Season 3 Episode 44: (Originally Recorded March 2024)

In this final episode of Season 3 of Onwards!Infonauts, we welcome Donna Laquintano who shares her journey from property management to managing startup management as the executive assistant to Ron Berg and Van Morris. She leaped into startup life juggling executive travel arrangements, never-ending office reconfigurations and professional growth while maintaining kindness, respect, humility and a wonderful sense of humor.

Donna dives into her fondest memories at Infonautics, from the legendary Friday Frolics and her karaoke performances to the profound sense of unity experienced during the 9/11 tragedy. She shares humorous anecdotes and reflects on the strong bonds formed with colleagues across various departments, emphasizing the family-like atmosphere that permeated the company.

Beyond Infonautics, Donna discusses her career transitions, highlighting the importance of networking and building lasting relationships. She shares her passion for driving, her love for St. Augustine, Florida, and ducks. Donna imparts valuable advice to young professionals, emphasizing the importance of kindness, adaptability, and a strong work ethic.

Contacts:

Donna Laquintano can be reached on LinkedIn and at her email address: dalaquint@gmail.com.

Jim and Sean can be reached at Onwards! Infonauts.

Sponsors:

JMX Advisors for Interim or Fractional CFO work

Disclaimer:

None of these discussions are to be relied upon as professional advice.

Season 3 Episode 3: (Originally Recorded February 2024) What happens when inspiration strikes and leads to an unexpected journey? In this episode of Onwards! Infonauts, we sit down with Michael Holland, who shares how a chance encounter with Infonautics founder Marvin Weinberger during his time at Cornell University changed the trajectory of his career forever. From hopping on a tiny plane for a last-minute interview to his first day on the job bumping into a Cornell fraternity brother in the hallway, Michael’s introduction to Infonautics was anything but ordinary.

Michael takes us on a whirlwind ride through his time at one of the pioneering internet startups of the ’90s. Whether it was navigating job roles, working on groundbreaking projects like Encyclopedia.com, or helping launch innovative products like Company Sleuth, Michael’s stories reflect the excitement, chaos, and ingenuity that defined the early internet era. We hear behind-the-scenes anecdotes, including the hilariously unconventional interview questions from his hiring process and some legendary office pranks that scream startup culture.

With wisdom honed through years of experience as a product management executive, Michael shares insights on leadership, adaptability, and the art of storytelling in technology. He reflects on the simplicity of early metrics, the lessons learned from building platforms, and the power of clarity in product development. This episode is a treasure trove of anecdotes, nostalgia, and actionable advice for anyone in tech or curious about what it was like to be at the forefront of the internet revolution.

Contacts:

Michael Holland can be reached on LinkedIn.

Jim and Sean can be reached at Onwards! Infonauts.

Sponsors:

JMX Advisors for Interim or Fractional CFO work

Disclaimer:

None of these discussions are to be relied upon as professional advice.

Season 3 Episode 2: Marvin Weinberger

In this episode of "Onwards! Infonauts" we chat with Marvin Weinberger, one of the founders of Infonautics Corporation. Marvin’s story started well before Infonautics, at another data-centric company called Telebase Systems. Telebase was an online information company, providing customer access to databases around the world using telex machines with 75 baud speed, as Marvin jokes with Sean and Jim. Later, Marvin was featured in Business Week, where they took a picture of Marvin in front of the computer room… giant computers with only 1 Gigabyte of capacity on them.

In the 1990s, technology was very different than it is today. Cloud computing was in its infancy. People had to decide whether to make more powerful PCs or do it in the cloud. Today, it’s clear that the cloud can do everything. And Marvin has been there to influence many of these changes.

Marvin started Infonautics as a project to bring education to children throughout the world. He was fortunate to have been a friend to a successful inventor and businessman, Herman Fialkov. Marvin met Herman’s grandson, Joshua, at a Klezmer concert a few years prior. Later, Marvin and that kid, Joshua Kopelman, were reunited when Marvin mentioned to Herman that he was seeking some help with his new venture.

Marvin gives wonderful insights to the technology scene in the 1980s and 1990s. He reflects on the influence of some significant mentors, like Lloyd Morissett who was one of the founders of Children’s Television Workshop, the creator of “Sesame Street” as well as Howard Morgan and Israel “Mel” Melman. All of the early mentors were important to the start and growth of the business.

Please join us in this episode as we discuss the Good Business Pledge, Stella D’Oro Swiss Fudge cookies, and how to take advice from people who are older and wiser.

Contacts:

Marvin Weinberger can be reached at marvin@innovationfactory.com or on LinkedIn.

Innovation Factory

Jim and Sean can be reached at Onwards! Infonauts.

Sponsors:

JMX Advisors for Interim or Fractional CFO work

Disclaimer:

None of these discussions are to be relied upon as professional advice.

Season 3 Episode 1: Kyle Odum

Join us on a captivating episode of "Onwards! Infonauts" as we delve into the inspiring journey of Kyle Odum, the Director of Creative Services for the city of Philadelphia. Hailing from the heart of the city, Kyle shares his remarkable trajectory from a Drexel University graduate to spearheading the IT department at Infonautics.

In this episode, Kyle unfolds the early days at Infonautics, where CTO Jim Beattie provided him with the opportunity to establish the IT department and navigate the intricacies of this pivotal role. Hear firsthand about Kyle's stint on Eileen Limroth's customer service team, the challenges he faced, and the heartbreak that eventually led to his departure.

Discover how the lessons learned during his 18-month tenure at Infonautics, coupled with a bootleg copy of Dreamweaver, became the stepping stones to Kyle's subsequent successes in both his career and personal life. Throughout the episode, Kyle generously shares memorable anecdotes about influential figures like Bruce Ross, Lucinda Duncalfe, Josh Kopelman, Cathy Palma, Eric Law, Kendra Muscella, Joyce Bell, Tammy Taylor, Jim Beattie, Greg Rettew, Sunny Balijepali, Jim McMonagle and a few others.

Tune in for a journey through the past, filled with nuggets of wisdom and reflections on the pivotal moments that shaped Kyle Odum's remarkable career. This episode is a testament to resilience, growth, and the enduring impact of the Infonautics community on one individual's journey "onwards."

Contacts:

Kyle Odum can be reached at kyleodum@gmail.com or on LinkedIn. You can check out his wife, Anitria’s cake shop here https://www.4everyoccasioncakes.com/  

Jim and Sean can be reached at Onwards! Infonauts.

Sponsors:

JMX Advisors for Interim or Fractional CFO work

Disclaimer:

None of these discussions are to be relied upon as professional advice.

Season 2 Episode 9: Josh Kopelman

Jim McMonagle and Sean McGlinchey speak with Infonautics’ co-founder, serial entrepreneur and investor Josh Kopelman in this episode of Onwards! Infonauts. Josh brings his high energy, appreciation and sense of humor to our rambling discussion of his career and his start with Marvin Weinberger in the early 1990s.

Despite Josh’s not-so-veiled threat to launch an alternative show about Infonautics that he believes will crush our efforts and spirit, we thoroughly enjoyed our chat. 

He brings up lots of fun memories of working at Infonautics, the lessons he learned and what he took forward with him in a career that continues Onwards and Upwards!

Contacts:

Josh Kopelman can be reached on LinkedIn.

Jim and Sean can be reached at Onwards! Infonauts.

Sponsors:

JMX Advisors for Interim or Fractional CFO work

Disclaimer:

None of these discussions are to be relied upon as professional advice.

Season 2 Episode 8: Joyce Bell

In this episode of Onwards! Infonauts, Jim McMonagle and Sean McGlinchey speak with Joyce Bell, who was an exceptional QA team member.  Joyce made a big impact on the teamwork and culture environment while working 4 + years at Infonautics, from 1995 to 1999.  Joyce, like many others, went to work for BigChalk for a little over 1 year, and like many others had to pivot following the internet crash of 2001. 

Listen to this episode with Joyce while she reminisces with Sean about their great times in the Content department, playing between the buildings baseball and interviewing people while they played a game or two of ping pong.  Joyce shares her first impression of Beth Laing, who pulled her motorcycle into the quiet office park on West Valley Road.

Joyce shares her recollections of meeting people like Beth and Arturo Perez during her interview and then gets into many stories about creating HHUPF, working with some wild personalities like Doug Bodden and why she thinks Infonautics was such a special place.

Contacts:

Joyce Bell can be reached on LinkedIn.

Jim and Sean can be reached at Onwards! Infonauts.

Sponsors:

JMX Advisors for Interim or Fractional CFO work

Disclaimer:

None of these discussions are to be relied upon as professional advice.

Season 2 Episode 7: Ron Berg

In a very special episode of Onwards! Infonauts, Infonautics’ CFO Ron Berg, we are very pleased to warmly welcome Infonautics employee #3 or 4 or 3 and a half, Ron Berg. Since Ron’s four years as Infonautics’ CFO he has gone on to take his turn in multiple C-suite and founding roles at companies around the country, spending too much time on the west coast.  He’s now back in the Philly area and joined us from home in Bucks Country.

In this episode Ron tries out a new role as Chief Corrections Officer for Onwards! Infonauts. He goes to tell us tales from joining Infonautics and diving headlong into what it was like to quickly grow, IPO, and survive as a company and the lessons he learned about hiring the right people and more importantly investing in understanding the individual’s goals and dreams — and the overall importance to building a culture of success.

Discover how to manage stage fright during road shows, compare prices on animal crackers and uncover which Philadelphia food institution served as a key contributor to Infonautics’ guest satisfaction.

Contacts:

Ron Berg can be reached on LinkedIn.

Jim and Sean can be reached at Onwards! Infonauts.

Sponsors:

JMX Advisors for Interim or Fractional CFO work

Disclaimer:

None of these discussions are to be relied upon as professional advice.

Season 2 Episode 6: Lucinda Duncalfe

In this episode of Onwards! Infonauts, we have a power chat with Lucinda Duncalfe.  Lucinda is presently Founder and CEO of AboveBoard, an inclusive platform for executive hiring. Although she was officially a part of the Infonautics team for only one short year, she made a great impression on everyone she met.  Like most Infonauts, she is a startup fanatic, but also took some practical steps in her career, like joining powerhouse tech company SEI when she knew she had to pay for student loans.  But as soon as the opportunity arose, she quickly got back into the startup game when she joined Infonautics in 1996.

Lucinda was recruited by our oft-mentioned friend of the firm, Sonia Stamm.  Lucinda covers her first day on the job, where there was no computer, no desk and no real plan handed to her.  She somehow made it work, and she thrives on that! Like the rest of us, Lucinda just figured it out.

Even though her Infonautics days spanned only 12 months, Lucinda spins some great tales, often calling them “those crazy days.” She also has a great affinity for many of the folks who worked alongside her at Infonautics. In this episode, you will get to hear descriptions of many people you know, including someone she called a “perpetual motion machine.” Other positive recollections from her time at Info include the Infonautics Good Business Pledge, and Van’s guidance to “solve for yes.” We hope you enjoy listening and taking time to reconnect with Lucinda.

Reach out to Jim or Sean if you want to join us on a trip down memory lane! We can’t wait to talk to you!

Contacts:

Lucinda Duncalfe can be reached on LinkedIn or via email. 

Jim and Sean can be reached at Onwards! Infonauts.

Sponsors:

JMX Advisors for Interim or Fractional CFO work

Disclaimer:

None of these discussions are to be relied upon as professional advice.