As part of the 2011-2012 Chair’s Initiative on Growing State Economies, the National Governors Association is hosting four regional summits across the country. These summits provide states an opportunity to learn from experts and business owners about the best strategies to create an environment focused on the importance of high-growth businesses in all its forms—startup firms, scalable enterprises, and transformational corporations. The first regional summit was held in Hartford, Connecticut on October 11-12, 2011. Session highlights included:

• Bill Aulet, managing director of MIT’s Entrepreneurship Center and former CEO of two MIT spinouts, on the key ingredients of an innovation ecosystem and why there does not need to be an “MIT-like” anchor university in every entrepreneurial ecosystem.


• John Harthorne, co-founder and CEO of MassChallenge, on how an annual $1M global startup competition and accelerator program has catalyzed the launch and success of high-growth, high-impact new companies.


• A panel of entrepreneurship training providers — Kauffman FastTrac, the Pipeline Entrepreneurial Fellowship Program, and the New England Clean Energy Council’s Clean Energy Fellowship Program — paired with a panel of entrepreneurs who benefitted from their programs discussing how to develop the skills and talent needed for company creation and growth.

AGENDA

PRESENTATIONS:

• Plenary Session—What Makes State Economies Grow: The Myths, the Evidence, and the Opportunities
  • Darren Pleasance, partner, McKinsey & Company
• The View from Industry—What It Takes To Start and Grow Start-Up Companies
  • Kate L. Harrison, founder & CEO, Green Bride Guide
• Enabling Successful Start-Ups: Best Practice Case Study
  • John Sider, managing director of statewide initiatives, Ben Franklin Technology Partners
  • William Kaigler, president and CEO, NewCare Solutions LLC
  • Catherine Mott, CEO and president, BlueTree Allied Angels
  • Robert A. Wooldridge, director, Center for Technology Transfer and Enterprise Creation, Carnegie Mellon University
• Developing an Entrepreneurial Ecosystem
  • Bill Aulet, managing director, MIT Entrepreneurship Center
• The View from Industry—What It Takes To Support High-Growth Companies
  • James Barnes, chairman, FM Facility Maintenance
• Supporting High-Growth Companies: Best Practice Case Studies
  • Mark Lange, executive director, Edward Lowe Foundation
  • Christina Reddin, national strategic research team leader, National Center for Economic Gardening
  • Gregory Bialecki, secretary, Massachusetts Executive Office of Housing & Economic Development
• Enabling Successful Start-Up and High-Growth Companies: Key Roles for States
  • Robert Heard, managing director and founder, Cimarron Capital Partners
  • Christian Johansson, secretary, Maryland Department of Business & Economic Development
  • Julian Lange, Governor Craig R. Benson professor entrepreneurship and public policy, Babson College; founding trustee of the Massachusetts Software Council
  • Peter Rothstein, president, New England Clean Energy Council
  • John Harthorne, founder & CEO, MassChallenge, Inc.
• The View from Industry—What It Takes To Transform Existing Companies
  • Mark Peterson, director, External Business Development, Procter & Gamble Spurring Innovation from
• Within: How to Transform Existing Companies into New Job Generators
  • Lawrence Miller, secretary, Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community Development
  • Eric Hounchell, vice president, Revision Military Ltd.
• Providing Training and Support for Entrepreneurs
  • Program Panel:
    • Michele Markey, director, Kauffman FastTrac
    • Joni Cobb, president and CEO, PIPELINE
    • Peter Rothstein, New England Clean Energy Council Company
  • Response Panel:
    • Sarah Farzam, founder, Bilingual Birdies
    • Peter Vandermeulen, president, CEO and founder, 7AC Technologies Inc.