Первая тема: How Silicon Valley Works
Первый спикер: Pavel Cherkashin, Managing Partner, Founder of Mindrock Capital
Pavel Cherkashin is a venture capital executive, entrepreneur, and writer with a successful track record of building billion-dollar companies as a founder, investor and board member.
As the founder and managing partner at Mindrock Pavel is leading the company’s effort to help outstanding entrepreneurs build profitable, lasting, and category-defining IT сompanies with more than $300M invested since 2015. Pavel supported the early-stage growth of legendary companies including Diamond Foundry, FiscalNote, Luminar Technologies, People.ai, SoundHound, VipKid. His late-stage portfolio includes Coursera, Figure Technologies, Lemonade, Udemy, and more.
Before establishing Mindrock Pavel was with Microsoft, where he led the Consumer & Online department in Eastern Europe. In this role, Pavel turned Microsoft Online Services into a profitable operation, introduced Windows Mobile platform, and implemented the first consumer-oriented marketing strategy for Windows in Russia.
Previously in 2006 Pavel established and managed offices for Adobe in 12 countries of Eastern Europe. In 3 years his team had built sales, marketing and support infrastructure, including more than 1500 partners across 11 countries, increased sales more than 10 times and becoming “best subsidiary of the year” worldwide.
Earlier in his career, Pavel has founded several IT companies, including Sputnik Labs (#1 banking CRM in Eastern Europe, now part of TechnoServe Group), AdWatch (leading digital agency, now part of Dentsu/Aegis) and Actis Systems (web-design and new media agency, now part of Wunderman/WPP).
Pavel holds a degree in computer analysis for satellite imagery and global ecology. He wrote more than 200 scientific and business articles, as well as bestselling books: ”Are you prepared to fight for your customers?” and “EMO.”
Вторая тема: Slicing the Pie
Второй спикер: Robert Smith, Director of I-Corps at George Washington University
Bob Smith is the Director of I-Corps at GW, where he manages the strategic direction of GW’s I-Corps and Global Lean Startup programs. Prior to joining GW, he was the Director of the Innovation Commercialization Assistance Program (ICAP). There he worked with universities, accelerators, and local startup ecosystems throughout the commonwealth, assisting in their new venture development initiatives by providing instruction and counseling programs based on the Lean Startup method of business model development. He is also an instructor with the NSF’s I-Corp program’s DC node. He’s also a Mentor-in-Residence at George Washington University.
Bob has 30+ years of experience in innovation and entrepreneurship. He is currently the Chairman of CollegeFactual.com, a leading college rankings website. He’s held senior management positions at Congressional Quarterly and America Online in business development, marketing and new product development and was the founder and CEO of the first nation-wide online city guide, Digital City. He also launched one of the nation’s first accelerators. As an executive, angel investor and advisor he has helped companies in e-commerce, e-government, identify management, publishing, geospatial analytics, data science and media move from ideas to favorable exits.
He received a BA from USC and his MBA from GWU. He is a veteran of the US Navy.
Посмотреть запись вебинара №7