Agenda 2013!

What’s in the works for 2013?

Plenty! Thanks for the encouragement locally and.. here’s what is top of the action agenda for Idaho!  [for those elsewhere... how can I help you do the same??]

Idaho Social Innovation Challenge

               As Russ Stoddard asks, “Why shouldn’t Boise be a major hub for social entrepreneurship?” (I’d add sustainable entrepreneurship and why not Idaho in general?)

               Late April/early May – do an event to Celebrate, Educate and Initiate around the great social ventures here in Idaho. Showcases of our success stories [you know who you are!] plus educational sessions on critical issues such as financing plus… initiating the Idaho Social Innovation Challenge.

Check out www.dellchallenge.org – we’d have both a feeder to Dell’s global challenge and an independent challenge just for the Northwest! You want in? Holler!

Likely Guest Star: Dell Challenge’s former COO.

Turning Ideas into Reality: Lean Launch Pad

               Most of you know my unabashed fandom for Steve Blank’s great Lean Launch Pad course for turning ideas into reality. It’s free online at Udacity but the Startup Weekend crew has turned it into a blended delivery courses that we can connect with – or do our own*. 

               But this is NOT for amateurs [it is absolutely amazing how many people think they can do business model work…sigh] so I’ve lined up some experienced mentors to make this rock. Including an invite to Steve Blank himself!

               Likely Guest Stars: Besides SB? Working on Alex Osterwalder & Stanford’s star creativity guru Tina Seelig. You want in? Holler.

Defragging the Entrepreneurial Ecosystem

               To identify a brilliant roadmap from A to B, we need to know, um, A and B.  Getting major interest from potential allies and funders to walk the walk & apply the state of the art to mapping the local entrepreneurial ecosystem in all its complex, dynamic “glory” (A). But the really fun part will be setting up listening sessions to hear what the entrepreneurial community, those in the trenches, envision for Idaho’s future (B). (So… what’s your “2020 Vision”? J)

               Likely Guest Stars: Nothing less than the folks who basically invented this stuff.

AND… on an officially UNrelated note…

oops.. can't tell you... yet

But.. Stay Tuned! (you WILL like!)

              And please stay tuned for more on all of this :) 

* Of course, we must be careful… how many people think they’re experts on business models these days? (Almost as many as think they’re expert at social media? LOL)