IntegraBlog

Engage Charlotte - Engaging Risk = Achieving Innovation

by: Joanna Gammon | Client Relationship Manager

Engage Charlotte has released it’s first quarterly newsletter! Michael Juby, Engage Charlotte Chair, says “We are thrilled that you are interested in learning more about this great region and the important role you can play in shaping Charlotte's future! In our newsletters, we hope to provide you with concise, compelling information that will help you in your personal and professional development. We also want to help you connect to the region's business and civic leaders, to volunteer and leadership opportunities, and to one another. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions about our newsletter or Engage Charlotte - I would love to hear from you! Have fun getting Engaged!”

Engage Charlotte recently hosted their 2nd Signature Event at the Westin Hotel. Integra sponsored the event on… Engaging Risk = Achieving Innovation

"If you're not failing every now and again, it's a sign you're not doing anything very innovative." ~Woody Allen

Innovation is a rare and precious gem because so many people fear and avoid the risks necessary to achieve it. Of what are they afraid? Mistakes? Failure? Humiliation? Financial ruin? Those are legitimate concerns. However, mistakes and failure are excellent learning tools and should be embraced by young professionals and seasoned executives alike. As for humiliation and financial ruin, may we suggest calculated risks. Learn from an inventor and an intellectual property attorney how they engage risk to achieve innovation.

Guest Speaker: Louis Foreman founder and Chief Executive of Enventys an integrated product design and engineering firm with offices in Charlotte, NC and Hong Kong. Louis graduated from The University of Illinois with a Bachelors of Science degree in Economics. His interest in starting businesses and developing innovative products began while a sophomore with his first company founded in his fraternity room. Over the past 20 years, Louis has created 5 successful start-ups and has been directly responsible for the creation of over 10 others. A prolific inventor, he is the inventor of 9 registered US Patents, and his firm is responsible for the development and filing of well over 150 more.

The recipient of numerous awards for entrepreneurial achievement, his passion for small business extends beyond his own companies. Louis volunteers his time teaching small business classes at Central Piedmont Community College, and was just recently awarded the 2007 Instructor Achievement Award. He is a frequent lecturer and radio / TV guest on the topics of small business creation and product development, and is frequently invited by the United States Patent and Trademark Office to be a featured speaker on the topic of innovation.

In addition to being an inventor, Louis is also committed to educating others on the topic of intellectual property. Louis is the creator of the new PBS TV show, Everyday Edisons and serves as the Executive Producer and lead judge. The show is in production of its second season and appears nationally on PBS. In 2007, Louis became the publisher of Inventors Digest, a 20-year-old publication devoted to the topic of American Innovation.

Louis was a founding member of The Inventors Network of the Carolinas, a non-profit organization that empowers inventors through education, support, and networking opportunities. Louis currently serves as a board member for the University of North Carolina Charlotte Technology Commercialization Committee, The Entrepreneurial Leadership Council at Queens University, and the Central Piedmont Community College Small Business Advisory Board. In December of 2007, he was appointed by United States Secretary of Commerce Carlos M. Gutierrez to serve for a 3-year term on the nine-person Patent Public Advisory Committee of the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

Guest Speaker: Keith Agisim is Associate General Counsel for Global Intellectual Property for Bank of America.  Keith and his team are responsible for creating and implementing the Bank’s intellectual property and intellectual asset strategies, including protecting the Bank’s intellectual property, defending the Bank against claims of others, and monetizing the Bank’s intellectual assets.

Prior to joining Bank of America, Keith was IP Counsel at an affiliate of the Principal Financial Group, where he structured novel intellectual-property-based financings. The innovative structuring of these transactions earned a “Deal of the Year” Award from Securitization News and a “Deal of Distinction” Award from the Licensing Executives Society.  He also provided strategic intellectual property counseling to businesses to assist them in developing and monetizing intellectual property assets. 

Keith practiced law at Fish & Neave in New York, where he specialized in the protection, assertion, acquisition and divestiture of intellectual property assets.  He has also advised investors and investment banks on the evaluation of the intellectual property and licensing strategies, as well as valuation issues related to intellectual property portfolios.  In addition, Keith has litigated patent, trademark and copyright matters.

Keith graduated from the University of Michigan with a Bachelor of Science degree in Cellular and Molecular Biology and received a J.D. from Columbia University School of Law.

In deciding on where to start a career, keep your priorities in mind

by: Josh Stahl | Business Development Manager

After graduating from Bowling Green State University in Ohio, I knew I wanted to live in a city where the career opportunity was as bright as the summer sun. Growing up in the cold Midwest, I was desperate to get out of the freezing, cloud-laden winters and needed a new place to call home. That’s when I began researching the best places to live for young people. I had heard of Charlotte, NC and talked to many people that were raving about it, but I was generally unfamiliar of everything it had to offer. I knew that it was growing and plenty of businesses were moving there because of the immense population expansion, but I came to find out that it had everything I could ask for. I soon realized that aside from the wonderful weather where you still get four seasons, there are mountains to the west for the skiers, beaches to the east for the surfers, 3 professional sports teams to root for and a downtown nightlife to boot.

All of that to me was very appealing, but after all the research, I thought the most attractive aspect of the city was the fact that it was affordable. Now don’t get me wrong, there are plenty of crazy expensive neighborhoods on the outskirts of downtown, but overall, a young professional with a fairly decent paying job wouldn’t have that much trouble finding a piece of property to call home. A lot of my friends moved to bigger cities upon graduation like NYC and Chicago, but I felt like Charlotte would give me the opportunity to advance a little quicker in the real estate investment game. Those cities are great for nightlife and job opportunity, but personally I was more interested in owning a home at a young age than seeing a celebrity in Times Square on a Tuesday night. Being that is the headquarters for Bank of America and Wachovia, the largest commercial bank in the U.S. and the fourth largest banking chain based on total assets, people tend to think of the city as strictly a banking town. That couldn’t be farther from the truth. There is a plethora of diversity in industries throughout the city and with new businesses moving here daily, there is practically opportunity for any educational background.

I’m sure I sound like I’m being paid to talk about how wonderful the city of Charlotte is, but in all reality, the reason I am so happy that I decided to move here is the fact that it has everything I was looking for. At the end of the day, when deciding on relocating to another city for a career move, make sure you are doing it for all the right reasons and not just because it might have one or two things you like.

Job Satisfaction for New Grads Should be More Important than a Fat Wallet

by: Seth Lytton | Business Development Manager

So you have the degree, you were a member of all the influential organizations in your college and most importantly you’ve got the people skills to land that first job.  GREAT!  Now how much does it pay?  This is a scenario that many college grads face when interviewing for that first job.  And while it is a normal occurrence in the interview process, the mere mention of money causes many people feel sick to their stomach.  None the less it is important to know how to make the most out of that first job and you may be surprised, but salary should not be the deciding factor. 

When interviewing for a job it is important that you find the job that fits your skills, more so than your wallet.  Job security, company culture and room for growth are all things that are often overlooked when searching for that first job.  Most recent grads are like Wile E. Coyote with huge dollar signs for eyes searching for the biggest paycheck, but in reality they have little knowledge in what truly makes a job worth while.  A good first job should be one in which you have room to make mistakes (because you will), senior level people who are invested in your growth and willing to help, continuing learning and training opportunities, and it should be in a company where you fit the culture.  These traits make a job enjoyable, and in many cases correlate to an enjoyable work environment.  One in which new grads can succeed. 

Even then the question will come; what is the right salary for this position?  Many resources exist to answer this question:  salary.com, local almanacs, and many universities publish the previous year’s information for the public.  All of which can give you a baseline to compare offers.  However, the bottom line is there is no right salary for the position.  It is all the factors mentioned above that make a job worth having, not the dollar value.  That being said it may be necessary to take an entry level position paying lower than what you may have expected, but this position also has the potential for a long and prosperous career. 

JOB LOYALTY: THE CHALLENGE

by: Kasey Sloan | Business Development Manager

In today’s market, job loyalty is almost considered a double-edge sword.  Times have changed, and the days of working for one company throughout your career are over.  However, employers do not want to see someone jumping around from company-to-company!

When considering a career move, the first thing a potential employer looks at is a resume and work history.  According to CollegeGrad.com, the top criteria employers use when evaluating possible candidates is: #1- educational background, #2- Interviewing skills, and #3- professional experience.  When you look at the interview process, your resume can either make or break the chances of getting a face-to-face interview.

According to the Federal Citizen Information Center, people generally change jobs seven to ten time throughout his/her career.  This shows company’s career progression and advancement.  Employers want to know that an individual was recognized for good work, promoted, or recruited out for an increase in responsibility or pay. 

However, companies DO NOT want to see a person who has changed companies over-and-over again.  This shows a lack of loyalty to the company and makes them weary of bringing that individual on board, because of fear that they will not stay very long.  I would suggest 3-years as a good marker.  After three years with a particular company, if you are not promoted, or there is no change in pay or responsibilities, that is probably a good time to move on.  Companies generally don’t want to see more than 3 companies on a resume, over a period of 5-years.

The challenge: finding a good balance between gaining a diverse amount of experience to progress your career, and displaying a lack of loyalty to a company.