GenV Venture Capital Partners With Established Nashville Artist Career Development Company, The Hallmark Direction Company

Business Wire, August 30, 2000

Business Editors & Technology/Entertainment Writers

NASHVILLE, Tenn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 30, 2000

GenV Venture Capital CEO Steven Roads announced today that the "angel fund" company has entered into a strategic partnership with The Hallmark Direction Company, one of Music Row's most-respected artist direction and business management companies. It is anticipated that Hallmark's staff of 10 will move to the GenV offices located at 15 Music Square West by the end of September.

GenV Venture Capital was established this year when Davis Clapp, Roads' partner in TappedInto.com, approached him to head a venture capital company on Nashville's Music Row that would focus on entertainment and emerging technologies. Other companies under the GenV umbrella include TappedInto.com, Tn2Entertainment, and Campusvibe.com.

"Hallmark represents the three things GenV looks for in a partnership - integrity, great people and the ability to think outside of the box," explains Roads. "When long-time friend John Dorris approached me, I was thrilled."

The Hallmark Direction Company, founded in 1983 by CPA John Dorris, currently guides the careers of hot country artists/songwriters: Montgomery-Gentry, Ricochet, Dean Dillon, The Whites, Marty Raybon and Leslie Satcher. The company has also been lauded for the successful career strategies implemented for such past clients as Don Williams, Doug Stone and John Michael Montgomery.

"I've been impressed with Steven since he first came to town as an entertainment lawyer and have witnessed his success with TappedInto.com for the past several years," notes Dorris. "When he formed GenV, I knew together we could propel Hallmark and our entertainment clients into the 21st Century with the best in technology resources and corporate strategies."