Philly Startup Leaders Present the First Annual Entrepreneur Expo
Posted by Roman on March 17th, 2009 | Filed under Entrepreneurship, Philly
As a member of Philadelphia’s leading entrepreneurship-centric organization, the Philly Startup Leaders, I jumped at the opportunity to help plan the next big event to hit our city.
This event is a celebration of the entrepreneur; the spirit, the passion and of course the idea. We aim to put on display the creative talent of Philadelphia across a broad range of disciplines. Entrepreneurs are invited to demonstrate their projects in a trade-show setting. Best of all, The Entrepreneur Expo is free and open to the public.
Event Details
Thursday April 2, 2009
6:00 – 9:00 p.m.
University City Science Center
3711 Market Street, Philadelphia
Come one, come all! We expect students, educators, investors, leaders in the political, legal, and business communities, members of the media and the general public to be in attendance. And, most importantly we look forward to seeing YOU.
Information for both guests and entrepreneurs is available at: http://expo.phillystartupleaders.org. Register for tickets early as limited spots remain.
This is the perfect venue for Philly area entrepreneurs to showcase their new business concepts and learn about what their fellow colleagues are inventing and taking to market,” said Doug Bellenger, COO at PhindMe Mobile. “It is also a great opportunity for the press and community to experience, first hand, a thriving startup and entrepreneurial environment in Philadelphia.”
“The Credo of Philly Startup Leaders is the creation and execution of novel business concepts by using personal initiative, ingenuity and risk tolerance of startup entrepreneurs. The result is the kind of robust new business activity for the region, which will enable it to become one of the most resilient in these times,” said Steve Goodman, Senior Partner at Morgan Lewis. “It is exciting to see the way in which PSL is infusing this exciting event with its great energy and creativity.
Tags: entrepreneur expo, Philly, philly startup leaders
New “Ideas” Category – Get ‘Em While They’re Hot
Posted by Roman on February 8th, 2009 | Filed under Entrepreneurship, Ideas
Ideas come and go. They can be big or small and come from the most unlikely places. Inspiration can hit at any time and the question remains: will you be ready?
I know I will. I’ve got this neat blog here to share what I’m thinking. Some ideas I’ll run with, some I’ll talk up and some may never even make it past a post on a website. Regardless of their path, my ideas won’t be afraid to be out in the open. I hope that some may be just good enough that they can make it into your thoughts and go on to grow into something great.
An entrepreneur who doesn’t share their ideas is like a singer who won’t get on stage and perform.
We’re notorious for asking anyone from a venture capitalist to a friend we grab a beer with to sign a non-disclosure agreement. It’s silly, I don’t buy it. The only thing I’m worried about has nothing to do with someone stealing my idea. I’m more fearful that I won’t get the appropriate feedback, a deserving kick in the ass or the much needed introduction to the partner who will help me get my idea launched.
Next time you think about hiding your idea, think about all the great ideas that have come before yours. The telephone, automobile, printing press, the computer screen you’re staring at are all good examples. These were all ideas at one point in time. I guarantee that all the great inventors and thinkers that came before you didn’t go it alone and had to share their idea to achieve success. My advice? Talk about your ideas to anyone who will listen.
Stay tuned for some of mine.
Tags: Entrepreneurship, Ideas, intelectual property
From Dream to Reality with DreamIt Ventures
Posted by Roman on January 27th, 2009 | Filed under Entrepreneurship
Last weekend I applied for an innovative incubation program called DreamIt Ventures. Think of it as a unique spin on a startup support system, built by the incredible entrepreneurship community here in Philadelphia. DreamIt stands out when compared with other incubators because they place a strong focus on team building. Whereas most incubators invite you to apply as a team armed with an idea, DreamIt also accepts individuals.
There are 3 types of people which DreamIt works with to build winning startup teams; Innovators, Strategists and Hackers. Innovators are idea people, always thinking up the next big thing and Strategists are classified as anyone with business talent. Because most applicants have web based ideas, Hackers, in other words, great programmers are also vital. With their powers combined, these teams immerse themselves in an educational, super valuable 3 month experience. During this span of time, through hard work and mentorship they are able to take their business idea from dream to reality.
I applied as a Strategist with the hopes that someone with better ideas than mine will need some marketing or business strategy consultation. Besides, before I run with my own project I want to make sure I can support someone with thiers. Don’t get me wrong though, I’ve got a few tricks up my sleeve that I’ll share here in the near future. For now, I’ll hang out, wait for a reply from DreamIt and endure the nagging phone calls from my mother – “have you found a real job yet?” “No mom, I’m going to stick with what I’m passionate about.” That said, here’s to dreams, value and a healthy dose of danger.
Tags: dreamit, Entrepreneurship, startups
Entrepreneur who enjoys Philly, pro sports, food and travel. Currently supporting several startups with sales and marketing. Recent Drexel grad.
