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September 15, 2000/15 Elul 5760, Vol. 52, No.53
Networking group connects
BETH OLSON
Editorial Assistant
A group of Jewish businesspeople has given new significance to the phrase, "Let's do lunch."
Lonzmon International, a Jewish business networking group, meets at noon every Thursday at Leo's Restaurant in Scottsdale to share lunch, leads and companionship.
Despite the fact that the group was formed with the intention of exchanging leads in the Jewish business community, it has grown to mean more than that to its 33 members.
"The group is rewarding both professionally and personally. The members are great people and with our being Jewish as the common bond, it's nice to find a way to mix business with pleasure," says Sandy Walker, president of New City Promotions, Inc. in Phoenix.
Lonzmon has strived to maintain a sense of community, says Lee Eisinberg, a financial consultant with Dain Rauscher in Scottsdale and founding member of Lonzmon. The group holds one social event per month, such as a Shabbat dinner or a Sunday brunch. The events are hosted by a member and "wives and children (and) husbands have been included and gotten to know each other," says Eisinberg.
Lonzmon members are encouraged to meet one-on-one through a "getting to know you lunch."
The group also is involved in doing "mitzvah projects," the first of which took place in April. According to Jerry Birnbaum, chairman of the mitzvah projects, about 15 members of Lonzmon worked on the Mitzvah Garden at Temple Chai in Phoenix, which grows vegetables for Kivel Campus of Care.
"The idea is that we wanted to do more than just be a networking and leads group. ... We wanted to really get to know each other and we wanted to do something for the community," says Eisinberg.
The group plans to take part in a fund-raising walk for ALS, Lou Gehrig's Disease, in Tempe next month.
Lonzmon weekly meetings occasionally include guest appearances by community leaders, Jewish leaders and representatives from local Jewish organizations and local businesspeople.
Dave Sherman, president of Lonzmon, is also a member of Temple Chai; a board member of both the Valley of the Sun Jewish Community Center and the Jewish Federation of Greater Phoenix; and a Young Leadership Division cabinet member.
Sherman enjoys Lonzmon's social appeal.
"For me, I'm not here as much for the business aspect as I am the Jewish aspect," he says.
Not all members of the group are satisfied with the shift in focus from business to pleasure.
"I didn't join (Lonzmon) for a social thing. ... Most people joined because they thought it would increase their business," says Luanna Bayer, a mortgage broker with Spectrum Financial Group in Scottsdale. Bayer feels the group should focus more on the exchange of business leads.
Some members, such as Bob Hoyt, president of Computer Support Group, LLC in Phoenix, have achieved both business and personal success in the group.
"In addition to wonderful business leads, I have enjoyed getting to know interesting, dynamic Jewish professionals and business people whom I might not have had the opportunity to meet through my existing business and social circles," he says.
Lonzmon was formed in April 1999 by Eisinberg, Joel Sherman and Paul Blum. There were about 16 people at the first meeting, recalls Eisinberg. Nearly all of the original attendees joined the group.
To be a member, one must be Jewish, involved in some type of business and pay membership dues. Only one person from a specific type of business can join the group.
"There's some exclusivity, so there's not a conflict, like 'Who do I give this lead to?' It works pretty well," says Eisinberg.
At every meeting, each member has one minute to give a commercial for his/her business, share leads, or give a testimonial for another member's business. Additionally, each member has the opportunity to speak quarterly, for 10 minutes, about his/her business or service. For more information about Lonzmon, contact Dave Sherman at 480-860-6100, or Lee Eisinberg at 480-609-4932, or visit the Web site at www.lonzmon.com.
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