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Gaebler Ventures Announces First Start-Up Investment

Chicago-based Incubator Invests in Walker Sands Communications

Chicago, IL. - September 30, 2001 - Gaebler Ventures LLC today announced an investment in Chicago-based Walker Sands Communications, a full-service marketing and communications firm formed to assist high-tech startups and emerging growth companies.

"Many talented companies cannot get to the next level unless they aggressively pursue well-designed marketing and communications initiatives that successfully reach the right target audiences with the right messages." said Ken Gaebler, founder, Chairman and CEO of Gaebler Ventures. "This is easier said than done. While there are many service providers out there that claim they can help, there are very few that truly have what it takes to do this well and who price their offerings affordably. We believe Walker Sands has put all the right pieces together."

Walker Sands has been started from scratch by Gaebler Ventures to fill a vacuum in the market. Very few marketing and communications consultants understand 1) technology, 2) marketing, and 3) business building. By building a team that has deep expertise in all three of these areas, Walker Sands believes it can truly differentiate itself and add incremental value to its clients, raising their visibility with key stakeholders and delivering effective messages that resonate and compel desired actions in a timely manner.

A strong concentration of the Walker Sands methodology is to develop programs that increase sales at Walker Sands' client companies. Properly designed marketing and communications programs can increase the number of high-quality sales leads, pre-sell leads prior to an actual sales encounter, and shorten the overall selling cycle.

Moreover, Walker Sands is empathetic to the cash flow constraints of startup and emerging growth businesses. The company does not require high-fee, monthly retainers of its clients. Walker Sands is also experimenting with pay-for-performance fee structures in which client companies pay Walker Sands less money if Walker Sands is not successful in achieving mutually agreed upon objectives.

About Gaebler Ventures
Gaebler Ventures is a seed capital fund, incubator and holding company located in Chicago, Illinois. Founded by entrepreneur Ken Gaebler, the company provides start-up high tech businesses with equity investment capital, office space, administrative and financial infrastructure, and hands-on strategic and tactical assistance. For more information about Gaebler Ventures, visit www.gaebler.com.

© 2003 by Gaebler Ventures LLC