Category Archives: Uncategorized

(Community Matters) Another fun part of my day was the ACF grants site visit at UT PAC, with Bertha Arellano & Sharon Chruchin from Del Valle & Judith Rhedin, Gail Giebink, Brenda Simms and Cathryn Seymour Dorsey from UT. Plus my ACF colleagues Mandy Dealey, Beverly Silas and Meagan Anderson.

Reviewed this very cool program which brings music, theatre and dance to over 1,800 economically-disadvantaged students. They partner with UT’s Language Arts curriculum so that the kids really learn as well as have fun – and experience UT and performing arts, which most never would or have. The Del Valle teachers gave testimonials of life changing results for their students. Super program, never enough funding. Congrats to all.

(Community Matters) Rats, not enough time to make the detailed posting I’d planned. Perhaps back to this one on Friday. Jack McDonald and I had breakfast with Dr. BJ Stanberry, the CEO/founder of HelioVolt. BJ’s got degrees in mathematics, physics and chemical engineering. He’s passionate and visionary about alternative energy. HelioVot manufactures a solar thin-film which can be layered on construction materials such as glass, steel, metal and composites.

Jack and I both trying to get our heads around various clean energy intiatives underway and begging attention from Austin’s business and political communities – Jack as chair of the technology council of the Chamber; me as CEO of Entrepreneurs Foundation.

BJ’s vision and knowledge is impressive and includes a smart grid (electrical power delivery system) as well as a clean energy park. The former is the Pecan Street Project which Brewster McCracken spoke about a couple of weeks ago.

In the late afternoon, again Jack and I met with two other really smart guys who have been thinking about this for a long time and who are significantly engaged in public policy. I won’t say who because I forgot to ask their permission to blog about our meeting. Interesting complimentary and opposing thoughts. Interesting questions including whether clean (alternative) energy is even feasible now that we’re at $50ish/barrel oil. Which reminds me of an earlier conversation where a very smart and knowledgeable friend forecasted $30 to $60/barrel oil and reminded me that the currently sustainable price is relative to coal. I failed to ask if this forecast was dependent on the economic downturn.

There are other initiatives out there, including a state laboratory. More homework to be done. Is this a huge economic development opportunity for Central Texas, even Texas? If so, which path, who to back, how much can we raise & invest, probabilities of success?

(Community Matters) Prof Peter Frumkin, director of the RGK Center, and his colleague Prof Josh Busby hosted last night’s dinner for Matt Flannery, the founder of KIVA.

Kiva’s mission is to connect people through lending for the sake of alleviating poverty. Matt created a website allowing individuals to lend $25 and up directly to entrepreneurs around the world. These entrepreneurs are working with some of the best microfinance institutions.

I enjoyed visiting with Matt – Peter was thoughtful enough to move Matt around the table during the night and, at one point, we were seated next to each. Haven read his blog, I knew he’s opened up his website to social networking and that they’d recently increased the funds’ liquidity by making interim repayments to lenders. About 30% of Matt’s 300,000 lenders are engaging in the networking – especially forming lending teams – and the interim repayments are rapidly being deployed as new lending for other entrepreneurs.

Guess what folks are getting for Christmas this year – Kiva gift certificates. Our nephews, nieces and godchildren will learn a lot.

Peter pulled together a super group including Lynn Meredith, Nav Sooch, Philip Berber, Ken Gladish, Chris Earthman, Mary Ellen Pietruszynski, Norma Van Horn and Mitchell Medford. Nav and Philip already fund microfinance in India and Ethiopia, respectively.

(Community Matters) Well, maybe I spoke too soon about being caught up. Actually, I am mostly. Now just keeping up. Full and productive day, including a site visit to the Austin Children’s Shelter.

Met with ED, Gena Van Osselaer; development director, Steven Anderson and April Kevwin. They house 30 kids in their 2 West Austin houses. Unfortunately, they turn away children almost every night. Thanks to Dick Rathgeber and several very generous donors they’ll have 8 new buildings at a Robert Mueller Airport site by Fall 2009, allowing them to serve 580 kids per year, rather than current capacity of 300.

Of their $13.6 million capital campaign, they’ve raised $13.3mm. In the final lap and have to raise an additional $300k for a $700k Kresge match.

I’ve spent the rest of today at EF offices working on admin, our CSR conference, a new newsletter and details for this weekend’s opening of STILL FOUNTAINS. Yikes, I never got to creating a shopping list for Thanksgiving dinner. Though, I did preorder my smoked turkey and a natural, fresh bird (the latter from Wheatsville).

Dinner tonight with Matt Flannery, founder of KIVA.org, as a guest of Peter Frumkin of the RGK Center.

(Community Matters)

Michael Mitchell’s STILL FOUNTAINS opens this week at Salvage Vanguard Theater. Tickets here

Highway Home is about four people who circle each other on the terrace of a crumbling family home playing a dangerous game with uncertain rules. Match point becomes the breaking point when barbed wordplay and emotional land mines mix with unwelcome vulnerability and attempted honesty. The fountain hasn’t worked in years and now it belongs to them.

Them – “We don’t use names at the fountain.” A hook-up at a public fountain turns from an expected cat-and-mouse game into unexpected connection as two men uncover layers of each other’s longings. Is it possible to find home at the fountain? Is it possible to lose it?

Steven and I are producing the show through ABPorter.org, a 510(c)(3) fund at the Austin Community Foundation. Box office proceeds benefit the Lance Armstrong Foundation and Fuse Box Festival. Sponsors include: Invermundo Financial Services (underwriter), KCL Foundation, Kim & Kyle Hughes, Michael & Betty Mitchell, Lew Aldridge & Jim Lommori, Tana & Joe Christie, Eugene & Steven, Margaret Keys, Stephen Davis & Kent Portman, Katherine & Chris Helms, Christopher Long & Tim McCabe, Robert Torian & Jim Frasier, Steve Serino, Melissa Henderson & Drew Valcourt, Kevin Thibodeau & James Wilcox, Richard Hartgrave & Gary Cooper, Milinda Mitchell, Donna Penn, Kirk Rice, Infinity Bay Investments, Susan Ghertner & Daniel Montoya, Charles Santos & Rickie Bond, Stephen Walls & Denny Biggs, Susan Zeder & Jim Hancock, Rebecca Yerly & Jon Hockeynos

(Community Matters) The announced bailout doesn’t sound as if negotiated at arms length. Robert Rubin (former treasury secretary and mentor to most of BO’s incoming economic team) negotiating with his former Goldman Sachs colleague, current treasury secretary Paulson and reported incoming secretary Timothy Geithner. I don’t understand why existing shareholders weren’t completely wiped out by the $300 billion+ bailout. This smells bad.

(Community Matters) Secret Order at the Alley last night. A story about ethical decision making in research/the academy. Loved the characters, even if we a few leaps now and then. Not sure how many times Bob Clyman’s work has been produced but the first act is tight and well articulated. A couple of scenes in the second act especially stand out.

(Community Matters) Pleased to read Timothy Geithner, president of the Fed NY, will be nominated as Treasury Secretary. Mr. Summers too old school and too much baggage. Love that so many Rubin proteges included, and sure hope O picks someone completely out of the box and unbeholden to Wall Street as his in-house advisor. Perhaps this is the role Goolsbee will play.

(Community Matters) Spent a bit of time with Clint Hufmeister and Tiffany Moreno who run the City of Austin’s Parks and Recreation Department’s Totally Cool, Totally Arts program. Impressed.

For less than $12 per participant per class, TCTA is running 4 sessions of 8 classes each at 17 different neighborhood centers, employing artists, teaching kids art, teamwork, creative expression and communications – most importantly keeping most out of trouble.

Met with them to review a grant request for $25,000 to expand the program by 3 more sessions (that is 408 classes between the 17 sites). The marginal cost is only $3.06 per student/class.

This program is in its 12th year and is estimated to have served 14,000+ students (duplicated). It’s been named a National Recreation Parks Association model program. And, unfortunately, it’s withstood several deep cuts in funding from the City.

(Community Matters) yeah, yeah, yeah. 47. I was testing readers 🙂

(Community Matters) A very good sign, Mr. Dingell giving way to Mr. Waxman as chairman of House Committee on Energy and Commerce here

(Community Matters) Well, I’ve been saying no. Too busy. Shouldn’t spend the money. Have to catch up. However, it’s amazing how much one can gets done during twelve and fourteen hour days, 6 days a week, these last two weeks. So, I’m definitely joining Steven for five days in Paris during Premiers Pas at the Cartoucherie – already have tickets for three shows.