Advice for Entrepreneurs from a Leading Venture Capitalist
Scott Kupor, managing partner at Andreessen Horowitz, says there’s a lot about navigating the venture capital world that entrepreneurs don’t understand. Some can’t figure out how to get in the door. Others fail to deliver persuasive pitches. Many don’t know how the deals and relationships really work. Kupor outlines what he and his partners look for […]
Four Remarkably Simple Pitch Tips From An Entrepreneur Who Turned Her Idea Into A $2.5B ‘Unicorn’
“We like to set crazy big goals and make them happen,” Canva CEO and co-founder, Melanie Perkins, told me in a recent conversation. Crazy big understates Canva’s rare and remarkable accomplishment. Canva is one of only 300 or so private companies around the globe that have achieved ‘unicorn’ status, a term for startups that are worth […]
Silicon Valley startup accelerator and venture capital firm will launch its Houston program by the end of the year
Another accelerator with a global presence is itching to get into the Houston innovation ecosystem. California-based Plug and Play will launch its Houston accelerator program sometime in the fourth quarter of this year and is currently looking for the right location to house the company’s local operations. The organization, which has 30 locations all over the world […]
Five reasons why university is a great place to launch a startup
According to the Public Perceptions of Innovation Report from Advance Queensland, 6 out of 10 people want to be involved in innovation, but don’t know where to start. I have been very fortunate; I started my entrepreneurial journey in my first year of uni, which opened so many doors for me. Here are the reasons as to why university is […]
How ‘dreaming big’ can kill your business, according to a startup exec – Business Insider
“Dream big.” Many of us started hearing that prompt as teens, and it likely got louder through college and business school. I’m not looking to squash anyone’s stretch goals, but as a three-time tech startup senior exec, I can say with confidence that “dream big” can be a trap. My version: Dream big – but […]
How the Pentagon can get more innovation from universities
There is no alternative way to ensure victory in the future fight than to innovate, implement the advances, and scale innovation. To use Henry Kissinger’s words: “The absence of alternatives clears the mind marvelously.” Innovative environments are not created overnight. The establishment of the right culture is based on mutual trust, a trust that allows […]
HBR: How to Attract Startups and Tech Companies to a City Without Relying on Tax Breaks
Startup ecosystems are the key to growing a vibrant regional economy. Time and time again, these clusters of talent and science drive job creation, new business formation, and attract investment capital. Ultimately, these are the elusive ingredients that lead to greater prosperity and equity in our communities. The Amazon HQ2 opportunity was a wakeup call for […]
Great ideas are good, but weak leadership can really drag a startup down | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
When Crystal Morrison was promoted to a leadership role at Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico, she had a bit of a breakdown. Most of her career up to that point had been in scientific research, given the Ph.D. in macromolecular science and engineering she’d earned at the University of Michigan in 2003. She’s extroverted and […]
Pharma Impact Investing and R&D
There is no shortage of diseases and conditions for which a cure is desperately needed. Just think of cancer, Alzheimer’s, and autoimmune disease. Despite the strides made in recent years in developing treatments, the road to a cure for many of these conditions can be a meandering path beset with pitfalls, frustration, and failure to […]
Women entrepreneurs thrive managing talented teams and balancing many investors
Only a handful of the top companies in the U.S. are led by a woman. Efforts to change that and promote more women into positions of leadership have relied primarily on questions of equality. But is there also a business case for putting more women in charge? Previous research on differences in leadership styles between […]