Venture capitalists from across the country hope to hit the jackpot this week by investing in one or more of the 33 companies set to present at the annual Venture Capital in the Rockies Conference in Beaver Creek.
Some attendees also hope to hit the jackpot on the poker table.
For the first time in the event’s history, conference organizers will host a formal poker tournament, scheduled for Wednesday night at the Ritz-Carlton hotel. There is no buy-in for the tournament, although prizes will be awarded to the top players.
“It’s another way to attract the out-of- state venture capitalists,” said Chris Onan, a venture capitalist with Denver-based Appian Ventures.
Onan hatched the idea for the tournament last year after he noticed some attendees were organizing informal poker games. He said as many as 200 attendees are expected to play in this year’s tournament.
“It’s a fun way to network,” Onan said. “It’s all about bragging rights.”
Vacations on the block
How can travelers start planning a vacation, bid in an auction and donate to a benefit for kids? The not-for-profit Kids First Fund is hosting an International Online Travel Auction for Kids at KidsFirstAuction.com starting March 15.
Up for bids will be tickets and accommodations to destinations around the world. Funds will go toward construction of a family shelter for women and children in Latvia, according to the organization. Donors include Denver-based Frontier Airlines, other major carriers and hotel companies.
Urinal lecture aimed at DUI
New Mexico is hoping to keep drunks off the road by lecturing them at the last place they usually stop before getting behind the wheel: the urinal.
The state recently paid $21 each for about 500 talking urinal-deodorizer cakes made by New York-based Healthquest Technologies Inc. and has put them in men’s rooms in bars and restaurants across the state.
When a man steps up, the motion-sensitive plastic device says, in a woman’s voice that is flirty, then stern: “Hey, big guy. Having a few drinks? Think you had one too many? Then it’s time to call a cab or call a sober friend for a ride home.”
The recorded message ends: “Remember, your future is in your hand.”
The talking urinal represents just the latest effort to fight drunken driving in New Mexico, which has long had one of the highest rates of alcohol-related traffic deaths in the nation.
FROM STAFF AND WIRE REPORTS
