Entrepreneurship:
Success, Failure, Greatness
A Fireside Chat with
Ann Winblad and Jason
Pontin
Thursday, September 27,
2007
Presented in partnership with:
and TR's Emerging Technology Conference
The MIT Enterprise Forum is excited to present an insight
into entrepreneurship from a leading thinker and respected
investor. Ann Winblad has over 25 years of software industry
experience as both a successful entrepreneur and venture capitalist.
Her discussion with Technology Review editor in chief Jason
Pontin will focus on:
- why some technology startups succeed where others fail,
- her philosophy of funding tech companies, and
- what makes for a great entrepreneur.
September's
broadcast will also spotlight the next wave of great entrepreneurs
with a focus on members of the TR35,
the top innovators under the age of 35.
Speaker Biographies
Ann Winblad
Ann Winblad is the co-founding
partner of Hummer Winblad
Venture Partners. She is a well-known and respected
software industry entrepreneur and technology leader. Her background and
experience have been chronicled in many national business and trade publications.
Ann has over 25 years of experience in the software industry. She began her
career as a systems programmer at the Federal Reserve Bank. In 1976, Ann
co-founded Open Systems, Inc., a top selling accounting software company,
with a $500 investment. She operated Open Systems profitably for six years
and then sold it for over $15 million. Prior to co-founding Hummer Winblad
Venture Partners, Ann served as a strategy consultant for prestigious clients
such as IBM, Microsoft, Price Waterhouse, and numerous start-ups. In addition,
Ann has co-authored the book "Object-Oriented
Software" and has written articles
for numerous publications. Ann received a BA in mathematics and in business
administration, as well as an MA in education and international economics
from the University of St. Thomas, St. Paul, Minnesota. Ann also has an honorary
Doctorate of Laws from the University of St. Thomas.
Ann has served as a director of start-up and public companies and currently serves
as a director of Voltage Security, Krillion, Star Analytics and Mulesource. She
is also a member of the Board of Trustees of the University of St. Thomas and
is an advisor to numerous entrepreneur groups.
Jason Pontin
Jason Pontin is editor
in chief and publisher of Technology
Review magazine. As editor in chief, Jason
is responsible for the editorial direction of the award-winning magazine
as well as TechnologyReview.com. Pontin took on the role of publisher
in September 2005, overseeing all aspects of the company's growth strategy,
which includes the rapidly expanding website, specialty e-newsletters, an aggressive
international expansion, and signature events, such as the annual Emerging
Technologies Conference at MIT.
From 1996 to 2002, Pontin was editor of the technology business magazine Red
Herring. Most recently, he was editor in chief of the Acumen
Journal, covering
the business, economic, and policy implications of discoveries in biotechnology
and the life sciences. He has written for many national and international publications,
including The Economist, The Financial Times, Wired, and The
Believer. He is
a frequent guest on television and radio shows, including ABC News, CNN, and
National Public Radio.
