Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Congrats to the EVCC Cabinet


Congrats to the EVCC Cabinet
Co-President: Adam Mangone
Co-President: Georgianna Golematis
Director of Duke Relations - Drew Romes
Director of Start-Up Support and Creation - Johann Klemmack
Director of Careers - Small Business - Chris DeFilippo
Director of Careers - Corporations - Sanjay Krishnamurthy
Director of VC - Barnak Modrek
Director of Sponsorship and Finance - Declan O'Sullivan
Director of DEES - Matt Compton
Director of Duke Eweek - Dan Weinstein
Director of Alumni Mentoring and Dine and Discuss - Pushkar Bhoopalam
Director of Women in Ent and Venture Capital - Carolyn Nohejl
Director of Entrepreneurial Resources - Hudson Levy

Nice awards lunch





Bobby Brenman, Howie Rhee, Amy Laverdiere
















Sean Knowles, Howie Rhee, Jessica Mailey













A group of students














Amy Laverdiere, Bobby Brenman, Howie Rhee, Jon Fjeld, Adam Mangone, Georgianna Golematis


Monday, March 30, 2009

Thank You letter to award recipients this year

I wrote a letter to the award recipients this year (I've been reading the Warren Buffett biography by Lowenstein, and Buffett is a fan of the personal annual update letter).

Thought I'd post it here.

-Howie

Hi everyone,

Thank you for the outstanding year we’ve had at Fuqua and at Duke in entrepreneurship. As I look back on our time, I’m really just so pleased with how much we’ve collectively accomplished. I think it’s important to look back a little at where we’ve come from to appreciate where we are now.

In 2003-2004, my second year at Fuqua, there was not much cohesive momentum in entrepreneurship. The EVCC was having a down year (I didn’t even bother applying for a position, I spent my energies as FuquaVision co-president) and there was no Entrepreneurship Week, there were no events (education series or otherwise); there wasn’t a VCIC team that year, let alone an internal competition; there wasn’t a cabinet, it was just two co-presidents. This isn’t a knock so much on the people involved, as much as just to say that situationally, there wasn’t a lot of momentum. It would have been hard for most any student to really get the “flywheel” going. (To be fair: the DSC was a pretty good, with the founder of Oreck coming in to speak, and a couple other events)

As some of you know, a group of young alums from the classes of 2003 and 2004 got together and created the “Alumni Advisory Board” for the EVCC. And we really collaborated with the 2005 presidents, Jeff Foley and Renee Hartmann, to add some momentum, some structure, etc… We had meetings at the Council for Entrepreneurial Development, and had a great year. That year, the Duke Venture Fellows program was formalized, we created an internal VCIC competition, we had a cabinet! It was a fantastic year.

From there, things have gone up and down depending on the year, but overall the trend has been upwards. And I’m happy to say that, in my opinion, this year has been the best year I’ve seen, and possibly is the best year that Fuqua/Duke has ever had in entrepreneurship.

So, as I think about where we are here in 2008-2009 – there’s so many things to be happy about. Let’s see if we can rattle them off: Internal VCIC, Venture Fellows, the Education Series, Entrepreneurship Week (Fuqua & Law, RTP Company Day, One Day Startup, Technology Day, DSC Elevator Pitch Competition, etc…), Dine and Discuss, Week-in-Cities, “Planapalooza”, the Duke Start-Up Challenge (60 elevator pitches, up from 25; and 36 business plans, up from 19), the EVCC weekly newsletter; and looking even in additional things, the Duke Global Entrepreneurship Network, the Startup Matchmaker, the Concentration in E&I, the Program for Entrepreneurs, Entrepreneurship 360…and I’m sure I’ve missed a few other things.

I think the bulk of the credit goes to Bobby and Amy; Sean, Jessica and Anand. They spent so many hours planning, recruiting, and executing, they did a really wonderful job. My thanks to you.

Also, let me tell you who you all identified as needing praise (you were asked in your RSVP form for this event) – in addition to Bobby, Amy, Sean, Jessica, and Anand (who were all mentioned), you talked about Chris Komelasky, Michael Schwartz, Alejandro Sanchez, Rob Grether, Gunnar Weibolt (WEMBA), Thomas Chorathil, Stephen Dean, and Justin Healy. I think it’s nice to see so many different folks being singled out and hopefully this will give you a sense for how many people are really stepping it up.

It’s a little sad to say goodbye. As I’ve experienced with my own class – life takes us in so many directions it’s a little hard to keep up. I hope that you’ll stay in touch and perhaps as DukeGEN continues to grow that may be a reason for continuing to talk.

I’ll leave you with one of my favorite quotes, which actually came from my own graduation. Our speaker was Duke alum Bill Gross (of Pimco) - fantastic speaker. To this day I keep this quote nearby.

To use a playground expression, you must have “the love”. Not a love of hoops or the gridiron, but a fixation, an obsession, an exultation in what you do each and every day…

The true winners from this group will be those that can marry their education and people skills with their passion. It is a dynamite combination. If you haven’t already, find something eventually that makes you want to get up every morning and go in – not for the check and what it can buy, but for the love…

If, in addition, you want to climb the ladder towards the top, let me recommend one additional thing. You must be a risk-taker. How much and how often depends on you and your business environment and associates, but faint heart never wins a fair maiden or a handsome prince for that matter. You must take some chances…

To win at the ultimate business reality show, you can do no better than to love what you do and as you’re doing it to slough or molt your business skin by taking measured risks and calculated chances.

My best wishes to you in the next step in your lives and careers, and throughout your lives, and I hope that you find something where you have “the love”.

-Howie

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Medtech Conference - Keynotes collaborate on all-star closing panel

We're proud to be partners on CED's Medtech conference. Great work by the CED team.

-Howie

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: CED's Medtech Conference <mailer@cednc.org>
Date: Wed, Mar 25, 2009 at 10:37 AM
Subject: Keynotes collaborate on all-star closing panel
To: hwr2@duke.edu




All conference keynotes gather for a concluding panel discussion on the medtech industry
 
For the first time, CED will assemble all the conference featured speakers for a closing panel to address the challenges and trends of the medical device industry. This dynamic discussion will include the 2009 featured speakers:
  • Rick Anderson, Managing Director, PTV Sciences
  • Bill Hawkins, Chairman & CEO, Medtronic, Inc.
  • Dan Lemaitre, CEO, CoreValve Inc.
  • Dana Mead, Partner, Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers
  • Gregg Stone, M.D., Columbia University Medical Center
Position your company among the best in the industry and gain access to an emerging life science sector: Sponsor Medtech 2009

For more information on attending or sponsoring CED's Medtech 2009, visit www.cednc.org/medtech or call CED at 919.549.7500.





Why attend CED's Medtech 2009 Conference:
  • Connect with hundreds of leaders in the medical technology community

  • Network with potential clients and partners

  • Discuss topics such as capital formation, product development, clinical trials, operations, commercialization, and public policy

  • Discover what this dynamic region has to offer for the growing field
Limited Space Available! Register by April 14 for best rates!


Sponsorship Opportunities 
 
Take advantage of the opportunity to showcase your company to more than 400 executives in the medical device field. Limited sponsorship opportunities are still available. For more information contact: Stephanie Dorko Austin
 

Sponsors

In Partnership with

 


Media Sponsor                                 Online Sponsor

          


                Web Hosting Sponsor                  Mobile Technology Sponsor

               


Public Relations Sponsor            Signage Sponsor

                               
 

Wire Sponsor



 Registration Rates


 
Through 4/14
Through 5/8
Onsite
CED Members
$250 
$350
$425
Non-Members
$325
$425
$500
Full-Time University Faculty and Staff
$225
$300
$375
Government/Non- profit Employees 
$225
$300
$375 
Add. Company Reps
$200
$225
$250
Students 
$100
$100
$100

REGISTER NOW or call 919.226.0468 for more details.
May 14
Fuqua School of Business
Duke University
Durham, NC


 Conference Co-Chairs

Greg Davis
 
 
Karen LeVert


Featured Speakers

 
Rick Anderson
Managing Director
PTV Sciences
 
 
William A. Hawkins
Chairman and CEO
Medtronic, Inc.
 
 
Dan Lemaitre
Chief Executive Officer
CoreValve Inc.
 
 
Dana Mead
Partner
Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers
 
 
Gregg W. Stone, M.D.
 Columbia University Medical Center

 
 
Michael N. Weinstein
Managing Director, Healthcare
U.S. Equities
JP Morgan Chase & Co.


Gold Sponsors
Hughes Pittman & Gupton, LLP
IDEA Fund Partners
Laser Image Corporate Printing
NC Magazine
Telegenics Media Productions, Inc.

Silver Sponsors
 
Alston & Bird LLP
Forma Life Science Marketing

Harbert Venture Partners
New Science Insurance

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