Former Wisconsin Commerce Secretary (and former Republican U.S. Senate candidate) Dick Leinenkugel is leading an effort to start an angel investing group in Vilas County, where he has a vacation home.
Among those involved is G. Steven Burrill, founder of Burrill & Co., a San Francisco investment bank focused on life sciences companies that has more than $1 billion under management.
Over the next few months, they will ask wealthy people who live in or own vacation property in Vilas County to join the group, which will invest in start-up companies. The group will invest $50,000 to $500,000 in each company, Leinenkugel said.
“One of the planks of our strategic plan is to assist entrepreneurs. We realize they have to have access to capital and somebody to vet their business plan and provide assistance,” Leinenkugel said.
It’s good to see Dick Leinenkugel continuing his efforts to encourage business development in Wisconsin, a role that he certainly worked hard at as Wisconsin’s Commerce Secretary, even if he wasn’t tremendously successful due to the economic downturn and a myriad of other factors.
The state has an operation called IMPACT Seven that has been around for a while, helping provide community business loans and so forth. It was originally targeted at the northwestern Wisconsin counties, but has since expanded to serve the whole state. This is not to say that Leinenkugel’s effort is amiss; far from it. I think it’s good, and hope that it provides another tool for the target area to use.
One can never have enough venture capital…good luck to Mr. Leinenkugel!
Unfortunately while focusing on his Angelic Duties, the Misters Leinenkugel turned what had been an historic and attractive vista into an ugly metal building ghastly eye-sore in their hometown of Chippewa Falls.
It’s their property, yes. But…
Plan Commission is a bunch of dork-blossoms who want to get outta the house a few evenings a week while feeling “important”, they won’t stop anything the Leinie Boys want.
An earlier (AND EFFECTIVE) administration had worked WITH Leinenkugels to make sure that their Leinie Lodge was a benefit to the community as well as the business.
That was a raging success. The Leinenkugels must have made a ton of money on that Lodge since it was built.
But I guess the out-of-town focus of their more recent personal goals and efforts have begun to show. Nice for Vilas County but the CF locals got Dicked.
Also –
There ain’t NUTHIN’ in Chippewa Falls County, while there is ass-loads of Leinie-loyalty. Why can’t he do some Touched-By-An-Angel stuff there ta home?
grrr. Whatta Dick.