Thomas Edison thought sleep was a waste of time, preferring instead to take a series of daily power naps. So did Leonardo da Vinci. Nikola Tesla clocked about two of hours of shuteye per night. The secret to their success? Perhaps it was sleep deprivation-induced delirium.

Maybe they knew something we don’t. After all, they were geniuses.

In New England we don’t trust anyone. Collaboration is an unnatural act. No wonder we’re economically stagnant. I’ve been thinking a lot about trust. All we hear and read about is how trust is the missing ingredient for all that ails the world. If I had a dollar for every trust fall I’ve taken at leadership development workshops over the years! If only we just trusted each other more. I’m not buying it. I wonder how many things we don’t try together because we only collaborate with people we trust. Is it possible we set the standard so high for a trusted relationship that it prevents collaboration?  What if trust is overrated?

At the global level, the BRICK countries of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and Korea are aggressively investing in R&D, facilities, and scientist training, and vying for bigger roles not only as markets for medicines, but also as rich breeding grounds for R&D and manufacturing.

It took the original Pebble smartwatch a little over 5 weeks to raise $10.27 million. It took Pebble Time just 48 hours to top that.

Officially unveiled Tuesday, the Pebble Time broke Kickstarter records, raising its first million in just 49 minutes.

The Pebble Time is the next-generation Pebble smartwatch. It has a thinner design, a color, e-paper display and a microphone for voice replies and notes. Still, the Pebble Time remains waterproof and promises a battery life of up to 7 days.

A study by the Association of the German Insurance Association revealed that 90 percent of all head injuries in bicycle accidents occurred on the bottom rim of the skull. Unfortunately, this is exactly where many helmets fail to provide sufficient protection, according to Florian Mayer, an industrial design student at the Pforzheim University of Applied Sciences in Germany.

Image: FMD

Startup companies in Pennsylvania could have an easier time attracting investors under legislation a state lawmaker from York County has introduced in the General Assembly.

House Bill 449, introduced by state Rep. Stan Saylor, R-Windsor Township, would give so-called angel investors a 25 percent tax break on investments in early stage Pennsylvania companies.

2014 was the best year on record for U.S. exits, with billion dollar moves from bold-faced names such as Facebook and Alibaba. Altogether, last year's 845 VC-backed exits totaled $78.4 billion, a 98 percent jump from the year before, according to PitchBook, a Seattle-based data provider for the global VC markets.

The unusually cold and snowy winter in southern New England has broken records and resulted in many indellible images, from collapsed roofs to massive snow farms and a frozen Hudson River in New York. Now, a new iconic image of the winter of 2014-15 can be added to the mix: slush waves.

Nantucket-based photographer Jonathan Nimerfroh captured waves coming ashore that contained bits of ice, making them resemble a slurpee.

One of the biggest obstacles to growing start-ups in Wisconsin lies with some of the financiers who provide the money, a Milwaukee venture capitalist said Thursday.

Some angel groups, whose members invest in young, high-potential companies, have been offering terms to start-ups that "de-risk" the deals for themselves but hurt the companies' longer-term prospects, said Brian Taffora, managing director at CSA Partners LLC, a venture capital fund backed by Milwaukee County Executive Chris Abele.

Healthbox‘s decision to revamp its healthcare accelerator model was an interesting development but as Lisa Suennen, Venture Valkyrie blog author and consultant, it’s not an isolated case. She authored a report for the California HealthCare Foundation that provided a state of healthcare and life science accelerators in the U.S. and beyond last year.

In response to emailed questions, Suennen said she’d like to see more significant changes for accelerators. “I think that they have to move towards far more equity through investments like a fund or away from equity entirely and towards a service model. The model of so many accelerators is not sustainable for the long term.”

Image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/32876353@N04/6636632951

It’s a forgone conclusion for some Americans that after their senior year of high school, they will leave home and attend a four-year college. In the face of the rising cost of higher education and the high unemployment rate following the recession, many have begun to challenge that path. Detractors of college education insist the economic benefits of attending a four-year university do not outweigh the costs. Yet alternative career paths that do not require college education largely consist of low-skill physical labor.

Ludwick Marishane, the brain behind the so-called Waterless Bath, was one of the opening keynotes at The Accenture Innovation Conference. Dubbed the DryBath, his product is literally a type of gel that people can use to clean themselves. No water required. Marishane took the audience through his journey of creating an interesting product through the process of reverse innovation — a concept he hopes would inspire more young South African entrepreneurs.

Image: http://ventureburn.com

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Illumina, Inc. (NASDAQ:ILMN) today announced its new Illumina Accelerator Boost Capital has secured an initial capital commitment of $40 million from Viking Global Investors, a privately owned, global investment firm. Capital commitments made to Illumina Accelerator Boost Capital will be used to fund investments in promising genomic startups that graduate from Illumina Accelerator.

“This capital commitment will be instrumental in driving value for our startups as they advance breakthrough applications in genomics”

“We are proud to partner with Viking Global Investors,” said Mostafa Ronaghi, Ph.D., Illumina’s senior vice president and chief technology officer. “As we continue to support innovation and entrepreneurship, we believe this committed capital will further boost the genomics innovation ecosystem.”

California-based companies received about 56 percent of all U.S. venture capital dollars in 2014, the state's highest share of venture activity since the dot com boom of the early 2000s. Over the past 15 years, investment activity has steadily become more concentrated in California and a few other states. In 2009, about 67 percent of all deals and 74 percent of venture capital dollars flowed to the top five states. By 2014, those states' share of venture dollars grew to 80 percent, according to NVCA/Pricewaterhouse Coopers data. A recent Harvard Business Review article, however, suggests that startups are receiving first-round funding in more metropolitan areas than ever.

SALT LAKE CITY--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The BioUtah Board of Directors today announced that it has selected Kelly Slone as the new President and CEO to lead BioUtah as it expands its vision, programming and leadership of the life science community in Utah.

“I’m incredibly humbled and honored to be selected for the position from such a talented pool of candidates. Returning home to Utah has always been a goal of mine and I’m fortunate to be making my return with such an exciting opportunity ahead of me”

“During our recruitment process, the search committee explored a broad spectrum of candidates from Utah and across the country. Through that process we uncovered a wealth of talent, but when push came to shove, Kelly Slone stood out from the rest as our candidate of choice,” said Gary Crocker, Chairman of the BioUtah Search and Selection Committee. “A native of Utah, Kelly not only has the policy expertise, but she knows what it takes to run an effective advocacy organization that delivers real value to its members. In Kelly, we have recruited the pinnacle of talent and pedigree—a real star that will drive BioUtah and the Utah life sciences community to the next level.”

How well a company has locked down its systems and data will have a direct effect on how much a potential buyer is willing to shell out for an acquisition — or whether a buyer will even bite in the first place, said a panel of cybersecurity experts Thursday. The reason is that cybersecurity is becoming a key factor in analyzing the amount of risk that a financial or strategic buyer would take on with an acquisition.

You started off the New Year with lofty goals and boundless enthusiasm, but come February you may find your inspiration lacking.

Jonathan Alpert, psychotherapist and author of Be Fearless: Change Your Life in 28 Days says the February blues are a result of the lull that occurs around this time of year after the festivities of the New Year. "From November to January 1st we have a lot to look forward to and abruptly it seems to end," he says. And if you live in the cold north, you may also find your motivation waning after months of being trapped indoors. The winter blues not only affect your mood and can hinder your social life, but can impact your productivity at work.

“What is happening to employer and employee loyalty?”  Call me idealistic, but there used to be a time when allegiance and commitment mattered. Today, businesses and even employees are more willing to shed previous ties in order to pursue the next lucrative opportunity.

Junior professionals, given tremendous leadership opportunities at startups that would normally require decades of service at larger corporations, jump ship in search of the next quick score without regard for the financial and career investment made by their initial employer. Do the founders deserve such a loose definition of loyalty?

Washington, DC, February 23, 2015 --(PR.com)-- The Federal Laboratory Consortium for Technology Transfer (FLC) will be hosting its 2015 national meeting in Denver, Colorado, from April 28 – 30 at the Embassy Suites Denver – Downtown/Convention Center. Each year, the national meeting is highly anticipated by the FLC and the technology transfer (T2) community, serving as the premier event for advancing T2 strategies and providing important connections.

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