Sat.May 14, 2011 - Fri.May 20, 2011

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Quick Practical, Tactical Tips for Presentations

Both Sides of the Table

In the past I’ve given some tips for handling meetings effectively, covering topics like: - How not to let your meeting go down a rat hole ; - Dealing with the elephant in the room ; - Dealing with skeletons in your closet ; - How to make meetings discussions, not “pitches&#. - A tale of two pitches (I eventually invested in the first company that pitched).

Tips 392
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TuneWiki Launches Android Social Music Player

socalTECH

Santa Monica- and Israel-based TuneWiki said today that it has launched a new, Android based social music player. The music player includes such features as displaying the lyrics of music while playing, music discovery, and social features. TuneWiki operates an online database of music lyrics, which are also includes social features and ways to connect with other music fans.

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Ten Rookie Startup Mistakes You Won’t Make

InfoChachkie

“Learn from the mistakes of others. You can’t live long enough to make them all yourself.”. Eleanor Roosevelt – US Diplomat & Wife of President Franklin Roosevelt. As an entrepreneur and startup investor, I have helped create companies which achieved two IPOs which collectively raised over $100 million, as well as two acquisitions which totaled $385 million.

Startup 242
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Los Angeles Startup Community

SoCal CTO

I was just talking with someone who's new to Los Angeles and wanting to connect into the Los Angeles Startup Community. I told them that I had recently seen several posts/articles talking about how vibrant the community has become. As is usual, I couldn't remember where I had seen those posts. So, I promised I would create this post to help point them in the right direction.

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Can You Ask for Office Rent Relief? How to Manage Your Lease During COVID-19

Office leases are one of companies’ largest expenses, and if your whole team is working from home with no clear end in sight, you may be wondering what to do about your lease.

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The Importance of The Narrative

Both Sides of the Table

I went to undergrad at UCSD, which is not a place known for its Greek institutions and my father grew up in South America and had know idea what a fraternity was. So I went to college with no expectation that I would ever join a fraternity let alone aspire to become president one day. Yet being in a fraternity was one of the most transformative experiences I had in college and prepared me better for becoming an entrepreneur than any class that I took.

Startup 365
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Sony Online Entertainment Restarts Game Services

socalTECH

San Diego-based Sony Online Entertainment said over the weekend that it has begun restoring its online game services, after the massive hack of the firm's services. Sony said Saturday that it has begun returning "nearly all" of its portfolio of online games, its game forums, and websites. The company also said that it will require its players to reset their passwords after the cyber-attack on the site.

More Trending

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Los Angeles Startup Community

SoCal CTO

I was just talking with someone who's new to Los Angeles and wanting to connect into the Los Angeles Startup Community. I told them that I had recently seen several posts/articles talking about how vibrant the community has become. As is usual, I couldn't remember where I had seen those posts. So, I promised I would create this post to help point them in the right direction.

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ConTraps Part III – Contract Traps Entrepreneurs Should Avoid At All Costs

InfoChachkie

Note: This is part III of a four part series. Access part I HERE , part II HERE and part IV HERE. As noted in parts I and II of this series, agreements with Big Dumb Companies (BDCs) can be alluring and potentially fatal. In many cases, agreements contain the promise of future riches, much like a piece of cheese in a mousetrap. This series describes how entrepreneurs can craft company-changing agreements with BDCs, while avoiding Kiss of Death contract provisions.

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Brighter.com, Jake Winebaum's Newest Startup, Gets $5M In Funding

socalTECH

Santa Monica-based Brighter.com , an online site focused on helping consumers find and compare dentists, has scored $5M in a Series A funding. The new site--the latest from entrepreneur Jake Winebaum --said that the funding was led by Mayfield Fund. Brighter.com is aiming at helping uninsured Americans find discounted pricing on dental procedures, providing upfront, pre-negotiated prices on major dental procedures nationwide.

Funding 198
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Pokerstartups #7

SoCal Tech Calendar

Monday, May 23, 2011 -- Pokerstartups #7. We invite startup types who are on the executive team-founders, biz dev, people who have raised funds, venture capitalists, and marketing/biz dev people who work for large brands. Based on past experience, our list fills up really fast.

Funding 124
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OC Technology Influencer Mixer & Summit 2011

Tech Coast Venture Network

'April 25, 2011, Irvine, Calif — Tech Coast Venture Network (www.tcvn.org) is hosting the OC Technology Influencer Mixer & Summit 2011, an historic two-day event with partners CompTIA, the world’s largest technology association, the Technology Leadership Political Action Committee and Ingram Micro. Events will commence Monday, May 16th, with an exciting evening networking mixer open to the public at the Atrium Hotel in Irvine, CA.

TCVN 113
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How to Have a Thousand Friends and Still Be Alone

Startup Professionals Musings

The Internet and social media have totally destroyed the meaning of the word “friend” and even changed it from a noun to a verb. On Twitter and MySpace, many young people follow hundreds of friends before age twenty, all without ever having said or heard a word from most of them. Top Facebook users proudly proclaim their “whale” status, with 5,000 friends or more.

Study 112
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StyleMint Primes For Launch With Rewards

socalTECH

StyleMint , the online celebrity-focused, social commerce site being prepped by Los Angeles-based BeachMint , the startup headed by ex-MySpace co-founder Josh Berman, looks to be priming for launch. The firm told its pre-launch users today that it is awarding gifts and rewards on the site for inviting other people to join the site. The rewards range from $10 in StyleMint credit to a free T-Shirt, depending on how many people a user invites to join the site.

Commerce 190
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MOTM: Ryan Scott

SoCal Tech Calendar

Thursday, May 26, 2011 -- MOTM: Ryan Scott. Meeting of the Minds. MOTM is pleased to invite local thought leaders to an evening with leading Southern California social entrepreneur Ryan Scott, CEO and founder of Causecast and investor in several clean tech and socially responsible companies. While his current goal is to change the world by using technology to apply the powerful force of capitalism to the worlds most complex environmental and social problems, Ryans entrepreneuring spirit and

Causecast 113
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The Future Is Here Today | Augmented Reality Event 2011

Tech Zulu Event

Silicon Valley was abuzz this week (though isn’t it always?). More specifically, with a current ‘buzz’ industry: Augmented Reality. For those unfamiliar, augmented reality (AR) refers to the use of graphical or informational overlays onto the real world to provide a mixed reality experience. Science fiction stuff right? Not really; prominent and largely used applications like Yelp!

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How to Balance Entrepreneur and Family Lifestyles

Startup Professionals Musings

I know some entrepreneurs with successful businesses, and others who seem to have a great relationship with their family, but I can’t think of many who have both. Some people would argue that these two successes are mutually exclusive, but I’m not convinced. Individually, they both take focus, commitment, and a variety of skills, all the strengths of a good entrepreneur.

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Slacker Launches On-Demand Access, iPad Support

socalTECH

San Diego-based Slacker , the streaming radio and music service, said last night that it has launched a new on-demand access feature, as well as an iPad version of its service. The firm, which allows users to stream personalized Internet radio and music to their PC and portable devices, said that the new on-demand service is called Slacker Premium Radio.

Demand 185
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Buy the CEO Spot

SoCal Tech Calendar

Thursday, May 26, 2011 -- Buy the CEO Spot. Broads Circle. Want to be the CEO. why not buy your way into the corner office? - Are you prepared to lead a management buyout? - Where do you get the capital? - What do you do once you have the business? Featured speakers: RENEE LABRAN and GABRIELLE GREENE; Partners, Rustic Canyon / Fontis Partners LC; RENEE COTTRELL-BROWN, Executive Vice President, Johnson Products Co.

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Stickam.com Live For Japan | Live and Webathon Benefit Concert

Tech Zulu Event

Long time TechZulu partner Stickam.com is hosting a Japan Relief Live and Webathon Benefit Concert. We want to help do our part as well and help them spread the word by embedding their Japan Relief player. This player allows users to donate directly and safely to GlobalGiving Foundation. On May 27, Stickam is proud to present Live For Japan, a 12-hour webathon event to benefit the earthquake/tsunami victims in Japan.

Stickam 68
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Innovation Takes Real Effort, Even For Startups

Startup Professionals Musings

It seems to be an accepted fact these days that big companies normally innovate by buying a startup with innovative products, rather than focusing on in-house innovations. This is a good thing for entrepreneurs and investors, who can win big, but it’s not a given. I see many startups who seem satisfied with a “me too” approach, building yet another social network or e-commerce site, rather than being truly innovative.

Startup 94
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eHow Launches Beauty Video Series

socalTECH

Santa Monica-based eHow , the online advice site owned by Demand Media , said this morning that it has further boosted its content efforts by launching a new video series. The site said tits new "Beauty Lab" video series is being hosted by beauty industry figure Tracy O'Connor, and will offer beauty tips and other information. eHow said that a new episode of the series will be available every Thursday on the site.

eHow 184
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Los Angeles CMO CLUB Dinner

SoCal Tech Calendar

Tuesday, May 24, 2011 -- Los Angeles CMO CLUB Dinner and Marketing Executives Roundtable. The CMO Club was created for the unique purpose of bringing Chief Marketing Officers together in an environment of openness and contribution that enables them to become better at what they do. Tailored exclusively to top marketing executives, this club hosts dinners and events, shares reports and research from leaders in the marketing industry, and leverages the first online network for "CMOs only" for shar

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The New Power of Parents on the Web – Soon

Alon Schwartz

The proposed California bill SB 242 below attempts to change the way minor’s information is displayed on social websites as well as what rights do parents have, which is quite earth shaking. The bill will allow the parents of any kid under the age of 18 to request any social networking web site like Facebook to remove ANY personal information from the site, within 48 hours upon request.

Web 56
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Smart Startups Think Global But Act Hyperlocal

Startup Professionals Musings

Even though the world is getting smaller, due to easy global connectivity, people still feel alone if not well-connected locally. There is also more going on in every location, so this personal need and super sensitivity to the local community has spawned a new breed of Internet startups, called “hyperlocal.” The term first appeared five years ago, but the model is now very common.

Startup 94
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SolarReserve Scores $737M Loan Guarantee For Solar Power Project

socalTECH

Santa Monica-based SolarReserve , the solar power projects developer developing solar thermal, utility-scale power plants, has scored a massive, $737M loan guarantee from the U.S. Department of Energy. According to the U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu, the DOE has offered up the guarantee to support a 110 megawatt, molten salt concentrating solar power tower generating facility being built in Tonopah, Nevada, by SolarReserve.

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Tech Cocktail

SoCal Tech Calendar

Tuesday, May 24, 2011 -- Tech Cocktail. Los Angeles is the second largest city in the United States. Known for its entertainment scene which blossomed in the early nineteen hundreds, LA also has some of the best schools in the country in UCLA and USC. They also have a growing tech culture in Los Angeles and its adjacent cites like Santa Monica, West Hollywood and Beverly Hills as companies like Demand Media, MySpace and more recently Hulu, Mahalo, Callfire, DocStoc and BetterWorks have stake

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The New Power of Parents on the Web – Soon

Alon Schwartz

'The proposed California bill SB 242 below attempts to change the way minor’s information is displayed on social websites as well as what rights do parents have, which is quite earth shaking. The bill will allow the parents of any kid under the age of 18 to request any social networking web site like Facebook to remove ANY personal information from the site, within 48 hours upon request.

Web 49
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No Entrepreneur Sets Out To Demotivate Their Team

Startup Professionals Musings

Assuming no one would demotivate their team intentionally, then why do we see it happen so often? I believe it’s because too many entrepreneurs and leaders are so self-centered that they really don’t see what impact their actions have on others. What these leaders need to do is spend more time eliminating their own demotivating habits, rather than delivering more motivation.

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Google Enters Financial Products Comparisons Market

socalTECH

Search engine giant Google has made its entree into an area long dominated by Southern California technology startups: financial products and leads generation. According to Google Thursday, it has launched Google Advisor , a new service to help users find mortgage, credit card, CD, or checking and savings account offers and rates. The new service puts Google into the same space as such local companies as LeadPoint , LowerMyBills , Oversee's Low.com , and others.

Google 180
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VC in the OC

SoCal Tech Calendar

Tuesday, May 24, 2011 -- VC in the OC. Join OCTANe for this unique conference to get the inside view on cutting edge technologies, hot start-ups, venture investments, and industry leaders. This year's keynote will be William Wang, founder and CEO of Vizio - one of OC's most successful companies. Success Magazine calls Wang "the slayer of Costco, the titan of TV, the visionary of Vizio.

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DONE Ventures Sues Sedo Over Women.com, Women.net

socalTECH

Manhattan Beach-based DONE! Ventures , the Internet marketing and publishing firm headed by Ben Padnos, has sued domain name broker Sedo , over the firm's role in a mishandled sale of the domain names Women.com and Women.net. According to DONE! and its legal filings, it is suing for breach of contract, breach of warranty of authority, breach of fiduciary duty, and negligent misrepresentation in the domain name sale.

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AeroVironment Wins BMW For EV Charging Stations

socalTECH

Monrovia-based Aerovironment has scored another electric vehicle charging win, saying today that it has been selected by the BMW Group to provide electric vehicle charging equipment and installation for the new BMW ActiveE as a preferred provider. Financial impact of the win was not disclosed. Aerovironment said it will provide home charging stations, installations, and warranty to BMW drivers who purchase BMW's ActiveE electric vehicle.

Monrovia 178
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BetterWorks Adds Videos, Micropayments

socalTECH

Santa Monica-based BetterWorks , the startup run by Paige Craig, which is developing a service to help companies manage and offer employee benefits and perks, has upgraded its product features. The firm said this morning that it has added new, how-to videos, ability to offer up spending limits and micropayments, as well as a new voucher feature. The firm said it is now offering how-to video tutorials for its platform, has transitioned from pre-paid to a demand-based micropayment setup, and a new

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PurePhoto Launches Groups

socalTECH

Westlake Village-based PurePhoto , the developer of an online, social commerce site to help photographers sell their photos, said today that it has launched a new, Groups feature to help its users discuss topics in photography with other users. The firm said the Groups are aimed at providing a central forum for for sharing images and engaging in discussions.

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GRP Partners Backs Cloud Database Firm

socalTECH

Los Angeles-based venture capital firm GRP Partners has backed a provider of cloud-based databases, MongoLab , in its Series A funding. MongoLab said it has raised $3M in a Series A funding led by The Foundry Group, and including Baseline Ventures, GRP Partners, Freestyle Capital and Bullet Time Ventures. The lead investor on GRP's investment in MongoLab was not disclosed.

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Interview with Artin Nazarian, MySocialNightLife

socalTECH

Earlier this month, Los Angeles-based MySocialNightLife.com (www.mysocialnightlife.com) announced a seed funding round, and its technology platform for the nightclub and bar industry. We caught up with Artin Nazarian , the firm's co-founder, and chatted about what the company is hoping to do. What is MySocialNightLife all about? Artin Nazarian: The goal of the project, is to make the life of folks in the nightlife industry better, by providing tools to better market to the exact demographic they