WineCraft Cabinets

The Advanced Biofuels Leadership Conference held in Washington, DC last week was a meeting of the minds. During one of the sessions on hot technologies, Jeffrey Stroburg, Chairman and CEO of REG, gave a presentation on advanced partnership strategies for development and commercialization. REG has been the driver in helping to commercialize corn oil extracted from the back end of a corn ethanol plant. I was able to sit down with him for a few minutes after his presentation to get more information about the process to commercialize emerging feedstocks.

Stroburg said that the biodiesel industry in the United States started off with the idea to use soybean oil. At the time, the industry felt like soybean prices were stable enough and that it would create a good feedstock.

Little did we know that wed go into such volatility not just in soybean oil, but in all commodities, said Stroburg. Which led us to believe that we needed to have a wider suite of products that we could go to so that if one was not economic, we would have another we could go to. And the cheaper the feedstock, it seems like, the harder it is to convert. We then had to increase our capabilities and improve our technology so that we could convert some pretty junky stuff. That has given us the opportunity to go into a number of different markets to try to source feedstocks.

Listen to my full interview with Jeffrey Stroburg: Developing Partnerships for Biodiesel Feedstocks

One of the emerging feedstocks is inedible corn oil but Stroburg said it is difficult to convert.

There are some things in corn oil that we dont see in other feedstocks. So we had to develop some equipment specifically designed to convert corn oil. But the thing that is driving corn oil is that the economics are there for the ethanol producers. By taking the oil out of the back end of their process, it makes their co-products more valuable. So a DDG (dried distillers grain) that has the oil taken out of it, at least in certain markets, is more valuable. So it increases the value of the DDG and they get so many cents per pound for the oil, explained Stroburg.

I asked Stroburg, If the growers grow it, can you convert it to biodiesel in an economically feasible way? I threw out possible future feedstocks including pennycress, camelina, mustard seed, jatropha.

He answered, We can produce ASTM biodiesel with everything you mentioned. But whether or not its going to be commercially viable or not goes clear back to the farmer whose going to plant it in the ground. Can he get enough tonnage per acre to make it worth his time or is he better off planting potatoes? And then the other part of it is whats the convertibility of that feedstock. They all convert at different levels. So I think we have to look at both aspects. Can we get enough return on the land and still have a product that can convert and compete with other fuels.

Ultimately, Stroburg believes that jatropha is a ways away but that there are some emerging opportunities with camelina.

Click here to see my Flickr photos album from the Advanced Biofuels Leadership Conference.

article source

The emotional poignancy defining the debate over how to fix Michigans public schools added another layer at an event tonight in Ann Arbor, where Gov. Rick Snyder promoted the power of public-private partnerships in reforming education.

article source

EBD Group and ChinaBio^® LLC today unveiled the program for
the ChinaBio^® Partnering Forum 2011, to be held in Beijing,
China at the Shangri-La Hotel Beijing on May 11-12.

Attended by biotech and pharma leaders from around the world and
China-based developers of novel technologies, the event is poised to be
the most dynamic, productive partnering event held to date in China.

The event is on track to attract more than 650 delegates from 300
companies and over 20 countries.

This year’s program is designed to provide players in the life science
industry with pragmatic advice on forming partnerships in China. The
insights gained at the ChinaBio Partnering Forum program will help life
science companies successfully navigate their passage to China. Featured
panels include:

Partnering Landscape in China: Capturing Innovation

China is expected to have the largest number of patent filings of any
country in the world in 2011, and patents for novel molecules are
growing at an average rate of 45% per year. Partnering activity in China
continues to increase as well, with the value of Chinese assets rising
sharply with upfront payments now reaching USD 100 million and more.
Greg B. Scott of ChinaBio^® LLC will lead a distinguished
panel of senior pharma executives featuring Dr. Richard Connell, Pfizer;
Dr. Berthold Hinzen, Bayer Schering Pharma; Dr. Greg Wiederrecht, Merck
Research Laboratories; and Dr. Steve Q. Yang, AstraZeneca. They will
recount their experiences in China, citing both successful and not so
successful approaches of doing partnerships in the worlds number two
pharmaceutical market.

Accessing Innovation: How Its Done in China

2010 was the year pharma recognized the extent and value of early stage
innovation in China. AstraZeneca, Merck, Novartis and others have
developed significant collaborations with Chinese universities and
institutes, and several co-development deals were signed with local
biotechs with a deal value exceeding USD 60 million. John Oyler of
BeiGene will lead panelists Dr. Li Wang, AstraZeneca AB; Dr. Eric
Whitters, Novartis Diagnostics; Dr. Rui-Ping Xiao, Institute of
Molecular Medicine, Peking University; and Dr. Tony Zhang of Eli Lilly
in an examination of the questions concerning finding assets in China,
and case studies of partnerships between pharma and Chinas leading
universities and research institutes.

How To Build and Protect Your IP Portfolio in China

Attorneys in China, Esther H. Lim and Ningling Wang, both of Finnegan,
Henderson, Farabow, Garrett amp; Dunner, will discuss how to maximize IP
value and avoid pitfalls in building a patent portfolio for innovative
pharma in China.

Paths To Acquire Innovative Technologies and Products from Western
Institutions

To develop innovative life science products, there is an increasing need
for Chinese pharmaceutical companies to acquire technologies in early
stage development from the West. Attorneys Julian Thurston and Dr. Jie
Zhou of Morrison amp; Foerster will analyze the latest deal structures,
including assessing early stage products and managing a collaborative
relationship post-signature.

Venture Capital and Private Equity Landscape in China

In 2010, the promise of venture capital becoming the engine for the
commercialization of innovative life science technologies in China
finally became a reality, establishing several new records in the
process: the largest single investment (USD 120 million), the highest
total investment (over USD 1 billion), and the highest average
investment to date (USD 17 million). The public markets for Chinese
biopharmaceutical companies also provided significant liquidity for
investors, with 33 IPOs providing nearly USD 6 billion in proceeds and
market caps reaching over USD 1 billion. John Carroll of FierceBiotech
will head a panel of leading investors including Norman Chen, Fidelity
Growth Partners Asia; James Huang, Vivo Ventures; Dr. Amit Kakar, Avenue
Capital; and Dr. James Li, KPCB to discuss the future of life science
investing in China.

Deconstructing the China Deal

Chinas life science industry continues to grow, and more significant
deals between Western and Chinese companies are taking shape. In this
session, seasoned dealmakers Ruediger Herrmann and Alicia Hong of
WilmerHale will discuss important transactions of the last twelve
months. They will be joined by Dr. David Chen, 3SBio, and Pu Wang, Xin
Tech Bio Sciences, to take a behind-the-scenes look at the drivers,
options and strategies it takes to form a successful partnership in Ramp;D,
manufacturing or commercialization in China.

Leveraging IP Assets Through Mamp;A and Licensing

Business development and dealmaking depend on secure intellectual
property assets for predictable technology flow, capital generation, and
partnerships. IP policies in China create opportunities and risks to be
realized and managed as this enormous and expanding marketplace matures.
For Western companies this is still a major stepping-stone when
considering partnerships with Chinese companies. In this session,
moderator Alfred W. Zaher of Blank Rome will be joined by Dr. Tomas
Landh, Novo Nordisk; Dr. Shawn Shiqing Li, Blank Rome; Martina
Molsbergen, C14 Consulting Group; and Dr. Jianzhong (David) Shen, Eli
Lilly in a discussion of IP concerns in China. They will give hands-on
advice to Chinese companies on how to manage and secure IP rights to
attract pharma, form strong partnerships, preserve value, and secure
capital investment. They will also provide insights to existing and
emerging IP issues for Ramp;D, business development, capital investment,
and government partnerships in China.

The Road to China: A Fireside Chat

Pharmaron has grown from a bootstrapped start-up in 2003 to become the
number three CRO in China. With over 1,200 employees, the acquisition of
Bridge Laboratories in Beijing, and a war chest including USD 40 million
in venture capital from DCM, Legend and Avenue Capital, Pharmaron is now
positioned to challenge the leading CROs in China. In this session Eric
Pierce, Publisher of BioCentury, will interview Dr. Boliang Lou, CEO and
founder of Pharmaron, and explore how he was able to sustain rapid
growth in this dynamic and challenging market and what he plans for the
future at Pharmaron.

Government Funding: What Is Available and How Western Companies Can
Tap into It

There are now over 160 programs in China providing funding for new drug
development, offering from USD 150,000 to USD 10 million and more for
each project. Much of the funding comes from the provincial and
municipal levels and has only been available to Chinese domestic
companies and academic organizations. Now, with the twelfth five-year
plan and the Mega New Drug Development Program, this is beginning to
change. Ian Wisenberg of ChinaBio^® Capital Partners will be
joined by Yuwen Liu of BioBay, Dr.Huijun Ring of iDNA, and,Dr. Dan Zhang
of Fountain Medical Development to describe how they successfully
secured funding, and what types of plans are available. They will also
explain how Western companies can access these funding programs by
establishing JVs with US-run China-based companies.

About EBD Group

EBD Group is the leading partnering firm for the global life science
industry. Since 1993, biotech, pharma and medical device companies have
leveraged EBD Group’s partnering conferences, technology and services to
identify business opportunities and develop strategic relationships
essential to their success.

EBD Group’s conferences are run with the support of leading corporations
and international trade associations and include:

• ®
  and BIO-Europe
  Spring®, the worlds largest stand-alone life science partnering
  conferences, supported by the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO)
• BioPharm
  America(TM), the fastest growing partnering event in North America
• (TM),
  EBD Group’s partnering event for the innovative medical technology
  industry
• BioEquity
  Europe, the investor conference co-organized with BioCentury
  Publications and BIO
• ChinaBio®
  Partnering Forum, the first dedicated biotech/pharma partnering
  conference in China, co-produced with ChinaBio® LLC
• Biotech
  Showcase(TM), a unique forum in San Francisco for presenting to
  investors and business development executives, co-produced with
  Demy-Colton Life Science Advisors

EBD Group’s sophisticated web-based partnering service, partneringONE®,
is used as the partnering engine at numerous third-party events around
the world.

Outside of the conference format, EBD Group’s consultants provide
hands-on assistance for firms seeking to in- or out-license products and
technologies.

EBD Group has offices in the USA and Europe.

For more information please visit .

About ChinaBio® LLC

Since its founding in January, 2007, ChinaBio® LLC has rapidly created a
broad platform of capabilities connecting China life science with the
world. ChinaBio has helped global life science companies identify over
400 licensing and acquisition opportunities in China and China companies
raise nearly $400 million.

• Conferences: ChinaBio organizes the premier life science investment
  and partnering conferences in China, having attracted over 4,000
  attendees.
• Consulting: ChinaBio works with global life science companies and
  China entrepreneurs to define and execute a successful global strategy.
• Capital: ChinaBio Capital Partners helps companies secure partnerships
  and acquisitions and access private and government funding in China.
• Publishing: ChinaBio® Today is the most widely read online and email
  newsletter on China’s life science industry, with over 18,000 readers.

More information is available at .

article source

TWIN FALLS, ID (KMVT-TV) The weatherization program with South Central Community action partnership has been a huge success story with a sour ending for some. The program made over 700 homes owned by low income individuals in the Magic Valley more energy efficient while also training people to learn those skills. It had been fueled by a $4,000,000, 3 year grant from the federal government but due to budget cuts all that is coming to a close. 20 workers with the weatherization program have been laid off. Federal budget cuts are also forcing community action to close its office in Jerome while its facilities in Twin Falls and Burley will remain open.

article source

The storied history of Microsoft is currently under review after co-founder Paul Allen released a new memoir called Ideas Man, containing explosive revelations about his relationship with fellow co-founder Bill Gates.

While excerpts from the book published in Vanity Fair suggest the relationship between the pair, who met at high school, was often stormy during the establishment of Microsoft, whats grabbed headlines around the world is Allens revelations about events in 1982.

That year, Allen overhead Gates and Microsoft executive Steve Ballmer complaining about Allens lack of productivity since he was diagnosed with cancer.

Allen claims he listened in on the conversation, which then moved on to Gates and Ballmer talking about ways to reduce Allens stake in the company.

He then claims he burst into the room, shouting: This is unbelievable! It shows your true character, once and for all.

Both men would quickly apologise; Allen says Gates wrote him a six-page letter stating: During the last 14 years we have had numerous disagreements. However, I doubt any two partners have ever agreed on as much both in terms of specific decisions and their general idea of how to view things.

According to Allen, the apology didnt stop Gates from making a low-ball offer for his shares in early 1983 when Allen left the company due to his illness.

In the wake of the controversy, both Gates and Allen have released statements saying how much they respect each other.

But the timing of the incident is interesting, coming as it does on the heels of news this week that Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey is returning to his company after being booted out in 2008, and of course the Facebook biopic The Social Network, which focused on the split between founders Mark Zuckerberg and Eduardo Saverin.

Tech sector watchers will also remember that Steve Jobs was kicked out of Apple in 1984 (before returning as a prodigal son) and recall Sean Parker being forced out of Plaxo.

Based on these examples, do tech companies have a special problem with founders falling out?

Id say probably not – business partnerships break up in all sorts of companies across all sorts of sectors, for all sorts of reasons.

But these examples do suggest something of a common thread within tech companies – the technology always comes first and the business can come second. When the pressure comes on for growth, the vision of founders can be very, very different and disputes can arise.

The problems are not insurmountable – a good CEO introduced at the right time appears to be crucial – but they are worth studying, particularly if you are a budding Microsoft?

article source

By Delen Goldberg (contact)

Friday, April 1, 2011 | 12:49 pm

Several of the leading candidates for Las Vegas mayor have come under fire this week for their surprising lack of knowledge about basic current events.

First, at a debate Wednesday night hosted by Si Se Puede, a Democratic Hispanic group, City Councilman Steve Ross was left speechless by a question asking whether he supports the DREAM Act, which would create a path to citizenship for qualifying undocumented young people who were brought to this country as children.

I dont know enough about that to answer one way or the other, Ross said.

The DREAM Act has dominated headlines for years and is of particular interest in Nevada because of its support and advocacy by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. Las Vegas students have protested to advance the measure, and supporters and opponents have written dozens of editorials on the topic.

(At the same event, Ross and Clark County Commissioner Larry Brown also said they would support repealing Nevadas domestic partnership law, which drew the ire of gay rights advocates.)

A day later, former school administrator Carolyn Goodman seemed equally baffled by a question about the DREAM Act.

She told blogger Steve Friess:

You know, it was something I read about the other day and to be perfectly honest with you I remember reading it. I remember something came across my computer and should I do this and could I participate and I couldn’t because we had another event. And I thought, this issue, it’s an embryonic something and it’s something that just started and it needs addressing and exploration.

At a mayoral debate two weeks earlier, Goodman touted her work in the Hispanic community, saying she created a mandatory Spanish language program at the private Meadows School she founded and campaigned at Cardenas market, and declared: “I am totally 100 percent with anybody who is Latino.”

As for domestic partnerships, Goodman suggested that same-sex couples form a legal contract between themselves to split assets 50-50 rather than fight for marriage rights.

All I would say is why a legal binding contract wouldn’t work for a couple, she told Friess.

When he pointed out that the survivor would not get Social Security or pension benefits because the couples contract would not be recognized by the federal government, Goodman called those finite details.

When pressed for a yes or no answer on whether she supports gay marriage, she said: I cannot answer one way or another at this point because I haven’t spent enough time looking at the whys and wherefores one way or another.

Bradley Mayer, Goodmans campaign director, later told Friess that Goodman supports the states domestic partnership law and is not in favor of repealing it.

article source

If you think that there is any kind of hatred between New England and New York in any area other than baseball anymore, you are behind the times – at least as far as tech companies go.

That was the clear message that came out of the NY-New England Connections in Tech panel put on by Mass High Tech Thursday night and held at Edwards Angell Palmer amp; Dodge. Many of the panelists made the point that the younger workers that make up the bulk of the workforce particularly in any kind of media company, be it traditional, Internet or social enjoy the idea of living in one city and working in the other.

That point was hammered home most by panelist Andrew Moss, founder and chief strategy officer of group buying site BuyWithMe.com, which was founded in Newton in 2009. The company expanded into a New York location in December, and it has been growing rapidly since.

Weve got 70 people in New York at this point and about 30 in Boston, Moss said. We are a very sales-force-driven kind of company putting feet on the ground.

The panel was comprised of Moss; Lee Hower, co-founder and partner, Nextview Ventures; Alexis Ohanian, creator and co-founder, Reddit.com and Y-Combinator ambassador to the East; and Bill Pescatello, founding member, Peacock Equity Fund and vice president, Comcast Interactive Capital, as well as a board member at Vivox and Ramp (formerly Everyzing).

Another point made was the sense that, to compete with Silicon Valley as the primary tech sector in the country, the New England region needs to eliminate the city-state mentality the Im from Boston, or the Im from Providence attitude, as opposed to Im from the Valley.

Here in New England, when we cross state lines it is like the dark side of the moon, Hower said. In Silicon Valley, you drive up to Marin, youre in San Francisco, you drive out to the Penninsula it is one contiguous area.

There is something to a name for a region, Hower said, in agreement. Everyone knows what the term Silicon Valley means. If you think of the Boston to New York corridor, there is no one name for that area.

Moss, however, made the point that the difference in culture between New York and Boston is vast, and probably greater than any two cities in the Silicon Valley area, making it more difficult to create a single branded concept to encompass the region.

Still, there is a growing trend in the New York-New England corridor of taking advantage of what each city has to offer, and that means basically that the Greater Boston area has the brains and New York has the bodies not in the sense of dumb bodies, but the trained content creators and media workers needed to produce product at a commercial scale.

In Boston here, we crank out a gajillion engineers from really good institutions, Pescatello said. And Ohanian pointed out that New York dominates in media creation. Most of the media produced in the United States comes from a pretty small radius around mid-town New York, he said.

Pescatello also pointed out another difference between the cities is in venture capital. The VC sector in Boston is bigger and stronger in Boston than in New York, he said.

article source

Putting all domestic partnerships on solid ground

The Legislature has adopted legislation to recognize same-sex marriages from other states. Washington has domestic partnerships, but same-sex marriage is illegal. The move respects basic rights and equality, and the realities of modern, mobile families.

article source

The limited partnerships for the Laurel Homes I and Laurel Homes V phases of the City West housing development in the West End have filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization.

The filings in US Bankruptcy Court in Cincinnati have no bearing on the six other phases of the City West development, a spokesman said.

Get business news anywhere you are:
#149; On Twitter.
#149; In your email.
#149; Headlines on your mobile device.
#149; Text alerts sent to your phone.

?This course of action is in the best interest of all City West residents; that?s how we have always made our decisions,? said Patrick Clancy, CEO of The Community Builders, Inc. (TCB), general partner of the limited partnerships.

?Services to our residents will not be disrupted,? he said. A representative of Cincinnati Metropolitan Housing Authority, a partner in City West which has been at odds with TCB, couldn?t be reached for comment Friday.

Towne Properties was tentatively appointed as receiver to three City West properties ? Laurel Homes I, Laurel Homes V and Lincoln Court IV ? by magistrate Michael Bachman on March 9.

Receivership on Laurel Homes I and Laurel Homes V has been stayed by the Chapter 11 filings, and the appointment on Lincoln IV is still pending before Hamilton County Judge Steven E. Martin.

TCB remains property manager of all eight phases.

Clancy said, in a statement, ?We feel that if a receiver is appointed that residents will, in fact, experience immediate and detrimental effects.?

TCB said it believes the appointment of a receiver will create a hardship for City West residents, introduce confusion in marketing and leasing within the community, disrupt the efficient and effective management of the property, and consume resources that could be used to improve the property.

Clancy said TCB has reached an agreement to purchase the existing debt on Lincoln IV and avoid receivership.

?We now have the time needed to reorganize the partnerships and restructure the debt on Laurel I and Laurel V,? he said.

The bankruptcy filing for Laurel Homes V lists as largest creditors: Cincinnati Development Fund, at $2.7 million; Cincinnati Metropolitan Housing Authority, at $5.1 million and The Community Builders Inc., at $250,000.

The Laurel Homes I filing lists The Community Builders Inc., owed $102,000, as its largest creditor.

?We have said all along that debt restructuring was necessary to move forward and that has been supported by independent reports,? Clancy said in a statement.

A report in January by Boston-based Tax Credit Asset Management, outling the financial challenges at the $200 million community, urged the housing authority and TCB work out a six-to-12 month agreement with benchmarks for TCB to achieve. The housing authority attempted to oust TCB as manager arguing City West?s financial problems stem from its mismanagement.

In November, PNC Bank, the trustee for the lender Cincinnati Development Fund, filed foreclosure on three loans for City West valued at more than $5.7 million. The filing included the receiver request.

Developed in the late 1990s, City West was financed by two federal grants under the Hope VI program aimed at reshaping the nation?s delivery of public housing. It has about 320 market-rate apartments and 366 federally subsidized units.

article source

The Obama administration proposed new regulations Thursday to encourage doctors and hospitals to collaborate more closely to improve patient care, a major goal of the sweeping healthcare law the president signed last year.

The much-anticipated rules will reward new partnerships, known as Accountable Care Organizations, that deliver better results for Medicare patients.

The ACO models outlined by the Obama administration will require participating groups of primary care doctors to take responsibility for managing the care of at least 5,000 Medicare patients.

The groups could ultimately save taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars by helping patients stay healthier and avoid unnecessary complications, according to proponents who view the partnerships as one of the most potentially transformative parts of the new law.

Weve known for a long time that too many Americans fail to get the best care, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said Thursday. It doesnt have to be this way.

It remains unclear how many doctors will sign up to start the groups next year.

The Obama administration hopes many of the more than 45 million seniors and others who rely on Medicare will ultimately get their care this way; the administrations early estimates are that about 1.5 million to 4 million people would participate by 2014, generating about $500 million in savings.

Some doctors fear that the new approach will give an unfair advantage to larger systems that can afford the computerized databases and other resources needed to coordinate care with hospitals and specialists.

American Medical Group Assn. Vice President Chet Speed said the rigorous requirements for running an ACO and the risk of losing money may discourage many doctors from participating. Thats going to be a difficult pill to swallow for many providers, he said.

But many experts believe the ACO model could be replicated throughout the nations $2.5-trillion healthcare system, a process that has already begun as hospitals, doctors and health plans scramble to form new alliances.

This is an important step, former Medicare and Medicaid director Mark McClellan said Thursday.

The partnerships present numerous challenges for federal officials, who spent the last year wrestling with how to encourage coordination without fueling too much consolidation in the healthcare system or repeating the mistakes of previous efforts to get patients into HMOs.

Critics say that could end up limiting patient choices and further driving up costs, a concern voiced repeatedly by insurance companies and others.

In an effort to address monopoly concerns, the Justice Department and the Federal Trade Commission issued a series of guidelines Thursday designed to protect ACOs that have limited market share and subject larger organizations to anti-trust review.

Healthcare experts have long argued that a coordinated approach to medical care offers the best hope for improving quality and saving money.

But while some institutions such as Kaiser Permanente have thrived doing this, the current system rewards hospitals, doctors and other providers for performing more procedures, rather than achieving better results.

Patients often bounce from one doctor to another with little communication between their providers, leading to repeated tests and sometimes grave medical errors.

To make ACO participation worthwhile, the federal government would share savings with the Medicare program that are generated by more coordinated care.

That would mean rewards for providers that can keep down costs by reducing hospitalizations and better managing chronic medical conditions such as diabetes or heart disease. It could ultimately mean losses for ACOs that fail to achieve the savings.

Providers could also lose any savings if they failed to hit quality benchmarks.

Doctors would be required to alert their patients if they join an ACO. But the new rules would allow Medicare patients in an ACO to choose any physician or hospital, even if the provider is outside their ACO.

And unlike an HMO, patients would be able to leave an ACO at any time.

An ACO will not limit patient choice, said Dr. Don Berwick, who heads the Medicare and Medicaid programs.

noam.levey@latimes.com

article source