Venture for America Company Spotlight with Carrollton Technology Partners located in New Orleans, Louisiana:

Carrollton Technology Partners (CarrolltonTech) exists for the purpose of working with clients to improve their operations. They utilize two main lines of business to accomplish this mission. To serve a broader audience they also create their own software and solutions as commercial products.

Their two lines of business are:

• Custom Programming and Website Development: Whether integrating eCommerce and legacy systems or creating completely new internet-based applications for web and mobile devices, their Development Group can bring your ideas online and to market.
• Systems Analysis and Network Services: Surviving is hard to do – surviving while growing is even harder. From security analysis to help desk to process consulting, their Systems and Network Group can help you get the most out of your IT investments and make IT a profit driver not a cost center.

Administrative Assistant, Stacy Toyer tells us more:

1. Tell us about Carrollton Technology Parnters.

In his engagements with clients,  Christopher Reade has had a wide variety of management responsibilities. He has taken control of his clients’ entire IT Divisions, worked within client IT divisions, and developed solutions without IT’s direct involvement on an as-needed basis.

As Carrollton’s Chief Technology Architect, Mr. Reade is involved in a variety of aspects of the company’s projects. In this capacity, he sets priorities and chooses key software vendors and solutions from both the sales and the production perspective. He works with the Vice President of Development to write application requirements, develop the application architecture, and provide high-level technical oversight on projects.

In post-Katrina Louisiana, Mr. Reade has been extremely active in working with various recovery agencies, both in government and non-profit sectors. In October, 2005, he helped found the Louisiana Family Recovery Corps which successfully used distributed technology to provide internet-based on-site case management for tens of thousands of families, a first in that industry. He was also instrumental in the creation of Louisiana’s Recovery Portal, LouisianaRebuilds.info, now re-named GNOInfo.com.

He is the past president of the Young Leadership Council in New Orleans and currently serves on the board of several organizations including Court Watch New Orleans, the Metropolitan Crime Commission, the Foundation for Science and Math Education and the Louisiana Technology Council. He was the 2007 Liberty Bell recipient from the Bar Association and provides daily information via his GNOInfo.com Minute radio spots on WWNO radio.

 

2. Name a fun fact about Carrollton Technology Partners.

Each day we have a 2:00pm group migration to PJ’s Coffee for fresh air and refuel!

3. What does your ideal Venture Fellow look like?

Our ideal fellow is someone who is sober and focused and biz-school savvy. We’re free-wheeling and adventurous and unfocused – if we had someone who was like us they might spin out into orbit.

4. What does the daily office routine look like?

Mr. Reade spends a great deal of time with clients and potential clients. He has knowledge of all aspects of clients’ accounts and the work that is done. Clients feel comfortable calling him to talk about projects being done.

To find out more about Carrollton Technology Partners:

Web: http://www.carrolltontech.com

Twitter: @CarrolltonTech

Venture for America Company Spotlight with Federated Sample located in New Orleans, Louisiana:

Federated Sample is a market research technology firm focused on bringing efficiency and automation to sampling through the Fulcrum Platform. Fulcrum is the world’s first complete project management suite to give clients the power to seamlessly integrate multiple suppliers, increase productivity and reduce costs. Ranging from vertically integrated research firms to sample suppliers, clients who license Fulcrum enjoy increased efficiency and with minimal technology development costs. This simplified survey management platform boasts white-labeled routing and improved respondent experience all while giving clients exceptional control and sample quality. For more information, visit www.federatedsample.com.

Project Manager, Brook Bissinger, and VP of Finance and Administration, Christy Luquire tells us more:

1. Tell us about Federated Sample.

Federated Sample started when Patrick Comer, Founder and CEO, realized he could solve many of the inefficiencies in the Market Research Sampling world with a new centralized platform. The Company was incorporated in March of 2010 and has seen incredible growth over the last 18 months.

The company is venture backed with 24 employees and offices in New Orleans (headquarters), New York and Los Angeles plus satellite offices in Charleston, SC and Barcelona, Spain.

2. Name a fun fact about Federated Sample.

Federated Sample…

• …sends King Cakes to our clients each year
• …is known for our FED Lime
• …plays in a company-wide Fantasy Football league. Winner gets an extra day of vacation! 

3. What does your ideal Venture Fellow look like?

FED employees must be excited to learn a new industry and think creatively. With exceptional communication and excel skills, this person will be excited to dig in and soak up everything that is going on with our growing company.

We take calculated risks and think on our feet, anyone that is part of the FED team must keep up!

4. What does the daily office routine look like?

Fulcrum is a web-based platform, so FED employees can work anywhere internet access is available. However, we like our co-workers and are inspired by being in the office and talking through the latest developments and improvements to the platform. Our office is relaxed and friendly and although all employees are focused and busy with their daily routine, we always find ways to liven up the atmosphere.

With headquarters on the edge of the French Quarter in New Orleans, we often experience lively interruptions with impromptu parades on Canal Street, parties at Harrah’s Casino or HUGE cruise ships passing through down the Mississippi river.

To find out more about Federated Sample:

Web: http://www.federatedsample.com/
FB: https://www.facebook.com/FederatedSample
Twitter: @FedSample

We’re thrilled about the level of enthusiasm Venture for America has generated over the past months – we’re fortunate enough to have received applications from many outstanding candidates leading up to the November 28th deadline. 
In the past week or so, several applicants have approached us with an issue – they’d received an employment offer that required a response by early December.  They remain very excited about Venture for America, but would struggle to turn down a firm offer for one that might or might not materialize from VFA. 
After some deliberation, we have decided to consider those applicants who have completed their submission by 6 p.m, November 17th. (Completed means that they’ve submitted essays/transcripts/resume and requested all recommendations). If a candidate has submitted all materials prior to November 17th, he or she can choose to be considered immediately.  Candidates will go through the customary 1st round (review of submitted materials) and 2nd round (phone interview) to determine if they will be invited to the new Selection Day on Friday, December 2nd in New York. 
For candidates who have not yet completed their submission, don’t worry – you’re in good company.  Fewer than 5% of applicants have submitted their applications by November 17th, so the vast majority of Fellowship positions will remain open for consideration.  Please complete your submission as soon as possible.  We plan to move up the timetable next year to be more in sync with the recruitment calendar. 

For any questions regarding the application process, feel free to contact us at apply@ventureforamerica.org. 

Meeting many of you over these past months has been an inspiration.  If we succeed in channeling your talent, passion, and motivation, we will restore our nation’s economic vitality.  Venture for America exists to help support your aspirations and lend structure and community to a path that can be somewhat isolating.  We’re looking forward to meeting many more of you in the months to come.
All of the best, – Andrew

Venture for America Company Spotlight with Detroit Labs located in Detroit, Michigan:

Detroit Labs is your technology launch pad. They build iPhone, iPad, Android, and Web applications for businesses ranging from local start ups to Fortune 500 Companies.

With a culture of passion, collaboration, and innovation, Detroit Labs helps revitalize Detroit by developing a community of entrepreneurial inventors who produce cutting edge technology in the heart of downtown Detroit.

Co-Founder and VP, Business Development at Detroit Labs, Dan Ward, tells us more:

1. Tell us about Detroit Labs.

The idea for Detroit Labs had been kicked around for a little while then Detroit Venture Partners decided to run with it. The four co-founders were pulled from all different segments of business and technology to form a team. The four of us had never worked with each other and for the most part had not met until we started Detroit Labs.

2. Name a fun fact about Detroit Labs.

The team is constantly fighting over who gets to play the music and they also participate in team workouts called “Extreme.”

3. What does your ideal Venture Fellow look like?

Ideally we would like someone with a deep technical background and passion. We are very focused on mobile so experience in iOS or Android would be ideal.

4. What does the daily office routine look like?

We don’t have a daily office routine. Other than client stand up meetings, our guys come and go as they please, play loud music and have lots of freedom. As long as client work is getting done then it is very unstructured.

 

To find out more about Detroit Labs:

Web: http://www.detroitlabs.com/
FB: http://www.facebook.com/DetroitLabs
Twitter: @DetroitLabs

In case you missed it! Venture for America Board member, Apar Kothari, talks about what she learned from building the first sample site aggregator MyNines to how she continues to gain experience in her current role as Vice President and Head of New Business Development & Strategic Partnerships at Rue La La.
Check out her post here:

Business Insider: What I Learned From Building The First Sample Sales Aggregator MyNines

Columbia University senior, Derek Turner, writes about his views on entrepreneurship and why it may just offer benefits that other fields don’t. Read Derek’s article here:

The Eye: The Iliad and the IPO: The case for entrepreneurship-and how Columbia College neglects it

Yale senior, Marina Keegan, writes about how “every year around 25 percent of employed Yale graduates enter the consulting and finance industries,” and why she thinks this needs to change. Check out her article at the link below.

New York Times: Another View: The Science and Strategy of College Recruiting

Venture for America Company Spotlight with Detroit Venture Partners located in Detroit, Michigan:

Detroit Venture Partners is a Detroit-based Venture Capital firm on a crazed mission. They back seed and early-stage technology companies who have a purpose.

Detroit Venture Partners’ purpose is to help rebuild the Detroit area through entrepreneurial fire. They view business building as a palette for creative expression and an opportunity to make a difference and change the world.

Vice President at Detroit Venture Partners, Jake Cohen, tells us more:

1. Tell us about Detroit Venture Partners.

Detroit Venture Partners was founded by Josh Linkner with fellow partners Dan Gilbert, Brian Hermelin, and Earvin “Magic” Johnson in 2010. We’re a VC firm by entrepreneurs, for entrepreneurs, with a mission to support the Detroit 2.0 movement of transforming Detroit into a Midwest innovation and tech hub.

 2. Name a fun fact about Detroit Venture Partners.

“Shatter Conventional Wisdom”. We follow that mantra pretty religiously and embrace entrepreneurs who are daring to disrupt. As a VC, we’re not here just to sign a check. We leverage our own networks and experience to help our entrepreneurs in all aspects of their business, from bringing on the right talent to building relationships with key partners.

3. What does your ideal Venture Fellow look like?

We’re looking for energetic people who are passionate about entrepreneurship and can move fast with a small team. We’re very committed to building strong teams with family culture. It’s important for potential Venture Fellows to understand that joining a startup is not about a billion-dollar exit, but rather creating value together with a group of people they care about. It’s definitely not a 9-5 job. More like a “Live well, Work hard, Play together” lifestyle.

4. What does the daily office routine look like?

We recently moved into our offices at the gorgeous Madison Theatre building, a historical landmark that just finished a $11 million renovation project by Bedrock Real Estate. Our office routine has changed with this new move, but usually involves meeting exciting new entrepreneurs either remotely or in-person and balancing projects related to the Detroit 2.0 movement.

To find out more about Detroit Venture Partners:

Web:http://detroitventurepartners.com/
FB: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Detroit-Venture-Partners

New blog post from Venture for America Founder and President, Andrew Yang:

One of the central premises of Venture for America is that having the right people on board early in a company’s development is crucial to a business growing and achieving its potential. The more experienced an entrepreneur is, the more he or she tends to value early hires.

There are a few reasons why. First, in most organizations top employees are not just incrementally more productive than average workers. They’re MUCH more productive. Mark Zuckerberg was quoted as saying the top programmer is 100 times more productive than an average programmer. While that’s a bit dramatic, it’s true that having a handful of top-notch people on board early makes any company much more likely to establish itself and succeed. Devising a new and innovative product or offering and delivering on it are a lot more doable if you have a few of the right people around.

Second, in a start-up people’s roles often morph and grow over time. Ideally you’re hiring someone not to do a job, but to do or even invent a bigger job when the company expands. At my last company we hired a brilliant guy straight out of college to the Marketing Department. Over time, he realized that we needed to bulk up our online presence. He wound up teaching himself to code, revamped much of our site, and over the next couple of years became the Manager of a brand new Online Marketing department that was built around him. He’s now getting his Master’s Degree in Computer Science. Not coincidentally, the company’s revenue grew about 150% during this period. You’re not always sure what your needs are going to be as the company grows; the right people will help you figure them out and fill whatever needs that do arise.

Third, if you have strong early hires, it’s highly attractive to other talented and hard-working people. There’s an aphorism that A people hire B’s, B people hire C’s, and C people hire losers. The challenge is to hire A’s from the outset and keep the quality high for as long as you possibly can. It’s a million times easier to build a winning team if the first few players are talent magnets. On the flipside, it’s brutal trying to pull together the right people if you have someone around early on that doesn’t generate a high degree of confidence/enthusiasm/respect. Cultures get built from the beginning, and whoever joins a company takes cues from whoever’s already there.

When building a team, a common saying in start-up world is, “Slow to Hire, Fast to Fire.” Good organizations work very hard at recruiting and retaining the right people. To paraphrase Margaret Mead, don’t doubt what a small group of smart, committed people can accomplish – because that’s the way everything starts.

Venture for America Company Spotlight with Andera, located in Providence, Rhode Island:

Andera is the leader in online customer acquisition solutions for financial institutions. Its suite of products and services includes online account opening, consumer marketing, fraud prevention and an in-house software development kit.

Andera also has the largest network of core processor providers, third-party data services, and financial institutions connected to deliver more profitable customers to banks and credit unions.

President and CEO of Andera, Charlie Kroll, tells us more:

1. Tell us about Andera.

Andera is a technology company that helps financial institutions acquire new customers. The company is venture backed with $13MM raised, 95 employees, offices in Providence, New York, and San Francisco, and more than 500 bank and credit union customers nationwide. The company was founded while I was still an undergrad at Brown University in 2000, originally as a web development firm. Over time, the company evolved into a SaaS provider of account opening and funding applications for financial institutions, and today is focused on changing banks’ retail experience through multi-channel origination technology that takes the hassle (and paper) out of applying for new accounts or loans.

2. Name a fun fact about Andera.

We often enjoy free sodas and juices, Friday bagels, regular catered all-hands meetings, a keg with awesome craft beers, and quarterly hack-a-thons where folks stay up all night implementing crazy ideas.

3. What does your ideal Venture Fellow look like?

Creative, challenges the status quo, thrives in an unstructured environment, demonstrated evidence of achievement, and is able to get stuff done. We hire for talent and culture, and care about these things way more than experience or what degree you’ve got.

4. What does the daily office routine look like?

Even though Andera is 10 years old, it still feels like a start-up. The culture is informal and fun, with smart people who enjoy making a difference and changing an industry. As mentioned above, there’s always fun things going on like regular catered all-hands meetings  and quarterly hack-a-thons. We’re also about to move into a larger space in Providence with lots of whiteboards, huddle rooms, open space, natural light, lounge areas, WiFi, ping pong, and air hockey. In short, the kind of place we wanted to work in.

To find out more about Andera:

Web: http://www.andera.com
FB: https://www.facebook.com/AnderaInc
Twitter: @AnderaInc

By Guest Blogger- Gen Furukawa, Samuel Curtis Johnson Graduate School of Management at Cornell
College campuses have an abundance of interesting references to ancient Roman history, through the architectural styles, the study of Roman philosophy, even the mottoes that define the schools (my alma mater is In deo speramus). Yet even after studying Latin for seven years, as an undergraduate student I failed to understand the true meaning of a simple phrase: Carpe Diem. Seize the day. Sure, I knew that I would eventually Seize the Day, but only after working “at a real job” for a few years.
I saw any delay in employment after graduation as a chasm between me and my peers. I can’t turn back time, but I can get a second chance. I am now in business school, which has provided me the chance to hit the figurative “Reset” button. I promised myself that I would maximize all privileges that came with my student status to “become an entrepreneur.”
After graduating from Brown University in 2004, I got swept up with the galloping herd of newly minted graduates and believed that I needed a job ASAP in order to validate my college degree. So I obligingly paid my dues in a corporate job, plotted out my career trajectory, and quickly saw with frightening clarity how my future could play out for the next thirty years if I didn’t veer off the corporate path. I loved watching the action at Dunder Mifflin, but didn’t want to spend my life in The Office.
So I realized from my first days as a business school student at The Johnson School at Cornell that the experience would be a sprint from start to finish. The ultimate goal: start a business before I graduate. As an undergrad, I missed the opportunity to explore the wealth of resources readily available to entrepreneurial students, and I wanted a sip of the startup kool-aid too. Despite warnings of a Cornell contagion called FOMO (an acronym for “Fear of Missing Out”), I was going to do everything I could that included “Entrepreneurship” in the title.
Business school has helped me solidify a foundation (at least academically) to start a business when that time does come. And I have weaved my way into the epicenter of the startup community at Cornell, which is pulsing with entrepreneurial energies everywhere. I have immersed myself in the community in a number of ways: MBA Fellow for Entrepreneuership@Cornell, where we are building a mobile app to help students, alumni, and faculty network and engage with fellow Cornell entrepreneurs; eLab Fellow, where I mentor and help undergraduate entrepreneurs at Cornell’s incubator; a VP of the Entrepreneurship Club, where I organize weekly University-wide events and treks to NYC; and Teaching Assistant for several entrepreneurship-related classes. These are all fulfilling activities that have exposed me to the dynamic nature of entrepreneurs that I love.
Venture for America is the first innovative program that captures this vibrant entrepreneurial spirit of college campuses and translates it into a program that helps recent graduates create immediate value in their organization and impacts communities, cities, and America in a very tangible way. I wish that something like this existed when I was an ambitious undergrad looking for a small nudge in the right direction. Venture for America combines the vision for a better world that resounds so loudly with many young Americans, and infuses the self-empowering nature of entrepreneurship. The result: the realization that we can shape our own future. Now. Carpe Diem!
For anyone who can attend, come learn more about Venture for America when Founder & President Andrew Yang visits Cornell on Tuesday, November 15th. Event details can he found here:
http://on.fb.me/cornellvfa2
Contact Gen at gwf36 [at] cornell.edu or on Twitter @genfurukawa

Check out the opinion piece by Venture for America Board of Directors member Darren MacDonald in UC Berkeley’s The Daily Californian.

 Read the article on The Daily Californian’s website here: Exploring a new path to entrepreneurship