Here we highlight selected innovation related articles from around the world on a daily basis. These articles related to innovation and funding for innovative companies, and best practices for innovation based economic development.
The Roanoke-Blacksburg Technology Council and Roanoke-Blacksburg Innovation Network announced today the two organizations with similar goals will become one. As part of the arrangement, the RBTC and RBIN will share resources like staffing and office space and aim for the same goals, according to a news release.
image: http://www.freedigitalphotos.net
A nation with a growing economy at the heart of South America is struggling to translate economic progress into development for its mostly young population. Ahead of the GEC2 in Croatia next month which will examine how tech entrepreneurs can globally accelerate improvements in education, I look at the factors holding back Paraguay’s young population as agents of prosperity and sustained economic growth.
Image: https://flic.kr/p/b9wCVn
The rise of 4K television has prompted Akamai to create a list of nations that have sustained average broadband speeds of 15 Mbps needed to deliver current streams of 4K television content. Akamai calls these nations “4K ready,” and sadly, the U.S. doesn’t rank in the top 10, according to the first quarter data from Akamai’s 2014 State of the Internet Report. Only 17 percent of the U.S. is 4K ready, according to Akamai’s broadband measurement, putting the country at 13 in the global rankings.
Image: http://gigaom.com/
There’s trouble in business-education paradise.
Recent news stories have described significant dissension at Harvard Business School about MOOCs (massive open online courses). For the uninitiated, MOOCs are courses that are taught over the internet, and which are usually open to all comers. In the spirit of full disclosure, I recently taught a MOOC for IESE Business School on the Coursera platform. I’m also a graduate of Harvard Business School and a former faculty member there. So I am hardly a neutral party.
image: http://www.freedigitalphotos.net
Once, at a party, I was introduced to a friend of a friend. We shook hands, I told her my name, she told me hers. Then she did something that I was ever so grateful for.
"Hang on," she said. "Can you say your name again? I wasn't really listening."
She saved me from having to later—possibly even at the same party—sheepishly admit that I, too, had already forgotten her name.
NVCA offers recommendations to House Energy and Commerce Committee as part of the 21st Century Cures initiative
ARLINGTON, VA – The National Venture Capital Association (NVCA) today offered recommendations to the House Energy and Commerce Committee on how best to encourage investment in medical innovation so that new treatments and cures are available to patients and the U.S. maintains its position as the global leader in medical research and development. NVCA’s recommendations were provided to the committee as part of the 21st Century Cures initiative being spearheaded by Rep. Fred Upton (R-MI), Chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, and committee member Rep. Diana DeGette (D-CO).
Ever wonder why your Silicon Valley developer peers make more money than you? As Brookings analyst Jonathan Rothwell points out, it's not because they're more experienced than you. Rather, it's because the technology skills they do have are "particularly valuable."
What are these skills, you ask?
image: http://www.freedigitalphotos.net
Making rational arguments is not enough to change collective behavior, says Stanford Professor Bob Sutton. Here the co-author of Scaling Up Excellence identifies the power in connecting emotion and "hot causes" to tangible "cool solutions" to reduce an individual's focus on pure self-interest.
While the debate rages on as to whether entrepreneurs are born or made, one thing can’t be disputed: polishing certain skills can help you be a better entrepreneur. Whether you’re already great at the following skills or could use a few pointers, these are the areas you should focus on for success.
1. Communication. When you’re a solopreneur, you may think communication is less of an issue, since you don’t have staff to interact with. But you’ve still got to maintain clear lines of communication with your customers via email and phone, as well as ensure that the message you send through your website and social-media profiles is the one you want.
image: http://www.freedigitalphotos.net
U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker today announced $2.8 million in Economic Development Administration (EDA) investments to support projects that will foster innovation and entrepreneurship in Louisiana and Massachusetts.
"The Obama Administration and Commerce Department have prioritized supporting American innovation, which is the key driver of U.S. competitiveness, job growth and long-term economic growth," said Secretary Pritzker. "The EDA investments announced today will support critical infrastructure and manufacturing projects that use innovation to help attract investment and create jobs in Louisiana and Massachusetts."
Technology is the exact opposite of nature, and yet it can bring us closer to parts of nature we might not have experienced otherwise--Mount Everest, for instance. A new interactive online experience allows users to virtually hike up to the the summit, and realize why it might be best not to do so out in the world, wearing more than pajamas.
Image: http://www.fastcocreate.com
Kid's bikes don't usually last very long. Depending on how quickly a child grows, it's possible to go through as many as five different bike frame sizes by the age of 12, which can be expensive and leads to plenty of material waste. Switzerland-based designer Andreas Bhend is hoping kids can keep their bikes longer with his invention: a new bike that transforms when a toddler grows a couple of inches.
Image: http://www.fastcoexist.com
Technology is so key to every business these days that experienced business-smart but non-tech entrepreneurs are falling deeper and deeper in the hole. Even if they realize that they need real technical strength at the top, they are not sure how to attract and select the talent and expertise they really need. Should they go after high-tech nerds for partners, or professional technologists?
Before you suggest that friends or family members start to exercise or improve their diets, you might first want to ask a question: Are they saving for retirement?
What do retirement savings have to do with physical health? A new study from the journal Psychological Science finds that people who are good at planning their financial future are more likely to take steps to improve their physical health — and then actually become healthier.
Image: Michael Waraksa - http://www.nytimes.com
Consistently making the right moves at the right time is the difference between a good CEO/entreprepreneur and those we consider great.
The perceptive investor, Warren Buffet, knows to “be fearful when others are greedy and be greedy when others are fearful.” The exceptional entrepreneur, Richard Branson, knows when to say “screw it, let’s do it” but also when to hold back a product. The ourageous visionary, Steve Jobs, knew to listen to his heart when it told him to back an innovation and to the inner voice that could tell him he'd made a mistake.
I co-founded my business NutraBella, Inc. in 2005 after hearing my pregnant friends complain about their horse-pill sized pre-natal vitamins. We dreamed of giving women better vitamin options with Bellybar.
Fast forward to today where I spend my days on the QuickBooks team working to make small business management easier and more fun. As I hear from small businesses owners from all walks of life, I am constantly reminded of the things I wish I had known. Owning a small business is a challenge, but here are six tips that will make the road to success easier.
Summary In this recap of Washington Crowdfunding Summit, the key challenges of the proposed rules are noted. Description Lawmakers and entrepreneurs gathered in Seattle on Aug. 7th for the Washington Equity Crowdfunding Summit to discuss the bill and proposed rules. As the dialogue played out Brody Lessing of CrowdfundSuite (http://crowdfundsuite.com) noted that 3 key challenges stood out with regard to making the rules workable: 1. The All or Nothing Model 2. Challenges of Valuations 3. Advertising Restrictions
Image: http://www.crowdsourcing.org
In previous columns I introduced three crowdfunding sources including donation fundraising, startup transactions, and lending. Now let’s talk about the fourth and most problematic method: raising capital from investors.
Historically, small businesses acquired investor capital from two sources: venture capital and angel investors. So when crowdfunding popped up on our radar, many in the entrepreneurial universe got excited thinking the Internet could be used as a lever for investor capital as it has for other business applications. Here are four reasons why I was not among this group.
Hug wants to raise $34,000 to build an app and sensor band that wraps round your water bottle to track daily hydration. Van Eko is targeting €150,000 (about $200,000) for an eco-friendly electric scooter made of hemp fibers. PetTunes is seeking $196,000 to build a personal music player that optimizes sound frequency for dog and cat ears.
Image: http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com
For an incubator set on changing perceptions of where startups need to be to succeed in regulated sectors such as healthcare, education and energy, the decision to set up 1776 in Washington, D.C., was a smart move. Mentors abound in a city where lawmakers, think tanks, regulators and Fortune 500 companies come to do business. In a phone interview, co-founder Donna Harris talked to MedCity News about its approach to finding and working with startups.
Image: http://medcitynews.com
