L.A. Gourmet

Lauren and Annie Murray, the "L" and "A" of L. A. Gourmet Catering are sisters born and raised in the heartland of Central Illinois. Often referred to simply as the Murray girls.

The sisters have always been challenged by their entrepreneurial spirits. The daughters of a hard working business couple, they realized the importance of integrity and outstanding customer service at a young age.

Entering College, Lauren dreamt of a fast-track career in corporate finance and Annie aspired to be the Chef of her own gourmet restaurant. In the spring of 2003, there was a change in plans when the sisters realized that Annie's love for cooking and flair for presentation and Lauren's attention to detail and panache for event planning could be united to create the premier catering company in Central Illinois.

Lauren graduated from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, where she earned a degree in Food Science and Human Nutrition with a concentration in Hospitality Management and a minor in Business Administration. Lauren represented the University of Illinois at the 2006 National Restaurant Association's Salute to Excellence Gala as a future leader in the hospitality industry.

Annie also received her Bachelor's degree in Food Science and Human Nutrition from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, with a concentration in Hospitality Management. Annie was an active member of many student organizations while at the U of I, including three years as the President of Illinois' Culinary Club and three years in the University of Illinois' Student Alumni Association.

Since l.a. Gourmet’s kitchen opened in September of 2006, the sisters have been honored to play part in the special events of Champaign and Urbana. After only two years of service, Lauren and Annie were honored by the University of Illinois' College of ACES as 2008 recipients of the Outstanding Young Alumni Award. Each year, the staff at L.A. Gourmet has executed countless unique events from cocktail receptions to bar mitzvah’s and hundreds of custom designed weddings with a modern twist on the traditional dish. Serving meals from fifteen guests to five thousand, the kitchen and wait staff is well prepared for an evening as simple or elaborate as your needs require.

Lauren and Annie's passion for food and entertaining is evident in their motto- "Eat well.Entertain often. Impress always." To watch the entire TV interview with Lauren and Annie CLICK HERE

Jim Schultz Founder of Open Prairie ventures

I really enjoyed the chance to interview Jim Schultz. Jim’s passion for entrepreneurship and building businesses was born of lessons learned within a family of global entrepreneurs dating back to the creation of the family seed company in 1903. He has carried those lessons throughout his twenty year career as an advisor and investor.

Jim has played an active role in a multitude of agriculture businesses, including operating experience with the Brazilian-unit of the family soybean business and a farmland syndication business which he co-founded. Today, he is Founder and Managing Partner of Open Prairie Ventures and invests in ag-tech businesses with disruptive technologies.

Open Prairie Ventures is a venture capital firm focused on investing in early and growth-stage Midwest-based companies in the ag-tech and life science sectors.

Today Open Prairie ventures is a dynamic force in supporting start up activity in the Mid-West and is engaged in transactions that are on par with any VC in the country. To watch the entire interview with Jim Schultz CLICK HERE

Dr. James Leonard Helps Carle Make History

Dr. James Leonard currently serves as president and chief executive officer of The Carle Foundation. A graduate of the University of Illinois—both in Urbana and Chicago, Dr. Leonard relocated to our community in 1984 as a primary care physician with Carle Clinic Association.

He previously served as the associate medical director of Carle Clinic, as well as the medical director of the Employee Assistance and Sports Medicine programs. He was vice president of medical affairs with The Carle Foundation from 1997 to 1999. He also served on The Carle Foundation Board of Trustees from 1994 to 1999, when he became interim president and CEO of The Carle Foundation.

Since Dr. Leonard became CEO of The Carle Foundation in May 2000, he has overseen the growth of the Urbana Carle Medical campus with:

• The 5-story expansion of the North Tower,
• The development of the Carle Auxiliary Guest House,
• The opening of Mills Breast Cancer Institute and Carle Cancer Center, including the Biomedical Research Center.
• The ECHO building, which opened in August 2009 to children using our Pediatric Hearing Center and the Carle Auditory Oral School.
• The new Digestive Health Center which opened to patient care in November 2009

To view my interview with Dr. Leonard CLICK HERE

Perspectives From Jack Schultz

Manufacturing Rebounding - Jobs Back to USA Largely unnoticed by the national media is the dramatic rebound taking place in the manufacturing sector, a favorite of Agracel. We've liked it since starting the company because of the way that gains in productivity get translated into higher wages that result in improving economic results for the Agurbs. In the last six months we've detected a trend in manufacturers moving production back from overseas plants. While the move back is as yet just a trickle, we expect it to pick up in intensity over the next several years. Since January, manufacturing jobs have represented 126,000 of the 982,000 (with 411,000 of those being temporary Census workers) total jobs added in the economy. While this rebound is still small in comparison to the 2.2 million jobs lost in the manufacturing sector since the recession started in 2008, again, it is a trend that is only beginning and will hopefully continue to pick up momentum. And, those gains in productivity? For the first quarter of 2010, non-farm productivity increased at a 2.8% annual rate, up 6.1% versus a year ago. This year-to-year increase represents the fastest increase in almost 50 years. Another reason we focus on manufacturing is due to the number of secondary jobs it supports, or the employment multiplier effect. Employment multipliers measure how job creation or destruction in a particular industry translates into wider employment changes throughout the economy. The employment multiplier in the manufacturing industry is much higher than in the rest of the economy. According to one study from the Economic Policy Institute, each 100 jobs in manufacturing supports 291 jobs elsewhere in the economy. In the business services sector, that multiplier is 100 to 154, and in retail trade, it is 100 to 88. We will continue to center our efforts on the manufacturing arena. All indications are that it is on an upward trend. Stay tuned! Sources: bls.gov, Economic Policy Institute, First Trust Advisors L.P.