Tag Archives: Social venture

March 25, 2017 · 11:42 am

POWER PITCH

by John Jonelis

What happens when you give kids—kids gifted in math and science—a real chance to bust out with their God given talents and excel?

What if you trust them to lay their greasy little hands on equipment normally available only at elite universities?
What if you allow them to direct their own time?
What if you challenge them to construct their own goals and learn by themselves how to accomplish them?
What if you dare them to build real startup businesses at such a tender age?
And what if you throw them into a competition against a panel of critical judges from the real private equity world?

What happens? Good things! Good things happen! They happen here at IMSA – the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy. I’ll give you an intimate peek at the inner works of this educational powerhouse so you can see for yourself what makes this one of the biggest success stories in the country. Continue reading →

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Filed under angel, angel investor, Business, Education, Entrepreneur, Entrepreneurship, Giving, High Tech, Startup Companies, Startups, vc, venture capital

Tagged as college prep, competition, education, engineering careers, genius, gifted school, high school business, high school businesses, management careers, pitch competition, preparation for the world, preparing for college, preparing for the world, school for the gifted, science careers, Social venture, STEM, student entrepreneurs, student pitch competition, student startup companies, student startups

February 26, 2016 · 6:14 pm

CLEANTECH TRUTHS DEBUNKED

Generally Accepted Truths of Cleantech Investing – Debunked

Laurance K. Hayward – The Venture Lab

It is generally accepted in Cleantech investing that:

(1) the companies are capital intensive,

(2) there is a sustainability premium associated with buying the companies’ products and

(3) the adoption of the companies’ technologies requires a change of behavior.

All three can slow adoption and negatively impact scalability and internal rate of return. Certainly this can be true for many Cleantech companies, but it isn’t true for many others. Continue reading →

THE APPRENTICE MEETS DIGITAL BOOT CAMP

Techbash – Part 3

VERBATIM – John Jonelis

This is a story of high expectations, high reality, and high energy. I may as well give it to you straight, because Loop Lonogan would want it that way. He’s in the lockup. Too much hard partying on Twelfth Night. His guests spilled into the street and all kinds of trouble erupted—part of it involving a policeman he knocked cold. So I’m here at i.c.stars headquarters. Here to finish Lonagan’s series of articles. I’m talking to the president and co-founder, Sandee Kastrul. Continue reading →

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Filed under Conflict, Education, Entrepreneur, Entrepreneurship, Giving, High Tech, Influence, Low Tech, Poverty, Relationships, The Economy

Tagged as adversity, bad neighborhoods, civics, Crime, Digital Boot Camp, fertile ground, gangs, giving back, hidden talent, hottest recruiting ground., IT training, job training, leadership training, learn fast, learn on the job, learn while doing, learning a skill, learning technology, learning to program, no hope, overcomers, overcoming, perseverance, reciprocity, resiliency, rich soil, rough neigborhoods, school of hard knocks, self taught, social entrepreneur, social incuabator, Social venture, teaching a skill, teaching technology, technology education, technology training, The Apprentice, vocation, vocational training