[WEBINAR] What Can Innovators Learn From Failure?

Academic literature and press coverage about innovative entrepreneurial ventures focus almost exclusively on the rare successes. But entrepreneurs say that failure is key—it helps focus and refine disruptive ideas, teaches founders lessons about developing a viable company, and disperses assets, people, and value that fuel new ventures. A discussion with entrepreneurs about how you can learn from failure. When: October 28, 12-1pm EST Watch a Recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DpZZVErhmQk&feature=youtu.be Moderator: Rodrigo Canales, Associate Professor of Organizational Behavior Rodrigo Canales researches the role of institutions in entrepreneurship and economic development. Specifically, Rodrigo studies how individuals purposefully change complex organizations or systems. In particular, Rodrigo's work explores how individuals' backgrounds, professional identities, and organizational positions affect how they relate to existing structures and the strategies they pursue to change them. His work contributes to a deeper understanding of the mechanisms that allow institutions to operate and change. Rodrigo has done work in entrepreneurial finance and microfinance. As he continues his work on microfinance he is also conducting research in the institutional complexities of renewable energy and the institutional implications of the Mexican war on drugs. Rodrigo teaches the Innovator Perspective at Yale SOM; he sits in the advisory board of the Dalai Lama Center for Ethics and Transformative Values at MIT; and he advises several startups in Mexico that seek to improve the financing environment for small firms. Panelists: Elon Boms '07, Lecturer in the Practice of Entrepreneurship, Yale School of Management and Managing Director at LaunchCapital Elon founded LaunchCapital in January 2008 to help entrepreneurs gain quick access to seed capital and mentorship. With a passion for working with industry disruptors and teams that have a strong business development focus, Elon has been involved in over 150 deals across a wide range of industries and geographies. His portfolio performance includes the sale of 20 companies since 2010 with an IRR that places LaunchCapital in the top 10% of venture funds worldwide. He holds an MBA from Yale School of Management and a BA in Economics from the George Washington University. Alexander "Hap" Ellis III '79, General Partner, RockPort Capital Partners Alexander "Hap" Ellis III is a General Partner of RockPort Capital Partners, a multi-stage venture capital firm that invests in the areas of alternative and traditional energy, mobility, and sustainability. Hap's career in alternative energy began at Kenetech Corporation, a leading wind turbine and development company, where he was VP of Marketing. He also has extensive operating and project finance experience in electric power and renewable energy including as a partner in several electric power development companies, developing over 1100MW of combined-cycle gas-fired electric generating stations. At RockPort he has primarily focused on renewables, electric grid technologies, advanced materials, and transportation and emission control technologies. Hap received a BA from Colorado College and earned an MBA from the Yale School of Management. Hap serves on the boards of RockPort portfolio companies CDTi, Gazelle, and Northern Power Systems. In addition he serves as Member of the Board of the George Bush Presidential Library Foundation, and he is a Member of the Board of Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Jesse Johnson '01, CEO & Co-Founder, Telluride Venture Accelerator; Co-Founder & CEO, Q Collection Jesse is the CEO and co-founder of the Telluride Venture Accelerator, an innovative accelerator that has now raised $4 million for 10 graduating companies. He co-founded and was CEO of Q Collection, a leading sustainable design company (now a part of Rose Tarlow). He has been involved as a mentor and investor in many startup businesses and served on the board of two companies sold to a Fortune 50 company. He serves on the board of 1% For The Planet, Yale's Center for Business and the Environment, Harvard's Center for Health and the Global Environment, Telluride Foundation and several others. He is a general partner of the Telluride Venture Fund. Jesse has an MBA and MES (Environmental Science) from Yale and a BA from Princeton. He lives in Telluride full time with his wife and two young boys.

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