Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Dave “Mr. Trend” Berkus to Present Seminar on Angel Investing Sept. 15 at Grand Bohemian Hotel in Downtown Orlando

ORLANDO, Fla. --- Noted former Inc. 500 CEO Dave “Mr. Trend” Berkus will present at a seminar on Angel Investing strategies Sept. 15 at the Grand Bohemian Hotel in downtown Orlando.

The seminar, sponsored by Maximize Angel Investments Orlando, Inc. is open to all accredited investors interested in learning about the benefits of Angel Investing, both personally and for the community.

William C. De Temple, of Maximize Angel Investments Orlando, Inc., said Berkus, who posts the popular Berkonomics blog at www.berkonomics.com, is one of America’s most sought-after speakers on corporate economic issues.

“Dave Berkus is a two-time Inc. 500 CEO with more than 50 years of experience as an entrepreneur, manager, CEO and board member for some of the best known corporations in the U.S.,” De Temple said.

Berkus is one of the nation’s leading experts on angel investing, he added.

“Berkus has invested in more than 70 successful companies with an IRR of more than 97 percent,” De Temple said. The internal rate of return (IRR) is used in capital budgeting to measure and compare the profitability of investments.

Registration for the seminar costs $249 and includes valet parking and dinner at the Grand Bohemian.

For more information or to register for the seminar, visit www.maxangelinvestments.com.

Sydspeak, Inc. Readies Release of iPad Application to help Parents, Therapists Teach Children to Speak

WINTER SPRINGS, Fla. --- Sydspeak, Inc. based in Winter Springs will release its Talk to Me 100® iPad application this summer to help parents, teachers and therapists help young children master language skills.

Veteran speech and language pathologist Sydney Birr, MA, CCC, president of Sydspeak, Inc., said Talk to Me 100 is an engaging interactive communications tool designed for children who are learning to talk or who have difficulty mastering verbal expression. This iPad app is a digital replica and companion to the original “child friendly” Talk To Me 100® available at www.sydspeak.com.

“Talk to Me 100 provides graphics, text and sound that allows children to see words, hear words, understand their meaning and experience the joy of communication by pressing buttons, Birr said.

"Many children struggle with developing a large core vocabulary," Birr explained. "Talk to Me 100 follows the child's lead and meets them at the point of readiness to learn," she said.

Birr said the Talk to Me 100 focuses on 100 important words with corresponding graphic symbols that express the meaning of each word. A recorded voice demonstrates proper pronunciation.

Recently Birr was invited to address the annual convention of the Florida Association of Speech-Language Pathologists in Marco Island, Fla. Her presentation outlined strategies and results achieved using the same 100 words in daily conversation with over 50 students nationwide during the 2010-2011 school year.

“Talk to Me 100 was designed to help parents, teachers and therapists jumpstart verbal expression for children who are struggling to communicate,” Birr said.

Birr, who earned her M.A. Degree in Speech-Language Pathology from the University of Houston, has more than 35 years of experience as a speech and language pathologist. She developed Talk to Me 100 with her son, Andrew, who serves as vice president of Sydspeak.

Sydspeak, Inc. is a member of the University of Central Florida Business Incubation program in Winter Springs.

About the UCF Business Incubation Program
Since its founding in 1999, the UCF Business Incubation Program has helped more than 160 emerging companies (including more than 100 current clients) create over $800 million in annual revenue and more than 1,600 new jobs with an average salary of $59,000. With nine facilities across the Greater Orlando community, the Business Incubation Program is a collaboration in economic development between the University of Central Florida, Orange County, the City of Orlando, Seminole County, the City of Winter Springs, The City of Sanford, Lake County, the City of Leesburg, Osceola County, the City of Kissimmee, City of St. Cloud, Volusia County and the Florida High Tech Corridor Council. For more information, please visit www.incubator.ucf.edu.

Springs of Walnut Creek, David Weekley Homes Set to Open Eight New Homes in 4th Quarter

AUSTIN, Tex. --- Avalonpark Texas has reported that David Weekley Homes will start construction of eight new single-family homes priced from the low $200s this August at The Springs of Walnut Creek, located near I-35 and Yager Lane in North Austin.

Richard Kunz, a principal at Avalonpark Texas, LP which is developing The Springs of Walnut Creek, said two of the single family homes are model homes (a one-story model home and a two-story model home), and six are ready-to-move-in homes.

All eight new homes are slated for completion in the fourth quarter of 2011.

Kunz said The Springs at Walnut Creek recently launched a new web site that tracks the progress of the new home construction. To learn more, visit www.facebook.com/TheSpringsAtWalnutCreek.

Orlando Caregiver Provider Selected to Participate in State’s GrowFL Economic Gardening Program

ORLANDO, Fla., – Orlando-based American Home Companions, a 19-year-old family-owned business that recruits, screens and matches caregivers with clients, has been selected to receive free technical assistance through the state-funded GrowFL program.

Founded by Don Reynolds in 1992, American Home Companions (AHC) has 15 employees and more than 400 contractors in six district offices that serve 20 counties in Florida.

The company currently is led by Reynolds’ son-in-law and company President Jim Mark, who says he is pleased that his family-owned business and the services it provides have been recognized as being important to the future of Florida.

As a second stage company, Mark said AHC is making an investment in management and staff, but is “constantly reviewing our markets and our model to make sure we are poised for future growth.”

“But, because AHC has successfully moved out of the entrepreneur phase of growth doesn’t mean that we can sit back and enjoy the view,” Mark said. “In fact, the skills that helped us through the first phase may actually hinder us in the second phase. This is where I see GrowFL providing the greatest benefit to American Home Companions as we build the momentum for the next stage of growth.”

Part of the Florida Economic Gardening Institute, GrowFL was created in 2009 by the Florida Legislature and is based at the University of Central Florida’s Office of Research and Commercialization. When selecting businesses the institute looks for companies that have potential for success, according to Dr. Tom O’Neal, executive director of GrowFL.

“American Home Companions is an ideal candidate for the program as it has continued to grow and has moved from the entrepreneurial stage,” said O’Neal, who also is associate vice president for UCF’s Office of Research and Commercialization.

GrowFL will support AHC through a number of free services, including access to market research and technology, strategy analysis, CEO roundtables and forums, database research and website optimization.

About American Home Companions:
Founded in 1992 by Don Reynolds, family-owned and operated American Home Companions recruits, screens and matches qualified caregivers with clients from its six district offices in 20 counties in Florida. For details, visit www.AHCcares.com.

About the Florida Economic Gardening Institute:
The Florida Economic Gardening Institute was created by the 2009 Florida Legislature as the Economic Gardening Technical Assistance Program to stimulate investment in Florida’s economy by providing technical assistance for expanding businesses in the state. Qualified companies must be engaged in the following sectors to receive no-cost technical assistance: Manufacturing; Finance & Insurance Services; Wholesale Trade; Information Industries; Professional, Scientific & Technical Services; Management Services; and, Administrative & Support Services. Additional information is available at www.GrowFL.com.