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QC07182013

26 The QUEE NS Courier • business • juLY 18, 2013 for breaking news visit www.queenscourier.com ▶ business THE COURIER/Photo by Ben Fang Tech meetup talks revenue BY LIAM LA GUERE lguerre@queenscourier.com It takes money to make money and at the Queens Tech Meetup 8 the theme was fundraising. The meeting, hosted by Queens technology ally Coalition for Queens, featured a speech by venture capital expert Mark Peter Davis, who lectured the group of gadget-lovers on how to better market new ideas. Davis, who recently wrote the book on raising capital, The Fundraising Rules, told the vying techies to pitch simply: keep a one-page executive summary, a power point to explain ideas and a small spreadsheet listing the operating model to show how the business will make money. His final piece of advice was to be respectful. As Long Island City’s tech community continues to grow, venture capital will become more important and Davis said New York is one of the nation’s premiere breeding grounds for funding. “The community in New York broadly has been developing in as a tech hub in the last 15-20 years,” Davis said. “It’s now the second largest market for venture capital. The reasons for it are quite obvious. It’s an abundance of really smart people located in an intense environment.” At the meeting three companies showcased their devices and applications. Digital Natives, a problem solving digital agency based in Long Island City, created the “This is Queens” application for the Queens Chamber of Commerce. The Chamber was awarded a $100,000 state grant to create the app, which works for iPhone and Android smart phones. Since the MLB All-Star game and the U.S. Open are expected to draw thousands this year the app is expected to help fans and tourist discover restuarants, events, hotels and sites in Queens instead of escaping to Manhattan. Inventors of Easy Pairings, which matches restaurant owners to potential employees, also demonstrated its service. Restaurants pay about $50 to join the service and then they are able to access a database of workers that upload resumes and information about themselves for possible hire. It’s like Monster.com or Craigslist, but specifically for restaurants and bars. FitBark, a dog-biscuit shaped accelerometer for dogs, was also on display at the meetup. The inventors call it “Pet Parenting 2.0.” FitBark hooks onto a dog collar and tracks the daily activity of the pooch. Then it transmits that data to the owner’s smartphone so they know how much their dogs have moved around and even if they are at work or traveling. By showing weekly or monthly trends owners can tell how much activity their pooches have done and analyze if they are living healthy lifestyles. “When I traveled, my first question is ‘Is my dog actually alive,’” said Michael Chiang, a co-founder of the device. “Imagine if you could log all of your dog’s life from the moment it was born.” FLUSHING TOWN HALL REOPENS GARDEN BY MELISA FERARI editorial@queenscourier.com Flushing Town Hall celebrated its newly modified Garden and Portico with a ribbon cutting ceremony on July 11. Residents, councilmembers and Flushing Town Hall staff enjoyed refreshments, live entertainment and the scenery of the garden at the festivities, which were led by Borough President Helen Marshall and Department of Cultural Affairs Commissioner Kate Levin. The portico overlooks the sprawling garden, where there is seating and plenty of shade, as well as a disappearing pool on the garden’s edge. The renovation of the garden allows for a multitude of new outdoor events, such as free yoga classes and a Garden Concert Series. Resorts World names new prez BY BENJAMIN FANG editorial@queenscourier.com Resorts World Casino New York City has named Edward Farrell its new president. Farrell, the Racino’s former chief financial officer, replaces Michael Speller, who led the company for nearly two years. “For the last three years, I’ve been privileged to work with a 1,700-person team of incredibly dedicated employees – almost all of whom are from Queens and New York City – who have worked tirelessly together to open and maintain a first-in-class establishment,” Farrell said. “To say I’m humbled to lead that team is an enormous understatement.” Over his 30-year career in the gaming industry, Farrell was involved with other casinos including Harrah’s, MGM and Foxwoods before joining Resorts World. Resorts World recently boasted national records for monthly revenues from gaming slots, which peaked at over $71 million in March. Since its opening in October 2011, the company has made over $1.2 billion while giving more than $500 million to New York’s state education fund. “I have had the distinct pleasure of working with Ed,” Speller said. “We have achieved the distinction of being the largest slot operation in the country.” Ryan Eller, a former U.S. Marine and Harvard Photo Courtesy Resorts World Resorts World Casino New York City has named Edward Farrell its new president. Business School graduate, will be Resorts World’s new chief financial officer. In addition, current chief operating officer Thuy Trinh will move to Resorts World Bimini, the company said.


QC07182013
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