Quinn draws techy crowd at schmoozy fundraiser
October 10,
2013
Pat Quinn
There
were lots of laughs the other night at a schmoozy political fundraising party
for Gov. Pat Quinn, held by Howard
Tullman at his West Loop loft.
Mr.
Tullman, the high-tech entrepreneur, introduced J.B.
Pritzker, saying the Chicago venture capitalist “made a huge
contribution to 1871,” the digital center for startups located at Merchandise
Mart.
Mr.
Pritkzer followed, saying he was very sensitive to anyone using his name and
“huge” in the same sentence.
Mr.
Pritzker is a hearty fellow, though he's a leaner form of himself since becoming
a customer and investor in Chicago-based Retrofit,
a weight-management system.
Mr.
Quinn talked about a recent trip he took to Israel with Mr. Tullman. The
governor credited Mr. Tullman with saving him while floating in the Dead Sea.
Apparently the governor's flip-flops weren't working with the bumpy surface; Mr.
Tullman gave him better footwear.
And
Mr. Quinn teased Thad
Wong, one of the founders of @Properties, who also was on the Israel
trip. Mr. Quinn said Mr. Wong kept disappearing to look for cigars. “And we
always thought he was lost.”
Some
60 people attended the event, including Brad
Keywell, who's gearing up for Chicago Ideas Week, which he founded;
Wrapports Chief Technology Officer Josh
Metnick, CBRE Inc. Senior Vice President Dan
Lyne, Illinois Technology Association CEO Fred
Hoch, and Chicago Ventures Partner Kevin
Willer.
Follow
Shia on Twitter at @ShiaKapos.
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