Tuesday, September 29, 2009

KBRT Solutions - Duke Start-up looking for MBA students

Healthcare technology start-up venture looking for interested student to help with business planning exercises. A Duke PhD student and Fuqua alum are in the process of building a business plan, including finalizing their business model strategy and financing approach for a Duke generated technology. Student involvement will include leveraging strategy, finance and marketing concepts to help grow the company. Preference for web skills, and prior experience in healthcare. Opportunity duration is 3-6 months, with follow-on work a strong possibility. Please contact them at kbrtsolutions@gmail.com

--
Howie Rhee, MBA
Managing Director
Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation
Fuqua School of Business, Duke University
Room E167J
919-617-1123 mobile
hwr2@duke.edu
www.fuqua.duke.edu/centers/cei

Watch our video: www.fuqua.duke.edu/wakeup

Duke Entrepreneurship Links:
- Entrepreneurship at Duke - www.EntrepreneurshipAtDuke.com
- A Duke Resource for Entrepreneurs: www.dukeVEN.com
- Weekly Education Series - www.dukeDEES.com
- Connect with Duke Entrepreneurs - www.dukegen.com
- Find a startup - www.startupmatchmaker.blogspot.com
- Duke Start-Up Challenge - www.dukestartupchallenge.org
- Entrepreneurship Week - www.eweekatduke.com
- Twitter - http://twitter.com/EshipAtDuke
- Blog - www.howierhee.blogspot.com
- Photos - http://picasaweb.google.com/EshipAtDuke
- LinkedIn - http://www.linkedin.com/in/howierhee
- Entering the Duke Start-Up Challenge? See example business plans - email me for a copy of Business Plan Pro (advert)
- Resources from Intuit at http://smallbusinessunited.com (advert)
- Learn VC - www.learnvc.com (advertisement)
- Let us know how we are doing! Provide some feedback here: http://tr.im/ylHE

Friday, September 25, 2009

ChubbyBrain looking for MBA Analyst

Title Research/Industry Analyst

Focus Areas We are looking for Research/Industry Analysts focused on the following areas: 1. Green/Clean Tech 2. Mobile 3. Internet 4. Healthcare (biotech, medical devices, etc) 5. General venture capital financing trends

Commitment Part-time during semester

Paid or Unpaid? Unpaid

Location Remote but those in NYC are welcome to work at our office

About Us CB Information Services (CBIS) is capturing and structuring information about the innovation economy: a world that includes high-growth, private companies, venture capital firms, private equity firms, angel investors, incubators and universities. Our goal is to cater this information to meet the growing needs of entrepreneurs, investors, corporations, service providers and governments. CBIS' first offering is ChubbyBrain (www.chubbybrain.com), which launched in February 2009.

Job Description We're looking for some smart research analysts to develop and complete quantitatively driven analyses using ChubbyBrain's underlying venture capital and startup funding data. Analysis can be general VC analysis or specific to any of the above-mentioned sectors. Research analysts will be required to take complete ownership of these analyses from idea development to analysis to ultimate write-up. These analytical shorts will be featured on ChubbyBrain and in our investor newsletter.

Required Qualifications  Interested in the VC/startup landscape in general or the specific industry sectors listed above  Capable of developing your own ideas/hypotheses which you can leverage ChubbyBrain data for  "Quantitatively inclined" – we are not looking for editorials but data-driven analysis so comfort with excel, numbers, etc is requisite  Good writer – Will need to write up analyses findings into a clear , compelling and pithy writeups. We are not interested in whitepapers but rigorous and data-packed short analyses. Why Get Involved?

All analyses would be featured on our blog with attribution/by-line given to you. Top analyses would also be featured in our newsletter which goes out to 1000+ investors (angels & VCs). Our site also attracts a large number of startups and investors. For someone interested in the venture or startup worlds this summer or post graduation, this may represent a novel way to get your name out there.

Our data and content is syndicated to leading technology and entrepreneurship media sources including Xconomy, ReadWriteWeb and NY Enterprise Report. Our company and our data and analyses have been featured on CNET, National Public Radio, Wired, the Wall Street Journal, VentureBeat, Reuters, Silicon Alley Insider and TechFlash to name just a few.

How to apply We'd recommend taking a look at some prior analyses we've done to get a sense for the types of analyses we are talking about, here are a few representative examples of past analyses: http://www.chubbybrain.com/blog/2009/08/venture-capital-backed-mobile-app-startups-remain-predominantly-mobile-os-agnostic/ http://www.chubbybrain.com/blog/2009/08/only-10-of-nyc-area-venture-capitalist-investment-has-gone-to-nyc-startups/ http://www.chubbybrain.com/blog/2009/08/attention-entrepreneurs-forget-twitter-the-iphone-custom-clothing-firms-rake-in-100m-from- investors-in-2009/

If these are up your alley, please follow these instructions.

Send us your resume and a brief para or a two sentence note that includes: 1. One sentence on why you're interested/qualified 2. One sentence that details an area you might want to study/analyze

Please do NOT send us a cover letter especially a form cover letter. Send your note and resume to research@chubbybrain.com. We are looking forward to hearing from you. --
Howie Rhee, MBA
Managing Director
Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation
Fuqua School of Business, Duke University
Room E167J
919-617-1123 mobile
hwr2@duke.edu
www.fuqua.duke.edu/centers/cei

Watch our video: www.fuqua.duke.edu/wakeup

Duke Entrepreneurship Links:
- Entrepreneurship at Duke - www.EntrepreneurshipAtDuke.com
- A Duke Resource for Entrepreneurs: www.dukeVEN.com
- Weekly Education Series - www.dukeDEES.com
- Connect with Duke Entrepreneurs - www.dukegen.com
- Find a startup - www.startupmatchmaker.blogspot.com
- Duke Start-Up Challenge - www.dukestartupchallenge.org
- Entrepreneurship Week - www.eweekatduke.com
- Twitter - http://twitter.com/EshipAtDuke
- Blog - www.howierhee.blogspot.com
- Photos - http://picasaweb.google.com/EshipAtDuke
- LinkedIn - http://www.linkedin.com/in/howierhee
- Entering the Duke Start-Up Challenge? See example business plans - email me for a copy of Business Plan Pro (advert)
- Resources from Intuit at http://smallbusinessunited.com (advert)
- Learn VC - www.learnvc.com (advertisement)
- Let us know how we are doing! Provide some feedback here: http://tr.im/ylHE

Thursday, September 17, 2009

FW: Build a Stronger America campaign email

Received this email from the Kauffman Foundation - could be of interest to those of you that are wanting to become part of this entrepreneurship movement.

Howie

Message:
----------------------

Join the Entrepreneurs' Movement
Together with the Kauffman Foundation we are pleased to invite you to join
Build a Stronger America, the Entrepreneurs' Movement.

If you are like more than 80 percent of Americans, you believe that the U.S.
economy has been, and will continue to be, built by entrepreneurs. The
Kauffman Foundation believes that entrepreneurs'
voices need to be heard in Washington, DC, and is working to educate
government officials about the important role entrepreneurs play in our
economy.

So please join us today at www.buildastrongeramerica.com.

------------------------

--
Howie Rhee, MBA
Managing Director
Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation
Fuqua School of Business, Duke University
Room E167J
919-617-1123 mobile
hwr2@duke.edu
www.fuqua.duke.edu/centers/cei

Watch our video: www.fuqua.duke.edu/wakeup

Duke Entrepreneurship Links:
- Entrepreneurship at Duke - www.EntrepreneurshipAtDuke.com
- A Duke Resource for Entrepreneurs: www.dukeVEN.com
- Weekly Education Series - www.dukeDEES.com
- Connect with Duke Entrepreneurs - www.dukegen.com
- Find a startup - www.startupmatchmaker.blogspot.com
- Duke Start-Up Challenge - www.dukestartupchallenge.org
- Entrepreneurship Week - www.eweekatduke.com
- Twitter - http://twitter.com/EshipAtDuke
- Blog - www.howierhee.blogspot.com
- Photos - http://picasaweb.google.com/EshipAtDuke
- LinkedIn - http://www.linkedin.com/in/howierhee
- Entering the Duke Start-Up Challenge? See example business plans - email me for a copy of Business Plan Pro (advert)
- Resources from Intuit at http://smallbusinessunited.com (advert)
- Learn VC - www.learnvc.com (advertisement)
- Let us know how we are doing! Provide some feedback here: http://tr.im/ylHE

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Marketing Intern - Mi-Co

Mi-Co Job Title Marketing Intern (part-time)

Reporting to Sales & Marketing Manager

Salary Range $10/hour

Date Fall 2009 – beyond

Summary & Responsibilities

The Fall 2009 Mi-CO Marketing Internship will develop students interested in a sales & marketing career by providing them with significant hands-on training in marketing tactics, tools and strategies and mentoring by experienced professionals. Main intern responsibilities will involve creating and updating case studies and other marketing collateral, conducting market research and other tasks as assigned.

General Duties

Create and update case studies of Mi-Co customers and partners using the Mi-Forms product
Conduct market research and competitive intelligence on Mi-Co competitors in different industries
Participate in keeping the Mi-Co social media and e-marketing programs updated
Aid in the management of the internship program by the Sales & Marketing Manager

Qualifications

Good communications skills
Creative, flexible person with high energy and initiative
International students are eligible if have OPT or CPT work authorization
Prior coursework or experience in marketing or related areas

Education & Experience

Internship position intended for MBA candidates & Master's candidates in business related fields

What Can You Expect

As a Marketing intern at Mi-Co you can expect:

Top-notch marketing training in a dynamic high-growth industry, including exposure to the latest trends in social media marketing
The opportunity to network meaningfully with executives across a variety of industries or those that interest you (healthcare, finance, manufacturing and others)
Close mentoring by managers and executives at Mi-Co as well as introductions when necessary
Flexibility in working remotely if necessary without needing to be on-site

About Mi-Co

Mi-Co, the mobile information and data-capture company, provides electronic forms solutions that enable an efficient and effective process for capturing and communicating handwritten data. Mi-Co's enterprise Mi-Forms Software System enables flexible e-forms design for data capture using digital ink. In addition, Mi-Forms Software has proven capabilities for handwriting interpretation, touch-screen input, verification, data validation and communication of forms-based data for enterprise users. Mi-Forms supports Tablet PCs, UMPCs, Digital Pens, Pocket PCs and signature capture devices. The company is headquartered in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina and has a Washington customer service center. For more information on Mi-Co, visit www.mi-corporation.com.

Sales intern at Mi-Co

Mi-Co Job Title Sales Intern (part-time)

Reporting to Sales & Marketing Manager

Salary Range 10% commission on sales, $20 per qualified lead

Date Fall 2009 – beyond

Summary & Responsibilities

The 2009 Mi-CO Sales Internship program will develop students interested in a sales & marketing career by providing them with formal sales training, networking resources and mentoring by experienced professionals while having the opportunity to earn significant money as well. Main intern responsibilities will involve prospecting for qualified leads across a variety of industries to promote sales of Mi-Co's flagship product, Mi-Forms, and related services.

General Duties

Attend orientation & sales training regarding Mi-Forms product
Prospect for qualified leads across industries that are relevant for Mi-Forms (healthcare, field services, field inspections, federal government, financial industry, manufacturing and more…) [3-5 hrs/week]
Utilize existing networks as well as those developed under the guidance of Mi-Co for prospecting
Report qualified leads to Sales & Marketing Manager and participate in closing of deals if interested

Qualifications

Good communications skills
Creative, flexible person with high energy and initiative
International students are eligible if have OPT or CPT work authorization
Familiarity with technology industries is good, but not required

Education & Experience

Internship positions intended for MBA candidates & Master's candidates in business-related fields

What Can You Expect

Sales is the lifeblood of all organizations and most CEOs of Fortune 500 companies have had sales experience during their careers. By participating in the 2009 Mi-Co Sales Internship program you can expect:

Top-notch formal sales training in a dynamic high-growth industry.
The opportunity to network meaningfully with executives across a variety of industries or those that interest you (healthcare, finance, manufacturing and others)
Close mentoring by managers and executives at Mi-Co as well as introductions when necessary
An opportunity to earn significant money depending on personal initiative

About Mi-Co

Tuesday, September 1, 2009

Invention to Application course seeking MBA students

Hi everyone,

The Invention to Application course is seeking MBA students to join in. This is a great course run by Barry Myers. A flyer is attached with information, and a brief description is below.

Please contact them directly if interested.

Howie

Knoesis

Winner of Healthcare Track '09

Cerene Biomedics:

Winner of Duke Start-up Challenge'08

and the Healthcare Track

OncoOptics:

Winner of Duke Start-up Challenge'07

and the Healthcare Track

Cytec Inc:

Winner of Duke Start-up Challenge'06

and the Healthcare Track

Invention to Application

(HLTHMGMT 491 / BME 362)

Providing a path for real-world commercialization

http://faculty.fuqua.duke.edu/courses/ita/

ITA class is a hands-on learning experience with multi-disciplinary teams from Business, Engineering, and Medicine and real-life technologies developed by Duke faculty. Students will be equipped with the skill sets and tools to screen state-of-the-art technologies and pick the best opportunity to develop a business plan, pitch presentation and customer leads. Students periodically report to the ITA Advisory Board comprised of the Executive Director of Duke's tech transfer office, seasoned entrepreneurs, local VCs, and faculty members at Duke who have commercialized technologies.

Due to limited space there will be an interview process. Submit resumes to Barry Myers, MD, PhD, MBA to schedule an interview (barry.myers@duke.edu).

Howie

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Instancy seeks MBA intern

Business Plan Analyst

Web 2.0 eLearning platform company looking for Business plan help. Ideal candidate is 2^nd year MBA student with background in entrepreneurial companies/start-up in Web 2.0/IT space.

Project duration: 1-2 months, Fall semester 2009 (part-time)

Tasks include:

Market research – market size, competition, etc.
Financial plan refinement – 5 year projections, break even analysis
Business plan summary and powerpoint review and development

Contact Harvey at hsingh@instancy.com

Monday, August 24, 2009

Commercial Strategy for Radionucleid Diagnositic and Therapeutic NewCo Strategy

Prof. Barry Myers is looking for an MBA student.

Please let him know if you are interested.

Howie

One Semester Two Term Independent Study Project:

Commercial Strategy for Radionucleid Diagnositic and Therapeutic NewCo Strategy

A recent major capital investment in the region is resulting in the creation of new and proprietary radioactive particles for use in clinical practice. These particles can be attached or inserted into a wide variety of molecules (e.g. antibodies, receptor binders, etc.) to serve as diagnostics and enhanced therapeutics. The technical advantage afforded by this investment is significant and as a platform, it has the potential to spin out one or many NewCo's.

You will lead a team that includes, faculty experienced in venture capital, post-doc's with expertise in the radiochemistry, and former entrepreneurs to understand the marketplace and develop a business case for entry into the market.

Please contacted Dr. Barry Myers (barry.myers@duke.edu) if interested.

Barry Myers MD PhD MBA  Professor and Senior Associate Dean for Industrial Partnerships  and Research Commercialization, Pratt School of Engineering  Director Duke Center for Entrepreneurship and Research Commercialization http://www.cerc.duke.edu/  Executive-in-Residence Pappas Ventures  Rm 267 Hudson Engineering Annex Box 90281, Durham NC 27708-0281 (919) 660-5150 (o) (919) 684-4488 (fax)

Fwd: NC IDEA Fall 2009 Grants Cycle Now Open

FYI for those of you that are starting a company.

-Howie

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: NC IDEA Grants <grants@ncidea.org>
Date: Mon, Aug 24, 2009 at 10:45 AM
Subject: NC IDEA Fall 2009 Grants Cycle Now Open
To: howie.rhee@duke.edu

The Fall 2009 cycle of the NC IDEA grants program is open! NC IDEA helps start-up companies by bridging the funding gap between government and private equity support. Eligible firms interested in grants of up to $50,000 are invited to submit an online pre-proposal application by Friday, September 18 at ncidea.org.

Grant Eligibility

The NC IDEA Grants Program awards funding to between four and six firms based in North Carolina that are focused on information technology, medical devices and diagnostics, material sciences or green technologies, with preference given to those that have not received equity financing. Entrepreneurs who have not formed a company may apply, but company incorporation will be required prior to the award of grant funding.

To learn more about NC IDEA please visit us at: www.ncidea.org

This message was sent from NC IDEA Grants to howie.rhee@duke.edu. It was sent from: NC IDEA, 4505 Emperor Blvd. Suite 130, Durham, NC 27703. You can modify/update your subscription via the link below.

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Monday, August 17, 2009

InSite, NYC

Received this from our friends at Columbia.

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Hui, Jeffrey <jhui10@gsb.columbia.edu>
Date: Thu, Aug 13, 2009 at 12:52 PM
To: Howie Rhee <hwr2@duke.edu>

Hi Howie,

I'm reaching out to see if you have any other companies/startups that might be looking for venture capital or seed funding. I work with a group here at Columbia, called InSITE. We help entrepreneurs looking for venture funding, work with them on their business plans and investor presentation, and introduce them to venture capitalists in the area. The only catch is that the companies would have to be able to meet once a week with consultant in New York. I realize that the New York factor makes it nearly impossible, but thought I'd throw it out there anyways. We are currently accepting applications for the fall semester and I'm attaching the application details. Please let me know if you have any companies in mind.

Thanks!

Jeff Hui

MBA Class of 2010
(646)489-9193

jhui10@gsb.columbia.edu

http://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffhui

Howie Rhee, MBA
Managing Director
Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation
Fuqua School of Business, Duke University
Room E167J
919-617-1123 mobile
hwr2@duke.edu
www.fuqua.duke.edu/centers/cei

Watch our video: www.fuqua.duke.edu/wakeup

Duke Entrepreneurship Links:
- Entrepreneurship at Duke - www.EntrepreneurshipAtDuke.com
- Weekly Education Series - www.dukeDEES.com
- Connect with Duke Entrepreneurs - www.dukegen.com
- Find a startup - www.startupmatchmaker.blogspot.com
- Duke Start-Up Challenge - www.dukestartupchallenge.org
- Entrepreneurship Week - www.eweekatduke.com
- Twitter - http://twitter.com/EshipAtDuke
- Blog - www.howierhee.blogspot.com
- Photos - http://picasaweb.google.com/EshipAtDuke
- LinkedIn - http://www.linkedin.com/in/howierhee
- Entering the Duke Start-Up Challenge? See example business plans - email me for a copy of Business Plan Pro (advert)
- Resources from Intuit at http://smallbusinessunited.com (advert)
- Learn VC - www.learnvc.com (advertisement)

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

CIIE - Clean Energy Incubator in India

Clean Energy Incubator in India.

-Howie

Let me introduce you to the RE-Search program at CIIE, IIMA.
Renewable Energy Search is an endeavor by CIIE (IIM Ahmedabad) and MNRE (Government of India) to identify, encourage and incubate entrepreneurial ideas aimed at solving the energy crisis through use of existing clean energy related research.
You can find more details about our program at - http://re-search.in
Access to safe, reliable and sustainable energy is a huge problem across the developing world, including India.
At the same time it offers a fantastic opportunity for entrepreneurs to create wealth for themselves and the society.
We are always looking for smart people with bright ideas in the energy space, who want to startup in India.

We would love to hear from the community at Duke, in case they would like to enter energy space in India.
We provide incubation, funding, management support and networking opportunities to our entrepreneurs.
Look forward to hearing from you, on how we could possibly work together.

Regards
Phanindra

--
Howie Rhee, MBA
Managing Director
Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation
Fuqua School of Business, Duke University
Room E167J
919-617-1123 mobile
hwr2@duke.edu
www.fuqua.duke.edu/centers/cei

Watch our video: www.fuqua.duke.edu/wakeup

Duke Entrepreneurship Links:
- Entrepreneurship at Duke - www.EntrepreneurshipAtDuke.com
- Weekly Education Series - www.dukeDEES.com
- Connect with Duke Entrepreneurs - www.dukegen.com
- Find a startup - www.startupmatchmaker.blogspot.com
- Duke Start-Up Challenge - www.dukestartupchallenge.org
- Entrepreneurship Week - www.eweekatduke.com
- Twitter - http://twitter.com/EshipAtDuke
- Blog - www.howierhee.blogspot.com
- Photos - http://picasaweb.google.com/EshipAtDuke
- LinkedIn - http://www.linkedin.com/in/howierhee
- Entering the Duke Start-Up Challenge? See example business plans - email me for a copy of Business Plan Pro (advert)
- Resources from Intuit at http://smallbusinessunited.com (advert)
- Learn VC - www.learnvc.com (advertisement)

Monday, July 13, 2009

LaunchTogether Business Plan Competition

Thanks to Jozef for forwarding this to me.

A business plan competition.

-Howie

From: info@ibovo.com [mailto:info@ibovo.com]
Sent: Friday, July 10, 2009 6:08 PM
Subject: Trying to get in touch with student leaders of European Business Club

INVITATION FOR European Business Club :
Participate in the LAUNCH TOGETHER BUSINESS PLAN COMPETITION

Animesh,

I haven't yet heard back from you regarding the invitation for your student organization to participate in the Launch Together Business Plan Competition. When it comes to getting an idea off the ground, every little bit of support and capital helps (especially in economic times like these). The competition is a great way for members of European Business Club to earn cash to help cover the start-up costs for the ventures they're likely brewing. It's likely that you and your members, being the creative and industrious-types, have business plans already assembled. Why not put them to good use for a chance to earn a little more prize money?

Cost to enter? Nope- it's totally free. Catches or tricks? Negative- none of those either.
Visit http://www.launchtogether.com for more information or follow the link below to view the official competition rules.

I handpicked European Business Club because I believe that ibovo, a soon-to-launch site for entrepreneurs, and the Launch Together Competition, are perfect for you and your members. ibovo will change the way entrepreneurs get together, making it possible for people or teams find potential partners across the world to start and grow their ventures. On the flip side, ibovo allows individuals with diverse experiences, skills and goals to find a venture they would like to participate in.

I hope you'll help to spread the word about ibovo and the Launch Together Business Plan Competition to your members. We've made it easy for you. Use the button below to get a ready-to-go email template and a competition flyer to print and distribute, or attach to an email.

As the ongoing contact person for you and the members of your group, I'm available to answer your questions or provide more details about Launch Together Competition. Please don't reply to this email. Instead, use the "Contact ibovo" button below (the message will be routed directly to me.) I can also be reached by phone. If you'd like to schedule some time to chat, just let me know.

Cheers,
Chris Gorgoni
       Launch Together Competition Coordinator, ibovo, LLC.



Ready to spread the word?
(Here's where you want to start)

View the Official Competition Rules for details and eligibility requirements.



WE DON'T LIKE SPAM EITHER. OUR PLEDGE: WE'LL NEVER SEND YOU "JUNK".
You received this email because we identified you as a contact person for an organization whose members may be interested in the Launch Together Business Plan Competition or ibovo.com.  No mass mailing lists were purchased (honest). All Student organizations and representative contact emails were selected from University or Student Organization websites manually, on a case-by-case basis.

We don't plan to bombard you with pointless emails. We'll send you important updates and messages about the competition and the launch of ibovo, because we think they are right up your alley. If you wish to discontinue receiving future emails from ibovo, you may opt-out using the Unsubscribe Form.

IF YOU WISH TO CONTINUE RECEIVING UPDATES AND MESSAGES FROM US
...regarding Launch Together and ibovo, you'll want to add info@ibovo.com to your address book or indicate the email address and/or the domain "@ibovo.com" in the safe-senders list within your email client (Hotmail, Gmail, Yahoo Mail, etc.)

CHANGING YOUR EMAIL
Use the Email Switcheroo to change the email address we use to contact you.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Read the Official Rules for the Launch Together Business Plan Competition and our Privacy Policy.

--
Howie Rhee, MBA
Managing Director
Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation
Fuqua School of Business, Duke University
Room E167J
919-923-7113 mobile
hwr2@duke.edu
www.fuqua.duke.edu/centers/cei

Watch our video: www.fuqua.duke.edu/wakeup

Duke Entrepreneurship Links:
- Entrepreneurship at Duke - www.EntrepreneurshipAtDuke.com
- Weekly Education Series - www.dukeDEES.com
- Connect with Duke Entrepreneurs - www.dukegen.com
- Find a startup - www.startupmatchmaker.blogspot.com
- Duke Start-Up Challenge - www.dukestartupchallenge.org
- Entrepreneurship Week - www.eweekatduke.com
- Twitter - http://twitter.com/EshipAtDuke
- Blog - www.howierhee.blogspot.com
- Photos - http://picasaweb.google.com/EshipAtDuke
- LinkedIn - http://www.linkedin.com/in/howierhee
- Entering the Duke Start-Up Challenge? See example business plans - email me for a copy of Business Plan Pro (advert)
- Resources from Intuit at http://smallbusinessunited.com (advert)
- Learn VC - www.learnvc.com (advertisement)

Saturday, July 11, 2009

Fwd: Investor's Circle Venture Fellow

Looks like an interesting opportunity for those interested in Sustainable VC.

Looks like the point of contact is Molly molly@investorscircle.net

Thanks to Jonathan Gibbs for passing this along.

-Howie

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Jonathan Gibbs
Date: Thu, Jul 9, 2009 at 3:05 PM
Subject: Investor's Circle Venture Fellow

Howie,

Thought this might be worth letting people know about since it would require people to express interest this summer. It's an opportunity to get some additional investor-side experience in evaluating projects and create a network with a very reputable group. Hope your summer is going well and look forward to catching up soon!

Thanks,
Jonathan

Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Berkeley Ventures Opportunitiy

This was forwarded to me. Might be of value to some of you working on starting a company with intentions of ending up in the Bay Area. Note that we have an incubator here at Duke, the DUhatch Student Business Incubator.

-Howie

----- Original Message -----
From: Julio Ramirez jramirez@berkeleyventures.com
Sent: Mon 06/29/09 2:42 PM
Subject: Fwd: Berkeley Ventures Opportunitiy

Hello Adam,

My name is Julio Ramirez and I am Director of Business Development at Berkeley Ventures. We are a new incubator out of Berkeley focused on helping startups in the tech, software, mobile, clean tech, and gaming space. We offer incubator space, access to mentors and advisers, connections to local talent/resources, and a year round program to help these companies grow.

Although the summer has already started, we are still accepting applications, and would appreciate if you could send out our information to your members. Below is the information about our program. In addition, we can be contacted anytime at info@berkeleyventures.com or 510.325.5845.

Thank you and looking forward to it,

Julio

The Power of a Startup Community

Berkeley Ventures is an incubator which helps serious entrepreneurs bring their innovations to the world. We specialize in bringing very early stage companies or first time entrepreneurs to market. Incubated businesses have an 87% survival rate and up to 70% are profitable or receive the funding they need. Berkeley Ventures combines industry expertise, comprehensive networks, and all-inclusive facilities to help our businesses thrive.

Work side by side with fellow entrepreneurs

Learn from the experiences and challenges of others
Create synergies with innovative companies
Build a strong social network with your peers

Be part of the Berkeley Venture network

World class advisors including CEO's, investment bankers, and venture capitalists to help grow your business
An extensive network to help recruit additional team members
Access to talented resources at UC Berkeley and Stanford

Seed funding is available for select companies

Seed money ranging from $5,000 to $10,000 per startup is available for select companies
Berkeley Ventures will receive an equity stake ranging from 3% to 9%

Complete office solutions for your business

Entrepreneurs receive private office space including all utilities, online, copy, and printing services
Multiple conference rooms and private offices which can be used for quiet meetings, confidential calls, or collaborative work
The office layout is flexible in meeting the needs of your business and promoting interaction
Our building's 30 kw of solar panels, one of the larger installations in Berkeley, provides a perfect development lab for solar IT companies

Live at the center of technology and innovation

The SF Bay Area leads the nation in startups, angel and VC funding, and IPO's
Access to the most talented pool of technical and business people of anywhere in the world

Incubator Application

Submit inquiries and applications to "application@berkeleyventures.com". To submit a first stage application please send:

1. A 2-3 page business plan summary (financial projections optional). Summary should include industry analysis, competitive advantage, revenue model, and go to market strategy.

2. Resumes of each team member. We will be in touch and let you know of the second stage in the review process. Please feel free to visit us online at http://www.berkeleyventures.com or call (510) 325-5845.

 --  Julio Ramirez Business Development Berkeley Ventures 727 Allston Way, Berkeley, CA 94710 510.325.5845 jramirez@berkeleyventures.com

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Forbes - America's Most Promising Companies

Interesting "Call for startups" that provides some analysis for your startup.

-Howie

America's Most Promising Companies
Meet America's Most Promising Companies
Brett Nelson, 04.30.09, 10:00 AM ET

How promising is your young business? The world wants to know.

That's why Forbes.com is teaming with The Venture Alliance (TVA), a boutique investment adviser to early-stage companies, to identify America's most promising companies.

Many company lists are based on but a few metrics (if that many). But that's not remotely how professional investors evaluate the health and potential of any growing company. TVA has developed a scoring algorithm based on a vast range of variables that determine a company's potential--and, ultimately, its worth to investors--including: financial projections, current capitalization, market position, market opportunity, intellectual property, management team and others. TVA crunches that data (which it collects by surveying young companies) and reduces it to one "fundability score." Companies that score well, theoretically, have a better shot at raising money than those that don't.

Click Here to Fill out the America's Most Promising Companies Survey.

Forbes.com will use TVA's proprietary algorithm to generate a list of America's Most Promising Companies. This list will carry true intellectual weight because it will be grounded in the kind of real-world analysis typically performed by professional investors.

We need as many entrepreneurs as possible to fill out the survey on which the list will be based. The benefit for participants is four-fold:

1) After filling out the survey, they will be given a qualitative assessment (in graphical form) of how their business stacks up to the ideal business in their industry/stage of development.

For a fuller explanation of the graph's terminology, click here.

2) The act of completing the survey will force them to think a lot more critically about their business.

3) They will be under consideration to appear on the Forbes.com list of America's Most Promising Companies, as well as the opportunity to win a business consultation with a celebrity entrepreneur.

4) Upon further due diligence, the highest-scoring companies may receive a funding term sheet by TVA--a precious commodity in this credit-starved environment.

Thank you for filling out the survey. It just might be the best investment you'll ever make in this economy.

More on the 12 categories in the TVA "radar graph":

Market Opportunity: Investors tend to look for huge markets (at least $500 million) to exploit or a market that is growing at a rate far exceeding the norm (at least 10% per year).

Marketing/Sales Strategy: Investors want to see tangible evidence that the company can peddle its product or service.

Competition: Investors want a balance between having competitors (which implies that others see a similar opportunity) and a host of well-heeled challengers that could crush you.

Entrepreneurial Experience: Does the team have any experience in building or running a company? Have they paid back previous investors who took a risk on them?

Management Team: Investors look for a team with an impressive track record that leaves little doubt they can accomplish their goals.

Founder Commitment: The more time and money founders invest, the more convinced investors will be about their faith in the venture.

Directors and Advisers: Successful companies are able to attract both quality board members and advisers--not just resumes, but those who are committed to adding value to the company.

Financial Projections: Investors want to see promising--and reasonable--financial projections.

Investment Value: Investors want to understand how a company will use their money--and if that strategy has a chance of generating good returns.

Accomplishments: A catch-all bucket. One crucial element: Securing agreements with the right strategic partners that will fuel a company's growth.

Corporate Structure & Ownership: The type of corporation, location and ownership structure of a company often plays a large role in attracting investors.

Intellectual Property: Patents, trademarks and copyrights are attractive barriers to entry.

Monday, June 22, 2009

Young Entrepreneur Cram Session

Thanks to our friends at Intuit (thanks Kira!) for making this opportunity available to us. Be sure to sign up before all the slots are gone.

-Howie

http://www.smallbusinessunitedblog.com/where-small-is-now/2009/06/

YOUNG ENTREPRENEUR CRAM SESSION - RSVP NOW!

By Jason Wisneski - June 18, 2009

I graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison a couple of years ago and have been working at Intuit since. I've had the opportunity to work in Intuit's Small Business Group, so I now view entrepreneurship in a different way than I had before.

Many of my friends from college have gone on to work for other companies but a few have started their own business. Now when I talk to them or when I go into a new store for the first time, or try a new product, I can't help but wonder how that business got started. What's their story? What pushed him or her to take that idea and make it into a running business and what have they learned? Could I start my own business some day?

Well now is the time to answer some of those questions. Join me on Wednesday, June 24th at noon PT, for a "Young Entrepreneur Cram Session." In this one-hour online event, you will hear from other young entrepreneurs on how they started their businesses, what challenges they faced and how they overcame them. You will also be able to ask questions and share your own advice.

Featured panelists include:

• Michael Adams, who founded Eddie's Energy Bars based in Richmond, VT. makes all natural, no preservative energy bars that are locally homemade and community supported. The company was recently named one of Entrepreneur Magazine's 100 Companies to Watch.

• Melissa Baswell, owner of Mountains of the Moon, a Chicago-based sustainable design and apparel organization aimed at creating chic, high-quality eco-friendly clothing. Melissa was also one of our Small Business United Grant Competition winners.

• Kavin Stewart, co-founder and CEO of LOLapps, a provider of easy-to-use tools that allow anyone to create and customize applications on social networks. Beginning operations in early 2008, they now have 44 million unique visitors using their tools.

This exclusive event is open to the first 100 who register, so sign up herenow!

If you aren't able to attend the Cram Session, no worries. You can follow the event #YECram on Twitter, look for updates on the Small Business United Blog, or hear others' stories and share your tips atwww.SmallBusinessUnited.com.

Jason Wisneski is on Intuit's small business communications team. A Gen Y-er himself, he is looking forward to moderating the Young Entrepeneur Cram Session next Wednesday, June 24th.