Jay Sachetti joined Jeff O’Brien, partner at Husch Blackwell and Dyanne Ross-Hanson, president of Exit Planning Strategies talked about the market for mergers and acquisitions, exit planning opportunities for companies that don’t end up for sale and how companies can maximize their eventual sale price during an early October panel at the first Upsize on Tap event at Summit Brewing Co. in St. Paul.
When the state Legislature passed a law requiring employers to provide paid leave and safe time for employees, Justin Bieganek started hearing differing details from friends, colleagues and peers.
City Date Connection, a new Twin Cities dating service, was launched in May by four bowling buddies.
Audrey Benjamin, Jen Buchan, Chad Reichwald and Eric Strauss were in a bowling league together when they began discussing the popularity of “speed dating,” in which a room full of people rotates quickly through several partners in hopes of meeting Mr. or Ms. Right. Many events, they noted, sold out two or three months ahead. They formulated an idea for a dating service that would combine the advantages of speed dating and online dating.
“We literally were so excited about the concept that we were doing a terrible job with the bowling. Bowling became secondary,” says Strauss.
The four began meeting once, then twice a week formulating their business. The company was incorporated in March 2003 and the first event took place in May. While running City Date Connection, Strauss says all of the partners have “day jobs.”
The company holds two types of events: mix and match, which is like a typical speed dating event; and mingling events. If two people meet at a mix-and-match event and indicate that they like each other, they can send a blind e-mail through the City Date Connection Web site. Participants can also search online profiles for free for 30 days following an event that they attended.
Strauss says that the partners’ combined Twin Cities living experience of more than 100 years is advantageous. “We’re trying to find venues that are unique in some way. What we want to avoid is the cookie cutter-type approach,” he says.
Eric Strauss, City Date Connection: 952.926.3283; www.citydateconnection.com
