Does it seem like everything has been done? Do you feel like you have no new ideas? Sometimes, being an entrepreneur isn’t about pushing the boundaries and re-tooling something new. Rather, when you hit a dead end why not try making something old new.

In LA, a new trend has become board games at bars; bingo is no longer just for summer camp. What old thing can you use and market in a different way? Perhaps SkipIt, Pong or plastic flowers. The opportunities are endless. Do you know someone who has used something old in a new and innovative way? Contact me and we will post their story on our blog!

I like to be surprised. Well, I don’t like bad surprises like people yelling “boo” or pitchers of water falling on my head. I do like the sort of surprise that inspires you and enlightens you and makes you want to be a better person. I like surprises where you are amazed that someone came up with that and shocked that it drew attention. My love of surprises is probably what drew me to the job I have here- the innovative things I learn about every day provides little packets of surprise and brillant “hmmm…what??!? You’re kidding me!” moments.

Stanford University capitalized on these moments in their Imagine IT campaign and subsequent video. (more…)

Success for an entrepreneur is manifesting an idea into a lifeform whose very existence enriches the ecosystem to which it belongs.

- Jim Yiapanis, part of our LinkedIn community

To join, click here.

Its a great time to be Green. Its a great time to be an Entrepreneur. Its a lucrative time to be a Green Entrepreneur. The race to go green has expanded, literally, to the need for speed! Public sentiment for a cleaner earth and governmental regulations curbing current emission levels has spurred competition and market incentives for fuel-efficient vehicles in the automotive industry. Now, entrepreneurs see and are seizing opportunities to make their mark to produce the finest, fastest, and most fuel-efficient cars in the green market.

Upstarts are springing up left and right with financial backing from venture-capital firms hoping to join and compete in the new market of hybrid and electric vehicles. Former top engineers and designers from industry giants such as McLaren and Ford Motor Co. are racing off and starting their own companies; producing vehicles and technology that not only look and perform like a top-end sports car, but also saves energy and the environment by way of electrical charges.

Analysts predict shrinking research and development budgets by big auto-makers and the trend to look outside for new technology provides a lucrative market for new entrepreneurs who want to save the earth as well as make money. Tesla Motors, among many others, have already produced a new electric sports car with up to 220.6 miles per charge! Not only are these cars more functionally friendly to the environment, but they also are looking and performing in the mold consumers expect out of a luxury vehicle. Investors are quickly jumping on to fund this green revolution. Its easy to see that the Race to be Green, really is moving at top speed!

In reality, your college degree may mean something. This was just better than than the “why I am a failure” title with which I had originally started. As we all become more educated, our BAs are going to mean less and less. In the future, my MA, will be considered the norm. However, there may be a way to stand out of the crowd or at less to become less reliant on others. (more…)

What is the worst thing about being an entrepreneur? Long hours? Failures? Uncertainty? I’d say its being alone most of the time. The thing with your grand ideas is that they are yours and in your own head. Others aren’t always supportive and frequently they try to bring you down. How do you fight this? I’d say get together with other entrepreneurs, find people in the same space and with the same problems. Where, does one do this you ask? Well, you can do it through our website, our social media groups or you can do it in person, in June, in the city of lovers. (more…)

Tara Suri is hard to pin down. She lives and breaths public service; she runs her own non-profit; and, she is applying for colleges. I finally tracked her down for a short phone interview last week to ask her about her organization, Turn the World Around, and her career as a young change-maker and entrepreneur. (more…)

The following is from an article on ZDnet by Dana Blakenhorn. In it he argues that an entrepreneur is not a hero; he is a professional. I’d like to agree— entrepreneurs aren’t heroes in so much as our heroes are idols. The thing about being an idol is that you conceptually aren’t allowed to fail. Our heroes are flawless once they reach the hero status. Michael Jordan had to retire because we couldn’t fathom him not playing a perfect game. Superman must destroy the villain because anything less would mean the destruction of the world. Mother Theresa had to work to end poverty because that was her mission from a hire power. The thing about entrepreneurs is that failure must be an option. You must be able to take a risk that can lead to failure because only in taking risks will innovation occur. Furthermore, only through failure will you learn the steps to success…. So now that I have lectured, please read the following…. (more…)