Letter from the President
July 1 marks the start of our fiscal year, and the chance to share with you some plans for the coming year.
I joined CED nearly 11 months ago, just as the economy was starting to erode. For us – as was true for many of you – it was a time to regroup and reconnect with our best friends and customers. From those conversations, and the results of our first comprehensive survey in many years, we emerged with a better idea of how CED can provide strong value to you as a member organization. Here are some of our new initiatives:
- More free events for members only. These will include popular networking sessions (our next one will be in November), plus a new lunch and learn series with past and current members of the CED board. Since our big network of entrepreneurial support is one of the greatest assets of CED, we want to make sure you get the benefit from the contacts your membership affords you.
- More opportunities for one-on-one advice and consultation. We will be launching a new breakfast series called CAFÉ (it stands for “Competitive Advantage through the Fundamentals of Entrepreneurship,” but we just really liked the acronym) that will provide an opportunity to hear a panel of entrepreneurs speak about a business challenge, followed by a series of break-out sessions that will let you talk with experts about similar issues in your own company. Topics include building a management team, honing your sales and marketing plan, outsourcing, and options for raising capital.
- More programs for companies that are growing. We heard that CED is great at helping companies launch, but that we don’t offer as much for those that are in business and need some help getting to the next level of success. This year, we will be building peer networks, offering focused leadership training, and conducting more in-depth analysis to help entrepreneurs who are in business do even better. Of course, we will continue our programs for start-ups, including re-tooled FastTrac® TechVenture™ classes and various industry forums.
- More support for companies in emerging sectors. We are partnering with other entrepreneurial support organizations to offer help and information for entrepreneurs interested in green/cleantech, medtech, and gaming, in addition to our traditional areas of life sciences and technology/software. We also will be investigating opportunities for companies interested in expanding overseas.
- And it wouldn’t be CED without a party! I hope you will join us for our 25th birthday party Friday, September 25, at the American Tobacco Historic District in Durham. It will be lots of fun, with barbecue, beer, and bands made up of CED members who also are musicians.
More information about these events, plus our world-class Biotech and Venture conferences, are in the calendar and program sections of our website. Thank you for being a member of the nation’s oldest and largest entrepreneurial support organization – and keep those comments and suggestions coming.
Joan Siefert Rose
President
July 1, 2009
upcoming events:
What members are saying:
“ CED, as one of the largest and oldest entrepreneurial organization of its kind in the US, provides important expertise and valuable networking resources to early-stage high-growth companies. ”
