Friday, April 3, 2009

Introducing RochesterStartups.com

I was asked by the folks at SpringStage to be the Catalyst for the Rochester area Startup blog and I eagerly accepted. To get a feel for what Springstage is, and what a "Rochester Catalyst" is I encourage you to review this post, which I will summarize here.

" “What is SpringStage.”

  • First, let me explain what SpringStage is NOT:
  • SpringStage is not an angel network
  • SpringStage is not an investment group
  • SpringStage is not a business incubator

SpringStage is a network of community catalysts who are in tune with their local entrepreneurship and startup scenes. Our goal is to find entrepreneurs who are interested in promoting startup culture and community in their hometowns. The network formally launched in early 2009. This is the first step in ensuring that there is a visible resource in every community for early stage entrepreneurs.

Today, if you’re new to a city and you want to be involved in the startup scene there, there is no clear cut way to get involved. Springstage hopes to fix that by identifying and promoting credible catalysts in each community. We are providing the infrastructure for those catalysts to begin promoting their location entrepreneurship scene immediately. "

As a board member on the Eyes On the Future event board, Rochester GVCSHRM, Rochester Neighborhood of the Arts, and JSEC, and a former Rochester Small Business Council board member, and an advisor to Nazareth's Business development program, as well as a serial entrepreneur and developer myself, I feel I have a good cross-sectional background to publish articles of an interesting and engaging nature in www.rochesterstartups.com. But I do need your help. I'm looking for entrepreneurs (at all stages in development) and in all different growth areas to answer a brief 5 question profile, and I'm looking especially for great articles or interviews from Angels, Venture or other investors.

If you are a consultant who works with entrepreneurs, I urge you to pitch me on a story about your services and how they can help the local entrepreneur be successful. We also want to build a link-list of service providers in the area.

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