Legendary Venture Capitalist Tim Draper of Draper Fisher Jurvetson, investor in Skype and Hotmail, not only captured the audience at USASBE ‘09 with his cutting-edge insight into the future of venture capital funding and technology, but somehow inspired 400 academias to clap enthusiastically to the beat of entrepreneurship.

Before I cover his entertaining musical interlude, here are several insights from his speech that caught my attention:

• “Entrepreneurs are heroes. Right now, we NEED heroes.”
• “After every bubble burst, there was a spike in innovation. Be ready for it.”
• “In 1423, if you were in Salem, MA, facing a wall and talking to yourself, you’d be burned at the stake. If you were at UC Berkeley in 1970, facing a wall and talking to yourself, you’d be considered stoned.  Nowadays, if you are facing a wall and talking to yourself, you’re probably on your cell phone.”

AND, this is where you should start paying attention! The future, according to Draper:

• Abundantly cheap water
• Non-invasive health devices
• Net zero energy homes
• Reigniting batteries
• Piloted electric cars
• Online education for the masses
• All computing from the cloud
• 3D on demand for entertainment
• Storable instant fresh meals (something, he said, he is greatly looking forward to :))
• Genetic disease prediction
• Cure for Cancer, AIDs, & Malaria
• 5cents/KWH electric fuel
• New life forms
• Cure for heart disease

After business is taken care of, Draper loosens up… and busts out the musical notes! It sure is refreshing to see such a well-respected and highly-regarded business leader poking fun at himself.

C’mon, guys, sing along! “He isss the rissskmmassstterrrr…..”

At a conference with 400 educators, center directors, and advocates, I was the ONLY STUDENT.  To my delight, of course.

I got a sneak peek into where our professors get their information, initiative, research, and tips.

There were sessions on everything from “Developing Entrepreneurship Education” to “Hiring Entrepreneurial Students” to “Integration of Entrepreneurship Education & Clubs” to “Technology Commercialization @ Universities”

I infiltrated. I learned. I took away…

Most surprising key lesson:

For graduating seniors studying Entrepreneurship, there are some smart options to consider if you’re not ready for a start-up. a) You can work for a start-up, b) You can work with a company like ValPak or Tom James whose missions are to mentor, develop, and advance their employees, c) You can become a franchisee, or d) You can work in sales.

Sales? I know. Sounds crazy. But they almost sold me on this one.. no pun intended.  Being able to “sell” is such a critical piece of being an entrepreneur (from selling your idea to convincing others to work with you, etc), that sales very easily becomes a vital piece of the big picture.

Outstanding Keynotes:

Don Kuratko, “the Tony Robbins of Entrepreneurship” as put by a good friend of mine , told the shaking story of entrepreneurship education in the US:

“30 years ago there were only 6 universities that had recognized (entrepreneurship) programs. In the early 2000s, that number grew to 1,600. The initiative didn’t come from us. It came from the students. They CLAMORED for it! And we must not forget that.”

He went on to define entrepreneurship, in the context of the global economic state:

“… It is the most potent economic force the world has ever seen.”

His advice to the educators present?

1. “Be dedicated to entrepreneurship research - the creation of it, the respect for it, and the application of it.  Serve on editorial boards of journals, and to the criticizers, tell them - entrepreneurship is NOT magic. It’s a discipline, and like any discipline, it can be learned.“
2. “As entrepreneurship expands throughout your respective campuses, be careful not to lose its meaning!”
3. “If you sit and tell yourself how difficult campus administration is to convince, remember - Powerlessness is a state of mind.  If you THINK you’re powerless, then you ARE.”
4. “We have reached a point in time when the gap between what can be imagined and what can be accomplished has never been smaller.”
5. “The old order of things is crumbling and a new way is painfully trying to structure itself. Be a part of that.”

Tomorrow LIVE @ USASBE - Tim Draper of Draper Fisher Jurvetson, one of the world’s most legendary venture capitalists!

Microsoft Keynote

“The future of technology will be 3 screens – the PC, the phone, and the TV.  There will eventually be one single platform for creating all connected experiences, and we are proud to know that Windows will be the FUTURE!”

“We have written the language that over 1 billion people speak.”

- Steve Ballmer, Microsoft CEO @ CES ‘09

Sony Keynote

The CEO of Sony, Sir Howard Stringer, brought on stage a plethora of celebrities. Finding myself among a sea of “tech geeks”, I was easily able to scramble to the front of the audience when USHER came out on stage!!!!!

…What?

I am a normal girl after all.

Sir Howard didn’t forget to bring out the rest of his friends: Tom Hanks and baseball Hall of Famer Reggie Jackson also made appearances.

Uh… the new Sony Products? Ummm…..

Ford Keynote

Alan Mulally, CEO of Ford, mainly covered Sync, their new in-car communications and entertainment system forged from their Microsoft partnership. According to Mulally, there are nearly 1 million Ford cars on the road with Sync.  “Reviews have actually been great, too!” Their is hope for America’s car brand, after all?

Alan Mulally brings out Steve Ballmer to talk about their “new exciting partnership.”

Then, there’s me with Mulally! I waited patiently to talk to him. As I introduce myself, I hear his assistant proclaim, “It’s a Mulally LOVE-fest.”

I’ll tell you, though. Alan Mulally is a genuinely COOL person. Definitely on “the Factor” list. Not only did he hang around to talk to the audience members for 45 minutes, he took the time to sincerely talk to each one of them!

Verdict? Pencil It In Next Year! Jan 7-10, 2010

From the amazing 3-D Sound headphones to the world’s largest plasma flatscreen (150 inches!) to the thousands of interesting, smart people to the amazing keynotes to… Las Vegas - CES is a MUST for you in 2010!

Before I left for this “adventure” (as my parents put it), I made sure to change my Facebook status to “Lauren will be in Vegas for CES. Who else is going??” A good friend of mine commented:

“Half the WORLD goes to CES.”

Actually a very small percentage of the world goes to CES – only 150,000 out of the 6.7 billion humans there are on this planet. So, he was in fact, very wrong. However, if half of the world did go, which half would you be with?

Another friend commented:

“I don’t like zoos.”

There may be about 150,000 people at a large zoo in a city, on any given day. So in that respect I’ll concede.

But zoos are stinky, dirty, and ugly looking. I’ll let you decide for yourself, but judging by the picture of the Venetian to the right, I’d say if this is a zoo, it’s a zoo for the animals with Black Cards!

Steve Ballmer, Microsoft CEO Keynote

Bill Gates has spoken at CES for the past 14 years, but 2009 called for a fresh outlook.  Considering, however, that having Microsoft open CES is a solid tradition, they didn’t stray too far away from the cradle. (strikingly representative of the world’s overall dependency on Microsoft!)  Steve Ballmer, CEO of Microsoft, will present tonight at 6:30pm PT.  Ballmer is known for continuing the legacy of Gates by building the current competitive culture of the corporation.

A very interesting research project would be to survey  the world’s PC users and ask them how many (regardless of if they actually will) want to make the terrifying Windows-to-Apple switch? Myself being one of them, I am sure the results would not favor Mister Softee. My point being… It’s an impactful year for Microsoft to show how innovative and user-friendly they really are, especially because of the economy. In fact, as I sit here, a dorky reporter asks a clueless girl:

Dorky Reporter: “So we are trying to discover what people here think Ballmer’s new product will be. What do you think?”

Girl: “uhhhh… I don’t really know anything about it.”

What do you think it will be? C’mon, no answer can be worse than the one I just had to painfully sit through.

Tune back in tonight in the am or tomorrow morning for CES coverage!

Me with: Matt Groening, Steve Wozniak, & Bello Nock

My life was turned upside down in Monterey, CA last weekend.  How did I get there? Why did I go? (especially with finals the following week!) What compelled me? The factor, of course! :)  I saw possibilities in Monterey and literally dropped everything, booked hotel and flight, without available funds, per se, and hoped my parents would be okay with it.

Never before have I been in a room with so many people with the factor before.  These individuals were energetic, inspiring, driven, creative, and entrepreneurial visionaries.  Some of the people I met and interviewed include Steve Wozniak, Matt Groening, Tim Ferriss, Amy Tan, Mike Rowe, and Peter Diamandis. The experience and inspirational advice from these people were out of this world.

So - I was blown away in Monterey for 4 main reasons:

1) The revolutionary ideas, breaking research, and global progress presented to us.

For example, one of my favorite talks was Dan Ariely’s on his research and book - “Predictably Irrational.” He has dissected human behavior and discovered some pretty wild results that are difficult to explain.  For example, “I give you a choice. A trip to Rome. Or a weekend in Paris. All expenses covered. And most choose Paris. But what if I added a fourth condition. You get a trip to Rome or Paris, all expenses paid. But no breakfast is included in Paris. You have to pay for the breakfast in Paris. Suddenly, Rome with breakfast becomes more desired than Rome without breakfast.”  So I ask - how are you irrational?

Another one was David MaCaulay, author of “How Do We Work?” One day, he decided that he wanted to understand — really understand — how everything inside of us works.  So he created illustrations of our insides using everyday items.

Bruce Shapiro.  The perfect example of an inquisitive and curious human mind.  He is a true inventor, and I was captivated by the creations he brought on stage.  For example, he discovered how to make bubbles shape into someone’s face.

David Gallo on his and Bill Lange’s unbelievable discoveries miles below the sea level.  Fish living in 200 degree celsius water in underwater lakes.  Someone from the audience joked, “hard to cook fish!”

Or Zahi Hawass, from the Discovery Channel, retelling his discover of King Tut!  (Zahi is one of the most passionate people I’ve ever seen present)

2) Main lesson: a truly simple idea can quickly evolve into something intense, powerful, popular, or captivating.

For example, check out speaker Matt Harding’s video on Youtube.  Simple, fun, exciting, compelling.  From a simple idea, Harding’s dances have become iconic and community-inspiring.

Or, for a powerful switch of gears, look at Miru Kim’s work.  Never in my life have I seen something like this.

3) It is critical to open your world up past your main interest and goal / ambition in life. For example, on a limited college budget, I try to only attend business-related conferences being a business / entrepreneurial-minded student.  However, after having been exposed to research, ideas, and breakthroughs in oceanography, photography, sustainability, space exploration, lifestyle design, and many others, I’ve realized that diversity of perspective is critical to becoming an interesting and well-cultured person that people want to not only work with, but converse with.

4) Quality & Creativity of the Event: Ever wonder how it feels to be wined and dined?? Not only amazing were the obvious extras, but the thought and creativity that came along with them.

For example, when the conference began, no one came to the stage and welcomed us verbally.  Instead, Greg Anderson and Elizabeth Joy Roe left us buzzing for more with their captivating piano duet. They got your blood flowing, your head buzzing, your eyes wide open, and your senses jazzing.  As an event-planner, I can’t imagine a better desired mood for your audience in opening seminar!

Also, when I got in line for registration (behind Amy Tan and Groening, by the way!) the registration staff handed me a deck of oversized playing cards, each one featuring a speaker.

There was a fun circus theme to everything, the idea of Michael Hawley, the EG’s Producer.  To signal the start of each seminar, they’d play loud circus music, which - I know - sounds absolutely looney, but it actually created a unique and exciting atmosphere.

I deeply thank all those who made this experience possible.  They know who they are.  My head is still swirling in inspiration and ideas, so I welcome anyone to reach out with questions or interest in any of the above topics.

Only a week after 10% of Bryant’s student population stormed the Harvard campus and filled up his concert hall, Benjamin Zander came to our home turf — Bryant University — for an “Evening of Ideas & Shining Eyes.”

I started the event with, “Let me explain how Benjamin Zander ended up in Smithfield, Rhode Island.” I started telling the story of our first phone call, but he grabbed the microphone and said, “Lauren, sit down.  I HAVE to finish this story.”  To the erupting laughter of the audience, I conceded!

Over the course of the evening, back and forth between the piano and the audience, Zander introduced three revolutionary concepts to the Bryant campus:

1) You can live in one of two worlds: the world of downward spirals or the world of radiating possibilities.

When you are trapped in downward spirals, everything is either a success or a failure. For example, our country’s educational system - either an A or an F. And what happens when you reach your A? Is that it? Is it only down from there?  Most of what we read in the newspapers, or see on TV, are downward spirals.  For example, “Sports… Survivor… The Apprentice… Paris Hilton telling you what she thinks about the world.”

However, over in the world of radiating possibilities, you don’t know WHAT’S going to happen!  You just know it’s going to be good.  Possibilities and opportunities radiate in every which way.  Instead of stopping for that “A” you create your own grade, outside the realm of traditional measurements.

2) In order to live in the latter world, you must be able to enroll others in your mission. The example he used was how we enrolled him to come speak at Bryant for free. “Usually people offer me a lot of money to come speak.  Lauren offered me nothing!”  Instead, I tried my best to show him all of the non-monetary value there was in coming to speak to so many passionate, entrepreneurial students.  Enroll others in your mission by opening up possibilities for them they didn’t even know were there.

3) THE FACTOR. Every single moment of your life you have a chance to be a leader.  To be a leader, you must open up possibilities for others that they never knew, nor imagined, were there.  Anyone can manage employees, but to continually and passionately open up possibilities for others is a skill worth admiring and emulating.

Having the factor simply means that you are not only living in the world of radiating possibilities, but are also actively enrolling others to join you.

The evening itself was an unforgettable moment in Bryant’s history of events and we deeply thank Benjamin Zander for transforming the mindset of tomorrow’s young leaders.

It all started on TED.com. Surfing through the videos (which – by the way – is like TV for interesting people) I came across Benjamin Zander, conductor for the Boston Philharmonic. Suddeny I was sitting in the TED audience, or so it felt like it.  Zander was captivating, inspiring, transformational. All the traits of a world-class speaker. However, not even the world’s best speaker can bring a room of 1,600 busy, influential people to their feet singing “Ode to Joy” like Zander can.  I decided then and there that I would somehow bring him to speak at my school.

Less than seven weeks later, Benjamin Zander and I had set a date for his presentation at Bryant. When I first called him, what did I hear on the other end? No secretary. No switchboard. No virtual assistant named “Julie” with a scary human-like conversational tone, apologizing for not understanding you. Just the same pleasant voice I had heard on TED -  Mr. Zander himself.

I’ll leave you to Google Zander’s speaker fee, but let’s just say you can probably buy yourself a generation of TED tickets with the same amount. However, as Zander said later, he heard “possibility” in my voice (which really equated to an excited, anxious college girl), that inspired him to say “yes.” This shows that Zander is truly in it for the mission. And let me tell you, his mission is a great one.

He only wanted one thing in return.

“Why don’t you bring some students to my concert in October? So they can see what we’re all about.”

“Sure, Mr. Zander!”

Soon thereafter, I met him in person at his home in Cambridge to discuss the event and logistical topics. Then he brought up the concert:

“You know, it’d be truly amazing if you got a couple hundred students to come to the concert! Imagine it! I guess this can be a test of entrepreneurialism.”

“Sure, Mr. Zander! 200 college students to a classical music concert in the middle of midterms? No problem!!”

Anything’s possible in the world of possibility, right?

Well, just six weeks later, we were loading five coach buses of college students, mid-mid-terms, to see a classical music concert conducted by a person they had virtually never heard of.

At the concert, we saw the amazing George Li, and of course Benjamin Zander in action.

As we filed in and slowly filled up Harvard’s Memorial Hall, Zander frantically ran in between and up to all the students, shaking their hands, personally welcoming them, even hugging my roommates!

When all was said and done, here is a student testimonial to describe the evening:

“Zander and his orchestra definitely reached out to a part of me that I didn’t even know existed. The emotion and passion each musician expressed radiated throughout the room and sparked something in me that made me want to find something to be that passionate about.” - Haley Trenholm, sophomore

Before the concert started, he spoke about Bryant, and how many students were in the concert hall. “This is my dream!” he exclaimed.

However, we hope he realizes that by giving us the opportunity to be part of such an incredibly eye-opening and unique experience, he was fulfilling our dreams.