Tiesta Tea gets Launched!

Dan Klein, Bobby Moynehan and Patrick Tannous of Tiesta Tea are taking the tea industry by storm. Tiesta Tea strives to provide the highest quality custom blended teas in the world, all of which are scientifically formulated to provide a specific health or mood result. The idea for the company started during a study abroad trip to Prague. One night when wandering the streets of Prague, they stumbled upon a traditional Czech tea house and ordered a famous fruit tea called Granny's Garden and were impressed by its full flavor and taste. This experience helped them realized how important coffee and tea shops were to the fabric of European society. They asked why not the U.S? Inspired they returned home to found Tiesta Tea and today are striving to reinvent the world of tea, with style and taste. They first received recognition for their unique company when they enter the ILLINOIS LAUNCH competition at the University of Illinois's Academy of Entrepreneurship. After a successful introduction of their concept people started to get excited! They received recognition from successful business people who then in turn helped nurture the fledgling company. This was one of my most favorite interviews in recent memory. To watch the episode in its entirety CLICK HERE

Effingham's Arts Connection

Effingham is amazing community. When a group of local businessmen decided that the city would benefit by having an arts and performance center they raised the money and built one! Later when the economy and other factors threatened to close the doors the local community stepped up and made the arts center public to ensure is long term feasibility. In this interview I speak with Janie Oldfield, director of the arts center.

Janie came to Effingham, IL in January 2009 to direct the activities of The Rosebud Theatre. Today she is Executive Director of the Arts Connection of Central Illinois, operator of the not-for-profit Effingham Performance Center. Her career spans more than three decades and includes three + years as Director of Manship Theatre in Baton Rouge, LA; seventeen years, including five years as Director of Performing Arts, at the McAninch Arts Center at College of Du Page, a suburban Chicago public community college; five years coordinating arts and lectures programs at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory and four years in student activities programming at Northern Illinois and Illinois State Universities. She earned a Bachelor’s degree at De Pauw University in Greencastle, IN and a Masters Degree at the University of Missouri-Columbia. This is truly an amazing city and the story of the arts center is more proof that Effingham is a can do community. To watch the entire interview with Janie Oldfield CLICK HERE.

Epi-Works, A Home Grown Start Up

EpiWorks is the exclusive producer of several advanced layers and processes that are tailored for optimal performance in particular applications. EpiWorks products are geared toward enabling higher performance integrated circuits (ICs) for the communications industry, leading to cell phones with longer battery life and high-speed Internet access for the home and office.

But EpiWorks is more than a manufacturer of high-quality epitaxial wafers; it's a next-generation epitaxial design and manufacturing company that brings expertise with epitaxy, device design, and manufacturing under one roof. Working closely with its customers, EpiWorks develops the semiconductor solutions that keep you a generation ahead.

The wireless and wireline communications industry has an insatiable hunger for bandwidth.

Epitaxial devices are the key to feeding that hunger. EpiWorks pushes current materials and device technology to the highest performance limits and is at the forefront in developing the breakthrough solutions that will drive the compound semiconductor industry to new heights.

Quesnell J. Hartmann, Ph.D.– Co-Founder, CEO, Director. Co-founded EpiWorks in 1997. Has led the company through the historical telecom downturn into a high growth, prof­itable enterprise.

David A. Ahmari, Ph.D.–Co­Founder, EVP & Director. Co­founded EpiWorks in 1997.

To watch the entire interview with the Epi-Works founders CLICK HERE

SPERRY VAN NESS TO OFFER RENEWABLE ENERGY AND ENERGY EFFICIENCY SERVICES

· SVN Forges Strategic Alliance with GreenPoint Partners to Deliver Sustainability Solutions For Commercial Real Estate Owners and Users

IRVINE, CA – OCTOBER 14, 2010. Sperry Van Ness International has joined the GreenPoint Network, an alliance of real estate firms dedicated to helping clients achieve profitable sustainability. SVN Advisors in over 150 offices nationwide will receive training and resources to help clients identify energy initiatives that reduce operating expenses, increase building values, and capture financial incentives. GreenPoint’s engineers will perform energy audits and implement energy efficiency projects and solar installations.

“In the U.S., commercial buildings account for nearly 40 percent of total energy consumption and over two-thirds of electricity consumption,” said Sperry Van Ness CEO Kevin Maggiacomo. “And over the next decade, energy costs will likely be the fastest-growing component of building operating expenses. If a building consumes more energy than its peers, it will attract fewer tenants and trade at lower valuations. Through our partnership with GreenPoint, SVN Advisors can make an impact that not only increases a client’s bottom line, but is also good for the planet.”

Said GreenPoint CEO Dustin Gellman, “Energy efficiency and renewable energy are a real estate play. Green building retrofits impact cash flows, and real estate professionals can help property owners better understand the financial impact of energy initiatives on asset performance. We are delighted to work with Sperry Van Ness, an organization with a legacy of progressive thinking and innovation in the real estate industry.”

Sperry Van Ness Advisors will begin offering sustainability services beginning October 2010. The suite of services includes energy audits, competitive procurement, project management, incentives acquisition, and LEED certification. For more information, visit: www.SVNgreen.com

About Sperry Van Ness International

Founded in 1987, Sperry Van Ness is has approximately 900 advisors in more than 150 locations throughout the U.S. Sperry Van Ness delivers results for clients through a proven business model that provides advanced marketing and technology tools. Based in Irvine, Calif., the firm provides brokerage, consultation, asset management, property management, leasing, accelerated marketing, and auction services. Sperry Van Ness transactions total more than $11 billion annually in office, multifamily, retail, industrial, self-storage, hospitality and land transactions. For more information, please visit www.svn.com