CED Blog: Entrepreneurs and Innovation in North Carolina

Rick Smith Interviews Steve Nelson

Fri, 11 Apr 2008 15:15:11 -0500

Venture 2008 Preview: VCs Still Ready To Pull Triggers on Good Deals
Posted: Apr. 10, 2008

Research Triangle Park, N.C. — Entrepreneurs seeking funding for new companies and products need not fear that a slowing economy will affect venture capital investments, according to Steve Nelson of the Wakefield Group.

Nelson, one of the region’s most active venture capitalists, will be leading a panel discussion about the capital markets at the Council for Entrepreneurial Development’s Venture 2008 conference next week. The event, set for April 16-18 at the Washington Duke Inn and Golf Club, will feature scores of presenting companies from as far away as Indiana and investors from across the U.S.

Inn a Q&A with Local Tech Wire, Nelson said entrepreneurs with “great ideas” can still attract investors. It’s also his belief that venture funds will also continue to be able to raise capital.

However, startups looking to find successful “exits” through initial public stock offerings face a difficult challenge, Nelson added.

The interview:.....

Friday Fun: The Leningrad Cowboys & The Red Army Choir

Thu, 10 Apr 2008 17:52:14 -0500

Globalization usually means business, but I thank our friend John Warner a.k.a. SwampFox for sharing this cultural meltdown.
Enjoy!

Another Entrepreneurial Benchmark - the Inc. 500 is Now 5000

Mon, 31 Mar 2008 12:14:43 -0500

Back in the day, when IBM, General Motors and Procter and Gamble drove the national economy, a list of 500 "fastest growing privately held companies" was sufficient to capture the depth and breadth of entrepreneurial achievement in America. Launched at the same time CED was being formed as a spin-out of the Raleigh Chamber, the Inc. 500 has featured many companies before they became world-renowned, including Microsoft, Domino's Pizza, and Oracle.

Starting in 2007, the list was expanded ten-fold to 5,000. The deadline for the 2008 list, to be publicized in September, is April 30, 2008. For more information, visit www.inc.com/inc5000apply/.

Startup Chatter - online, collaborative peer magazine launched

Wed, 12 Mar 2008 04:36:51 -0500

I am a huge fan of Donna Bogatin, internet business blogger extraordinaire who blogged initially under the ZDNet Digital Markets banner and then launched her own blog, "Inside Chatter." Donna joined Don Dodge, Microsoft, and Eric Auchard, Reuters, for "Technology Trends of Today and Tomorrow," the closing media panel on the Tech 2007 here in the RTP. Donna grokked the Triangle entrepreneurial and technology scene as the "real deal" -- lots of solid innovation under the hood supported by a community that does what it takes to help companies start and thrive.

So I was REALLY thrilled when she asked me to be one of the Masthead Contributors

N.C. Ranks First in the Nation for Small Metro Business Growth

Tue, 04 Mar 2008 17:16:35 -0500

North Carolina placed first in the nation in Site Selection magazine’s annual ranking of states with small metropolitan areas having new and expanded corporate facilities. The Greensboro-High Point area topped the magazine list for the second consecutive year because of 30 new and expanded corporate facility projects recruited in 2007. The Raleigh-Cary area tied for sixth with 25 projects and Rocky Mount tied for sixth nationwide with 9 projects.

Institute for Emerging Issues Forum Streaming Audio Link

Mon, 11 Feb 2008 17:06:29 -0500

The 2008 Emerging Issues Forum, focusing on North Carolina's energy future, will be held from 8 am to 5 pm on Monday, February 11 and Tuesday, February 12. The agenda for the conference is here.

Listen to Thomas L. Friedman's address on "New Policy, New Politics." Mr. Friedman is a columnist for The New York Times, specializing in foreign affairs.

Body Parts 101

Mon, 11 Feb 2008 10:17:55 -0500

Steven Nitchberger CEO of Tengion, a Venture 2007 Showcase presenter, and Wake Forest’s regenerative medicine guru Dr. Tony Atala, keynote speaker at Biotech 2007, are featured on a recent CBS News report. View the CBS News video here.

Winston-Salem NC, Westchester County NY, NE Ohio make Top Seven Intelligent Communities

Mon, 04 Feb 2008 11:07:08 -0500

Noting that the list of seven "demonstrates dramatically how broadband technology, enlightened public policy and the power of culture can transform government, businesses and citizens," The Intelligent Community Forum announced its list of the Top Seven Intelligent Communities of the Year, each a model for economic development in the 21st Century.

At Home in the Kingdom of Carrberia (aka the Paris of the Piedmont)

Fri, 01 Feb 2008 10:16:32 -0500

Over the years, Richard Florida of the "Creative Class" fame and I have had the opportunity to talk and share notes on what it takes to make an entrepreneurial community. When he was in town 5 years ago at the Emerging Issues Forum, he joined a group of CED entrepreneurs who were -- to say the least -- skeptical about how they would integrate "creative class" friendly maxims into their companies while they were focused on building competitive companies in a tough economic cycle.

North Carolina Climbs to 3rd as Best State for Business Climate, CEOs Say

Fri, 25 Jan 2008 12:55:15 -0500

North Carolina Climbs to 3rd as Best State for Business Climate, according to a survey of 605 top corporate executives by Chief Executive magazine.

Read the whole article here.

Mark Heesen and The State of Venture Capital

Wed, 23 Jan 2008 15:29:19 -0500

If you were not part of the 350+ people at yesterdays exciting CED event, "The State of Venture Capital A Conversation with NVCA President Mark Heesen," you can listen to his speech and review a copy of his presentation here.

No Rest for the Weary -- Entrepreneurs Expect to Work Even Harder in 2008

Mon, 14 Jan 2008 11:02:48 -0500

If you want to be an entrepreneur, be prepared to work some late and long hours. That's one primary finding from the second annual Staples National Small Business Survey, which shows that 98% of small business owners regularly work during their time off at vacation, on weekends, and at night. In addition, fifty-four percent expect to work even harder in 2008.

Friday Fun - MC Hammer’s Next Act: Tech Entrepreneur

Fri, 04 Jan 2008 09:57:47 -0500

Former rap star choreographs new career at Web startup; read the full article.

Senate Approves SBA $$ Increase for SBDC's, Women's Business Centers, Microloans and HUBZones

Wed, 02 Jan 2008 11:17:22 -0500

According to Inc.Com, before the holiday Senate lawmakers approved $569 million in funding for the Small Business Administration's core lending and assistance programs, the agency's first budget increase in seven years, providing the small-business agency with an additional $40 million for core lending and assistance programs.