Create a Local High-Tech Playground

I gave a presentation today on the Silicon Valley Ecosystem, STVP and entrepreneurship at Stanford to a delegation from the Netherlands, and it was very interesting to meet and talk with them. Led by the Mayor of the high-tech business city of Enschede, the group consisted of entrepreneurs, senior leadership from the University of Twente (based there), research institutes, and the local and regional government. Enschede just signed an economic agreement with the City of Palo Alto. The triangle of the "Technology Valley", "Health Valley" and "Food Valley" region in the East of the Netherlands is very ambitious, working to attract and stimulate innovative high-tech companies.

The delegation wanted to learn what makes Silicon Valley tick, so they can work to create a similar environment at home. It was very inspirational to see how committed they are to establishing an even more entrepreneurial culture.

Among other things, I encouraged them to “create a playground in which really smart people can experiment freely and fearlessly.” I’d say that’s one of the key differences between Silicon Valley and other places. If you aren't taking risks, you aren't innovating.

Coming Soon: Feature Film on Entrepreneurship Competition

Check out the trailer for the upcoming film, "ImagineIt!" It covers the global student competition held during EntrepreneurshipWeek USA last February. We gave students across the U.S. and around the world four days to create as much value from a pack of Post-It Notes as they possible could. You won't believe what they came up with.

After watching the trailer, check out short videos of individual team stories. Pretty amazing stuff.

Stanford Entrepreneurship Network Launch Event

Wednesday, October 10
4:30-6:30 p.m.
Stanford Campus

We are pleased to announce the formal launch of the Stanford Entrepreneurship Network (SEN) on Wednesday, October 10, and we invite you to join in the festivities!

(See my previous post for what SEN is all about or visit the SEN website.)

Please join us during the Launch event on October 10. Our featured speaker will be Martin Eberhard, Co-Founder and President of Technology, Tesla Motors. A game-changing, Silicon Valley start-up, Tesla is currently rolling out the new, earth-friendly Tesla Roadster, which promises to revolutionize our perception of the electric car. It can go from zero to 60 miles per hour (mph) in about four seconds with a top speed of over 130 mph; can travel more than 200 miles on a charge; and can pull electricity from a number of power sources – even a standard wall outlet.

During the event, we will also give a brief introduction of SEN, its new programs and its member organizations. A showcase and networking reception will follow the presentation. Enjoy complimentary hors d'oeuvres and beverages and visit SEN member organization information booths to learn about their offerings. Executives from Deloitte will also be on hand with information about career opportunities and new venture services.

For more information and details, visit http://sen.stanford.edu/launch.

We hope to see you there!

Stanford Entrepreneurship Network Website Has Launched

Good news! No matter where you are in the world, we just made it easier to plug into the myriad entrepreneurship resources at Stanford! You now have "one-stop shopping."

Visit http://sen.stanford.edu.

Thanks to generous sponsorship by Deloitte, we are in the process of formalizing the Stanford Entrepreneurship Network (SEN). This is a federation of at least 15 groups on campus that are related to entrepreneurship through teaching, research and/or outreach.

The organization's official kickoff is on October 10, but in the meantime, the website has launched. We'll be beefing it up over time, so do send suggestions for what you would find useful. A big "thank you" goes out to STVP Program Coordinator, Christina Harvett, for all of her work to put this together.

STVP Professor Bob Sutton on CNN: Is Your Boss a Bully?

Professor Bob Sutton seems to have started a movement with his latest book, The No A**hole Rule: Building a Civilized Workplace and Surviving One That Isn't. He comments on the subject in a short CNN video talking about a new survey that says 37% of Americans are bullied at work, mostly by bosses. Are lawsuits on the way?

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/living/2007/09/02/finnstrom.bad.bosses.cnn