PACC’s April Business After Hours

PACC President Henry Kazmierczak who welcomed all members and guests in attendance, also thanked the Warsaw Stock Exchange (WSE) for sponsorship, and the Polish America Contractor Builders Association (PACBA) and World Trade Center Illinois (WTCI) for their organizational co-sponsorship. Special guests included Consul Lucyna Jaremczuk of the Consulate General of Poland in Chicago; Ewa Sieradzki, director of protocol in the Office of the Illinois Governor; Jen Hoelze, director of intergovernmental affairs at the Lt. Governor’s office; Polish National Alliance (PNA) Vice President Paul Odrobina; and the PNA’s National Secretary, Charles Komosa.

 

The highlight of the event, which helped generate the large attendance, was a presentation of NewConnect, a new financing and trading platform. As part of their remarks, Ms. Jarosz and Mr. Stepien spoke of the WSE as the fastest-growing equity market in Central Europe. Organized by the WSE and launched on August 30, 2007, NewConnect is intended for dynamic start-up companies which need capital injection to leverage their innovative potential.  As of April 2008, more than 40 companies were listed on NewConnect.

“Despite the current global financial markets turbulance, the Warsaw-based bourse offers attractive opportunities for growth not only to Polish companies but also those coming from other countries,” said WSE’s Beata Jarosz. “WSE offers simple procedures, low costs, good legislation and availability of capital, and I’m very pleased that PACC members and others had an opportunity today to hear why NewConnect might be the right option for their companies,” adds the Gdynia and Chicago-based Cama-Soft’s Maciej Wilhelm, who helped organize the meeting.

By tradition, the program of the evening featured introductions of PACC’s newest members by the PACC Membership Committee Chair, Stan Nowak. Those present had an opportunity to greet and meet the following representatives of new member companies: Patrick Moriarty and Andrew Stochmalski (Jan-Pro of Northern Chicago, LLC); Jason Vohs (National City); Krystyna Koda (Ridgewood Gardens); and Caroline Kulczuga, who joined the Chamber as a student and invited everyone to sponsor the photography and awards ceremony of the annual student photography contest (http://groups.northwestern.edu/pasa) co-sponsored by the Polish American Student Alliance at Northwestern University and the Polish Museum of America. Bogdan Pukszta, PACC executive director, who MC-ed the meeting, also introduced one of PACC’s newest individual members, Mr. Joseph Zurawski, who presented autographed copies of the bestselling book he authored, “Polish Chicago” to the two special guests from Warsaw.

Announcements generated much interest as well. Members and guests who spoke included:Christopher Kamyszew of the Chicago-based Society for Arts, introduced the documentary Oscar (www.childrenofleningradsky.com) nominated filmmaker Hanna Polak (www.hannapolak.com). Hanna spoke of her new project, “Victoria’s Story,”  and current funding needs related to completion and post production of the project.

Representing Life Is A Dream Productions Inc., Christopher Gentry and Kelly Johnson spoke of their current feature length production “Gray In White And Black” (www.graywhiteblackfilm.com) by I. Michael Toth as an investement opportunity. The producers seek additional private funding for finishing the feature film.

Chicago Fire’s Chris Stavrianos talked about the upcoming matches Fire vs. Wisla (May 21) and Fire vs. Jagiellonia (May 31), and presented the team’s Frankowski (#9) T-shirts to the special guests from Warsaw.

Bogdan Pukszta’s concluding announcement was an invitation to the PACC’s main event of this year’s spring, the May 14-15 US-Poland Business Forum (www.uspolandforum.com).

The PACC is a not-for-profit organization incorporated in the State of Illinois as a business association.  The Chamber seeks to bring together businesses to foster their interests, educate, build relations, and to contribute to the expansion and integration of Polish and Polish American business communities in the U.S. and abroad.