Between 1980 and 2005, virtually all net new jobs created in the U.S. were created by firms that were 5 years old or less. Robert Litan, (VP of research at the Kauffman Foundation) 

As we consider the economic upheaval of the last couple of years, the questions are clear and daunting.  Where should our priorities lie? What do we promote and what do we stand behind?

If you believe Litans research, our economic future lies with the startup and the humble (or not so humble) Entrepreneur.

Ask a dictionary and you might walk away believing that ‘an entrepreneur is a person who has possession of a new enterprise, venture or idea and assumes significant accountability for the inherent risks and the outcome.’ – To those of us who live it, its more than the enterprise.  Its more than money. Its the drive to pursue a vision, a passion for the unknown, mixed with a slight addiction to the risk. I cant help but smile at Roy Ash’s take… “An entrepreneur tends to bite off a little more than he can chew hoping he’ll quickly learn how to chew it.”

So a petition has been started (by the Grasshopper founders)  with the Kauffman Foundation’s support, to create a nationally recognized Entrepreneurs’ Day as part of Global Entrepreneurship Week – starting November 19th of this year and every Friday of Global Entrepreneurship Week thereafter. They need a million signatures.

According to organizer Siamak Taghaddos – Entrepreneurs are America’s real “bailout” in the sense that by investing in them and their ventures, we would stimulate a real economic turnaround. Whether or not you agree with the politics, entrepreneurship is a vital part of any economic stimulus – so why did it seem like no one was talking about the lack of investment in the future of entrepreneurs? (you can read about more of his motivations here)

Never ones to miss a marketing opportunity, the grasshopper team have created a beautifully executed mo-graph video for the movement.  So take a few minutes to be reminded about what it means to be an entrepreneur. Then head over and sign the petition.

Although on the cheesy side, I cant help but feel that a day to remember the people who have done big things and more importantly dreamt big, is exactly what the world needs right now.

Join the entrepreneur movement. Stimulate the economy. Spread the word.

http://entrepreneursday.org

Post from: Fuel Your Venture

In their own words:

TechCrunch Disrupt is a three-day, single-track conference and startup competition to immerse you in the debate about what’s changing in media and technology right now, what’s causing it and what we need to do about it to survive and thrive in real time. TechCrunch Disrupt gathers the leaders and innovators of the technology and media industries to give you deep insights into the creative destruction happening right now. The big changes. And the subtle trends.

Tablet computing. Smart phones. Real-time conversations. The geo-stream. The evolution of advertising. Rich media platforms. Software in the cloud. And social media. All of these things are connected, and are converging in different ways.

We’ll bring the experts together to talk about what’s next. And why.

***

There’s more than advice, guidance, and networking opportunity on offer. Over the three days emerging companies will be competing in the Startup Battlefield, showcasing their talents and new designs of both hardware and software. One of them will leave the conference with $50,000 to continue to grow, create and succeed in their field.

In the real startup battlefield, beyond the conference, things are constantly changing. TechCrunch Disrupt will immerse you in where media and technology are heading, how not only to make your company survive the changes, but how it can thrive by moving forward and being the change instead of being lost in the rush. At the event you will hear from some of the best in the business, who have been there and done it, and can help you to do it. Check out the confirmed speakers and secure a place by booking tickets here.

If you’re in New York City this weekend, before the Disrupt conference starts in full, check out the free TechCrunch Hack Day – being organised by Chad Dickerson (who held the first Hack Days at Yahoo, now CTO of Etsy), Daniel Raffel (Yahoo) and Tarikh Korula (Uncommon Projects) and Jonah Brucker-Cohen (Scrapyard Challenge). Work with others to create and build something new, hardward or software, and work long into the night to get the chance to present onstage to over 2,000 people. Registration for the Hack Day begins Saturday 22nd at 1pm, 570 Washington Street (between Houston and Clarkson Streets), 2nd floor, New York, NY 10014. Find more info on the Hack Day here.

Everyone can get something from the TechCrunch Disrupt. Be one of more than 1,000 innovators gaining market insight, developing new business, and moving forward with every change in the industry. Listen to executives from high-tech and media sectors speaking of the industry, but grab the opportunity to speak with them and network, developing new business ideas and being part of the latest thinking. Technologists will be seeing what the competition is up to. Startups will gain incredible exposure, with funders from all over the US, and find opportunities everywhere to take the next step. Disrupt will support your innovation. Investors will be there too, seeing the trends and products, getting in there before the competition does. New and exciting business and innovation will be exposed to press, bloggers and policy influences from every corner of the industry.

Dates & Times:
Saturday (tomorrow), May 22nd – Sunday, May 23rd, 2010: Hack Day (Registration begins Saturday, May 22nd at 1pm) 570 Washington Street (between Houston and Clarkson Streets), 2nd floor, New York, NY 10014

Monday, May 24: “What’s Going On?”

Tuesday, May 25: “How are Platforms and Content Evolving?”

Wednesday, May 26: “How do You Find Your Audience –and Make Money?”

Speakers include:

Tim Armstrong (CEO, AOL)
Nikesh Arora (President, Google)
Ron Conway (Founder, SV Angel)
Chris Cox (Vice President, Facebook)
Dennis Crowley (CEO, Foursquare)
Jack Dorsey (Founder, Square; Co-Founder, Twitter)
Eric Hippeau (CEO, Huffington Post)
Ben Horowitz (Partner, Andreessen Horowitz)
Vic Gundotra (Vice President, Google)
Frank Quattrone (Founder, Qatalyst)
Avner Ronen (CEO, Boxee)
Andrey Ternovskiy (CEO, ChatRoulette)
Fred Wilson (Partner, Union Square)

You can learn more about the TechCrunch Disrupt conference here.

Post from: Fuel Your Venture

The CEO and Founder of FreshBooks, Mike McDerment, will be there to address various questions entrpreneuers, have through topics such as the following:

Building – your web app, your company, your team
Marketing – with and without dollars
Product management – so you know what’s right to build
Metrics – to track your progress
Financing – the who, what, when, where, why and how 5Ws of fund raising

With such valuable information being shared, you’d be crazy to miss it however FreshBooks understand that not all people can travel to attend such events so if you’d like to register your vote for them to send Mike to your city, you can – plain and simple!

You can get more information about where and when the events are along with a sneak peak of the talks over on FreshThinking – the blog by FreshBooks.

Post from: Fuel Your Venture