Entrepreneurship – Page 5 – Innovative Ventures

Mentoring at Singularity University

Every Summer Singularity University (SU) conducts the 10 week Graduate Studies Program (GSP) which challenges future leaders and entrepreneurs to tackle widespread global problems with innovative team-based technology solutions. Many of the teams develop projects which are commercialized in both developed and emerging market countries. This is my 2nd year as a team project advisor, mentoring GSP participants in selecting business models and the raising of $$. Big thanks to Sandy Miller (Co-Chair Entrepreneurship / Managing Director, New Venture Development)…

Scaling Start-up Communities: Business Models Which Open the Wallets of Investors

Success in raising money from domestic investors in the emerging markets is not only about the ‘pitch,’ but the business model selected and executed which local $ will finance. Certainly entrepreneurs in the developing world must create and deploy business models which meet customer requirements for commercialization and revenue generation; but they frequently overlook which models best match the risk behavior of wealth too. Selecting the business model which impacts the DNA of investors is the path to open their…

Scaling Up Start-up Communities: Engage Risk as Your Friend, not a Foe—to Impact Investor DNA—& Raise $ for Your Venture

The most frequent complaint I hear from entrepreneurs in the emerging markets is the lack of risk capital in their country; investors willing to finance start-ups and early stage companies. Many founders travel to America seeking money and connections in the US venture ecosystem. While a few are able to raise cash, most don’t—and return home empty handed—to face an unknown future. With trillions of dollars invested in food & beverage, fast moving consumer goods, retailing, wholesaling and construction to…