CNY Business Journal reported that the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF) will host a workshop to help high-school students develop ideas for a business competition.
ESF has partnered with the Metropolitan Development Association of Syracuse and Central New York (MDA) to provide help to students interested in the annual Creative Core Emerging Business Competition. The workshop will be held from 2:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Dec. 13 at the Rosamond Gifford Zoo.
Marcie Sonneborn of the Central New York Technology Development Organization will run the event, which will help students expand and develop business ideas for submission to the competition.
The contest features a $5,000 prize for the best student idea. Its grand prize is $200,000 for the region's most innovative and growth-oriented company.
Pre-registration for the student workshop is required, but there is no charge. For more information, visit www.esf.edu/outreach/sage/.
Friday, November 27, 2009
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Facebook co-founder offers advice for entrepreneurs
The Central NY Business Journal reported on Chris Hughes speech at Onondaga Community College where he let his audience know his definition of entrepreneurship.
"Profit isn't what defines what entrepreneurship is about," the Facebook co-founder said just a few minutes into his speech.
Rather, he said entrepreneurs focus on building organizations that have an impact on the world. Those organizations could be companies. They could be nonprofits or schools or churches.
The desire to spark change is what drives them, he said.
Hughes spoke today during the first lecture in this year's Famous Entrepreneurs Series. The annual lecture series aims to inspire more entrepreneurship in the region. OCC's Storer Auditorium was filled to capacity for the talk and an overflow crowd of students watched a video feed of the event elsewhere on campus.
Hughes founded Facebook in 2004 with Harvard University roommates Mark Zuckerberg and Dustin Moskovitz. In 2007, he left the company and became director of online organizing for President Barack Obama's campaign.
Hughes said he and his roommates never really thought of themselves as entrepreneurs. None of them were even business students.
And, of course, he said they made plenty of mistakes along the way.
"In a lot of ways, we didn't know what we were doing when we got started," he said.
For more on this story, see the Nov. 20 print edition of The Central New York Business Journal.
"Profit isn't what defines what entrepreneurship is about," the Facebook co-founder said just a few minutes into his speech.
Rather, he said entrepreneurs focus on building organizations that have an impact on the world. Those organizations could be companies. They could be nonprofits or schools or churches.
The desire to spark change is what drives them, he said.
Hughes spoke today during the first lecture in this year's Famous Entrepreneurs Series. The annual lecture series aims to inspire more entrepreneurship in the region. OCC's Storer Auditorium was filled to capacity for the talk and an overflow crowd of students watched a video feed of the event elsewhere on campus.
Hughes founded Facebook in 2004 with Harvard University roommates Mark Zuckerberg and Dustin Moskovitz. In 2007, he left the company and became director of online organizing for President Barack Obama's campaign.
Hughes said he and his roommates never really thought of themselves as entrepreneurs. None of them were even business students.
And, of course, he said they made plenty of mistakes along the way.
"In a lot of ways, we didn't know what we were doing when we got started," he said.
For more on this story, see the Nov. 20 print edition of The Central New York Business Journal.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Online Entrepreneurial Forums: Ask Questions and Network
Interested in a forum to ask for assistance or float ideas? There are a number of online resources that offer an opportunity to network and connect with other individuals and businesses looking at new ideas and ways to generate money. One example is a newly launched resource I came across.
EntrepreneursBoard is a fresh, budding new online discussion forum dedicated to providing all entrepreneurs with a niche in which they can network and share ideas with other like-minded entrepreneurs.
Have other suggestions? Share them here.
EntrepreneursBoard is a fresh, budding new online discussion forum dedicated to providing all entrepreneurs with a niche in which they can network and share ideas with other like-minded entrepreneurs.
Have other suggestions? Share them here.
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Aspen Institute Looks at 'Capitalism and the Future' During Two-day Event in NYC
Is capitalism broken? Will a new business ethic emerge in the aftermath of the financial meltdown? And is the financial crisis actually a crisis of failed leadership? The Aspen Institute Business & Society Program will explore these questions with thought leaders from business, government, religion and the nonprofit sector in a two-day program modeled after the successful Aspen Ideas Festival, held each summer in Aspen, Colorado.
The two-day program begins with an evening panel on Tuesday, November 3rd at The New York Public Library, as part of the Live From the NYPL series. CEOs Indra Nooyi of PepsiCo and Eric Schmidt of Google, will join authors Niall Ferguson (The Ascent of Money) and Nassim Nicholas Taleb (The Black Swan) in a discussion moderated by Aspen Institute President Walter Isaacson. The event starts at 7:00 p.m. and will be held in the Celeste Bartos Forum, at the New York Public Library on 42nd Street at Fifth Avenue. Tickets, which are $25.00 ($15.00 for students and members), can be purchased by going to theLibrary's Web site, www.nypl.org/live.
The second day continues at Bloomberg corporate headquarters in New York City, with panels on business innovation, a look at the problem of short-termism in capital markets, the conflict between beliefs and business and a discussion of the relationship between Washington and Wall Street. Bloomberg, which is Aspen's media partner for the two-day event, will provide moderators for the panels and will be broadcasting parts of the program on Bloomberg Television. Tickets are sold out for the second day.
Panelists include:
-- David Blood, Senior Partner and Co-founder, Generation Asset Management
-- Bill George, Professor of Management Practice, Harvard University and former CEO, Medtronic
-- Jeffrey Hollender, Chief Inspired Protagonist, co-founder and Executive Chairperson, Seventh Generation
-- The Very Reverend James Kowalski, Dean, Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine
-- Pamela Passman, Corporate Vice President and Deputy General Counsel, Global Corporate Affairs, Microsoft
-- Richard Trumka, President, AFL-CIO
Peter Weinberg, founding partner of Perella Weinberg Partners, will be interviewed at lunch by Bloomberg Television journalist Erik Schatzker.
The Aspen Institute Business and Society Program develops leaders for a sustainable global society. Through dialogue, business education and research, BSP creates opportunities for executives and educators to explore pathways to sustainability and values-based leadership. For more, visit www.aspeninstitute.org/bsp.
The two-day program begins with an evening panel on Tuesday, November 3rd at The New York Public Library, as part of the Live From the NYPL series. CEOs Indra Nooyi of PepsiCo and Eric Schmidt of Google, will join authors Niall Ferguson (The Ascent of Money) and Nassim Nicholas Taleb (The Black Swan) in a discussion moderated by Aspen Institute President Walter Isaacson. The event starts at 7:00 p.m. and will be held in the Celeste Bartos Forum, at the New York Public Library on 42nd Street at Fifth Avenue. Tickets, which are $25.00 ($15.00 for students and members), can be purchased by going to theLibrary's Web site, www.nypl.org/live.
The second day continues at Bloomberg corporate headquarters in New York City, with panels on business innovation, a look at the problem of short-termism in capital markets, the conflict between beliefs and business and a discussion of the relationship between Washington and Wall Street. Bloomberg, which is Aspen's media partner for the two-day event, will provide moderators for the panels and will be broadcasting parts of the program on Bloomberg Television. Tickets are sold out for the second day.
Panelists include:
-- David Blood, Senior Partner and Co-founder, Generation Asset Management
-- Bill George, Professor of Management Practice, Harvard University and former CEO, Medtronic
-- Jeffrey Hollender, Chief Inspired Protagonist, co-founder and Executive Chairperson, Seventh Generation
-- The Very Reverend James Kowalski, Dean, Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine
-- Pamela Passman, Corporate Vice President and Deputy General Counsel, Global Corporate Affairs, Microsoft
-- Richard Trumka, President, AFL-CIO
Peter Weinberg, founding partner of Perella Weinberg Partners, will be interviewed at lunch by Bloomberg Television journalist Erik Schatzker.
The Aspen Institute Business and Society Program develops leaders for a sustainable global society. Through dialogue, business education and research, BSP creates opportunities for executives and educators to explore pathways to sustainability and values-based leadership. For more, visit www.aspeninstitute.org/bsp.
Sunday, October 25, 2009
NYC sees economic gold in green jobs
Reuters reported that recession-stricken New York City plans to double its current green work force by creating over 13,000 new jobs in the next decade, partly by competing with London to become the new center for carbon trading, a city official said on Wednesday.
London, whose prominence as a financial capital rivals New York City and Tokyo, got an early lock in trading pollution credits by training lawyers, accountants and other experts "before the market even existed," Seth Pinsky, president of the Economic Development Corporation, told Reuters.
New York City's new boot camp in green finance will be run by the State University of New York's Levin Institute. It will be open to laid-off workers or future entrepreneurs, much like an already "booming" incubator for financial start-ups, Pinsky said.
Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who made his first fortune as a Wall Street bond trader before getting into politics, is expected to announce on Thursday this green job branch to his two-year-old PlaNYC program, which set ambitious goals for reducing greenhouse gases, planting 1 million trees and crowning skyscrapers with wind turbines.
The mayor's $7.5 million green jobs plan will call on Columbia University to help offer public school pupils "hands-on" learning in energy efficiency, according to Bloomberg, who is running as an independent candidate for a third term. His plan also will create an Urban Technology Innovation Center to tap academic research. Existing city and state funds and federal stimulus dollars will pay for it. Read more here.
London, whose prominence as a financial capital rivals New York City and Tokyo, got an early lock in trading pollution credits by training lawyers, accountants and other experts "before the market even existed," Seth Pinsky, president of the Economic Development Corporation, told Reuters.
New York City's new boot camp in green finance will be run by the State University of New York's Levin Institute. It will be open to laid-off workers or future entrepreneurs, much like an already "booming" incubator for financial start-ups, Pinsky said.
Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who made his first fortune as a Wall Street bond trader before getting into politics, is expected to announce on Thursday this green job branch to his two-year-old PlaNYC program, which set ambitious goals for reducing greenhouse gases, planting 1 million trees and crowning skyscrapers with wind turbines.
The mayor's $7.5 million green jobs plan will call on Columbia University to help offer public school pupils "hands-on" learning in energy efficiency, according to Bloomberg, who is running as an independent candidate for a third term. His plan also will create an Urban Technology Innovation Center to tap academic research. Existing city and state funds and federal stimulus dollars will pay for it. Read more here.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
New York Entrepreneur Week Launches the Most Encompassing Entrepreneurial Movement in New York State History
-- Today marks the official launch of New York Entrepreneur Week (www.nyew.org), the first and largest statewide movement unifying the most important entrepreneurial groups with the vastly diverse entrepreneurial community. Taking place from November 16-20, 2009, NYEW will feature 350 all-encompassing events including; keynote speeches from recognized business leaders, expert panels offering relevant mission-critical advice, third party events and the movement's flagship RELENTLESS business plan competition.
Unlike diluted start-up or small business events, NYEW is New York State's premier forum joining together founders, angel investors, venture capital firms and top connectors from around the world and across diverse industries. NYEW brings together groups ranging from enterprising young idea-stage innovators to hundred million dollar revenue generators. The NYEW movement provides the framework and catalyst for conquering New York's economic challenges by aggregating disparate entrepreneurial stakeholders from around the state with remarkable entrepreneurs from around the world.
NEWS FACTS:
-- Featured, confirmed speakers include:
- David S. Rose, Founder of Rose Tech Ventures, Chairman & CEO of Angelsoft
- Marc Ecko, Chairman & CEO of Marc Ecko Enterprises
- Steve Mariotti, Founder of the Network For Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE)
- Alexandra Wilkis Wilson, Co-Founder & CMO of Gilt Groupe
- Barry Silbert, Co-Founder & CEO of SecondMarket
- Scott Heiferman, Co-Founder & CEO of Meetup.com
-- NYEW is a 501c(3) non-profit organization founded by 26-year-old serial entrepreneur Gary Whitehill. Inspired by the TED conference and Renaissance Weekend, Whitehill is empowering entrepreneurs from around the world to "Stand Up and Come Together" at the worldwide hub of business, commerce and innovation.
-- NYEW is the largest aggregator of entrepreneurial events in the world during Global Entrepreneurship Week, slated to have over 350 events throughout Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, Syracuse, Rochester, and Binghamton.
-- NYEW is the only event in New York State to unite entrepreneurs with real, local, regional and international funding sources. These groups include: angel investors, venture capital firms, banks as well as non-profit and public sector agencies.
Read more here.
Unlike diluted start-up or small business events, NYEW is New York State's premier forum joining together founders, angel investors, venture capital firms and top connectors from around the world and across diverse industries. NYEW brings together groups ranging from enterprising young idea-stage innovators to hundred million dollar revenue generators. The NYEW movement provides the framework and catalyst for conquering New York's economic challenges by aggregating disparate entrepreneurial stakeholders from around the state with remarkable entrepreneurs from around the world.
NEWS FACTS:
-- Featured, confirmed speakers include:
- David S. Rose, Founder of Rose Tech Ventures, Chairman & CEO of Angelsoft
- Marc Ecko, Chairman & CEO of Marc Ecko Enterprises
- Steve Mariotti, Founder of the Network For Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE)
- Alexandra Wilkis Wilson, Co-Founder & CMO of Gilt Groupe
- Barry Silbert, Co-Founder & CEO of SecondMarket
- Scott Heiferman, Co-Founder & CEO of Meetup.com
-- NYEW is a 501c(3) non-profit organization founded by 26-year-old serial entrepreneur Gary Whitehill. Inspired by the TED conference and Renaissance Weekend, Whitehill is empowering entrepreneurs from around the world to "Stand Up and Come Together" at the worldwide hub of business, commerce and innovation.
-- NYEW is the largest aggregator of entrepreneurial events in the world during Global Entrepreneurship Week, slated to have over 350 events throughout Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, Syracuse, Rochester, and Binghamton.
-- NYEW is the only event in New York State to unite entrepreneurs with real, local, regional and international funding sources. These groups include: angel investors, venture capital firms, banks as well as non-profit and public sector agencies.
Read more here.
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
New Model for Business?
Board Cafe's publication Blue Avocado offered information on a new development for businesses. As the article relates:
For-profit companies continue to seek ways to obtain two benefits that are usually reserved for nonprofits: foundation grants and government tax exemptions. These efforts are led by both well-meaning individuals as well as those that simply want funding without communityaccountability. Regardless, they offer risks and challenges to the nonprofit sector as we know and celebrate it. Rick Cohen tells us of one such effort that appears -- in the absence of opposition -- to be headed for adoption.
The hot topic in foundation circles is the L3C: the low profit limited liability corporation, the latest development in social enterprise. Several states are legalizing L3Cs and accompanying tax and philanthropic benefits, and its backers are pitching them for federal approval.
L3Cs are profit-making corporations, but their owners don't identify profit as their primary purpose. The mission of an L3C is a social benefit, doing socially productive and useful things, and only then earning a profit.
At the national level, the Council on Foundations has been actively promoting L3Cs, on Capitol Hill for the past two years. Already in four states and two tribes, individuals can form L3Cs and attract various types of investors, and, because of their charitable missions, tap into foundation loans and guarantees. At least they will be able to if Congress passes legislation giving blanket approval for such loans, or if the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) issues a ruling authorizing them.
There may be some sound reasons for the creation of hybrid models melding features of nonprofits and for-profits, hopefully helping localities and states attract new sources of capital for critical economic and environmental ventures. But states, Congress, and the nonprofit sector might want to be cautious about this social enterprise innovation. Read more here.
For-profit companies continue to seek ways to obtain two benefits that are usually reserved for nonprofits: foundation grants and government tax exemptions. These efforts are led by both well-meaning individuals as well as those that simply want funding without communityaccountability. Regardless, they offer risks and challenges to the nonprofit sector as we know and celebrate it. Rick Cohen tells us of one such effort that appears -- in the absence of opposition -- to be headed for adoption.
The hot topic in foundation circles is the L3C: the low profit limited liability corporation, the latest development in social enterprise. Several states are legalizing L3Cs and accompanying tax and philanthropic benefits, and its backers are pitching them for federal approval.
L3Cs are profit-making corporations, but their owners don't identify profit as their primary purpose. The mission of an L3C is a social benefit, doing socially productive and useful things, and only then earning a profit.
At the national level, the Council on Foundations has been actively promoting L3Cs, on Capitol Hill for the past two years. Already in four states and two tribes, individuals can form L3Cs and attract various types of investors, and, because of their charitable missions, tap into foundation loans and guarantees. At least they will be able to if Congress passes legislation giving blanket approval for such loans, or if the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) issues a ruling authorizing them.
There may be some sound reasons for the creation of hybrid models melding features of nonprofits and for-profits, hopefully helping localities and states attract new sources of capital for critical economic and environmental ventures. But states, Congress, and the nonprofit sector might want to be cautious about this social enterprise innovation. Read more here.
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