Entrepreneurial Thought Leaders (ETL)

Drawing on a decade of research and interviews with company founders, Harvard Business School Associate Professor Noam Wasserman explores many of the momentous early decisions and pitfalls faced by entrepreneurs and investors. Wasserman outlines paths and options for founders, with an emphasis on the frequently challenging people issues that can inhibit startup success.

This special presentation features a panel of Stanford alumni reflecting on their personal entrepreneurial experiences at Stanford and in the vibrant Silicon Valley ecosystem. This conversation follows a presentation of remarkable results from the Stanford Innovation Survey, measuring the economic impact of Stanford alumni engaged in entrepreneurial activity.

Venture capitalist Geoff Yang challenges entrepreneurs to "think huge" and to complete the due diligence necessary to understand markets they plan to enter. Yang dispels myths about relationships between founders and investors and encourages new entrepreneurs to be thoughtful about taking on outside capital and engaging venture capitalists.

Debunking charisma as being purely innate or magical, Olivia Fox Cabane reveals how specific behaviors of presence, power and warmth can help individuals to develop their personal charisma. The author of The Charisma Myth also shares anecdotes and research that illustrate how elements of charisma are learned, interpreted and impact relationships.

Co-Founder Drew Houston shares personal moments from starting the cloud-based file storage service Dropbox. Houston touches on the importance of persevering through early challenges at a startup, selecting the right co-founder, and focusing on solving problems to maximize customer happiness.

Adam Lashinsky, Fortune senior editor-at-large, shares an insider look at Apple, one of the world's most iconic and secretive companies. Based on his research into the technology giant's internal processes and approaches to leadership and building products, Lashinsky offers insights and surprises from his book, Inside Apple: How America's Most Admired--and Secretive--Company Really Works .

Daniel Ek, founder of digital music service, Spotify, is driven by a desire to solve interesting problems. In this fascinating lecture, moderated by KPCB's Chi-Hua Chien, Ek shares his thoughts on leadership, collaboration, and a laser-focus on building truly great products.

HarperCollins President and CEO Brian Murray discusses the shifting economics of publishing and how his company, which launches 12 new products per day, is working to succeed in this disruptive period. In conversation with STVP Executive Director Dr. Tina Seelig, Murray also talks about issues of digital rights management, his company's willingness to explore new business models, and how HarperCol...

This special lecture offers insights from two leaders creating impact through entrepreneurship. Founder Elizabeth Samara-Rubio explains how her company, StorWatts, aims to provide distributed energy storage to millions around the world, while YouNoodle entrepreneur Rebeca Hwang tells stories of her early field experiences which formed her passion for social entrepreneurship.

Acclaimed film and television producer Gale Anne Hurd knows what it takes to build a career from scratch in a tough industry. Hurd describes her path from entry-level roles in the entertainment industry to becoming a leader in the Hollywood community, based on taking chances, making yourself indispensable and staying committed to what you love.

Entrepreneur and successful executive Jeff Church founded Nika Water to create a thriving social enterprise that supports clean water projects in impoverished countries. In this inspiring lecture, Church lays out his motivations for striking out on his own, the challenges of the global water crisis and the essential lessons aspiring entrepreneurs need to learn.

In this special lecture, mother and son serial entrepreneurs Sandra and Andy Kurtzig share smart reasons for starting companies that matter. Sandra Kurtzig outlines similarities and differences between her previous ventures and her current company, Kenandy. Andy Kurtzig discusses his company, JustAnswer, and key lessons for entrepreneurs.

Former U.S. Undersecretary of Energy Kristina Johnson discusses the empowering experiences of her life and career in academia, government and private industry. In a conversation with STVP's Tina Seelig, Johnson identifies the strengths of each of these areas to affect change and innovation, and offers lessons in leading a life that can capitalize on new opportunities.

Serial entrepreneur and investor Reid Hoffman encourages individuals to become the entrepreneurs of their own lives. Hoffman shares the importance of taking intelligent risks, building thoughtful networks and continually adapting your skills to navigate a fulfilling career path.

JOYUS Founder and Chairman Sukhinder Singh Cassidy says entrepreneurs should leverage trademark strengths and lean in all the way when it's time to deliver. In this lecture, Singh Cassidy explores concepts such as defining operational range, using data to support gut beliefs, and developing the big ideas teams and customers can rally around.

Thuuz Co-Founder and CEO Warren Packard appreciates how uncertainty is a constant force in the lives of entrepreneurs. Sharing stories from his career as an entrepreneur and venture capitalist, Packard captures how life is a series of decisions made without complete information. He also addresses how his current venture approaches issues of funding and strategic partnerships.

Kauffman Foundation Senior Fellow Ted Zoller challenges Stanford students to engage in entrepreneurship as a practice of action. Based on his research into dealmaker density and network development, Zoller details the power of seizing opportunities and the pathways to developing an entrepreneurial career.

Entrepreneur and business model innovator Alexander Osterwalder discusses dynamic, yet simple-to-use tools for visualizing, challenging and re-inventing business models. Osterwalder articulates how to use the visual language of his business model canvas framework, and shares stories of how this approach helps organizations of all sizes to better create, deliver and capture value.

Citi Chief Innovation Officer Deborah Hopkins believes now is an incredible time for new companies due to the pace of cultural and technological change. As the head of Citi Ventures, Hopkins leads the banking firm's efforts to invest in companies delivering disruptive technology products. Hopkins shares rules for revolutionary entrepreneurs and describes how Citi's initiatives are shaped by empath...

InDinero Founder Jessica Mah discusses the realities of the startup experience, in conversation with STVP faculty member and entrepreneur Steve Blank. Sharing the early successes and missteps for her company, Mah honestly reveals the lessons she continues to learn while directing inDinero's path to success through its commitment to customers.

As a partner at Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, Dana Mead supports entrepreneurs and innovators seeking to make major impact through life science technologies and ventures. In this lecture, Mead talks about Venture Capital, offering great insights about Silicon Valley and life as a venture capitalist.

Adam Lowry, co-founder of Method Products, has spent the last decade developing sustainable products that caused major disruption in the consumer goods sector. Lowry offers many of principles that guide Method's path to success and he describes the different obsessions the company keeps to deliver on its promises to customers.

In this lecture, Mårten Mickos shares the benefits and challenges involved in building businesses in the open source and cloud computing spaces. As the CEO of Eucalyptus Systems, Mickos identifies a vision for the future of his industry and shares entrepreneurial lessons gained from leading MySQL AB from its startup origins to becoming one of the largest open source companies in the world.

As the Co-Founder and CTO of Bespoke Innovations, Scott Summit leads a continuing effort to create products that radically change lives. In this lecture, Summit shares insights from creating customized prosthetic devices using new technologies in nascent markets. He also discusses some of challenges his company faced in discovering a working business model and developing customers.

Entrepreneur and early-stage investor Brad Feld offers advice and support to aspiring entrepreneurs. Feld, a managing partner at Foundry Group and a co-founder of TechStars, imparts personal experiences on managing your life as an entrepreneur. He also shares some of the defining characteristics his firm looks for in the entrepreneurs they invest in.