Jeffrey Donenfeld

Tag: public speaking

  • Mentoring German Marshall Fund YTLI Fellows

    Mentoring German Marshall Fund YTLI Fellows

    This week, I was proud to spend a bit of time working with a group of international entrepreneurs participating in the German Marshall Fund of the United States Young Transatlantic Innovation Leaders Initiative Fellowship, supported by the U.S. Department of State. We discussed:

    • The quick expansion of the Denver/Boulder area entrepreneurship landscape and opportunities for startup venture capital.
    • Considerations for international startups working in and moving to the United States.
    • The Boomtown Accelerators process and how I look at startup applications.
    • Startup pitch practice

    The Young Transatlantic Innovation Leaders Initiative (YTILI) Fellowship is a flagship young European leaders program of the U.S. Department of State that is supported in its implementation by the German Marshall Fund of the United States (GMF).

    During this year-long fellowship, young European entrepreneurs from 45 eligible countries will participate in a series of activities designed to strengthen their businesses and create a transatlantic innovation network.

    YTILI fellows are young entrepreneurs between the ages of 24-35 with either commercial or social ventures that they are seeking to scale in their home countries. The YTILI experience is a professional development opportunity for innovators to become changemakers by developing the skills to be successful entrepreneurs. YTILI Fellows are given access to a network of professionals, mentors, and resources aligned to support the growth of their venture during the fellowship experience. By exploring entrepreneurship in the transatlantic context, YTILI fellows will also develop the expertise to better engage in policy conversations in their home countries, across Europe, and in the transatlantic sphere.

  • Mentoring Startups from Emerging Markets at Seedstars World Summit 2019

    Mentoring Startups from Emerging Markets at Seedstars World Summit 2019

    I’m proud to have spent an action-packed week mentoring startups from global emerging markets at part of the Seedstars 2019 World Summit in Lausanne, Switzerland on behalf of Boomtown Accelerators (where I currently serve as Investment Director) It’s always a pleasure to connect with founders from across the globe, trade ideas, and teach them about what we’re working on in the USA/Colorado market. Stay tuned to Seedstars.. you’ll continue to hear about the startups in their programs well into the future.

  • Speaking on the Triple Bottom Line at University of Denver Margery Reed Hall

    Speaking on the Triple Bottom Line at University of Denver Margery Reed Hall

    This week, in conjunction with me Executive MBA at the University of Denver Daniels College of Business, I, along with my great team, gave a talk on the work we’ve been doing with Accendo Solutions to bring solar power and satellite internet to two remote villages in Bolivia.

     

     

  • Speaking at Longmont Startup Week – That Which Doesn’t Kill You Makes You Stronger

    Speaking at Longmont Startup Week – That Which Doesn’t Kill You Makes You Stronger

    Last week I had a great time moderating the “That Which Doesn’t Kill You Makes You Stronger” panel for Longmont Startup Week 2017.

    Event Description

    Being an entrepreneur is challenging in many regards and one of challenges is managing the ups and downs that come from starting and running a business. While the  media loves to focus the successes of startups – winning rounds of funding, acquiring smaller startups and achieving unicorn status, the less glorious tales of  entrepreneurs’ struggles to overcome challenges, the pain and scars of failure, rejection and loss of confidence tend to be glossed over or completely ignored. Great character is forged in the fire of adversity and many entrepreneurs and startups have risen to meet these challenges and achieve success. This panel of entrepreneurs will share some of the challenges and market flounders they faced as startups and how handled them.

    Longmont Startup Week

    “LSW17 will bring together entrepreneurs, wanna-preneurs, intrapreneurs, creatives, techies, inventors, business owners, and investors of all ages to connect and inspire.  Over the course of five days, multiple networking events, panels, fireside chats, and guest speakers will be hosted at unique venues throughout Longmont, showcasing Longmont’s entrepreneurs in advanced technology, I.T., bioscience, creative arts, culinary, and more.”

    Moderator

    Jeffrey Donenfeld

    avatar for Jeff Donenfeld

    Investment Manager, Boomtown Accelerator
    Jeffrey Donenfeld is a business innovation and relationship manager, technology strategist, and media consultant.  | | He’s also worked globally as a photojournalist, public speaker, and blogger, and Antarctic expedition technician.


    Speakers

    Sergio R. Angeles

    avatar for Sergio R. Angeles

    Co-Founder & President, Longmont Observer
    Sergio is currently a co-founder and the president of Longmont Observer, a local non-profit news and media entity in Longmont, CO. Prior to working on startups, Sergio was a IT Consultant working for Fortune 500 companies such as Bank of America and Marriott. He left the east coa… Read More ?

    Kate Cygan

    avatar for Kate Cygan

    Founder, Read Dog
    A book nerd and coffee lover, Kate’s background is in literature and product creation. She loves the startup world and designing beautiful experiences.

    Chris Drayer

    avatar for Chris Drayer

    Co-Founder,
    Revaluate
    Chris Drayer is CoFounder of Revaluate, the data company that leverages predictive analytics to determine who’s most likely to move.  Revaluate has been recognized by Stephan Swanepoel as a 2017 Top 20 Trendsetter and is a 2017 Inman Innovator award finalist. Previously, Chris launched RealSatisfied in the US and helped grow… Read More ?

    avatar for Terry OlkinTerry Olkin

    Co-Founder & CEO, Left Hand Robotics
    An MIT graduate in Computer Science and Engineering, Terry has worked at both large Fortune 100 technology companies and small startups, including three he co-founded. He has over 25 years of experience that spans software engineering, conceiving new products, building business p… Read More ?

    Michael Wray

    avatar for Michael WrayFounder, Read Dog Books
    Recurring revenue isn’t just for software. Every retailer can benefit from predictable monthly sales. And Michael believes that when you find a coffee roaster you love, you should be able to buy a subscription box from them.

    Investment Manager Jeffrey Donenfeld moderates the startup panel at Longmont Startup Week 2017

    My Talk Notes

    Chris Drayer, Co- Founder, Reevaluate

    • Rate and rank real estate – but couldn’t monetize
    • What do you do after raising money on one product – how do you pivot?
    • Now ranking potential buyers already in contacts database
    • Do you think people will think that data is too creepy?
    • How did you decide to pivot?
    • How do you decide whether to pivot or shut down and restart?
    • How do people use the term pivot? Is the meaning changing?
    • Key Takeaway: Don’t shut yourself out to what could be in front of you. Talk to customers. Have feedback look always open – continue to advance.
    • Can you physically fail?

    Michael Wray & Kate Cygan, Cofounders, Read Dog Books

    • Pivoting to work with brick and mortar to enhance customer experience
    • How did you see the need to pivot? Did you wait until the last second?
    • “Always feel like we were running out of money”
    • At some point acquisition = churn – that’s bad
    • talked to boulder bookstore out of general industry research
    • Key Takeaway – Focus on what you’re good at, not on what you’re failing at. Ask people around you what you’re good at too. Also, go out and talk to people.
    • Key Takeaway – It doesn’t get easier! Be mindful, don’t equate yourself with your company. 

    Terry Olkin, Co-Founder & CEO, Left Hand Robotics

    • Snow Clearing robots
    • Wrote book about lessons learned from failed startups
    • Since you wrote your book, have type and style of failures changed?  Are failures more tolerated nowadays?
    • first startup – building software tech – 2 years in the tech stack went out of vogue – DCE/CORBA – decided to pivot when they got to 50 people. – bad idea to pivot with so many people. Would have been better to shut down and then restart with pivot idea.
    • 2nd company – network security
    • Takeaways – need to know your market, keep evaluating and doing market research.
    • How can you be honest with risk factors? What are the things that could tank the company? Product liability insurance.
    • Key Takeaway – Make sure you’re solving a real problem. Understand the pain, and be passionate about it.

    Sergio R. Angeles, CoFounder & President of the Longmont Observer

    • Nonprofit news entity that focuses on longmont news – started in march.
    • Wanted to help solve dying local news problem we have now – did non profit
    • Started by aggregating RSS feeds. May 1st started writing own content.
    • NPR Model
      • Biggest threat to local news?  Larger for profit company buying? What happened with Twin Peaks daily?
    • Could net neutrality kill you guys?
    • Key Learning – Entrepreneurial Depression.
    • Key Learning – Get out away from computer and talk to real people.
  • Buffs in the Biz: Stories of CU Success

    Buffs in the Biz: Stories of CU Success

    original-986405e39c5a7966Building your career after college is one of the hardest things you’ll do. Tonight I had the honor of speaking on a panel at the University of Colorado Young Alumni career night, to discuss ups and downs, dos and don’ts of my career, and what recent grads should consider when building theirs. It was a pleasure trading ideas and wisdom with the audience as well as my three other awesome panelists, Amelia Rose Earhart, Chris Anthony, and Greg Stroh. Event Details (FB)

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    Join CUYA at our next Buffs in the Biz professional development event! This is a great opportunity to connect with other CU Alumni and other young professionals in the Denver area while hearing from a guest panel of exceptional CU alumni.

    What: CU networking featuring a panel of distinguished CU alumni
    When:June 9, 2016.  6:30-8:30 PM
    Where: Blake Street Tavern Tailgate Room
    Who:
     
    • Jeffrey Donenfeld (Psych ’04): Founder and Managing Director of Four North.  Served as a field expedition manager in Antarctica before moving back to Boulder to become the entrepreneur in residence at Boomtown accelerators.
    • Amelia Rose Earhart (Eng. Lit ’05):  Apart from her time as 9News Denver’s morning traffic anchor, Amelia recreated the flight around the world that her namesake had attempted in 1937.  Her successful completion places her in an elite group of aviators worldwide.
    • Chris Anthony (Kines ’90): Skier and member of the Warren Miller Film team.  He has traveled the world skiing and filming while also running his 501c foundation, Chris Anthony Youth Initiative Project.
    • Greg Stroh (Comm ’90): Co-Founder and CEO of Healthy Skoop, a plant-based nutrition company in Boulder.  Additionally, he founded Izze Beverage Co. and mix1-All Natural Protein Shakes

    Audio recording of the panel discussion:

  • Speaking at Boulder Startup Week 2016 – Future of Tech: The World in 2026

    Speaking at Boulder Startup Week 2016 – Future of Tech: The World in 2026

    bsw-web-startup-week

    This year as part of Boulder Startup Week, I spoke on Technology Driving Digital Photography at the “Future of Tech: The World in 2026“. The packed session was hosted at startup co-working space Galvanize, and it was a fun opportunity to connect with an engaged audience on future technologies in an environment fostering the creation of new tech.

    Special thanks to Jo Richards of Possibilite Solutions for the infographic.

    The Future of Tech Infographic by Jo Richards

    What will the world look like in 2026? How will cryptocurrencies disrupt finance? How is photographic technology changing the way in which the world processes information? How will machine learning and data science revolutionize the way in which trends are discovered and analyzed?

    Join our speakers to hear about the trends that are bleeding edge today, but have the potential to turn entire industries upside down by 2026.

    * Piper Merriam (Engineer, QuickLeft): The Blockchain Revolution
    * Jeffrey Donenfeld (EIR, Boomtown) : Sensors and Photons: The Technologies That Enable Your Creative Vision
    * Dean Wyatte (Sr Data Scientist, LogRhythm): using Machine Learning to identify network behavior and detect suspicious activity
    * Zooko Wilcox (Founder, ZCash): Bitcoin is HTTP for money. Zcash is HTTPS

  • Discussing Antarctica with Third-Graders

    Discussing Antarctica with Third-Graders

    Jeffrey Donenfeld talks to third graders about Antarctica.
    Jeffrey Donenfeld talks to third graders about Antarctica.
    This past week in NYC, I had a great time speaking to my cousin’s 3rd grade class about life and work in Antarctica. As much as I like speaking with adult groups about the ice, I can truly say that kids absolutely ask the best questions. This class came prepared with lots of q’s about penguins and polar bears, ice cold temperatures, sunsets, icebergs, and food. Awesome!