In its third year, RISE Austin had 122 presentations and over 1600 attendees participate in the four day event.
The Relationship & Information Series for Entrepreneurs began in 2007. Founded by Roy and Bertrand Sosa with the purpose of providing a free forum for entrepreneurs to connect and exchange ideas that inspire the entrepreneurial spirit.
Program Manager, Annie Clary Frierson, did a GREAT job of coordinating the whole week. It took a lot of dedication over many, many month to pull off the logistics of so many presentations and attendees. Nearly twice as many people attended as did in 2008.
RISE 2009 concluded with a happy hour event at The Bob Bullock Texas State Museum. Keynote speaker, John Mackey (Founder and CEO of Whole Foods) inspired the audience with his overview of how "Conscious Capitalism" would be the engine that would raise world economy.
"Great companies have great purposes", said Mackay, who counseled entrepreneurs to practice "Servant Leadership" while defining the purpose of their businesses.
I had never seen Mackay speak before, and I was inspired by his story, message, style, tone, passion and the emotional challenge to the room full of entrepreneurs to positively impact the world.
While his remarks lasted too long (by about 20 minutes), the significance of his viewpoint was not lost on the crowd. He is insightful in his belief that businesses are not locked into the negatives actions of "Wall Street Capitalism", and that the answer to our economic woes are not to be found in socialism or fascism. Instead our future is in the hands of "Conscious Capitalists" who will build businesses that provide both profits and make a difference.
I look forward to presenting at and attending RISE 2010. This program is a true Austin gem.
Have A Great Day.
thom
Showing posts with label RISE Austin. Show all posts
Showing posts with label RISE Austin. Show all posts
Friday, March 06, 2009
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Attend a FREE Session of RISE Austin
Next week is the Big Week for RISE Austin 2009.
If you live in the Texas Capital and would like the opportunity to see some of our area's finest business professionals present in small and intimate setting... here is your chance.
All day long on March 3rd, 4th and 5th there are over 120 business presentations being conducted at various venues all over town. Each session last 90 minutes. Audience size is limited to 20 -25 people, and the speakers are sharing all sorts of tips and stories.
Many of the sessions are already filled up (My session is full - March 5th at 8:00 AM), but there are several to choose from that will be GREAT. This is an amazing chance to meet and listen to the speakers in a small setting. Participate in the RISE program and make some connections with key people in our business community (yes, it IS always about networking!!!)
Scan the whole list and look for interesting topic and speakers.
Don't know who to go see? Here are a couple of suggestions:
As of this writing there are still a seats available for several FANTASTIC presentations.
I recommend you go and listen to my boss, Ellen Wood (co-founder and CEO of vcfo) deliver her talk "There Is No Parachute - And Other Lessons Entrepreneurs Learn AFTER Take-Off" at 10:30 AM on March 5th. Ellen launched vcfo 13 years ago, and in addition to her hands on experience running the company, vcfo has worked directly with over 800 companies - many of whom are entrepreneurial, high growth businesses. Thus she has seen the ups and down from many angles, and she will share a bunch of great stories and ideas.
Spots are still open to see Colin Pope, the managing director of the Austin Business Journal. His talk, "How and When to Address The Media" , is a must see presentation for anyone who is curious about how to get more PR. If you don't already know Colin, you should know Colin!
Laura Patterson, CEO of VisionEdge Marketing, still has space for her presentation "Creating a Customer-Centric Measurable Marketing Plan". I just finished reading Laura's book. She knows her stuff, so attending her presentation on March 5th would be a good one!
Brett Hurt, CEO of Bazaarvoice would be a great one to attend. He is set for 2:00 on March 5th. Space is filling fast for his presentation, "Establishing the Foundation of a Great Company Culture". Ask anyone in town, and they will tell you Brett is all about having a wonderful culture, and they live that at Bazaarvoice.
Are you a new entrepreneur? Go see attorney Matt Lyons of Andrews Kurth present "Top Ten Legal Mistakes Made by Entrepreneurs" at 2 PM on March 5th. Matt has an impressive career of counseling business owners to ensure they avoid the legal mistakes than can hurt their company down the line. This one will be good!
Leadership Austin president and CEO Heather McKissick will present "Creating Customer Experiences" at noon on March 5th. I am a graduate of the 2008 Leadership Austin Essentials Class and have worked with Heather on several projects. This would be a great presentation to attend.
Richard Balius from Intergistic Solutions will present "What Every Owner Should Know About Compensating Sales People" at 8:00 AM on March 5th. Richard is a great speak and an expert on sales.
I could list two dozen other friends, colleagues, and local experts...all of whom I know and respect. To any of my friends whom I left off, this was just a sampling. I did not want this post would be too long to read.
You can't go wrong with any RISE event you attend.
Have A Great Day.
thom
If you live in the Texas Capital and would like the opportunity to see some of our area's finest business professionals present in small and intimate setting... here is your chance.
All day long on March 3rd, 4th and 5th there are over 120 business presentations being conducted at various venues all over town. Each session last 90 minutes. Audience size is limited to 20 -25 people, and the speakers are sharing all sorts of tips and stories.
Many of the sessions are already filled up (My session is full - March 5th at 8:00 AM), but there are several to choose from that will be GREAT. This is an amazing chance to meet and listen to the speakers in a small setting. Participate in the RISE program and make some connections with key people in our business community (yes, it IS always about networking!!!)
Scan the whole list and look for interesting topic and speakers.
Don't know who to go see? Here are a couple of suggestions:
As of this writing there are still a seats available for several FANTASTIC presentations.
I recommend you go and listen to my boss, Ellen Wood (co-founder and CEO of vcfo) deliver her talk "There Is No Parachute - And Other Lessons Entrepreneurs Learn AFTER Take-Off" at 10:30 AM on March 5th. Ellen launched vcfo 13 years ago, and in addition to her hands on experience running the company, vcfo has worked directly with over 800 companies - many of whom are entrepreneurial, high growth businesses. Thus she has seen the ups and down from many angles, and she will share a bunch of great stories and ideas.
Spots are still open to see Colin Pope, the managing director of the Austin Business Journal. His talk, "How and When to Address The Media" , is a must see presentation for anyone who is curious about how to get more PR. If you don't already know Colin, you should know Colin!
Laura Patterson, CEO of VisionEdge Marketing, still has space for her presentation "Creating a Customer-Centric Measurable Marketing Plan". I just finished reading Laura's book. She knows her stuff, so attending her presentation on March 5th would be a good one!
Brett Hurt, CEO of Bazaarvoice would be a great one to attend. He is set for 2:00 on March 5th. Space is filling fast for his presentation, "Establishing the Foundation of a Great Company Culture". Ask anyone in town, and they will tell you Brett is all about having a wonderful culture, and they live that at Bazaarvoice.
Are you a new entrepreneur? Go see attorney Matt Lyons of Andrews Kurth present "Top Ten Legal Mistakes Made by Entrepreneurs" at 2 PM on March 5th. Matt has an impressive career of counseling business owners to ensure they avoid the legal mistakes than can hurt their company down the line. This one will be good!
Leadership Austin president and CEO Heather McKissick will present "Creating Customer Experiences" at noon on March 5th. I am a graduate of the 2008 Leadership Austin Essentials Class and have worked with Heather on several projects. This would be a great presentation to attend.
Richard Balius from Intergistic Solutions will present "What Every Owner Should Know About Compensating Sales People" at 8:00 AM on March 5th. Richard is a great speak and an expert on sales.
I could list two dozen other friends, colleagues, and local experts...all of whom I know and respect. To any of my friends whom I left off, this was just a sampling. I did not want this post would be too long to read.
You can't go wrong with any RISE event you attend.
Have A Great Day.
thom
Wednesday, February 04, 2009
RISE Austin - An Entrepreneurial Experience!!!
RISE is looking for Austin area entrepreneurs to host informative / educational seminars on March 3rd, 4th and 5th. Sign up NOW to host your session (I did!). More info at www.riseaustin.org.
In its third year, RISE – a Relationship & Information Series for Entrepreneurs – is an annual conference series dedicated to providing a free forum for entrepreneurs to connect and exchange ideas that inspire the entrepreneurial spirit.
Co-hosted by MPOWER Foundation and the Acton School of Business, RISE is a non-profit initiative with no cost to participate. Through RISE expertise is exchanged as entrepreneurs from multiple industries and backgrounds connect with each other as well as members of the academic, financial, non-profit, and government sectors.
RISE is thrilled to welcome John Mackey and Roy Spence, two of our city's most storied and admired entrepreneurs, as the keynote speakers for RISE 2009.
From March 3-5, aspiring entrepreneurs may attend free RISE Sessions led by successful members of the Austin business community. Unlike a traditional conference, RISE Sessions are limited to 25 participants and take place all over the city in areas where entrepreneurs naturally congregate. From board rooms to coffee shops, from office parks to Zilker Park, entrepreneurs gather to learn, share and recharge.
Join the RISE community in 2009 by participating in a RISE Session, attending a RISE event, or telling others you know about the opportunity to connect with expert experience and expertise.
This is a great program. If you live and work in the Austin area, do not miss out on RISE 2009.
I will be hosting a session titled "Some Assembly Required: How to Make, Grow and Keep Your Business Relationships" on the morning of March 5th.
Even if you do not present a session, be sure to attend one. The Schedule is online... but new sessions are being added every day, so keep checking back to find out who is involved with RISE 2009.
Have A Great Day.
thom
In its third year, RISE – a Relationship & Information Series for Entrepreneurs – is an annual conference series dedicated to providing a free forum for entrepreneurs to connect and exchange ideas that inspire the entrepreneurial spirit.
Co-hosted by MPOWER Foundation and the Acton School of Business, RISE is a non-profit initiative with no cost to participate. Through RISE expertise is exchanged as entrepreneurs from multiple industries and backgrounds connect with each other as well as members of the academic, financial, non-profit, and government sectors.
RISE is thrilled to welcome John Mackey and Roy Spence, two of our city's most storied and admired entrepreneurs, as the keynote speakers for RISE 2009.
From March 3-5, aspiring entrepreneurs may attend free RISE Sessions led by successful members of the Austin business community. Unlike a traditional conference, RISE Sessions are limited to 25 participants and take place all over the city in areas where entrepreneurs naturally congregate. From board rooms to coffee shops, from office parks to Zilker Park, entrepreneurs gather to learn, share and recharge.
Join the RISE community in 2009 by participating in a RISE Session, attending a RISE event, or telling others you know about the opportunity to connect with expert experience and expertise.
This is a great program. If you live and work in the Austin area, do not miss out on RISE 2009.
I will be hosting a session titled "Some Assembly Required: How to Make, Grow and Keep Your Business Relationships" on the morning of March 5th.
Even if you do not present a session, be sure to attend one. The Schedule is online... but new sessions are being added every day, so keep checking back to find out who is involved with RISE 2009.
Have A Great Day.
thom
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