My Favorite Analyst

Bill Coggshall is one of the key analysts in our industry. Right now that industry is defined as "ultra mobile projectors". That terminology is likely to change in the future, and Bill and his colleagues at Pacific Media Associates are probably the ones who will coin the term for this new market.

But that's not the most interesting or noticeable thing about Bill. What you notice about Bill is that he dresses like a cowboy. While most of the people at technology conferences and symposiums are either dressed in suits or company-logo-gear, you can find Bill by looking for his 10-gallon hat.


BIG hat, RED Shirt
Did I mention that Bill is also Cornell alum? Probably no surprise to regular readers of this blog. Though he lives in California now, he regularly returns to Ithaca to visit his family here. I am sure he bottles up a little bit of Ithaca wacky to take with him.

I think he keeps it in his hat.

The Diligence of an Angel

On October 17th, the Cornell Center for Technology Enterprise and Commercialization, the Kauffman Foundation, and the Seed Capital Fund of Central New York are hosting a free workshop on how to get your business books in order for when you are seeking investment from individuals, also know as Angel Investors.


Divine Advice
Angel Investors are good to know. They are eager to provide contacts and advice, and access to their Rolodex. If you can find good Angels, they can make a big impact on the success of your business. This seminar teaches you what they are looking for and looking at in your business.

You can register here for this free event.

Real M

We are going to launch our new Mezmeriz website in a few days. We went with a different model this time. And for anyone wondering, yes, that's real ink.


M is for charMing
How perfect is her tat? We already had an interesting-tattooed-cool-pretty-girl thing going, so why not ramp it up with a letter-appropriate tattoo? It doesn't hurt that she has stunning eyes. You could almost say that they are mesmerizing... but that would be corny, and we don't do that around here.

High Above Harbor Waters

Today some old friends are working with me at the offices of one of Mezmeriz's new friends in downtown Baltimore. These not-to-be-named new friends were kind enough to give us all-day access to their corner conference room high above the famous Inner Harbor and Camden Yards.


Hey Andy, over there, it's Camden Yards
Because of all the lasers we use, we are usually working from laboratories with darkened windows. Therefore, this daylight and these panoramic views are a nice change of pace.

EIR at Dawn

At dawn this morning Fox and I hit the lake with the new Cornell Entrepreneur In Residence, Steve Benjamin.


Benjamin Jammin'
We drank some coffee, read the Journal, and enjoyed a few turns on the water. The morning lake session gets you going, especially in the crisp September air. I can't say we talked about any profound entrepreneurial ideas, but we did get to learn more about the newest member of our ever-growing group of Ithaca entrepreneurs. Welcome Steve!

Rob Ryan visits the Ithaca Entrepreneurs

Last night Terry and Rob Ryan hosted a bunch of the Ithaca entrepreneurs for a rowdy dinner. Rob cofounded Ascend in 1989. Ten years later he sold it to Lucent for $23 Billion. He now mentors entrepreneurs. One of his mentoring efforts was to fund the expansion and reach of the Cornell Entrepreneurship Network.

Last night's dinner was both a thank you, and proof of the success of his vision. We had entrepreneurs from plastics to websites, microbiology to tequila. It went late, and the room was so noisy you almost had to shout. That's sure sign of a great outing. Thanks Terry and Rob!