The Incubator at MAGNETThe Incubator at MAGNET
Update - February 2011
Greetings!

I was starting to put together this month's newsletter yesterday, and was pondering what I could possibly report that would take everyone's mind off the ice storm, sub-zero temperatures and our mid-winter doldrums, not to mention the record-setting Cavs.  Then John Dearborn's E-mail popped into my in-box.

This is exciting stuff, folks.

On behalf of JumpStart, John was announcing a national initiative that's aligned with the newly-created Startup America Partnership, the Obama administration's initiative and a private sector alliance focused on sparking high growth firms in the United States.  

 

JumpStart's piece of this effort is called JumpStart America which builds on what they have learned here in Northeast Ohio. JumpStart America will apply best practices nationally; accelerating high growth entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial ecosystems across the country to create new private sector jobs.

 

I'm including John's message below as the bulk of this month's newsletter because I think it's that important.  Northeast Ohio is now not only on the national stage with respect to job creation and economic development - we've been asked to help lead the way!

Congratulations JumpStart!  Congratulations Northeast Ohio!

(If you want even more information, here's a fact sheet on the Startup America initiative).

 

Dave Crain
Director, Entrepreneurial Services, MAGNET
dave.crain@magnetwork.org
216.432.5310

As always, if you know someone that would be interested in what we're doing here, use the "Forward to a Friend" button at the bottom of this E-Mail. 
John's Complete Announcement
Following is the text from John's E-mail announcing the new initiative:

Yesterday, JumpStart announced a national initiative that's aligned with the newly-created Startup America Partnership (www.startupamericapartnership.org), the Obama administration's initiative and a private sector alliance focused on sparking high growth firms in the United States. I thought I would provide some further context and information in regards to the program via this email.

Our piece of this effort is called JumpStart America (www.jumpstartamerica.org) which builds on what we have learned here in Northeast Ohio. JumpStart America, led by Ray Leach, will apply best practices nationally via accelerating high growth entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial ecosystems across the country to create new private sector jobs.

Although we'll share Ray's leadership, as soon as its operating structure is in place (an anticipated 90-100 days), JumpStart America will be an independent 501c(3) non-profit, separate from JumpStart Inc.

We've worked hard to ensure that this effort, while important, will not distract us from our work here. In fact, JumpStart America should aid our efforts in this region. We feel that JumpStart America offers the following benefits to Northeast Ohio and you, our partners in this economic transformation:
  • Visibility, resources, and a vehicle for significantly increasing public, private, and philanthropic dollars for the creation and sustainability of entrepreneurial ecosystems, such as the one in Northeast Ohio. As of today, there is no one vehicle focused entirely on bringing national awareness and national dollars to regional initiatives. JumpStart America increases dollars available for work such as that of the members of the JumpStart Entrepreneurial Network.
     
  • Increased recognition of Northeast Ohio as a center of expertise and activity regarding entrepreneurial ecosystem development. To have this initiative headquartered in Northeast Ohio (as opposed to an area with a developed entrepreneurial ecosystem, such as Boston or Silicon Valley) will bring recognition to the activities occurring in this region to a wide variety of stakeholders including national foundations, national policy makers, and investors, in addition to those who are already aware of the transformation occurring in Ohio.
     
  • New insights and best practice model knowledge.
     
  • Increased sustainability. Northeast Ohio entities can apply and compete for funds (like other projects around the country will apply and compete for funds) from the aggregated funds raised by JumpStart America.

How could it not be a good thing to have new resources on the horizon and the understanding at a policy/national level that high growth entrepreneurship makes our country more competitive and creates jobs? Add to that the recent continuation funding for the ESP recently awarded by the Ohio Third Frontier that is squarely committed to our connected group of entrepreneurial support organizations in Northeast Ohio and I feel like the possibilities are limitless.

We're off to a great 2011. Thank you for your tireless efforts on behalf of the entrepreneurs all across NE Ohio in helping to make Ohio a national model!
Tenant News
VADXX recently named Sean Arnold as its Chief Operating Officer. Sean had been serving as an advisor for Vadxx for sometime. Sean will be responsible for all operating and marketing issues at Vadxx.

 

Mr. Arnold has 17 years of experience in manufacturing, engineering, product management, consulting, supply chain logistics and customer service. Mr. Arnold started his career at Ford Motor Company in prototype engineering and research and has held executive positions at Deloitte and McMaster-Carr. His responsibilities have ranged from designing production flows on the shop floor to developing marketing strategies for new product launches.

 

Mr. Arnold earned a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a Master in Business of Administration from the University of Michigan, also completing the Manager of Managers Executive Education program at the University of Michigan. He has a Certification in Production and Inventory Management (CPIM) from The Association for Operations Management and is also a certified Six Sigma Black Belt. Mr. Arnold has successfully raised early stage capital and is a board member of CFRC Water and Energy Solutions.

 

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For regional events of interest, NEOinc's regional entrepreneurial calendar lists speakers, events, workshops, conferences and seminars throughout the region targeted at technology entrepreneurs and small businesses.  You can subscribe to the calendar to be notified when new events are added.
 
If you have an event of interest to entrepreneurs, getting on the calendar is free, and easy.  The calendar is hosted by MAGNET and a quick E-Mail with event details sent to Lynne Brakeman will get your event included.