About the Jules F. Knapp Entrepreneurship Center
The Knapp Center was designed to support a swift and significant
expansion of entrepreneurial activity at and around IIT. By leveraging
the Center's resources, client companies can solidify their business structure,
develop a sound launch strategy, reduce risk,
prepare for and take on smart investment, scale their enterprise, and
benefit from the Center's and IIT's established networks.
|
|
|
The Jules F. Knapp
Entrepreneurship Center Welcomes Dave Winkin
David Winkin
has recently joined the Jules F. Knapp Entrepreneurship
Center as its Associate Director. He will be
working with entrepreneurs from IIT and the surrounding community to help them
start and grow their companies.
After
receiving his BBA from Loyola, Dave held various operations management
positions and continued his education. After obtaining both an MBA and an
MS in Financial Markets from the Illinois Institute of Technology, Dave took a position with Walgreen's as a Project Manager, where he led process
improvement projects and efforts to expand Walgreen's leading position in the
health services market.
Below Dave answers several questions about his experience and thoughts on entrepreneurship.
Q: What attracted you to working with
entrepreneurs?
A: Many
entrepreneurs are creative and innovative thinkers who are solving problems
within existing markets or creating entirely new markets. I find it rewarding
to be in a position where I can interact with them and also have an impact on
their success.
Q: What attracted you to the Knapp Entrepreneurship
Center and the IIT
community?
A: Being a
graduate of IIT, I'm familiar with the IIT community and have a strong belief
that IIT is a valuable resource with untapped potential. The mission of the Knapp Center
is to help find and develop the potential that exists both at IIT and the
surrounding community, and I'm excited to play a role in working with current
and potential entrepreneurs to develop their ideas into successful ventures.
Q: What do you bring to the Knapp Center?
A: My
background is in operations management and strategic planning. I have worked
with Fortune 500 companies and I understand the planning and organizational
structure that needs to be put in place to move from a concept to a functional
operation. I will be working to enhance the capabilities of the Knapp Center
to help companies build the foundation they need to move forward.
Q: Do you think an entrepreneur is born or
made?
A: I think
that some people are more predisposed to becoming an entrepreneur.
Entrepreneurs are naturally curious; they are continuously seeking new and
better ways to solve a problem or create a market niche. They are also
self-motivated and highly driven to succeed, even working in an environment
filled with uncertainty and ambiguity.
Q: Do you think that people can
successfully become entrepreneurs inside large organizations?
A:
Definitely. I believe that in most large organizations you will find people who
are labeled "mavericks". These are people who want to challenge the
organization status quo because they have the ability to envision a new or
better way of providing value to either existing or potential customers.
However, the problem with most large organizations is that there is no
mechanism in place to channel the innovative and entrepreneurial spirit that
these employees possess. This is unfortunate because in the emerging knowledge
age, continuously innovative firms are likely to be those that encourage
entrepreneurship at all levels of the organization. Management must therefore
find ways to establish and encourage entrepreneurial activity across the
organization.
Q: Is there anything else that you feel is
important to share with potential entrepreneurs?
A: If you
have an idea, do some research and invest time to thoroughly understand the
market in which you wish to compete. Outline a clear and concise plan that
includes your goals, the steps you will take to achieve them, and the time and
resources that you will need. Finally, you need to be able to articulate your
idea and your vision to others.
The Knapp Center
was founded in 2004 with a philanthropic gift from Jules F. Knapp, a
successful entrepreneur, to provide a support system capable of matching
entrepreneurs' bright ideas and personal drive with guidance and access to
resources. With the recent addition of David Winkin, the Knapp
Center continues to grow in its
ability to support entrepreneurial activity at and around IIT.
Students,
faculty, and others from the surrounding community can utilize the Knapp Center
to develop their ideas and business structure, create a network of people and
resources, plan a strategy for raising capital and entering the market, and
ultimately create a successful company.
Photo: (L to R) Nik Rokop, Jules Knapp and Dave Winkin at the 2008 City Treasurer's Small Business Expo.
|
|
Knapp Center Lecture: Pathways to Entrepreneurship, a MIT Enterprise Forum Global Broadcast
Join the Knapp Center for its September lecture, which will include a live satellite broadcast of "Pathways to
Entrepreneurship", part of the MIT Enterprise Forum's 2008 Global Broadcast Series.
For anyone, launching a
high-tech start-up is hard work, with many paths to success. But female
entrepreneurs face unique challenges on each of the roads they may follow. Hear our panel discuss the unique paths they
took:
- Candida G. Brush
(moderator), Division Chair in
Entrepreneurship, Babson College
- Robin
Chase (SM '86), Founder of ZipCar, GoLoco.org and Meadow Networks
- Priya
Iyer (SL S'05), President, Anaqua
- Christina
Lampe-Onnerud, Founder and CEO,
Boston-Power
- Susan
Lindquist, Professor of Biology, MIT, Scientific Founder, FoldRx
Pharma
This program will be broadcast live via satellite from Technology Review's EmTech08 Conference, which is being held at MIT.
Refreshments will be served. There is absolutely no charge for this event, but RSVPs are required and should be made to keplinger@iit.edu.
Event Info
6:00 - 8:00 p.m.
September 23, 2008
Illinois Institute of Technology
Life Sciences Building, Room 121
3105 South Dearborn
|
Connectiviity
Please
join the Jules F.
Knapp Entrepreneurship
Center, the University Technology
Park at IIT, and Wexford
Science + Technology for our monthly networking event on Thursday, September 25th!
Our featured guest this month will be Hyde Park
Angels, an
organization that provides a forum for entrepreneurial-minded members to invest
in seed and early-stage businesses, primarily located in the Midwest. The
Chicago-based Hyde Park Angel Network was launched in 2007 by a group of
classmates from the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business Executive
MBA Program. Hyde Park Angels' currently has two portfolio companies, Shuffle
Tech LLC and UICO LLC. Visit www.hydeparkangels.com for additional
information.
Connectiviity brings together the
entrepreneurship community both within IIT and the greater Chicagoland area and
provides the opportunity to network and share experiences with fellow
entrepreneurs. Whether you are currently an entrepreneur or are considering
starting a business, this event can help you make the connections you need to
get your new venture started or grow your existing business. Come explore what
the Knapp Center,
University Tech Park,
Wexford and IIT have to offer!
Refreshments will be served. There is absolutely no charge to attend this event. For
more information, contact Jennifer Keplinger at keplinger@iit.edu.
Event Info
5:00 - 7:00 p.m.
September 25, 2008
Technology Business Center Atrium
University Technology Park at IIT
3440 South Dearborn
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
