All it takes are the right seeds and soil for a startup community to take root and thrive. I recently saw this first hand in a seemingly off-the-beaten-path city—Telluride, CO. I discovered Telluride’s entrepreneurial aspirations last summer, when I received a call from Jesse Johnson, an entrepreneur who relocated from New York City to Telluride … Continue reading “The Sowing of a Startup Community in Telluride”
Author: Lesa Mitchell
Lesa Mitchell is the Vice President of Innovation and Networks at the Kauffman Foundation. Her work is focused on understanding the barriers to firm formation and growth in new fields and defining network models that will support firm startup and growth.
Mitchell was instrumental in the founding of the Kauffman Innovation Network/ iBridge Network, the Translational Medicine Alliance, and the National Academies-based University–Industry Partnership, and leader in the replication of innovator-based mentor programs across the U.S. In addition, Mitchell serves on the boards of Gazelle Growth in Denmark and the University of Kansas Institute for Commercialization and is an advisor to the Institute for Pediatric Innovation.
Prior to joining Kauffman, Mitchell spent 20 years in global executive roles at Aventis, Quintiles, and Marion Laboratories and ran an electronic clinical trials consulting business in support of global pharmaceutical clients.
Startup America Starts Up—-Thoughts from the White House Kickoff
Yesterday the Kauffman Foundation and the Case Foundation helped to launch a new initiative called the Startup America Partnership. The idea emanated from the White House early in 2010 and has been germinating since that time. As many Xconomy readers are aware, the Kauffman Foundation has seeded programs to support entrepreneurs, entrepreneur education, and research … Continue reading “Startup America Starts Up—-Thoughts from the White House Kickoff”
From Tech Town to Maker Faire, Detroit’s Entrepreneurship Culture is Growing
In April 2009, the Kauffman Foundation formally engaged on the ground to support the New Economy Initiative, TechTown, and other efforts to re-energize the Detroit entrepreneurial ecosystem. More than 1,500 individuals have since attended Kauffman’s FastTrac to the Future one-day events, which have exposed them to the opportunities and challenges of entrepreneurship. Over 800 individuals … Continue reading “From Tech Town to Maker Faire, Detroit’s Entrepreneurship Culture is Growing”