The May Report: 12/19/2011: A fascinating article in Bloomberg dissecting
The May Report: 12/19/2011: A fascinating article in Bloomberg dissecting
the data analysis techniques being used by the Obama 2012 campaign here in
Chicago — and much of this ties into Harper Reed who spoke on Wednesday at the
CEC but unless he was speaking in a code — get the double entendre? — that I
haven’t deciphered yet, he did not discuss the secrets of the Obama data gurus;
Zynga is making Groupon look good and Groupon is offering some sort of $10
discount for those who buy local this week; I’ve been mulling over the $20MM
investment in Facebook made by New World Ventures a few months ago and what
comes to mind is that given how sure of a deal it is, wouldn’t there be a
hundred VC firms that would want in on it? — but then given how sure it is to
be successful, it can’t possibly be a big pop for New World which might make
only 25% on the money since they are getting in so late (whereas in 2008, it
would have been a much bigger pop) –so, in that sense, it’s a typical Chicago
deal and it may be typical Chicago in that through Penny Pritzker and maybe
through Robert Gibbs, New World has connections when it comes to Facebook, but I
have no idea how much competition there was to get in on this; Message to
JWillie: I haven’t forgotten you and there is a little skirmish brewing behind
the scenes at TMR where you have one lobbyist and one detractor, but I’m not
torn by this since my obligation is to report the facts reported to me by Angie
Jackson (mixologist) and your response to the accusations; I’m thinking about
letting Neil Kane out of Ron’s Club Fed a few days early (his sentence was 138
days starting August 8th), — actually evicting him — since I know he wants to
stay in the stockade where it is nice and warm and Neil has nothing else going
on anyway but this way he can celebrate Chanukah (which starts Tues. at sundown)
with his family given how observant he is; and heck, I know he’s not Jewish, but
he’s been swindled by a few Members of the Tribe, and he’s been on good
behavior, so I’d include Bob Geras in the early release so he can shop for a
nice present for Dawn for Christmas; the sales of Pfizer have dropped 50% in
just a week since Lipitor now has generic competition where the generic is
one-third the price, but Medicare istill covering my Lipitor — which may
change!
the data analysis techniques being used by the Obama 2012 campaign here in
Chicago — and much of this ties into Harper Reed who spoke on Wednesday at the
CEC but unless he was speaking in a code — get the double entendre? — that I
haven’t deciphered yet, he did not discuss the secrets of the Obama data gurus;
Zynga is making Groupon look good and Groupon is offering some sort of $10
discount for those who buy local this week; I’ve been mulling over the $20MM
investment in Facebook made by New World Ventures a few months ago and what
comes to mind is that given how sure of a deal it is, wouldn’t there be a
hundred VC firms that would want in on it? — but then given how sure it is to
be successful, it can’t possibly be a big pop for New World which might make
only 25% on the money since they are getting in so late (whereas in 2008, it
would have been a much bigger pop) –so, in that sense, it’s a typical Chicago
deal and it may be typical Chicago in that through Penny Pritzker and maybe
through Robert Gibbs, New World has connections when it comes to Facebook, but I
have no idea how much competition there was to get in on this; Message to
JWillie: I haven’t forgotten you and there is a little skirmish brewing behind
the scenes at TMR where you have one lobbyist and one detractor, but I’m not
torn by this since my obligation is to report the facts reported to me by Angie
Jackson (mixologist) and your response to the accusations; I’m thinking about
letting Neil Kane out of Ron’s Club Fed a few days early (his sentence was 138
days starting August 8th), — actually evicting him — since I know he wants to
stay in the stockade where it is nice and warm and Neil has nothing else going
on anyway but this way he can celebrate Chanukah (which starts Tues. at sundown)
with his family given how observant he is; and heck, I know he’s not Jewish, but
he’s been swindled by a few Members of the Tribe, and he’s been on good
behavior, so I’d include Bob Geras in the early release so he can shop for a
nice present for Dawn for Christmas; the sales of Pfizer have dropped 50% in
just a week since Lipitor now has generic competition where the generic is
one-third the price, but Medicare istill covering my Lipitor — which may
change!
Editor and publisher: Ron May, ron@themayreport.com, ronaldmay@aol.com, www.themayreport.com,
773-525-3944.
773-525-3944.
If you missed an article, go here:
www.tmronline.com/A55951/tmrarticles.nsf/vwFullNewsletter
www.tmronline.com/A55951/tmrarticles.nsf/vwFullNewsletter
(BUT ALL REPORTS SINCE DECEMBER 2ND HAVE NOT BEEN POSTED YET ON THE
TMRONLINE SITE DUE TO A TECNICAL ISSUE.)
TMRONLINE SITE DUE TO A TECNICAL ISSUE.)
Otherwise, just go to www.themayreport.com
Louis Brandeis: “Publicity is justly commended as a remedy for social and
industrial diseases. Sunlight is said to be the best of disinfectants.”
industrial diseases. Sunlight is said to be the best of disinfectants.”
___________________________
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When: December 20th
Where: Columbia Yacht Club 111 North Lake Shore
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
The Scoop section:
– Joe Miller: Print a forest
– Live from San Francisco, Zynga Pops and Then Flops
- NYTimes.com
- NYTimes.com
– Bloomberg: Obama’s Re-Election Path May Be Written
in Will St. Clair’s Code! – A very interesting article showing what Harper Reed
is really doing
in Will St. Clair’s Code! – A very interesting article showing what Harper Reed
is really doing
– Ed Longanecker: Obama’s Re-Election Path May Be
Written in Will St. Clair’s Code!
– TechAmerica Praises Governor Quinn for
Signing Legislation to Restore R&D Tax Credit Incentives & Net Operating
Loss Deduction
Written in Will St. Clair’s Code!
– TechAmerica Praises Governor Quinn for
Signing Legislation to Restore R&D Tax Credit Incentives & Net Operating
Loss Deduction
– Charles stack: Happy holidays
– David Gulley: Happy holidays
– Aida Milbergs: Went to colllege with David
Carman
Carman
– Mark Lawrence: Another event he attended this
month
month
– TINCMag: Chicago Tech Startup:
KoalaDeal
KoalaDeal
– Confessions of An Airline Baggage ‘Thrower’: Why
You Should Buy A Four-Wheeler Suitcase — If you travel a lot, you’d better read
this
You Should Buy A Four-Wheeler Suitcase — If you travel a lot, you’d better read
this
– Top 10 Companies Hiring This
Week
Week
– Cards Ron collected at the CEC start-up prediction
event on 12/14/11 plus some people wrote down their email
addresses
event on 12/14/11 plus some people wrote down their email
addresses
– Cards Ron collected at the Lean Start-up Circle
Finals on 12/15/2011 plus some email addresses written down
Finals on 12/15/2011 plus some email addresses written down
______________________________
The Scoop section:
____________________
Joe Miller: Print a forest
Subject: Re: Joe, tell me about your business again.
Date: 12/17/2011
12:44:06 P.M. Central Standard Time
From: josephthollmiller@gmail.com
Date: 12/17/2011
12:44:06 P.M. Central Standard Time
From: josephthollmiller@gmail.com
Hi Ron,
My social enterprise, Print a Forest, has released software which
transforms our eco-contious users printer into a tree planting machine. Print
100 pages, and we plant a tree. As a college student I was extremely frustrated
with all the class notes I had to print. A finance major, it was practically
impossible to take digital notes… I was forced to print so I could write
equations. To offset my printing, I was donating to reforestation charities.
When I thought what if I could have brands sponsor the paper I print, to fund my
offsetting, and engage others to do the same to reforest the planet. The Print a
Forest software was developed so that the environmentally aware can reforest the
planet with the paper they print. Print 100 pages. Plant a Tree. Users print
through our software, and it places a very small banner from a brand like
Allstate Insurance in the bottom one-inch margin. The messages fund a tree being
planted for every 100 pages with our reforestation partner, The Arbor Day
Foundation. Our free computer software is available for download at
printaforest.com. Users print from their own computer, to their own printer. And
our opt in software only activates when users choose Print a Forest as their
printer when printing from any application. This causes the software pops up,
asks what printer to send the document to, shows a print preview, and tells the
user the amount of trees their participation has planted.
transforms our eco-contious users printer into a tree planting machine. Print
100 pages, and we plant a tree. As a college student I was extremely frustrated
with all the class notes I had to print. A finance major, it was practically
impossible to take digital notes… I was forced to print so I could write
equations. To offset my printing, I was donating to reforestation charities.
When I thought what if I could have brands sponsor the paper I print, to fund my
offsetting, and engage others to do the same to reforest the planet. The Print a
Forest software was developed so that the environmentally aware can reforest the
planet with the paper they print. Print 100 pages. Plant a Tree. Users print
through our software, and it places a very small banner from a brand like
Allstate Insurance in the bottom one-inch margin. The messages fund a tree being
planted for every 100 pages with our reforestation partner, The Arbor Day
Foundation. Our free computer software is available for download at
printaforest.com. Users print from their own computer, to their own printer. And
our opt in software only activates when users choose Print a Forest as their
printer when printing from any application. This causes the software pops up,
asks what printer to send the document to, shows a print preview, and tells the
user the amount of trees their participation has planted.
If you have any interest, it would be a pleasure to speak with you
further. All the best,
Joe Miller
further. All the best,
Joe Miller
On Fri, Dec 16, 2011 at 7:57 PM, <RONALDMAY@aol.com> wrote:
________________________________
Live from San Francisco, Zynga Pops and Then Flops -
NYTimes.com
NYTimes.com
For Zynga’s I.P.O., Pomp and a Slump
By EVELYN M. RUSLI
Zef Nikolla/Nasdaq, via ReutersZynga’s chief, Mark Pincus, center, with
his wife, Ali, after he rang the Nasdaq’s opening bell.
his wife, Ali, after he rang the Nasdaq’s opening bell.
8:14 p.m. | Updated
Zynga, the online gaming company, kicked off its first day of trading with
the usual fanfare.
the usual fanfare.
At the San Francisco headquarters, decorated with huge red banners, its
founder, Mark Pincus, rang the opening bell, flanked by his wife, Ali, and the
Nasdaq chief, Robert Greifeld. Before a packed room of employees and investors,
he made a “raise the roof” gesture in celebration of the initial public
offering.
founder, Mark Pincus, rang the opening bell, flanked by his wife, Ali, and the
Nasdaq chief, Robert Greifeld. Before a packed room of employees and investors,
he made a “raise the roof” gesture in celebration of the initial public
offering.
“We brought the Nasdaq here,” said Mr. Pincus, 45. “With our I.P.O., we’re
accelerating this mission of connecting the world through games. It’s just
getting bigger.”
accelerating this mission of connecting the world through games. It’s just
getting bigger.”
Related Links
•Sowing Zynga’s Riches
.
But the market debut lacked the same
pomp.
.
But the market debut lacked the same
pomp.
At the opening, Zynga’s shares rose a modest 10 percent, to $11, and then
quickly pulled back. The stock closed at $9.50, or 5 percent below its offering
price of $10.
quickly pulled back. The stock closed at $9.50, or 5 percent below its offering
price of $10.
Zynga’s weak performance reflects the broader market for I.P.O.’s. Newly
public technology stocks have been buffeted by macroeconomic turmoil and jittery
investors, who are skeptical about the business models.
public technology stocks have been buffeted by macroeconomic turmoil and jittery
investors, who are skeptical about the business models.
Several Internet companies have stumbled below their offering prices.
Pandora is more than a third off its initial price. Nexon, a giant Tokyo-based
gaming company, fell on its first day of trading earlier this week.
Pandora is more than a third off its initial price. Nexon, a giant Tokyo-based
gaming company, fell on its first day of trading earlier this week.
When Zynga filed its prospectus in July, investors had high expectations
for start-ups, particularly those built on social networks. But the market
soured in August amid credit pangs in Europe and spikes in volatility.
for start-ups, particularly those built on social networks. But the market
soured in August amid credit pangs in Europe and spikes in volatility.
On the first day of trading, the 42 technology companies that went public
this year jumped 20.4 percent on average, according to data from Renaissance
Capital, the I.P.O. advisory firm. But they have since struggled, with the group
falling 15 percent.
this year jumped 20.4 percent on average, according to data from Renaissance
Capital, the I.P.O. advisory firm. But they have since struggled, with the group
falling 15 percent.
Zynga’s trajectory has followed a similar path. In early summer, insiders
pegged the market value of the social gaming company at nearly $20 billion. At
its offering price, Zynga, which raised $1 billion, went public at a more muted
$7 billion. Its current value is $6.6 billion.
pegged the market value of the social gaming company at nearly $20 billion. At
its offering price, Zynga, which raised $1 billion, went public at a more muted
$7 billion. Its current value is $6.6 billion.
“Raising $1 billion is a large number, particularly in these choppy equity
markets where investors seem to be hesitant to take on much risk,” said Peter
Falvey, a managing director of Morgan Keegan’s technology group. But “there
clearly isn’t a rush to get into the stock at these valuations.”
markets where investors seem to be hesitant to take on much risk,” said Peter
Falvey, a managing director of Morgan Keegan’s technology group. But “there
clearly isn’t a rush to get into the stock at these valuations.”
Zynga’s executives brushed aside Friday’s tepid reception, calling it an
insignificant data point in the context of the company’s grander goals. John
Schappert, Zynga’s chief operating officer, said he had no regrets about the
timing or the structure of the offering, which, at 14 percent of total shares,
was bigger than other tech I.P.O.’s this year.
insignificant data point in the context of the company’s grander goals. John
Schappert, Zynga’s chief operating officer, said he had no regrets about the
timing or the structure of the offering, which, at 14 percent of total shares,
was bigger than other tech I.P.O.’s this year.
“We’re not looking at it today or tomorrow, or what we could have squeezed
out.” Mr. Schappert said. “We’re looking at the long run.”
out.” Mr. Schappert said. “We’re looking at the long run.”
In the coming months, Zynga will be a critical test for the fragile market.
Traders are closely watching the stock to get a sense of how social network
giant Facebook will fare when it goes public next year. Facebook is widely
expected to go public in the second quarter of 2012, at a market value greater
than $100 billion.
Traders are closely watching the stock to get a sense of how social network
giant Facebook will fare when it goes public next year. Facebook is widely
expected to go public in the second quarter of 2012, at a market value greater
than $100 billion.
Financially, the game maker is on better footing than many of its
unprofitable Internet peers. The company recorded earnings of $30.7 million for
the first nine months of the year, on revenue of $828.9 million. Zynga’s is also
the largest gaming company on Facebook, with some 222 million monthly
users.
unprofitable Internet peers. The company recorded earnings of $30.7 million for
the first nine months of the year, on revenue of $828.9 million. Zynga’s is also
the largest gaming company on Facebook, with some 222 million monthly
users.
But Zynga also has its fair share of skeptics. User growth has slowed in
recent quarters, while marketing costs remain high. Zynga spent $122 million on
marketing and sales for the first nine months of the year, more than all of
2010. There are also lingering concerns that Zynga will always be dependent on
Facebook, despite efforts to build out its mobile games and an independent
platform.
recent quarters, while marketing costs remain high. Zynga spent $122 million on
marketing and sales for the first nine months of the year, more than all of
2010. There are also lingering concerns that Zynga will always be dependent on
Facebook, despite efforts to build out its mobile games and an independent
platform.
The headwinds, for now, do not seem to bother Zynga’s early venture capital
backers, many of whom planned to sell only a small number of shares, if any, in
the offering. John Doerr, a partner at Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers -
Zynga’s second-largest shareholder – said he felt giddy this morning as he
headed over to the game maker’s headquarters before sunrise.
backers, many of whom planned to sell only a small number of shares, if any, in
the offering. John Doerr, a partner at Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers -
Zynga’s second-largest shareholder – said he felt giddy this morning as he
headed over to the game maker’s headquarters before sunrise.
“Five, 10 years from now, we’ll look back at this moment and think it was
just the beginning,” said Mr. Doerr, who has backed companies like Google and
Amazon. “This is the beginning of the second Internet boom.”
just the beginning,” said Mr. Doerr, who has backed companies like Google and
Amazon. “This is the beginning of the second Internet boom.”
____________________________
Bloomberg: Obama’s Re-Election Path May Be Written in
Will St. Clair’s Code! – A very interesting article showing what Harper Reed is
really doing
Will St. Clair’s Code! – A very interesting article showing what Harper Reed is
really doing
Subject: Obama’s Re-Election Path May Be Written in Will St. Clair’s Code!
Bloomberg
Obama’s Re-Election Path May Be Written in Will St.
Clair’s Code
Obama’s Re-Election Path May Be Written in Will St.
Clair’s Code
By Julianna Goldman
Dec. 14 (Bloomberg) — Will St. Clair, wearing
semi-rimless glasses, a plaid buttoned-down shirt, jeans and Adidas sneakers,
can usually be found sitting on an exercise ball in the back of President Barack
Obama’s campaign headquarters, his eyes trained on his computer screen.
The
23-year-old’s job is a mystery even to some senior staff in Chicago, yet they
say they hope the skills he brings are a secret weapon: he’s a software
engineer.
St. Clair is among more than a dozen developers hired by the
campaign to leverage technology to wring out more votes in what Obama’s advisers
say may be an election as close as the contested 2000 race between George W.
Bush and Al Gore. From Seattle startups to International Business Machines
Corp., they’ve left lucrative jobs to mine for swing voters. They’ve added a new
term to the strategic lexicon: microlistening.
“Right now, if you want to
call this the ‘data arms race,’ clearly Democrats are ahead,” said Alex Gage,
CEO of TargetPoint Consulting, who worked on voter targeting for Bush’s
successful re-election effort in 2004.
The Obama campaign is guarding the
details of the operation like the political equivalent of nuclear secrets: “I’ll
be happy to discuss what we’re doing after we do it,” said David Axelrod,
Obama’s chief political strategist.
“The things we did in 2008 in many ways
were prehistoric by contemporary standards,” Axelrod said at a Dec. 7 Bloomberg
View lunch. “There’s a lot you can do in the way of more finely targeting voters
so they’re getting information that’s useful to them.”
The Micro
Campaign
St. Clair and his team are creating tools to connect with people
properly. For example, disenchanted voters are wooed, not hit up for money. They
call it microlistening.
Other hints can be gleaned from an Obama campaign
job posting that Gage, now consulting for Republican presidential candidate Mitt
Romney, took note of last spring recruiting “quantitative analysts.”
“The
Obama for America analytics department analyzes the campaign’s data to guide
election strategy and develop quantitative, actionable insights that drive our
decision- making,” it says. “We are a multidisciplinary team of statisticians,
mathematicians, software developers, general analysts and organizers — all
striving for a single goal: re- electing President Obama.”
The Obama team is
taking technology development in-house.
“In 2008 we were very adept users of
technology,” said Michael Slaby, the campaign’s chief integration and innovation
officer. “We are much more ambitious about what we’re capable of building on our
own.”
Political Hurdles
To be sure, no amount of technological
sophistication may be enough for Obama to overcome stubbornly high unemployment,
which his administration forecasts will be above 8 percent next year. Since
World War II, no U.S. president has won re-election with a jobless rate above 6
percent, with the exception of Ronald Reagan, who faced 7.2 percent unemployment
on Election Day in 1984.
Obama’s opponents also are seeking new ways to
employ technology and build on the voter targeting effort in Bush’s 2004
re-election.
“Republicans realize they have to catch up, and I’m reasonably
confident they will,” Gage said. “Will they surpass them? No.”
While it’s the
first foray into campaigning for many of Obama’s quantitative analysts, the
experience of trying to outmaneuver rivals like Google Inc. and Facebook Inc.
may be ideal for the world of innovative political warfare.
“We have all
these engineers here, who were part of start- ups and almost all of them
competed against some giant behemoth,” said Harper Reed, the campaign’s chief
technology officer, who recruited based on who he’d want for any start-up.
A
Business Model
Reed was formerly CTO of Threadless, a Chicago-based T- shirt
company whose business model relies on crowdsourcing to design and sell its
products. The privately held company lets artists submit designs for a public
vote. Reed said the company’s revenue increased 10-fold from when he started
with Threadless in 2005 to when he left in 2009.
Unshaven, with black
plastic-rimmed glasses and stretched earlobes adorned with metal hoop earrings,
Reed, 33, is emblematic of a hipster style coexisting with the traditional.
Staffers joke that facial hair is required in the dimly-lit back section of the
office reserved for Slaby’s team.
The Artist’s Brush
Like artists who only
paint with certain brushes, many of the engineers brought their own keyboards.
Reed’s is black and has no labels — he likes the noise it makes and the bounce
to the fingers. Rather than chairs, many sit on large exercise balls. Or they
don’t sit at all, electing instead to prop their computers on cardboard boxes
and work standing up.
“There was a weird sense when you came in here that
you were changing the campaign just by coexisting in the same spaces as everyone
else,” said Anders Conbere, 28, an engineer who brought his own keyboard when he
moved from Seattle.
Reed convinced Conbere to leave his job as a software
developer for Estately Inc., a real estate index described on its website as a
“Seattle-based team of geeks taking on the $50 billion real estate industry.”
Earlier in his career, Conbere worked at aQuantive, an Internet advertising
firm, when it was purchased by Microsoft Corp. for $6 billion in 2007 — the
biggest acquisition for the company until it bought Skype Technologies SA
earlier this year.
To make every vote count in this difficult election
climate, there’s little room for error, and the right staff is critical,
according to Tim O’Reilly, founder and CEO of O’Reilly Media, a computer book
publisher.
Deliberate Magic
“They got lucky the first time,” O’Reilly, who
advised the campaign earlier this year, said. “They had a bunch of idealistic
volunteers who came out of nowhere to help them. They’re trying to do
deliberately what happened by magic last time.”
O’Reilly coined the term
microlistening when he met with campaign officials and heard what they were
trying to do. They are parsing constituent concerns in fine detail. It’s easy to
generate a lot of data and miss the point so, if done right, the work is more
valuable than any poll, strategists say.
It comes down to data — collecting
voter information, synthesizing it and making use of it most effectively. The
data comes from conversations on the ground and behavioral patterns on the
website. Analysts may try to determine how to best target a voter who gives $5
to participate in a raffle to have dinner with the president versus $5 during a
Republican debate.
Approach to Voters
If a supporter tells the campaign
that a neighbor who voted for Obama in 2008, lost his job, is frustrated with
the president’s handling of the economy and is now undecided, the most important
distillation of that information may be that sending someone out to ask for a
donation could cost Obama that vote.
“There are always going to be enough
people out there to vote for Barack Obama,” said Clay Johnson, founder of Blue
State Digital Media LLC, which managed Obama’s online campaign in 2008.
“The
question is whether they can be persuaded, organized and activated enough to get
to the polls and technology is going to be the thing that does that,” said
Johnson, author of “The Information Diet.”
Beyond targeting, they’re finding
ways to boost efficiency at all levels of the organization — even the online
store.
Quick Analysis
Last month, one group of engineers noticed that
people trying to buy products like Obama T-shirts using mobile devices weren’t
completing their purchases. Others on the team quickly realized that the site, a
key fundraising tool, wasn’t user friendly for smart-phones. Within a week,
another group of engineers changed the interface and sales went up that
day.
“We never would have figured it out” during the last campaign, Slaby
said. “We didn’t have enough skill in any of these three places to put data in a
place that could be intelligently analyzed and acted on quickly.”
Slaby and
Reed hope to keep expanding, recruiting engineers largely by word of mouth. It’s
how Anders decided to move to Chicago only weeks after purchasing a home in
Seattle.
Over coffee last spring, Reed told Slaby he’d join the campaign and
immediately wanted to lock in their next hire.
Anders was 2,100 miles away,
driving home from work with his wife when he received a 2-word text message from
Reed:
“Dude. Obama.”
“I just turned to my wife and said, ‘Let’s move to
Chicago.’”
–Editors: Mark Silva, Joe Sobczyk
To contact the reporter on
this story: Julianna Goldman in Washington at jgoldman6@bloomberg.net
To contact
the editor responsible for this story: Mark Silva at msilva34@bloomberg.net
Dec. 14 (Bloomberg) — Will St. Clair, wearing
semi-rimless glasses, a plaid buttoned-down shirt, jeans and Adidas sneakers,
can usually be found sitting on an exercise ball in the back of President Barack
Obama’s campaign headquarters, his eyes trained on his computer screen.
The
23-year-old’s job is a mystery even to some senior staff in Chicago, yet they
say they hope the skills he brings are a secret weapon: he’s a software
engineer.
St. Clair is among more than a dozen developers hired by the
campaign to leverage technology to wring out more votes in what Obama’s advisers
say may be an election as close as the contested 2000 race between George W.
Bush and Al Gore. From Seattle startups to International Business Machines
Corp., they’ve left lucrative jobs to mine for swing voters. They’ve added a new
term to the strategic lexicon: microlistening.
“Right now, if you want to
call this the ‘data arms race,’ clearly Democrats are ahead,” said Alex Gage,
CEO of TargetPoint Consulting, who worked on voter targeting for Bush’s
successful re-election effort in 2004.
The Obama campaign is guarding the
details of the operation like the political equivalent of nuclear secrets: “I’ll
be happy to discuss what we’re doing after we do it,” said David Axelrod,
Obama’s chief political strategist.
“The things we did in 2008 in many ways
were prehistoric by contemporary standards,” Axelrod said at a Dec. 7 Bloomberg
View lunch. “There’s a lot you can do in the way of more finely targeting voters
so they’re getting information that’s useful to them.”
The Micro
Campaign
St. Clair and his team are creating tools to connect with people
properly. For example, disenchanted voters are wooed, not hit up for money. They
call it microlistening.
Other hints can be gleaned from an Obama campaign
job posting that Gage, now consulting for Republican presidential candidate Mitt
Romney, took note of last spring recruiting “quantitative analysts.”
“The
Obama for America analytics department analyzes the campaign’s data to guide
election strategy and develop quantitative, actionable insights that drive our
decision- making,” it says. “We are a multidisciplinary team of statisticians,
mathematicians, software developers, general analysts and organizers — all
striving for a single goal: re- electing President Obama.”
The Obama team is
taking technology development in-house.
“In 2008 we were very adept users of
technology,” said Michael Slaby, the campaign’s chief integration and innovation
officer. “We are much more ambitious about what we’re capable of building on our
own.”
Political Hurdles
To be sure, no amount of technological
sophistication may be enough for Obama to overcome stubbornly high unemployment,
which his administration forecasts will be above 8 percent next year. Since
World War II, no U.S. president has won re-election with a jobless rate above 6
percent, with the exception of Ronald Reagan, who faced 7.2 percent unemployment
on Election Day in 1984.
Obama’s opponents also are seeking new ways to
employ technology and build on the voter targeting effort in Bush’s 2004
re-election.
“Republicans realize they have to catch up, and I’m reasonably
confident they will,” Gage said. “Will they surpass them? No.”
While it’s the
first foray into campaigning for many of Obama’s quantitative analysts, the
experience of trying to outmaneuver rivals like Google Inc. and Facebook Inc.
may be ideal for the world of innovative political warfare.
“We have all
these engineers here, who were part of start- ups and almost all of them
competed against some giant behemoth,” said Harper Reed, the campaign’s chief
technology officer, who recruited based on who he’d want for any start-up.
A
Business Model
Reed was formerly CTO of Threadless, a Chicago-based T- shirt
company whose business model relies on crowdsourcing to design and sell its
products. The privately held company lets artists submit designs for a public
vote. Reed said the company’s revenue increased 10-fold from when he started
with Threadless in 2005 to when he left in 2009.
Unshaven, with black
plastic-rimmed glasses and stretched earlobes adorned with metal hoop earrings,
Reed, 33, is emblematic of a hipster style coexisting with the traditional.
Staffers joke that facial hair is required in the dimly-lit back section of the
office reserved for Slaby’s team.
The Artist’s Brush
Like artists who only
paint with certain brushes, many of the engineers brought their own keyboards.
Reed’s is black and has no labels — he likes the noise it makes and the bounce
to the fingers. Rather than chairs, many sit on large exercise balls. Or they
don’t sit at all, electing instead to prop their computers on cardboard boxes
and work standing up.
“There was a weird sense when you came in here that
you were changing the campaign just by coexisting in the same spaces as everyone
else,” said Anders Conbere, 28, an engineer who brought his own keyboard when he
moved from Seattle.
Reed convinced Conbere to leave his job as a software
developer for Estately Inc., a real estate index described on its website as a
“Seattle-based team of geeks taking on the $50 billion real estate industry.”
Earlier in his career, Conbere worked at aQuantive, an Internet advertising
firm, when it was purchased by Microsoft Corp. for $6 billion in 2007 — the
biggest acquisition for the company until it bought Skype Technologies SA
earlier this year.
To make every vote count in this difficult election
climate, there’s little room for error, and the right staff is critical,
according to Tim O’Reilly, founder and CEO of O’Reilly Media, a computer book
publisher.
Deliberate Magic
“They got lucky the first time,” O’Reilly, who
advised the campaign earlier this year, said. “They had a bunch of idealistic
volunteers who came out of nowhere to help them. They’re trying to do
deliberately what happened by magic last time.”
O’Reilly coined the term
microlistening when he met with campaign officials and heard what they were
trying to do. They are parsing constituent concerns in fine detail. It’s easy to
generate a lot of data and miss the point so, if done right, the work is more
valuable than any poll, strategists say.
It comes down to data — collecting
voter information, synthesizing it and making use of it most effectively. The
data comes from conversations on the ground and behavioral patterns on the
website. Analysts may try to determine how to best target a voter who gives $5
to participate in a raffle to have dinner with the president versus $5 during a
Republican debate.
Approach to Voters
If a supporter tells the campaign
that a neighbor who voted for Obama in 2008, lost his job, is frustrated with
the president’s handling of the economy and is now undecided, the most important
distillation of that information may be that sending someone out to ask for a
donation could cost Obama that vote.
“There are always going to be enough
people out there to vote for Barack Obama,” said Clay Johnson, founder of Blue
State Digital Media LLC, which managed Obama’s online campaign in 2008.
“The
question is whether they can be persuaded, organized and activated enough to get
to the polls and technology is going to be the thing that does that,” said
Johnson, author of “The Information Diet.”
Beyond targeting, they’re finding
ways to boost efficiency at all levels of the organization — even the online
store.
Quick Analysis
Last month, one group of engineers noticed that
people trying to buy products like Obama T-shirts using mobile devices weren’t
completing their purchases. Others on the team quickly realized that the site, a
key fundraising tool, wasn’t user friendly for smart-phones. Within a week,
another group of engineers changed the interface and sales went up that
day.
“We never would have figured it out” during the last campaign, Slaby
said. “We didn’t have enough skill in any of these three places to put data in a
place that could be intelligently analyzed and acted on quickly.”
Slaby and
Reed hope to keep expanding, recruiting engineers largely by word of mouth. It’s
how Anders decided to move to Chicago only weeks after purchasing a home in
Seattle.
Over coffee last spring, Reed told Slaby he’d join the campaign and
immediately wanted to lock in their next hire.
Anders was 2,100 miles away,
driving home from work with his wife when he received a 2-word text message from
Reed:
“Dude. Obama.”
“I just turned to my wife and said, ‘Let’s move to
Chicago.’”
–Editors: Mark Silva, Joe Sobczyk
To contact the reporter on
this story: Julianna Goldman in Washington at jgoldman6@bloomberg.net
To contact
the editor responsible for this story: Mark Silva at msilva34@bloomberg.net
Bruce
Eric Montgomery
Executive Producer & Host
Technology Access
Television
200 S. Wacker Drive, 15th Floor
Chicago, IL 60606-5865
(312)
725-8601
tatvshow@yahoo.com
www.tatv.org
Eric Montgomery
Executive Producer & Host
Technology Access
Television
200 S. Wacker Drive, 15th Floor
Chicago, IL 60606-5865
(312)
725-8601
tatvshow@yahoo.com
www.tatv.org
Ed Longanecker: Obama’s Re-Election Path May Be
Written in Will St. Clair’s Code!
Written in Will St. Clair’s Code!
Subject: Illinois EDGE Program – Chicago Tribune
Date: 12/17/2011
6:24:48 A.M. Central Standard Time
From: ed.longanecker@techamerica.org
Date: 12/17/2011
6:24:48 A.M. Central Standard Time
From: ed.longanecker@techamerica.org
EDGE Program
In a recent Chicago Tribune article entitled “Tilting away from new jobs,”
Illinois’ Economic Development for a Growing Economy (EDGE) program was
inaccurately portrayed as an incentive offered to businesses with no real
requirement to grow or retain jobs in the state. For the record, all standard
EDGE agreements are inherently pay-for-performance incentives, meaning if
companies don’t meet the thresholds in the agreements, they simply do not
receive the credit. This is all too often overlooked and lost on those who
believe these are just big checks written to large businesses with no
accountability required. In fact, this widely utilized program has directly
benefited the state by creating more than 58,600 jobs and retaining another
75,292 jobs since 2000.
Illinois’ Economic Development for a Growing Economy (EDGE) program was
inaccurately portrayed as an incentive offered to businesses with no real
requirement to grow or retain jobs in the state. For the record, all standard
EDGE agreements are inherently pay-for-performance incentives, meaning if
companies don’t meet the thresholds in the agreements, they simply do not
receive the credit. This is all too often overlooked and lost on those who
believe these are just big checks written to large businesses with no
accountability required. In fact, this widely utilized program has directly
benefited the state by creating more than 58,600 jobs and retaining another
75,292 jobs since 2000.
Understanding the structure and impact of the EDGE program is important. In
order for a company to receive an incentive offer in the first place, the state
puts them through a rigorous screening to ensure that their out-of-state
argument is valid. Acceptable evidence often includes term sheets for the
out-of-state location, competing state’s incentive proposals, labor cost
differentials that are internally driven, the impact on jobs, and other factors.
This information assists the state in determining whether or not an EDGE credit
is the appropriate vehicle to provide support. The EDGE program also typically
offers more teeth compared to other incentives, including Tax Increment
Financing (TIF) offered through the City of Chicago. Announcements about adding
jobs in Chicago does not mean there is a financial requirement or specific
metrics for these companies to meet. In other words, there is no recourse if
these companies do not meet their goals. The opposite is true with EDGE.
order for a company to receive an incentive offer in the first place, the state
puts them through a rigorous screening to ensure that their out-of-state
argument is valid. Acceptable evidence often includes term sheets for the
out-of-state location, competing state’s incentive proposals, labor cost
differentials that are internally driven, the impact on jobs, and other factors.
This information assists the state in determining whether or not an EDGE credit
is the appropriate vehicle to provide support. The EDGE program also typically
offers more teeth compared to other incentives, including Tax Increment
Financing (TIF) offered through the City of Chicago. Announcements about adding
jobs in Chicago does not mean there is a financial requirement or specific
metrics for these companies to meet. In other words, there is no recourse if
these companies do not meet their goals. The opposite is true with EDGE.
The intent of the EDGE program is job creation and retention, and again,
both factors are included when determining if the credit is awarded. The state’s
focus on retaining jobs, despite numerous and lucrative incentives to move to
other states, should not be overlooked or constantly criticized. These efforts
are focused on companies not only staying in Illinois and retaining and creating
jobs, but also the companies receiving the credit who are paying their fair
share of state corporate income tax and payroll taxes.
both factors are included when determining if the credit is awarded. The state’s
focus on retaining jobs, despite numerous and lucrative incentives to move to
other states, should not be overlooked or constantly criticized. These efforts
are focused on companies not only staying in Illinois and retaining and creating
jobs, but also the companies receiving the credit who are paying their fair
share of state corporate income tax and payroll taxes.
Another component of the EDGE credit that is not mentioned at all in the
article is the fact that, beyond job creation and job retention, there is a
component of the credit calculation related to capital investment. There is a
floor for capital investment that must be met, regardless of employment.
Companies in our industry have not only made the required level of investment
but many of them have exceeded the requirement, and paid the property taxes
related to this capital investment as well. Finally, this is a tax credit, not a
tax refund. Meaning, it cannot always be used to reduce a company’s tax
liability. There are companies that cannot use all of the EDGE tax credit they
deserve based on the calculated amount in a given tax year.
article is the fact that, beyond job creation and job retention, there is a
component of the credit calculation related to capital investment. There is a
floor for capital investment that must be met, regardless of employment.
Companies in our industry have not only made the required level of investment
but many of them have exceeded the requirement, and paid the property taxes
related to this capital investment as well. Finally, this is a tax credit, not a
tax refund. Meaning, it cannot always be used to reduce a company’s tax
liability. There are companies that cannot use all of the EDGE tax credit they
deserve based on the calculated amount in a given tax year.
TechAmerica commends the state for offering incentives to strengthen our
economy and business community, particularly under such challenging economic
conditions. Our ultimate goal is to improve the business climate in Illinois,
and of course much more work needs to be done. EDGE is a program that has
offered real support to Illinois companies and has directly benefited our
economy. That’s our number one priority.
economy and business community, particularly under such challenging economic
conditions. Our ultimate goal is to improve the business climate in Illinois,
and of course much more work needs to be done. EDGE is a program that has
offered real support to Illinois companies and has directly benefited our
economy. That’s our number one priority.
– Ed Longanecker, Midwest Regional Vice President and Executive Director,
TechAmerica
______________________________
TechAmerica
______________________________
TechAmerica Praises Governor Quinn for Signing
Legislation to Restore R&D Tax Credit Incentives & Net Operating Loss
Deduction
Legislation to Restore R&D Tax Credit Incentives & Net Operating Loss
Deduction
Subject: TechAmerica Praises Governor Quinn for Signing Legislation to
Restore R&D Tax Credit Incentives & Net Operating Loss Deduction
Restore R&D Tax Credit Incentives & Net Operating Loss Deduction
Date: 12/17/2011 6:17:25 A.M. Central Standard Time
From: ed.longanecker@techamerica.org
From: ed.longanecker@techamerica.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 17, 2011
Contact: Ed Longanecker 630.890.2015 or Ed.Longanecker@TechAmerica.org
TechAmerica Praises Governor Quinn for Signing Legislation to Restore
R&D Tax Credit Incentives & Net Operating Loss Deduction
R&D Tax Credit Incentives & Net Operating Loss Deduction
Chicago, IL -TechAmerica today praised Illinois Governor Pat Quinn for
signing into law legislation that extends the Illinois R&D tax credit for
five years and restores the corporate income tax operating loss deduction. The
new law also extends the Illinois Economic Development for a Growing Economy
(EDGE) program, a program that has directly benefited the state by creating more
than 58,600 jobs and retaining another 75,292 jobs since its inception.
signing into law legislation that extends the Illinois R&D tax credit for
five years and restores the corporate income tax operating loss deduction. The
new law also extends the Illinois Economic Development for a Growing Economy
(EDGE) program, a program that has directly benefited the state by creating more
than 58,600 jobs and retaining another 75,292 jobs since its inception.
“Governor Quinn’s strong encouragement of R&D incentives and economic
development in the state of Illinois has been critical to the continued
development of the tech industry in our state,” said Ed Longanecker, Executive
Director, Regional Vice President, TechAmerica. “Illinois is home to one of the
largest concentrations of R&D facilities in the world, a strength and
catalyst for innovation that we must protect and encourage.”
development in the state of Illinois has been critical to the continued
development of the tech industry in our state,” said Ed Longanecker, Executive
Director, Regional Vice President, TechAmerica. “Illinois is home to one of the
largest concentrations of R&D facilities in the world, a strength and
catalyst for innovation that we must protect and encourage.”
TechAmerica has long supported efforts to make permanent and strengthen
R&D incentives in Illinois, as well as at the federal level. Research and
development is critically important to the tech industry, generating scientific
breakthroughs, spawning innovative products and processes, and enhancing
productivity that all lead to an expansion of the tech industry and, ultimately,
high paying jobs.
R&D incentives in Illinois, as well as at the federal level. Research and
development is critically important to the tech industry, generating scientific
breakthroughs, spawning innovative products and processes, and enhancing
productivity that all lead to an expansion of the tech industry and, ultimately,
high paying jobs.
###
About TechAmerica
TechAmerica is the leading voice for the U.S. technology industry – the
driving force behind productivity growth and jobs creation in the United States
and the foundation of the global innovation economy. Representing approximately
1,000 member companies of all sizes from the public and commercial sectors of
the economy, it is the industry’s largest advocacy organization and is dedicated
to helping members’ top and bottom lines. TechAmerica is also the technology
industry’s only grassroots-to-global advocacy network, with offices in state
capitals around the United States, Washington, D.C., Europe (Brussels) and Asia
(Beijing). Learn more about TechAmerica at www.techamerica.org.
______________________________
driving force behind productivity growth and jobs creation in the United States
and the foundation of the global innovation economy. Representing approximately
1,000 member companies of all sizes from the public and commercial sectors of
the economy, it is the industry’s largest advocacy organization and is dedicated
to helping members’ top and bottom lines. TechAmerica is also the technology
industry’s only grassroots-to-global advocacy network, with offices in state
capitals around the United States, Washington, D.C., Europe (Brussels) and Asia
(Beijing). Learn more about TechAmerica at www.techamerica.org.
______________________________
Charles stack: Happy holidays
Happy Holidays, Ron!
X
ronaldmay@aol.com
X
Reply
from
Charles Stack, MPH cstack@2ci.com
to “ronaldmay@aol.com” <RONALDMAY@aol.com>
date Sat, Dec 17,
2011 at 2:28 AM
subject Happy Holidays, Ron!
Important mainly because of
the people in the conversation.
hide details 2:28 am (1 day ago)
Hi
Ron!
X
ronaldmay@aol.com
X
Reply
from
Charles Stack, MPH cstack@2ci.com
to “ronaldmay@aol.com” <RONALDMAY@aol.com>
date Sat, Dec 17,
2011 at 2:28 AM
subject Happy Holidays, Ron!
Important mainly because of
the people in the conversation.
hide details 2:28 am (1 day ago)
Hi
Ron!
Just thinking about you and hope you are feeling well!
I finally found a successful treatment for my psoriasis, and I am quoted
in
the Wall Street Journal (although, sadly, not about my business
ventures!)
in
the Wall Street Journal (although, sadly, not about my business
ventures!)
The XTRAC excimer laser, developed by Photomedex, is a very
impressive
system! I’ve been treated with just about everything available,
but the 308
nm wavelength UV-B laser is remarkable for its precision and
effectiveness.
Photomedex is a company that bears watching.
impressive
system! I’ve been treated with just about everything available,
but the 308
nm wavelength UV-B laser is remarkable for its precision and
effectiveness.
Photomedex is a company that bears watching.
I highly recommend the XTRAC to any TMR readers who have this
damned
condition (2% of the population), please call Dr. Taub with
Advanced
Dermatology in Lincolnshire for more information. Fantastic
doctor!
damned
condition (2% of the population), please call Dr. Taub with
Advanced
Dermatology in Lincolnshire for more information. Fantastic
doctor!
Happy Chanukah, and all the best, we’ll see you in 2012!
Best, Chuck
Charles R. Stack, MPH
Vice President
Constant Compliance
Inc.
140 South Dearborn Street
Suite 411
Chicago, Illinois 60603
USA
Cell phone (630) 841-8706
Fax (312) 782-0936
Website: www.2Ci.com/
Vice President
Constant Compliance
Inc.
140 South Dearborn Street
Suite 411
Chicago, Illinois 60603
USA
Cell phone (630) 841-8706
Fax (312) 782-0936
Website: www.2Ci.com/
____________________________
David Gulley: Happy holidays
Subject: Happy Holidays from David Gulley
Date: 12/18/2011 1:32:19 P.M.
Central Standard Time
From: davidgulley@me.com
To: davidgulley@me.com
Date: 12/18/2011 1:32:19 P.M.
Central Standard Time
From: davidgulley@me.com
To: davidgulley@me.com
Have a very Happy New Year, good health and safe travels throughout
2012.
2012.
David L. Gulley, PhD, CLP
davidgulley@me.com
davidgulley@me.com
______________________________
Aida Milbergs: Went to colllege with David
Carman
Carman
May Report mailing list
X
Inbox
X
Reply
from Aida
Milbergs amilbergs@gmail.com
to ron@themayreport.com
cc David Carman
<davidcarman@sbcglobal.net>
date
Fri, Dec 16, 2011 at 11:27 AM
subject May Report mailing list
mailed-by
gmail.com
signed-by gmail.com
Important mainly because of the words in the
message.
hide details Dec 16 (3 days ago)
Dear Ron
X
Inbox
X
Reply
from Aida
Milbergs amilbergs@gmail.com
to ron@themayreport.com
cc David Carman
<davidcarman@sbcglobal.net>
date
Fri, Dec 16, 2011 at 11:27 AM
subject May Report mailing list
mailed-by
gmail.com
signed-by gmail.com
Important mainly because of the words in the
message.
hide details Dec 16 (3 days ago)
Dear Ron
I know David Carman of Business Network Chicago (BNC). Although David and I
are both graduates of Washington University in St. Louis, we did not meet until
attending the same alumni function here in Chicago. He told me about the May
Report and suggested that I sign up. I’d like to receive May Report, could you
please put me on your list?
Many thanks!
are both graduates of Washington University in St. Louis, we did not meet until
attending the same alumni function here in Chicago. He told me about the May
Report and suggested that I sign up. I’d like to receive May Report, could you
please put me on your list?
Many thanks!
Mark Lawrence: Another event he attended this
month
month
Subject: Re: Mark, I can’t read my own handwriting. The event this month
starting w/ an “M”??
Date: 12/19/2011 12:41:50 A.M. Central Standard Time
starting w/ an “M”??
Date: 12/19/2011 12:41:50 A.M. Central Standard Time
Not sure what you’re talking about. “M” ? I went to ChiPy.
- Mark
On Sun, Dec 18, 2011 at 9:40 PM, <RONALDMAY@aol.com> wrote:
+++++++++++++++++++++++++
Subject: Re: Mark, I can’t read my own handwriting. The event this month
starting w/ a…
Date: 12/19/2011 12:45:44 A.M. Central Standard Time
starting w/ a…
Date: 12/19/2011 12:45:44 A.M. Central Standard Time
That could be the event you attended this month that I was missing.
Thanks.
Thanks.
In a message dated 12/19/2011 12:41:50 A.M. Central Standard
Time, mark@spothero.com writes:
Not sure what
you’re talking about. “M” ? I went to ChiPy.
Time, mark@spothero.com writes:
Not sure what
you’re talking about. “M” ? I went to ChiPy.
- Mark
On Sun, Dec 18, 2011 at 9:40 PM, <RONALDMAY@aol.com> wrote:
____________________________
TINCMag: Chicago Tech Startup:
KoalaDeal
KoalaDeal
Chicago Tech Startup: KoalaDeal
By admin • on December 15, 2011
Users can link their social media profiles to KoalaDeal’s website in order
to receive daily deals customized according to their interests.
to receive daily deals customized according to their interests.
TINC:
Startup vs. Growth Company AKA – What stage are you in?
Startup vs. Growth Company AKA – What stage are you in?
Early stage – the
most fun part of a startup!
most fun part of a startup!
TINC: Give us your Elevator Pitch!
We
are like Pandora for e-commerce. We learn about your tastes and preferences and
find you the deals you are most likely to love.
are like Pandora for e-commerce. We learn about your tastes and preferences and
find you the deals you are most likely to love.
TINC: To quote your
website, “KoalaDeal is like your personal shopper on the internet. We learn
about your tastes and preferences, and bring you online deals you’re sure to
love.” Can you tell our readers more about the process and reach of the product
or service you provide?
website, “KoalaDeal is like your personal shopper on the internet. We learn
about your tastes and preferences, and bring you online deals you’re sure to
love.” Can you tell our readers more about the process and reach of the product
or service you provide?
The first thing we do is get to know each
customer individually. To do that, a user can input data into KoalaDeal
manually, or automatically by linking us with Facebook and/or Gmail. We search
through thousands of deals from different providers across the country every day
and use our preference matching engine to find unique deals for each
user.
customer individually. To do that, a user can input data into KoalaDeal
manually, or automatically by linking us with Facebook and/or Gmail. We search
through thousands of deals from different providers across the country every day
and use our preference matching engine to find unique deals for each
user.
TINC: What industry would you most closely align your company
with?
with?
At heart, we are a data and personalization company, although we
are obviously focused on the e-commerce industry
are obviously focused on the e-commerce industry
TINC: What are common
problems you see with the companies that your firm works with? How does your
firm work to assist businesses with these problems?
problems you see with the companies that your firm works with? How does your
firm work to assist businesses with these problems?
As we developed the
backend personalization platform, we quickly came to realize that lots of firms
are struggling to better target their users with relevant deals. We are
currently working with a variety of deal companies and publishers with some
incredible preliminary results.
backend personalization platform, we quickly came to realize that lots of firms
are struggling to better target their users with relevant deals. We are
currently working with a variety of deal companies and publishers with some
incredible preliminary results.
TINC: What makes you ‘special’? How is
your product different from the other guys?
your product different from the other guys?
We’re the best in the
business at helping users find relevant deals, and helping publisher target
deals to the right users.
business at helping users find relevant deals, and helping publisher target
deals to the right users.
TINC: How many employees do you have on board
right now?
right now?
1-10
TINC: Who holds your top executive level
positions? Why those roles?
positions? Why those roles?
Erik Severinghaus – CEO. A love and history
of building successful businesses as well as a technical
background.
of building successful businesses as well as a technical
background.
Griffin Caprio – CTO. Knows everything from development to
process to infrastructure. Keeps us on focus and drives the technical
decision-making.
process to infrastructure. Keeps us on focus and drives the technical
decision-making.
Eli Albert – Lead Developer. Eli gets machine learning
and signal analysis at a very deep level. He is also an expert in a variety of
programming languages.
and signal analysis at a very deep level. He is also an expert in a variety of
programming languages.
TINC: When was your company established? What is
the official founding date?
the official founding date?
April 1, 2011.
TINC: Tell us about
development the platforms you may be using, or what you’re coding this
in.
development the platforms you may be using, or what you’re coding this
in.
We architected this from day one with the idea that we would develop
a personalization and matching platform that could support a variety of
customer-facing implementations. To that end, we built the backend on
Django/Python and abstracted it from the customer-facing site via an API call.
Our deployed frontend is in Ruby/Rails, but the platform scales quite well and
we are piloting implementations with a variety of strategic partners using all
sorts of different technologies to display the content from the
platform.
a personalization and matching platform that could support a variety of
customer-facing implementations. To that end, we built the backend on
Django/Python and abstracted it from the customer-facing site via an API call.
Our deployed frontend is in Ruby/Rails, but the platform scales quite well and
we are piloting implementations with a variety of strategic partners using all
sorts of different technologies to display the content from the
platform.
TINC: What is your technical approach that makes your software
better? How are you getting the details right or working in a more optimized
way?
better? How are you getting the details right or working in a more optimized
way?
We make sure to get the architecture right from day one. Being a
startup, you need to be nimble and flexible in order to attack market
opportunities as they present themselves. That’s been a focus area for us since
day one, and has paid dividends.
startup, you need to be nimble and flexible in order to attack market
opportunities as they present themselves. That’s been a focus area for us since
day one, and has paid dividends.
Update: After this interview was
conducted, they rebranded themselves, SimpleRelevance. For more on KoalaDeal,
see our article posted August 9, 2011.
conducted, they rebranded themselves, SimpleRelevance. For more on KoalaDeal,
see our article posted August 9, 2011.
________________________________
Confessions of An Airline Baggage ‘Thrower’: Why You
Should Buy A Four-Wheeler Suitcase — If you travel a lot, you’d better read
this
Should Buy A Four-Wheeler Suitcase — If you travel a lot, you’d better read
this
Confessions of An Airline Baggage ‘Thrower’: Why You Should Buy A
Four-Wheeler Suitcase
Four-Wheeler Suitcase
Posted: 12/16/11 07:30 AM ET
Airline Travel , Travel Tips , Airlines , Travel Blogs , Baggage ,
Checked Baggage , Luggage , Travel News
.
Checked Baggage , Luggage , Travel News
.
Ever wonder why airlines lose, delay and damage bags? We asked an airline
baggage handler who, of course, spoke to us anonymously, what it’s like in the
belly of the beast and on the tarmac. What he told us might help you arrive with
your bag and its contents intact.
baggage handler who, of course, spoke to us anonymously, what it’s like in the
belly of the beast and on the tarmac. What he told us might help you arrive with
your bag and its contents intact.
What goes on behind the curtain?
You might be amazed at how much
manpower it takes to put a passenger aircraft in the air. Obviously, the
majority of time, you’ll only see the pilots, flight attendants and gate agents.
That already is a lot of people, but there are more people working outside to
get you to your destination. Once you leave your bag at the check-in counter, it
goes through a series of conveyer belts, where it may or may not be opened and
searched by TSA, until it reaches the pier for your departing flight.
You might be amazed at how much
manpower it takes to put a passenger aircraft in the air. Obviously, the
majority of time, you’ll only see the pilots, flight attendants and gate agents.
That already is a lot of people, but there are more people working outside to
get you to your destination. Once you leave your bag at the check-in counter, it
goes through a series of conveyer belts, where it may or may not be opened and
searched by TSA, until it reaches the pier for your departing flight.
It is then sorted into carts by one ramp agent who brings it planeside for
other ramp agents to load on the airplane. And we’re doing a lot more than just
loading and unloading your bags. Other than bags, there is a lot of other cargo
that gets transported by air. We see everything from human remains to mail to
fruits and vegetables coming on and off the plane. We’re also the guys directing
the plane to its parking position at the gate, securing the aircraft and hooking
up the ground power and air. Also, since planes don’t go in reverse, we are the
guys driving the push-back tug, ensuring that aircraft do not come in contact
with each other.
other ramp agents to load on the airplane. And we’re doing a lot more than just
loading and unloading your bags. Other than bags, there is a lot of other cargo
that gets transported by air. We see everything from human remains to mail to
fruits and vegetables coming on and off the plane. We’re also the guys directing
the plane to its parking position at the gate, securing the aircraft and hooking
up the ground power and air. Also, since planes don’t go in reverse, we are the
guys driving the push-back tug, ensuring that aircraft do not come in contact
with each other.
How do bags get damaged?
I’m not going to lie, your checked luggage
takes a beating. They call it “throwing bags” for a reason. There isn’t an easy
way around this. Airplanes only make money while in the air, and no airline
wants an airplane on the ground too long. Due to the nature of some aircraft, it
would be impossible to turn around a 737 or 757 in an hour or less without
throwing bags because it’s just faster. On these planes, there are only two long
and narrow cargo holds where your luggage goes.
I’m not going to lie, your checked luggage
takes a beating. They call it “throwing bags” for a reason. There isn’t an easy
way around this. Airplanes only make money while in the air, and no airline
wants an airplane on the ground too long. Due to the nature of some aircraft, it
would be impossible to turn around a 737 or 757 in an hour or less without
throwing bags because it’s just faster. On these planes, there are only two long
and narrow cargo holds where your luggage goes.
One agent puts the bags on the belt loader, which carries it up to an agent
inside the cargo hold who throws it 50 feet to the back where another agent
stacks all the bags as if it were a game of Tetris. Wheels and handles
oftentimes break or crack on impact, and anything fragile inside that is not
packed well doesn’t stand much of a chance. Don’t put red wine or alcohol in
your suitcase ever. I would never check any fragile items in a soft sided
suitcase, unless it was professionally packaged. Those fragile stickers don’t
get noticed very often in the rush of loading bags unless it is an obvious
shape, such as a musical instrument. I am a musician so I take special care of
those, but not everyone is a musician.
inside the cargo hold who throws it 50 feet to the back where another agent
stacks all the bags as if it were a game of Tetris. Wheels and handles
oftentimes break or crack on impact, and anything fragile inside that is not
packed well doesn’t stand much of a chance. Don’t put red wine or alcohol in
your suitcase ever. I would never check any fragile items in a soft sided
suitcase, unless it was professionally packaged. Those fragile stickers don’t
get noticed very often in the rush of loading bags unless it is an obvious
shape, such as a musical instrument. I am a musician so I take special care of
those, but not everyone is a musician.
Bags can also get damaged by loose ends getting caught in the belt, which
can tear off straps, zippers or handles. Handles also break off if the bag is
extremely heavy when we try to pick it up by the handle. One good thing about
the larger aircraft (747, 767, 777, 787, etc.) is that they are all loaded by
machines. Your bags are just put in a can and that can is loaded on the plane by
machine so there is no bag throwing. Theoretically there’s a better chance of
your bag coming out unscathed if you fly on one of those jets.
can tear off straps, zippers or handles. Handles also break off if the bag is
extremely heavy when we try to pick it up by the handle. One good thing about
the larger aircraft (747, 767, 777, 787, etc.) is that they are all loaded by
machines. Your bags are just put in a can and that can is loaded on the plane by
machine so there is no bag throwing. Theoretically there’s a better chance of
your bag coming out unscathed if you fly on one of those jets.
How do bags get lost?
Sometimes the airport code is read incorrectly and
it gets put in the wrong cart and brought to the wrong plane. Someone might
mistake VCE for NCE or PDX for PHX. It happens, but not that often. It’s always
important to ensure you have the correct destination on your bag tag and to keep
your receipt. Secure your contact information on the outside and inside of the
bag in case the outside tag falls off.
Sometimes the airport code is read incorrectly and
it gets put in the wrong cart and brought to the wrong plane. Someone might
mistake VCE for NCE or PDX for PHX. It happens, but not that often. It’s always
important to ensure you have the correct destination on your bag tag and to keep
your receipt. Secure your contact information on the outside and inside of the
bag in case the outside tag falls off.
If your bag ends up in a different destination, it won’t get re-routed
until it reaches wherever it went and is scanned. We try to scan all the bags
going on a flight, but the scanners are all wireless now and don’t always work
due to bad connections or getting locked up. If time is of the essence, your bag
may not get scanned. Also, if you have a tight connection, you may be able to
make it, but your bag may not. On smaller regional flights, many times bags are
not loaded or taken off due to weight and balance limits. This is for safety
reasons and ensures a safe take off and landing weight. So ideally, try to avoid
those planes.
until it reaches wherever it went and is scanned. We try to scan all the bags
going on a flight, but the scanners are all wireless now and don’t always work
due to bad connections or getting locked up. If time is of the essence, your bag
may not get scanned. Also, if you have a tight connection, you may be able to
make it, but your bag may not. On smaller regional flights, many times bags are
not loaded or taken off due to weight and balance limits. This is for safety
reasons and ensures a safe take off and landing weight. So ideally, try to avoid
those planes.
Finally, there’s the old “fell off the truck” scenario. Not in the sense
that someone took your bag but that it actually fell off the cart on its way to
or from the aircraft. This happens all the time and sometimes will delay your
bag if it is not noticed by anyone right away.
that someone took your bag but that it actually fell off the cart on its way to
or from the aircraft. This happens all the time and sometimes will delay your
bag if it is not noticed by anyone right away.
What kind of suitcases get damaged least? The most?
Cheap bags that you
buy at the discount store break very easily. If your handle is sewn on or is
very flimsy, it’s probably going to break. If you travel a lot or pack heavy,
make sure you buy a quality, durable bag. Hard-sided suitcases will get less
damage, but also look for well-designed handles that are attached with rivets
and some sort of protection around the wheels. Speaking of wheels, the best bags
to get are the “spinners” with four wheels on the bottom. We like these because
we don’t have to throw them when loading. We just roll them down the belly of
the plane so your bag and its contents will suffer much less damage.
Cheap bags that you
buy at the discount store break very easily. If your handle is sewn on or is
very flimsy, it’s probably going to break. If you travel a lot or pack heavy,
make sure you buy a quality, durable bag. Hard-sided suitcases will get less
damage, but also look for well-designed handles that are attached with rivets
and some sort of protection around the wheels. Speaking of wheels, the best bags
to get are the “spinners” with four wheels on the bottom. We like these because
we don’t have to throw them when loading. We just roll them down the belly of
the plane so your bag and its contents will suffer much less damage.
Why don’t airlines cover certain things?
My best guess as to why
airlines don’t cover common damages, such as wheels, handles and straps, is
because they break so often that they would be paying out all the time.
My best guess as to why
airlines don’t cover common damages, such as wheels, handles and straps, is
because they break so often that they would be paying out all the time.
Have you ever seen theft?
I have not personally seen anyone take
anything from a bag and keep it — but I wouldn’t say that it never happens.
There are no cameras inside the belly of the plane. When I have to check a bag,
I always use the TSA-approved locks to lock the suitcase. I do this not only to
prevent someone from easily taking something, but also to keep the bag closed.
We see open bags all the time because the zipper just started coming apart, and
yes, things do fall out of these open bags. Sometimes, we see it and can put
whatever came out back in the bag it came from, but sometimes there are just
random items strewn around the belly. If it’s a random piece of clothing or a
shoe, those won’t go down the baggage claim belt too well and just get discarded
eventually.
I have not personally seen anyone take
anything from a bag and keep it — but I wouldn’t say that it never happens.
There are no cameras inside the belly of the plane. When I have to check a bag,
I always use the TSA-approved locks to lock the suitcase. I do this not only to
prevent someone from easily taking something, but also to keep the bag closed.
We see open bags all the time because the zipper just started coming apart, and
yes, things do fall out of these open bags. Sometimes, we see it and can put
whatever came out back in the bag it came from, but sometimes there are just
random items strewn around the belly. If it’s a random piece of clothing or a
shoe, those won’t go down the baggage claim belt too well and just get discarded
eventually.
How can passengers prevent their bags from going astray?
The main thing
to do is keep your bag tag receipt so you can track your bag. If it didn’t get
scanned on the flight, it will get scanned eventually when it reaches a station.
Also, try to plan sufficient ground time for your bag to make its connection.
Thirty or 40 minutes isn’t always enough at a big airport like Atlanta.
The main thing
to do is keep your bag tag receipt so you can track your bag. If it didn’t get
scanned on the flight, it will get scanned eventually when it reaches a station.
Also, try to plan sufficient ground time for your bag to make its connection.
Thirty or 40 minutes isn’t always enough at a big airport like Atlanta.
What’s it like to work in that environment?
It’s fast paced, loud and
potentially dangerous. Hearing protection is a must, but not everyone wears it.
(Really not a good idea considering you are working around jet engines.)
Speaking of jet engines, they are very dangerous. There is risk of jet blast and
suction that wouldn’t end pretty if you were careless. This is one of the main
points emphasized in training.
It’s fast paced, loud and
potentially dangerous. Hearing protection is a must, but not everyone wears it.
(Really not a good idea considering you are working around jet engines.)
Speaking of jet engines, they are very dangerous. There is risk of jet blast and
suction that wouldn’t end pretty if you were careless. This is one of the main
points emphasized in training.
In general, training was all about safety. You have to be aware of your
surroundings at all times. It’s a labor-intensive job that involves working with
heavy machinery and in all weather conditions.
surroundings at all times. It’s a labor-intensive job that involves working with
heavy machinery and in all weather conditions.
Follow George Hobica on Twitter: www.twitter.com/airfarewatchdog
_____________________________
Top 10 Companies Hiring This
Week
Week
Top 10 Companies Hiring This Week
By AOL Jobs Contributor , Posted Apr 7th 2010 @ 2:22AM
Text SizeAAA
12388566422852740
inShare.293
3726 Comments
December 11 – December 17
We know that your job search can get quite
frustrating these days with more people trying to find a job and fewer
employment opportunities available.
frustrating these days with more people trying to find a job and fewer
employment opportunities available.
To ease the burden, we’ve tracked
down 10 top companies that are hiring this week — from sales jobs to finance
jobs, full-time jobs to part-time jobs. We hope you find a job that’s perfect
for you.
down 10 top companies that are hiring this week — from sales jobs to finance
jobs, full-time jobs to part-time jobs. We hope you find a job that’s perfect
for you.
Good luck job hunting!
1. UPS
Known by its large brown delivery trucks, United Parcel Service delivers
over 15 million packages per day. Headquartered in Sandy Springs, Ga., UPS
competes with other carriers, such as FedEx and the U.S. Postal Service. The
company employs approximately 350,000 in the United States, with another 67,000
around the world.
over 15 million packages per day. Headquartered in Sandy Springs, Ga., UPS
competes with other carriers, such as FedEx and the U.S. Postal Service. The
company employs approximately 350,000 in the United States, with another 67,000
around the world.
With the holidays fast approaching, UPS says it plans to hire a staggering
55,000 additional employees to handle the workload. UPS expects deliveries to
increase by roughly 6 percent compared to the 2010 holiday season.
55,000 additional employees to handle the workload. UPS expects deliveries to
increase by roughly 6 percent compared to the 2010 holiday season.
Employee Review: “Fair pay, and quality benefits and opportunities for
full-time, year-round employees. Fast-paced environment without any chance for
boredom.”*
full-time, year-round employees. Fast-paced environment without any chance for
boredom.”*
Top Job Categories:
•Transportation Jobs
•Insurance
Jobs
•Distribution/Shipping Jobs
•See all UPS jobs
•Transportation Jobs
•Insurance
Jobs
•Distribution/Shipping Jobs
•See all UPS jobs
2. Sears
Most people recognize Sears as the department store common to countless
shopping malls. While its department stores are certainly popular, Sears
Holdings operates several other brands as well.
shopping malls. While its department stores are certainly popular, Sears
Holdings operates several other brands as well.
Sears is one of several retailers offering layaway service again, partly
due to recent economic conditions. The company was the ninth-largest retailer in
2010, behind other giants like Wal-Mart Stores, Target and Costco.
due to recent economic conditions. The company was the ninth-largest retailer in
2010, behind other giants like Wal-Mart Stores, Target and Costco.
Employee Review: “My favorite thing about working with Sears is the
stability. The company has been around for over 100 years and is one of the
largest in the world. It has great benefits and work-life balance is excellent.
I don’t have to worry about being on-call on nights and weekends. They have
really great quality people who are easy to get along with.”*
stability. The company has been around for over 100 years and is one of the
largest in the world. It has great benefits and work-life balance is excellent.
I don’t have to worry about being on-call on nights and weekends. They have
really great quality people who are easy to get along with.”*
Top Job Categories:
•Customer Service Jobs
•Customer Service Jobs
•Retail Jobs
•Sales Jobs
•Sales Jobs
•See all Sears jobs
3. UnitedHealth Group
UnitedHealth Group currently provides health insurance services to over 75
million people worldwide. The company recently has been actively involved in
creating several technological advancements in the health care field, including
the development of video conferencing systems for patient/doctor communication,
the creation of electronic health records systems, and the release of an iPhone
app to locate participating physicians.
million people worldwide. The company recently has been actively involved in
creating several technological advancements in the health care field, including
the development of video conferencing systems for patient/doctor communication,
the creation of electronic health records systems, and the release of an iPhone
app to locate participating physicians.
Employee Review: “I really enjoyed my time at UnitedHealth Group. The
trainers were very knowledgeable and were always there to answer any questions
that I had. I worked as a claims associate for just a few short months before
being promoted to another department. I then went on to work from home! Only
left this company because of personal issues not related to my job. Great place
to work!”*
trainers were very knowledgeable and were always there to answer any questions
that I had. I worked as a claims associate for just a few short months before
being promoted to another department. I then went on to work from home! Only
left this company because of personal issues not related to my job. Great place
to work!”*
Top Job Categories:
•Health Care Jobs
•Health Care Jobs
•Management Jobs
•Insurance Jobs
•Insurance Jobs
•See all UnitedHealth Group jobs.
4. Boston Market
Headquartered in Golden, Colo., Boston Market was founded in 1985 as Boston
Chicken. The company changed its name to today’s “Boston Market” in 1995. The
chain owns approximately 530 restaurants in 28 states. It employs roughly 14,000
employees. Boston Market has expanded their offerings in recent years, adding a
national catering program and ready-to-eat frozen menu items to supermarkets
nationwide.
Chicken. The company changed its name to today’s “Boston Market” in 1995. The
chain owns approximately 530 restaurants in 28 states. It employs roughly 14,000
employees. Boston Market has expanded their offerings in recent years, adding a
national catering program and ready-to-eat frozen menu items to supermarkets
nationwide.
With the holidays fast approaching, Boston Market has announced a “heat and
serve” holiday banquet program for hosts who are looking to save money or time.
The company is also working to improve the guest experience, starting in
restaurants around the Atlanta metro area.
serve” holiday banquet program for hosts who are looking to save money or time.
The company is also working to improve the guest experience, starting in
restaurants around the Atlanta metro area.
Employee Review: “The customers are 99 percent awesome. Lots of regulars.
The food is fairly healthy and varied enough not to be boring. I end up eating
at work more times than not, so this is a plus. The stores I have worked in have
all had a cheerful ambiance with lots of sunlight.”*
The food is fairly healthy and varied enough not to be boring. I end up eating
at work more times than not, so this is a plus. The stores I have worked in have
all had a cheerful ambiance with lots of sunlight.”*
Top Job Categories:
•Insurance Jobs
•Management
Jobs
•Distribution/Shipping Jobs
•See all Boston Market jobs
•Insurance Jobs
•Management
Jobs
•Distribution/Shipping Jobs
•See all Boston Market jobs
5. Ernst & Young
Headquartered in London, England, Ernst & Young is one of the so-called
Big Four accounting firms. The company’s activities consist mainly in doing
financial audit work for other corporations.
Big Four accounting firms. The company’s activities consist mainly in doing
financial audit work for other corporations.
Ernst & Young also is actively involved in areas such as actuarial
consulting, as well as due-diligence research for mergers and
acquisitions.
consulting, as well as due-diligence research for mergers and
acquisitions.
The company is one of 12 to receive the 2011 “Business Partner of the Year”
award from Proctor & Gamble. Ernst & Young was selected from over 75,000
P&G suppliers, in part due to their high level of client/customer
service.
award from Proctor & Gamble. Ernst & Young was selected from over 75,000
P&G suppliers, in part due to their high level of client/customer
service.
Employee Review: “Excellent brand, great client base, excellent opportunity
to work globally. Focus on people is strong, given the nature of
consulting.”*
to work globally. Focus on people is strong, given the nature of
consulting.”*
Top Job Categories:
•Accounting Jobs
•Management Jobs
•Finance
Jobs
•See all Ernst & Young jobs
•Accounting Jobs
•Management Jobs
•Finance
Jobs
•See all Ernst & Young jobs
6. Snap-On Tools
Founded in 1920, Snap-On designs, manufactures and markets
professional-grade tools in the United States. It operates on a franchise model,
with dealer vans that function as mobile showrooms. This sales and marketing
method has proven successful, and is the basis for the company’s entire business
model.
professional-grade tools in the United States. It operates on a franchise model,
with dealer vans that function as mobile showrooms. This sales and marketing
method has proven successful, and is the basis for the company’s entire business
model.
Snap-On has a history of involvement in the automotive and motorsports
industries. Snap-On tools are popular among mechanics, and the company has
traditionally sponsored various motor sport teams in the U.S., including Roger
Penske Racing and Penske’s Sprint Cup Series team.
industries. Snap-On tools are popular among mechanics, and the company has
traditionally sponsored various motor sport teams in the U.S., including Roger
Penske Racing and Penske’s Sprint Cup Series team.
The company recently kicked off its “Snap-On Rescue Rig” promotion. The
Rescue Rig is traveling the country in search of technicians who are using less
efficient tools. Snap-On’s stock has also been on the move lately.
Rescue Rig is traveling the country in search of technicians who are using less
efficient tools. Snap-On’s stock has also been on the move lately.
Employee Review: “Progressive environment, clear strategic business
objectives and communications, clear mission. Vision values communications.
Company going through changes for the better.”*
objectives and communications, clear mission. Vision values communications.
Company going through changes for the better.”*
Top Job Categories:
•Franchise Jobs
•Business Opportunity
Jobs
•Sales Jobs
•See all Snap-On Tools jobs
•Franchise Jobs
•Business Opportunity
Jobs
•Sales Jobs
•See all Snap-On Tools jobs
7. AT&T Retail
With over 96 million mobile customers, AT&T Wireless is the 20th
largest mobile phone service provider in the world, and according to Forbes, the
14th largest company in the world by market value.
largest mobile phone service provider in the world, and according to Forbes, the
14th largest company in the world by market value.
AT&T’s mobile division is headquartered in DeKalb County, Ga., just
outside of Atlanta. Between the years of 2005 and 2007, the company acquired
Cingular Wireless and BellSouth. Until recently, AT&T Wireless was the
exclusive carrier of Apple’s popular iPhone line in the United States.
outside of Atlanta. Between the years of 2005 and 2007, the company acquired
Cingular Wireless and BellSouth. Until recently, AT&T Wireless was the
exclusive carrier of Apple’s popular iPhone line in the United States.
AT&T is now one of three major wireless carriers, alongside Verizon and
Sprint, to feature Apple’s new iPhone 4S. Recent reports indicate that
AT&T’s wireless revenue has grown by over 4 percent versus last year.
Sprint, to feature Apple’s new iPhone 4S. Recent reports indicate that
AT&T’s wireless revenue has grown by over 4 percent versus last year.
Employee Review: “They provide great benefits and pay. I know they match
quite a bit for 401(k) investment. It is a great job for someone interested in
technology and learning about new technologies. Also, it is great to know that
you are helping others out on a daily basis.”*
quite a bit for 401(k) investment. It is a great job for someone interested in
technology and learning about new technologies. Also, it is great to know that
you are helping others out on a daily basis.”*
Top Job Categories:
•Sales Jobs
•Sales Jobs
•Retail Jobs
•Customer Service Jobs
•Customer Service Jobs
•See all AT&T Retail jobs
8. Lockheed Martin
Lockheed Martin, based in Bethesda, Md., is one of the largest defense
contractors in the nation, and currently has about 140,000 employees worldwide.
The company is the defense department’s largest contractor in terms of sales,
with $19 billion in contracts awarded so far in 2011.
contractors in the nation, and currently has about 140,000 employees worldwide.
The company is the defense department’s largest contractor in terms of sales,
with $19 billion in contracts awarded so far in 2011.
The company’s operations can be broken down into four main business units:
aeronautics, electronic systems, information systems and global solutions, and
space systems. Of these units, electronic systems is the largest in terms of
revenue, having brought in roughly $14.3 billion in 2010 sales.
aeronautics, electronic systems, information systems and global solutions, and
space systems. Of these units, electronic systems is the largest in terms of
revenue, having brought in roughly $14.3 billion in 2010 sales.
The company, along with the Federal Aviation Administration and
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, recently announced the opening of the
Florida NextGen Test Bed. The Test Bed, located in Daytona Beach, Fla., is a
laboratory where new aviation concepts may be tested. Additionally, Lockheed
Martin was just awarded a $6.7 million contract to support training for the
United States Army.
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, recently announced the opening of the
Florida NextGen Test Bed. The Test Bed, located in Daytona Beach, Fla., is a
laboratory where new aviation concepts may be tested. Additionally, Lockheed
Martin was just awarded a $6.7 million contract to support training for the
United States Army.
Employee review: “The senior leadership is very competent and there are
many opportunities to move around in your career. They offer great benefits and
the work that you do is fulfilling.”*
many opportunities to move around in your career. They offer great benefits and
the work that you do is fulfilling.”*
Top Job Categories:
•Information Technology Jobs
•Engineering
Jobs
•Management Jobs
•See all Lockheed Martin jobs
•Information Technology Jobs
•Engineering
Jobs
•Management Jobs
•See all Lockheed Martin jobs
9. Aflac
The company was founded in 1955 by brothers John, Paul and Bill Amos. In
1964 the company pioneered the concept of “cluster-selling” insurance, in which
sales agents would go to corporate offices to give groups of workers insurance
presentations, as opposed to presenting each person individually.
1964 the company pioneered the concept of “cluster-selling” insurance, in which
sales agents would go to corporate offices to give groups of workers insurance
presentations, as opposed to presenting each person individually.
In 1990 Daniel Amos was named CEO of the company, and in 2000 he made
history when he introduced the world to the Aflac Duck. The world-famous fowl
now has his own place on the Madison Avenue Walk of Fame and is a universally
recognized icon of American popular culture.
history when he introduced the world to the Aflac Duck. The world-famous fowl
now has his own place on the Madison Avenue Walk of Fame and is a universally
recognized icon of American popular culture.
The company was named by IDG’s Computerworld as one of the “Best Places to
Work in Information Technology for 2011.” This is the 12th time that Aflac has
achieved the distinction of being one of the top 100 organizations in terms of
compensation, benefits, training and career development.
Work in Information Technology for 2011.” This is the 12th time that Aflac has
achieved the distinction of being one of the top 100 organizations in terms of
compensation, benefits, training and career development.
Employee Review: “Great product that provides peace of mind. This is an
easy sell if you point out why there is such a need for it. Nice incentives, but
the bar is set high.”*
easy sell if you point out why there is such a need for it. Nice incentives, but
the bar is set high.”*
Top Job Categories:
•Sales Jobs
•Insurance Jobs
•Marketing
Jobs
•See all Aflac jobs
•Sales Jobs
•Insurance Jobs
•Marketing
Jobs
•See all Aflac jobs
10. Macy’s
Originally founded as Federated Department Stores in 1929, the company was
officially renamed Macy’s in 2007. With over 800 stores across the nation,
Macy’s is one of the largest retail companies in the United States. Macy’s sales
rose throughout 2010 and it already has announced plans to hire 3,500 employees
in the next two years.
officially renamed Macy’s in 2007. With over 800 stores across the nation,
Macy’s is one of the largest retail companies in the United States. Macy’s sales
rose throughout 2010 and it already has announced plans to hire 3,500 employees
in the next two years.
Of the major department store brands (Macy’s, Dillards, Sears, Saks Fifth
Avenue and J.C. Penney), Macy’s was the highest performer throughout 2011,
according to a a recent report.
As a result of their third-quarter earnings,
the company recently revised (and raised) their earnings expectations for the
remainder of the year.
Employee Review: “The management is competent.
Employees are given a good discount and still able to use coupons. You can pick
up more hours online when they become available.”*
Avenue and J.C. Penney), Macy’s was the highest performer throughout 2011,
according to a a recent report.
As a result of their third-quarter earnings,
the company recently revised (and raised) their earnings expectations for the
remainder of the year.
Employee Review: “The management is competent.
Employees are given a good discount and still able to use coupons. You can pick
up more hours online when they become available.”*
Top Job Categories:
•Retail Jobs
•Sales Jobs
•Professional
Services Jobs
•See all Macy’s jobs
•Retail Jobs
•Sales Jobs
•Professional
Services Jobs
•See all Macy’s jobs
*All employee reviews provided courtesy of Glassdoor.com.
Inside Tips For Getting A Job At:
•Boeing
•UPS
•Boeing
•UPS
•Coca-Cola
•Whole Foods
•Whole Foods
What It’s REALLY Like To Work For:
•Wegmans
•Google
•Nugget
Market
•DreamWorks
•Best Companies To Work For: 2010
•Wegmans
•Nugget
Market
•DreamWorks
•Best Companies To Work For: 2010
Filed under:
Now Hiring, Top 10 Lists
Now Hiring, Top 10 Lists
Tags: aol, companies hiring, companies+that+are+hiring,
companiesthatarehiring, job openings, places hiring, top 10 companies, top
companies, who is hiring, whos hiring
companiesthatarehiring, job openings, places hiring, top 10 companies, top
companies, who is hiring, whos hiring
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_________________________________
Cards Ron collected at the CEC start-up prediction
event on 12/14/11 plus some people wrote down their email
addresses
event on 12/14/11 plus some people wrote down their email
addresses
Dr. Marcia L. Schurer
President
Culinary Connections
www.culinaryconnections.net
mlschurer@culinaryconnections.net
President
Culinary Connections
www.culinaryconnections.net
mlschurer@culinaryconnections.net
Philip Dunn
phil.dunn@mac.com
phil.dunn@mac.com
Diana Sepielli
Business Development Associate
Advantage xPO
www.advantagexpo.com
diana.sepielli@advantageresourcing.com
Business Development Associate
Advantage xPO
www.advantagexpo.com
diana.sepielli@advantageresourcing.com
Tatyana Syrotyuk
ts@newnine.com
ts@newnine.com
Jean Bahnik
jeanbahnik@gmail.com
jeanbahnik@gmail.com
Elizabeth McCarthy
Assistant Director
McCormick
www.fcei.northwestern.edu
e-mccarthy@northwestern.edu
Assistant Director
McCormick
www.fcei.northwestern.edu
e-mccarthy@northwestern.edu
Arvin Dang
arvin@arvindang.com
arvin@arvindang.com
Larry Kaplan
Ryan Wynia
Firebone
Brand Strategy
Ginny Ewing
Digital
ginnyewing@yahoo.com
ginnyewing@yahoo.com
Michael Flanagan
Silicon Insurance
Erica Mercer
________________________________
Cards Ron collected at the Lean Start-up Circle Finals
on 12/15/2011 plus some email addresses written down
on 12/15/2011 plus some email addresses written down
Robert Dalton Summers, Jr.
Intellectual Property Attorney
Brinks
Hofer Gilson & Lione
www.usebrinks.com
rsummers@usebrinks.com
Intellectual Property Attorney
Brinks
Hofer Gilson & Lione
www.usebrinks.com
rsummers@usebrinks.com
Nick Stocking
Ilam Kreiment
Elizabeth McCarthy
Joe Miller
Founder
Dave Mulder
jlane@devdirection.com – he’s Mandy
Lane’s hubby and friend to Todd Allen. He tries to stay away from the mishighas
at 11 [sic: 111] E. Chestnut where the condo board threw out Tony Milazzo, DDS,
(630-404-8619), who was the president of the board until he got booted recently.
Tony was so ticked off that he wrote a scathing letter stating that the board
and in particular Craig Nelson and Yves Fredette are trying to “raid the
treasury.” At issue: Craig Nelson wants the condo members to reimburse his $20K
in legal fees for the cost of his defense against assault charges brought by the
State’s Attorney against him with Brian Connolly as what they call the
complaining witness..
Lane’s hubby and friend to Todd Allen. He tries to stay away from the mishighas
at 11 [sic: 111] E. Chestnut where the condo board threw out Tony Milazzo, DDS,
(630-404-8619), who was the president of the board until he got booted recently.
Tony was so ticked off that he wrote a scathing letter stating that the board
and in particular Craig Nelson and Yves Fredette are trying to “raid the
treasury.” At issue: Craig Nelson wants the condo members to reimburse his $20K
in legal fees for the cost of his defense against assault charges brought by the
State’s Attorney against him with Brian Connolly as what they call the
complaining witness..
laura@groupon.com — Laura is involved in
their travel operation and given her email, she must have been an early
employee
their travel operation and given her email, she must have been an early
employee
__________________________________
END OF
REPORT
REPORT