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2006 Entrepreneurship Conference: Details of Sessions
Introductory Keynote: Scott Cook, Founder and Executive Committee Chairman, Intuit
(RealPlayer® format)
Session 1:
Do You Have What It Takes to Be an Entrepreneur? (Panel) (RealPlayer® format)
Moderator: Kathryn Shaw, Stanford GSB. Panelists: Julie Farris, Scalix; Rob Forbes, Design Within Reach; Robert Simon, Alta Partners; Pete Slosberg, Cocoa Pete's.
Many would-be entrepreneurs are excited by the prospect of forming a new venture but may not have considered what it takes to be a successful entrepreneur. The panelists share their insights on what it takes to launch and build a sustainable company and tackle such questions as: how much experience is required, what are the necessary personality traits, and when is the right time?
Recruiting a Team (Panel) (RealPlayer® format)
Moderator: Amy Love, Forum for Women Entrepreneurs & Executives. Panelists: Matt Glickman, Merced Systems; Howard Hartenbaum, Draper Richards; April King, Howard Fischer Associates; Thomas Layton, OpenTable; Nick Sturiale, Sevin Rosen Funds.
New ventures live or die by the strength of their management teams. In addition, the strength of the founding team often proves to be a key factor in attracting capital from angel investors or venture capitalists. How can an entrepreneur bring together the 'right' founding team to guide a fledgling company? What role do board members, venture capitalists and other advisors play in selecting additional members of the management team? In this panel, entrepreneurs, executive recruiters and venture capitalists share their experiences and recommendations on building successful management teams.
Establishing Culture and Being a Leader (Presentation) (RealPlayer® format)
Lecturer: Joel Peterson, Peterson Partners
As the CEO of a company, you can affect the culture of an organization in ways of which you may not be aware. How do you send signals to your employees about cultural norms, acceptable communication styles, and work patterns? How can you be sure to create the culture that you in fact want in your company? Joel Peterson, a popular GSB faculty member and experienced CEO and investor, discusses these questions and more general topics such as the role of trust and the evolution of cultures.
Incorporating, Stock Options and Other Early Issues (Legal Seminar) (RealPlayer® format)
Moderator: Allison Leopold Tilley, Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP
What are the legal steps necessary to get your business off the ground? How do you think about allocating stock options to your founding team and future employees? What difficult legal issues do most entrepreneurs ignore when they start a business? Hear the answers to these and other important questions.
Dealing with High-skill Employees That Are a Poor Fit for Your Culture (Workshop)
As a CEO, how do you manage talented employees that are poor cultural fits for your company? To build a successful business, entrepreneurs need to be comfortable having difficult conversations and making difficult decisions. This workshop explored strategies for understanding how to deal with employees that may be disruptive to your business.
Session 2:
Perspectives on Entrepreneurship (Panel) (RealPlayer® format)
Moderator: Garth Saloner, Stanford GSB. Panelists: Asheem Chandna, Greylock Partners; Chip Conley, Joie de Vivre; Pat Kilkenny, Arrowhead General Insurance; Larry Mindel, Il Fornaio; Heidi Roizen, Mobius Venture Capital.
What motivates entrepreneurs to devote themselves to their work? What personality traits must one have to succeed? And how does one balance the demands of a new venture with family and other commitments? This panel discusses the different personal goals that inspire entrepreneurs to take on the challenge and share their experiences on the personal rewards and risks of entrepreneurship.
Identifying the Idea (Presentation) (RealPlayer® format)
Lecturer: Joel Hyatt, Current TV
The hardest part about starting a new business is often coming up with a good idea. What environmental clues should you look for to help make the process easier? How can you leverage your experience and network to identify compelling opportunities? Hear successful entrepreneur and former Stanford GSB Lecturer Joel Hyatt offer his perspective on where to look for the next big idea.
Hiring, Firing and Motivating (Panel) (RealPlayer® format)
Moderator: Mark Leslie, Leslie Ventures. Panelists: Bruce Cozadd, Jazz Pharmaceuticals; Simon Khalaf, Vernier Networks; Hap Klopp, The North Face; Rory O'Driscoll, BA Venture Partners.
Now that your business is up and running, how do you get the most from your people? How do you keep your employees motivated and focused on creating value for your customers and for the company? In addition to focusing on tips and tricks to help you manage a growing team, this panel explores sensitive issues such as how to give difficult feedback and how to make the decision to let someone go.
Details of Early and Late-stage Financing (Legal Seminar) (RealPlayer®format)
Moderator: Allison Leopold Tilley, Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP
Having a complete understanding of the fundraising process is critical for young entrepreneurs. After all, today's financing decisions may affect tomorrow's options. Local lawyers share their expertise in helping new start-up companies prepare financing plans that prepare the venture for growth.
Working with a Founding Team in Later-stage Businesses (Workshop)
At what point do the founders of a small business become a hindrance to growth? How do you know if you can 'scale' to meet the demands of growing your business? This workshop will explore how new CEOs handle founders who challenge their authority, and techniques for making the transition as smooth as possible.
Lunchtime Keynote: Kay Koplovitz, Founder, USA Networks, Principal, Koplovitz Co. LLC
(RealPlayer® format)
Session 3:
Bouncing Back(Panel) (RealPlayer® format)
Moderator: Robert Chess, Nektar Therapeutics. Panelists: Kamran Elahian, Global Catalyst Partners; Lorraine Hariton, Beatnik; Mark Tapling, Everypath.
This panel focuses on how to recover from a business failure and how to leverage that failure into experience. We hear from entrepreneurs whose previous ventures did not turn out as planned, but then bounced back better than ever. The discussion includes such topics as dealing with setbacks with high morale and optimism and how to deal with a failing business.
Raising Money from Angel Investors (Presentation) (RealPlayer® format)
Lecturer: Jim Ellis, Stanford GSB
Angel investors are a common source of early stage capital for many new ventures. These investors can be a valuable resource to new CEOs and their companies, often serving as board members or advisors. But determining if a business is well suited for angel investors, and if so which individuals, is an important consideration for any founder raising capital. In this session we'll discuss how to identify, select, sell, and effectively work with angel investors. Stanford GSB Professor Jim Ellis leads a discussion around this important topic.
Top 10 Mistakes Entrepreneurs Make (Panel) (RealPlayer® format)
Moderator: Andy Rachleff, Benchmark Capital. Panelists: Dan Avida, Opus Capital; Mike Farmwald, Skymoon Ventures; Danny Shader, Good Technology; Pradeep Sindhu, Juniper Networks.
Hear from a panel of seasoned entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, board members and other professionals as they discuss the common pitfalls most new entrepreneurs encounter when building their businesses. You'll learn from the mistakes they've witnessed first-hand so you won't make them in your business!
Intellectual Property and Other Legal Issues (Legal Seminar) (RealPlayer® format)
Moderator: David Jaffer, Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP.
Knowing how to protect your ideas and establishing clear legal rules for your business can be critical for new companies. In addition to intellectual property, lawyers on this panel discuss other relevant legal topics and answer your questions.
Link here for the handout from this session. [
PDF 1.23MB]
Managing Your Board: What Happens When You Disagree (Workshop)
An effective board is often vital to the success of a new business. But what happens when you disagree? This workshop considers the case when a small business faces a critical strategic decision where the board supports a different approach than the CEO and his executive team.
Afternoon Keynote: James Dyson, Inventor and Chairman, Dyson Limited.
(RealPlayer® format)
