Little boys who play baseball often dream of becoming major leaguers. Only a handful actually do! But on the same field where they play, there is someone who might be more apt role model for anyone aspiring to lead – the umpire.

After listening to a delightful interview with Bruce Weber, a New York Times reporter and author of As They See 'Em: A Fan's Travel in the Land of Umpires, I realized that there are qualities of an umpire that would hold any leader in good stead. Most important as Weber told Fresh Air’s Dave Davies, the umpire has to maintain discipline so players can do what they do best: play the game. So here’s what leaders can learn from umpires:

Get into position. When the ball is struck or a throw is made, an umpire must move to a place where he has the best angle on the play. He listens for sound of ball into the  fielder's glove and watches glove, ball and runner’s foot to determine if the player is safe or out. For a leader, getting into position means finding a place where you can observe what is happening for yourself. In Japanese it is called gemba, where the work is done. Firsthand observation is essential to good management.

Today, we start the seven day countdown for the Presidential Summit on Entrepreneurship, and I want to take the opportunity to highlight a nation where entrepreneurship is starting to bloom: Malaysia. Although not yet a start-up economy, the desire for entrepreneurship and innovation are there, along with a growing number of public policies to support them-- a good recipe to put the economy on the entrepreneurial path.

Malaysia’s relatively high entrepreneurialism is reflected in its entrepreneurship and innovation rank by the Legatum Prosperity Index: 28th out of 104 economies. Malaysia’s performance is boosted by a flourishing high-tech industry.  High-tech exports constitute over half of total exports. Moreover, high levels of royalty receipts indicate that Malaysia is able to capitalize on its innovations, according to the Legatum study. Similarly, the World Bank ranks the country 23rd out of 183 economies in the ease of doing business.

Bill Gates this morning gave a few more clues about the issues he'll be talking about during a series of events with college students across the country this week, starting later this morning at UC Berkeley.

"How do we get the best minds, including young people, working on the biggest problems – poverty, global health, education, energy, and climate change?" the Microsoft chairman wrote in a short preview today on the Gates Notes, his recently launched site. He called it "an issue I’ve been thinking about a lot lately."

Should be an interesting discussion, and hopefully there will be plenty of Q&A with the students to mix things up. The Berkeley speech starts at 11:15 a.m. Pacific time today, and it will be available for live viewing online in a variety of places, including Gates' Facebook page. The event at Harvard later in the week will be available for viewing at noon Pacific time on Wednesday.

While startups have played a crucial role in getting the green industry off the ground, the future will likely be dominated by large, sprawling conglomerates. Why? Green technology essentially involves revamping the physical infrastructure of the modern world: replacing coal-fired power plants with wind turbines, building homes from materials concocted in chemistry laboratories, and swapping out engines for electric motors. Established companies are simply in a far better position to muster the capital, technological depth, managerial expertise and factory capacity that will all be needed to make the transition.

Familiarity plays a big role, too. Millions have flocked to play Farmville, but you won't see the same sort of giddy enthusiasm for those installing high voltage power lines or sewage-to-drinking-water plants. If the internet boom was a twenty-something billionaire, clean tech is a science teacher with a comb-over.

With that in mind, here is our list of the top ten Green Giants: the companies most likely to produce, develop and promote the ideas and products that will have the widest ranging effects.

1. Communist Party of the People's Republic of China
2. General Electric
3. Siemens
4. Nissan
5. Dow Chemical

The National Venture Capital Association earlier this week declared that the first quarter of this year was the slowest for venture-capital firms trying to raise money since 1993. Despite such conditions, venture-capital firm Greycroft Partners has just closed a new fund.

The firm, founded by private-equity investor Alan Patricof in 2006 to invest in digital media startups, has raised a new $130.7 million fund following a $75 million fund in 2006. Rounding up the cash for the new fund wasn’t an easy process, however.

Ian Sigalow, a partner at Greycroft, says the firm started raising money more than a year ago in March 2009. In total, the firm had 160 first meetings with potential investors and dealt with many months where no investors committed, he says. “The first quarter of 2009 was miserable,” Mr. Sigalow says, recalling the deep-freeze that followed the stock market meltdown in late 2008. “It was cold. (Some investors) were saying why would we invest in a new fund?”

In the emerging Internet of Things, everyday objects are becoming networked. Clothing is no exception. It's still early days for Web-enabled clothes - the best example so far is the Nike+ running shoe, which contains sensors that connect to the user's iPod. But expect to see everything from your shirt to your underwear networked in the not too distant future.

In the following list of ten 'smart clothing' items, we showcase Internet pants, a proximity sensing shirt, a heart sensing bra, biosensor underwear, a "thought helmet", and more!

Bootstrapping is the term used for nontraditional funding of a company using a series of interim techniques and sources to move from one company stage to another. Bootstrapping somehow implies funding a business when it is not supposed to be funded or in a way that is not expected to work. The technique is routinely used by start-up or early stage businesses that do not have institutional or professional investors, keeping in mind that the great majority of start-up and emerging growth companies do not obtain funding from institutional or professional investors.

From the perspective of the entrepreneur or businessperson, bootstrapping may be viewed as a resourceful or creative way to address the financial need of the business for an interim period using the cash flow of the business and minimizing the use of external capital until the cash flow of the business can support ongoing operations. Given that excess funds are rarely available in this situation, bootstrapping may have the benefit of instilling financial discipline in the company's leadership team and processes as they focus on managing cash flow and all of the influencing factors; they grow accustomed to running a tight operation.

The downside of bootstrapping is that cash flow decisions can take precedence over business decisions that may be in the long-term best interest of building value. In addition, it takes considerable effort and persistence to implement some of the techniques discussed, so it may distract from the daily management of operations. Lastly, in some industries and markets, it is just not feasible to bootstrap. In reality, bootstrapping can be an effective way to discipline the management team and process, given that excess capital in the hands of inexperienced business people often leads to waste and failure, as we saw in the 1999-2000 Internet fiasco.

ISAI, a superangel fund started by some of France's most experienced internet entrepreneurs, announced that it has closed his first fund, of 25 million euros (~$33 million).

What sets ISAI apart is that it is "by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs" and that it plans to invest in round sizes between business angels and traditional VCs.

It will try to be the lead investor in a startup's first round and might follow on in a VC Series A. They plan to do one investment per quarter.

Your startup might have the best product or service to come dancing down the pike in years, but that hardly guarantees success, according to Liz Tinkham, a global manager at Accenture. In this Entrepreneur Thought Leader Lecture given last month at Stanford University, she argued, as odd as it sounds, the trick to success (at least, as you try to sell to big companies) is to ensure that your product is something mundane enough to fit into their complex systems.

Grants.gov - The goal of the research outcome/impacts from this competition is to provide manufacturers and end users improved access to adequate quantities of materials based on new advances at competitive costs that allow evaluation and utilization of these materials in innovative ways, and new manufacturing processes that can transform the way products are made. TIP anticipates funding approximately 25 projects. A single company can receive up to a total of $3 million with a project period of performance of up to 3 years. A joint venture can receive up to a total of $9 million with a project period of performance of up to 5 years. TIP’s funding strategy for this competition will emphasize three important elements:

1. Process scale-up, integration and design for materials advances;
2. Predictive modeling for materials advances and materials processing; and 
3. Critical process advances related to the manufacturability of materials and manufacturing of both new and existing products.

These three elements of the societal challenge of accelerating the use of materials advances and advances in critical processes will be addressed as outlined in the white paper “Manufacturing and Biomanufacturing: Materials Advances and Critical Processes” (http://www.nist.gov/tip/cur_comp/index.cfm).

• Funding Opportunity Description: The Technology Innovation Program (TIP), National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), United States Department of Commerce (DoC), is soliciting high-risk, high-reward research and development (R&D) proposals. 
• Dates: The due date for submission of proposals is 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time, Thursday, July 15, 2010.
• Anticipated Amounts: TIP anticipates funding approximately 25 projects. A single company can receive up to a total of $3 million with a project period of performance of up to 3 years. A joint venture can receive up to a total of $9 million with a project period of performance of up to 5 years.
• Funding Instrument: Cooperative Agreement
• Who Is Eligible: Single companies and joint ventures are eligible to receive TIP funding as provided in 15 C.F.R. §§296.2, 296.4, and 296.5.
• Cost-Sharing Requirements: At least 50 percent of the yearly total project costs (direct plus all of the indirect costs).
• Public Meetings (Proposers’ Conferences): TIP will hold three public meetings (Proposers’ Conferences) to provide general information regarding TIP, to offer guidance on preparing proposals, and to answer questions.
• Read Announcement
  

The angel world is, pardon the pun, devilishly hard to analyze as a capital source. One thing is certain, though, the aggregate numbers are huge.

In the United States, angels invested US$9.1-billion in the first half of 2009. This would equate to about US$18-billion on an annualized basis, a fairly steep drop from the roughly US$30-billion of annual aggregate investment in recent years. The average angel investment was about US$370,000.

Canadian data is sketchy but in 2004, angels are estimated to have invested $2.2-billion. It is hard to say if this was a representative year for investment volume and activity, but it is the most recent "hard" number available. My sense is angel activity has fallen materially in the past few years, but remains substantial. A very rough estimate of the average Canadian angel investment is $150,000.

One of venture capital’s oldest and most reliable partners was hard to find in 2009, according to an annual survey that examines where the private equity asset class receives its capital.

Endowments and foundations saw their share of the overall venture capital pool fall to 3.2% in 2009 from 13.1% in 2008, according to Private Equity Analyst’s Sources of Capital survey (download it here). That’s a much larger drop than the percentage fall within the overall private equity capital pool, in which the share from endowments and foundations fell to 8.4% in 2009 from 10.3% in 2008.

These institutions tend to have relatively large allocations to private equity, and thus were disproprotionately impacted by the so-called denominator effect. As declines in public stocks and bonds shrank the overall sizes of their portfolios, private equity took up a larger portion of assets under management and sent many of these investors wildly over their target allocations, forcing them to cut back. The problems were severe enough that even as economic conditions improved late in 2009, these limited partners remained skittish.

Open Innovation embraces the process of cultivating and internalizing value from opportunities external to the firm, as well as the skilful deployment of internal discoveries to external complements (Chesbrough 2003). In response to this challenge, different forms of innovation intermediaries have emerged over the last decades to help companies to transgress their own boundaries and access external technological markets.

Open Innovation embraces the process of cultivating and internalizing value from opportunities external to the firm, as well as the skilful deployment of internal discoveries to external complements (Chesbrough 2003). In response to this challenge, different forms of innovation intermediaries have emerged over the last decades to help companies to transgress their own boundaries and access external technological markets. For example Ninesigma has acted as the intermediary in over 23,000 innovation proposals, for 1,600 innovation requests for Blue Chip companies around the world e.g. Kraft, Philips, Unilever. In contrast, EsadeCreapolis facilitates with a hands-on approach the exploration of new inventions through a two-stages innovation process. First, it executes cross-exploration of market opportunities through the sector specific community clusters i.e. wellness, health and aging. Second, it assists on the commercializing by providing advice on market identification, funding and crowd-sourcing. Furthermore, for established companies, it improves the process of spotting potential alliances and partner finding. This issue of the Inn-General allows you to obtain a broader overview of the operational practices of innovation intermediaries. To this end, this article provides a simplified typology and generalizable propositions drawing from visits, interviews and analysis to around 30 intermediaries in Catalonia, California and other European cities.

When recent polls were conducted, it appears that former CEO of eBay Meg Whitman is taking the lead not only ahead of fellow Republican Steve Poizner but also Democrat Jerry Brown. Cynics attribute this to her deep pockets and connections in the business world. Even in an overwhelmingly democratic state, many voters are leaning towards Whitman because of her experience and success in the corporate world and like all successful business people, she possesses a streak of ruthlessness when necessary to get the job done. She will not be moved to 'save' jobs if confronted by the trail of tears when state workers march up to Sacramento with their children in tow demanding that their jobs be saved. This is precisely what California needs to dig itself out its 'funk' and financial hole.

In the United States we pride ourselves in innovation, we think of ourselves and the entrepreneurs, inventors, and innovators of the world. Americans are always dreaming up new ideas and concepts, it’s practically an American Tradition. In fact, we cannot understand why other nation’s populations cannot or will not innovate, and perhaps, some of us feel superior due to this observation. Yet, before we get too ego-centric over the whole thing or break our arms patting ourselves on the back, we need to step back and consider how often we crush innovation.

Not long ago, our Young President stated; “What We Want is More Innovation in America!” And the crowd roared back with applause. That must have been a fun thing to say in front of 1350 innovators, industry giants, scientists, inventors, entrepreneurs, and research graduate students. Indeed, whoever is writing those lines for the teleprompter sure knows how to work a crowd. Unfortunately, it’s only political rhetoric really, and no, I am not a cynic, I am an innovator in my own right, a damn good one I might add [opinion of course].

Still, what I find is that we go out of our way to tell everyone we want innovation, but then we crush it at every turn. We use regulations, rules, taxes, laws, and codes in our government to stifle it. Our industries use lobbying, underhanded tactics, and call in regulatory bodies to stop it. Of course, we call it “disruptive technology” and then all of a sudden a particular innovation = evil for some reason. It’s such nonsense, it’s such a fraud, and it really is all I can help to stop myself from laughing when I hear some politician get up behind a podium and say something like that.

Do you have a clear idea of your strengths and weaknesses as a business owner?

Knowing your style as a business owner can help you understand why you approach your business as you do. It can also help you change behaviors or compensate for weaknesses. That way, you can break through to a new level of growth.

The Growth Analyzer Quiz gives you insight into your style. I created the Quiz after having worked with and interviewed over 5,000 small business owners over a period of 20 years.

There have been books on Black business and Black professionalism in corporate America, like George Fraser’s Click and How To Succeed In Business Without Being White by Black Enterprise founder Earl Graves.  But it is difficult to find great business books that address marketing and the influence of the African American consumer.  This has been an unfortunate oversight.  Until now.

Uptown Media Group (known for Uptown magazine) Co-CEO and group publisher Leonard E. Burnett Jr. and Andrea Hoffman, founder of marketing research firm Diversity Affluence, apply their 40 combined years of experience to examine corporate America’s advertising relationship with African American consumers in Black Is The New Green.

The book focuses on Affluent African Americans (AAA), a group with $87.3 billion in consumer buying power.  Affluent African Americans as a group are expected to grow to $1.1 trillion by 2012.

I [Pierre DeBois] asked the authors for a review copy after seeing the catchy title in an ad. During a few reads while on the New York subways, a few nearby passengers caught sight of the cover and asked about it. The interest is more than just dust-jacket deep. Having read a number of books on Black culture for fun and self-discovery throughout my life, I truly can’t recall many that really impressed me so well as this one did.

CANDACE FLEMING’S résumé boasts a double major in industrial engineering and English from Stanford, an M.B.A. from Harvard, a management position at Hewlett-Packard and experience as president of a small software company.

But when she was raising money for Crimson Hexagon, a start-up company she co-founded in 2007, she recalls one venture capitalist telling her that it didn’t matter that she didn’t have business cards, because all they would say was “Mom.”

Another potential backer invited her for a weekend yachting excursion by showing her a picture of himself on the boat — without clothes. When a third financier discovered that her husband was also a biking enthusiast, she says, he spent more time asking if riding affected her husband’s reproductive capabilities than he did focusing on her business plan.

You’ve heard that saying: As General Motors goes, so goes America. Thank goodness that is no longer true. I mean, I wish the new G.M. well, but our economic future is no longer tied to its fate. No, my new motto is: As EndoStim goes, so goes America.

EndoStim is a little start-up I was introduced to on a recent visit to St. Louis. The company is developing a proprietary implantable medical device to treat acid reflux. I have no idea if the product will succeed in the marketplace. It’s still in testing. What really interests me about EndoStim is how the company was formed and is being run today. It is the epitome of the new kind of start-ups we need to propel our economy: a mix of new immigrants, using old money to innovate in a flat world.

Here’s the short version: EndoStim was inspired by Cuban and Indian immigrants to America and funded by St. Louis venture capitalists. Its prototype is being manufactured in Uruguay, with the help of Israeli engineers and constant feedback from doctors in India and Chile. Oh, and the C.E.O. is a South African, who was educated at the Sorbonne, but lives in Missouri and California, and his head office is basically a BlackBerry. While rescuing General Motors will save some old jobs, only by spawning thousands of EndoStims — thousands — will we generate the kind of good new jobs to keep raising our standard of living.