The future of work looks grim for many people. A recent study from Forrester estimated that 10% of U.S. jobs would be automated this year, and another from McKinsey estimates that close to half of all U.S. jobs may be automated in the next decade.

The stakes are high when a new leader takes over. Despite their training and experience, a full 74% of new leaders say they are unprepared for the new role, and in 18 months nearly half of them disappoint or fail entirely. In many cases, leaders either judge too quickly, making snap decisions that prove to be ill advised, or wait interminably to “gather more facts,” only for the critical moment to slip away.

The venture capital industry has seen record amounts of capital in recent years, with many firms raising their biggest funds ever and new funds popping up every week. Professionalization in this once small industry has led to hiring at historic levels. Many of my clients are looking outside of the existing world of venture for the human capital to fuel that growth, seeking to build teams with more diverse experiences.

No two words bring as much joy to a founder’s heart as "venture capital" (VC). Whether you run a startup company or an established business, VC is the infusion almost every founder covets. A very small percentage of startups, however, will raise the capital they need to take their business ideas to the next level through VC. Blame it on pre-market concepts, patchy business plans or limited experience. Investors want low-risk, high-reward ventures and will rarely take a chance on untested leaders.

WASHINGTON, Sept. 25, 2019   /PRNewswire/ -- The U.S. Small Business Administration today announced 60 winners of SBA's Growth Accelerator Fund Competition.  The recipients, representing accelerators and incubators across 39 states and territories focused on a broad set of industries and sectors, will receive a total of $3 million in awards to support startups and entrepreneurs researching and developing STEM-related innovations. 

With the recent injection of investments, it's not hard to be excited about the future of Erie. From the August announcement of Erie Insurance's creation of a $50 million Opportunity Zone Fund to Erie Innovation District's announcement the following day that CapZone (a Connecticut-based investment management company) plans to establish a $10 million venture capital fund, Erie tossed out a hell of a one-two punch in the fight for its economic future. The former came on the first day of the Erie Regional Chamber and Growth Partnership's 2019 two-day Homecoming Conference, while the latter aimed at "identifying, funding, and recruiting industry-specific startups to the Erie community."

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It's almost the end of Q3, which means annual (and quarterly) planning is just around the corner. If you’re like most people, this sentence just filled you with dread.

We've been through dozens of planning cycles after spending 10 years at Eventbrite and seven years at Airbnb, so we've seen firsthand how messy and challenging it can be. Sometimes we were still working on our annual plan — three months into the year. Other times a half-assed plan was rushed through approvals, only to be abandoned entirely after only six months. For most of us, by the time planning ends we’re left with bruised egos, misaligned plans, and a lack of buy-in.

Around the world, people are living longer.

By 2050, there will be two billion people that are 60 years or older globally. Meanwhile, the amount of seniors (65+ years old) in the U.S. will double to 100 million by 2060.

To meet the needs of this aging population, we will continue to need larger quantities and more varieties of prescription drug treatments – an industry that is expected to skyrocket to $1.2 trillion in size by 2024.

NEW YORK, Sept. 26, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- In a major move, Deerfield Management Company, L.P. is investing $635 million to create a transformative life sciences campus in New York City, designed to integrate the capabilities of innovators from academia, government, industry and the not-for-profit sectors to tackle unmet needs in healthcare. Deerfield additionally announced that it intends to commit more than $2 billion in research and seed funding by 2030 to develop much-needed new and innovative medicines and treatment solutions.  Deerfield expects this world-class infrastructure and funding to contribute to the prevention, cure or management of dozens of still deadly and debilitating diseases. 

It's a great time to be an entrepreneur in America. According to the latest data from Pitchbook, U.S.-based companies have raised $66 billion in venture funding so far in 2019, putting the market on track to surpass $100B for the second year in a row.

But just because the startup world is awash in venture capital doesn't mean funding comes easy, especially for early-stage companies that have yet to reach product/market fit.

The federal government has long allowed American companies to offer temporary employment to highly skilled foreign workers through its controversial H-1B visa program. Proponents believe the program gives firms a competitive edge in pursuit of innovation, while critics contend it pushes aside American workers in favor of immigrants. The H1-B Reform Act of 2004 capped the number of visas available and prompted other changes. Wharton management professor Britta Glennon used data from that policy change to examine how the restrictions affect offshoring, which is the practice of hiring foreign labor through foreign offices. Glennon spoke to Knowledge@Wharton about her forthcoming paper, “How Do Restrictions on High-Skilled Immigration Affect Offshoring? Evidence from the H-1B Program.” (Listen to the podcast at the top of this page.)

Americans come from all over the world, and American families have countless stories about their origins.

The Census Bureau's American Community Survey asks several questions about residents' economic, social, and demographic characteristics and situations. One of the questions on the survey asks respondents to report their families' ancestries.

You'll go cross-eyed looking at the same puzzle for too long, and sometimes it's better to take a step back and introduce some fresh perspectives and ideas from someone not so connected to the matter at hand.

At the second annual HX Capital Summit hosted by Houston Exponential at Rice University, HX gathered three out-of-town venture capital experts to discuss Houston's innovation ecosystem with Sandy Wallis, managing director at the HX Venture Fund.

Wellesley, Mass.-based Babson College established the Kerry Murphy Healey Center for Global Healthcare Entrepreneurship to advance the development of solutions that will improve access to quality healthcare around the world.

Carmella Kletjian, CRNA, a member of Babson's board of trustees and founding director of the global health-focused Kletjian Foundation, donated $10 million in lifetime giving for the creation of the center. It is named after Kerry Healey, PhD, former president of the university.

What should all startup founders know about venture capital? originally appeared on Quora: the place to gain and share knowledge, empowering people to learn from others and better understand the world.

Answer by TJ Nahigian, Co-founder and Managing Partner at Base10 Partners, on Quora:

Venture capital MORE ON THIS TOPIC FROM FORBES How Do You Know If Your Business Is Right For Traditional Venture Capital Or Public Venture Capital? Pi Labs Founder Faisal Butt Steps In As CEO To Lead Its Next Stage Of Growth 5 Best Earbuds Under $20 Of 2019 isn’t for every company and can be a double edged sword for some.

Venture capitalists have high return expectations. At the early stage they are hoping for 10–20X+ investments. At the growth stage they are hoping for 5x+ investments but they also don’t want to lose money.

“Top 3 By 2023” has been the slogan for the Biohealth Capital Region (BHCR) over the past few years adopted by many economic development and industry leaders across Maryland, DC, and Virginia.

After more than four years of organized effort across the BHCR, starting with the first Regional Biotech Forum back in 2015, there is a clearly defined strategy underway and substantial progress is being made towards achieving that goal.

In 2012, Denmark’s biggest energy company, Danish Oil and Natural Gas, slid into financial crisis as the price of gas was plunging by 90% and S&P downgraded its credit rating to negative. The board hired a former executive at LEGO, Henrik Poulsen, as the new CEO. Whereas some leaders might have gone into crisis-management mode, laying off workers until prices recovered, Poulsen recognized the moment as an opportunity for fundamental change.

It is a well-known fact that the timing and manner of raising seed funding are highly important for a startup. However, many don’t realise the significance of choosing the right investor for raising funds, which creates a problem at a later stage. But, before we delve deeper into the ‘right’ and ‘wrong’, let’s first discuss who exactly seed investors are and why exactly they are important.

Chances are you have heard about the “marshmallow test.” Put a marshmallow in front of a child and give them two choices: eat it now or wait 15 minutes and get two. According to a classic study, children able to delay gratification and wait for the second marshmallow have better academic, social and health outcomes years later. Since these early experiments, researchers have shown that a wide range of childhood traits from social and emotional skills to motivation and self-control can predict better life outcomes. These children go on to have more educational and occupational success and to live longer, healthier lives.

Nantes, France, has been named the 2019 European Capital of Innovation award for its ability to improve the lives of its residents through innovation. The €1 million prize, which is designed to recognise the most innovative cities in the EU and Horizon 2020 countries was presented to Johanna Rolland, mayor of Nantes, by Carlos Moedas, the EU’s Commissioner for Research, Science and Innovation during the EU Research and Innovation Days in Brussels, Belgium on 25 September.

Image: https://horizon.scienceblog.com