Press release:

Chevron’s Fuel Your School Program Expands to Support Nine Communities Across the U.S.

Innovative program to fund classroom projects adds seven communities to the 2012 program; consumers can help generate nearly $5 million for teachers and students

SAN RAMON, Calif., Sept. 5, 2012 – Chevron U.S.A. Inc. (NYSE: CVX) announced the expansion of its Fuel Your School program to nine communities this fall from two communities in 2011.  Fuel Your School will provide useful funding for eligible classroom projects developed by public school teachers and posted to DonorsChoose.org in the following communities:

• Alameda and Contra Costa counties, California

• Orange County, California

• Kern County, California

• Sacramento County, California

• St. Tammany, Orleans and Plaquemines parishes, Louisiana

• Jackson County, Mississippi

• Multnomah County, Oregon

• Harris County, Texas

• Salt Lake and Davis counties, Utah

Chevron will donate $1 for every eight gallon or larger fill up from Oct. 1 to Oct. 31 at participating Chevron and Texaco stations in those communities, up to a total contribution of nearly $5 million.

"Educating today's students remains critical to our country's future, but America's schools face significant challenges and have fallen behind in science, technology, engineering and math," said Dale Walsh, president of Chevron Americas Products. "Fuel Your School provides teachers with essential tools and resources that help students learn, explore and get excited about STEM education to help prepare them for the jobs of tomorrow."

The program is an innovative collaboration with DonorsChoose.org, an online charity to help students in need. All year, public school teachers across the U.S. post classroom project requests on DonorsChoose.org, ranging from pencils to microscope slides and even live tarantulas for use with biology lessons.

"Teachers spend more than $350 of their own money every year on materials for their students," said Charles Best, CEO of DonorsChoose.org. "Our site enables public school teachers to post projects for funding from their community and companies like Chevron who want to improve students' education."

The lack of adequate school funding across the nation has become so dire that some teachers do not have basic supplies to help students complete their classroom assignments. During the last school year, public school teachers shared more than 100,000 requests on the DonorsChoose.org website. One of those requests came from Ms. Lim-Breitbart, who teaches high school physics at Aspire California College Preparatory Academy in Berkeley, Calif., but lacked the resources to provide students with hands-on scientific activities. With the help of the Fuel Your School program, she and her students received digital thermometers and hot plates to use during physics lessons.

"[The] donation helped change our classroom from 'getting by' to 'doing real science' this year," said Lim-Breitbart. Students now believe that "science is a real option for them in the future."

Chevron partners with local communities, governments and non-profit organizations to increase learning opportunities for students and support the social and economic vitality of communities where the company has significant business operations. Chevron has contributed nearly $100 million for education in the U.S. over the past three years.

Since its inception in 2010, Fuel Your School has funded more than 3,000 classroom projects at nearly 600 schools, and the program has grown each year to support students in additional communities. Public school teachers and other educators are invited to post eligible projects starting on September 1 to www.DonorsChoose.org, for possible funding as part of the Fuel Your School program.

Consumers can track the classroom projects in need of funding and see how much money is being earned for public schools in each city by visiting www.FuelYourSchool.com. Donations earned through Fuel Your School will be used to fund eligible classroom projects from Oct. 2 through Nov. 30, 2012, or until funds generated by this program have been exhausted by eligible projects. Consumers and Chevron employees may also independently fund classroom projects on the DonorsChoose.org website by making separate, individual donations.

About Chevron

Chevron is one of the world's leading integrated energy companies, with subsidiaries that conduct business worldwide. The company is involved in virtually every facet of the energy industry. Chevron explores for, produces and transports crude oil and natural gas; refines, markets and distributes transportation fuels and lubricants; manufactures and sells petrochemical products; generates power and produces geothermal energy; provides energy efficiency solutions; and develops the energy resources of the future, including biofuels. Chevron is based in San Ramon, Calif. More information about Chevron is available at www.chevron.com.

About DonorsChoose.org

Founded in 2000, DonorsChoose.org is an online charity that makes it easy for anyone to help students in need.  Public school teachers from every corner of America post requests, and individuals can give directly to the ones that inspire them. To date, 237,000 public and charter school teachers have used DonorsChoose.org to secure $120 million in books, art supplies, technology, and other resources that their students need to learn.

GE & Partners Announce Winners of the First Stage of $100 M "healthymagination Cancer Challenge"

Press release:

27 March 2012

GE & Partners Announce Winners of the First Stage of $100 Million “healthymagination Cancer Challenge”

· Challenge focused on early-stage breast cancer breakthroughs that warrant discovery, incubation and acceleration through seed funding

· Winning innovations could expedite breast cancer detection, diagnosis and improve the identification of effective therapies, allowing more patients to survive

SAN FRANCISCO--27 March 2012-- GE (NYSE: GE) announced today five innovation award winners as part of the first stage of its $100 million “GE healthymagination Cancer Challenge.” More than 500 ideas from 40 countries were submitted, sparking robust conversations among more than 200 academic institutions and researchers on the Challenge’s open innovation platform.

The five innovation award winners have the potential to help doctors find cancer earlier, make more accurate diagnoses and choose the best possible treatment based on each patient’s unique cancer. The submitted ideas include ones that could help doctors better understand the molecular similarities between breast cancer and other solid tumors with a particular focus on tumors associated with triple negative cancer, a type of cancer that is less responsive to standard treatments and is typically more aggressive. GE is committed to a new approach at healthymagination that shines a spotlight on early-stage ideas to accelerate the researchers’ work and ultimately help patients sooner.

Beth Comstock, senior vice president and chief marketing officer, GE said, “We launched the Challenge as a call to action for oncology researchers, businesses, and other innovators around the world to accelerate innovation and help stop this deadly disease. It is often challenging for early stage research to grab the attention of seed investors. The Challenge has shown us that there are a remarkable number of breakthrough ideas out there that deserve promotion, investment and incubation.”

In addition to the $100,000 seed award, GE will provide support for each winner through mentorship and access to GE researchers and industry thought leaders with opportunity for expanded partnerships in the future.

“GE and Clarient focus on helping health providers understand and define the drivers of a patient’s particular cancer. The Challenge winners' work will change the future of fighting cancer,” said Carrie Eglinton-Manner, general manager of Clarient, the cancer diagnostics company acquired by GE in 2010. “In addition to the grant money, we will help mentor, develop and accelerate the growth of these winning ideas.”

The winners were selected by a panel of judges that included venture capital partners, GE executives, and several leading healthcare luminaries including former U.S. FDA Commissioner and National Cancer Institute Director, Dr. Andrew Von Eschenbach; Professor of Surgery and Director of the University of Michigan Breast Care Center, Dr. Lisa Newman; and cancer medicine specialist and Imperial College’s professor of cancer medicine, Dr. Justin Stebbing.

The five innovation Challenge award winners are:

• MyCancerGenome- Personalized Approach to Triple Negative Breast Cancer: Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee is developing MyCancerGenome, a free online cancer medicine resource and decision-making tool for physicians, patients, caregivers and researchers. It provides up-to-date information on what mutations make breast cancer grow and related treatment implications, including available genome-directed clinical trials for triple negative breast cancer.
• Creating Safer & Stronger Breast Implants with Cancer-fighting and Healing Properties: The University of Akron in Akron, Ohio is developing new materials for breast reconstruction to transform tissue expanders and implants into cancer-fighting and healing devices. Using coatings embedded with pharmaceutical agents the new device is expected to help fight infection, reduce inflammation, and possibly even target and destroy stray cancer cells.
• Identifying a Predisposition to Cancer Spread: Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, Florida is working to understand the genetic "modifier" genes and their role in predisposition to the spread of cancer to other parts of the body following cancer onset. This research could form the basis of diagnostic testing for genes that place a patient at disproportionate risk for cancer spread and guide aggressiveness of treatment.
• Saving Lives in Developing Countries: For developing countries such as Uganda, breast ultrasound holds promise in identifying cancers in young women with palpable lumps. Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, Washington and Uganda Cancer Institute (UCI) in Kampala are establishing a breast cancer screening program where women will receive education about breast cancer and those with symptoms will be offered clinical breast exam and breast ultrasound. Women with suspicious lumps will be referred to the UCI for tissue sampling and, if malignancy is diagnosed, treatment.
• Moving to Personalized Therapy for Triple Negative Breast Cancer: Researchers at Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center in Nashville, Tennessee have demonstrated that gene expression analysis reveals at least six distinct disease subtypes for triple negative breast cancer that likely respond differently to chemotherapy. Using this discovery, the Center is designing clinical trials with targeted therapy for select subtypes which will soon be offered to patients.

Information on the winners is available at www.healthymagination.com.

Launched in September, the Challenge is part of GE’s healthymagination commitment to accelerate cancer innovation by investing $1 billion in cancer technology research and development as well as improve care for 10 million cancer patients around the world by 2020. Additional strategic commercial partnership announcements from the Challenge will be made later in 2012. For additional details on the challenge, and to view the full terms and conditions visit healthymagination.com/challenge.

About GE

GE (NYSE: GE) works on things that matter. The best people and the best technologies taking on the toughest challenges. Finding solutions in energy, health and home, transportation and finance. Building, powering, moving and helping to cure the world. Not just imagining. Doing. GE works. For more information, visit the company's website at www.ge.com.

About GE’s healthymagination Initiative

Launched in May 2009, GE’s healthymagination initiative is focused on four critical needs: low-cost technology; healthcare IT; innovation accessible to all; and consumer-driven healthcare. GE has committed that by 2015 it will:

• Invest $3 billion in research and development to launch at least 100 innovations that will help deliver better care to more people at lower cost.
• Provide $2 billion in financing and $1 billion in technology to bring healthcare information technology to rural and underserved areas.
• Reduce the cost of procedures that use GE technologies and services by 15 percent and develop products tailored to underserved regions of the world.
• Reach 100 million more people every year with services and technologies essential for health.

More information at www.healthymagination.com.

GE Capital, Franchise Finance Provides $30 Million to Popeyes® Louisiana Kitchen Franchisee, Shelton Restaurant Group, LLC

23 March 2012

GE Capital, Franchise Finance Provides $30 Million to Popeyes® Louisiana Kitchen Franchisee, Shelton Restaurant Group, LLC

Funds acquisition

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz.--23 March 2012-- GE Capital, Franchise Finance provided a $30 million credit facility to Shelton Restaurant Group, LLC, a Popeyes^® Louisiana Kitchen franchisee. The financing is being used to acquire 29 Popeyes units in the Lafayette, Louisiana area. The funding was provided through GE Capital’s bank affiliate, GE Capital Financial Inc.

“We chose to work with GE Capital because of their industry knowledge and ability to execute on large transactions,” explained Mike Shelton, president, Shelton Restaurant Group, LLC. “We are excited about this acquisition and GE Capital helped make it possible.”

Based in Alexandria, Louisiana, Shelton Restaurant Group, with this acquisition will own and operate 30 Popeyes restaurants throughout Louisiana and Texas.

“Being specialists in this industry enabled us to establish a great working relationship with Mike Shelton, resulting in a smooth transaction process,” said Joseph Philip, vice president, GE Capital, Franchise Finance.

Founded in New Orleans, Louisiana in 1972, Popeyes^® Louisiana Kitchen is the world’s second largest quick-service chicken restaurant, based on the number of units with approximately 2,000 locations around the world. In 2011 Popeyes was named number 20 on the QSR 50 and in 2010 it was named number 57 on the Franchise Times Top 200 Franchise Chains by Worldwide Sales.

About GE Capital, Franchise Finance

GE Capital, Franchise Finance is a leading lender for the franchise finance market via direct sales and portfolio acquisition. With more than 30 years of experience and $10 billion in served assets, we serve over 3,000 customers and over 18,000 property locations. We specialize in financing mid-market operators with multiple stores in the restaurant and hospitality industries. Our team of industry experts will work with you to help develop your own growth plan with access to our proprietary industry research and customized tools. More information is available atwww.gefranchisefinance.com.

News Release from Lenovo - STEM Funding

Lenovo Funding to Globalize The Center for STEM Education for Girls

Partnership with The Harpeth Hall School to advance girls education in science, technology, engineering and math

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, NC – March 08, 2012: Lenovo (HKSE: 992) (ADR: LNVGY) today announced that it is expanding its relationship with The Harpeth Hall School for girls in Nashville, Tennessee through a contribution that will elevate The Center for STEM Education for Girls to an international scale. This partnership will provide the needed resources to collect and disseminate research in best practices in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) classrooms at the secondary level, to attract international researchers and educators to an annual STEM conference, and to provide scholarship funds for both educators and students to participate in the Center’s STEM Think Tank and Conference and Summer Institute.

Lenovo’s $50,000 commitment is the latest of the company’s efforts to increase participation in STEM studies and to encourage students to aspire to careers in related fields.

A September 2011 U.S. Department of Congress report, “Women in STEM: A Gender Gap to Innovation,” revealed that: “although women fill close to half of all jobs in the U.S. economy, they hold less than 25 percent of STEM jobs,” that “women hold a disproportionately low share of STEM undergraduate degrees, particularly in engineering,” and that “women with a STEM degree are less likely than their male counterparts to work in a STEM occupation.” 

With this situation in mind, building upon the strength of Harpeth Hall’s existing STEM program for girls, the global program will champion the educational needs of girls as a group currently underrepresented in core STEM majors in college and in STEM careers.

The Harpeth Hall School has long been a leader in girls’ education, with a record of success as one of the nation’s top STEM education programs at the middle and high school level. Lenovo’s contributions will expand the program and create a global clearinghouse of best practices and discussions on curricula such as lesson plans and rubrics. 

In connection with International Women’s Day, this contribution, focused on creating educational opportunities for girls, builds on Lenovo’s partnerships with institutions including St. Mary's School (Memphis, TN), Meredith College (Raleigh, NC), and Dubai Women’s College (Dubai, UAE).

Jian (Gina) Qiao, senior vice president of human resources for Lenovo, noted, “STEM education for women and girls is a passion of ours at Lenovo and is critical not only to the success of our business, but to the technology industry as a whole. There’s nothing better than opening the eyes of students to a world of opportunity and teaching the next generation the skills to succeed— and we believe this partnership will help girls and women to do just that.” She continued, “In 2007, we launched WILL (Women in Lenovo Leadership) in connection with International Women’s Day. Five years later, we’re proud to continue this legacy and partner with The Harpeth Hall School on The Center for STEM Education for Girls.”

The globalization of The Center for STEM Education for Girls will culminate at The Think Tank & Conference, hosted on the campus of the Harpeth Hall School July 18-20, 2012. Under the theme “Changing the Paradigm: Lessons Up & Down the Pipeline – K12 to university to corporate,” the conference will cover topics including best practices in curriculum and teaching for girls; girls in coed schools; getting started in STEM; what message we need to send girls on STEM; and how schools can engage in community outreach to give girls hands-on experiences and access to STEM careers.

Dr. Stacy Klein-Gardner, Director of the Center for STEM Education for Girls, added, “We know that solutions to modern problems and the ongoing success of our nation are dependent upon the discoveries of well-trained scientists, engineers, computer programmers, and mathematicians; the inclusion of women in designing those solutions is essential to reaching the best outcomes. Through the Center for STEM Education for Girls at the Harpeth Hall School, we hope to have a transformative impact on the educational opportunities for girls by helping to increase participation by girls in science, technology, engineering, and math studies in high school and college and to encourage them to aspire to STEM careers. We are fortunate that corporate global partners, such as Lenovo, share our commitment to creating positive STEM environments for young women to succeed. "

To ensure the Center for STEM Education for Girls is successful, Lenovo is leveraging its already strong global partnerships in the STEM learning arena, including with the Brookings Institution Post-Primary Education Collaborative, United Nations Global Partnership for Education, the Global Compact on Learning, the National Academy Foundation, and a recent SpaceLab initiative in conjunction with YouTube.

New Release from DOE: ARPA-E

ARPA-E Issues Open Call for Transformational Energy Technologies

March 2, 2012 - 2:31pm

Washington, D.C. – Today, the Advanced Research Projects Agency – Energy (ARPA-E) issued a $150 million funding opportunity open to all transformational energy technologies to support the Obama Administration’s all-of-the-above approach to solving our nation’s most pressing energy challenges. This Open Funding Opportunity Announcement is a call to our country’s brightest scientists, engineers and entrepreneurs to propose early-stage research projects that would not otherwise be able to attract private investment, but could lead to breakthrough energy technologies. This is the second open funding opportunity released under ARPA-E.  The first was in 2009.

“Today we are calling on our nation’s best and brightest to catalyze energy breakthroughs in all areas imaginable through this Open Funding Opportunity Announcement, which illustrates the true purpose of ARPA-E,” said Director Majumdar.  “Innovation is our nation’s sweet spot, and it is critically important that we look at every possible energy solution in order to ensure America’s future prosperity and security.”

This Open Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) joins ARPA-E’s other recently issued FOA – Methane Opportunities for Vehicular Energy (MOVE) – which will make $30 million available to find ways to harness our abundant supplies of domestic natural gas for vehicles and was announced by President Obama last week at the University of Miami.

More details on all of ARPA-E’s Funding Opportunities and Requests For Information are available HERE. Individual awards under the Open FOA will range between $250,000 and $10 million.

President Obama launched the Energy Department’s Advanced Research Projects Agency – Energy (ARPA-E) in 2009 to seek out transformational, breakthrough technologies that are too risky for private sector investment but have the potential to translate science into quantum leaps in energy technology, form the foundation for entirely new industries, and in the future have large commercial impact.

Including its most recent round of selections, ARPA-E has funded a total of more than 180 projects, for $521.7 million in awards across 12 program areas. Demonstrating the success ARPA-E has already seen, the Agency announced last year that eleven of its projects that received $40 million from ARPA-E for innovative research, were able to use this funding to demonstrate results, which allowed these teams to secure more than $200 million in outside private capital investment.

ARPA-E’s third annual Energy Innovation Summit featured 107 speakers, including: President Bill Clinton; Microsoft Founder and Chairman, Bill Gates; Xerox CEO, Ursula Burns; FedEx CEO, Fred Smith; BDT Capital Chairman, Lee Scott; Deputy Secretary of Defense, Ashton Carter; MIT President, Susan Hockfield; U.S. Energy Secretary, Steven Chu; and ARPA-E Director, Arun Majumdar.  The Summit attracted 2,440 attendees from 49 states and 26 countries and featured a Technology Showcase displaying over 240 breakthrough energy developments from ARPA-E’s awardees, finalists and other teams.

GE Capital Supports Investment

News release from GE:

21 February 2012

GE Capital, Franchise Finance Provides $25 Million to Support Quilvest Group Investment in Anthony’s Coal Fired Pizza, Inc.

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz.--21 February 2012-- GE Capital, Franchise Finance provided a $25 million credit facility to support an investment in Anthony’s Coal Fired Pizza, Inc. by an affiliate of The Quilvest Group. The financing includes a $17 million term loan and an $8 million revolving credit facility. Funding was provided through GE Capital’s bank affiliate, GE Capital Financial Inc.

“GE Capital proved to be a great choice for us,” explains Henrik Falktoft, partner, The Quilvest Group. “Their team was very supportive and knowledgeable about this market and that made for a better transaction.”

The Quilvest Group has invested around $4 billion in more than 300 private equity and real estate funds and 150 direct investments.

“We were in a great position to help both parties using our experience in the space and our relationship with the sponsor, Quilvest,” said Mike Kurtz, vice president, GE Capital, Franchise Finance.

Anthony’s Coal Fired Pizza opened their first store in Florida in 2002 and now has 32 locations throughout Florida, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, New York and Connecticut.

About GE Capital, Franchise Finance

GE Capital, Franchise Finance is a leading lender for the franchise finance market via direct sales and portfolio acquisition. With more than 30 years of experience and $10 billion in served assets, we serve over 3,000 customers and over 18,000 property locations. We specialize in financing mid-market operators with multiple stores in the restaurant and hospitality industries. Our team of industry experts will work with you to help develop your own growth plan with access to our proprietary industry research and customized tools. More information is available atwww.gefranchisefinance.com.

Venture Acceleration Fund Accepting Applications

News release from Los Alamos National Laboratory:

Venture Acceleration Fund associated with LANL now accepting applications for 2012

LOS ALAMOS, New Mexico, January 23, 2012—The Venture Acceleration Fund of Los Alamos National Security, LLC, the company that manages and operates Los Alamos National Laboratory for the National Nuclear Security Administration, is now accepting applications for the 2012 calendar year. The three companies selected in the completion will receive up to $100,000 each to commercialize technology and take it to market faster.

The Venture Acceleration Fund (VAF) helps innovative companies reach the next level of success through business and technology development activities such as proof-of-concept, prototyping, securing initial customers, or obtaining additional funding. Companies located in the Northern New Mexico counties of Los Alamos, Santa Fe, Sandoval, Rio Arriba, Taos, San Miguel, and Mora are given preference for funding, as are projects associated with LANL technology or expertise.

VAF applications will be accepted throughout 2012 and will be reviewed in three rounds corresponding to three application deadlines: February 24, May 25, and August 25. One award will be made for each round. "The quality of applications has increased greatly over the past two years, so we expect the process will be competitive for 2012," said David Pesiri, Los Alamos National Laboratory’s Technology Transfer Division leader. "Nevertheless, our team often assists those companies that aren’t selected by connecting them with other resources to meet their specific needs and achieve good commercialization outcomes for the broadest set of customers possible."

In 2011, Los Alamos start-up company Manhattan Isotope Technology, LLC received a VAF award to develop, test, and validate a radio analytical lab for manufacturing strontium-82, which is used for heart imaging. The company is positioned to expand the limited availability of strontium-82 to the marketplace, currently only produced by Los Alamos National Laboratory and Brookhaven National Laboratory.
Vista Therapeutics, Inc. of Santa Fe also received VAF funding in 2011. The company is developing a NanoBiosensor System that will revolutionize the measurement of biomarkers, such as proteins, that are produced in response to trauma or disease. Funding was used to complete research and development and to adapt devices for a potential first customer. Chief Scientific Officer Spencer Farr expects that Vista’s new technology will hasten a personalized approach to medicine and will help the company create 40 high-paying jobs.

Ideum, another VAF recipient, used its funding to develop a new version of the company’s gesture-based software platform called "GestureWorks" for international release. Ideum customizes interactive exhibits and multi-touch tables for museums. "The VAF award allowed us to accelerate our schedule from 16 months to 8,” says Ideum’s founder, Jim Spadaccini. “This has huge implications for getting into the marketplace quickly."

Los Alamos National Security, LLC invests $1 million per year in economic development through a program known as Northern New Mexico Connect. Northern New Mexico Connect promotes VAF and a variety of other business development programs. In the past six years, 166 companies have created and retained 240 jobs and attracted $8.2 million in new funding and financing as a result of their work with Northern New Mexico Connect.

To find out more about the LANS Venture Acceleration Fund or to submit a VAF Application in 2012, visit www.nnmconnect.net or contact Belinda Snyder of Los Alamos National Laboratory’s Technology Transfer Division at bee@lanl.gov.

About Los Alamos National Laboratory

Los Alamos National Laboratory, a multidisciplinary research institution engaged in strategic science on behalf of national security, is operated by Los Alamos National Security, LLC, a team composed of Bechtel National, the University of California, The Babcock & Wilcox Company, and URS for the Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration.

Los Alamos enhances national security by ensuring the safety and reliability of the U.S. nuclear stockpile, developing technologies to reduce threats from weapons of mass destruction, and solving problems related to energy, environment, infrastructure, health, and global security concerns.

Press release from the FBI, Buffalo Division:

Defendant Sentenced for Stealing from 136 Housing Clients

U.S. Attorney’s Office February 02, 2012

Western District of New York (716) 843-5700

— filed under: Buffalo Top Stories, Fraud, Press Release

BUFFALO, NY—U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul, Jr. announced today that Lori J. Macakanja, 35, of Dunkirk, New York, who was convicted of mail fraud and theft of government money, was sentenced to 72 months in prison and three years’ supervised release by U.S. District Court Judge Richard J. Arcara. Judge Arcara also ordered the defendant to pay $298,639.00 in restitution to the victims.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross, who handled the case, stated that Macakanja, in her capacity as a housing counselor employed by HomeFront, Inc., inappropriately requested money from clients. The defendant told HomeFront clients that the money would be used toward loan modifications to prevent foreclosure on their homes. However, after receiving the funds, Macakanja used the money for her own personal use, including gambling, and failed to obtain the loan modifications for the victims. A total of 136 HomeFront clients were defrauded with losses totaling approximately $300,000. In addition, Macakanja also obtained federal grant monies from the Buffalo Urban Renewal Agency (BURA) for HomeFront clients. On two occasions, she diverted $2,000 worth of BURA money to pay her own personal mortgage.

“Many Americans are struggling to hold on to the American dream, ownership of a home,” said U.S. Attorney Hochul. “The victims turned to the defendant for help in keeping their home. Instead, the defendant abused their trust and stole their money. Unfortunately, because of the defendant’s actions, some of the victims lost their homes. Our office, along with our federal law enforcement partners, will work vigorously to protect federal funding targeted to help those who are struggling. We will also continue to prosecute those, like this defendant, who attempt to take advantage of those who are most vulnerable.”

“Lori Macakanja abused her position and violated the trust of distressed homeowners in the interest of personal gain,” said Cortez Richardson, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Inspector General New York Region. “Her actions further jeopardized the assets of the Federal Housing Administration and unnecessarily complicated the lives and financial security of individuals already feeling the adverse impact of a volatile housing crisis. Today’s judicial action signals HUD’s Office of Inspector General’s firm commitment to working with our law enforcement partners to investigate and prosecute any individuals seeking to profit illegally from the nation’s mortgage crisis.”

“Macakanja preyed on the most vulnerable homeowners,” said Christy Romero, Deputy Special Inspector General for SIGTARP. “While an employee of a federally approved housing counselor, she illegally solicited and received payments from 136 homeowners facing foreclosure with the promise that the funds would be used to secure mortgage modifications. Little did the homeowners know, the payments were being used by Macakanja to support her gambling habit and to pay her own mortgage. SIGTARP will aggressively investigate and pursue those who exploit the federal government’s aid to homeowners under TARP and, with the help of its partners in law enforcement, ensure that they are brought to justice.”

SIGTARP investigates fraud, waste, and abuse related to HAMP and all other TARP-funded programs. HAMP encourages loan servicers and investors to modify mortgages to reduce the monthly payments of homeowners who are risk of default. There is no fee to homeowners to apply for a modification under HAMP.

The plea is the result of an investigation by the Mortgage Fraud Task Force of WNY, which includes agents and personnel from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service under the direction of Inspector in Charge Robert Bethel; the Housing and Urban Development Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Cortez Richardson, Special Agent in Charge, New York Region; SIGTARP, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge John Feiter; the United States Secret Service under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Tracy Gast; the Federal Bureau of Investigation under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Christopher M. Piehota; and the Internal Revenue Service under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Charles R. Pine. The Mortgage Fraud Task Force of WNY is led by the U.S. Attorney’s Office and also includes Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General and the U.S. Bankruptcy Trustee.

Startups Offered Up to $60K in Cloud Services on Windows

News release from Microsoft:

News Press Release

TechStars and Microsoft BizSpark Team Up to Offer Startups $60,000 in Cloud Services on Windows Azure

TechStars taps Microsoft BizSpark Plus to give startups a head start.

BOULDER, Colo. — Jan. 30, 2012 — TechStars, recently recognized as the No. 1 startup accelerator in the world, and Microsoft Corp. are working together to help startups fast-track their businesses. TechStars today announced an enhanced relationship with Microsoft through the new BizSpark Plus program for accelerators and incubators. The enhanced program allows TechStars accelerators in Boulder, Colo.; Boston; New York; Seattle; and Texas to offer each of their startups up to $60,000 (U.S.) of Windows Azure compute and storage over a 24-month period, at no cost. BizSpark Plus is an extension of the Microsoft BizSpark program, designed to accelerate the success of startups around the world. BizSpark Plus works through select incubators and accelerators such as TechStars to provide value-added products and services to high-potential startups. In addition to offering this to TechStars, Microsoft is making this offer available to all founders whose accelerator is part of the Global Accelerator Network, a network of nearly 40 high-quality accelerators from around the world that follow a model similar to TechStars. “Our passion is helping startups succeed around the world by providing funding and mentorship from the best and brightest Internet entrepreneurs and investors on the planet. The enhanced relationship with Microsoft will allow us to provide our founders with even more valuable support and services,” said David Cohen, founder and CEO of TechStars. “Access to technologies such as Windows Azure and other software and services from Microsoft through the BizSpark Plus program gives our companies a leg up in the all-encompassing race to scale and succeed.” TechStars has a wealth of experience working with tech startups around the world that are building products and services in the cloud. Cloud applications and smart devices are driving the new startup ecosystem, affording startups the ability to drive user adoption, scale their companies and generate financial returns with far less capital and much more quickly than ever before. Windows Azure offers a simple, comprehensive and powerful platform for the creation of Web applications and services. “TechStars is a great partner with a proven track record of attracting world-class startups. We are excited at the opportunity to work together to help startups when they need it most, with the products, resources and connections they need the most,” said Dan’l Lewin, corporate vice president, Strategic and Emerging Business Development, Microsoft. “Working with entrepreneurs on the forefront of the cloud revolution is especially rewarding. Windows Azure is a powerful, integrated platform, making it easy for startups to get their services up and running quickly with minimal overhead. This is the first offer from our new BizSpark Plus program, and we look forward to supporting TechStars members across a number of markets and technology offerings.” About TechStars TechStars (www.techstars.com) is an elite mentorship-driven start-up accelerator, recently recognized as the No. 1 accelerator program. Founded in 2006, the TechStars philosophy focuses on deep mentorship, and surrounding a small number of companies with highly engaged members of the entrepreneurial ecosystem to coach and support them to success. The TechStars community currently includes more than 300 mentors, more than 1,500 investors and over 120 alumni TechStars companies. TechStars currently operates five programs each year in Boulder, Boston, Seattle, Texas, and New York. TechStars is funded by more than 50 venture capital firms and 25 angel investors. Information on applying to TechStars can be found at www.techstars.com/apply. About Global Accelerator Network The Global Accelerator Network (www.joingan.com) consists of almost 40 high quality independently owned and operated organizations from around the world that utilize a mentorship-based startup accelerator model. It provides networking opportunities, training, special perks, and ongoing support for members of the network. TechStars led the effort to form the Global Accelerator Network in 2010 as part of the White House’s Startup America Initiative. In the spirit of supporting more entrepreneurs around the world, the Network’s mission is to ensure that 5,000 successful and experienced entrepreneurs and investors will mentor and support 6,000 promising young entrepreneurs. The goal is to increase their success rate tenfold and create 25,000 new jobs by 2015 as well as a sustained engine for growing these figures over time. About Microsoft BizSpark Microsoft BizSpark is a global program that helps software startups succeed. With more than 45,000 startups from 100 countries in the program and a global network of 2,300 BizSpark partners, Microsoft provides great business value to young technology companies around the world. The program provides a wide range of Microsoft technology, technical and business expertise, and enhanced market visibility. BizSpark Plus is an extension of the foundational BizSpark program, providing higher-value offerings through a network of leading regional incubators and accelerators around the world. More information is available at http://www.microsoft.com/bizspark. About Microsoft Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT”) is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.

Energy Department Spurs Small Modular Nuclear Reactors

News release from the U.S. Dept. of Energy:

Energy Department Takes First Step to Spur U.S. Manufacturing of Small Modular Nuclear Reactors

January 20, 2012 

Washington, D.C. – The U.S. Department of Energy today announced the first step toward manufacturing small modular nuclear reactors (SMRs) in the United States, demonstrating the Administration’s commitment to advancing U.S. manufacturing leadership in low-carbon, next generation energy technologies and restarting the nation’s nuclear industry.  Through the draft Funding Opportunity Announcement announced today, the Department will establish cost-shared agreements with private industry to support the design and licensing of SMRs.

“America’s choice is clear - we can either develop the next generation of clean energy technologies, which will help create thousands of new jobs and export opportunities here in America, or we can wait for other countries to take the lead,” said Energy Secretary Steven Chu. “The funding opportunity announced today is a significant step forward in designing, manufacturing, and exporting U.S. small modular reactors, advancing our competitive edge in the global clean energy race.”

Small modular reactors, approximately one-third the size of current nuclear plants, have compact designs that are expected to offer a host of safety, siting, construction and economic benefits. Specifically, they could be made in factories and transported to sites where they would be ready to “plug and play” upon arrival, reducing both capital costs and construction times. The small size also makes SMRs ideal for small electric grids and for locations that cannot support large reactors, providing utilities with the flexibility to scale production as demand changes.

The draft Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) announced today solicits input from industry in advance of a full FOA, which will support first-of-a-kind engineering, design certification and licensing through a cost-shared partnership. The full FOA will fund up to two SMR designs with the goal of deploying these reactors by 2022.

Today’s announcement comes on the heels of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s certification of Westinghouse Electric’s AP1000 nuclear reactor design, which was supported through a cost-shared agreement with the Energy Department. The Department’s efforts, in coordination with the NRC and private industry, have helped American companies lead the way in obtaining certification and licensing approvals for new reactor designs, which will further streamline these processes for future investments in the U.S. nuclear industry.

For more information on SMRs, please visit the Office of Nuclear Energy website.

From U.S. Dept. of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) news release:

CREED: Helping Colorado Cleantech Startups Find the Money Thursday, January 19, 2012 The Colorado Center for Renewable Energy Economic Development (CREED) at the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) invites cleantech entrepreneurs to attend the next event in its Entrepreneur Series. The Jan. 26 class, "Financing Your Cleantech Startup," will provide cleantech entrepreneurs with an overview of how to find capital for a startup. "If you are in startup mode, you're likely asking yourself a variety of difficult funding questions," NREL Manager for the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center Richard Adams said. "You need to answer these questions for your own strategic development as well as for the people and organizations to whom you intend to pitch." On Jan. 26, Tim Reeser, Executive Director Cenergy and Venture Director at Aravaipa Ventures will discuss: The challenges of financing a cleantech start-up or early stage company Forms of capital for start-up and early-stage companies Key elements of a financing strategy as your business grows When to ask for money, what "type" of money and the associated risks What common mistakes are made in early-stage financing and how they can be avoided. CREED's Entrepreneur Series provides support for companies trying to get off the ground. The Entrepreneur Series builds a community among cleantech participants so they can draw on one another for expertise, support and networks. CREED is a collaborative partnership between NREL and Colorado to expand clean tech entrepreneurship in the state. It is designed to bring together stakeholders and service providers who support the creation and growth of cleantech companies, contributing to economic development in Colorado. What: CREED Entrepreneur Series – Financing Your Cleantech Startup When: January 26 -- registration is at 2:30 p.m.; workshop goes from 2:45 - 5 p.m., with networking from 5-6 p.m. Where: CREED - Center for Renewable Energy Economic Development, Denver West Office Park Building 52, 14062 Denver West Parkway, Suite 300 Golden, CO 80401 Fee: $25 per person Registration: Call the Colorado Cleantech Industry Association (CCIA) at 303-623-2690 or online at https://www.creed.org. NREL is the U.S. Department of Energy's primary national laboratory for renewable energy and energy efficiency research and development. NREL is operated for DOE by the Alliance for Sustainable Energy, LLC. ###

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