How Do We Start Our Companies Smarter?

“Startup success can be engineered by following the process, which means it can be learned, which means it can be taught,” Eric Ries, pioneer of the Lean Startup methodology, has said. At MIT Enterprise Forum, we are firm believers that successful entrepreneurship isn’t the province of a few gifted visionaries. Instead, entrepreneurship is a learned art, when supported with a practical and proven methodology and curriculum.

However, entrepreneurship education is just the beginning. As the saying goes, it takes a village. In the case of technology entrepreneurship, everyone in the ecosystem plays a role in a company’s success: mentors, coaches, investors, industry experts, and thought leaders, among others. That’s why we’re pleased to announce the MIT Enterprise Forum StartSmart conference series, starting with the initial event in in Greece on October 21, 2014.

StartSmart is MIT Enterprise Forum’s signature event, pulling together all types of players in the technology community while focusing on serving our core audience: the early-stage technology entrepreneur. This one-day conference offers a wide range of activities that serve to inspire, inform, coach, and connect participants in a variety of ways.

So How Do We Start Smarter?

Our morning sessions kick off the day with successful technology entrepreneurs and venture capitalists offering lessons learned and pitfalls to avoid:

• MIT alumna Marina Hatsopoulos of Windystreetshares her experience as an entrepreneur, investor, and mentor.
• Hussein Kanji from Hoxton Ventures speaks on why some startups succeed while others fail, as well as on selling, bootstrapping, and recognizing opportunities.  
• Instabeat’s Hind Hobeika, an engineer who turned her passion for competitive swimming into a startup whose technology tracks athletic performance, explains how winning the MIT Enterprise Forum Pan-Arab Chapter’s Business Plan Competition allowed her to expand her business.
• MC10 cofounder Roozbeh Ghaffari discusses personal and professional risk-taking, navigating translational science applications, and the importance of timing to initiating next-level partnerships.
• Anmol Madan, co-founder and CEO of Ginger.io, describes his journey from academia to entrepreneurship, transitioning from the MIT Media Lab to Ginger.io, a startup that leverages sensor data from mobile phones to model and predict health outcomes.

In the afternoon, StartSmart spotlights the local Greek entrepreneurial ecosystem as selected Greek entrepreneurs deliver their pitches to the conference audience. Afterwards, participants gather for breakout sessions on the practical aspects of starting new ventures. Workshop topics include strategies for building a successful board of advisors, incorporating and protecting intellectual property, and harnessing the “idea-to-market” process.

Don’t miss this opportunity to engage and meet other technology-community members. If you’re interested in entrepreneurship, particularly in an emerging market such as Greece, then join us at StartSmart. Visit the MIT Enterprise Forum Greece’s website (www.mitefgreece.org) for more information or go directly to https://www.eventora.com/en/Events/StartSmart to register.