TECH cocktail Wins Chicago CityLIGHTS Award

Oh what a night! Congratulations to TECH cocktail founders Frank Gruber and Eric Olson who were honored last night (April 3, 2008) with the 2008 Chicago cityLIGHTS Award, given to individuals who have made a significant impact on the Illinois technology community. At the annual Illinois Technology Association's black-tie gala at Union Station in Chicago, seven hundred fifty guests applauded as stunned Frank and Eric made their way to the stage to humbly accept their award.

And they deserved it. For the past two years TECH cocktail has been true to their mission: help amplify the technology signal in under served markets and have fun doing it. They have provided a relaxing venue to help start-up companies demonstrate their innovative ideas to others in the technology field at several community mixers in Chicago, Boston, Boulder and DC. Always willing to help others, Frank (of somewhat frank) and Eric (of olsonsobservations) are the true LIGHT in technology not only in Chicago, but in Illinois. With the success of TECH cocktail, Frank and Eric will sponsor the first TECH cocktail CONFERENCE on Thursday, May 29 at Loyola University, Water Tower Campus, followed by TECH cocktail Chicago 8 at John Barleycorn that evening. Congratulations to Frank and Eric. Your mothers would be proud. The one on the right sure is.

Photo attribution: somewhatfortyplus

Tonight's the Night

Don't have time for a long post today --- girl things need to be done in preparation of the black-tie Chicagoland event tonight. Frank Gruber and Eric Olson are up for the Illinois Technology Association CityLIGHTS Award in recognition of their successful TECH cocktail events in Chicago, Boston, Boulder and DC. Seven-hundred people will be attending the Gala at Union Station; cocktails at 6 and dinner at 7. So much to do: shower, wash and dry hair, a real feat when it is long and curly, like mine. Dress in a favorite outfit, NYD jeans and sweater, pack and get on down to daughter Jessica's place. Why not stay at home, you ask? Staying two miles away is much easier than staying in the burbs.

Tomorrow you will hear who won the CityLIGHTS award; being nominated for it is a huge unexpected honor for Frank and Eric, winning it would be totally remarkable. One more thing: I'm taking both the black lace jacket and the pink silk jacket with me so I can decide at the last minute which one better answers that famous female question: does this make me look fat? The good news here is as bad as the stomach flu was, I have now lost 9.5 pounds as a result. Every cloud has a silver lining. Gotta go, so much to do......

Photo Attribution: somewhat frank

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