| The following are the current projects that I am involved in over this calendar year (2012). Sometimes it's even hard for me to keep them straight so I thought that it would be a good idea to write them all down. If you have a specific interest in getting involved in any of these please contact me. |
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IEC - International Entrepreneurship Center |
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In May of 2012 I and four partners decided to start a startup incubator, or hatchery, called the IEC, or International Entrepreneurship Center in Newton Massachusetts. This has become the central focus for my time. I am now doing all of my teaching through the IEC and I serve as a mentor for the companies that join us. So far (August) we have around a dozen companies from all over the world.
We have several companies that were started by Babson alum and others that are from Latin America that are using their time with us to learn how to strengthen their business models and enter the US market.
Many of my former colleagues that I have met either through business or teaching have decided to assist our startups by joining us as part time mentors and regardless of your skills, if you enjoy helping startups, please come and join us.
Most recently, this August, we started our first International connection in Belo Horizonte Brazil with three partners who have started IEC BRASIL.
I look forward to continuing to perfect methodologies that improve a startup's chance for finding success. We are eager to develop relationships with other hatcheries and schools as a way to extend the value that we can offer. |
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Babson College MBA Program Teaching |
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During the spring of 2012, I was teaching "Marketing for Entrepreneurs" as part of the MBA program at Babson College in Wellesley MA where I served as Adjunct Lecturer. I will instead be teaching at the IEC. I enjoyed the opportunity that Babson offered me to meet enthusiastic and smart students from throughout the world.
My course has become a combination of small business philosophy combined with practical tools for small company marketing. Most recently, I have added a critical new component on Effectual Reasoning and an objective method for starting one's own new business. I continue to be impressed with the business ideas that are being generated by my students when using this method. I have recorded a webinar on this topic that can be viewed from my site.
I continue to work on my book "Entrepreneurial Action" which I use in my class and seem to never finish as I continue to learn more about both marketing and small businesses. |
Babson College Executive Education Teaching |
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I also have taught during 2012 at Babson's Executive Education Center. Most recently I was involved with several programs including Rusnano, the Saltire Fellows, Tec de Monterrey, Sebrae, SENAC, and groups visiting Babson from Chile, Venezuela and Brazil..
I have also worked as Faculty Director on the development of a program which was aimed at the earliest phases of Entrepreneurial Business Development. The first such program was given April 2011 to students selected by the Endeavor Program located in Brazil. Several students reported that "it was a life changing experience."
Currently I offer my programs through the IEC. |
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Radius Tracking is a new startup consisting of four partners, myself, Bonnie Reese, Ajay Solai Jawahar and Eric Andersen. The company designs and builds a linen tracking system for hotels and their laundry services using RFID technology.
Through this system the customers can prevent loss and control inventory more effectively.
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Recently, we signed our first major deal with Royal Hospitality Services, located in Somerville, MA. Together our companies are launching our first new product into the hotel laundry industry. Stand by for more info.. |
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NaturalPetRx is now one year old. It is an outgrowth of a herbal company called D'Arcy Naturals which is run by friends of mine.
At NaturalPetRx we are specializing in selling herbal formulas for pets through both veterinarians and boutique pet shops. I created the web site and have been working closely with Tina Hong, a former student, who is managing the day-to-day business operations and recruiting customers and resellers.
We have been automating the credit card handling, manufacturing and fulfillment as part of our plan for growth.
We have seen consistent revenue growth and are currently selling over $12,000 per month, principally through our web site. |
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This is a new startup which is based upon a product designed by one of my former students, Alberto Sanchez who studied here in the summer of 2010. Alberto listened to his sister's advice and created and patented a new bedpan that has several unique and important features that make it attractive to the caregivers and patients.
We are soon starting testing at MGH and have the potential of huge growth if we can penetrate the market of over 1 billion bedpan uses per year, just in the US. Jose do Val and Itzhak Perry have been part of this project. |
| Prototypes were fabricated in Asia and just arrived. If the testing is successful, then we will soon be creating custom tools for the bedpan and for the disposable plastic bag and we will be pursuing distribution relationships throughout the world. |
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I have been consulting for about one year for this New York and Melbourne company that specializes in parking lot guidance systems. I provide coaching to the management as well as technical leadership for the design of their new product. I pulled together a small team of former employees including Jose do Val, Peter Wrisley, Aaron Isaksen, Bernardo Yagoda, Harry Gaudette, and Itzhak Perry who have performed the initial design and some of whom continue to manage the manufacturing of the product overseas. |
The M3 (and M4) products are essentially digital cameras that are mounted inside of parking garages. The cameras autonomously identify which spaces are filled and can even record the license plate number in order to assist with enforcement or finding a lost vehicle.
Park Assist has brought new technology to a sleepy industry and is growing rapidly as a result.
I love to tell the "drunkard's walk" story of how a chance meeting in the Pandini's cafe between me and one of Park Assist's directors led to this wonderful and lucrative opportunity.
Most recently, I joined their board of directors as Deputy Chairman and I am now a stockholder (options) in Park Assist. |
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One of my former students, Michael Dunford, started this business. I have become a financial supporter and mentor to Mike. His premium chocolate milk can be found already at hundreds of retail locations including many Whole Foods.
This business is growing rapidly and will soon be breaking open regions all across the US. This is a case where Mike has successfully taken his passion, chocolate, and turned it into a business opportunity. My lactose intolerance will surely keep me from drinking the profits. |
| Currently, Cocoa Metro is selling around 50,000 bottles per year, mostly in the north east. Next, it's starting to penetrate other parts of the US market. |
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I continue to be involved with MySeniorCenter.com which was started by Eric Andersen right here in Sherborn. Eric has gone through some tough periods, as have many business in 2008 through 2010, but his perseverance has allowed his company to survive and emerge ready for growth. |
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Rice Camera is a national distributor of advanced digital cameras used for scientific and industrial applications. Started by Jay Rice, it serves a variety of military and machine vision markets. |
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I am a member of the ACE advisory board (Autism Curriculum Encyclopedia) which is attempting to create a strategy for the distribution (and sale) of intellectual property developed by the center for providing the best care for autistic children. |
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RPM was founded by Ilene Mason and specializes in helping property owners reduce their energy costs through better selection of systems and management of their current assets. |
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Wikistrat is a new startup that uses a patented technology for the creation of unique global strategic simulations using a worldwide network of recognized analysts who collaborate on-line on scenarios that are posed by a sponsor.
Traditional strategic consulting that involves political assessment is obsolete by comparison. Their generated reports are too slow and the generation of
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scenarios is often limited by the biases and backgrounds of the small group of consultants who are engaged for the project. In comparison, the patented Wikistrat approach invites analysts from all over the world who bring their unique viewpoints to the blend, creating complexity that has otherwise been unreachable.
When starting, Wikistrat created a contest that involved the faculty and students from prestigious universities throughout the world and it soon became clear to those in the strategic planning community that insights were occurring that never would have otherwise been apparent.
Wikistrat was founded in Israel by Joel Zamel, the CEO, a scientist and political strategist, along with a strong technical team. More information about the company is available on their web site at http://wikistrat.com |
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