From the Skokie Review: Skokie’s Shalom Klein was ready to save a stranger’s life
by Mike Isaacs, read the full article here
Shalom Klein has done a lot in a short time at age 25, but saving a life isn’t one of them
That, though, is just what Klein was prepared to do after a routine bone marrow screening more than a year ago. They took a swab inside his mouth, and he forgot about even having done it until he received a monumental call upon coming out of a downtown meeting.
“I was walking down State Street, and I got a call from a Cleveland area code that I didn’t recognize,” he said. “My gut reaction was not to answer, but I picked up the phone and someone was telling me something about bone marrow.”
The call changed his life because it had the potential to save someone else’s life.
According to the National Bone Marrow Registry Program, about one in 540 registry members in the United States go on to donate bone marrow or peripheral blood stem cells to a patient.
“Because of the vast variation in tissue types, we can’t predict an individual registry member’s chance of donating to a patient,” the National Bone Marrow Registry Program states.
But Klein immediately knew he had a rare opportunity. He was told he was the only person in the registry who was a match for a male recipient. His biggest immediate challenge, he said, was to convince family, which he knew would eventually happen, but he was unwavering from the beginning in wanting to move forward.
“I like to think a lot of the things I’ve been doing have been good for the community and have helped people, but can I ever say I’ve actually saved someone’s life? No, I can’t,” he said.
Many people in Skokie and the surrounding area know Klein or know of him. He is involved in a remarkable number of activities that give back to his community, that help people find jobs, that help small businesses, that help the village with economic development, that help the ruling Caucus Party and more.
You won’t find anyone better organized with his time. Klein helps run Moshe Klein & Associates Ltd., his father’s Skokie bookkeeping and accounting firm for small businesses.
He has staged three major annual events in the area called The Business Event for small businesses and key speakers, drawing thousands of people. He chairs Skokie’s first Economic Development Commission and is a steering committee member and former chair of The Dempster Street Merchants Association. He also is pursuing an advanced degree in Jewish professional studies in business and administration. And on it goes.
But Klein was more than ready to add “bone marrow donor” to his tall resume all the while determined not to miss a beat in his busy schedule.
“I view this as a great opportunity to catch up on some of the work I wasn’t able to (get to),” he said about the two full days for which he was scheduled at Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge. “I’m not scheduling any meetings at the hospital. That’s something different than my normal schedule.”
Those days were set for this week, but they never came to be. His procedure had been postponed twice before because of the recipient’s poor health — a rare occurrence, he was told. The Sept. 23 and 24 dates for the procedure, however, were looking good as they drew near. Then Klein received another message from the National Bone Marrow Registry Program that impacted him almost as much as that original call telling him he was a match.
“Regretfully, the patient’s condition has taken a negative turn and they are reporting that his kidneys are failing,” he told the Skokie Review, which was to attend his procedure and follow his status for a story. “At this point, they are not certain he will recover and will need my cells. Needless to say, I am devastated.”
Klein was told things may turn around again, but the news hit him hard.
“I’ve really developed a strong sense of commitment for this individual who I have not and may never meet,” he said.
Getting word out
The moment Klein first discovered he was in a position to save someone’s life – all because of a painless and brief bone marrow screening – he wanted to get the word out to others.
He wanted to let his community know that joining the National Bone Marrow Registry can do so much with only temporary discomfort to the donor.
In weeks preparing for the procedure, Klein regularly gave blood. They first took 10 tubes of his blood, but then it became two or three tubes as the weeks went by. He says he felt no ill health.
“I’ll forget about it in a few hours,” he said just after giving three tubes of blood in only minutes. “I’m running an event in two or three hours. I just build (the blood draw) into my schedule, and I feel great actually.”
Had the procedure moved forward, Klein would have received injections the week before, preparing his system for the bone marrow transplant. Some side effects from the injections are often temporary aches and pains, sort of flu-like symptoms.
Those in the registry who match a patient are asked to donate either bone marrow, as Klein was asked, or cells from circulating blood (known as PBSC donation). Donating bone marrow is a surgical procedure done under general or regional anesthesia in a hospital. While a donor receives anesthesia, doctors use needles to withdraw liquid marrow from the back of the pelvic bone.
PBSC donation is non-surgical done in an outpatient clinic. PBSC donors receive daily injections of a drug called filgrastim for five days, to increase the number of blood-forming cells in the bloodstream.
Klein was set for his procedure for two full days. He would have slept at home at night and come back the following morning first thing. Once the procedure was completed, the medical team’s emphasis would immediately shift to transferring the bone marrow to the recipient as quickly and safely as possible.
“Sometimes that requires immediate air transportation, sometimes they jump in the car and get it out there,” Klein said. “The recipient’s health has been conditioned for this. If he’s been conditioned and doesn’t get the cells, it can be fatal.”
Following the procedure, there are temporary aches and pains for the donor, but they usually are back to full strength in short time. And they receive meticulous care from the hospital medical staff during those weeks.
“Some donors said the experience was more painful than they expected; others said it was less painful,” the National Bone Marrow Registry Program states. “Some donors describe the pain as similar to achy hip bones or falling on their buttocks. Others say it feels more like a strained muscle in the back. The ache may last a few days to several weeks.”
Klein knew little about the recipient he was prepared to save, which he understands is how it has to be.
Even at the National Bone Marrow Registry Program in Cleveland, they keep the information “very, very close to their chest,” he said. But had the procedure gone well, and had both parties been willing, he would have been able to meet the recipient a year later.
He is still hoping to have that opportunity — to save the life of a stranger who doesn’t feel like a stranger to him anymore. Being only one of 10.5 million or so in the national registry who matches a recipient creates a special bond whether the recipient is identified or not.
“This (was) such a unique experience,” he said. “The chance to save someone’s life is something not handed to most everybody, and I (realized) that.”
He still does. And he continues to hope that the chance has not passed him by forever.
TribLocal: Shalom Klein, Networking Maven
Shalom Klein, The Networking Maven
By Roberta Katchen Stein
Read the original post on TribLocal.com
Talking to Shalom Klein might catapult a job seeker into a nirvana where job layoffs are nonexistent, work opportunities abound, and the word “recession” is not in the English vocabulary.
Klein works diligently to turn his utopian vision for the business world into a reality for thousands of job hunters. His efforts have already led to dozens of formerly unemployed Chicagoans finding jobs over the past year! His venues also provide renewed hope to hundreds of other jobseekers.
Klein wears two hats. Not only does he serve as the business director for his family’s Skokie bookkeeping and accounting firm, MK & A Ltd., which helps small businesses with bookkeeping and accounting, and taxes, but he also serves as Chairman of Jewish B2BNetworking, an organization he founded less than a year ago. Klein doesn’t pocket one penny for his services. He uses any income from these ventures merely to cover costs.
Despite the Jewish Business2Business Networking name, the events are nonsectarian, and open to all.
The idea for these networking events occurred to Klein after he arranged a luncheon at “Slice of Life, “ a kosher restaurant in Skokie. His goal was to introduce a relatively small number of people to the family firm. Although approximately 20 were invited, 70 attended. Adding to his surprise, the group immediately and spontaneously began networking.
Reflecting on the luncheon, Klein said, “It didn’t take long to realize that all it takes to help a job-seeker land an interview is a connection.”
That realization eventually led him to launch “Jewish B2B Networking, now firmly established in Chicago, but also in St. Louis and Detroit.
Klein’s efforts have snowballed, starting with a variety of networking events. After a networking event held at the Evanston Public Library held two days before Christmas, he quickly learned to prepare for a large attendance. Although the event was anticipated to draw about 70 people, it amazed Klein that more than 100 appeared.
Other networking events are planned through October.
Klein also created an interactive website, www.JewishB2BNetworking.com, where people can join, create profiles, search for jobs, register for the networking events, and post to a blog. This site currently boosts 12,000 subscribers and averages 200 job listings.
In addition, Klein debuted a new publication, “The Jewish Business News,” in January 2011 in both on- and offline formats. Its current circulation boasts 15,000 subscribers.
As Klein continues to add new features, he is beginning to host free teleseminars, starting with one called, “How to Build a Step By Step Selling System That Brings You All the Customers You Want” in April.
Even Senators Dick Durbin, Mark Kirk and Jan Schakowsky are participating in a one-day mega event planned for the fall. It will be an O’Hare-area daylong business exposition and trade show. This event, offered free of charge to those registering in advance, will include a resume-writing workshop, a boot camp for job seekers, and much more.
When asked about his inspiration to create these networking opportunities, Klein said, “I was taught from a young age that the highest form of charity is helping someone to earn their own livelihood so that they’re able to support themselves. Having established relationships with thousands and thousands of businesses, I have sent many people their way. I’m a recruiter’s best friend.”
A second source of inspiration comes from his membership at a Skokie synagogue, Congregation Or Torah. He said, “I enjoy an excellent relationship with Rabbi Zvi Engel, the rabbi at this temple. He is a source of encouragement and inspiration for the work I am involved in.”
Seeing a successful match between job seekers and employers, he said, “I’m thrilled every time I walk into a Starbucks and see an employment connection that I facilitated ‘schmoozing’ and keeping the networking chain going. That feeling of making a successful connection gives me a positive boost of energy that offers more motivation for the hard work of coordinating events and the relationships that come from them.”
How To Run A Successful Small Business In Illinois – 2013
Join us on October 3, 2013 at 5:30pm for a FREE evening of information and networking. You will hear short presentations from well known experts in the following areas important to any small business owner:
– Taxes for Small Business
– Small Business Insurance Concerns
– Legal Issues Facing Entrepreneurs
– Cash Flow and Receivables
– Sales and Networking Skills
– Government Resources for Business
A lively open networking opportunity will be available after the presentations. You will have a chance to meet other small business owners and to speak with the presenters one/one about any questions that you might have.
FREE Registration:
http://www.jewishb2bnetworking.com/business-event/how-run-successful-small-business-illinois-2013-0
Sponsored By:
Are we connected on LinkedIn?
I’d like to add you to my professional network on LinkedIn. Visit my profile at: http://www.linkedin.com/in/shalomklein
Warm Regards,
– Shalom Klein
The Best Networker I Know
Thanks, Jeff Segal, for the very kind blog post. See the original blog here.
Ask any startup founders how they met, and you’ll probably hear something along the lines of “Well, I knew a guy who’d worked with her, then we ran into each other at TechCocktail and she introduced me to …”
The startup community is networking nirvana.
Yet the best networker I know doesn’t run a startup. He works for a Skokie-based family accounting firm. But—in his spare time—he leads a networking group that’s grown from zero to more than 18,000 members in just two and a half years.
The group is Jewish B2B Networking, and its founder is a soft-spoken guy named Shalom Klein, who claims, “Really, I can only take credit for setting up the coffee and cake at our events.”
That’s a lot of coffee and cake. Jewish B2B hosts events nearly every week, in the city and suburbs, with anywhere from handfuls to hundreds of attendees. New postings pepper their job board daily, and they’re busy planning for their second annual business leaders’ trip to meet with administration officials and legislators in Washington.
And it all started from a single lunch. Klein explains, “I realized many of our clients, friends, and family needed to meet each other, so I planned a lunch at Slice of Life restaurant in Skokie. While I expected 20 people to attend, 75 people turned out. I walked into my neighborhood Starbucks the following day and saw three meetings going on from the day prior.”
A startup that grew so quickly from 75 users to 18,000 would probably be in line for some serious funding, but Jewish B2B is strictly a non-profit enterprise. Many of their events are free, and, in case you’re wondering, you don’t have to be Jewish to join.
“Business owners and job seekers—both Jewish and people from all faiths—are finding out about our resources, educational programs, and events, and are taking advantage,” says Klein. “Tens of thousands of business connections have been formed, and hundreds of jobs have been filled.”
Like most successful entrepreneurs, he makes it sound simple, even inevitable.
But building a network with the size and impact of Jewish B2B, in just two and a half years—in his spare time—makes Shalom Klein a networker extraordinaire.
Enjoying coffee with my good friend, Aaron Jaffe, Chairman of the Illinois Gaming Board
Read my interview in the Las Vegas Review Journal: Even in Business, Helping Creates Its Own Reward
A wave of abundance, with the exception of rejections, rarely washes over a job-seeker. Everything else seems in limited supply, including contacts. Enter a person who freely gives you one. Should you do more than write, telephone or email thanks?
Some people feel obligated to send a token of thanks to express their appreciation. However, some relationship-builders don’t expect much of anything in return, because their joy comes from helping people get from Point A to Point B by giving them a good contact.
Larry Buchsbaum, the Marblehead, Mass., owner of LBVentures, provides outsourced marketing and business development for CPA and law firms and is currently job-hunting. His more than 600 LinkedIn contacts are people he knows. He’s so “happy to share” that he recently found himself giving an introduction even to a job-seeker who could have been a competitor.
Normally, Buchsbaum freely shares a contact, but this time he also asked himself if helping out could have a negative impact on him. When he realized the two would be looking for different jobs, he continued giving.
He sums up his philosophy on good contacts with “the more the merrier.” Today is light years away from early in his career when he felt he was “panhandling” and “unnatural” while job-hunting in an environment without established relationships.
Shalom Klein, chairman of Jewish B2B Networking Inc. in Skokie, Ill., receives calls and resumes every day from people — more than 1,600 to date — who don’t have jobs or don’t have jobs they want. He also helps business owners.
“I drink a lot of coffee every day,” he quips. When he hears from employers looking for people to hire, he digs into his database.
“I try to connect the dots, at least get them an interview,” Klein explains. “I can’t guarantee a job or a perfect fit, but close to 400 people have found positions. My satisfaction and compensation is a note of thanks or that they’re starting their job.”
He’s noticed, however, that people in career transitions have introduced him “to the most wonderful contacts or volunteer to help with events or projects I’m working on, and it’s been a fantastic resource.” Their LinkedIn recommendations help him promote his work.
Buchsbaum connects people automatically, without expecting anything in return. He’s even found himself giving contacts when he was supposed to be asking the other person for help in finding a job.
“If I’m walking into a room or a person sends an email and I know people and can introduce them, to me this is natural. It’s just what I do. I love connecting the dots. If you’re a connector, people view you that way, value the relationship and get to appreciate who you are and what you do and are willing to help.”
Neither of these men is looking for compensation. Their professional matchmaking is easy for them and comes without a fee. Klein doesn’t even feel cheated if he doesn’t receive an acknowledgment, because he derives satisfaction from putting people together.
Buchsbaum loves sending a person in the right direction and derives additional satisfaction from “the people who take the referral and run, get back to me and say it was a fantastic contact, because I’ve done what I’ve wanted to do.”
The next time you’ve been lucky to receive a contact, ask yourself whether you think the person really expects the favor returned. A thank-you may be enough. Meanwhile, start your own relationship-building and share the wealth.
By MILDRED L. CULP WORKWISE
Dr. Mildred L. Culp welcomes your questions at culp@workwise.net. © 2013 Passage Media.
L'shana Tova and Happy New Year! Wishing you a year of happiness, health, and success!
Heart of Gold
John Jonelis – I knew something outstanding was going on, but when a friend raved about it, I had to stop procrastinating and find out more.
Shalom Klein founded and runs the JB2BN, which is a really cool acronym for the Jewish Business to Business Network. To gain an interview, I had to schedule a time slot. Shalom runs his entire day by increments. No wasted minutes. And I asked myself—what motivates him to work so hard helping others? 24-year-olds usually spend their time in more self-centered pursuits.
Q&A
Q – How did you go from an idea to the large organization you have today?
A – We have an accounting firm focused on small business. That led me into the world of networking, Chambers of Commerce, and meeting people.
In June of 2010, I did a lunch for our contacts. If you think about it, a photographer needs to meet a lawyer who needs to meet an accountant. Seventy people showed up.
So the next day, I walked into a Starbucks and saw five meetings going on from the day prior. I knew we were onto something BIG.
Now, many thousands of people are involved in the JB2BN. Upwards of 15,000 people have come out of our programs so far.
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5,000 People
My goal is not that everybody attend every event. Most of ours draw 75-100 people—small business owners, job seekers. It’s about meeting people—developing relationships that are the key to helping our community.
But we offer some pretty outrageous things, like The Business Event—an free annual expo. This year, 5,000 people showed up.
Q – Give me a picture of it.
A – I have to keep this a little bit brief because I have somebody calling me in a few minutes.
- A Business Expo, which I believe is the largest one around the Midwest.
- A Job Fair with 30 employers that are hiring on the spot.
- 3 workshops going on simultaneously at the top of every hour.
- A total of 18 workshops during the day.
Q – What kind of workshops?
A – Marketing, networking, resumes, interviewing, cover letters, speed networking, LinkedIn, everything under the sun. They’re all posted on our website.
There’s a free employment clinic running at all times. The workshops, include some very prominent speakers.
Q – How did you find a venue for 5,000 people?
A – It’s been a work in progress. The first year we did it at the Holiday Inn in Skokie. We had 2,500 people. I called all the neighborhood businesses to tell them, “Hey, we’re not-for-profit. Please don’t tow our cars.” We clearly outgrew that space.
The next year we did it at a mall. I figured malls have a lot of parking space. So I partnered with the mayor of the Village of Lincolnwood. He said, “I’ll set you up in the town center.” And sure enough, he did. And it was a great, great event but we quickly outgrew the space. We even arranged a shuttle bus that ran from the mall to another venue for workshops.
The mayor of Evanston was on my case saying, “How can we get something like this here in town?” I said, “Hey, find me a space and I’ll do it.” They got me Evanston High School, which is a gorgeous facility, a huge facility, and they have a brand new field house. It worked out fantastic. We actually ran out of parking half way through the day.
I’m gonna have to start working on next year’s event. But it’s a good problem to have. I’m beyond thrilled with the outcomes, with the progress that we’ve made and I’m looking forward to next steps.
Q – How big can it grow?
A – What we’ve been doing has attracted a lot of attention. I’m very proud of the successes. The numbers are important but the outcomes are far more important. The one thing everybody shares is the need to put food on the table.
And the reason any organization goes viral is that you’re talking about the right issue at the right time. I hear success stories every day. I meet people who have found jobs. I hear of people who are now working together simply because we connected the dots!
We don’t spend a penny on advertising. We don’t do any marketing. People come to us. WLS Radio, 890 and 94.7 approached me about partnering on this year’s event. They came to the event and promoted it for free through their vast media channels. We’re a grass roots community organization. It’s my goal to continue to grow and develop that way.
Q – Will you expand to other cities?
A – We already have. We’re running events in Milwaukee, Detroit, and St. Louis. Cleveland is inquiring. My goal is to expand around the Midwest—not nationwide. There are so many businesses synergies that should meet.
Q – So you send other point-people out to do the logistics at those locations?
A – We’ve got a good committee of people who are helping to promote the event and work on the logistics but I try to be in as many places as I can.
Shalom_Klein JB2BN
Q – How do you find time for all of that?
A – My other passion is time management. Every minute of my day is occupied in some way, which is why I’m so careful about scheduling these calls and giving everyone my full attention. I even schedule picking up my dry cleaning. I have all the events on the calendar. It’s an important thing to me. This is a passion. You probably hear that in my voice.
Q – Yeah. I really do.
A – I’m also chairman of the Skokie Economic Development Commission. I’m very involved in attracting businesses to our area. I started the Dempster Street Merchants Association. I was appointed by the mayor and I’m very involved in that effort. You make time. The busy people only get busier, right?
Q – And they’re the ones you go to when you need to get something done. How much more time do you have left for me?
A – Another ten, fifteen minutes.
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The How To
Q – How do you launch a first-time event?
A – We had one this morning at a place called The Plugin Workspace. It’s an incubator for startup businesses in Highland Park. This morning’s event was called, “Networking and Coffee,” and it was just that.
One of our members said, “I’ve been coming to your events. How can I put on one?” I said, “Easy. Open up your space and provide some kosher refreshments.” And sure enough, that’s what he did. And we had something like fifty people who came out in the awful weather to mingle.
Q – What does your event schedule look like?
A – We do three events a week—
- One dedicated to jobs
- One business
- One education
And by we, I don’t just mean me. I mean people who volunteer—people who dedicate their time, talent, and energies to making this organization a success. We don’t have any paid staff people at all.
Q – Tell me about the job program.
A – It’s both networking and education. Job clinics. Career counselors offer free support and training in all sorts of skills that help people find jobs.
It’s about people meeting each other, but I believe equally in getting people the information and resources they need so they can have a productive job search.
Job Board on JB2BN Website
Q – Who’s your target audience for education?
A – Both businesses and job seekers. Everybody needs information and education. These days you can’t find a job without being expert in Microsoft Office—Excel, Word, PowerPoint, and skills like that. We have volunteers that come in and teach classes.
If someone owns a business and wants to brush up on their skills or if somebody’s in transition and wants to become more polished, we have classes for them. We offer workshops on how to build a free website in WordPress. One on how to use Google Apps to create an email account for yourself. Very basic skills, but skills that are key, whether you need a job or own a business and just want to become better at what you do.
Q – By the very name of your organization, you’re up-front that it’s a Jewish group. Do you have to be Jewish to come?
A – No. Growing up as a kid I learned that the highest form of charity is helping somebody earn their own livelihood. I try to practice that. So the organization is open to everyone regardless of walks of life, politics, or religion and I’m very proud of that identity but it’s a question I get all the time.
Q – How do you make a living out of this?
A –I don’t. That’s never been my goal. Not my plan at all. My hope is that God continues to give me the strength to wear two hats—run and grow our family business and continue to build the organization. The organization is not intended to be monetized in any way. It should help people. That’s my goal.
Q –How does the JB2BN self-sustain?
A – Grass roots. It’s always been my dream to build an organization that’s driven, not by paid staff, but by people that step up to the plate. Last week’s events with so many thousands of people, we needed the support to greet people, register, check people in, and run the events. When I issued a call to action to my organization, 35 people volunteered. They manned the registration tables, greeted the visitors, and made sure everybody knew where they were going. When we want to put on an event and need a host, people step up to the plate.
So I only take credit for setting up the coffee and the cake at some of our events.
Q – It doesn’t sound that way to me. Sounds like a lot of logistics.
A – Well, occasionally it’s a little bit of logistics but it comes together really, really nicely. We have a few businesses that step up to the plate. They provide sponsorships to cover the minimal costs of running the organization and allowing us to grow.
It’s all-important stuff. Things that I’m quite passionate about. It’s a pleasure to do it. I hope you’ll be able to come out to one of these events. I always want more people involved.
Q – I’d like that. On your website, you show a picture of a child’s string telephone. What’s with that?
A – (He laughs.) Here’s what it means: “It doesn’t matter how far technology or social media has developed—you have to get out there and network!”