CEN Boston Presents: Innovation for Entrepreneurs: Eureka! Ranch featuring partners Bruce Hall and Doug Brownstone '79, and moderated by Tom Hall '84, partner at Eureka! Ranch.



Learn how to find, filter, and fast track dramatically different innovations….

With the current economic and environmental problems, the need has never been greater for our country to innovate! Innovation is no longer optional – it is fundamental for profitable survival in today’s global marketplace. 

• How to identify insights and big ideas 7 times faster than classic research and brainstorming methods.
• How to improve innovation success rates and speed to market tenfold
• How to increase market power through higher margin innovations
• Learn an early stage sales forecasting tool to improve innovation research
• How to replicate an innovation engineering system in your own firm.

 

Get more details and register.

CEN Boston in partnership with the College of Arts and Sciences presents, Opportunity from Crisis: The Change We Didn't Count On, Harnessing the Experience of Cornell Alumni to Face the Challenges and Opportunities of a New Economic Reality.

 

At this event we’ll feature alumni that have prospered through adversity. Our panel will discuss the new economic realities we face in 2009 and beyond. 

 

Please note this event is open to all Cornell alumni, regardless of college or degree affiliation.  Cornell alumni of all ages and experience levels can benefit.

 

Share experiences, strategies, and form a new network for the new year.

 

• What opportunities do you see in this economy?

• What is the most important survival skill you learned that is still valid?

• How is today's downturn different than the past and what should we do about it? 

• What mistake did you make the last time around that we can learn from?

• How do you stay positive when things are looking grim?

 

Are you wondering answers to questions like these? This is a must-attend event for you. 

 

Panelists: 

Linda Kanner '66 Partner, The Orchard Group

Judith Kohn, MLA '82 Director of Real Estate Permitting, ADM Development Services

Todd Krasnow ‘79 Marketing Domain Expert, Highland Consumer Fund, Highland Capital
Jodi R. R. Smith MILR '95 President Mannersmith Etiquette Consulting

James Trozze '69 Managing Director, Trust & Fiduciary Management Services
 

Monday April 27, 2009

6:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.

 

6:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. Registration and Networking Reception

7:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. Discussion/Q&A/Open Mike

8:30 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. Continued Networking

 

Location: Omni Parker House Hotel, 60 School Street, Boston, MA 02108  phone 617.725.1667

 

Cost: $30 per person; includes reception, networking, presentations. Arts and Sciences alumni classes of 1999 and younger may attend for $15 by contacting Amanda Christofferson at amc392@cornell.edu

 

Opportunity from Crisis; Life Sciences Entrepreneurship

featuring Andy Firlik '90, General Partner of Foundation Medical Partners; Robert Langer '70, Professor, Chemical & Biomed Engineering at MIT Department of Chemical Engineering and Craig Wheeler '82, President & CEO of Momenta Pharmaceuticals, moderated by Sam Fleming '62, CEO, Briland LLC.

If history is any guide, the current economic crisis will provide entrepreneurs new opportunities while others have called it a day. What you knew yesterday has changed. The pace of innovation, from the phases of development, and the capital and liquidity events that fuel it all, now, have new rules.

(Some) businesses will still grow, (some) entrepreneurs will still strike it rich, (some) stocks will still explode, but which and why?

Robert Langer is one of 13 Institute Professors (the highest honor awarded to a faculty member) at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).  Dr. Langer has written approximately 1,000 articles.  He also has more than 600 issued or pending patents worldwide.  Dr. Langer’s patents have been licensed or sublicensed to over 200 pharmaceutical, chemical, biotechnology and medical device companies. 

Dr. Firlik's career spans neurosurgery, entrepreneurship, and venture capital. He joined Foundation Medical Partners to concentrate on medical device and biopharmaceutical investments.

Craig Wheeler was previously President of Chiron BioPharmaceuticals, the biotechnology division of Chiron Corporation, which manufactured and distributed products treating cancer, cystic fibrosis, and multiple sclerosis. During his tenure, global sales in the division doubled to over $600 million, five new programs were put into clinical development, and a new product was launched. Prior to joining Chiron, Mr. Wheeler served as a partner at The Boston Consulting Group in the firm’s healthcare practice.   

Sam Fleming is CEO of Briland LLC which specializes in health care investments. He is chairman emeritus of Decision Resources, Inc., the leading global provider of strategic information to the biopharmaceutical, medical device, and health insurance industries. He founded the firm and served as its CEO through 2003 when the firm was acquired by private equity investors. Sam is a Vice Chairman of the Cornell Board of Trustees and chairs the Cornell Alumni Life Science Advisory Board. 

Wednesday, November 19, 2008
6:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. Registration and Networking Reception
7:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. Discussion/Q&A/Open Mike
8:30 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. Continued Networking

Location: Le Méridien Cambridge, 20 Sidney Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139 - Robert B. Taylor Room

Cost: $30 per person; Includes heavy appetizers, networking, presentations

***We are pleased to announce that Cornell’s new Provost on January 1^st, 2009, W. Kent Fuchs, the Joseph Silbert Dean of Engineering at Cornell since 2002 will attend this event and begin the discussion!

Sorry! This event has sold out. The conference room at CSN Stores will be very tight and we have to give the security desk a list of attendees beforehand, so please - no walk ins. We'll be planning more events for the fall - hope to see you then!

“The secret to success in an online world” featuring Steve Conine ’95 and Niraj Shah ’95, co-founders of CSN Stores

You may not know the name CSN Stores, but you’ve probably shopped at least one of their 200+ websites. You also might know (or someday become?!) one of the 500+ employees that works at their rapidly expanding offices in the Prudential Center. With over a million products and $200 million in sales, CSN Stores is one of the largest and most successful online retailers in the world, and they’re poised to become one of the largest employers in Boston.

The company was founded by two Cornellians, Steve Conine and Niraj Shah, both wildly successful serial entrepreneurs, and both Engineering graduates from the class of ’95.

At this event, you’ll get to hear their stories. Specifically, they’ll talk to us about:

• How they’ve identified and developed three winning business opportunities
• How they financed the first, second, and third ventures
• What it takes to run a successful online retailer
• What their biggest challenges have been with online retailing and how they’ve solved (or not solved!) them
• What’s next on their plate

About our Speakers
Niraj S. Shah, CEO
Prior to creating CSN Stores, Mr. Shah started and grew several other companies, increasing revenue to levels as high as $480 million, while also driving profitability. He was Chief Executive of Simplify Mobile, a software company that was sold to Tangoe, an enterprise software company offering a full telecommunications management solution. Previously, he was an Entrepreneur-in-Residence at Greylock Partners, a premier venture capital firm with over $2.2 billion under management. Before that, he served as COO and a member of the Board of Directors at iXL, a publicly traded global technology consulting firm. While he was COO, iXL's revenue tripled to $480M and the firm's profitability increased from a loss of $5 million to a profit of $35 million on an annualized basis.

Mr. Shah also co-founded and served as CEO of Spinners incorporated, an IT services firm with clients including AOL Time Warner, The New York Times, JP Morgan Chase, and Merrill Lynch. Spinners was sold to iXL in 1998. Mr. Shah holds a BS from Cornell University, and lives in Boston, Mass., with his wife and two young children.

Steven K. Conine, Chairman and Co-Founder
Mr. Conine has extensive executive leadership experience in private and public technology companies. Mr. Conine was a Founder, Member of the Board, and Chief Technology Officer of Simplify Mobile. Before starting Simplify Mobile, Mr. Conine served as Chief Operating Officer for the London Office of iXL. He co-founded and served as a top executive of Spinners Incorporated, where he was integral to the architecting and development of all of the technology solutions Spinners created. Mr. Conine holds a BS from Cornell University, and lives in Boston, Mass., with his wife and two young children.

Tuesday, June 24, 2008 ~ 6:30 PM – 9:30 PM

 

6:30 PM Hors d'oeuvre Reception/Cash Bar/Networking

7:30 PM Speaker/Q&A/Open Mike

8:30 PM Dessert/Coffee/Networking

 

Cost: $35 Includes Food, Networking, and Speaker Presentation

Location: CSN Stores, The Prudential Building ~ 800 Boylston St, Suite 1600

Parking: http://tinyurl.com/54y4fj for a Google map of nearby parking garages or http://www.prudentialcenter.com/parking/faq.php for the one at the Pru.

Public Transportation: The Green Line ("E" train) has a Prudential Center stop which exits into the Center.

Event Contact: Jennifer Cunningham ~ 607.254.7174 ~ JBL29@cornell.edu

Anita M. Harris, President of Harris Communications

Anita Harris is the founder and president of the Harris Communications Group—a Cambridge, MA, public relations firm specializing in strategic content and outreach services for emerging and established companies in health, science and technology, worldwide.

 

Clients include Con Ed Communications, Encorp, The Forsyth Institute, Inspire, InVivo, CM Capital, Genzyme Biosurgery, the Harvard School of Public Health, Inforonics, MicroCHIPs, T2 Biosystems, and Wyeth, among others.

 

Previously, Anita was a national journalist covering health, science and technology for the MacNeil-Lehrer Report (now the NewsHour) of PBS. She has also written for Newsday, National Public Radio, Healthgate.com and MSN. The author of Broken Patterns, a nonfiction book concerned with the social impact of technological change, she is currently working on a book about her experiences as a Cornell undergraduate.

She has taught communications at Harvard, Yale and Tufts Universities; at Simmons College; and in the MBA Program at Babson College. A graduate of the Cornell University College of Arts and Sciences and the Columbia Graduate School of Journalism, she has also held fellowships at Harvard and Boston Universities and at the Center for International Communications at Tufts.

 

Anita has won a total of eight Publicity Club of New England and International Communicator Awards. She has served on the board of the Cornell Club of Boston and is currently a member of the President's Council of Cornell Women.

 

 

David Cooperstein, Chief Marketing Officer of Burst Media

David Cooperstein has spent the bulk of his career in strategic marketing and consulting roles, and has been involved in strategy related to the Internet since the early 1990s. At Burst Media, he helps to make Burst the premier ad representation and technology company for online publishers. 

 

David joined Burst Media from the Boston-based social media and social networking site Gather.com, where he ensured that the “voice” of the site was in keeping with the interests of the audience, which was initially Public Radio listeners.

David spent over 7 years as VP and Research Director at Forrester Research, where he analyzed how technology impacted both the retail industry and the telecom sector. He advised the boards of several leading telecom service and equipment providers and has been quoted extensively in media outlets such as The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Business Week, and National Public Radio. Prior to joining Forrester, David spent many years at consulting firm Booz Allen & Hamilton and in marketing at Northwest Airlines, and ran a 10-person strategic research unit for Gemini Consulting.

David currently serves on the Board of Advisors for Grrasp and CityVoter, two social media companies based in Cambridge. David holds a BS in Consumer Economics from Cornell University.

 
Mike Troiano, CEO of Matchmine.com
Mike Troiano is a proven entrepreneurial leader with a track record of successes at the intersection of new technology and broad consumer adoption. He joined matchmine as CEO in November 2006 and has led the company to the successful launch of its product line and business strategy at DEMO2007.

Previously, Mike was with mobile content pioneer m-Qube from its inception in 2002. He served as SVP of Business Development, SVP of Client Development, and General Manager, Interactive. He was instrumental in the sale of m-Qube to VeriSign in May, 2006 for approximately $280 MM. 

In 1996, Mike co-founded New York-based strategic Internet services firm Brandscape. As the firm's CEO, he established client relationships with Unilever, HP, and EMC, before combining assets of that firm with Primix Solutions (NASDAQ: PMIX) in late 1998. A year later, he became President of Primix, increasing the annualized revenues from $5.6 MM to $30.8 MM, doubling gross margins, and adding nearly $200 MM in shareholder value.

Mike spent his early career at advertising agencies, including McCann-Erickson and Foote, Cone & Belding, defining business and marketing communications strategy for clients that included AT&T, Coca-Cola, and Taco Bell. He joined WPP Group in 1994, and became CEO of Ogilvy & Mather Interactive in 1995.

Mike's views on digital media and marketing strategy have been featured in Forbes, Adweek, Advertising Age, CNET, HomePC, and the PBS program Frontline. He holds a Bachelor's Degree in Public Communication from Cornell University and a Master's Degree in Business Administration from the Harvard Business School.

This event is being produced in partnership with the Cornell Northeast Regional Office. A big thank you to CSNstores.com, who graciously offered space for this event!

CSN Stores were started by two Cornell alumni: Steve Conine '95 and Niraj Shah '95. The company's mission is to provide an excellent shopping experience for customers every step of the way. Check them out! www.CSNStores.com

February 21, 2008
12:00 – 12:30 PM : Registration, lunch and networking
12:30 – 12:45: Attendee Introductions
12:45 – 1:30: Speaker presentations/Q&A
1:30 – 2:00: Stay to network if your schedule allows

Location: CSN Stores, 800 Boyleston St., Prudential Building

Cost: $20 per person

 

 

Presented in partnership with the Northeast Regional Office and the Leland C. and Mary M. Pillsbury Institute for Hospitality Entrepreneurship

featuring Barbara M Talbott, Ph.D. , Executive Vice President, Marketing, Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts.

The innovative definition of luxury developed over the past 45 years by Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts is based on service excellence, melded with top-notch facilities and operations. Four Seasons began by focusing on what was then a small segment of the market - the affluent frequent traveler - and in the process, built a global luxury brand. As the experience of Four Seasons demonstrates, personal service can be a source of superior profitability, reputation and growth. Four Seasons success depends on choosing employees who provide service that is genuine and innovative, on developing standards that are both meaningful and flexible, and on maintaining a culture that makes delivery of both possible. 

Wednesday, February 20, 2008
6:30 PM – 9:30 PM

6:30 PM Hors d'oeuvre Reception/Networking
7:30 PM Welcome
7:35 PM Speaker/Q&A/Open Mike
8:30 PM Presentation portion of the event concludes
8:30 PM Dessert/Coffee/Tea/Networking

Cost: $40.00 per person

Dan Barry is a former astronaut, past team member on CBS' Survivor: Panama - Exile Island, and an entrepreneur. His company, Denbar Robotics, builds robots primarily for the health care industry, including Neel, a robot that can identify individuals, avoid obstacles, turn on a dime, and accurately follow a person walking or rolling.
 
At this event, Dan Barry will reveal what we can learn from creatures that adapt to unusual environments, using examples from nature and medicine. In the business world, organizations and industries that stop adapting lose vision and initiative and eventually wither away, the same is true for employees and industries.

His work and research have been supported by the National Institute of Health, the National Science Foundation, the Grass Foundation, and the American Heart Association of Michigan. The awards he's won for his outstanding work would take up this entire page. He has five patents and has had over 50 articles published in scientific journals. Dan has logged over 734 hours in space, including four space walks. He has a BS in electrical engineering from Cornell; a Master of Engineering, Master of Arts, and Doctorate degrees from Princeton; and a Doctorate in Medicine from the University of Miami.

Thursday, October 11th, 2007
6:30 PM – 9:30 PM

6:30 PM Heavy Hors d'oeuvre Reception/Networking
7:30 PM Welcome
7:35 PM Speaker/Q&A/Open Mike
8:30 PM Presentation portion of the event concludes
8:30 PM Dessert/Coffee/Tea/Networking

Cost: $30.00 per person includes speaker and heavy hors d'oeuvre reception.

Location: Goodwin Procter
Exchange Place
53 State Street
Boston, MA 02109

Directions

Parking Information: Exchange Place does not have a parking garage. Parking is available next door at 75 State Street (parking garage entrance on Broad Street).

 

THANK YOU to Goodwin Procter LLP for donating their office space for this event. Established in 1912, Goodwin Procter is one of the nation's top law firms, serving clients ranging from fast-growth companies to Fortune 500 multinationals.

Featuring Kenneth A. Goldman '71, Former Senior Vice President Finance and Administration and Chief Financial Officer, Siebel Systems, Inc.


So you work in a large, resourced company and you're forced to compete with smaller, more nimble entrepreneurs.

Or you’re a sleepless, Starbucks-as-an-office, David, gunning for Goliath's market share.

Either way, whether you know it or not, you are slave to the capital markets.

All businesses, and especially technology businesses, depend on the market for capital. At this event we'll help you translate finance mumbo jumbo into clear rationale for action the next morning.

Ken Goldman is a rare blend of technology veteran and Wall Street warrior. Ken sits on the boards of one company that just went public, and two that have filed their S-1s, and was CFO of several valley companies including Siebel, which was acquired by Oracle for almost four times what Google paid for youtube!

You can read the Wall Street Journal, and Economist, and borrow your friend’s access to Venture Wire, but it’s doubtful you'll gain as much real world advice as an hour with Ken.

Will returns in venture capital quickly be overshadowed by private equity? Why does that matter anyway?

What does it take to go public? be acquired?

Why am I slave to venture capital and private equity?

Find out on May 14th!

About Kenneth A. Goldman '71 From August 2000 through January 2006, Mr. Goldman served as Senior Vice President, Finance and Administration and Chief Financial Officer of Siebel Systems, Inc., a supplier of customer software solutions and services that was recently acquired by Oracle Corporation.

Mr. Goldman was a member of the Financial Accounting Standards Advisory Council from December 1999 to December 2003. Mr. Goldman is a member of the board of directors of Leadis Technology Inc. and a member of the board of trustees of Cornell University. 

        Monday, May 14th, 2007
6:30 PM – 9:30 PM

6:30 PM Heavy Hors d'oeuvre Reception/Cash Bar/Networking
7:30 PM Welcome
7:35 PM Speaker/Q&A/Open Mike
8:30 PM Presentation portion of the event concludes
8:30 PM Dessert/Coffee/Tea/Networking

Cost: $30.00 per person includes speaker and heavy hors d'oeuvre reception.

Location:
Choate, Hall & Stewart LLP
Two International Place
Boston, MA 02110
35th Floor Conference Room
t 617-248-5000

Directions: Click Here

THANK YOU to Choate, Hall & Stewart LLP who are donating their office space for this meeting! Choate, Hall & Stewart LLP has maintained a position as one of the nation's leading law firms for over a century. We are a 200-lawyer firm, and our clients range from public and private companies, private equity and venture capital firms and Fortune 100 companies to start-ups. We provide valuable insight and experience throughout each stage of a company's life - from incorporation to acquisitions through initial public offerings. For more information, please visit www.choate.com

 Featuring Steve Simmons ‘68, Chairman/CEO, Patriot Media & Communications CNJ, LLC (“Patriot”).

Steve Simmons is Chairman and CEO of Patriot Media & Communications CNJ, LLC (“Patriot”). Patriot owns the cable system in New Jersey that serves Princeton and 29 towns to the north. Over 80,000 subscribers receive television, internet access, digital phone and other services in one of the most advanced cable systems in the US.

Simmons’ first company in the cable industry, Simmons Communications, was formed in 1982. The company grew to serving approximately 350,000 subscribers in 20 states from 55 offices. The company won numerous awards, including four Ace awards for programming with local community groups. A Long Beach system purchased by Simmons in 1985 was one of the industry’s outstanding turnaround success stories. In an unusual move, upon the sale of the system in 1992 the Mayor of Long Beach cited Simmons for “dedication to fine customer service, high technical standards, extensive community involvement, and overall professionalism recognized nationwide”. Steve was elected to the National Cable Television Association’s Board of Directors on which he served for several years, and was elected a Cable TV Pioneer. He chairs the Cable Entrepreneur’s Club, a group of 23 former and present cable company Chairmen and CEO’s. In 2006 he was awarded the Independent Cable Operator of the Year Award for his management and operations success with Patriot Media.

Tuesday, April 10th, 2007
6:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo, P.C.

6:00 PM Heavy Hors d'oeuvre Reception/Cash Bar/Networking
7:00 PM Welcome
7:05 PM Speaker/Q&A/Open Mike
8:15 PM Presentation portion of the event concludes
8:15 PM Dessert/Coffee/Tea/Networking

Cost: $30.00 per person includes speaker and heavy hors d'oeuvre reception.

Location: Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo, P.C.
One Financial Center
Boston, MA 02111
617 542-6000

Directions: Click Here