INTRODUCING
         RICK GIBSON

Here's a portrait of Rick Gibson and his company Clear Blue Ventures.  Rick sent in some of the articles on techniques for finding capital featured in our Funding Tips section.

Clear Blue Ventures is an investor and advisor to technology companies. Their portfolio consists mostly of early-stage companies, and they've served as advisor to several of the nation's largest media companies.

Rick Gibson has had a 30-year career building businesses. He founded and co-founded several successful technology companies and has consulted to over 45 others. Rick is President of Clear Blue Ventures, a Tucson-based venture-lending company that specializes in short-term commercial loans. Clear Blue does bridge lending, purchase order and accounts receivable financing and venture leasing. Since 2000, Rick has served as Managing Director of HOTventures, a "mentor capital fund" for the Southwest U.S., which invests in and advises early-stage companies. HOTventures specializes in Information Technology, Biotech/Life Science and Media companies.

Rick is an advisor to several companies. Rick is a limited partner in Solstice Capital II (one of the largest venture capital funds in Arizona) and on the Executive Board of the Desert Angels. Rick is on the advisory board, a Contributing Writer and creator of "Entrepreneur's Resource Guide" for bizAZ magazine and host of the Bizness of Biotech in Arizona conference. Rick serves on the MBA Advisory Council of the University of Arizona, Eller Graduate School of Management and is an Adjunct Instructor for the Eller School Entrepreneurship Program (ranked the #2 program in the U.S.) He serves as guest lecturer at the University of Arizona, Arizona State University, and Thunderbird University, as well as moderator or judge at various business plan and case competitions. 

Rick was an early shareholder in Bill Gross' Idealab and founded one of their first companies, E-Ticket Inc. The company merged with the Nederlander Organization's RealTime Syndication Network to become FeatureCast Inc. Rick served as Vice-Chairman. FeatureCast secured online licenses for and executive-produced: Fox's America's Most Wanted, Teen Magazine, National Enquirer and Associated Press.

Rick participated in strategic planning with the ten original Idealab CEOs. Idealab is known for its creation and investment of several well-known technology companies including: Overture (was GoTo.com), United Online (was NetZero and Juno), CarsDirect, TicketMaster, PetSmart.com, Picasa, Tickets.com, eToys and WeddingChannel. In 1998-2000 Rick was an advisor to the board of directors of Petersen Publishing, producers of 100+ magazines including Motor Trend, Hot Rod and Teen.

Rick originally joined with Bill Gross in 1984 to form GNP Development Corp. They sold GNP to Lotus Development Corp in 1986 for $10 million. 1991, Rick co-founded Knowledge Adventure Inc with Bill. In 1996, Knowledge Adventure sold to CUC (Cendant) for $100 million. Today, Knowledge Adventure is one of the world's largest children's edutainment companies, part of Vivendi Universal. KA is known for its 'JumpStart' (15 million units sold) and 'Blaster' product lines.

From 1986 through 1991, Rick consulted to several software companies including Ashton-Tate, Que Software/Macmillan and SPSS Inc, and arranged sales of technology to Symantec, Microlytics and Paramount Publishing. Rick directed a division of Ashton-Tate and was Chairman of 4-5-6 WORLD, a direct marketer of Lotus products. Earlier, Rick directed national sales and marketing and helped start or re-start: Fisher Corp, KLH, Ultralinear and Androbot Inc (the personal robot start-up by Nolan Bushnell, who founded Atari and Chuck E Cheese). Rick began his career as one of the first store managers for The GAP, which now has over 3,000 stores.