Light Bulbs to Dollar Signs: Turning Your Idea into a Profitable Business
"Light Bulbs to Dollar Signs: Turning Your Idea into a
Profitable Business"
Many entrepreneurs have a big idea they believe could be turned into a profitable business. The first event in the Venture Lab fall season, Light Bulbs to Dollar Signs, will cover best practices for turning that big idea into a profitable business.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /?>
Join Venture Lab speakers Rick Hennessey, CEO of Cequint and Amy Tucker, Xeko Creator, Co-Founder, CEO, Matter Group, LLC as they share their knowledge, experience and perspective surrounding this exciting and very critical topic.
Cequint provides technology that enables wireless carriers to offer enhanced Caller ID services.
Xeko is the outrageously fun, new animal trading card game that's driving kids wild.
Issues discussed will include:
. Assuring that the venture idea has a market.
. Knowing that the venture can deliver its service or product.
. How delivery can be done at a cost that allows for a profit.
. How to create productive links between capital, ideas and implementation to serve the customer.
Speakers:
Rick Hennessey - Chief Executive Officer, Cequint, Inc., Chairman Sustainable Group, Inc.
Rick Hennessey is a serial entrepreneur having built many companies in the technology and entertainment sector. He is a pioneer in the mobile marketplace, founding and successfully selling several wireless related software businesses in North America. As well, he is the founder of one of the early "green company" successes to come out of the Seattle marketplace. He speaks globally at wireless and entertainment industry-related conferences and sits on several advisory committees.
Hennessey is currently President and CEO of Cequint, Inc. and Founder & Chairman of Sustainable Group. Cequint provides enhanced Caller Identification systems to wireless carriers. Sustainable Group manufactures environmentally friendly office products.
Prior to Cequint Rick was the CEO of a public company named Dwango Wireless. Rick entered Dwango through the acquisition of his firm Over-The-Air Wireless. At Dwango Rick began as EVP of Business Development, was soon hired as President and six months later elected by the board to the position of CEO. Rick's role as CEO resulted remarkable growth taking the company's quarterly sales from under $25,000 to over $1,000,000 in less than a year. In that year Rick also led the coordination of partnerships with the leading premium lifestyle brands such as ESPN, Rolling Stone, Beliefnet, Real Networks and Napster. Rick has also coordinated agreements with each of the major wireless carriers including Verizon, Cingular, AT&T Wireless, Sprint, T-Mobile, Alltel, Nextel and US Cellular. Rick has also coordinated partnerships with leading handset providers and content partnerships on a global basis.
Prior to Dwango, Rick founded Over-The-Air Wireless (OTA) in 2001, a successful application developer and content producer in the North American ringtone and media marketplace. OTA was the first company in the US to launch pre-paid wireless entertainment cards and the first in the US to successfully deliver ringtones on a CDMA network. Rick also established OTA's relationships with seven of the North American wireless carriers and agreements with the top music publishers before Dwango acquired OTA in 2003.
Additionally, Rick founded Eversio Mobile (sold in 2004) Eversio Techonolgies (sold in April 2008) and Syndeo Systems (sold in 2001). Rick actively consults technology start-ups and for several years has sat on the National Wireless Leadership Council. Rick has received many awards including one of Washington's top 40 under 40 entrepreneurs.
Amy Tucker - Xeko Creator, Co-Founder, CEO, Matter Group, LLC
Amy Tucker views sustainability as an inspiration for innovation and advancement. Tucker invented Xeko and founded Matter after 12 years in high-tech and publishing, where she architected integrated-media programs for companies including Microsoft, Nintendo, and T-Mobile.
In 2004, Tucker took time off to travel and research, turning creative vision and experience toward advancement in global sustainability. In 2005 Tucker founded Matter Group, an incubator sustainability advancements and publisher of Xeko, with close and business maven S"onny Spearman.
Xeko, a multi-platform children's entertainment property, starting a trading card game, website, club, and eco-friendly toys, features Legend of Xeko and endangered species from the world's conservation hotspots. Four percent of Xeko net sales are donated to Conservation
International (conservation.org).
The Xeko trading card game, on sale since its launch Earth Day is already a hit with kids and has won fifteen prestigious national awards. Xeko's mission is to inspire the next generation of eco- through enriching entertainment, community building, and fostering creativity.
A world traveler, artist, yogini, and snowboarder, Tucker is president of Seattle Art Museum's Contemporary Art Council and guest at Seattle's School of Visual Concepts. A Boettcher Scholar, graduated magna cum laude from The Colorado College.
