Everybody's a Bloody Entrepreneur! Or Are They?
There was an article - or 100 - the other day that said something about entrepreneurs being...The life blood of society! The new drivers of our economy! The largest employers of our citizens! The solution to our problems!
And what about all the LinkedIn profiles stating "Entrepreneur" as a title?
But are all these "entrepreneurs" really entrepreneurs?
We'll be hashing through what entrepreneurship really means, what a startup really is, and what innovation really makes a difference on society and the economy (what is "making a difference" anyway?). Our panel will be a group of diverse "entrepreneurs" - from high-growth speedups as described by Startup America to social entrepreneurs who might not provide huge financial returns but contribute in other ways - and we'll be talking about the similarities and differences between everyone's idea of their own Entrepreneurship.
It's a frank discussion on some of the realities and frustrations surrounding this debate.
Presenters
Jesse Draper is CEO of Valley Girl, Inc. Draper, most commonly referred to as "The Valley Girl" is creator and host of "The Valley Girl Show", named "Must see startup TV" by USA Today. She has pioneered the way of new media with "The Valley Girl Show" and has grown a following using non-traditional media sources. Under the Valley Girl umbrella, she also runs Lalawag, the largest technology-focused blog in Los Angeles.
Draper is an actress meets entrepreneur and is also known for her role as Jesse, the nanny, from Nickelodeon's hit show "The Naked Brother's Band".
Kate is Executive Director of Digital & Social Media at Syracuse University, where she leads university-wide efforts in the field. She is also CMO of Girls in Tech, a global organization for women in technology and entrepreneurship, and on the Strategy Board of the Meta-Activism Project, a think tank making digital activism smarter. She is Founder & Chair of Other Side Group, a social media marketing and content production firm that has a sweet spot for writing.
She specializes in social media marketing, content production and entrepreneurship and works diligently and passionately for issues around women in technology and entrepreneurship. She likes to write when she can, and regularly does so for Forbes Women, Mashable and several other outlets.
She holds an MBA from Goizueta Business School at Emory, an MA in International Relations from the Fletcher School at Tufts University, and BAs in History and Political Science from University of Rochester.
When she’s not doing all that, she gets outside a lot – biking, hiking, skiing, sailing, whatever – is a very non-professional musician, likes dry humor, a great glass of bubbly or craft beer, great people, and loves life.
Nicole is the Managing Director of TechStars in Boulder.
Nicole got her entrepreneurial start in the 4th grade, orchestrating cousins into theatrical plays and charging neighbors admission. From there, she founded three startups including PropertyManagementShop.com, all of which are still operating. She has spent nearly a decade working to improve the entrepreneurial ecosystem in Colorado through leadership roles at various organizations and incubators such as CTEK, Investor Avenue, CleanLaunch, and the Advance Colorado Center. She considers herself privileged to have worked with nearly 100 brilliant and gutsy seed-stage web software entrepreneurs.
Nicole graduated with her Master’s Degree from the University of Florida, likes to do at least one philanthropic thing annually, and shares the wonderment of parenthood with the love of her life, Mark.
When not thinking about TechStars, you’ll find Nicole on the slopes or on her bike, hanging with her big fat greek family, traveling to some exotic destination, or generally making a fool of herself to entertain others.
Vanessa has a dynamic 9-year global career reflecting optimal performance in the public and private sector in the area of business development, marketing and sales. Vanessa has served in numerous executive positions in business development roles, where she has managed rapid growth; both domestically and internationally. She has been responsible for triple digit increase within the companies she has worked for where she has played a leading role in the sales groups.
Vanessa is currently President & CEO of Columbia Green, whose core technologies in eco-roofs are based on sustainable functions that help manage the quality and quantity of storm water, energy use, as well as air and water pollution. Vanessa purchased the company along with local investors in 2009 and Columbia Green is currently experiencing significant growth under her leadership.
Ms. Keitges graduated from Oregon State University earning a B.A. in Philosophy. Her personal interests include: riding horses, traveling and meeting new people. She has an affinity toward kids and animals and sits on the Oregon Zoo Wild Life Board. Her true passion is helping others within her community.
Sunday, March 11
