Keynote at our 2016 Retreat by Alex Lavidge

1. WHY ENTREPRENEURSHIP
IS BECOMING THE NEW “NATIONAL SECURITY”
presented by ALEX LAVIDGE Saturday, February 20th // Huntsville,AL
Saturday, February 20, 16

2. How do you crack the entrepreneurial code? Simple. It’s all about socks.
Saturday, February 20, 16

3. THE FORTUNE 500
DOES NOT STICK AROUND FOREVER. IN FACT ...
12.2%OF FORTUNE 500 COMPANIES FROM 1955 EXIST TODAY.
(Source: http://www.aei.org/publication/fortune-500-firms-in-1955-vs-2014-89-are-gone-and-were-all-better-off-because-of-that-dynamic-creative-destruction/)
Saturday, February 20, 16

4. Thomas L. Friedman, author of The
World Is Flat and Flat, Hot and
Crowded and columnist for the New
York Times, in an April 3, 2010
opinion editorial said, “to bring
down unemployment we need to
create a big bushel of new
companies - fast. Good-paying jobs
don’t come from bailouts. They
come from start-ups. And where
do start-ups come from? Smart,
creative, inspired risk-takers.”
Between 1980 and 2005, firms that were less
than five years old created virtually all-net
new jobs created in the U.S. That was nearly
40 million jobs, according to Robert Litan,
director of research at the Kauffman
Foundation. Two thirds of all inventions come
from entrepreneurs.
Saturday, February 20, 16

5. EXPONENTIAL CHANGE
IS BECOMING THE NEW NORMAL.
Saturday, February 20, 16

6. CHANGE IS CHANGING
... AND FAST IS NOW FASTER.
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9. FROM DEPENDENCY TO
... an economy of interdependence where agility is efficient.
“A new complementary urban model is now emerging, giving rise to what
we and others are calling ‘innovation districts.’”
- Bruce Katz, Brookings
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10. Saturday, February 20, 16

11. SOTHEBIGIDEAISTHIS:
fosteringarobusteconomythatcreatesnew
wealththroughscience,technology,
innovation,andentrepreneurshipkeeps
americansthrivingforfuturegenerations.
Saturday, February 20, 16

12. HOW CAN HUNTSVILLE
BUILD A STRONGER
ENTREPRENEURIAL ECONOMY?
Saturday, February 20, 16

13. successisdirectlyrelatedtothe
quality,quantity,andvarietyof
ourquestions.
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14. THREE PATHS AVAILABLE
... and are there others for creating an entrepreneurial economy?
NURTURE?RECRUIT?
PARTNER?
How can we How can we
How can we
Saturday, February 20, 16

15. FAIRFIELD, IA
A story about being attracting outside capital, talent, and vision.
RECRUIT?
How can we
Since 1990, $250M invested; $1B in equity created with 40 software & telecom companies.
(Source: University of Iowa CommunityVitality Center Report, 2009)
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18. “Memphis Manifesto” into
TYPE
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19. CLEVELAND, GA
A story about listening to what is in your own backyard.
?
Cabbage Patch Kids started with a 21-year old art student Xavier Roberts; later became a $2B
worldwide franchise 6 years later in 1984.The population of Cleveland, GA is 3,700.
(Source:Wikipedia)
NURTURE?
How can we
Saturday, February 20, 16

20. CHATTANOOGA, TN
Another story about listening to what is in your own backyard.
?
Variable started on Kickstarter and from there raised over $4M to become a leader in
digital color referencing technology.
NURTURE?
How can we
Saturday, February 20, 16

21. BATTLE OF BRITAIN, 1940
Just how much did the Tizard Mission help US win WWII?
The technology transfer deal, many would argue, led to the advancement of the US becoming
a superpower.
(Source:Wikipedia)
PARTNER?
How can we
Saturday, February 20, 16

22. Search “Secret History of SiliconValley” on
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23. How do you choose a path? Can you choose more than one? Where to start?
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24. Forget networking. It starts with building relationships.
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25. DIGITIZE YOUR SUPPORT.
Can’t build a 21st century economy with 20st century best practices.
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26. CHART YOUR COURSE.
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27. GUIDEPOSTS +
What are the themes of successful entrepreneurial success stories?
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28. + ECOSYSTEM, NOT EGOSYSTEM +
How do you see the resources here fitting together?
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29. + MEASURE SUCCESS
How do you get what you measure?
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30. START-UP NATION addresses the trillion dollar question: How is it that
Israel -- a country of 7.1 million, only 60 years old, surrounded by enemies,
in a constant state of war since its founding, with no natural resources --
produces more start-up companies than large, peaceful, and stable
nations like Japan, China, India, Korea, Canada and the UK?
Saturday, February 20, 16

31. Communities are made
up of people.
Help people find their
“purpose” first and the
rest will fall into place.
That’s not only good for
Huntsville, and the South
-- that also makes a
stronger country.
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32. $185B went toward bonds during WWII. How much can we raise to support entrepreneurship?
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33. alexlavidge@icloud.com
@alexlavidge
Saturday, February 20, 16