Biology Technology

Is Your Company Risk Appropriate?

The Big Question I have often said: The problem is that too many companies are out seeking risk capital that isn't appropriate for them. How can I support this statement? After all, entrepreneurship is the primary driver of growth and job creation in the US. From 1979 to 1995, the Fortune 500 shed 4 million jobs, while entrepreneurial firms created 24 million jobs. I'm not sugg...

Board Pieces

Creating a board for a start-up tech company may seem low on the priority scheme. Alternately, it may appear easy just sign up the most qualified people available. Neither is true. The board of directors for an early stage company should support and mentor senior management. Eventually the board should become a entity that promotes, supports, and guides the long-term strategic plan for the b...

Boundaryless: Economic Development?

Jack Welch used the word boundaryless to describe his vision for GE. Specifically, Welch wanted to do away with the hierarchical, get-seven-signatures-before-buying-toilet-paper, bureaucratic B.S. that crippled GEs ability to move nimbly into markets, execute quickly on decisions, and empower people. Economic developers would do well to tear a note from Welchs playbook. Why? Because markets ar...

Quintessence Secures Financing

MADISON, WI. - Quintessence Biosciences, Inc., a biotechnology company developing pharmaceutical products for use in research, has finalized a three million dollar financing deal. The majority of the funding, $2.3 million, was received from individual investors, and the remainder was borrowed from the Madison Development Corporation, Wisconsin Department of Commerce, and m2 Lease Funds, a private...

The Making of Chicago as a Biotech Cluster

On May 15, I had the opportunity to attend an exciting Chicago networking event that was organized by Women Advancing Biosciences . The event featured a presentation by professor Alicia Loffler, who is the director of the Kellog Center for Biotechnology at Northwestern University . Lofflers presentation addressed the key biotech clusters in the U.S. and the core ingredients needed to make...

Wisconsins Real-Time" Economy

MADISON, WI - Wisconsins economy needs new thoughts, new processes, and new innovations, but the term The New Economy no longer works. The New Economy is an old worn-out phase used in Silicon Valley in the late 1990s is now associated with greed, lies, lavish spending and corruption as well as cute, but not profitable or sustainable business models. The future Wisconsin Economy will unfold in...

Are We Headed for a Global Economic Collapse?

The first three days of June, the first through the third, will be most interesting to watch because thats when the G-8, US, Japan, Germany, France, Italy, Britain, Canada and Russia, have their annual meeting to discuss global issues. Unfortunately, China is missing from the party, and given their importance on the global stage, thats a huge mistake! Usually these meetings are photo opportun...

Lowering the fear factor for entrepreneurs, intra-preneurs

MILWAUKEE,WI.-Beware calling the next strange idea you hear strange: the person touting it just might be the next millionaire next door. A panel of experienced entrepreneurs speaking to attendees at the first Wisconsin Entrepreneurs Conference in Milwaukee last Wednesday have dealt with looks and whispers their entire working lives, and they encouraged their brethren in the audience to accept...

Employer Brands Require More Than Slick Marketing

Successful internal brand building requires more than a marketing campaign and the involvement of the marketing department. Key people in the organization (HR managers, senior executives and middle managers responsible for creating the product - in this case, the employee experience) play a vital role in marketing the brand. Employees today are too savvy for marketing-style campaigns alone to wor...

The ON* is on the Employer

By 2008, our economy will have a different look and feel as traditionalists (b. 1925 1942) and baby boomers (b. 1943 1960) continue to exit the workforce, by choice or not. Employers will be facing an HR supply-demand nightmare - an excess of 10 million unfilled jobs combined with a shortage of young talent to fill these positions. That does not leave much time to educate, attract, grow and re...