Taking applications for volunteers

Like any organization, we are only as good as the people we are made of. With the new season getting underway, we will be looking to fill a few positions that have opened up, as some boardmembers have reached emeritus status and are rolling off. They are still with the forum, but have earned a 1 year hiatus. You can email the chair via the mitef.org website, or come to an event and talk with one of the board members (they wear a red ribbon). The next one will be in Ballston on September 22nd.

2009 – 2010 Board election results

MITEF Volunteer Professionals,

The EBAC met to review the election results and unanimously endorsed the following:
Chairman: Jean-Luc Park
Vice Chairman: John Franklin
Treasurer and Co-Treasurer: Harvey Perlstein and Helen Shimbo
Secretary: David Wiesen (understand his health is suffering right now and you are evaluating interim Secy’s)
Directors – Re-elected: Ira Gershkoff, Peter Hudson, Patrick May, Helen Shimbo, David Wiesen
Directors – New DC: Halima Aquino, Sharon Flank, Ashok Sivakumar
Directors – New Baltimore/MD: Larry Collins, Alfred Freire, Rick Spedden

Congratulations to new and returning leaders!

Planning for next year.

This season isn’t over yet, but preparations are beginning for next year’s events. Conversations for next year and 2011 business plans competitions have begun. Resources are being lined up at this time to allow for growth and expansion.

In terms of expansion we are still working on extending into Rockville. The first event is on track and the second event will start planning soon.

We are going to be planning next year’s schedule of themes and topics. Leverging off of this year’s popular themes and where the winds of change are moving us. The entrepreneurs are changing their focus, and so the forum will be change as well.

Jean-Luc Park

New initatives

June 9th will be the rockville talk to the angels.
Already companies have been applying.  the panelists have been invited, and it looks like it should be a good event for our soft launch in Rockville.
 
Volunteer dinner is coming up.
 
Already working on the business plan competition for next year,
 
Talking about the Gala as well.
 
And what else will be coming up from the volunteers for next season.
 
and as always, if you’re interested in joining up, just find someone with a board badge at one of our events, or badger whoever seems to be in charge, they’ll be happy for the help.
 

Met Morrison Foester at Capital Connection

Several of the lawyers were at capital connection for the past few days, it was good to catch up with then, and thanks go to them for hosting dinner on Tuesday night.

Cleanwater event

This was a full house tonight. A lot of interest in the topic. The panelists did a good job. But both clean india and spiralcat held the rapt attention of the audience.

There were a few technical problems, but that was my fault. Not the responsibility of the entrepreneurs.

All in all. I think the audience had a good time. The companies learned something and the panelists enjoyed themselves.

Jean-Luc Park

Cleantech Event tonight

The MABPC winner will be presenting, along with another local company Spiral Cat.
 
Both are in the business of cleaning water.
 
This should be an interesting discussion with a key focus on a vital concern.

New atttempt

Going to start blogging now, in order to help the volunteers and members know what is happening behind the scenes.

Right now, we are working on the May 19th event.
A possible Talk to the angels in June in VA
and one definite talk to the angels on June 9th in Rockville. The rockville event will be a biotechnology themed event.
June will also have our best of DC event. DC Discoveries.

We just finished our business plan competition, congrats to all the finalists.
We hosted the MIT Enterprise Forum chapter leadership conference.

See Pictures of the September 17, 2007 Event Startups From Space

See pictures of Lon Levin and Mike Griffin, and others who presented on a talk about entrepreneurship and its potential in area of space.    http://www.mitef.org

MIT Enterprise Forum Chapter Leadership Conference

Today, Robbie, Al, and I attended the MIT Enterprise Forum Chapter Leadership Conference.  We learned about new branding initiatives, the new chapter procedure guidelines, and ideas for increasing networking (including creating blogs like these from www.thinkjose.com) Look here for more information in the future.