I were working on Mezmeriz this weekend in New York City. Adam brought his little fluffy dog so I shot this video of Polly.

Fluffy and Ferocious
It's easy to get Polly worked up into a tizzy. A you have to do is point the webcam at her. When she sees herself on the screen, she gets agitated. Since I had my computer connected to a projector, the extra large image of herself caused her to be extra agitated.

But really, it's the little pink sweater that seals the deal here. You Gotta give her credit for attitude, but really, how scary can you be when you weight 8 pounds and are wearing a pink sweater?

High Above Cayuga's Water, on the Other Hill

I am part of the innovative Pre-Seed Workshop. This time they are holding the workshop at the former home of National Cash Register's Adding Machine Division in Ithaca.

The factory was shuttered completely in 2000. Since then it has been renovated and is now called the South Hill Business Campus. The north hill is the hill revered in the ubiquitous Cornell alma mater. The south hill is home to Ithaca College, and this view from the former NCR board room:

It all adds up to a great view
At the end are the people on my pre-seed team working on their brain surgery software. Enjoy the view!