JumpStart: IdeaExchange Blog

While we are not actually making films at JumpStart, over the summer, we really jumped into the world of multimedia communication. This isn’t totally a new thing for us; we’ve had podcasts on our website for over a year, and recently added two new ones to our permanent collection: Darrin Redus, the President of JumpStart Inclusion Advisors, and Chris Mather, the President of JumpStart TechLift Advisors, both explain the services their teams offer. Check them out to learn more about the various ways JumpStart helps entrepreneurs. In addition, we’ll have a new podcast debuting in the JumpStart Connect ezine next week. SPOILERS ALERT: It features an interview with Jim Jaffe regarding the NASVF conference in Oklahoma City.

Perhaps more exciting, we’re now making videos of the entrepreneurs leading the high growth startups in our region. In case you haven’t seen them through JumpStart Connect, there are several places on our site to find them. For the JumpStart Ventures portfolio companies, you can find the videos posted on the expanded industry sections, or check out the videos of other JumpStart client companies on our Videos page. We are also posting videos featuring our talented team as well as new company videos right on our home page; be sure to check out Becca Braun, a semi-regular on Fox Business’ segment The Pitch.

So consider this the offer to you that you can’t refuse. Check out the videos of our companies, listen to the podcasts on our site, and tell us what you think. Is there a company we should be profiling? Do you want us to make a video of your company? Is there information that you’d love to hear in a podcast? We want your feedback — comment below — or email me at cathy.belk@jumpstartinc.org. Horse heads not included.

Cathy Belk is the Chief Marketing Officer of JumpStart. She specializes in branding, marketing communications, and business management. She brings 16+ years of experience in a variety of marketing and business roles, but gets her energy from working daily with entrepreneurs and their growing companies.

A while back, our CEO, Ray Leach, wrote a blog regarding podcasts available from Stanford University concerning a wide range of topics for entrepreneurs. For those of you that follow Stanford University’s Entrepreneurship Corner podcasts, you know what a great find this site is. If you haven’t been there in a while or not heard of it, you should check it out.

Many times in my past life as an entrepreneur, I found myself incredibly close to the details of the business I founded. Needless to say, making payroll every two weeks when you’re bootstrapped has a way of keeping you focused!

Sometimes, it’s good to step back and take a look at some broad, strategic issues of a more general nature that can get you to think not only about the world at large, but may even bring a fresh perspective to your own business or situation. These great podcasts allow you to do just that and gives you really interesting perspectives from some of the world’s sharpest minds. For instance, check out the recent lectures from Microsoft’s CEO, Steve Ballmer. The following video podcast, titled “The Future of Microsoft, The Future of Technology,” really got me thinking and it just might get your wheels turning as well.

You may not agree with the almost-always-bombastic Mr. Ballmer, but you have to appreciate his zeal, even after all the years he’s been at it and with how many people want to take down his company!

John Dearborn is the Chief Development Officer of JumpStart and brings experience as an entrepreneur, founder and CEO at companies across the US and Europe over the last 25 years to the pursuit of economic transformation in Northeast Ohio.