Deven Parekh and Insight Venture Partners Focus on Internet Enabled Businesses

Deven Parekh has been a managing director of Insight Venture Partners since 2000. This venture capital company focuses on business software and internet -enabled businesses especially domain related internet companies. More recently, the company has focused on domain-rich internet ventures which own literally thousands of keyword rich domain names.

Deven Parekh completed his BS in Economics at the University of Philadelphia Wharton School of Business. He received the Henry Crown Fellowship of the Aspen Institute, an institute dedicated to training leaders whose ideals and ideas define a good society and to fostering values-added leadership. Henry Crown was a Chicago businessman committed to honor, integrity, industry, and philanthropy. Parekh is experienced in mergers and acquisitions. He worked in the M & A activities at the Blackstone Group and later worked as M & A principal at the New York based merchant banking firm of Berenson Minella & Company. At Insight Venture Partners, Deven Parekh is a managing director and is active in the M & A activities of the company alongside founders, Jeff Horing and Jerry Murdock. Among Parekh's community projects is Publicolor, a company dedicated to helping disadvantaged and disaffected adolescents through the use of color, paint and art to enhance the learning environment.

Gift Baskets for Holiday Gift Giving

For a few years now, I have been sending out of town friends gift baskets for holiday and special occasion gift giving. With so many products to choose from and so many vendors available online, I have been able to tailor the gift to friend's likes.

For my gourmet friends, I can send a gift basket of wine, cheese, nuts, with a cookbook or a special utensil. To my bibliophile friends, I can send a basket of books by their favorite authors. To my plant loving friends, I usually send 1800flowers gift baskets. My movie viewing friends enjoy popcorn gift baskets with a DVD, varieties of popping corn and a movie pass.

I have also made up unique gift baskets from specialty store finds all year round. I pick potential gifts I know certain friend might like that I can later put in a gift bag. Jazz lovers might like vintage Blue Note music or CD. I might pick up a Fiesta plate for or a Hummel figurine for friends who collect them. I especially enjoy thrift store finds of rare items that someone might like.

For the upcoming holiday season beat the crowd. Make your own gift baskets or order from your favorite online store.

Poinsettias: Most Popular of the Christmas Flowers

Flowers for the winter and Christmas season are now showing in stores and poinsettias are leading the pack. It is the best selling flowering potted plant though most of the sales occur in a 6 week period. With over 100 varieties of the plant and different colors to choose from, poinsettias remain vibrant for several weeks or months.

Poinsettias are native to Mexico where ancient Aztecs called it Cuetlaxochitl and used its sap to make red dye. It derives its name from Joel Poinsett who introduced the plant to the United States in 1825. Today, poinsettias are grown in all 50 states, California growing and exporting the largest number.

The colorful leaves are bracts or modified leaves while the flowers are the small, usually yellow accent in the center of the bract. The plants are priced according to the number and density of the bracts. Choose plants that have sturdy green leaves down to the soil and have fully colored bracts. The flowers in the middle should be firm with no powdery pollen falling out. This is a sign of aging and the plant will soon loose its color. Choose plants that are balanced all around and look full from all sides. When you take it home in cold weather, be sure to wrap it as it is sensitive to drops in temperature. Allow indirect light for about 6 hours a day and water only when dry allowing good drainage to avoid root rot.

You can purchase poinsettias just about anywhere,at nurseries, flower shops, grocery stores and online florists. Checkout sale coupons at 1800Flowers coupon for a wide selection of poinsettias in beautiful containers. Poinsettias make colorful inexpensive Christmas decorations and holiday gifts.