Prendismo

Prendismo Is Awarded National Science Foundation Phase IB SBIR Grant

noreply@blogger.com (KJB) — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 18:26:00 +0000

The National Science Foundation (NSF) awarded Prendismo $50,000 in supplemental funding for a Small Business Innovation Grant project entitled Entrepreneurship Education Using Interactive Media. Prendismo’s President, Kirsten Barker, is the Principal Investigator and will lead the project team.

As a leading developer of digital video content on business and leadership, Prendismo has pioneered new ways of sharing tacit knowledge among the stakeholders within organizations, particularly information-based small businesses or nascent startup companies. Prendismo has successfully used digital video clips to bring applied wisdom into the corporate environment in ways that educate and engage viewers. Using NSF funding this approach will be adapted to the entrepreneurial environment to enhance the skills of scientific and engineering students at both the graduate and undergraduate level.

Stuart Hart Publishes 3rd Edition of "Capitalism at the Crossroads"

noreply@blogger.com (KJB) — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 21:56:00 +0000

Stuart Hart, featured in over 50 Prendismo clips on leadership and business, has just released the 3rd Edition of his most acclaimed work, Capitalism at the Crossroads. The Samuel C. Johnson Chair of Sustainable Global Enterprise at Cornell University’s Johnson School of Management, his book discusses the unique role that business can play in creating a more environmentally sustainable planet and rolling back the large economic inequalities that exist in the world. Indeed, Stuart Hart advocates that these sustainable businesses practices can accelerate business growth rather than inhibit it.

Prendismo’s unique interview and video process has captured Stuart Hart speaking on topics ranging from the “Beyond Greening” concept to the “Pyramid Protocol” to the clip below where he discusses how sustainability can fuel the entrepreneurial process.

Check out the Prendsimo collection to hear more from this thought leader!

Prendismo Teams with Goldman Sachs on 10,000 Small Businesses Initiative

noreply@blogger.com (KJB) — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 21:26:00 +0000

Prendismo is partnering with the Goldman Sachs Group in its 10,000 Small Businesses initiative. The goal of the $500 million project, which was launched in 2009, is to unlock the growth and job-creation potential of 10,000 small businesses across the United States through greater access to business education, mentors, networks and financial capital.

Under the plan, Goldman will provide $200 million to pay for small-business owners to get business and management education at local community colleges and elsewhere. An additional $300 million in loans and grants will be allocated to small businesses. Prendismo will be responsible for the rich media enrichment (video and audio) of the 10,000 Small Businesses curriculum.

Prendismo's collection of over 14,000 clips on business and entrepreneurship will add credibility to curriculum modules by including advice from those who have ‘been there, done that’ and will help to create a vibrant learning space that mirrors today’s media-rich environment.

Leading experts concur that a combination of education, capital and support services best addresses the barriers to growth for small businesses. Prendismo’s use of video clips of real world entrepreneurs and business experts brings applied wisdom into the learning environment, renews attention spans, and presents useful role models that educate and engage viewers.

The 10,000 Small Businesses initiative will be guided by an Advisory Council co-chaired by CEO Lloyd Blankfein, Warren Buffett and Dr. Michael Porter of Harvard Business School.

Kirsten Barker to Speak on Digital Media Management at Technical Conference

noreply@blogger.com (KJB) — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 20:57:00 +0000

Kirsten Barker, President of Prendismo, will participate in a panel discussion on Centralized Content Management at the 2010 IPA Technical Conference. Held June 7-8, 2010 at the Westin O’Hare Hotel in Rosemont, IL, Kirsten’s presentation will focus on how organizations can better harness their growing volume of digital media content to begin the process of sharing knowledge among stakeholders.

With the exponential growth of digitally-developed content, managing the expanding communications channels for distributing that content presents ever-increasing challenges for organizations large and small. In this session, attendees will learn how companies have benefited from investing in smart content management. Besides also learning what’s next in graphic communications, conferees will find useful tips and tactics for increasing quality and reducing costs.

IPA is an international trade association representing creative, premedia and print service providers who specialize in operating powerful digital workflows to create, image and deliver graphics files across multiple media. IPA members utilize a long history of prepress excellence to leverage their digital workflow capabilities beyond traditional print boundaries.

The panel discussion will include Jeffrey Stewart, Partner and Chief Technology Officer, at Trekk Cross-Media and will be moderated by Robin Tobin, Partner and Vice President of Key Accounts at Trekk Cross-Media.

Favorite Podcasts

noreply@blogger.com (KJB) — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 02:54:00 +0000

On Entrepreneurship:

On Leadership:

On Telling Your Story:

Telling the story quickly is important (told in business plan context)

Networking:

Using Digital Media In The Classroom

noreply@blogger.com (KJB) — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 02:05:00 +0000

Professor Deborah Streeter has been a champion of using digital media as a way to "wake up" her students for the past 10 years.

In this lecture, she shares an example of how she would use 3 different comments from entrepreneurs to provide real world wisdom on a "dry" but critical topic such as cash flow.

Interested in learning more about how to place digital media content in your presentation? Check out this clip which shares instructions on how to get the job done!

Joys of Being Virtual

noreply@blogger.com (KJB) — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 19:47:00 +0000

Graham Hill founded TreeHugger in 2003 and sold it in 2007 for $10 million. One of the many inspiring aspects of TreeHugger was the fact that it was a virtual company...meaning that there were actual employees but no actual office that they all came to each day.

The cover feature for the April 1, 2010 issue of Inc. magazine focused on the concept of the virtual company. As part of the cover piece, Inc. captured an interview with Hill where he discussed the advantages to having a virtual environment in which to build a company. In the clip below, Hill shares thoughts on his virtual setup:

"It's actually a very efficient way to run a business." - Graham Hill

Getting to Know Katie Brown

noreply@blogger.com (KJB) — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 22:10:00 +0000

Katie Brown is an American home and gardening television show host, author, actress, and trained art historian.

Brown opened her first store called "Goat", which was located in Los Angeles and Mackinac Island, Michigan. It was a popular antique store and cafe. Katie has been serving up dime-store domesticity on Lifetime Television's Next Door with Katie Brown since October 1997. She has opened her own workshops in Los Angeles, New York, and Bridgehampton.

During a recent interview available through Prendismo, Brown shared thoughts on the challenges and rewards of building a business. Some clips from the interview follow...

"First of all, women who think that the entrepreneurial track would not be family friendly...it could not be further from the truth. It is incredibly family friendly...because I set my own hours, I set my own boundaries. I am the boss."

In this clips, Katie Brown explains the challenge of "being" the brand...

Shedding Light on Mentoring

noreply@blogger.com (KJB) — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 02:48:00 +0000

Here is our new video montage on mentoring. Hope you enjoy the words of wisdom from these folks who have walked the paths of being both mentors and mentees!

Shedding Light on Diversity

noreply@blogger.com (KJB) — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 14:19:00 +0000

Showcasing a new video montage on the importance of creating diverse teams. We believe this message is increasingly important in our "world-is-flat" environment!

Randy Papadellis of Ocean Spray

noreply@blogger.com (KJB) — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 15:19:00 +0000

In "The Boss" column of the November 29, 2009 New York Times Business Section, Randy Papadellis discusses his professional journey from working in his family business as a middle schooler to becoming CEO of Ocean Spray and all the stops along the way.

In discussing his decision to leave a more traditional role at Frito-Lay and take a position building a new marketing department at Cadbury's confections division, Papadellis states, "I knew Frito-Lay would be successful with or without me. I was intrigued with the idea that I was going to make a difference as an individual rather than through a process."

That decision to pursue the roles that would make a difference have certainly contributed to his success in leading the Ocean Spray organization for the past 5 years.

In an interview posted in Prendismo, Papadellis further expands on his thoughts on business and leadership. In this clip, he states, "I had to learn that quite often the best answer isn't the first answer, and business problems aren't solve sequentially."

Click here to see Randy Papadellis' entire interview in Prendismo.

"Corner Office" with Drew Gilpin Faust

noreply@blogger.com (KJB) — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 17:13:00 +0000

In a November 1, 2009 New York Times "Corner Office" piece entitled Leadership Without a Secret Code, Harvard president Drew Gilpin Faust discussed the importance of open communication when in a position of leadership.

Faust states, "I spend a huge amount of time reaching out to people, either literally or digitally, and with alumni networks all over the world, so that I can connect. Leadership by walking around - that's a digital space now, it's a virtual space. An enormous amount of my job is listening to people, to understand where they are, how they see the world so that I can understand how to mobilize their understanding of themselves in service of the institutional priorities."

Her desire to reach out and continually understand the position of her stakeholders is very much in line with a comment she made a few years back in our collection when she stated, "Be ready to be surprised and take satisfaction from those surprises."

In a related discussion on communication with Cornell University president, David Skorton, he shared the importance of communicating openly and spending a greater portion of time observing rather than speaking. In this clip from a sit-down interview, he shares an amusing anecdote from a brief conversation with a Cornell student - whose input made him re-think the way he wrote his weekly newspaper column.

Forbes.com Showcases Prendismo Content

noreply@blogger.com (KJB) — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 13:19:00 +0000

Beginning October 2009, Prendismo has agreed to provide select video content to Forbes.com to be showcased as part of their “Thought Leaders” initiative. Prendismo’s content will change monthly based on Forbes.com’s different editorial target areas.

Forbes is an American publishing and media company whose flagship publication is Forbes magazine. Forbes.com, launched in 1996, has become a trusted online resource for senior business executives by providing them real-time reporting as well as business analysis and commentary. Forbes.com and its associated sites are estimated to reach 27 million business people each month. By sourcing digital media content from Prendismo, Forbes.com is continuing to deepen the value provided to the business community while simultaneously offering more innovative digital formats that customers are demanding.

We are excited that Forbes.com is making the Prendismo collection available to its online consumers and we look forward to broadening our base of delivery by being featured on their site.

Click here to see an example of Prendismo content on "Thought Leaders".

Book Review: "Kidpreneurs"

noreply@blogger.com (KJB) — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 00:47:00 +0000

When Adam Toren offered me the opportunity to read "Kidpreneurs", a book that he authored with his brother Matthew Toren, I jumped at the chance. As an entrepreneur - and a mother of two sons (ages 7 and 10), I have always struggled to explain to my children exactly what it is that I do. While they have met my co-workers and could tell you the names of my clients from overheard dinner table discussions, their best description of my job is that I am perpetually attached to my laptop and cell phone. Not exactly the parent they want to bring into class for "career day" when the other option is their father who is a pediatric cardiologist and can take them on tours of the hospital and show them pictures of their hearts.

Adam and Matthew Toren have compiled an easy to understand outline of how a child or young adult can start a business of their own. They walk the young reader through a simplified concept of what it means to be an entrepreneur and then provide guidance for how to come up with a business idea, target a customer base, price a product and provide customer service. The book even provides a streamlined outline of how to create a one-page business plan which would actually be a helpful exercise for many older entrepreneurs I know!

I was particularly impressed by the Torens' decision to discuss ethics and integrity. While their target audience of 7 to 13 year-olds probably don't keep an eye on the front page of the Wall Street Journal each day, most savvy kids are aware of the current economic climate and the more precocious ones might even understand the basics behind terms like "ponzi scheme" and "salary cap". Bringing up the importance of ethics in business is an important message to deliver to kids - especially those interested in building their own startup.

What was most meaningful to me as an entrepreneur though, was the final chapter that shared a list of the real challenges that entrepreneurs face. From coping with failure and rejection to having to learn from your mistakes, the Torens truly captured the everyday struggles of entrepreneurs. While delivering some hard realities, they also include positive messages like never giving up, keeping a positive attitude, learning to manage your cash flow and most importantly, having fun.

After I finished the book, I gave it to my 10-year old to read. His reaction was, "That is a great book if you want to start a business, but I'm not going to do that. I'm going to be a doctor like Dad."

Somewhat disheartened that my business-bug had bypassed him, I asked why he had decided on that as a career path.

"Well, in a bad economy, you never have to worry about having customers as a doctor. People always get sick."

Smiling to myself after his reply, I thought maybe there was a "kidpreneur" in him after all.

Bill Bradley and Ken Dryden

noreply@blogger.com (KJB) — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 21:43:00 +0000

On September 10, 2009, Cornell University's campus was honored with the presence of two legendary athletes-turned-politicians – Bill Bradley, Princeton ’65, and Ken Dryden, Cornell ’70. They appeared together on one stage to discuss “Lives on the Run: Sports, Service & Leadership”, an event that was moderated by Jeremy Schaap, Cornell ’91 and Emmy award-winning ESPN sportswriter and host.

Former Sen. Bradley (D., N.J.) and the Hon. Mr. Dryden, member of Canada’s Parliament for York Centre, Ontario, both exemplify the true meaning of scholar-athlete. In athletics, both were record-setting collegiate stars in basketball and hockey, respectively, who became Hall-of-Famers and members of championship teams. Their athletic accomplishments were only matched by their distinguished lawmaking careers in Washington, D.C., and Ottawa, respectively. In addition, both are successful authors and continue to embrace the opportunities that continue to unfold before them.

While both discussed their paths, successes and failures, there were two clips from the evening that seemed to capture the essence of what made each of these men the living legends that they are.

In this clip, Bill Bradley discusses his personal thoughts on integrity:

In this clip, Ken Dryden states the importance of living life to your own expectations.

To hear the entire session in an audio podcast, click here.

The Other Half

noreply@blogger.com (KJB) — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 01:35:00 +0000

New York Times Op-Ed columnist Nicholas D. Kristof and former Times correspondent Sheryl WuDunn published an article on August 17,2009 entitled "The Women's Crusade". Published in the New York Times, this essay was adapted from their book “Half the Sky: Turning Oppression Into Opportunity for Women Worldwide,” which will be released in September.

The main point of the piece - and the book - is that one of the main challenges that the world faces with regards to poverty and peace is the oppression of women and girls in the developing world. Their belief is that the best way to fight this problem is through educating women and helping them unleash their potential as an economic force.

Per Kristof and WuDunn, "With education and with help starting businesses, impoverished women can earn money and support their countries as well as their families. They represent perhaps the best hope for fighting global poverty."

Prendismo was fortunate to sit down for a one-on-one interview with Sheryl WuDunn. In this clip, she discusses why her new book "Half The Sky" is so meaningful.

"In this modern day, we still have the moral issue of not empowering women." - Sheryl WuDunn

To see all the clips from the interview with WuDunn, click here

Home Sweet Home For Entrepreneurs

noreply@blogger.com (KJB) — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 18:17:00 +0000

The August 13, 2009 issue of BusinessWeek featured an article entitled, "Keeping the Faith in Silicon Valley".

The article shared the story behind Silicon Vallley-based incubator, Plug and Play Tech Center. Plug and Play was founded in 2006 when it moved into a 150,000-square-foot former research-and-development facility south of Palo Alto in Sunnyvale, CA.

Saeed Amidi, Plug and Play's CEO and co-founder, set up the incubator to provide startups in the area with everything they need to get up and running quickly: office space, data and telecommunications services, networking events, recruiting services, and most of all, contact with fellow startups and potential investors.

This past June, some 30 startups moved in, bringing the total to more than 220 companies that have collectively raised more than $700 million in funding since Plug and Play began in 2006.

Interested in learning more from the CEO himself?

"The surprise for me has been that there is a formula to this." - Saeed Amidi, CEO of Plug and Play Tech Center

Click here for more comments from Saeed Amidi

Shedding Light On: Failure

noreply@blogger.com (LAE) — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 16:28:00 +0000

Here's a new video showcasing clips from Prendismo's collection on failure.

Interesting in watching more? Visit www.prendismo.com to access the entire Prendismo library!

Paying for Unpaid Positions

noreply@blogger.com (LAE) — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 13:22:00 +0000

Today, I found myself particularly interested in a New York Times article about the challenges of attaining internships. “Unpaid Work, but They Pay for Privilege” reveals a frustrating situation faced by many college students today. It’s no secret that it’s not easy to get to get a job. The competition is vicious as graduates are put up against peers as well as laid-off employees for paying and nonpaying positions. The fact is if your resume isn’t remarkable, your interview skills aren’t flawless, and you don’t “know the right people”, you’re out of luck. This is the very reason parents are willing to doll out thousands of dollars for services to help their children secure internships.

One organization the article discusses is the University of Dreams. This company is the "largest and most visible player" in the industry and advertises:

“a guaranteed internship placement, eight weeks of summer housing, five meals a week, seminars and tours around New York City for $7,999.”

The money goes to the University of Dreams and middlemen involved in the process. The University of Dreams places 1,600 student interns in 13 different cities. Their staff knows the ins and outs of the business and because of their strong working relationships they know who to call where. The article goes on to discuss how the process is equally attractive to parents who want to secure the success of their child’s future, and employers who have recognized the benefit of using these middlemen to save them a lot of “time and hassle”. In the following Prendismo clip, Marissa Goodman discusses the importance of networking in helping secure a job.

"...people today don't want to waste their time. They want someone to vouch for them and it's a lot easier to get your foot in the door if you have a solid kind of referral from someone who works at the company." - Marissa Goodman, Steve and Barry's

This process of paying for an unpaid position may not only be confusing to many people, but educators and students also argue that these programs put many families at a disadvantage. Not everyone is able to afford to buy his or her internship position. As Eric Normington of the University of Dreams states, “Students don’t have problems finding internships, students have problems getting internships.” Despite their fairness, this is why services such as those provided by the University of Dreams are in such high demand. Internships provide experiences outside the classroom and they give graduates a competitive advantage. In the following Prendismo clip Alissa Livingston discusses the importance of internships.

"Internships are critical both for you in figuring out where your interests lie or your skills lie, but also it's more important because it will make you more competitive." - Alissa Livingston, Merchandise Planner, Ralph Lauren

The Entrepreneurial Alphabet

noreply@blogger.com (LAE) — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 13:14:00 +0000

Do you know your entrepreneurial ABC's? Check out this new video containing 26 words that describe what it takes to be an entrepreneur. It showcases clips and quotes from Prendismo's video library. Agree with our choices for each letter? Let me know at kjb@prendismo.com

If you want to watch more videos on business, leadership and entrepreneurship visit www.prendismo.com

What's in a Name?

noreply@blogger.com (LAE) — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 16:42:00 +0000

During these difficult economic times companies, with traditionally strong customer loyalty, are looking to take a new approach to marketing. More specifically they’re rebranding, giving their companies a fresh new look.

Aside from recently changing their logo, Pepsi launched a "Pecsi" campaign in Argentina, a name which it has been called there for years, due to differences in pronunciation.
Starbucks has decided to strip its brand name off remodeled stores, in order to create a “local personality”.
Pizza Hut, now serving more than just pizza, will be renamed “The Hut” (on boxes and select stores only)

Rebranding isn’t a new fad. As Paul Farhi of the Washington Post points out, "Cable TV networks have been doing this for years." (The Nashville Network became Spike TV, the SciFi channel was recently changed to SyFy, etc.)

According to an article in USA Today “RadioShack would like you to call it ‘The Shack’” the 88-year-old electronics company is looking to reintroduce itself so as to attract more tech-savvy customers. RadioShack's advertising initiative will focus on the company’s “knowledgeable sales staff and wireless products.”

The article goes on to discuss the dangers as well as benefits of rebranding.

“But Bishop warns of possible trouble. When Federal Express changed its name to FedEx, he says, ‘FedEx had no other meaning than Federal Express. With The Shack, there is a contrived familiarity that I'm not sure is helpful.’ ”

Branding is extremely important and as John Bello, CEO of SoBe Beverage Company said, “If you don’t go out there and make yourself known, your brand will die on the shelf because nobody is going to love you the way you love yourself.” In the following clips from Prendismo's Brand and Branding Collection various entrepreneurs and business people share their thoughts on branding.

"Bad branding to me is something that does not convey the message immediately and clearly." - Barbara Lang, Founder, RTR Ideas

"I think the more creativity you give people and the more ownership you give them of design, the more energy you're going to get around that." -Bill Shore, Founder, Share Our Strength

Shedding Light On: Cash Flow

noreply@blogger.com (LAE) — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 03:10:00 +0000

This video post showcases some of Prendismo's cash flow and cash management collection...

If you're interested in viewing more clips on cash flow check out www.prendismo.com

You can also access the entire Prendismo library for videos on business, leadership and entrepreneurship!

Shedding Light On: Strategies for Women in Business

noreply@blogger.com (LAE) — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 12:29:00 +0000

Here's a mini-video that showcases some of Prendismo's collection on women in business...

Interested in watching more? Visit www.prendismo.com to access our entire library!

Shedding Light On: Social Entrepreneurship

noreply@blogger.com (LAE) — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 13:58:00 +0000

Here's a new video showcasing clips on social entrepreneurship. The speakers include Muhammad Yunus, Jessica Flannery and more! Their organizations are inspirational and have set the bar for social change.

"Mancession" Speaks for Itself

noreply@blogger.com (LAE) — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 18:50:00 +0000

In a recent Newsweek article, "What Mancession?"issues faced by both genders in today's economy are revealed. As the article states,the term “Mancession” was coined by an economics professor this spring in an attempt to describe the growing gap between male and female unemployment.

“By mid-July, several media outlets from Foreign Policy took the term one step further, calling it the death of the macho, or the he-cession. If you Google mancession now, it'll turn up 13,500 hits.”

The article recognizes the unemployment gap to be the largest since World War II. It’s true that men have been hurt by the recession, but as the article points out women have suffered as well. Throughout the article author Nancy Cook discusses the differences between men and women in the workforce. Specifically, Cook discusses how women have a tendency to choose less risky careers, have fewer benefits and lack retirement savings plans or pensions. Women’s wages are still lower than that of their male counterparts and some hope that the recession will force people to “rethink paid employment.”

Cook goes on to tell the story of Greg Jimmie, a vice president at a medical manufacturing company, who lost his job in late December. Although Jimmie's wife has a stable job as a cardiovascular nurse she receives a significantly lower income than Jimmie did. As a result the family has had to cut back on all unnecessary expenses. Jimmie has also taken over most of the housework. The shift from a stay-at-home mom to a "token dad" isn't easy, but appears to be growing more and more common.

In the following Prendismo clip Jean Hill discusses social norms in corporate America and decisions commonly faced by both men and women.

"I think you actually need another generation where the kids have seen Mommy working because Mommy wants to work." - Jean Hill Executive Director, Morgan Stanley

It's interesting how gender inequality issues differ internationally. In the United States as the media focuses on the recession and issues of unequal pay or lack of benefits other parts of the world haven't even reached that level. In the following clip Sheryl WuDunn discusses gender inequality in developing countries. It really makes one stop and think about how far our society has come and how far others still have to go.

"In the rest of the developing world it's [gender inequality] a matter of life and death." - Sheryl WuDunn, Trustee, Cornell University