Global Entrepreneurship Week is an opportunity to celebrate and connect with entrepreneurs and innovators around the world – and here at Babson too. In honor of Global Entrepreneurship Week, we are highlighting four international entrepreneurs who are part of Babson’s network, thanks to the Global Entrepreneur in Residence (GEIR) program. The GEIR program enables international…
Aside from pitching, one of the most important skills for an entrepreneur to master is negotiation. Entrepreneurs find themselves negotiating across all aspects of their venture, from raising funding to convincing co-founders to join their team. The Blank Center recently had the privilege of welcoming one of the foremost experts in entrepreneurial negotiation, Samuel “Mooly”…
Although all startups are unique, new ventures consistently face some of the same crucial early choices, such as adding co-founders and taking their first outside funding. If you knew which approaches to these choices give startups the best chance to succeed, would you change how you grow your venture? This past Tuesday, #How2Tuesdays moved from…
What comes to people’s minds when you talk about your startup? Whether you know it or not, these recurring sentiments are the beginning of your venture’s brand. As founders, how can we start to shape a positive brand for our companies? Branding expert Doug Fox of Brand Fox told us that it is imperative to…
The generation of early sales is critical for startups. Securing initial customers validates the need for your idea and provides the necessary funding to keep the business moving. But for entrepreneurs who don’t have a finished product yet, or solopreneurs who will be juggling the role of salesman with other key responsibilities, the sales process…
Across all sectors and stages of entrepreneurship, founders will all inevitably have to pitch their ventures. But not all pitches will come in the traditional form of a rehearsed presentation for investors or competition judges. Whether it’s on the biggest of stages or an in an impromptu encounter with their dream investor, how can founders…
Across all industries and sectors, funding is the lifeblood of growing ventures. But for most first-time founders, raising money beyond the initial friends and family round is an intimidating process. How do founders know they’re taking the “right money” at the right time? Members of the Babson community found answers to their questions about funding…
After ten weeks of entrepreneurial growth, the Summer Venture Program came to an exciting finish this week with Thursday’s Summer Venture Showcase. Here’s the recap of SVP’s final week! Monday, July 22nd and Tuesday, July 23rd SVP teams practiced their Showcase presentations in the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston’s Morris Auditorium. Building off of the…
Diane Hessan’s journey building Communispace, the first company to leverage online communities in order to generate market research, is a remarkable one, full of ups, downs, and plot twists. She took it from a startup all the way to the highly successful company she sold to Omnicom in 2011. Diane shared some of her stories…
As startup companies prepare to launch, they are presented with an opportunity to make a great first impression which defines their brand for years to come. A startup’s culture is important because it lays the groundwork for future organizational success. The businesses in our Summer Venture Program are learning how to navigate this crossroads of…