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 FROM THE CEO
Business Is Personal
"Nothing new there," I hear you say - and for those of you who have been following our newsletter for a while that's a fair comment - I have said this many times. Yet, some things bear repeating. Silicon Valley runs from San Francisco in the north to San Jose in the south - about 48 miles on US101 or 57 miles if you take I-280. It's difficult to have coffee at a café in Palo Alto and not bump into at least two people you know while you're sitting there. For the intrepreneurs reading this think of a multi-floor corporate building with water coolers creating the 'water cooler effect' or the 'bump into effect'. A planned, strategic, thoughtful approach to building a successful business is essential. But so is the occasional random input from friend or stranger. A lot can happen when you bump into people unexpectedly. It's not planned so you naturally engage in a conversation about what's really on your mind - right then.
I just spent four weeks in Australia - Melbourne, Canberra, Adelaide and Sydney - and found many more 'water coolers' in Canberra and Adelaide (and Dandenong) than the bigger cities.
Why? They're smaller. Maybe. But in the bigger cities I also visited small incubators - each had plenty of common space where entrepreneurs in residence could mix and mingle - but they didn't. Everyone was very consumed with their own work. Working on a business at this level is tough, a 24/7 commitment. The water cooler effect happens when people (business is personal) who have diverse businesses and interests meet unexpectedly and take time to engage. It's how ideas are generated, solutions discovered, collaborations started and ultimately deals done. You will be surprised at how these conversations will enable you to think up new solutions, create unique breakthroughs and help you grow your business in ways that might be lost if you never take a break. So, you're running a million dollar business and focusing every moment on growing it to a billion dollar business. That requires intense dedication and lots of unobstructed focus. But take a moment and take a leaf from some smaller communities and the place where this concept all began, Silicon Valley. Walk up Collins Street or down George Street. Sit down at a cafe with your thoughts, and wait for someone to interrupt you.
Viki
Viki Forrest, CEO ANZA Technology Network
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Multi-media Productions (USA) is pleased to announce that ANZA Technology Network has been selected to appear on 21st Century Business, an award-winning television series. This series will focus on Next Generation Business Accelerator Solutions. Stay tuned. Our segment is being taped in June.
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 | | ANZA mentor Sheryle Bolton |
MENTOR SPOTLIGHT: SHERYLE BOLTON
ANZA's mentors are entrepreneurs who have built globally competitive businesses - from startup to successful exit. They have taken products to market, raised capital, built high-performing teams; they have been on both sides of the board table and the investment table and they have M&A and IPO experience. They bring all this talent and experience to ANZA's services when they engage with ANZA to mentor our clients. Read our mentors' bios on our website.
Sheryle Bolton is an experienced entrepreneur and public company CEO with more than 20 years' experience as an executive and Board member of health care, financial services, and technology corporations.
Sheryle was Chairman and CEO of Scientific Learning Corporation (NASDAQ: SCIL), a neuroscience technology company which she led from pre-product to a highly successful IPO and a sustainable, growth business. She was previously President and COO, Physicians' Online, Inc., an executive at Becton-Dickinson, Home Box Office, and Rockefeller & Co., and a Merrill Lynch investment banker.
She has served on the boards of several Scudder-Kemper mutual fund complexes that represented assets of more than $60 billion, and as a board member of HealthCentral (NASDAQ:HCEN), Bridge Bank (NASDAQ: BBNK), and more than 20 other health care, technology, and financial services companies. She is now a Director of the Small Business Banking Network, which trains bankers in Africa and Asia to make small business loans and a trustee of Berry College.
Currently a business strategy consultant to global technology companies, Sheryle was recently named a "Director to Watch" by Directors & Boards magazine and a "Woman Who Has Made Her Mark," by Watermark, the prestigious professional organization for executive women in Silicon Valley. Her career has also been the subject of two Stanford Business School cases. She holds a B.A. and M.A. from the University of Georgia and an M.B.A. from the Harvard University Graduate School of Business. _____________
Read Sheryle's blog post on "Four US Market Challenges" on the ANZA blog. _____________ When you engage ANZA in market research, business matching or Fast Track services, we pair you with a mentor with critical skills and expertise in your market sector. Click here to read more about ANZA mentors.
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ANZA MEMBERS, TRY FLEXIROAM FOR FREE. FLEXIROAM is the cheapest way to roam without worry when you travel overseas. Just visit www.flexiroam.com and sign up now. Try this on your next trip overseas and let us know your experience. You can also download the FLEXIROAM iPhone app and then login from your iPhone to receive 30 FLEXIROAM credits for free. Click here to contact us.
 ANZA MEMBERS, DISCOUNT AVAILABLE FOR HANDLERY HOTEL IN SAN FRANCISCO. ANZA has negotiated an accommodation discount deal for our members traveling to San Francisco and Silicon Valley. Click here to book discounted room nights at the Handlery Hotel, located in Union Square, downtown San Francisco. Close to SOMA, rental car agencies and public transportation for easy access to Silicon Valley.
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 UPCOMING EVENTS AND OPPORTUNITIES - April 19. TechConnect, Sydney. Sponsored by Slattery IT. Get inspired to succeed! Strong roster of panelists will explore with you how you become world class and manage the challenges and opportunities involved in becoming one of Australia's big success stories. Attend to learn from the experiences and perspectives of successful entrepreneurs who have done just that! Click here for more details and registration.
- May 18-19. TiEcon 2012. Sponsored by TiE. Largest convention in the world dedicated to entrepreneurs. Carlos Dominguez, Senior Vice President of Cisco will deliver keynote. Other speakers include representatives of Branchout, Yammer, Khosla Ventures, Draper Fisher Jurvetson, Citrix, Airbnb, Mozilla, Techcrunch, Facebook, Oracle, many more. Click here to register, and for more details.
Visit our calendar to see a comprehensive list of upcoming events of interest to entrepreneurs and tech industry insiders in the US, Australia, China and more.
- Victorian Companies: Victorian companies looking to do business in the US or China are eligible for the Victorian government's Department of Business and Innovation's Fast Track program provided by ANZA. Click here for more details.
- Market Research: ANZA takes a very practical approach to market research beginning with a thorough understanding of your company's needs and objectives. We then combine our own market research resources (developed over the past 10 years) with our team of in-market mentors to deliver detailed market research to you. Find out more with a complimentary 30-minute consultation. - Business Matching: ANZA leverages our proprietary database of over 5,000 members to provide a superior business matching service across all technology industries in the US and China. These introductions are based on the trusted and personal networks of ANZA's mentors. Before you embark on a business trip to the US or China, ANZA will work with you to understand the purpose of your trip, identify key objectives and desired outcomes and organize a series of business meetings aligned with your travel schedule. Click here for a complimentary 30-minute consultation. - Fast Tracking: Your business accelerator into the US or China market. Time to market is a top-priority for all CEOs. ANZA has developed Fast Track with this in mind. With the right connections and a laser-sharp focus, Fast Track reduces the costs and risks associated with expanding your business into the US or China. Whether it is raising capital, finding distributors or securing new customers, ANZA has the network of experts to work with you to accelerate your success. Contact ANZA CEO Viki Forrest for more information.
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Do you have an upcoming event of interest to share with more than 5,000+ ANZA TechNet members? Would your organization like to partner or form an affiliate relationship with ANZA to more rapidly realize sustainable global commercialization goals? Send your event listing to marketing@anzatechnet.com. For partnership and affiliate information, contact ANZA CEO Viki Forrest at viki@anzatechnet.com.
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 VISIT StartupHQ
You've been hearing the stories that ANZA members Bardia Housman, Stephen Weir and Elias Bizannes were launching a "startup house" in San Francisco. Take a look inside the StartupHQ and join their Facebook page. There are many options for international entrepreneurs to be a part of this large co-working space and even stay the night. Yes, it's an Airbnb for startups and much more. If you're interested in finding out about working or staying at StartupHQ, send an email to steve@startuphq.com.
Back to top.
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See our Calendar for upcoming events near you. Many are free or include discount codes for ANZA TechNet members.
Join the ANZA Technology Network on LinkedIn and Facebook.
Follow us on Twitter at @anzatechnet.
And - as always - keep up with relevant industry news, announcements and opinions as they relate to Australia, New Zealand, the US and China doing business together in Silicon Valley and beyond on the ANZA Technology Network blog.
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Do you have an upcoming event of interest to entrepreneurs, investors, tech execs and service providers working with companies in the US, Australia, New Zealand or Asia?
Send details to us at marketing@anzatechnet.com and we will add it to the ANZA TechNet calendar on our website. ANZA now has 5,500+ members worldwide.
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