The Low Down

by Vince Ponzo '03BUS
originally published in Columbia Business

No word captures the zeitgeist of today’s business environment better than ‘entrepreneurial’. The word
 is everywhere: in pop culture, on the news, and most importantly, reverberating through businesses of every size. So how can you learn to be more entrepreneurial within your organization?

First, let’s touch on why an entrepreneurial mindset is important. Today, the status quo for businesses is constant change, largely due to accelerating technological advancement, the erosion of brand loyalty driven by easy access to comparative information, and new local and global entrants regularly altering market equilibriums. An entrepreneurial mindset allows you to stay ahead in this competitive environment by creating and responding to opportunities in your business, industry, and career.

Now let’s discuss how to get there.

by David S. Rose '83BUS
originally published in Columbia Business

Angel investing is when individuals invest their personal capital to help finance a recently founded company. Over the long run, carefully selected and managed portfolios of personal angel investments can produce an average annual return of more than 25 percent, which compares well to virtually any other use for your money. Even better, you often get a ringside seat at a venture that is out to change the world, direct access to company CEOs who may become the corporate magnates of tomorrow, and early access to the latest products and services before they become generally available.

by Elias Gagas '01SEAS

How do people get new ideas?  An unpublished Isaac Asimov essay uncovers the secrets behind the process of creativity…

Asimov went to Columbia's School of General Studies (1939) and received a PhD at Columbia (1948).