Moving Beyond Entrepreneurship
To
Mark Lang
Charter Partners Institute
Context  Success
Ben Franklin Technology PArtners
Northeastern Pennsylvania
1983 – 2001 Results
Created 282 companies
Developed 420 new products & processes
Created or retained over 21,000 jobs with salaries
45% higher than PA average
Started one of first university-based incubators
Developed one of the first entrepreneurial
business networks
©2010 Charter Partners Institute
Context  Question?
BFP was helping specific
entrepreneurs …
But
The region was not becoming
more entrepreneurial …
©2010 Charter Partners Institute
st Century Competition
21Context
 Question?
BFP was helping a lot of
entrepreneurs ….
But
Development of global innovation
Rise of the rest
networks
Why
wasconstantly
the region not
becoming
Companies
must
renew,
entrepreneurial?
improve, andmore
innovate
to survive
All employees must contribute to
innovation, not just a few entrepreneurs
©2010 Charter Partners Institute
(1) Innovation
Entrepreneurship
Not enough natural entrepreneurs
(2) Can we teach entrepreneurship?
Yes, but – how to start a company
business planning
(Kaufman Study)
(3) Can we teach innovation?
Yes, but – discovery learning, practice
©2010 Charter Partners Institute
Traditional Business Development
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Traditional Business Development
with Creative Brainstorming
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Innovative Business Development
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Todd’s Challenge
Todd’s Challenge
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eVenture 2010
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Progression of Learning
Learn then
Do Project
Project-based
Learning
Innovative
Project-based
Learning
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Steve & Laurie Comments
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Learning the Innovation Process
Steps
1. Set the context (self directed in teams)
Think, team, trust
Work time and release time, physical environment
Peer learning
2. Challenge students to “find a better way”
Leverage collaboration, examples, games
No “right” answers
3. Help students evaluate implementation steps
Mini-business plan framework
Research on internet and phone
Ask good questions
4. Reach out to test ideas in the real marketplace
Discovery or Self-directed Learning
©2010 Charter Partners Institute
Learning the Innovation Process
Resources
1. Physical environment
2. Business mentors
Ask good questions
Avoid giving direction or analysis
3. Alumni mentors
Learn more from others near one’s age
4. Games and tools
Much more to be done
©2010 Charter Partners Institute
Learning the Innovation Process
Barriers
1. Identify a practical idea that can be done better
Find new solution, not report or fundraiser or
recommendation to someone else
2. Determine how to proceed in face of ambiguity
Need research, but it will not provide direction
Develop your intuition
How to determine what you don’t know you don’t know
3. Learn about yourself
Test your persistence, confidence, vision, working style
©2010 Charter Partners Institute
eVenture 2009 Businesses
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DeVante Abraham Comments
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Next Steps
Resources and tools
Understand the 21st Century competitive environment
Videos, games, guides, etc. to help teach innovation
Facilitate communities of practice
Educators and students
Connect to standards
Teacher education programs
Advocacy
©2010 Charter Partners Institute
The greatest danger for most of us
is not that our aim is too high and
we miss it, but that it is too low
and we reach it.
--- Michelangelo
©2010 Charter Partners Institute