September 2011
1 post
3 tags
Epilogue - We are all Born Entrepreneurs
Epilogue
On the morning of September 11, 2001, I was sharing a 10’x10’ office with Mitos’ first two employees when someone rushed in to tell us that one of the World Trade Centers had been struck by an airplane. The three of us immediately rushed over to a neighboring office to follow the coverage on TV. I regret to say that I watched the second plane strike the second tower on live television....
April 2010
3 posts
7 tags
How to Win the Hearts of Investors
How to Win the Hearts of Investors
To me investing in early stage entrepreneurs is kind of like dating with the hopes of finding the girl you are going to marry. Like a marriage, there is no turning back once you put money into a deal and while it can be very rewarding, it also requires a long-term commitment of working with the person you invest in.
Like my dating philosophy (when I was...
6 tags
Washington knows better than Entrepreneurs & Angel...
Washington knows better than Entrepreneurs & Angel Investors
Angel investors and entrepreneurs are not Wall Street bankers. This distinction is obvious to you and me, but apparently not to Washington. The new Senate Financial Reform Bill, which is likely to be voted on this week, lumps the two together as one group. If allowed to pass in its current form, this bill will destroy the way...
5 tags
Why SquareSpace Rocks!
Why SquareSpace Rocks!
I am not a techy. I am mechanical engineer with a background in material science and its applications in the biotech industry. My first company Mitos had nothing to do with the Internet. We were a manufacturing company the build disposable systems for biotech companies. I say this because since co-founding DreamIt Ventures people assume I am a software engineer.
...
March 2010
5 posts
7 tags
Sorry Zeta - Washington Knows Best
Sorry Zeta - Washington Knows Best
It is hard to find a politician that does not talk about entrepreneurs and their importance to job creation. However these are empty words when actions do not match.
Today is a reminder that few in Washington have any idea of how businesses get started in this county. Buried in the Dodd Financial Reform bill are two provisions that would harm...
6 tags
DreamIt Entrepreneurs Hit Prime Time
HITTING PRIME TIME: AN ENTREPRENEUR’S DREAM COME TRUE Two young entrepreneurs landed appearance on ABC’s Shark Tank after a summer with Philadelphia-based start-up accelerator DreamIt Ventures
PHILADELPHIA, PA – Sean Conway and DJ Stephan, founders of Notehall <www.notehall.com> lived every entrepreneur’s dream when they earned a full 22 minutes of airtime on ABC’s Shark Tank in...
7 tags
What is the Right Question?
The following is one of a series of blog post that were written while I was in China in the spring of 2009 as part of my Eisenhower Fellowship. If you have interest in China’s culture I think you will enjoy this series.
What is the Right Question?
Who?
A question that leads to a narrative of a person.
When?
A question that leads to a definitive answers of time.
Where?
A...
1 tag
What is the Right Question?
The following is one of a series of blog post that were written while I was in China in the spring of 2009 as part of my Eisenhower Fellowship. If you have interest in China’s culture I think you will enjoy this series.
What is the Right Question?
Who?
A question that leads to a narrative of a person.
When?
A question that leads to a definitive answers of time.
Where?
A...
6 tags
A Subtle Priority
The following is one of a series of blog post that were written while I was in China in the spring of 2009 as part of my Eisenhower Fellowship. If you have interest in China’s culture I think you will enjoy this series.
A Subtle Priority
At almost every meeting when the topic of technology entrepreneurship has come up there has been a mention of Tsinghua University. Whether the...
February 2010
5 posts
5 tags
A Relative Perspective
The following is one of a series of blog post that were written while I was in China in the spring of 2009 as part of my Eisenhower Fellowship. If you have interest in China’s culture I think you will enjoy this series.
A Relative Perspective
One of my many hopes for this trip is to spend at least an hour each day speaking with random local people. Yesterday provided an excellent...
6 tags
The New Resource
The following is one of a series of blog post that were written while I was in China in the spring of 2009 as part of my Eisenhower Fellowship. If you have interest in China’s culture I think you will enjoy this series.
The New Resource
In the pre-industrial era, the act of boarding a small boat that was packed with hundreds of people and setting off across the sea in hopes of arriving in...
6 tags
Next Stop China
The following is one of a series of blog post that were written while I was in China in the spring of 2009 as part of my Eisenhower Fellowship. If you have interest in China’s culture I think you will enjoy this series.
Next Stop China
24 hours later, and I am in Beijing. My two year old girl’s name is Elena. She is temperamental, commanding attention at all times. Fearless, with no sense of...
6 tags
Innovation Creates Jobs
There is significant debate taking place about the future of our country, and the role of government. This healthy debate is focusing more and more on our national debt – by Republicans and Democrats alike. At the top of the list is “Where are the jobs?” As an Eisenhower Fellow, I was fortunate to have an opportunity to study economic development and job-creation across the globe. As an...
