FountainBlue

Advantages of being in the Corporate World:

Advantages of Having an Entrepreneurial Mindset:

Articles about Entrepreneurship

FountainBlue is pleased to speak on entrepreneurship and intrapreneurship to companies and associations across the valley. See our Something from Nothing: A Message to the 'Preneur in You  for more information about our speaking topics.

We are also pleased to write articles about entrepreneurship and speak on the topic. Below is a summary of the articles we've written and the conversations we had on the topic of entrepreneurship.

http://wsradio.com/internet-talk-radio.cfm/shows/PricewaterhouseCoopers-Start-Up-Show.html

INTRO: Our next guest, Linda Holroyd, is founder and CEO of FountainBlue, a for-profit that promotes entrepreneurship. She is also writing a book on entrepreneurship called "Something from Nothing: A Primer for the Entrepreneur in You. Linda. 

Tell me what you mean by 'Something from Nothing'?
I define an entrepreneur as someone who has a new way of doing something that may defy current convention, coupled with the passion and the persistence necessary to generate results. The 'Something from Nothing' concept is a celebration of the spirit of entrepreneurship, the innovation, creativity and out-of-the box thinking that fuels the economic engine for a person, a company, a nation.

The 'Something from Nothing' concept is not just about entrepreneurs with the novel idea that launch companies. It is also about the corporate executives at all levels who think outside the box and integrate new ideas to broaden products and markets, leveraging the strengths of established corporations, from existing customer base, to infrastructure, to operational and process support, to distribution channels. 

How does the 'something from nothing' concept fit with your current organization FountainBlue?
'Something from Nothing' also stands for combining the stable, solid resources of organizations and investors (represented by the 'Fountain' in the name) with vibrant, creative, innovative energies and ideas (represented by the 'blue' in the name). FountainBlue's business is to connect people with good ideas with people who have the finances, resources, and skills to help them succeed. Making the introductions and connections will help entrepreneurs to navigate what people have called the 'valley of death', the challenges that prevent most start-ups from succeeding. These hurdles might be legal problems or business plan creation problems, or management team challenges and product development challenges.

FountainBlue produces six events a month to convene the region's leaders in the high-tech, life science and clean energy industries. In addition, we refer entrepreneurs to the service providers who assist in navigating the 'valley of death', to prepare them for introductions to the investors, and we consult with larger, established companies on integrating new ideas and concepts into existing product and service offerings. And from the people side, we develop a leadership pipeline focusing on mentorship programs, and work with our clients to foster a culture embracing entrepreneurship and innovation.

What is your advice for helping entrepreneurs generate momentum with little resources?
We launched FountainBlue in January 2006, and are pleased with the momentum generated, the communities established, the quality of our programs, the caliber of our partners, and the success of our customers. We started with a big idea: to positively impact the way organizations work, one conversation, one leader, one organization at a time. Here is some advice for how you can leverage our lessons to create something from nothing:

• Start with the Heart – Know what you're passionate about.
• Integrate the Head – Understand what you know about your own strengths and weaknesses and intersect that with your passion and the needs of the market.
• Develop a Plan Before Acting – (the Hands Phase) Create a plan on how to get from where you are to where you want to be, and just as importantly, what people and organizations can help you get there.
  Find a Win-Win Solution – work with people you can trust and find a collaborative path to success for both of you.
• Measure your results – Focus on milestones and quantifiable results.

What is your advice for executives to integrate innovative ideas in a corporate setting?

• Integrate the same heart/head/hand concept – follow your passion, intersect it with the needs of the market and your skill set, and plan and act in alignment with both your passion and the organization's needs. 
  
• Think and act outside the box; follow the HP way of informed dissent, and welcome others in your organization to do so, while focusing on business results. This is the best way to leverage the creativity and diversity around us, the kind of innovative thinking which brings business results.
  
• Build relationships that are more bigger and important than goals
  
• Persevere despite adversity
  
• Welcome process, but know its place
  

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