MaRS Peer to Peer Series - Thinking Like a Citizen of the World: The Global Challenge for Today's Entrepreneurs
SESSION THEMES
In Silicon Valley, Kamran Elahian is one of the high-tech industry's well-known "serial entrepreneurs,” having co-founded such notable start-ups as CAE Systems, Cirrus Logic and numerous other technology ventures. Kamran has been recognized internationally for his outstanding achievements as an innovator with a proven track record growing companies. Today, Kamran is chairman of Global Catalyst Partners, a global venture capital fund specializing in investments for communications product companies, which he co-founded in 1999.
Kamran stresses an approach to building technology companies that moves beyond understanding the marketing and sales practices needed to win outside one’s home country. He argues that start-ups today must look at the global options for raising investment and working capital, engineering and manufacturing. His firm brings a unique, trans-national approach to developing and executing growth strategies by drawing together research and technology, managerial talent and financial resources from countries, such as India, Israel, Japan, Germany, the U.K. and the U.S., creating a truly international company.
Following the failure at Momenta, a company he co-founded in 1992, Kamran took a year traveling the world, soul searching to contemplate his next venture. Since then, he has launched a long list of winning start-ups while promoting failure as a checkpoint on the road to success.
As part of the growing ranks of social entrepreneurs, Kamran has also developed his own brand of philanthropy - one that makes the most of modern technological innovations, such as the Internet, to bridge social and political differences among people. In 1996, he founded Schools Online – a charitable non-profit organization which aims to connect all schools around the world to the Internet. In 2000, he co-founded the Global Catalyst Foundation, a private philanthropic non-profit foundation.
Please join us for Kamran Elahian’s first speaking appearance in Toronto. Register today as space for this event is limited. Please note this session is by invitation only to senior executives and members of the investment community.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
- Achieving the right balance for growth in domestic vs. international markets
- Lessons in moving through each stage of a start-up's lifecycle
- Qualities to look for in a management team
- The importance of a team-based corporate culture
- How to learn from startup failures
DATE | TIME | LOCATION
November 16, 20068:00AM - 10:00AM
MaRS Centre
101 College St, Toronto
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Kamran Elahian is currently Chairman of Global Catalyst Partners and six other organizations: Centillium Communications, Planetweb, Greenfield Networks, Actelis Networks, the Global Catalyst Foundation and Relief International-Schools Online. Kamran received a BSc. in Computer Science, a BSc. in Mathematics (at the age of twenty) and a Masters of Engineering degree in Computer Graphics from the University of Utah.
SPONSORED BY
PAST EVENTS
- October 11, 2005
MaRS Peer to Peer Series - An Afternoon with Yung Wu - November 4, 2005
MaRS Peer to Peer Event - A Morning with Paul Atkinson - November 14, 2005
MaRS Peer to Peer Series - An Afternoon with Zohar Gendler - January 25, 2006
MaRS Peer to Peer Series - An Afternoon with Nelson Sims - March 29, 2006
MaRS Peer to Peer Series - An Afternoon with Tony Cruz - September 18, 2006
MaRS Peer to Peer Series - Reaching the Third Stage of Market Success: Positioning your Company for "Exponential Growth" - November 16, 2006
MaRS Peer to Peer Series - Thinking Like a Citizen of the World: The Global Challenge for Today's Entrepreneurs - June 7, 2007
MaRS Peer to Peer Series - Strategize for Maximum Value - October 8, 2008
MaRS Peer to Peer Series - Difficult Presentations - November 13, 2008
MaRS Peer to Peer Series - An Afternoon with Robert Masaru Okabe
