Networking in Las Vegas for the Week Ending June 14, 2014 (Trivelpiece, Basu, NevBio, CPA Ed, CEO-CFO, Expo, GMIS, Ellis, Odell)

Met with Al Trivelpiece who was the former director of the Oak Ridge National Laboratories. Oak Ridge is one of the top national laboratories in the United States focusing on energy research with over 4,000 employees. Dr. Trivelpiece was also the director of the Office of Energy Research at the Department of Energy. In that position he began funding what later became the human genome project. The human genome project started in DOE because NIH at the time didn't believe that creating a database was important. As soon as NIH saw that it made sense, the project was taken over by NIH. Al and I talked about his ideas (which were talked about at the Sci-Tech meeting on May 30, 2014) to follow the science development model that Tennessee followed. When Al was at Oak Ridge he helped developed a science development program with the state to help develop science-based companies. Al has offered to lead a delegation to Tennessee to meet with the governor and other leaders. 

My wife and I had dinner with Sangha and Souresh Basu at the Weera Thai restaurant on Sahara and Valley View. Sanga is anesthesiologist (Sans Pain Clinic) and Souresh is a computer programmer. 

Ran the NevBio luncheon featuring Dr. Nabil Sakkab, former director of Research & Development for Procter & Gamble. Don Snyder, President of UNLV welcomed the group and Dr. Sakkab to UNLV and noted that

UNLV is focused on innovation and that his topic fit well with the goals of the university. I thanked Dr. Tom Piechota, VP of Research & Economic Development for his help with arranging the meeting. Dr. Tim Porter, Dean of the College of Sciences, introduced Dr. Sakkab. Nabil talked about Radical Innovation which was opposed to incremental innovation. Radical Innovation was disruptive and created new products and industries. He believes that the United States and businesses need to have a focus on creating Radical Innovation. He gave stories about how Procter & Gamble's revenues had flattened and that they needed to new ideas. One of the ideas was to reach outside of the organization for ideas - not just contract research - but developing prizes for anyone with a breakthrough. One example was that P & G wanted to write trivia questions on their Pringle's potato chips; after spending close to $100 million, they set up a prize of $25,000. A baker in Italy came up with a way to make it happen. He stressed that Radical Innovation is how companies survive - that it's the new products that build the future. He noted how Netflix has evolved where Blockbuster Video and Hollywood Video did not. Netflix first started sending movies in the mail, moved to online movies and now has created its own movie series - House of Cards. These were bold steps but the company continues to survive. Dr. Sakkab said that innovation requires constant changing as new information is learned - many times. In the startup world it's called pivoting. Dr. Sakkab's talk was the basis of an article has submitted to the Harvard Business Review.  Over 50 attended the talk including many inventors in Las Vegas - Dr. John Lighton & Robbin Turner of Sable Systems, Terry Howlett of Skinvisible, Joe Vicente and Dr. Geoffrey O'Neill of CorCell, Dr. Jason Burke of Hangover Heaven, Craig Miller of Pictographics, George Moncrieff of the Vegas Tech Fund & Raster Media, Dr. Oliver Hemmers of GP Micro and others. A number attended from UNLV including Dr. John White, Provost; Dr. Carl Reiber, Vice Provost; Dr Chris Hudgins, Dean of Liberal Arts, Justin McVay of the Startup Center and other faculty and students. Jonas Peterson of the Las Vegas Global Economic Alliance and Bob Potts from the Governor's Office of Economic Development also attended.

Attended the CPA Education breakfast (open to everyone) that is sponsored by High Tower Advisors. Jeffrey Barr, Esq. of Ashcraft & Barr talked about tax aspects of medical marijuana including the fact that "Ordinary and Necessary" business deductions are not allowed for medical marijuana. In 1982 Congress pass a law disallowing deductions for illegal activities (medical marijuana is still a schedule 1 drug and is illegal). Cost of goods sold was still allowed and dispensaries will need to properly allocated overhead costs to

inventory. He also noted that the state is charging a 2% excise take

on growing, 2% on production of edibles and 2% on the final sales on top of the sales tax. 

Laura Thalacker of Lionel Sawyer & Collins talked about how to deal the employees that are using medical marijuana and the reasonable accommodations that are required. 

Attended the CEO-CFO luncheon featuring David Chavez of Assured Strategies. David talked about he had started Assured Strategies to help businesses improve their success. He noted that when he ran a CPA firm he was bringing in consultants to help him but it never stuck. Once the consultant left, his firm would slide back. After selling his CPA firm, he found that the Gazelles method of business consulting to be highly effective. There are four decisions that are critical to success: 1. People Decisions, 2. Strategy Decisions, 3. Execution Decisions and 4. Cash Decisions. David also noted that the CEO-CFO Group members will now have private access to the Gazelles's website of books, speakers and videos on managing your business - strategy, selling, people and execution - an $800 value at no cost. The meeting was held at Simon's at the Palm Place and over 30 CEOs attended the meeting. 

Attended the Las Vegas Metro Chamber of Commerce Business Expo at the World Market Center. Several hundred businesses has booths at the event. It's a good opportunity to meet and talk to people. I visited the following booths: Turntable Health, Hightower, Neuropathy & Pain Centers, MistAmerica and several restaurant booths. I ran into a number of people including Ray Garza of the I Love LV brand, Greg St.Martin of Sun Commercial Centers, Allan Palmer & Kathleen Frantz of the Atomic Testing Museum, Peter Bhatt of SolveBizProblems.com, State Senator Barbara Cegavske and many others.

Joined Dr. Francis Tsang of Global Medical Isotopes (GMIS) at his facility to show Dr. Al Trivelpiece their progress. GMIS is developing medical isotopes using depleted uranium instead of a reactor which will lower costs and increase the supply of medical isotopes. GMIS has purchased a company in Tennessee. Dr. Trivelpiece ran the Oak Ridge National Laboratories in Tennessee. Besides talking about the people they knew in common in Department of Energy, they also talked about supporting the connection between Nevada and Tennessee.

Attended Bob Ellis's Deli Day which brings together politicians, political activists, governmental affairs people and lobbyists together for lunch. At this lunch were Joe Hardy Jr. (running for Judge), former Senator Richard Bryan, political activist, Chuck Muth; Bob Coyle of Republic Services, former Mayor of Henderson Jim Gibson, assemblyman Lynn Stewart and others.

Met with Dr. Bob Odell and Lianne Nishida-Costello of Senator Reid's office at the offices of Neuropathy and Pain Centers of Las Vegas to discuss how Senator Reid can help the clinic. One of the patients at the clinic was an airman from Nellis who had had his foot crushed by a Humvee. He told Linnane that he'd been to many doctors but Dr. Odell was the only that was actually helping heal his foot. He asked if Senator Reid's office could make Dr. Odell's therapy available at Nellis and the VA hospital. The airman had been worried that he would've been discharged if he foot didn't get better; however, with the progress that he's making now, he'll be able to return to active duty. Dr. Odell's treatment uses pain blocks and electro-therapy to help the nerves regenerate. 

John Laub