MIT Venture Lab -- How To: Build a Company

Introducing the 2007 Venture Lab "Business Execution" Series:

Entire books have been devoted to the importance of execution in business. In fact, Larry Bossidy starts Execution: The Discipline of Getting Things Done with, "Many people regard execution as detail work that’s beneath the dignity of a business leader. That’s wrong. To the contrary, it’s a leader’s most important job." This is why Venture Lab is proud to announce a five part series focused on business execution. The events include:

• How To: Build a Company (February 1st)
• How To: Close Your Financing Deal (March 1st)
• How To: Get Customers (April 5th)
• How To: Get Bought (May 3rd)
• Special Event: Business Demo Lab (June 7th) 

 

Thursday, February 1st, 2007

6:00 to 8:00pm

Doors open @ 5:30

 

"How To: Build a Company "

(Part One of the Business Execution Series)

One Union Square Boardroom

600 University St., First Level

(Lower lobby, 6th Avenue level, behind the escalator)

Seattle, WA 98101

 

 

The first event in this series, How To: Build a Company, will present two complementary perspectives on building a well-structured and profitable company: that of the venture capitalist and that of the serial entrepreneur. 
 

Join Venture Lab speakers Jonathan Roberts, Partner and Founder at Ignition Partners, and Paul Johnston, CEO and Founder of Entellium as they share their knowledge, experience and perspective surrounding this exciting topic. 
 

Issues discussed will include:

- Assuring that the venture idea has a market.

- Knowing that the venture can deliver its service or product.

- How delivery can be done at a cost that allows for a profit.

- How to create productive links between capital, ideas and implementation to serve the customer.  
 

Speakers:

Jonathan Roberts – Partner - Ignition PartnersJonathan Roberts is a Founder and a Partner of Ignition. He invests in business application and services companies and represents Ignition as director on the boards of Airwave Wireless, Docusign, Entellium, Intelligent Results, Clearsight Systems, and Spoken Communications. 
 

Prior to Ignition Roberts spent 13 years at Microsoft, most recently as General Manager of the Windows CE Intelligent Appliance Division, where he was responsible for developing new WinCE products, product marketing, business development and long-term planning for the Windows CE platform as well as the retargeting of the Microsoft's PocketPC effort. 
 

Roberts led the marketing and business efforts for Windows 3.1, 3.11, Windows NT 3.51, NT 4.0, BackOffice 1.0, Windows 98 and NT 4.0 on the Desktop, and finally all of Windows CE including embedded, Pocket PC, Auto, Phones, Set-top, Games, etc. 
 

Roberts received his B.A. in history from the University of Washington where he was also Student Body President. In addition to his Ignition boards, Jonathan serves on the board of Epiphany School and the University of Washington Foundation Board. 

 

Paul Johnston - CEO & Founder - Entellium

Paul Johnston is President and CEO of Entellium, a Seattle-based hosted CRM provider. A former Apple executive, Mr. Johnston is a recognized leader in usability and workflow-powered CRM. Prior to establishing Entellium, Paul co-founded and managed two Workflow software companies, selling one of them to OPTIKA, a provider of enterprise content management and business process automation software, based in Colorado. His 15 years of management experience include product development, marketing, sales and consulting with a strong focus on imaging, document management, workflow, and CRM applications.