1. Tell me about your business.
We commercialize, research and participate in intellectual property protection.
2. Are you a member of the Silicon Valley Black Chamber of Commerce and why did you choose to join the Incubator program?
Indeed. I have been a member for a long time. I joined by chance when I was looking for office space and somebody just referred me to the Black Chamber.
At that time, the Black Chamber had Class A office space in a very attractive location with a very attractive monthly rent.
3. How have you benefited from being a member of the Black Chamber of Commerce/The Incubator program?
I have benefited, but not in a business sense. It gave me an opportunity to learn how African American entrepreneurs are distinct from the regular entrepreneurs that I am familiar with. It was a learning experience in that sense.
You find them less frequently in regularly entrepreneurial circles. So, when you go to VC gatherings and all these other places you don't see them represented in the same proportion as the black population in the area so you sometimes have to be coming to the Black Chamber to realize that there are, indeed, black entrepreneurs. And you see them less frequently in high tech, but you find them in other businesses.
Sometimes, we, the high tech people, are totally unaware of them. For example, I've seen somebody I respect quite a bit, a black entrepreneur. He had his company that he founded in sports memorabilia. He did quite well then he sold it. For me, it was being exposed to being well-rounded in the opportunities that I was not aware of. I was not aware that people could start companies in such areas and do well. It was a learning experience.
4. What more can the Chamber do to
support your business?
The Chamber has done very little. Whatever I learned was out of my own experience. The Chamber could actually service not just black community, but all kinds of entrepreneurs if they would help them on a regular basis with get-togethers that help network people, also have seminars and presentations on how to raise capital because capital is the life blood of any business and particularly for entrepreneurs, capital is always in short supply.
I believe that the Chamber has to be proactive in looking around, arranging lunchtime seminars. Also finding sponsors to pay for lunches when people do come because the whole business of brown bag lunches it never works. To me it appears less of an effort when somebody calls me for a seminar but they have not put enough effort into finding a sponsor for lunch. So people should have no excuse. If you do the job right, people should have no excuse to not attend your seminar. If there is lunch, a good speaker, a good venue the subject is going to benefit you then why would people not come? They would?
5. Tell us three things about you.
1. I am a serial entrepreneur. I have started companies, taken them to IPOs, participated in other companies that got acquired. I am from the high tech community.
2. I have been very fortunate to have traveled all over the world.
3. I have a very open mind for all kinds of people, cultures and religions.
6. What three tips would you give to business owners?
1. Make sure that the markets you are trying to address are going to be there when you participate with your product or service.
2. Make sure you have a strategic advantage as a small business owner so you can participate and thrive.
3. Make sure you have the needed capital.
7. What three tips would you give to people who are interested in starting their own business?
1. You really have to have nerves of steel. It's going to be difficult. If somebody tells you it's going to be easy, they are kidding you.
2. Make sure that you have family support or other emotional support so you can survive when things are tough. You need that strong network of friends and family.
3. Thoroughly research what it is you are trying to do. In other words, there should be a business for the business to exist. This is not a not-for-profit.
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