More details to come on our next meeting as we finalize the dates.  If you are interested in presenting or joining as an Angel or Guest, please just fill out the online forms.  If you don’t have all of the information to submit to be a presenting company, that’s okay.  Just send us what you have.  We’ll be back in touch soon as we plan our meetings for the upcoming year.

The tentative dates are:

• October/November 2011
• February 2012
• May 2012

More to come!

We hope everyone enjoyed TechWeek and is looking forward to a great Demo Day from Excelerate!

Wildcat Angels isn’t a part of this event and we don’t know how reputable it is, but it sounds like it might be fun, so we thought we would let you know about it.

ATTENTION: Anyone With a Great Idea! Do you have a revolutionary idea? Does your idea have the potential to become the NEXT BIG THING? If so, we are looking for you! A new reality show being shot in Chicago is in search of entrepreneurs, inventors, and anyone with a great idea. You will be given the opportunity to pitch your concepts to a panel of venture capitalists, as well as other successful entrepreneurs and funding houses. If you think you have the next million-dollar idea, service, or product but need financial backing, then this is the show that can turn your fantasies into reality! Come prepared to pitch to our casting directors why your concept should be chosen and demonstrate your next big thing.

Tell us what is unique and interesting about your plan and explain how investors are going to make money with you.

Join us August 4th from 2-8pm at

John Barleycorn in Wrigleyville

3524 N. Clark Street

Chicago, Il 60657 for a chance of a lifetime.

See if your idea has what it takes to win the funding and support to jump start your future

The next Wildcat Angels investor meeting will occur on May 26.  The deadline for companies interested in presenting at this meeting is May 5.   All applications can be submitted at http://angelsoft.net/angel-group/wildcat-angels.

On February 28, 2011, the Wildcat Angels angel network held its largest quarterly investment meeting to date. Over sixty angels and guests heard three investment pitches from companies in the areas of energy efficient services, nanotechnology, and industrial test equipment present their business ideas in hopes of receiving a financial investment from the angels present.

Wildcat Angels was formed in early 2010 to facilitate early-stage investments in high-potential companies. It has now enabled investments in four of the six companies that have presented at its initial two investor meetings, with one additional deal currently in negotiation. The group provides infrastructure, initial screening, and administrative support to its angel members. Companies that apply should be in high-growth industries and possess highly-differentiated value propositions that can return greater than 30%-40% annually to potential investors.  For more information on joining Wildcat Angels as an accredited investor or pitching Wildcat Angels as an entrepreneur, visit www.WildcatAngels.com.

Last week, President Obama signed the Small Business Jobs Act of 2010, which includes several benefits for small businesses and also a benefit for angel investors. We want to get this information out to you, as this benefit relates to investments made between September 27 and December 31, 2010 and may be of interest to many of you.

The new law includes a 100 percent exemption for gains made in Qualified Small Business Stock, and this new bill effectively means that you pay no taxes on gains from your investments that meet several criteria below and Alternative Minimum Tax does not apply. If you are interested in this program, PLEASE TALK TO YOUR ACCOUNTANT to ensure you have all the information you need to structure your investments to meet all requirements.

Criteria and Limitations:

• Investments must be made by a non-corporate investor (for example, individuals or funds structured as LLCs).
• Investments must be made between September 27 and December 31, 2010 to qualify for no taxes on the gains.
• The company in which you invest must be a C corporation and must be a qualifying type of business (many businesses except financial institutions, farms, professional service firms, hotels, and restaurants)
• The company in which you invest must not exceed $50 million in aggregate gross assets at any time before the investment or immediately afterward. An important issue in this size is that 80% of the assets must be used in the “active conduct” of the business at all times.
• The stock must be purchased by the investor as an original issuance from the corporation, directly or through an underwriter. So, notes and warrants do not count. We’re hearing that if you have an outstanding note that converts to stock before December 31st, then the stock would count for this program. (BUT TALK TO YOUR ACCOUNTANT.)
• The stock must be held for more than five years (subject to exemptions for qualifying tax-free rollovers)
• There are limitations on redeeming shares of the company’s stock before and after the qualified stock is issued.
• The gains eligible for the zero taxes by any single taxpayer max out at $10 million or ten times the adjusted tax basis of stock issued by the stock
• For just investments made between September 27 and December 31, 2010, the gains are also not subject to the Alternative Minimum Tax.

By all accounts our first meeting was a solid success.  Six companies presented (three full presentations and three quick pitch presentations).  The companies outdid themselves with great presentations thanks to the effort of the entrepreneurs and some assistance from our Wildcat Angels Student Associates.

In fact, the presentations were so good that all three companies that did full presentations at our first meeting are in the process of getting funding from a Wildcat Angel!

Don’t miss an opportunity to mingle with innovative and experienced entrepreneurs, engineers, alumni, angel investors and leading private equity/venture capital investors at the inaugural Northwestern Entrepreneurship Week (NEW)!

NEW is a collection of events hosted by various entrepreneurial organizations across Northwestern university during the week of May 17 – 26, 2010.

For the calendar of events, please visit www.northwesterneweek.com. We have something for everyone!

The Inaugural Wildcat Angels Event is set for May 2010.

We have received strong interest from both Angels and Entrepreneurs seeking investment.  If you would like to know more about the event, please contact us at: info@wildcatangels.com

To submit your business for consideration, please see the links above on investments.

Special thanks to our inaugural presenting sponsor:
Wildman, Harrold, Allen & Dixon

www.wildman.com

Steve Jobs 2005 Stanford Commencement Address

Drawing from some of the most pivotal points in his life, Steve Jobs, chief executive officer and co-founder of Apple Computer and of Pixar Animation Studios, urged graduates to pursue their dreams and see the opportunities in life’s setbacks — including death itself — at the university’s 114th Commencement on June 12, 2005.