Networking event brings together the business-minded community

A small group of entrepreneurs and others gathered Saturday evening at American Legion Palisades Post 283 to network with one another over steak and lobsters, the latter were caught by a former Recon Marine diver.

“I think the presentation was great, people were super nice. The food was awesome and the booze was great,” said Gabriel Gillespie, who brought the lobsters he caught especially for the event.

Gillespie is the founder of OmneShip, a company that creates digital farmers’ markets and provides local delivery for them.

The evening was meant to bring together participants of a business development group led by Post 283 Finance Officer Todd Hickman and Jeffery Rollert, president of consulting firm The Soul of the Business.

“Towards the end of the evening Jeff started to gather the crowd into more of a networking social, sharing his ideas from banking and group psychology dynamics,” said Matt Louie, Post 283 historian and product developer. “It's great practice for me — the art of talking and sharing of ideas. I think it was a great event for people, getting a great chance to sit at the round tables and listen to what others have to share.”

Louie created a device called "Goball" for golfers looking to improve their short game skills in chipping and pitching. It is a motorized device you hit a golf ball into and it ejects it back to you using a motioned proprietary technology. Louie said his invention has gone through a few iterations and is ready to be mass produced.

Post 283 members Historian Matt Louie (left), and 3rd Vice Commander Richard Lombari, pose for a photo in the kitchen over sizzling steaks Saturday night.