Babson Professors and Entrepreneurs Featured in New Biz Book—Upstarts!
Author Donna Fenn will speak at Babson on Tues. Oct. 6th

Babson Entrepreneurship Professors Andrew Zacharackis, Heidi Neck, and Joel Shulman, and Babson alumni entrepreneurs, Siamak Taghaddos and David Hauser are featured in a new business book that examines entrepreneurs.

In her new book, UPSTARTS! How GenY Entrepreneurs are Rocking the world of business and 8 Ways You Can Profit from Their Success, Inc. magazine contributing editor Donna Fenn interviewed more than 150 young CEOs to learn what makes them tick.  Fenn will discuss the book at Babson on Tuesday Oct. 6, 5-9 pm in the Arthur M. Blank Center for Entrepreneurship.

Zacharakis commented on the level of entrepreneurial experience Babson students bring to campus.  “Out of an incoming freshman class of 400 kids,” says Zacharakis, “there are always 20 to 30 who have already done something amazing in the entrepreneurial area.”

In 2003 Taghaddos and Hauser submitted their venture GotVMail (later renamed Grasshopper)—a virtual phone systems for small businesses and entrepreneurs—to Babson’s annual business plan competition. Winning that year was just the beginning of support GotVMail received from Babson.

Prof. Heidi Neck helped them refine their business development and marketing plan, and “That advice helped him to develop a marketing strategy so effective that GotV Mail grew to $8.8 million in revenue by 2006, landing it the number 66 spot on the 500 list of fastest-growing, privately held companies.”

Babson’s Shulman advised Taghaddos on financial modeling. “We used negative cash conversion cycle financing…..we spent what we had and grew at our own pace, Shulman, being the financial guru that he is, was a tremendous help,” states Taghaddos.

While upstarts are motivated by similar aspirations of past generations, their way of doing business is radically different—and it’s changing the way everyone must do business now.  Upstarts! examines and analyzes this entrepreneurial revolution to reveal eight critical lessons every entrepreneur and marketer must learn.  Fenn describes a generation of entrepreneurs that is highly collaborative and team oriented.  It’s quick and alert when it comes to new technologies.  It’s hell-bent on changing the world.  And it’s totally impatient with outmoded business models.  Upstarts! provides key insights into:

• Building collaborative tribes
• Deploying technology for competitive advantage
• Disrupting the status quo
• Deconstructing the GenY market
• Generating branding buzz
• Leveraging social mission
• Creating dynamic workplaces
• Morphing and growing strategically

For more on the book and its author visit:  http://www.donnafenn.com/