Businessmen and Businesswoman Standing in Front of Arrow by Kiva.Dang

 Qualities of a Successful Entrepreneur: Do you have what it takes?

It’s human nature to generalize different groups of people, so why not take a glance at the entrepreneurial crowd?

What do these go-getters have that others do not?

Author James Stephenson examines some traits that are critical to business success, here are a few important ones Read the rest of this entry »

YOUTH MOVEMENT: How 3 College Students Took on the Medical Device Industry

Inogen founder, Ally Perry:

“Listen to as many people as you can, talk to people, get resources, but then internalize that and decide what’s right for your business.”

Motivated by her grandmother’s personal struggles with out-dated oxygen transport and conversion devices, Ally and two of her college buddies started Inogen, an innovation based company that since has transformed an entire branch of the health service industry. In 2005, Ally Perry and Inogen were recognized with The Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year award and to date they raised nearly $55 million in venture capital.

Typical success stories only highlight, the high points, what works. So Ally wants to tell you what doesn’t. She shares her struggles with the entrepreneurial process, as well as, some advice for innovators who want to see their ideas materialize.

Website: www.Inogen.net/

Read the rest of this entry »

CHANNELING YOUR INNER ENTREPRENEUR

First Tuesday founder and chair, Julie Mayer: Leveraging the Power of Perspectives

“The most important aspect of any organization is its people.”

The founder of First Tuesday (www.firsttuesday.com), Julie Mayer, shares her story and gives you a few pointers for developing a collaborative network or an organization, like:

• Assembling a team of bright and committed people
• Credibility reduces market uncertainty
• Getting started at a young age

Along with journalists Nick Denton and John Browning and investment banker Adam Gold, Mayer started First Tuesday, an organization that bridges innovation and industry.

Her group may have ignited the European internet revolution, but the sole intent of FT was to find funding for the people and the projects that were capable of reshaping the entrepreneurial landscape. Currently, there are First Tuesday forums in 18 countries spanning five continents with over 41,000 active members worldwide.

Website: www.firsttuesday.com

THE GIFT AND THE PURSE

Head of the Deshpande Center at MIT, Dr. Charles Cooney: Faculty Facilitating Innovation

Faculty Director of the Deshpande Center, Dr. Cooney reveals the power of connecting research teams to the private sector.

• MIT innovations add more than $20 billion and 150,000 jobs to the US economy each year
• DC has funded more than 70 projects with over $8 M in grants

Professor Charles L. Cooney, a professor of chemical and biochemical engineering, is the faculty director of MIT’s new Deshpande Center for Technological Innovation an organization that facilitates collaboration between research teams and an advisor from their local entrepreneurial community.

Of the 75 projects funded through the Deshpande Center, there have been 17 new companies created with $450 million dollars in venture capital.

An initial philanthropic gift of 15 million dollars has been transformed into an influential institution and 4 very successful companies with the potential to change the world.

Website: http://web.mit.edu/deshpandecenter/

YOU NEED TO GET A LIFE

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Escape from Cubicle Nation creator, Pam Slim: Thinking Outside the Blog

“Blogging is a long-term strategy.”

Escape from Cubicle Nation (www.escapefromcubiclenation.com) blogger, Pam Slim, gives a little hope to those stuck in the corporate rat race, including:

• Affiliating with champions in your market
• Networking naturally through thoughtful e-mail and blog interaction
• Matching internal desire with external marketplace
• Making yourself known through social media

Creator of the popular blog, Escape from Cubicle Nation, Pam Slim encourages you to reach beyond the mundane and share your big ideas with the tech community at large. She began her career as a consultant to several corporations, such as, Hewlett-Packard and TiVo and specializes in team building and leadership.

Her blog was born in 2005 with little fanfare. Pam continued to network and eventually connected with Guy Kawasaki, the managing director of Garage Technology Ventures. He linked up with her blog and got 20,000 hits that same day!! Since reaching this tipping point her work has been featured in the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal and her new book Escape from Cubicle Nation is slated for an early 2009 release.

Website: www.escapefromcubiclenation.com