VCs Bet on Solar, Biofuel Money-Losers in Green Energy Frenzy (Bloomberg)

This article is quite lengthy, but if you are looking for a comprehensive overview of the green energy landscape, this on is worth a read.

Sponsors see $1B return on Hertz (TheDeal.com)

"Six months after buying Hertz Corp. in a $14 billion leveraged buyout, Clayton, Dubilier & Rice Inc., Carlyle Group and Merrill Lynch Private Equity are about to collect a $1 billion dividend, recouping almost half their original equity investment."

Q1 2006 Cleantech Investment (.pdf - Cleantech Venture Network)

"... cleantech equity investment category in North American venture capital remains in fifth place, ahead of semiconductors and behind only biotechnology, software, medical and telecommunications."

Becoming an Outstanding Interviewer (John Worth)

"People who are skilled at identifying, hiring, developing and retaining top talent are the most valuable people in any organization."

• Identify the most essential attributes/competencies needed for the position.
• Utilize a variety of interview formats.
• Be specific about what you ask for, and articulate your questions carefully.
• Remember that you are marketing your company through your behavior as an interviewer.

Hedge Fund Toddlers (BusinessWeek.com)

Articles like this are never a good sign ... yikes.

The Cost of Being Public (CFO.com)

"A new study estimates that companies with less than $1 billion in revenues spent $2.9 million in 2005 for the privilege of a listing..."

Pioneering dentist falls out as clinic director (The Oregonian)

On a rare occasion I will post an article to my blog that has absolutely nothing to do with private equity investing, finance, or entrepreneurship, but everything to do with the name of this blog. This is one of those occasions. For those who appreciate no-nonsense leaders with a sense of humility, and believe everyone is entitled to quality healthcare, this story about Portland dentist David Rosenstein is a captivating read. Here a couple introductory excerpts …

"Within the world of community health care," says longtime colleague Bob Johnson, "David Rosenstein stands alone."

Since he founded Oregon Health & Science University's Russell Street Clinic in North Portland, colleagues say that Rosenstein single-handedly built and funded a national model for treating the poor, homeless and HIV-infected. He's been awarded more than $13.4 million in grants, including two of the most prestigious National Institutes of Health research grants.
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He's sent more than 100 students into public health careers. He's the expert evaluating 300 public dental clinics for the federal government and investigating 80 percent of all disputed malpractice claims in community health centers.

Navigating Sand Hill Road (Red Herring)

“I think only the most competitive, passionate individuals actually make it to partner, and to make it at a young age—having devoted the key years of your career to this—you think ‘this had better work out,’” she says. “I think that’s making for a new generation of motivated, success-driven VCs, which is good, because I think venture is harder now than it’s ever been.”

(Lucinda Stewart, OVP Venture Partners)

Oregon Investment Fund invests in Nth Power

A clean power revolution (OregonBusiness.com)

"Oregon has seen the potential in other industries in the past and successfully supported them with targeted state policies — notably in the 1990s when it altered corporate tax structures to draw investment in the semiconductor industry. The clean-energy industry is potentially as important to the economy and arguably more so to society.

As Nancy Floyd notes, no state has a significant cluster of clean-energy companies yet. There is still time to get ahead of the curve. The future, and Oregon’s place in it, is still up for grabs."

CEO - 2005 Compensation (.pdf from NY Times)

Under 30, on the Cutting Edge (Business Week)

Connolly Leads Effort to Support U.S. Troops

Bob's initiative and hard work deserve to be commended.

I Saw a Deadhead Sticker on a Bentley (NY Times)

"Hedgestock was a chance for hedge fund managers and the big banks that love them to get together north of London, listen to a little Pete Townshend and let their hair down, if not their BlackBerries. "

"According to Alpha, a magazine that covers the industry, the 26 top hedge fund managers took home $130 million or more each in 2005."

Connecting the Corporate Dots: Social Networks Reveal How Employees and Companies Operate (Knowledge@Wharton)

An interesting article on an area that has yet to be truly leveraged.

(LinkedIn does a great job of helping exploit the "strength of weak ties.")

Inside a hedge fund: An interview with the managing partner of Maverick Capital (McKinsey Quarterly)

This interview with Lee Ainslie (1990 Kenan-Flagler Business School MBA), Managing Partner at Maverick Capital provides insight into one hedge fund strategy, and demonstrates the importance of remembering that not all hedge funds are created equal.

Management: IT Education and The Modern-Day MBA (CIO Insight)

"Business schools are finally beginning to integrate IT education into their traditional curricula in an attempt to mirror the real world."

This article emphasizes some highly relevant points, and in my opinion, there would be tangible value in integrating information technology management across the traditional MBA curriculum. (At Kenan-Flagler, Professor Arv Malhotra’s classes focus on IT.)

How to hire the right sales rep (Marketing M.O.)

Venture Capital Takes Off In Europe (BusinessWeek)