Chicago CityLIGHTS Award Finalists -- TECH cocktail

For the past two years, TECH cocktail, the brainchild of Eric Olson (left) and Frank Gruber (right), has provided a venue to help start-up companies demonstrate their innovative ideas to others in the technology field. Now Eric and Frank have been nominated for the 2008 CityLIGHTS Award by the Illinois Technology Association (ITA). Honoring outstanding information technology companies, executives and advocates in Illinois, ITA will present the awards to the winners at the ninth annual CityLIGHTS Award Gala on April 3 at Union Station. The black-tie event will serve cocktails at 6 and dinner at 7 to over five-hundred technology specialists in the state of Illinois.

Among the competition for the CityLIGHTS Award, which is given to an individual who has made a significant impact on the Illinois technology community, are Ron and Jeff Galowich, co-Founders of Initiate Systems,
Bob Geras, president of LaSalle Investments, Brian Knudson, CEO of NogginLabs, Inc., Frank Gruber and Eric Olson, founders of TECH cocktail, and Brad Spirrison, president of MidwestBusiness.com.

TECH cocktail is a mixer event that allows start-ups the opportunity to strut their stuff to the local technology community at regularly scheduled mixers in the area. Several start-ups highlighted at previous TECH cocktails have been acquired and are able to continue their work as a result of their technology debut at TECH cocktails in Chicago, DC, Boston and Boulder. Kudos to Eric and Frank for starting a company that allows others to profit from their innovative sides. To continue providing information to anyone interested in innovative business ideas, the first TECH cocktail Conference will take place at Loyola University, Water Tower Campus, on Thursday, May 29, followed by TECH cocktail Chicago 8 at John Barleycorn that evening. Register for the conference while there are still slots. Congratulations to Frank and Eric for being nominated for this award.

Photo attribution: somewhatfortyplus