Monday, January 30, 2012

Vote for Grad's Company as America's Next Top Energy Innovator

Below is a USMA Grad's (1967) request for assistance in promoting his business. Consider helping by clicking on the link and voting for him!

 

Element One, Inc., a company which I founded, is one of 14 start-up companies in the U.S. selected to compete for DOE’s “America's Next Top Energy Innovator”.   

The top three companies will be selected by a panel of experts, but their selection will be based in part on public voting.  Just being selected for the competition is good for our company, but if we are among the top three, Element One will be featured at the upcoming 2012 ARPA-E Energy Innovation Summit which would jump start the company.  Our company is comprised of veterans of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, and we’ve created some really important new technology.  For more information on Element One, go to www.elem1.com.

Please forward this email to all those who might vote for us!

NREL Press Release:  http://www.nrel.gov/news/press/2012/1773.html Vote online for America’s Next Top Energy Innovator, NREL contributed to three of the14 breakthrough technologies

Voting closes February 6th.  I’ll keep you posted on how we’re doing.

Thanks!

Bill Hoagland, USMA ‘67

Sunday, January 29, 2012

Weekly News and Agenda for Tuesday 1/31/12

1. AGENDA FOR TUESDAY, 1/31/12:

0700-0730: INTRODUCTIONS & ASSISTANCE

During roundtable introductions we invite you tell us what you're up to these days and anything we might be able to help with, including referrals, advice, job search assistance, or any other networking needs. Chances are good that someone in the group can either help directly or refer you to someone in the network who can.

0730-0800: PROGRAM/SPEAKER

Chris Werhane is Director of Military Opportunities for Adaptive Adventures, whose mission is "to provide progressive outdoor sports opportunities to improve quality of life for children, adults and veterans with physical disabilities and their families". Mr. Werhane will talk with us about their great programs for military veterans. For more info, visit www.adaptiveadventures.org

2. UPCOMING TUESDAY PROGRAMS:

1/31/12 (this week): Chris Werhane, Director of Military Opportunities at Adaptive Adventures. See above.

2/7/12: TBD/Open Forum. If there's a speaker you'd like to invite for this date or any future Tuesdays, or if you'd like to lead a discussion yourself, just let me know (panicciaj@aol.com) and we'll get it onto the schedule.

3. MORE ON PAULA BROADWELL (USMA '95), AUTHOR OF NEW BOOK ON GEN DAVID PETRAEUS (USMA '74):

As mentioned last week, former Denver BizNet member Paula Broadwell (USMA '95) has authored a biography on GEN David Petraeus (USMA '74). Her book went on sale this past week, and is titled All In: The Education of General David Petraeus.

Paula appeared on several national media segments this past week and will be coming thru Denver for book signings in March. Here's a link to see her interview on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart this past Wednesday. http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/wed-january-25-2012/paula-broadwell

In another segment on the same show, Paula challenged Jon Stewart to a push-up contest to raise money for wounded warrior organizations. http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/wed-january-25-2012/exclusive---push-up-contest-to-benefit-wounded-veterans

Thanks to BizNet member Leo DeGreef (USAFA '79) for passing along these links.

Visit the book's website, at www.paulabroadwell.com. We've invited Paula to speak at BizNet when she comes thru Denver in March, although her travel schedule for that period is not yet solidified.

===================================================


Have a great week.

Joe Paniccia (USMA '84)
BizNet Coordinator
panicciaj@aol.com

Service Academy BizNet of Denver meets weekly on Tuesdays at 0700, in the Marriott Hotel at the Denver Tech Center. From I-25, exit Belleview east, then turn north onto Syracuse Street. While the Marriott lots are paid parking (approx $2-4), you can park for FREE across the street at Garcia's Restaurant (we have their permission). Look for us in the seating area inside the Marriott's coffee shop. RSVP is not required. Dress is casual. Attendance is open to graduates of the federal service academies (USAFA, USCGA, USMA, USMMA, USNA). Our schedule, roster and other information are posted on the web site at www.academybiznet.org

Sunday, January 22, 2012

Weekly News and Agenda for Tuesday 1/24/12

1. AGENDA FOR TUESDAY, 1/24/12:

0700-0730: INTRODUCTIONS & ASSISTANCE

During roundtable introductions we invite you tell us what you're up to these days and anything we might be able to help with, including referrals, advice, job search assistance, or any other networking needs. Chances are good that someone in the group can either help directly or refer you to someone in the network who can.

0730-0800: PROGRAM/SPEAKER

BizNet member Sarah Brown (USNA '91) will lead a discussion about career transitions. Like many of us, Sarah has experienced several transitions, not just from military to corporate roles, but more recently from the corporate world to business owner. This past she year left a corporate role to become a regional franchise owner/developer with Synergy Home Care. www.synergyhomecare.com


2. UPCOMING TUESDAY PROGRAMS:


1/24/12 (this week): Sarah Brown (USNA '91) on career transitions.

1/31/12: Chris Werhane is director of military opportunities for Adaptive Adventures, whose mission is "to provide progressive outdoor sports opportunities to improve quality of life for children, adults and veterans with physical disabilities and their families". Mr. Werhane will talk with us about the great programs at Adaptive Adventures.

If there's a speaker you'd like to invite for any future Tuesdays, or if you'd like to lead a discussion yourself, just let me know (panicciaj@aol.com) and we'll get it onto the schedule.

3. FORMER BIZNET MEMBER WRITES BOOK ON PETRAEUS:

Paula Broadwell (USMA '95) has just completed a 3-year effort to write a biography on GEN David Petraeus (USMA '74). The book, titled All In: The Education of General David Petraeus, will be released for sale this week. Paula spent a year embedded at ISAF headquaters in Afghanistan and had unique access to Petraeus and his family in writing this book. It has received impressive acclaim from distinguished reviewers. Paula lived in the Denver area several years ago and used to attend our Tuesday morning BizNet meetings.

For more information, visit the book's website, at www.paulabroadwell.com. Paula will appear on several national news shows this week, and will visit the Denver area for book signing events in March.

4. DENVER AREA USAFA NETWORKING EVENT (open to grunts and squids too):

The Denver Chapter of the USAFA Association of Graduates is hosting a great networking event this Thursday (1/26/12), 1700-1930, at Wings Over the Rockies Air & Space Museum in Aurora. Guests are welcome, including grads of other service academies and other guests.

Special guest for this event is BG Pete Gertsen (USAFA '89). BG Gertsen just finished a tour as Wing Commander at Creech AFB where he was in charge of all UAVs world-wide. He has some interesting perspectives on the future of unmanned aerial vehicles in the Air Force, especially as it relates to the global war on terror.

Drinks and light appetizers will be provided. If interested in attending, please RSVP directly to Mike Fontaine at mfontaine@thebaxgroup.com

Thanks to BizNet member Bob Fretzs (USAFA '71) for passing along this invitation.


===================================================

Have a great week.

Joe Paniccia (USMA '84)
BizNet Coordinator
panicciaj@aol.com

Service Academy BizNet of Denver meets weekly on Tuesdays at 0700, in the Marriott Hotel at the Denver Tech Center. From I-25, exit Belleview east, then turn north onto Syracuse Street. While the Marriott lots are paid parking (approx $2-4), you can park for FREE across the street at Garcia's Restaurant (we have their permission). Look for us in the seating area inside the Marriott's coffee shop. RSVP is not required. Dress is casual. Attendance is open to graduates of the federal service academies (USAFA, USCGA, USMA, USMMA, USNA). Our schedule, roster and other information are posted on the web site at www.academybiznet.org

Monday, January 16, 2012

Speaker added for this week - 1/17/12

For tomorrow (Tues, 1/17/12) we have an Open Forum scheduled, and we'll stick with that for the most part, but Rich Adams (USMA '67) will also speak a bit about his book, The Parting - A Story of West Point on the Eve of the Civil War. Thanks to Rich's classmate, Carrol Howard, for inviting Rich to join us tomorrow.

Maybe we can get Rich on the schedule sometime in the future as well, with a bit more advanced notice, especially given the strong interest his book has generated since being published in 2010. Meantime, this is likely to be an interesting brief talk tomorrow if you can make it.


Joe Paniccia
USMA '84
BizNet Coordinator

Service Academy BizNet of Denver meets weekly on Tuesdays at 0700, in the Marriott Hotel at the Denver Tech Center. From I-25, exit Belleview east, then turn north onto Syracuse Street. While the Marriott lots are paid parking (approx $2-4), you can park for FREE across the street at Garcia's Restaurant (we have their permission). Look for us in the seating area inside the Marriott's coffee shop. RSVP is not required. Dress is casual. Attendance is open to graduates of the federal service academies (USAFA, USCGA, USMA, USMMA, USNA). Our schedule, roster and other information are posted on the web site at www.academybiznet.org

Sunday, January 15, 2012

Weekly News and Agenda for Tuesday 1/17/12

1. AGENDA FOR TUESDAY, 1/17/12:

0700-0800: OPEN FORUM

We never seem to lack for productive discussion and networking, even on the Tuesdays when we don't have a scheduled speaker. Grab some coffee and join us for this open forum discussion. We'll focus on topics of interest and any networking needs you might have. Remember that networking is like any investment -- the benefits are often greatest when you invest consistently over time.

2. UPCOMING TUESDAY PROGRAMS:

1/17/12 (this week): Open Forum

1/24/12: Sarah Brown (USNA '91) will lead a discussion about career transitions. Sarah has made some significant transitions, not just from military to corporate roles, but more recently from the corporate world to an entreprenurial role. She is a regional franchise developer for Synergy Home Care. www.synergyhomecare.com

1/31/12: Chris Werhane is director of military opportunities for Adaptive Adventures, whose mission is "to provide progressive outdoor sports opportunities to improve quality of life for children, adults and veterans with physical disabilities and their families". Mr. Werhane will talk with us about the great programs at Adaptive Adventures.

If there's a speaker you'd like to invite for any future Tuesdays, or if you'd like to lead a discussion yourself, just let me know (panicciaj@aol.com) and we'll get it onto the schedule.

3. GRAD SEEKING WEBSITE DESIGNER/DEVELOPER:

BizNet member Bill Sumner (USMA '78) is seeking bids for design and development work to improve his business website. If interested, please contact Bill directly at william@theinevitableyou.com

Here's an excerpt from Bill's RFQ:

The Inevitable You® is currently seeking a partner for creating a website design as well as development of the site. The successful partner has proven experience in website design and development as well as the ability to share website expertise with The Inevitable You® team.

The Inevitable You® is replacing the existing website at www.theinevitableyou.com. The new website will drive several outcomes including adding value through free content, capturing leads, and being a profitable money making machine with both national and international exposure. The new website will have a high tech, new age feel while being grounded in a professional business.


For additional details, see previous BizNet blog posting, or contact Bill directly at william@theinevitableyou.com.


===================================================

Have a great week.

Joe Paniccia (USMA '84)
BizNet Coordinator
panicciaj@aol.com

Service Academy BizNet of Denver meets weekly on Tuesdays at 0700, in the Marriott Hotel at the Denver Tech Center. From I-25, exit Belleview east, then turn north onto Syracuse Street. While the Marriott lots are paid parking (approx $2-4), you can park for FREE across the street at Garcia's Restaurant (we have their permission). Look for us in the seating area inside the Marriott's coffee shop. RSVP is not required. Dress is casual. Attendance is open to graduates of the federal service academies (USAFA, USCGA, USMA, USMMA, USNA). Our schedule, roster and other information are posted on the web site at www.academybiznet.org

Grad Seeking Website Designer/Developer

BizNet member Bill Sumner (USMA '78) is seeking bids on the following work. If interested, please contact Bill directly at william@theinevitableyou.com.

Overview:

The Inevitable You® is currently seeking a partner for creating a website design as well as development of the site. The successful partner has proven experience in website design and development as well as the ability to share website expertise with The Inevitable You® team.

The Inevitable You® is replacing the existing website at www.theinevitableyou.com. The new website will drive several outcomes including adding value through free content, capturing leads, and being a profitable money making machine with both national and international exposure. The new website will have a high tech, new age feel while being grounded in a professional business.

The new website will be informational and explain how The Inevitable You® system works for individuals and Corporations. Entry level products such as a soft cover books and seminars will be sold through the website. An explanation of the upper end products will be provided on the website however, upper end products will be sold through backend sales offline and will not be included in the website sales.

The new website must be flexible and provide The Inevitable You® with the ability to quickly adapt to the requirements of tomorrow as they arise. We currently have all the design elements for the website such as logos, banners, etc. Additionally we have all the text to drop into the website as the site structure is built.

Please note this RFQ is built on current state thinking. The Inevitable You® is seeking a partner to provide feedback on the website design and is not solidly wedded to any sacred cows. Suggested changes or different solutions are welcome and will be considered after a time, resource and outcomes analysis.

Current Assets:

The Inevitable You® currently has accounts established with several tool providers including the following: Click Bank, AWeber, BatchBook, Elance and Easy Video Player. The website will be hosted by GoDaddy and The Inevitable You® has a GoDaddy account.

Outcomes for the website:
1. Add value through free content
2. Capture leads
3. Be a profitable, money making machine with both national and international customers

Online Sales:

When a sale is generated through the website the purchaser’s name and email address will be captured and added to The Inevitable You® list. Capturing the name for the list must meet compliance requirements such that The Inevitable You® can distribute information to the customer following their purchase on the website.

Lead Capture & Traffic:

The website will have opt in forms to capture name and email in exchange for giving away 3 free videos. Following the opt in an auto responder campaign will be sent to the person who completed the form. The auto responder will be distributed via AWeber. The Inevitable You® has an account established with AWeber.
Traffic will be driven to the website from online and offline sources.

Flexibility to change the website:

The new website must have the flexibility and platform to meet the needs of a rapidly growing, dynamic company. The new website must provide the ability for changes to be made by The Inevitable You® staff after the initial development of the website is complete. Some examples of the changes include the ability to:
 add, remove and change products and promotions quickly
 change dates and time of seminars
 rearrange the order of drop down menus
 change the levels of access for customers of the members only website
 add additional content in various media including podcast, video, audio, etc
Note: This list is not all inclusive it only represents a sampling of the types of changes.

Sunday, January 8, 2012

Weekly News & Agenda for Tuesday, 1/10/12

1. AGENDA FOR TUESDAY, 1/10/12:

0700-0800: OPEN FORUM

This week we'll devote the entire session to your networking needs and/or topics of interest. Stop by, grab some coffee, and join us for this open forum discussion.

2. UPCOMING TUESDAY PROGRAMS:

We have a speaker scheduled for the end of the month (1/31), but the next few Tuesdays (1/17, 1/24) are currently open. We have several tentative speakers and hope to get some of those firmed up soon.

If there's a speaker you'd like to invite, or if you'd like to lead a discussion yourself, just let me know (panicciaj@aol.com).

3. MEMORIAL SERVICES FOR BG ROBERT BERRY:

BG Bob Berry was a prominent figure at West Point for several decades, primarily as Head of the Department of Law and as OIC of the Army football team. He resided in the Denver area during most of his retirement, but passed away last month.

A service and internment for BG Berry will occur at Arlington National Cemetery on March 2, 2012. Services will begin at 9am on March 2, 2012, at the Old Post Chapel at Fort Myer, VA.

===================================================

Have a great week.

Joe Paniccia (USMA '84)
BizNet Coordinator
panicciaj@aol.com

Service Academy BizNet of Denver meets weekly on Tuesdays at 0700, in the Marriott Hotel at the Denver Tech Center. From I-25, exit Belleview east, then turn north onto Syracuse Street. While the Marriott lots are paid parking (approx $2-4), you can park for FREE across the street at Garcia's Restaurant (we have their permission). Look for us in the seating area inside the Marriott's coffee shop. RSVP is not required. Dress is casual. Attendance is open to graduates of the federal service academies (USAFA, USCGA, USMA, USMMA, USNA). Our schedule, roster and other information are posted on the web site at www.academybiznet.org

Sunday, January 1, 2012

Weekly News & Agenda for Tuesday, 1/3/12

1. AGENDA FOR TUESDAY, 1/3/12:

0700-0730: INTRODUCTIONS & ASSISTANCE
We begin with individual introductions and discussion of any networking needs. Share as much or as little as you'd like on what's going in your world lately. If you have networking needs, chances are good that someone in the group will be able to make a referral, provide contacts, or offer advice.

0730-0800: PROGRAM

Annual White Elephant Gift Exchange. Join us for this fun BizNet tradition to kick off another year. Bring an unwanted (but wrapped) gift to unload on a fellow grad. We'll put all the gifts on the table, then follow a well-honed selection procedure. No worries if you forget to bring a gift -- please join us anyway, as we always have a few extra gifts to share. Typically there are a few rather nice gifts in the mix too, not just gag gifts.

2. TUESDAY PROGRAM SCHEDULE:

1/3/12 (this week): Annual White Elephant Gift Exchange.

1/10/12: TBD/Open Forum. If there's a speaker you'd like to invite, or if you'd like to lead a discussion yourself, just let me know (panicciaj@aol.com).

3. FOLLOW-UP ON RECENT DISCUSSIONS - JOB ASSISTANCE FOR EXITING SERVICE MEMBERS:

Thanks for your many great ideas, emails, and discussions on how we might help enlisted servicemembers with civilian job placement. While the need is not new, there has been heightened focus on the high unemployment rate among post-9/11 veterans and a related directive for commanders to assist their departing servicemembers with civilian job placement.

Some common themes and progress from our discussions thus far:

A. BizNet and/or the academy grad associations are in a position to help.
B. That help needs to be something sustainable, not a labor-intensive process that demands time which most of us realistically don't have.
C. There are existing programs to help with this, so we need not duplicate those efforts, but rather complement or supplement them.
D. Many of the existing programs are either nationally-based and very broad, or very base-specific with limited reach. Our efforts should be more locally focused, meaning the greater Denver-Colorado Springs-Front Range area.
E. The most prevalent suggestion, and perhaps most sustainable, is to establish a simple database to which commanders could submit their members' resumes, and to which grad-connected employers could subscribe to search or receive some kind of periodic notification of matches with their needs. This idea requires one or more individuals to get it off the ground. Once established, it should be sustainable with minimal ongoing effort. However, we have not yet identified anyone to do that. Our recent Tuesday speaker on this topic, CSM Bill Woods, who is president of local chapter of the Association of the United States Army (AUSA), has indicated a possibility that the AUSA might be able to provide some kind of staff for this. That remains under consideration, but we also welcome any interest any of you might have in helping with this.


===================================================

Happy New Year!

Joe Paniccia (USMA '84)
BizNet Coordinator
panicciaj@aol.com

Service Academy BizNet of Denver meets weekly on Tuesdays at 0700, in the Marriott Hotel at the Denver Tech Center. From I-25, exit Belleview east, then turn north onto Syracuse Street. While the Marriott lots are paid parking (approx $2-4), you can park for FREE across the street at Garcia's Restaurant (we have their permission). Look for us in the seating area inside the Marriott's coffee shop. RSVP is not required. Dress is casual. Attendance is open to graduates of the federal service academies (USAFA, USCGA, USMA, USMMA, USNA). Our schedule, roster and other information are posted on the web site at www.academybiznet.org