A common request I hear from aspiring entrepreneurs is for an assessment of their latest idea. I don’t even try to assess things at the idea level, since I can’t read minds. I can assess execution plans, if you have any. Yet I believe that business success is more a function of the person than the idea or the plan, so the best idea is one that is a best fit for you, and only you can assess that.

Roughly 275. That’s how many jobs the company Stord has brought to the state of Georgia since it opened its doors in 2016. The startup was one of the first to go through Georgia Tech’s CREATE-X incubator, offering cloud-based software that has since revolutionized the supply chain sector. And as the company continues to grow, it has no plans to leave Atlanta.

“One of the best things we've done to give back to Georgia is the way Stord has accelerated the overall technology ecosystem, mostly as it pertains to venture, and beyond that, just bringing more capital to the market,” said Sean Henry, CEO and co-founder of Stord.

Red 6, a company that aims to completely upend how America’s tactical aircraft communities conduct air-to-air combat training through the use of augmented reality, or AR, has made new progress in the development of the software and hardware that make up its novel system. The firm recently demonstrated the ability to conduct training sorties that pit a real pilot against multiple simulated adversaries, as well as work with a friendly virtual wingman to engage a single mock threat, rather than just one-on-one engagements. The pilot “sees” these other synthetic “aircraft” through an AR headset, the design of which continues to become more capable, but also smaller, and is now able to fit entirely under the visor of a fighter pilot’s helmet.

Unicorn tech startup Aurora plans to begin testing its autonomous driving technology on Dallas roads over the next six months as it hurdles toward its goal of launching driverless rides for ride-sharing companies by 2024.

The Mountain View, Calif.-based tech company is working with Uber and Toyota to develop an autonomous vehicle for use with ride sharing. If everything goes according to plan for Aurora, the Uber ride you order in three years may not have a human driver.

Image: The Toyota S-AM, which stands for Sienna Autono-MaaS, is equipped with automated driving tech from Aurora and an electric-hybrid powertrain. Aurora will begin testing the new vehicles on Dallas roadways over the next six months.

The University of Colorado, with support from the National Science Foundation and in partnership with the City College of New York, is starting the Building Energy Smart Technologies (BEST) Center, a five-year research initiative focused on sustainable building and construction technology.

The center will study an array of related topics ranging from HVAC manufacturing to smart glazing for windows, smart building controls, advanced insulation materials, new energy storage systems, the integration of renewables such as solar systems, and improved air quality systems, according to a CU news release.

Virginia Tech broke ground on the first of three academic buildings for its Innovation Campus in North Potomac Yard on Sept. 14. Although the groundbreaking was mostly symbolic, Virginia Tech representatives and city officials said it heralds things to come in the city’s Innovation District.

The 300,000 square-foot structure will be one of three academic buildings on the 3.5-acre campus, which will provide engineering and computer science graduate students with space to embark on projects in collaboration with corporate partners that will sponsor the projects.

Image: State, city and Virginia Tech leaders were present on Sept. 14 for the groundbreaking of Virginia Tech's first academic building in Potomac Yard. (Photo/Virginia Tech)

A single batch of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream produced at their Waterbury, VT plant contains 80,000 pints of ice cream. Of course, 80,000 pints is relatively small for an ice cream producing powerhouse who manufacturers up to one million pints per day.

But not every flavor will reach Ice SCREAM celebrity status like Cherry Garcia, Chubby Hubby, or Half Baked. Even new flavors (of which Ben & Jerry’s produces about three or four every year) need a minimum of 80,000 satisfied or, at least, curious customers willing to purchase it before it reaches the production floor.

Many companies track KPIs as a way of predicting performance.  To really exploit the predictive power of KPIs, though, you need to map how the KPIs for your key stakeholders feed into each other and ultimately into financial performance.

Talk about a pivot. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla was one year into his tenure. Bourla, born and educated in Greece, is a 27-year veteran of the company. A trained veterinarian, he rose through the ranks of its animal health unit, and subsequently held leadership positions responsible for numerous businesses, including vaccines, oncology, and consumer products, before taking the post of chief operating officer in 2018. As he formally took the reins of the company on January 1, 2019, Bourla was focused on continuing Pfizer’s transformation into a pure-play biopharmaceutical company: placing its consumer health business in a joint venture with GlaxoSmithKline in 2019, preparing to spin off the Upjohn unit in a deal with Mylan, and rebranding the more than 170-year-old company to focus on its heritage of making scientific breakthroughs that could aid humanity. A year later, Bourla and Pfizer were intently focused on a COVID-19 vaccine, which the company developed in conjunction with BioNTech. In December 2020, it became the first major COVID-19 vaccine to be approved for emergency use. Bourla sat down (via Zoom) with PwC global health industries leader Ron Chopoorian and strategy+business editor-in-chief Daniel Gross to discuss Pfizer’s strategy, and why he believes the “miracle” of the COVID-19 vaccine was not a result of luck.

Image: Albert Bourla - Wikipedia

Pittsburgh has one of the world’s top emerging startup ecosystems from which companies are born from new ideas, talented innovators and investment in their development, according to a new report.

California’s Silicon Valley is still far and away the best ecosystem for startups, followed by London, New York City, Beijing and Boston. But Pittsburgh is among the places with the potential and momentum to develop into a major hub for spawning and nurturing innovative companies, particularly in artificial intelligence, robotics and biotechnology.

WASHINGTON – Today, President Biden announced 30 of America’s most distinguished leaders in science and technology as members of his President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST). A direct descendant of the scientific advisory committee established by President Eisenhower in 1957 in the weeks after the launch of Sputnik, PCAST is the sole body of external advisors charged with making science, technology, and innovation policy recommendations to the President and the White House.

The time to prepare for change is not when it hits. It’s before it hits, and during times of relative calm. Reacting to change in the moment keeps you forever on the defensive, and the consequences can be severe. You’re unable to see where the future is heading because your attention is consumed with dodging the next curveball. This exposes your organization to unnecessary risks and overlooks new opportunities. It’s a recipe for frustration and lagging performance at best — collapse at worst. While finding “the right time” to prepare for change can be difficult, there are myriad ways to get started. The author presents four steps leaders can take to prepare their organizations to thrive amid constant change.

Many executives in the U.S. have noncompete clauses in their employment contracts that prevent them from working for a competitor or starting a competing business for a certain period after leaving their current employer.

One study estimates that about 64% of executives employed in publicly listed companies in the U.S. are bound by such agreements. Whether such policies are good for the economy, however, is a matter of debate.

Unfortunately, most of us don’t have enough resources to bootstrap our own startups, so we are completely dependent on investors to help turn great ideas into great businesses. Yet in my experience on both sides of this equation, I find that many aspiring entrepreneurs focus only on the best idea, assuming that it will attract the right investors. In reality, that’s only half the story.

Image: https://blog.startupprofessionals.com

Listen to the audio as Rich Bendis, President and CEO of BioHealth Innovation conducts a fireside chat with Dr. Anthony Fauci, Director of the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Disease (NIAID) since 1984. Dr. Fauci oversees an annual budget of over $6 Billion and has advised 7 President’s on many domestic and global health issues. He has an extensive portfolio of basic and applied research to prevent, diagnose and treat many existing and emerging infectious diseases.

Listen now via Apple https://apple.co/3nNlHWH, Google https://bit.ly/3Ar0uoZ, and Spotify, https://spoti.fi/3ExxAWH

The fireside chat includes a discussion on Dr. Fauci’s personal  background and interest in healthcare issues, his role at NIAID and serving the Administration, the importance of NIH to the Country and the BioHealth Capital Region and career opportunities at NIAID and NIH. They also discuss the Covid 19 Pandemic and recommendations to address proactive measures to reduce the impact of potential future pandemics.

Salt Lake City — University research park directors, planners, builders, scientists, and innovators from around the globe will gather in person and virtually this October 18-21 in Salt Lake City to learning best practices on creating, growing, and sustaining communities of innovation.  

Utah – with its entrepreneurial spirit, world-class universities, and award-winning research parks  – is a perfect venue to explore these ideas. 

With the annual Silicon Slopes Summit providing a look at tech startups and innovation the week before, the Association of University Research Parks’ (AURP) International Conference will be a key opportunity to highlight the great strides Utah continues to make in building an international tech community through research parks, innovation districts, accelerators, and incubators.  

NEW YORK, Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Deloitte today announced the launch of the Deloitte AI Academy™ which is designed to help bridge the technology talent gap by developing and re-skilling today's workforce with immersive training in the AI capabilities required for the digital economy. The Deloitte AI Academy will parallel Deloitte's Cyber and Cloud Institute development strategies, and demonstrate Deloitte's commitment to combine in-depth business knowledge with a mastery of technology to help its people and clients thrive in increasingly dynamic markets.

Seeking a mentor is a crucial step to success, especially if you're a young person just starting out in your career journey. Mentors can help their mentees learn from their own mistakes, widen their networks and encourage them to pursue their dreams.

Entrepreneurs often make great mentors, as they can speak from experience on the trials and tribulations of entrepreneurial success. However, it's not always easy to find and convince an entrepreneur to be your mentor.

Image: Young Entrepreneur Council members think young professionals should keep these things in mind when seeking mentorship. PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE INDIVIDUAL MEMBERS.

Great meetings don’t just happen, they’re meticulously crafted. At its best, an executive meeting strengthens the bonds of your leadership team, surfaces mission-critical problems facing the business, and carves out plans for the future. But as you wade into the executive meeting waters, there are waves that can toss you around. With a limited window of time to cover pressing topics from every corner of the business, the agenda is jam-packed. When wrestling with thorny challenges, heated debates can quickly derail the conversation without a resolution. Annual plans are crafted with care, but without rigorous focus, the business can lose steam. 

Whether you have overbooked yourself, realized you have a conflict, or otherwise can’t or don’t want to participate in a project, it’s essential to uncommit gracefully. Doing so will keep your reputation intact and your relationships strong. The author offers six tips to help you go about saying no after you’ve already said yes with tact and professionalism: 1) Consider the cost. 2) Shift your perspective. 3) Be diplomatic but truthful. 4) Preserve the relationship. 5) Offer an alternative. 6) Learn from it.