November 28, 2001

 

This Bulletin Was Written By Tom Sayer.

 

This Week's Meeting

Club President Melissa Blackburn convened a “humble” crowd to order with Leah Swearingen-Millet leading the pledge to our nation's flag, Tom Sayer delivering the invocation with quotes from Abraham Lincoln during a different war-time era of our country, and Jim Mulvaney leading all in "America the Beautiful.”

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Ø      Responsibility.  There are still a few kids whose Xmas wishes we can fulfill.  Properly wrapped gifts are due no later than next week’s meeting.  In the meantime, feel free to drop them off at Jennifer Cusick’s office right around the corner from the reception desk at the University Club.

Ø      "Poor Hairless Fellow” Dave Ferguson renewed his challenge for members who've been in the club for at least 5 years to consider completing their Paul Harris Fellowship cumulative donations of $1,000.  And, in response to the challenge, we welcomed Linda Jalving and Rob Berry as our Club’s two newest Paul Harris Fellows!

 

 

Ø      Mike Jones’ Rotary Moment/Minute.  Our goal is to have a net membership increase of 12 during this Rotary year.  So far we have added exactly one member per month through October and this does not account for normal attrition.  Mike urges us all to keep our antennae tuned to membership candidates as we go through the holidays.  And there are no closed classifications in our Club or in Rotary.

Ø      Mark your calendars for the Club's next Annual Gala Banquet Dinner Benefit fund raiser to take place on Saturday, March 23, 2002.  Ron Erbetta is offering sponsorship opportunities such as parking, dessert and coffee, and others.  Dennis Dater has generously offered to sponsor ALL the printing (now including the program).  Thanks, Dennis!

Ø      Don Lang has Holiday Bowl tickets for $40.00, but you need to claim them by Friday.

Ø      Jim Mulvaney has tickets ($60) to the St. Vincent fundraiser dinner on December 13th at the Hotel Del.  And he is also promoting the Adopt-A-Teen program at the Toussaint Teen Center.

SGT.-At-ARMS

Congratulations to Leah Swearingen-Miller for her 5-year anniversary!  And fines to Jim Waters for the Richard Nixon, “I am not a crook” photo in the 11/8 Union/Tribune.  A few commission dollars were donated by new member, Rick Logan, for his role in Coronado Bank financing a new project.

In the bragging-bucks category, Dave Ferguson paid up to announce that Senator John Kerry was just in town to deliver of a check for $1 million to Vietnam Veterans of San Diego for the expansion of its facilities.  Kudos to Joe Ciokon for all his work in developing this program.  You will all recall that Joe recently was given the Veteran Spokesman of the Year Award at the SBA-Chamber awards luncheon.

This Week’s Speaker

Fred G. Cutler holds a Ph.D. in marketing research and social psychology from the University of Southern California.  He was a founder of DigitalStyle Corporation, a web software start-up that merged with Netscape Communications.  After two years with Netscape/AOL in new business development, Cutler became an active private investor and board member in numerous San Diego-based start-ups.  He has been involved with many CONNECT companies.  He has served as Entrepreneur in Residence at San Diego State University's Entrepreneurial Management Center, and is currently serving on its board.  Fred gave us an update on the health of the venture capital market in San Diego and an overview of UCSD-Connect’s many programs assisting start-ups.

San Diego has evolved in the last 15 years from a venture community that had trouble competing with Austin, Texas for funding to the most well integrated entrepreneurial community in the world, due in no small measure to the various UCSD-Connect programs available to match start-ups with capital.  Using its critical “neutral broker” status, Connect is able to match entrepreneurial talent, valid business ideas, service providers, angel money and venture capital financing to produce the greatest number of successful start-ups per capital than any other region in the world. 

Connect compares the process to an internal combustion engine with multiple cylinders.  If all cylinders fire, the engine performs.  San Diego’s entrepreneurial “engine” is a four “cylinder” model with each cylinder being defined as a different critical industry.  First is the Information Technology  cylinder made up of computer software and hardware companies.  Next is the Telecom and Wireless industry.  Then the Biotech and Life Sciences cylinder.  And finally, the Military Defense industry.  All four are inter-related and through its broad knowledge of all four cylinders, Connect foster a cooperative symbiotic relationship to bring the right talent together with the right technology using the right service providers to attract the needed capital to fuel the engine.  Thanks, Fred, for the update.  Click Here For The UCSD-Connect Website.

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