Jeffrey Donenfeld

Category: Thought Leadership

  • Uganda is Positioned for Starlink Broadband – Market Access Analysis and Recommendations

    Uganda is Positioned for Starlink Broadband – Market Access Analysis and Recommendations

    Recently, I had the opportunity to present a brief analysis and strategy to the team at SpaceX’s Starlink on key considerations and strategy points they should understand in building Starlink access in Uganda. Thanks to the team at Starlink for hosting me, as well as for a tour of the Starlink satellite factory.

    Summary of the Presentation: SpaceX Starlink Market Access Analysis – Uganda

    This presentation provides a detailed analysis of Starlink’s strategic roadmap for entering Uganda’s satellite internet market. It outlines the current state of Uganda’s communications infrastructure, including key players and technological advancements, while highlighting the opportunities and challenges posed by local licensing frameworks and geopolitical considerations. The document emphasizes the importance of building strong relationships with regulatory authorities, such as the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC), and leveraging existing partnerships with local telecom providers to streamline the market entry process. Furthermore, it explores how Starlink can integrate innovative technologies like VSAT and direct-to-cell services to address Uganda’s digital inclusion goals. The analysis underscores the need for a dynamic approach that balances compliance with local regulations, collaboration with regional stakeholders, and differentiation in service offerings to ensure a competitive and sustainable market presence.

    Key Takeaways:

    1. Strategic Partnerships are Essential: Collaborating with local providers, regulators (e.g., Uganda Communications Commission – UCC), and diplomatic entities is critical for navigating the market and regulatory landscape.
    2. Regulatory and Licensing Complexity: The necessity for landing rights, local offices, and compliance with Uganda’s satellite service framework presents challenges but also opportunities for establishing a robust presence.
    3. Technology Integration and Innovation: Leveraging advancements such as VSAT for personal broadband and direct-to-cell services aligns with Uganda’s digital inclusion goals.

    Further Discussion:

    1. How can Starlink’s market entry strategy adapt to political and regulatory unpredictability in Uganda, especially concerning censorship and interception requirements?
    2. What opportunities exist to integrate Starlink’s services with Uganda’s e-government initiatives or regional trade agreements like COMESA?
    3. Given the competition from other global satellite providers like OneWeb and China’s SpaceSail, how can Starlink differentiate its service offerings to capture and sustain market share?
    4. How can improved satellite communication infrastructure in Africa bolster national security initiatives, such as disaster response or border monitoring, while fostering private entrepreneurship in these areas?
    5. What role can Starlink play in supporting local startups and small businesses in Uganda to scale operations while contributing to broader national security objectives, such as secure data transmission and cyber resilience?

    Key Terms:

    1. Starlink: A satellite internet constellation operated by SpaceX providing high-speed internet access globally.
    2. VSAT (Very Small Aperture Terminal): Small satellite dishes used for broadband data communications, often in remote or underserved areas.
    3. Landing Rights: Authorization for foreign-owned satellites to provide services within a specific country’s borders.
    4. National Public Service Provider (NPSP): A license required for entities delivering public communication services in Uganda.
    5. UCC (Uganda Communications Commission): The regulatory authority overseeing telecommunications and satellite services in Uganda.
    6. Geopolitical Challenges: Barriers arising from political relationships, alliances, and international policies that can affect business operations.
    7. Backhaul: The intermediate network links between the core telecommunications infrastructure and smaller networks or local connections.
    8. Direct-to-Cell Services: Satellite communication services providing direct connectivity to mobile devices, bypassing traditional ground infrastructure.
    9. COMESA (Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa): A regional economic organization aiming to enhance trade and integration among its member countries.
    10. E-Band Frequency: A portion of the electromagnetic spectrum (71–76 GHz and 81–86 GHz) used for high-speed satellite communications.
    11. Digital Inclusion: Efforts and strategies to ensure all individuals and communities, including the underserved, have access to digital technologies and internet services.
    12. Ground Station: A terrestrial facility that communicates with satellites, serving as a node in the satellite communication network.
    13. Interception Requirements: Legal mandates that allow governments to monitor or intercept communication data for security and law enforcement purposes.
    14. Fiber Connectivity: The use of fiber-optic cables to provide high-speed internet and data transmission services.
    15. Satellite Constellation: A group of satellites working together to provide global or regional coverage for communications or other services.
    16. Uganda National Data Transmission Backbone: A government-led initiative to enhance digital infrastructure and connectivity across Uganda.
    17. ESIM (Earth Station In Motion): Satellite communication systems designed to provide connectivity for moving platforms like ships, aircraft, and vehicles.
    18. Regional Public Infrastructure Provider (RPIP): A license granted to companies that build and operate infrastructure supporting public communication services in a specific region.
    19. Type Approval: Certification that satellite communication equipment complies with local regulatory standards before being deployed or used.

    Sources

  • Colorado Space Roundup: Challenges and breakthroughs shaping humanity’s journey to the Moon and beyond

    Colorado Space Roundup: Challenges and breakthroughs shaping humanity’s journey to the Moon and beyond

    Recent and ongoing technological, business, and policy innovations are paving the way for enhanced, more productive, and farther reaching human presence in space, on the Moon, and beyond. Today I had the opportunity to attend and connect with fellow industry professionals at the “Lunar and Beyond” panel during the 21st annual Colorado Space Roundup, organized by the Colorado Space Business Roundtable. My key takeaways – Re-usable space and planetary hardware, off-earth manufacturing, and global collaboration are key elements in humanities next steps into the solar system. Reach out to me anytime continue the discussion on building the space economy.

    Panel Description:1 – Lunar and Beyond – Take Us There!

    Explore the challenges and breakthroughs shaping humanity’s journey to the Moon and beyond. This panel features visionary leaders driving innovation in lunar exploration, space habitation, and interplanetary missions. From cutting-edge technologies to international collaboration, discover how these efforts pave the way for a sustainable future in space. Whether you’re an industry expert or a curious enthusiast, this discussion will inspire and illuminate the path to our next frontier.

    Moderator and Panelists:2

    Chris Pearson, CEO, Agile Space Industries

    Chris Pearson is CEO of Agile Space Industries, his 4th Colorado high growth space business after ABSL (acquired by Enersys), Surrey Satellite US (acquired by General Atomics) and Roccor (acquired by Redwre). Chris is originally from the UK but moved here 20 years ago to raise his family and has worked at the mission, spacecraft and component level for small and large business and civil, commercial and national security programs. He hold a Mathematics degree, technical Masters degrees from Cranfield University and Imperial College but most proud of his MBA from CU.

    Rob Chambers, Director of Strategy, Lockheed Martin Space

    Rob Chambers is the Director of Strategy for Lockheed Martin’s Human and Scientific Space Exploration area. In this role, he is focused on Lockheed Martin’s blueprint for extending humanity’s knowledge of our planet, our solar system, and the universe at large. With the company’s unparalleled heritage in robotic and human spaceflight, weather, climate intelligence, and Earth science, Lockheed Martin is working with our government, commercial, and international customers and partners to answer fundamental questions about where we come from, where we’re going, and whether we’re alone in the universe. Rob has been with Lockheed Martin since 1993 and has worked on a variety of spaceflight programs including Earth remote sensing satellites, the Space Shuttle, Orion, human lunar landers, nuclear power and propulsion, and deep space habitation. Rob has bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering from Purdue University. Throughout his career, Rob has led the development of guidance and controls subsystems, avionics, and flight software.

    Landon Luick, Founder, LEAP

    Landon Luick is a launch vehicle manufacturing and metal additive manufacturing engineer from Blue Origin and SpaceX. His experience includes building Falcon 9’s 1st and 2nd stages, Dragon capsule, New Shepard, and BE-4. Mr. Luick has experience leading multidisciplinary teams in electrical controls, software, optics, fluids design, mechanical design, and manufacturing engineering bringing products from early concepts to delivering final highly integrated products. In his role as COO, Mr. Luick is responsible for all build and test activities related to LEAP’s launch vehicles and rocket engines.

    Matt Shieh, Co-Founder/CEO, Canopy

    Before founding Canopy, Matt was a Captain in the U.S. Air Force and spent an 8-year career as a B-52H Weapons Officer. In this role, he flew, managed, and operated weapon systems ranging from conventional munitions to nuclear armed cruise missiles. As a supervisor and operator of Air Force weapon systems, Matt developed expertise on the technical capabilities and limitations of all weapons in the Air Force’s inventory and adjacent military branches. During this time, he also served as a mission commander on dozens of missions during combat deployments overseas. Matt then took his expertise to Europe as an Air Liaison Officer, advising NATO partners and U.S. military forces on how to utilize U.S. Air Force capabilities. He developed strategy and planned operations at the highest levels, while managing and integrating the Air Force’s tactical air controllers, known as Joint Terminal Attack Controllers (JTACs). While his background is rooted in operational experience, much of his career was spent achieving objectives through collaboration and coordination with experienced technical team members. Matt is a native of Kentucky, attended the University of Kentucky, holds an MBA from the University of Chicago, and is married with a son. He now leads Canopy, an advanced manufacturing company solving critical manufacturing challenges for the industrial base.

    Sam Smith, Co-Founder, Origami Space

    Sam Smith is an entrepreneur, engineer, and innovator passionate about advancing space technology. As a co-founder of Origami Space, Sam leads efforts to develop deployable systems for satellites, combining cutting-edge engineering with practical applications for national security and commercial markets. With a background in mechanical engineering, Sam has a track record of creating solutions that bridge technical challenges and real-world needs. Sam is also committed to education and evangelizing entrepreneurship, actively bullying his friends to start their own businesses and supporting initiatives that inspire innovation and empower future leaders.

    Key Takeaways3

    1. Milestones: Establishing a sustainable presence on the Moon begins with NASA’s Artemis program, including Orion and private lander systems.
    2. Reusable Systems: Emphasis on reusable launch vehicles and orbital logistics hubs to reduce costs and enable scalability.
    3. In-Space Manufacturing: Additive manufacturing and resource utilization in space are critical to building infrastructure.
    4. Economic Viability: Private sector engagement is necessary to commercialize space exploration and identify profitable ventures.
    5. Radiation Shielding: Advanced materials and shielding are essential for protecting humans and equipment.
    6. Lunar Resources: Using lunar water for fuel and other resources could drive the next phase of exploration.
    7. Human Adaptability: Humans play a vital role in decision-making and handling unforeseen challenges during exploration.
    8. Psychological Challenges: Long-term missions pose unique psychological challenges, including isolation and the “overview effect.”
    9. Talent Development: The space industry needs bold thinkers and fresh perspectives to push boundaries.
    10. Global Collaboration: Achieving these goals requires coordination among governments, private companies, and international partners.

    Summarized Panel Transcript:4

    Panel Introduction

    Our next panel topic is expansive, so much so that we decided to split it into two parts—one before lunch and one immediately afterward. This year, the panel focuses on humanity’s journey to the Moon and beyond. It explores the challenges and breakthroughs shaping our interplanetary future, featuring visionary leaders in aeronautics, space navigation, and interplanetary missions. Together, they highlight cutting-edge technologies and collaborative efforts paving the way for a sustainable future in space.

    Discussion Highlights

    The panel kicked off with a key question: What are the milestones necessary to establish a sustainable human presence on the Moon and beyond?

    Rob Chambers emphasized that the journey begins with flying humans aboard the Orion spacecraft. NASA has outlined clear objectives, starting with returning humans to the lunar surface using systems like Orion and landers from Blue Origin and SpaceX. However, Rob pointed out that rockets and launch systems are just tools—they are only enablers for accomplishing broader objectives. True sustainability will depend on building infrastructure, developing advanced materials, and creating supply chain solutions.

    Landon Luick discussed the importance of reusable launch systems and highlighted the need for an evolved architecture for space logistics. “We need to stop building bigger rockets for direct flights and instead focus on creating orbital hubs and distributed systems,” Landon stated. He likened it to developing an efficient airline network rather than relying solely on direct routes. This approach, he argued, will allow the Moon to serve as a gateway for deeper space exploration.

    Matt McCann expanded on the significance of solving manufacturing challenges in space. He highlighted Canopy Aerospace’s role in developing new materials and processes for sustainable manufacturing. “To build a space economy, we must innovate at every level—from materials to systems to the entire supply chain,” Matt explained.

    Sam Smith spoke about the need for commercialization in space exploration. While much of the funding currently comes from governments, long-term sustainability will require viable commercial markets. He pointed out that human ingenuity has always found ways to turn exploration into profitable ventures, and the Moon will be no exception.

    Technological Challenges and Solutions

    The discussion transitioned to the practical challenges of space exploration. Rob Chambers mentioned that shielding spacecraft from radiation and micrometeoroids remains a major hurdle. He noted that materials science and construction technologies must evolve to provide the necessary protection without compromising weight and cost.

    Landon highlighted the need for scalable manufacturing and infrastructure. “Instead of sending everything from Earth, we must develop the capability to use resources available on the Moon and in space,” he said. This includes using lunar regolith for construction and creating fuel depots in orbit. He also pointed out the inefficiency of the current system: “Right now, launching from Earth is like trying to deliver a single refrigerator using a semi-truck. We need tailored solutions for each stage of space logistics.”

    Matt McCann elaborated on additive manufacturing as a game-changer for space exploration. “With 3D printing, we can produce complex components in space using locally sourced materials,” he said. This technology could significantly reduce the cost and logistical challenges of space missions while enabling on-demand production of critical parts.

    Sam Smith emphasized the importance of a clear vision to avoid “random acts of development.” He shared insights from his work on C2 Aerospace’s strategies, which focus on integrated solutions for national security and commercial markets. “We need coordinated efforts to ensure resources are allocated to projects with the highest potential impact,” he argued.

    Commercial Opportunities

    The panel discussed the economic aspects of space exploration. Landon stated that while much of the focus has been on government-funded projects, commercial opportunities are beginning to emerge. “We’re at the cusp of a new era where private companies can play a significant role in the space economy,” he noted. Potential markets include satellite deployment, in-space manufacturing, and resource extraction.

    Matt McCann provided an example of how the Moon could serve as a hub for deeper exploration. “If we can crack water on the Moon into hydrogen and oxygen, it could revolutionize fuel production for spacecraft,” he said. This concept, known as the “water-based economy,” could make interplanetary travel more feasible.

    Rob Chambers cautioned against over-reliance on any single solution. “Sustainability will require a multi-faceted approach, from mining lunar resources to developing modular systems that can adapt to various missions,” he explained. He also stressed the importance of learning from past projects and applying those lessons to new initiatives.

    Human vs. Robotic Exploration

    The panel debated the roles of humans and robots in space exploration. Rob Chambers argued that while robots are invaluable for certain tasks, there’s no substitute for human ingenuity in complex or unexpected situations. “Robots are great for routine operations, but humans excel at problem-solving and adapting to the unknown,” he said. He shared an anecdote about a geologist astronaut who identified a crucial rock sample that a robot would have overlooked.

    Landon added that as space exploration extends further from Earth, the need for autonomous decision-making increases. “Communication delays make it impractical to rely on Earth-based control for missions beyond Mars,” he said. However, he acknowledged the challenges of keeping humans alive in deep space, from radiation exposure to the psychological effects of isolation.

    Sam Smith highlighted the human drive for exploration. “Hundreds of thousands of people would volunteer to go to space, even knowing the risks,” he said. He argued that this spirit of adventure is essential to pushing the boundaries of what’s possible.

    Sustainability and Long-Term Vision

    Rob Chambers addressed the critical need for sustainability in space exploration. “We can’t keep relying on Earth for every resource. Developing the ability to use lunar and in-space materials is paramount,” he stated. He also mentioned the need for standardized infrastructure, such as modular components that could be reused or repurposed across different missions.

    Landon spoke about the importance of reducing costs and increasing efficiency in getting to low Earth orbit (LEO). “LEO is the gateway to everywhere else. Once we commoditize access to LEO, the rest of the solar system becomes much more accessible,” he explained. He also suggested that commercial opportunities, such as in-space manufacturing and satellite servicing, would drive investment and innovation.

    Matt McCann emphasized that sustainability must include not only physical infrastructure but also economic models. “We need to figure out what products or services can generate revenue in space. Whether it’s mining, manufacturing, or tourism, the private sector will play a key role in making space exploration financially viable,” he argued.

    Sam Smith shared his vision for how the Moon could become a stepping stone for deeper space exploration. “I see the Moon as a port city for the cosmos—a place where humanity can establish a foothold before venturing further,” he said. He highlighted the need for international collaboration and strategic partnerships to achieve this vision.

    Psychological and Health Challenges

    The panel also touched on the psychological and physiological challenges of long-term space travel. Rob Chambers described the “overview effect” experienced by astronauts, a profound shift in perspective when seeing Earth from space. He speculated that the psychological effects might intensify as humans venture further into the solar system. “Imagine being on Mars and seeing Earth as just a faint dot in the sky. That level of disconnection will pose unique challenges,” he said.

    Landon raised concerns about the unknown effects of reduced gravity on the human body. “We’ve studied microgravity extensively, but we don’t yet know the long-term impacts of living in environments like the Moon’s 1/6 gravity or Mars’s 1/3 gravity,” he explained. He stressed the importance of conducting further research before committing to permanent settlements.

    Matt McCann added that health risks extend beyond gravity. “Radiation, limited medical supplies, and psychological isolation are all major hurdles,” he said. He suggested that advances in medical technology and virtual reality could help mitigate some of these issues.

    Encouraging New Talent

    The panel closed with advice for those looking to enter the space industry. Matt McCann encouraged young professionals to “jump in with both feet.” He said, “The first job you take may not be perfect, but it will teach you invaluable lessons that will shape your career.”

    Sam Smith echoed this sentiment, emphasizing the importance of being opportunistic. “Find a problem you’re passionate about solving and go after it. The space industry needs bold thinkers who are willing to take risks,” he said.

    Rob Chambers encouraged collaboration and innovation. “We need fresh perspectives to push the boundaries of what’s possible. Don’t be afraid to challenge the status quo,” he advised.

    Final Thoughts

    The panelists agreed that humanity’s journey to the Moon and beyond is not just about technology—it’s about vision, collaboration, and the indomitable human spirit. As Sam Smith put it, “People are the economy. If there are people who want to live and work in space, we will find a way to make it happen.”

    The session concluded with a brief Q&A, where the panelists reiterated the importance of urgency, calculated risks, and collective efforts in advancing space exploration. Chris Pearson thanked the panelists and audience for an engaging and thought-provoking discussion, setting the stage for the exciting future of humanity in space.

    Follow-Up Questions

    1. How can lunar regolith be efficiently processed to produce construction materials or fuel on the Moon?
    2. What are the long-term physiological effects of living in reduced gravity environments, and how can they be mitigated?
    3. How can AI and autonomous systems optimize the logistics of interplanetary exploration?
    4. What innovations are needed to create a fully sustainable water-based economy on the Moon?
    5. How should governments and private sectors collaborate to accelerate the commoditization of access to LEO?

    Glossary of Terms

    1. Artemis Program: NASA’s initiative to return humans to the Moon and establish a sustainable presence.
    2. Orion: NASA’s spacecraft designed for deep space exploration.
    3. Lunar Regolith: Moon soil used as a resource for construction and manufacturing.
    4. Additive Manufacturing (AM): 3D printing techniques used for producing complex parts.
    5. Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV): Rockets designed for multiple uses, reducing costs.
    6. LEO (Low Earth Orbit): An orbit close to Earth, serving as a gateway for deeper space missions.
    7. Delta-V: A measure of the velocity change needed for spacecraft maneuvers.
    8. Water-Based Economy: Concept of using lunar water for fuel and other applications.
    9. Microgravity: Near-weightless condition experienced in space.
    10. Radiation Shielding: Protection against harmful space radiation.
    11. Satellite Servicing: Maintenance and repair of satellites in orbit.
    12. In-Space Manufacturing: Production of goods in microgravity or space environments.
    13. Sustainability: The ability to maintain operations with minimal reliance on Earth resources.
    14. Overview Effect: A cognitive shift experienced by astronauts viewing Earth from space.
    15. ISRU (In-Situ Resource Utilization): Using local resources, such as lunar regolith, for construction.
    16. Propellant Depots: Orbital stations for refueling spacecraft.
    17. Distributed Logistics: Systems optimizing space transportation and resource use.
    18. Mars Analog: Simulated environments on Earth used for testing Mars-like conditions.
    19. Space Tourism: Commercial travel for non-professional astronauts.
    20. Interplanetary Exploration: Missions targeting planets beyond Earth.
    1. From: https://coloradosbr.org/2024-roundup-program/#habitation1 ↩︎
    2. From: https://coloradosbr.org/2024-roundup-program/#habitation1 ↩︎
    3. Transcript built using Apple Voice Memos and Apple Intelligence transcription. Transcript proof read, edited, summarized, analyzed by https://chatgpt.com/ ↩︎
    4. Transcript built using Apple Voice Memos and Apple Intelligence transcription. Transcript proof read, edited, summarized, analyzed by https://chatgpt.com/ ↩︎
  • Leading the Business Innovation Value Proposition Pitching Workshop at the NASA/Starburst Aerospace Space-H Accelerator

    Leading the Business Innovation Value Proposition Pitching Workshop at the NASA/Starburst Aerospace Space-H Accelerator

    Thanks to the teams at Starburst Aerospace, NASA’s Human Research Program, the Translational Research Institute for Space Health (TRISH), Methuselah Foundation, and Microsoft Federal for hosting me to lead the inaugural Space-H Space Health Accelerator cohort in a workshop on the nuances of Business Innovation Value Proposition Pitching. A few notes from our engaging session:

    Workshop Summary1

    Jeffrey Donenfeld, an experienced investor and business strategist, presented insights on venture capital financing and investor relations to a group of early-stage startup representatives. The presentation covered the venture capital financing lifecycle, effective communication of value propositions, and strategies for navigating investor relationships. Donenfeld emphasized the importance of articulating clear value propositions, understanding market positioning, and maintaining regular investor communications. The session also included discussions on various funding sources, including non-dilutive options, and the pros and cons of different financing strategies for startups at various stages of growth.

    Introduction and background of Jeffrey Donenfeld

    • Jeffrey Donenfeld introduced himself as a lifelong technologist and science enthusiast, as well as a business and venture investing strategist, focusing on building the future of humanity through technology and business innovation.
    • Donenfeld shared his experience working with the National Science Foundation in Antarctica at the South Pole, where he served as an EMT in the medical clinic and helped build scientific instruments including a neutrino telescope and a microwave telescope.
    • Prior to starting Echo Mesa and consulting, Donenfeld was the Investment Director at Boomtown Accelerators in Boulder, where he managed deal flow and investment funnel for 12 different accelerators, made about 120 investments, and built a portfolio worth approximately $500 million.
    • Donenfeld emphasized his extensive experience in evaluating pitches, from reading applications to conducting initial interviews and making final investment decisions with executive boards.

    Goals and structure of the presentation

    • The main goal of the presentation was to provide insights on presenting to future investors, business partners, and network contacts, aiming to help attendees carry conversations forward effectively.
    • The presentation was structured into three main sections: 1) Understanding general positioning within the US Venture landscape, 2) Demonstrating value proposition, and 3) Assessing fundraising options and fundraising value proposition.
    • The final part of the presentation focused on building an effective pitch for investors and network contacts, synthesizing the information from the previous sections.
    • Donenfeld offered to provide access to his AI notes on Fellow, a collaborative note-taking platform, and promised to share a PDF version of the presentation deck with attendees for later reference.

    Navigating the Gartner Hype Cycle and AI in healthcare

    • Jayant Menon from Nahlia(?) discussed their work on an autonomous healthcare system for astronauts in deep space, noting that the field of AI in healthcare is currently in the ‘trough of disillusionment’ phase of the Gartner hype cycle.
    • The discussion highlighted that economics, rather than technology alone, is a significant driver in healthcare innovation. Menon suggested that the path to enlightenment in AI healthcare applications seems to be extending further with each cycle.
    • Jeffrey Donenfeld inquired about Nahlia(?)’s positioning, asking if they consider their product a VR play, an AR play, a health tech play, an AI play, or an EdTech play, highlighting the multifaceted nature of their autonomous healthcare system for emergency situations.
    • Donenfeld suggested that incorporating different technologies at various points in the hype cycle could help keep a company on a high wave while navigating through low troughs.
    • Gartner’s specific hype cycles for various industries, including a health tech hype cycle for US healthcare payers in 2024, were mentioned as useful tools for setting business development goals and understanding positioning for talking to payers.

    Effective Communication of Value Proposition

    • Jeffrey Donenfeld emphasized the importance of being able to streamline and slim down the company’s value proposition for efficient communication in conversations and written materials.
    • The Heilmeier Catechism, a tool used by DARPA, was introduced as a method for communicating a company’s value. It includes questions about what the company is trying to do, how it’s done today, the new approach, who cares, risks, costs, timeline, and how success will be measured.
    • A distilled version of the value proposition was presented, focusing on identifying the target customer, providing a solution name or brand description, explaining what it does, and comparing it to the competition.
    • Kate Nelson highlighted the importance of differentiation from competition, especially for companies working on bleeding-edge technology where competition might be stealthy or limited.
    • Donenfeld emphasized the value of a company demonstrating knowledge of their competition, even in cutting-edge fields where competitors might not be publicly known.

    Company value propositions and product discussions

    • Nanotics’ value proposition was discussed, highlighting their platform technology that depletes targets from blood rather than adding molecules. They target ‘undruggable’ targets and offer better therapeutic index compared to conventional drugs, addressing limitations of antibody drugs.
    • Nanotics is developing solutions for cancer, sepsis, cardiovascular disease, and neurodegenerative diseases. They have 38 granted patents on their technology, which intervenes at the information level rather than the cellular level.
    • Innsightful presented their mental health solution for organizations, which leverages wearable technology and AI to track mental health symptoms and deliver just-in-time therapy. Their solution provides real-time monitoring of symptoms and identifies the most effective interventions.
    • The discussion touched on the use of generative AI, autonomous agents, and digital twins in healthcare, focusing on how these technologies can assist in austere situations where an expert needs to know the next step.

    Venture capital financing lifecycle and funding sources

    • Jeffrey Donenfeld presented the venture capital financing lifecycle, illustrating different stages from discovery to exit and tracking who companies should be raising money from at each stage.
    • Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs) were highlighted as an increasingly popular tool for venture funds and companies to limit liability and market exposure. The pros and cons of using SPVs for early-stage funding were discussed, considering the cost (around $8,000-$10,000) relative to the amount being raised and the company’s valuation.
    • Investment syndicates were discussed as another funding option, with Denver Angels mentioned as an example using a syndicate model to identify opportunities and raise funds from their network of investors on a per-investment basis.
    • Non-dilutive funding sources were discussed, including SBIR and STTR grants for early-stage companies, as well as municipal and city grants. Various funding sources for manufacturing and delivery were mentioned, including Department of Defense (DoD) grants, DARPA(?), Defense Innovation Unit (DIU), and the Office of Strategic Capital (OSC).
    • Family offices and family funds were discussed as potential funding sources, typically fitting between seed and Series A funding, but their placement can vary depending on the amount of funding provided.

    Investor Relations and Communication Strategies

    • Mahmoud Zubaidi from Gattaco(?) expressed concerns about investor questions regarding traction, noting that investors seem to be focusing more on advanced companies and less on early or risky ventures.
    • Jeffrey Donenfeld advised that while traction isn’t always necessary, startups need to articulate how they plan to gain traction and demonstrate viability. He emphasized the importance of showing deep market awareness, understanding past failures in the industry, and explaining how the company plans to succeed.
    • Donenfeld suggested using the ‘Halmark hashism(?)’ approach, which involves outlining midterm and final exams to check for success. He recommended breaking down the roadmap into clear, achievable steps and being transparent about progress and challenges.
    • The importance of regular investor updates was highlighted. Donenfeld mentioned that some startups use Notion to streamline these updates, providing timelines, roadmaps, and honest assessments of progress, including areas where they might be behind schedule.
    • Louis Hawthorne shared that their company, which has 30 investors on the cap table, uses a quarterly newsletter called ‘nanot News’ to keep investors informed and satisfied.
    • Donenfeld encouraged attendees to connect with him on LinkedIn and offered to make introductions within his network, requesting that any introduction requests be well-researched and relevant to ensure high-quality connections.
    1. Summaries and notes generated by Fellow.app AI NoteTaker ↩︎
  • Leading the U.S. Dept. of State International Visitor Leadership Program Science and Technology Entrepreneurship Training

    Leading the U.S. Dept. of State International Visitor Leadership Program Science and Technology Entrepreneurship Training

    I’m honored to have had the opportunity to lead a group of 16 international business leaders in the International Visitor Leadership Program Science and Technology Entrepreneurship Training seminar, conducted May 23rd 2024 at the Posner Center for International Development, hosted by World Denver. During the morning training, we covered topics including:

    • Roles of government, private enterprises, professional organizations, and universities in fostering entrepreneurship and supporting innovation.
    • Ways in which innovations are adopted and diffused into diverse sectors such as medicine, agriculture, manufacturing, and communications, and especially in non-traditional fields or less economically vibrant areas.
    • Assessment of the role of higher education in advancing technologies and empowering young people, especially women and minorities, in tech fields.
    • Nuances in addressing technological and social challenges in non-traditional sectors or less economically vibrant regions.

    IVLP at-a-glance:

    The International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) is the U.S. Department of State’s premier professional exchange program. Through short-term visits to the United States, current and emerging foreign leaders in a variety of fields experience this country firsthand and cultivate lasting relationships with their American counterparts. Professional meetings reflect the participants’ professional interests and support the foreign policy goals of the United States.

    Each year nearly 5,000 International Visitors come to the U.S. on the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP). More than 200,000 International Visitors have engaged with Americans through the IVLP, including more than 500 current or former Chiefs of State or Heads of Government.

    The U.S. Department of State International Visitor Leadership Program on Science and Technology Entrepreneurship Training showcases a diverse group of participants from across the globe, each bringing unique geographic and professional backgrounds.

    Barbados:
    Mr. Shannon Clarke, based in Christ Church, is the Director of Carepoint Solutions and Principal Software Developer at Konabos. His work primarily focuses on developing software for healthcare and fostering tech innovation in Barbados through hackathons and mentorship programs.

    Democratic Republic of the Congo:
    Miss Sharon Rose Kapinga Kabulwe from Kinshasa is the Student President at the University of Kinshasa and works with EXPUN/DRC. She is engaged in developing a revolutionary respirator and protective visors for healthcare professionals using 3-D printing, demonstrating a strong commitment to improving healthcare in the Congo.

    Cote d’Ivoire:
    Ms. Assamala Ingrid Ruth Epezagne, based in Abidjan, is a Telecom engineer and the Regional Director for Africa, Francophone and Arab Countries at the African Agribusiness Incubator Network (AAIN). She is a multilingual entrepreneur supporting agricultural and ICT sectors across Africa.

    India:
    Mr. Nasif Naduvileveedu Muhammed Najeeb, without a primary address listed, leads programs and initiatives at the Kerala StartUp Mission. His role involves supporting over 1,500 tech startups in India, focusing on stakeholder management, operations, and securing funding.

    Iraq:
    Mr. Karwan Al-Dosakee from Duhok is the Director of Skills Development and Innovation at Duhok Polytechnic University. He is instrumental in promoting entrepreneurship and technological innovation among students and graduates in Iraq.

    Lebanon:
    Mr. Fouad Abdallah, based in Beirut, is the Human Resources and Career Center Director at Antonine University. His extensive experience in HR and project management is leveraged to transform strategies into HR initiatives and enhance the university’s career development services.

    Nigeria:
    Mr. Eliezer Chibundu Ezeh Ajah from Enugu is the Lead Talent Development and Outsourcing at Genesys Tech Hub. His work focuses on talent development in the tech sector, having trained over 700 young Nigerians in the latest technologies.

    Norway:
    Ms. Karoline Løvall from Oslo is a Project Manager at Abelia, overseeing projects related to sustainability, equality, education, and digitalization. She previously managed the “Girls and Technology” program, aiming to increase female participation in STEM fields.

    Pakistan:
    Mr. Syed Azfar Hussain from Karachi is the Project Director of the National Incubation Center Hyderabad. He has mentored 50 startups and led successful STEM hackathons, contributing significantly to Pakistan’s tech startup ecosystem.

    Poland:
    Ms. Marcelina Firkowska, without a primary address listed, is the Head of Academic Entrepreneurship at the Foundation for Polish Science. She specializes in technology transfer and academic entrepreneurship, supporting the Polish science community.

    Turkey:
    Mr. Kayahan Ince from Adana is a Science Teacher and Project Manager at the Provincial National Education Directorate. He coordinates science festivals and promotes STEAM education and entrepreneurship, particularly among K-12 students.

    Rwanda:
    Ms. Mamy Ingabire Muziga from Kigali is the Co-Founder and Managing Director of Charis UAS, Rwanda’s first drone company. Her work spans multiple African countries, focusing on using drone technology for agriculture, mining, and infrastructure inspection.

    Spain:
    Mr. Jose Francisco Monserrat del Rio from Valencia is the Vice-Rector at the Universitat Politècnica de València. His research in 5G wireless systems and his role in university internationalization highlights his contributions to engineering and global engagement.

    Taiwan:
    Ms. Sheau Tyng Peng from Taipei City is the Assistant to the Office of Minister Audrey Tang at the Ministry of Digital Affairs. She plays a crucial role in enhancing Taiwan’s digital infrastructure and policies, fostering technological advancements.

    Tajikistan:
    Ms. Umedakhon Pulotova from Khujand City is the Director of LLC New Algorithm (IT Run Programming School). She focuses on IT education and job placement for course graduates, promoting IT skills among the youth in Tajikistan.

    Thailand:
    Ms. Punthana Khamkhiao from Amphur Mueang is the Assistant Manager at the Technology Licensing Office of Chiang Mai University. Her work involves intellectual property management and technology commercialization, supporting innovation at the university.

    Tunisia:
    Mr. Ahmed Maalel from Monastir is an Associate Professor at the Ministry of Higher Education. He co-founded the Association of Scientific Research and Innovation in Computer Science, organizing events to support young researchers and entrepreneurs in Tunisia.

  • Spacecraft Power System Development Startup Amplified Space Pitches at Angel Capital Summit

    Spacecraft Power System Development Startup Amplified Space Pitches at Angel Capital Summit

    This week, spacecraft power system development startup Amplified Space‘s CEO Jerome Hittle pitched the company at the Rockies Venture Club Angel Capital Summit, as part of the Rockies Space Fund Aerospace Track. I’ve been working with Jerome and the team as a mentor and coach for the last couple of weeks, and was proud that Jerome’s pitch was received so well by the audience of investors and founders. Below is video of the pitch, summary, and key takeaways1.

    Interested in working with Amplified Space? Reach out to me and I’ll be happy to put you in touch with the team.

    AmplifiedSpace enables the next revolution of spacecraft modularity through the development of smart power systems to replace traditional rigid power systems that have been used in spacecraft development. This is done by joining adaptable hardware and configurable software to enable remote power management.

    Amplified Space team with mentor Jeffrey Donenfeld at the Rockies Venture Club Angel Capital Summit, 2024
    Amplified Space team with mentor Jeffrey Donenfeld at the Rockies Venture Club Angel Capital Summit, 2024

    Pitch Summary

    Jerome Hittle, addressing an audience on behalf of Amplified Space, underscored the company’s pivotal role in revolutionizing power systems for spacecraft manufacturers. Hittle, drawing from his extensive experience in the space industry, spotlighted the inefficiencies and limitations of traditional spacecraft power systems, which are not only time-consuming to develop but also risk mission failures due to their lack of adaptability and reliability. In response to these challenges, Amplified Space introduces an innovative solution akin to the integration of hardware and software in smartphones, significantly enhancing the configurability, speed, and dependability of spacecraft power systems. This approach reduces the development cycle from 24 months to just one, presenting a groundbreaking improvement that caught the interest of the International Space Station.

    Hittle elaborated on Amplified Space’s strategic vision, which involves leveraging its unique technology to serve a broad spectrum of applications, from initial testing and services to large-scale colonization efforts. The company’s business model incorporates a SaaS interface, anticipating significant revenue growth, particularly with a projected surge in 2026 as small-scale production commences. Amplified Space seeks to secure a matching grant from the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade, with 25% of its funding needs already committed by leading names in the aerospace industry.

    The discussion further delved into the technological underpinnings of Amplified Space’s power systems, emphasizing their enhanced efficiency through the use of cutting-edge GaN transistors. This advancement not only propels the company ahead of conventional dedicated power systems but also underlines its potential to redefine space exploration and habitation.

    In conclusion, Hittle passionately articulated the essence of human ingenuity in the exploration of space, positioning Amplified Space at the forefront of this endeavor with a commitment to transforming the solar system through its innovative power solutions. The dialogue underscored the company’s readiness to confront industry challenges, indicating a promising trajectory for Amplified Space in the aerospace sector.

    Key Takeaways

    1. Innovative Power System Development: Amplified Space is setting a new standard in spacecraft power systems by offering a combination of hardware and software solutions that significantly reduce development timelines from 24 months to just one month, increase reliability, and offer unprecedented configurability to meet the varied needs of space missions.
    2. Market Disruption and Demand: Jerome Hittle highlighted the company’s disruptive approach to traditional spacecraft power systems and its reception by the industry, including interest from the International Space Station, demonstrating a strong market demand for more efficient and adaptable power solutions in space technology.
    3. Strategic Growth and Funding: Amplified Space is strategically planning for significant growth, marked by a notable revenue jump anticipated in 2026 as it enters small-scale production. The company is actively seeking financial partnerships and has already secured a quarter of its funding needs from prominent aerospace industry investors.
    4. Technological Advancement: The use of cutting-edge pan transistors and the integration of software and hardware mirror the evolution in consumer electronics, like smartphones, to space technology, offering over a hundredfold increase in efficiency and adaptability for spacecraft power systems.
    5. Human-Centric Innovation: At its core, Amplified Space emphasizes the role of human creativity and ingenuity in space exploration. Hittle’s narrative connects the technological advancements of the company back to the individuals driving these innovations, underscoring the human element in the conquest of space.

    Interested in working with Amplified Space? Reach out to me and I’ll be happy to put you in touch with the team.

    1. Pitch summary and takeaways generated by ChatGPT-4, based on pitch recording transcript. ↩︎
  • Rockies Space Fund Aerospace Panel Notes – Rockies Venture Club Angel Capital Summit

    Rockies Space Fund Aerospace Panel Notes – Rockies Venture Club Angel Capital Summit

    Thanks to Kevin Strait of Rockies Space Fund and the Rockies Venture Club team for hosting an engaging Aerospace and Defense investing panel during today’s Angel Capital Summit. This is a great lead in to discussions at the upcoming Space Symposium.

    Panelists: Kevin Strait, Andy Merritt, Debra Wilcox, Roger Toennis

    Discussion Notes

    Aerospace Investing Opportunities and Considerations

    Andy Merritt
    – Prime defense contractors are more like “integrators” nowadays, because there are so man advanced manufacturing companies supplying parts
    – University system in Colorado is great for aerospace and defense – mentro state, school of mines (have a graduate venture fund), cu boulder engineering, Colorado springs – all of these universities have aerospace engineering programs etc.

    Debra Wilcox
    – Supporting oppoortunitis for companies to talk to each other
    – advanced industries grant progrma – imporant
    – Nasa has space for contracts for small companies
    – Colorado attracting companeis from other countries to setup in colorado.
    – Colorado huge platform for succeess

    Roger Toennis
    – LASP at CU Boulder is a great place for talent and aerospace engineers.
    – For investors, look to the universities in colorado for an excellent aerospace talent pool.

    Narrowing startup focus in order to grow in aerospace

    Roger Toennis – Narrow your focus is hard, but really important to be able to grow as a startup in teh aerospace field.

    Debra Wilcox – People getting more realistic about the numbers that it takes to go to space – they are large numbers, but the costs are coming down. Needs laser focus on what you’r;e getting to as a startup. Need a good focus.

    Why hasn’t venture industry embraced aerospace fully?

    Andy Merritt – generally think the sector is too small, or they are scared of the budgeting process and all of the convolutions. SBIR programs are a great tool for developing technology. Non dilutive – it’s great.
    Roger Toennis – Non-dilutive grant funding (SBIR) is a really great tool to use.

    CSBR is aerospace advocacy – how to draw box around aerospace and not get into defense, aviation, etc
    Debra Wilcox – It’s very fluid. Lots of people are building business centers for space. Commercial ventures supporting space are very very multidisciplinary – everything from engineering to medicine.

    What are you looking for in your dealflow?

    Andy Merritt – We;re looking at speciric critical technologies. Companies we are looking for have a technology that’s in some stage of development beyond proof of concept. Scaling issues are find, as long as they are world class in their technical products.

    Roger Toennis – Looking for companies into our subscription model.

    Roles as advisors and mentors

    Andy Merritt – we love mentoring companies. They’re usually good at one or two things that they are good at, and how do we help you with the things you are not good at?

    Discussion Summary

    In an insightful panel discussion centered on aerospace investing, industry experts delved into the complexities and evolving dynamics of funding space ventures. They emphasized the shift towards a more grounded understanding of the substantial costs associated with space projects, juxtaposed with the decreasing expenses and increasing commercial opportunities that mark the contemporary aerospace landscape. The conversation illuminated the misperception that the aerospace sector is predominantly government-centric, highlighting the expanding realm of commercial ventures that offer significant investment opportunities beyond traditional government contracts.

    Panelists discussed the essential nature of strategic partnerships and the criticality of demonstrating viable paths to space for startups, pointing out the financial and technological hurdles prevalent in the sector. They underscored the necessity for aerospace companies to be laser-focused on their objectives and to secure partnerships that can facilitate their journey into space.

    Addressing the barriers to entry for potential investors, the discussion shed light on the fears and misconceptions that often deter investment in aerospace. The panelists advocated for a deeper understanding of the sector, spotlighting the U.S. government’s Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) program as a prime example of non-dilutive funding that supports technology development. They stressed the importance of looking beyond the surface to recognize the myriad opportunities that lie within the Space Force, NASA, and other agencies, each offering distinct funding sources for diverse needs.

    The upcoming decommissioning of the International Space Station in 2030 was mentioned as a pivotal moment for commercial space initiatives, indicating a future rich with commercial ventures, including business centers in space and advanced medical research in microgravity environments. The discussion also highlighted Colorado’s vibrant aerospace community, showcasing the state’s role in fostering an ecosystem where aerospace companies thrive.

    Furthermore, the conversation ventured into the realm of critical technologies shaping the future of aerospace, such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, and human-machine interfaces. Panelists elaborated on the challenges small companies face in navigating International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) and the importance of forming strategic international partnerships, especially with allied nations, to mitigate potential issues.

    Concluding on an encouraging note, the panelists called for broader participation in the aerospace industry, from direct investment to leveraging individual skill sets to support space startups. They pointed out the industry’s need for diverse talents to address the multifaceted challenges of space exploration and commercialization. The discussion underscored the aerospace sector’s untapped potential for innovation, economic impact, and contribution to human knowledge, inviting a new generation of investors, entrepreneurs, and visionaries to partake in the next frontier of exploration and development.

    Thanks to Notta.ai and ChatGPT-4 for transcription and summarization services.

    Panel Discussion Content Development Exercise

    Finally, before the panel discussion, I created a sample panel discussion outline and background info list using ChatGPT-4. Of note, this was not used in the actual discussion, and was simply created by me with ChatGPT as a learning exercise.

    Prompted and assembled by Jeffrey Donenfeld. However, all text is taken directly from ChatGPT4, with absolutely no editing or checking of data. Just for fun and ideation. 

    Panel Discussion Outline: Venture Capital Investing in the Aerospace and Defense Industry

    ChatGPT4 Prompt:Write an outline of 8 topics with 4 sub-bullets each for a panel discussion about venture capital investing in the Aerospace and Defense industry, focusing on angel investors, emerging technologies, industry risks, and key players. Executive, authoritative tone. Include links to sources.

    • Introduction to Venture Capital in Aerospace and Defense
      • Overview of the current landscape of venture capital investment in aerospace and defense.
      • The role of venture capital compared to traditional funding sources in this sector.
      • Key trends driving venture capital interest in aerospace and defense.
      • Historical investment patterns and their impact on industry growth.
    • Angel Investors in Aerospace and Defense
      • Profile of typical angel investors in aerospace and defense: background, interests, and investment criteria.
      • Success stories of early-stage investments leading to significant advancements or acquisitions.
      • Challenges faced by angel investors in this sector: technical, regulatory, and market risks.
      • Strategies for angel investors to identify and support high-potential startups.
    • Emerging Technologies Shaping the Future of Aerospace and Defense
      • Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and autonomous systems: advancements and investment opportunities.
      • Space exploration and satellite technologies: commercialization and private sector participation.
      • Cybersecurity in aerospace: addressing the growing threat landscape.
      • Next-generation propulsion systems and materials: potential breakthroughs and their implications.
    • Industry Risks and Mitigation Strategies
      • Regulatory challenges and compliance requirements: navigating a complex global landscape.
      • Intellectual property (IP) protection and technology transfer issues.
      • Market dynamics: dealing with cyclicality and the impact of geopolitical tensions.
      • Risk mitigation strategies for investors: diversification, due diligence, and strategic partnerships.
    • The Role of Government and Military Contracts
      • Understanding the significance of government and defense contracts in the industry’s ecosystem.
      • Public-private partnerships: examples and opportunities for venture-backed companies.
      • The impact of government policies and defense budgets on venture investments.
      • Strategies for startups to secure government contracts and navigate procurement processes.
    • Key Players and Innovators in Aerospace and Defense
      • Leading venture capital firms and angel investors active in aerospace and defense.
      • Profile of successful startups and their contributions to the industry.
      • The role of incumbents and traditional defense contractors in fostering innovation.
      • Collaboration between startups and established players: case studies and lessons learned.
    • Investing in Space: Opportunities and Challenges
      • The commercial space industry: current state and future prospects.
      • Investment trends in space startups: what’s hot and what’s not.
      • The challenges of investing in space: technical, regulatory, and market risks.
      • The role of international cooperation and competition in the space sector.
    • Future Outlook and Predictions
      • The potential impact of AI and machine learning on aerospace and defense.
      • Forecasting the next big breakthroughs in aerospace technologies and their investment implications.
      • The evolving landscape of international security threats and opportunities for defense innovation.
      • Final thoughts: preparing for the future of venture capital investing in aerospace and defense.

    For each topic, it is essential to incorporate real-world examples, data-driven insights, and expert opinions to foster a rich and informed discussion. Engaging with actual case studies, recent investments, and emerging startups will provide practical perspectives and actionable advice for participants.

    Top 5 growing aerospace technologies in the past year

    ChatGPT4 Prompt: Write a 5 item list of the top 5 growing aerospace technologies in the past year.

    1. **Electric and Hybrid Propulsion Systems**: The aerospace industry has seen a significant uptick in investments aimed at developing electric and hybrid propulsion technologies. These systems promise to revolutionize air travel by reducing carbon emissions, noise pollution, and operating costs. Advances in battery technology and electric motors are making electric planes more viable for short to medium-haul flights, positioning them as a key technology for sustainable aviation.

    2. **Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) and Autonomous Flight**: UAVs, including drones and autonomous aircraft, have seen rapid growth and diversification in applications ranging from cargo delivery to aerial surveillance. The push towards fully autonomous flight systems is driving innovations in AI, machine learning, and sensor technologies, enabling UAVs to operate in more complex and varied environments with minimal human intervention.

    3. **Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Techniques**: The adoption of new materials like carbon-fiber composites, along with manufacturing techniques such as 3D printing, is transforming aerospace design and production. These technologies offer significant advantages, including weight reduction, increased durability, and design flexibility, leading to improved performance and fuel efficiency of aerospace vehicles.

    4. **Space Exploration and Satellite Technologies**: The past year has witnessed a surge in space exploration activities and satellite deployments, fueled by both government space agencies and private companies. Innovations in satellite technology, such as miniaturization and improved communication capabilities, are enhancing Earth observation, global communication networks, and navigation systems. The burgeoning space tourism sector is also driving advancements in spacecraft design and safety.

    5. **Cybersecurity for Aerospace Systems**: With the increasing digitization and connectivity of aerospace systems, cybersecurity has emerged as a critical technology area. Efforts are being concentrated on developing sophisticated cybersecurity solutions to protect aircraft, UAVs, and satellite communication systems from hacking and cyber-attacks. This includes advancements in encryption, anomaly detection, and secure communication protocols to safeguard against the evolving threat landscape.

    These technologies not only represent the forefront of aerospace research and development but also highlight the industry’s commitment to innovation, safety, and sustainability.

    Aerospace and Defense Venture Investors

    ChatGPT4 Prompt: Write a list of the top 5 early stage venture investors in the Aerospace and Defense industry. Include the amounts they have invested and a few of their key investments.

    As of my last update in April 2023, the landscape of venture capital in the Aerospace and Defense industry is highly dynamic, with numerous firms actively investing in early-stage companies. Below are five notable early-stage venture investors known for their significant contributions and strategic investments in this sector. Keep in mind that the exact amounts invested and the portfolio may have evolved.

    1. **Space Angels**

       – Investment Focus: Space Angels has a focused investment strategy on early-stage space ventures. They are one of the most recognized names in space and aerospace investments, supporting companies that push the boundaries of space technology and exploration.

       – Key Investments: Astrobotic, which is working on delivering payloads to the Moon; Planet, a company specializing in Earth observation with a constellation of satellites; and Made In Space, known for its innovations in manufacturing technology for space environments.

    2. **Bessemer Venture Partners**

       – Investment Focus: Bessemer Venture Partners has a broad investment portfolio, but its contributions to the aerospace and defense sector, especially in early-stage startups, have been noteworthy. They invest in a range of technologies including propulsion systems, satellite technology, and unmanned aerial vehicles.

       – Key Investments: Rocket Lab, a leader in rocket systems focusing on small satellites; Spire Global, a data and analytics company that uses a large constellation of satellites; and Skybox Imaging (acquired by Google), which developed small satellites to capture high-resolution images and video of the Earth.

    3. **Lux Capital**

       – Investment Focus: Lux Capital specializes in backing emerging science and technology ventures at the outermost edges of what is possible, including aerospace and defense. Their portfolio reflects a keen interest in companies developing groundbreaking technologies.

       – Key Investments: Saildrone, which designs and manufactures wind and solar-powered autonomous surface vehicles; Anduril Industries, focused on building advanced defense technology; and Planet Labs, another investment in Earth-imaging satellites.

    4. **Founders Fund**

       – Investment Focus: With a penchant for investing in companies that tackle difficult challenges, Founders Fund has made significant bets in aerospace. They are known for backing companies with the potential to disrupt traditional industries, including aerospace and defense.

       – Key Investments: SpaceX, one of the most successful private space companies, focused on reducing space transportation costs and enabling Mars colonization; Palantir Technologies, specializing in big data analytics; and Anduril Industries.

    5. **DCVC (Data Collective)**

       – Investment Focus: DCVC invests in deep tech companies that leverage compounding computational technologies, including those in the aerospace sector. Their interest spans a wide array of technologies, from AI and robotics to aerospace and defense.

       – Key Investments: Rocket Lab; Capella Space, which operates a synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellite constellation to provide Earth observation data; and Saildrone.

    The amounts invested by these firms can vary widely from one deal to another, often ranging from a few million dollars in early stages to tens of millions in later rounds. Given the rapid pace of development in aerospace and defense, these investors are continually seeking out new opportunities that promise to revolutionize the industry.

  • Why I Fly – Ignite Denver 39

    Why I Fly – Ignite Denver 39

    This week I had the pleasure of speaking at Ignite Denver 39 on “Why I Choose To Fly A Single Engine Aircraft Alone”. As an Ignite talk, the talk was 5 minutes, 20 slides, auto-advancing every 15 seconds. Thanks to the Ignite Denver team for an excellent production, and to the rest of the Ignite Denver 39 speakers for the collaboration and support!

    “Why I choose to fly a single engine aircraft alone? Why would I put myself in peril of this thing dropping out of the sky? Do I trust myself to be able to land this thing? Where am I going!? I’ll tell you why.. and it’s not what you think…”

  • Teaching the Young Leaders of the Americas Initiative Startup Investor Pitch Workshop

    Teaching the Young Leaders of the Americas Initiative Startup Investor Pitch Workshop

    Today I honored to teach the Young Leaders of the Americas Initiative Startup Investor Pitch Workshop, in collaboration with World Denver and IREX, and working with entrepreneurs Don Novak of Propaganda Labs and Danny Effron of Show Labs.

    Over 3 hours, I worked with a group of 12 entrepreneurs from countries around the Americas on their investor pitches and presentations. Workshop modules included:

    • Introductions and one-liners from each startup
    • Discusson on finding your passion
    • Thoughts on receiving and integration feedback
    • Practice on handling rejection
    • Perspectives on American investors and international entrepreneurs pitching in the U.S.
    • Value Proposition
    • Storytelling
    • Breakout sessions for individual pitches and feedback
    • Group session integrating feedback and core learnings
    • Post-workshop networking

    Thanks to an engaged and smart group of entrepreneurs!

  • How To Pack For A Galapagos Cruise Adventure

    How To Pack For A Galapagos Cruise Adventure

    Last week, I spent time with a few very wonderful friends aboard a small expedititon cruise ship in the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador. Throughout the trip, I was proud to show off my meticulously selected gear. Here’s a general summary of what I brought…

    Galapagos-Criuise-2021-Gear-List-Google-SheetsDownload
  • Speaking on Entrepreneurship with the Russian CIEE Russia Youth Leadership and Entrepreneurship Virtual Exchange Program

    Speaking on Entrepreneurship with the Russian CIEE Russia Youth Leadership and Entrepreneurship Virtual Exchange Program

    Thanks to the Russian CIEE Russia Youth Leadership and Entrepreneurship Virtual Exchange Program for having me speak with them about startup investing and entrepreneurship. Looking forward to hearing the business pitches at the end of the program.

    Russia Youth Leadership and Entrepreneurship Virtual Exchange Program

    Program description

    This virtual exchange program for Russian and American university students aims at creating a dialogue between peers in the two countries, developing students’ intercultural competencies, while at the same time developing their entrepreneurial skills. During the ten-week, non-credit course, participants will acquire an understanding of the entrepreneurial process, including customer, market, and industry analysis that are used to develop a viable product. Special attention will be devoted to the topic of inclusion by ensuring employment opportunities for people with disabilities. Course sessions are designed to motivate students to generate their own business ideas by working in groups on a concrete project, to be presented during the last week of the program. The program participants will be divided in teams, comprising Russian and US students.

    Learning objectives

    Upon successful completion of this course, participants will:

    • advance their intercultural competences, as well as their problem-solving and negotiating skills by working in teams with their peers from culturally and geographically diverse backgrounds;
      • develop conceptual and practical knowledge of entrepreneurial process and an entrepreneur’s role in different cultural contexts;
      • recognize the importance of creating diverse and inclusive workplaces for organizational success;
      • enhance pitching skills by actively participating in group discussions and contributing to the final presentation of their group.

    Methods of Instruction

    The course material is presented via on-line (synchronous) sessions, running twice a week. Sessions on Wednesday will introduce the major business concepts and ideas, while Friday sessions will focus on their use in practice. Invited guest speakers from business, academia and NGO sectors will address students in various weeks, followed by Q&A sessions. Weekly readings and assignments will be posted every Monday on the Canvas course site. Although fluid from week to week, students’ workload will on average include:

    • 120 minutes of live class sessions;
    • 30 minutes for home assignments;
    • 30 minutes engaging in team work on the final project.

    The final project: In-class Business Pitch

    The culminating assignment of the program will be an in-class business pitch, which students will develop over the course of the program. Its presentation will assess student abilities to articulate their business idea, their initial start-up needs, and the business launch timeline. Students can draw from the lectures, practical sessions, guest talks and reading materials while preparing their presentations. The presentations should follow the template and the criteria, which will be provided at the beginning of the course. Student teams will deliver their presentations during the concluding session (Week 10) as a team. Course participants and instructors will offer their feedback to each team’s presentation based on the set of criteria that were previously discussed in the course.

  • The World’s Best Startup Innovators and Entrepreneurs

    The World’s Best Startup Innovators and Entrepreneurs

    Entrepreneurship and innovation are everywhere, in every country, across all people, around the globe. During my time working with Boomtown Accelerators on finding, selecting, and supporting seed-stage entrepreneurs, I’ve had the opportunity to get involved with innovation around the world – interviewing founders who have applied for a Boomtown program, discussing emerging technology and investment ideas with my team and our partners, attending and speaking at conferences, and immersing myself in innovation, technology, investment, and entrepreneurship every day.

    Description

    This project is a 4-year long blogging project covering innovation, technology, and entrepreneurship in every country on earth. I’ll leverage my experience and insight, as well as my excitement to uncover and catalog the most interesting innovators, coolest innovations, and centers of innovation around the globe.

    • I’ll be writing an individual article on each country in the world, sticking to a general format for each article.
    • Countries will be published alphabetically, once per week on my blog at JeffreyDonenfeld.com.
    • I’ll use the list of UN Member States as of 2020-05-12. I’ll also include non-member permanent observer states Holy See and Palestine.  That’s 193+2=195 articles.
    • It’s likely that I’ll be covering countries by region, rather than alphabetically. This will allow me to really immerse myself in one region at a time, and ideally pick up on some regional trends along the way.
    • In addition to publishing an article, I’ll also make a best effort to get in touch with the parties discussed and referenced in the article.

    It’s also worth noting that this project will be mostly focused on innovation by startups and entrepreneurs, and will be heavily subject to my own personal interests and whims. Evaluating and ranking global innovation and innovators is nothing new, and there are a number of prominent indexes from large organizations that exist. These include the Bloomberg Innovation Index, the International Innovation Index (put out by The Boston Consulting Group and the National Association of Manufacturers), and the Global Innovation Index published in installments by the World Intellectual Property Organization. The key differentiator here is that my focus will be mostly on smaller businesses, early-stage entrepreneurs, and emerging fields. I won’t be looking at entire economies, large, established corporations, or broad sectors.

    These are the most innovative countries for 2020 according to Bloomberg.

    Objectives and Key Results

    1. Objective: Gain an in-depth understanding of the breadth and scope of innovation and entrepreneurship around the world. This objective will be first satisfied by the production of each article, and furthered by my pursuit to achieve objective #2, since connecting myself with the people I write about will inherently tie back to this first objective.
      Key Result: 197 Articles published  – 1 intro (this post), 195 main articles, 1 wrapup.
    2. Objective: Connect me personally with interesting people and organizations around the world and forge new relationships, embark on new adventures.
      Key Result: 1 person per article located in the country the article is about reached out to about the publishing of my article (this is in addition to anybody I need to contact while researching for the actual article)
    3. Objective: Explore career and life pathways, and keep me vigilant in exploring the world, trying new things, and always pushing ahead on pursuits.
      Key Result: Publish a final wrapup article that includes a section on how this project has affected my life in general, which new pathways I uncovered, including which ones I chose to follow and not follow.
    Discussing innovation, entrepreneurship, funding, and mentorship between US and Saudi startups at Innovation to Impact at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology. I spoke to the group about the importance of building community, engaging with involved mentors, and “big idea” thinking.

    Background

    I think of this snippet of President Kennedy’s 1962 Moon Speech when considering projects and motivation, and I’d like to think that this sentiment continues in me with this project. “We choose to go to the moon. We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to win, and the others, too.”

    I want to stay sharp, interested in my world, and constantly pushing things forward. In the past, I’ve used both external projects and well as blog projects to focus and unite my skills and interest, as a way of constantly staying interested in the world around me.

    Back in 2008, I made the big decision that I wanted to live in Antarctica – a lofty goal that I had no idea how to achieve – but I decided to make it happen no matter what. That goal turned out to be a great unifier of my skills and interest and focused my time on something I was passionate about. During the years I was pursuing my dreams to go to Antarctica, I became deliberate with how I spent my time – both in working at my job at Morpheus Media, my personal life, free time, and time spent working on my Antarctica project – it was great. In parallel with Antarctica, I also decided to pursue a blogging project whereby I would publish a blog post every day for a year – on any topic, of any length. This was also a great focuser, and kept me on track with staying interested in what was around me, and provided additional focus to stay on the Antarctica project.

    This global innovation blogging projet is my next grand focus project, which will hopefully lead to and couple with many future adventures, and possibly even new life pathways.

    Standardized Article Outline

    ***

    Intro

    The name of the country the article is about, including a small map.

    Introduction to the country in general – where it is, what language the people speak, etc.

    Introduction to their recent history, and key factors that have added or subtracted from innovation productivity in recent years.

    Thoughts on why this country is interesting. Th

    Key Innovators

    Notable people, organizations, and groups who are driving innovation, supporting innovation, or innovating themselves.

    Key Innovations

    Something interesting that has come from this country, been developed inside it, or other items of interest in the theme of this article.

    The Hotspot

    The place in this country where the most innovation is happening. Or multiple hotspots?

    SWOT

    -Considerations on the state of the country, potential, detractors, and other factors to consider – both from a founder’s perspective, as well as an investor’s perspective.

    Strengths

    Weaknesses

    Opportunities

    Threats

    Upcoming Events

    Relevant events happening in this country that may be of interest – as indicators of progress, state of affairs, or future attendance.

    Countries

    Afghanistan
    Albania
    Algeria
    Andorra
    Angola
    Antigua and Barbuda
    Argentina
    Armenia
    Australia
    Austria
    Azerbaijan
    Bahamas (the)
    Bahrain
    Bangladesh
    Barbados
    Belarus
    Belgium
    Belize
    Benin
    Bhutan
    Bolivia (Plurinational State of)
    Bosnia and Herzegovina
    Botswana
    Brazil
    Brunei Darussalam
    Bulgaria
    Burkina Faso
    Burundi
    Cabo Verde
    Cambodia
    Cameroon
    Canada
    Central African Republic (the)
    Chad
    Chile
    China
    Colombia
    Comoros (the)
    Congo (the)
    Costa Rica
    Côte d’Ivoire
    Croatia
    Cuba
    Cyprus
    Czechia
    Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (the)
    Democratic Republic of the Congo (the)
    Denmark
    Djibouti
    Dominica
    Dominican Republic (the)
    Ecuador
    Egypt
    El Salvador
    Equatorial Guinea
    Eritrea
    Estonia
    Eswatini
    Ethiopia
    Fiji
    Finland
    France
    Gabon
    Gambia (the)
    Georgia
    Germany
    Ghana
    Greece
    Grenada
    Guatemala
    Guinea
    Guinea-Bissau
    Guyana
    Haiti
    Honduras
    Hungary
    Iceland
    India
    Indonesia
    Iran (Islamic Republic of)
    Iraq
    Ireland
    Israel
    Italy
    Jamaica
    Japan
    Jordan
    Kazakhstan
    Kenya
    Kiribati
    Kuwait
    Kyrgyzstan
    Lao People’s Democratic Republic (the)
    Latvia
    Lebanon
    Lesotho
    Liberia
    Libya
    Liechtenstein
    Lithuania
    Luxembourg
    Madagascar
    Malawi
    Malaysia
    Maldives
    Mali
    Malta
    Marshall Islands (the)
    Mauritania
    Mauritius
    Mexico
    Micronesia (Federated States of)
    Monaco
    Mongolia
    Montenegro
    Morocco
    Mozambique
    Myanmar
    Namibia
    Nauru
    Nepal
    Netherlands (the)
    New Zealand
    Nicaragua
    Niger (the)
    Nigeria
    North Macedonia
    Norway
    Oman
    Pakistan
    Palau
    Panama
    Papua New Guinea
    Paraguay
    Peru
    Philippines (the)
    Poland
    Portugal
    Qatar
    Republic of Korea (the)
    Republic of Moldova (the)
    Romania
    Russian Federation (the)
    Rwanda
    Saint Kitts and Nevis
    Saint Lucia
    Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
    Samoa
    San Marino
    Sao Tome and Principe
    Saudi Arabia
    Senegal
    Serbia
    Seychelles
    Sierra Leone
    Singapore
    Slovakia
    Slovenia
    Solomon Islands
    Somalia
    South Africa
    South Sudan
    Spain
    Sri Lanka
    Sudan (the)
    Suriname
    Sweden
    Switzerland
    Syrian Arab Republic (the)
    Tajikistan
    Thailand
    Timor-Leste
    Togo
    Tonga
    Trinidad and Tobago
    Tunisia
    Turkey
    Turkmenistan
    Tuvalu
    Uganda
    Ukraine
    United Arab Emirates (the)
    United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (the)
    United Republic of Tanzania (the)
    United States of America (the)
    Uruguay
    Uzbekistan
    Vanuatu
    Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of)
    Viet Nam
    Yemen
    Zambia
    Zimbabwe
    Holy See (the) *
    State of Palestine (the) *

  • Speaking with Terawatt career coaching about the power of the entrepreneur and venture investing

    Speaking with Terawatt career coaching about the power of the entrepreneur and venture investing

    This month, I had the opportunity to speak with career coaching firm Terawatt founder Francie Jain about my views on venture investing and the future of technology and entrepreneurship. It was a pleasure speaking with Francie, and I’m honored to join the team of business leaders profiled on the site. Read the full interview on Terawatt.   (PDF)

    Regarding Boomtown’s new partnership with Comcast NBCUniversal:

    Working with big corporate partners is a great way for us to provide entrepreneurs with resources they wouldn’t get otherwise. By partnering and collaborating with these partners and not just using their name but really working with them for their expertise and connections is a powerful way to give entrepreneurs and businesses an even better start to their companies.

  • Keynote – “Startup Investing in the United States” at Kazakhstan’s GoViral Conference

    Keynote – “Startup Investing in the United States” at Kazakhstan’s GoViral Conference

    During the June 2019 GoViral Conference in Almaty, Kazakhstan, I gave the keynote speech on Startup Investing in the United States. Featured on: Instagram – GoViral.kz, Facebook – GoViral.kz, Facebook – US Embassy Kazakhstan

    Go Viral is an international festival sponsored by the U.S. Mission to Kazakhstan that brings together innovators in media, culture, business, and technology to learn about the latest trends and big ideas from leading thinkers and influencers in various industries. Festival speakers are active, creative, and passionate professionals from the United States and Central Asia.

    Speaker Jeffrey Donenfeld delivering the keynote speech on Startup Investing in the USA at the 2019 GoViral Conference in Almaty, Kazakhstan
    Speaker Jeffrey Donenfeld delivering the keynote speech on Startup Investing in the USA at the 2019 GoViral Conference in Almaty, Kazakhstan
  • Forbes KZ – Making the connection between US and KZ investors

    Forbes KZ – Making the connection between US and KZ investors

    I had a wonderful time speaking with journalist Ulyana Salapaeva writing for Forbes Kazakhstan about making the connecting between US and KZ investors. In summary, I feel that there are a ton of options for Kazakh startups to approach US investors. It’s important to understand the mindset of the US investor, fully realize the type of interaction the investor is looking for (a full pitch, a conversation, a presentation etc), and be open to discussing challenger and being intellectually honest.  (PDF-RU) (PDF-EN)

  • How to position your startup for investors – GoViral KZ Interview

    How to position your startup for investors – GoViral KZ Interview

    I had a solid discussion about how to position your startup for investors during GoViral.kz in Almaty, Kazakhstan with U.S. Embassy Tashkent Information Officer Susannah Wood. Thanks for the awesome discussion!

    Go Viral is an international festival sponsored by the U.S. Mission to Kazakhstan that brings together innovators in media, culture, business, and technology to learn about the latest trends and big ideas from leading thinkers and influencers in various industries. Festival speakers are active, creative, and passionate professionals from the United States and Central Asia.

  • Interviewing on How Central Asian startups can position themselves for US investors at GoViral.kz

    Interviewing on How Central Asian startups can position themselves for US investors at GoViral.kz

    Aliya Shaikhina and I sat down during the Go Viral Conference in Almaty, Kazakhstan to discuss how Central Asian startups can position themselves for US investors, #entrepreneurship, #investing, #technology, and Boomtown Accelerators. Thanks for your time Aliya, and thanks to the U.S. Consulate Almaty for hosting me at GoViral.kz!

    Go Viral is an international festival sponsored by the U.S. Mission to Kazakhstan that brings together innovators in media, culture, business, and technology to learn about the latest trends and big ideas from leading thinkers and influencers in various industries. Festival speakers are active, creative, and passionate professionals from the United States and Central Asia.

  • Discussing International Investing and Russian Startups on The Syndicate Podcast

    Discussing International Investing and Russian Startups on The Syndicate Podcast


    This week, I had the pleasure of recording an interview with Matt Ward of The Syndicate Podcast: “The Russian Startup Scene and What Founders and VCs Need to Know with Jeffrey Donenfeld of Boomtown Accelerator”

    Listen to me on The Syndicate Podcast: Apple Podcasts, Android, RSS, Direct

    Here’s what I discuss with Matt on the Podcast:

    1. The challenge many Eastern European and Russian startups have with raising money
    2. Why the US government sent Jeffrey to Russia on a knowledge exchange
    3. How accelerators can attract foreign startups
    4. Why taking VC money isn’t always the right move
    5. How Jeffrey thinks about different industries and emerging trends
    6. The reason vertical accelerators are thriving
    7. How cannabis is capturing Colorado

     

     

  • How to move your startup to the USA and get accepted by a top US startup accelerator…

    How to move your startup to the USA and get accepted by a top US startup accelerator…

    Building your company in the United States can be a great idea – we have resources, expertise, and a quickly growing startup and entrepreneurship industry. In my role as Investment Manager at Boomtown Accelerator in Boulder, Colorado, I review a wide variety of applications to the Boomtown Accelerator Program from startups all over the world, including Russia, Ukraine, China, Taiwan, Canada, Spain, and Nigeria – among many others. I’m in a unique position to know what works in the US and at our program for both US-based startups, as well as foreign startups. Although each application is different, a few common threads prevail.

    Over the past month working with the US Department of State Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and the American Councils for International Education program, I’ve been traveling to a number of cities in  Russia, speaking with international startups about the venture investing and accelerating landscape in the United States, and offering some tips and suggestions. I’ve distilled my main suggestions down to a few key points, which I feel encapsulate some of the most important concepts to keep in mind when applying a foreign startup to a US-Based accelerator, incubator, VC, or Angel Investor.

    Interested in joining us at Boomtown Accelerator in Boulder, Colorado, USA? Apply now. 

    Key items to keep in mind when considering applying with your company to a US-based accelerator. These items are just brief comments, and should not be taken as specific advice. At Boomtown, we work with startups to guide them through all of these items, and more.

    • Consider incorporating your business in the US, possible as a Delaware company. At Boomtown, we work with startups on assessing these items all the time.
    • Build a network of mentors and advisors in the USA, who can help you with USA-specific business decisions. Be open to meeting new people and working with experts. It’s OK if you don’t know everything regarding how you’re going to run your business – needing advisors is not a sign of weakness at all.
    • Be able to pitch your idea and company both in terms of your technical skills AND business skills. So many times I’ve heard ideas from teams with a ton of technical talent, but when it comes time to talk business strategy, they fall flat – and can’t readily admit they need help. Be open to asking for help in areas you need it.
    • Apply idea to US market – how are you going to apply your business to the US Market? How will you test it in the US?
    • Secure IP – Understand what parts of your business are unique, novel, and protectable, and be able to talk about that. Simply being “first to market” without a defined technical advantage is not often enough – you need to be able to consider how you’ll hold onto your advantage. Got a provisional patent on a core piece of tech? Great!
    • Demonstrate Traction – Real traction. If you’re launching an app, for example, be able to tell us how many active, real, engaged users you have, and what real feedback you’ve gotten from them. We’d much rather be able to talk to you about feedback from 100 real users, rather than 1000000 fake users.
    • English – Speak good business english. It’s not enough to simply be able to give your presentation in english- you need developed english language skills, and be comfortable speaking in english every day.

     

    Key partner groups I spoke with in Russia include:

    The Internet Initiatives Development Fund

    “IIDF stands for Internet Initiatives Development Fund. According to Dow Jones, we are the most active early-stage venture fund in Russia and Europe. We have $100M (6bn RUB) under management. Since 2013 IIDF has closed more than 370 deals ranging from $20k to $5.5M. Our investment activity accounts for more than 100 IT startup deals each year, which is 80% of Russian early-stage venture capital market.”

     

    Kazan IT Park Business Incubator

    “The main objective of the business incubator is to help promising startups in the sphere of information technologies to develop ideas and products, getting investment, searching for potential partners and clients.”

     

     

    The Saint Petersburg State University of Information Technologies, Mechanics and Optics

    “The Saint Petersburg State University of Information Technologies, Mechanics and Optics (ITMO University) is one of the leading higher education institutions in Russia, providing training and research in advanced science, humanities, engineering and technology. Founded in 1900, ITMO has grown to an organization with over 13,000 students and earned its name “National Research University,” blending the culture of innovation and discovery with world-class education.”

     

    More Ideas Sochi

    “Autonomous non-profit organization “The Sea of ??Ideas” in the city of Sochi is engaged in the formation of an innovative ecosystem “Sochi Innovation Valley”. We know that in Russia there are promising start-ups, and we believe that Sochi is the best place in our country, where the founders of start-ups can live in a comfortable environment. Potential investors are often in Sochi, and many have or are planning to acquire real estate or business here. The best world experts are happy to travel to Sochi to share their experience with innovative entrepreneurs.” (Translated from Russian by Google Translate)

     

    Kazan OIC Youth Entrepreneurship Forum

    “The Kazan OIC Youth Entrepreneurship Forum is a joint initiative of the OIC Youth Forum and the government of the Republic of Tatarstan. Since 2014, the Forum has been held annually, attracting hundreds of startups, investors and industry experts from the OIC states and the Russian Federation.

    Speakers will discuss the various aspects of building and scaling a startup. The speakers are drawn from a broad range of the startup ecosystem including startup founders, venture capitalists, C-class executives from top tech firms in Russia and across the globe. Some of the topics to be covered include design thinking, building and scaling teams, customer development, project unit economics amongst others.”

     

  • 9 Countries, 1 Month, 1 Small Backpack. Here’s How I Did It.

    The past month I’ve been traveling in Europe, attending a number of industry conferences, and working remotely. I hit 9 countries on my journey, ranging from the warm and comfortable surrounds of Lisbon, Portugal to sketchy divided border towns of Kosovo and Serbia to frozen arctic dreamlands of Iceland in the dead of winter – all with one small backback. Here’s how I did it.

    I packed light – very light, and made use of my surroundings, opportunities, and sense of adventure to get by with only what I absolutely needed. I’ve found that when traveling, having less stuff has a number of benefits. Key in my list are being able to move easily, not having crap to keep track of and maintain, and most importantly, getting the focus and mental space to focus on my work, my location, my friends, and really being present in the moment.

    Here’s what I brought:

    • Backpack – Arc’Teryx Alpha FL 45. This 45 liter backpack is great, and easily the best travel backpack I’ve ever carried. It’s a very basic design – basically a waterproof drybag upgraded with a few extra straps and feature. The actual black bag portion is much smaller than 45L with a large expansion section that can pop out the top. It’s nice and compact when you have it dialed in  and not extended, and I think it looks so sleek and small that it’s able to be carried as a daypack, and blend in on public transit etc and just another commuters laptop backpack – not sticking out like a huge backpackers tourist pack. I love the stuff sack like closure at the top – easy to keep quick access stuff at the top, and the rest below. And the one outside pocket is perfect for quick access to a passport, headphones, or whatever else. The profile of this pack is slick enough that it fits easily between my legs in the front seat of a taxi, floor of a tuktuk, or under the seat of a budget airline. For this trip I used about 3/4 of the main pack volume, and left the expansion sleep tucked inside the pack the entire time. However, if I needed it, it’s nice to know that I could have easily expanded its capacity.
    • Shoes – Arc’Teryx Norvan VT. These fast trail runners feature lightweight construction, good support, and have a goretex sock in them, so they’re waterproof too. They’re burly enough for walking a city all day, long dayhikes, mucking around in the mud, and morning runs. But I think they look trendy enough to blend with with all the euro sneaker wearing dudes who wear sneakers as a fashion statement. So you get that versatility. I pack my ACR Res-q-link and a pair of sock inside them and then lash them together with a Sea to Summit strap, so they compress down on top of each other and make a compact brick. Then that goes in a plastic shopping bag to contain dirt.
    • Shoes – Cole Haan ZeroGrand Chukka – These Chukka Boots are shiny and refined enough to wear with a suit and tie out to a business meeting, fun enough to wear to the club and dance all night, and so so so so comfortable I can easily walk around all day in them. They’re my go-to everyday shoes. Since they’re boots, they offer good support and pair well with jeans and dressing down, but put a shine on them and they look at home with a business suit too.
    • Pants – Arc’Teryx A2B Commuter Pants, Grey. These pants do it all. They’re super super comfy to wear every day, and have deep pockets, and a hidden seam-zip cargo pocket that’s discreet and perfectly accessible when sitting down in a crowded chicken truck. They have a trim, modern profile and dress up nicely with a buttondown and tie, and can go with a blazer too. They feature hidden reflective bits that can be shown by dropping then down from the pockets and rolling the cuffs, to give a bit of safety when walking dark roads in foreign countries. They dry quick, repel moisture, and are comfy enough to wear like PJ pants around the house. They have a double secure waist closure and belt loops. Out of all of the travel pants I’ve tried, these are definitely the best – so good that I wear then almost every day even when I’m not traveling.
    • Shirts – 4 Buttondowns. I have 4 buttondown shirts I rotate through.  A chambray-colored Levis Sunsetter with a hidden buttondown collar I think looks good and is funky to go out to bars. A dark blue BetaBrand flannel shirt is super comfy, more casual, and is dark enough to blend into sketchier places. A white Zara buttondown is trim and modern looking, and a plain white buttondown goes with everything, can go easily to business meetings, and is often more appropriate for more religious or conservative countries and situations. Finally, a J.Crew blue/white plaid shirt is preppy and businessy, and looks businessy when tucket in, but easily goes to the beach when untucked and sleeves rolled.
    • Shirt – tShirt. I have a random blue tshirt i wear around the house, when I’m laundering everything else, for working out, etc. The current tshirt in my bag is a 50/50 cotton poly blend, so i dries quick. I’ve carried high end wool tshirts in the past, which are great, and also random shitty tourist shirts I’ve bought in various places – sure there are differences, but ultimately what matters most is I have 1 shirt. I think my favourite is my Icebreaker wool shirt I got at Scott Base in Antarctica.
    • Sweater – Smartwool 1/3 zip pullover – dark blue. This sweater is super thin, non-itchy, and looks nice over a buttondown. I can go to meetings with it on and it looks ok, but it’s also a technical wool sweater, so it’s a good layering piece.
    • Sweater – Patagonia R1 pullover black.  This goes on every trip, all the time. It’s warm, comfy, has a breast pocket, and makes a good pillow too. I’m wearing it right now as I type this in the Nikola Tesla Airport in Belgrade, Serbia waiting for my flight to Istanbul.
    • Midlayer jacket – Arc’Teryx Rico – Blue. This down jacket is great. It’s a poofy down jacket, so its very warm for its weight, highly compressible, and durable. Being part of Arc’Teryx’s 24 line, it’s styled for the city, and has a trip modern look – easily at home walking around Helsinki and being trendy as it is layered with other gear in the snowy mountains of rural Montenegro. (Yes, I went to both of those places on this one trip)
    • Shell Jacket – Arc’Teryx Interstate Jacket – Black. This goretex shell is equally at home on city streets as it is on vertical ice. It’s a technical waterproof mountaineering shell jacket cut like a modern city jacket – so it can be worn in both circumstances. When I got hit by a freak snowstorm in Sofia, Bulgaria last week, this was my go-to jacket to deal with the wet heavy snow. When I needed to bundle up between investor events in Helsinki in December, I also turned to this coat.
    • Long Underwear – Icebreaker 3/4 length wool long underwear bottoms – black. Easy to layer under my pants, comfy all day, and the 3/4 length doesn’t bunch up on top of boots.
    • Long Underwear – Uniqlo Heattech full length bottoms – cheap, good, and sometimes necessary to double up.
    • Shell Pants – Outdoor Research Helium Pants – Grey. These waterproof pants are super lightweight, waterproof, and durable – a great combination. They tuck into their own pocket, and are a great go to when I suddenly need to trek through snow in Ukraine. They have loops for tying under your shoes, as well as for suspenders. So when I need to trek through deep snow in a blizzard, these, plus my goretex trail shoes, plus goretex jacket and waterproof backpack make a great lightweight and waterproof mountain rig.
    • Socks – 4 pairs of wool socks – two low-cut, two boot cut – black. I rotate brands, and sometimes (often) lost them to laundry services and under beds. I usually just pick up pairs of basic wool socks as army surplus stores. Although when I have my pick, I go for DarnTough socks, which have a lifetime guarantee that they actually honor.
    • Hat – of course I have my Yankees hat, as well as a Helly Hansen winter hat.
    • Gloves – Black Diamond mid layer belay gloves – beefy goat leather palms make them super durable, and they’re light enough to pack away.

    The rest I’ll simply list out – comment if you want more details on any of this:

    • Camera – Sony RX100M5
    • Camera – Apple iPhone7 (GSM+CDMA version, factory unlocked)
    • SIM – GigSky
    • Underwear – Uniqlo synthetic boxer briefs
    • Laptop – Apple Macbook Pro 13” 2017
    • Battery pack – Tronsmart USB-C battery pack (recharges my laptop  – nice)
    • PLB – ACR ResQLink+ (Packaged in a small stuff sack with an emergency space blanked bivy sack, water purification tabs, flint sparker, tinder, reflective visibility belt, whistle.)
    • + 1 pouch of other odds n ends like earplugs, a bit of parachute cord ,some duct tape, sewing kit, pen, etc.
    • + 1 pouch of cables and chargers like a few usb cables, laptop charger, extra camera battery, etc.
    • + 1 pouch of toiletries

    And that’s really it.  A few carefully selected items. Nothing extra.

  • South Pole Rescue Mission Reported on NBC’s Today Show

    South Pole Rescue Mission Reported on NBC’s Today Show

    There’s a rescue mission happening at the South Pole, Antarctica – and the NBC Today Show interviewed me for their report.

    https://youtu.be/B_9FiOoJk9o

    Learn more on my time in Antarctica

    (On my YouTube Channel – Will be replaced with official Today Show YouTube Channel link when they get around to uploading it themselves)

  • Don’t Follow Your Passion

    Don’t Follow Your Passion

    Contrary, and solid advice. Can’t help but agree.

    via Don’t Follow Your Passion – YouTube

  • Leadership on the High Seas – Dawn Riley at the America True

    Leadership on the High Seas – Dawn Riley at the America True

    Leadership is a critically important factor affecting any team or group venture. In this paper, I analyze the leadership and management style of Dawn Riley, CEO and Captain of the America True Sailing Team, as she guides her team to race for the 1999 America’s Cup.

    Dawn Riley Case Abstract

    From: http://iacc120cup.altervista.org/immagini/immaginiACC/51-USA.jpg
    From: http://iacc120cup.altervista.org/immagini/immaginiACC/51-USA.jpg

    Dawn Riley is the CEO/Captain of America True, the first coed syndicate to race for the America’s Cup. Over three years, based on her vision for America True, she built the syndicate from scratch, bringing on investors and sponsors, designing and building a boat, and hiring a sailing crew to race it. In June 1999, Riley must decide how to handle the San Francisco office now that America True’s base of operations is moving to Auckland, New Zealand, where racing will begin in four months. She is facing pressure to phase out the office to cut down on costs, but Riley believes that the people in San Francisco and the work they are doing are key to her vision for America True. She must weigh the tension between immediate pressures to win and the longer-term sustainability of her vision.

    The full case is available for purchase directly from Harvard Business School.

    Leadership Analysis – Dawn Riley at the America True

    By Jeffrey Donenfeld, Spring 2016

    Executive Summary

    The Dawn Riley case (Hill, 2000) describes the circumstances, goals, and challenges that CEO Dawn Riley faces in managing and preparing the America True sailing team for the Louis Vuitton Cup sailing regatta, as well as the challenges of adapting her role to the highest benefit of the team. Dawn Riley is a veteran sailor, and now in this most critical point in her team’s history, she must make decisions as to her leadership style, responsibility undertaking, and focus. Additionally, a veteran upper management team, leading designers, expert office staff, and a solid boat crew all stand to benefit from her leadership. There are various factors at play, including her team and company’s organizational structure, prismatic personalities among the team members, and rapidly changing goal requirements, all on a rapid timescale leading up to the defining event in this team’s history.

    Key Issues and Recommendations

    • Dawn Riley fills a variety of roles within the team, must strive to specifically define her optimized position and fulfillment of these roles.
    • The America True team is diverse and multi-talented, but also hotheaded and driven. They  must bond together and work towards a common goal.
    • Key leaders within the team must support Dawn in her role as CEO, as well as step up to lead the team within their areas of expertise.

    Thesis

    Dawn Riley, while an experienced sailor and longtime CEO of the America True sailing team faces personal and team leadership challenges within her team. In this most trying moment, Riley must revolutionize and define her role within the team in order to ascend as the best leader for her team.

    Situation

    Dawn Riley is the CEO and Captain of the America True Sailing Team. In preparation for the Louis Vuitton Challenger sailing regatta, Riley faces management, organizational, and team challenges which she must address both with herself, as well as the rest of her team. Implications of this case study include analysis of broad team and corporate leadership methodologies, an understanding of basic sailing and regatta mechanics based on the author’s personal sailing and regatta experience, and an in-depth look at Riley’s personal leadership and management style. The key issue of the case is determining the optimal course of action for Riley in defining and refining her role within the team. Recommendations contained within this study are critical because the success of the America True sailing team depends heavily on Riley’s own success as a leader, manager, and sailor.

    The Dawn Riley case is difficult to analyse. On one hand, Dawn Riley is an admirable, multitalented, and successful leader who has brought her team to the upper echelons of the competitive sailing community. On the other hand, Riley can be seen as an overstressed, thinly spread micromanager who presents conflicting directions to her team and has driven them almost to the brink of organizational paralysis, unable to effectively compete in the Louis Vuitton Challenger series.  

    These two sides of the issue make proper evaluation, refined recommendations, and exacting follow through important. At stake here are Dawn Riley’s pride, career, and professional sailing record. More importantly, her entire team’s success is on the line her. Riley getting her act together as CEO and Captain is the most important task at the present moment for Team America True.

     

    Questions

    The questions that need to be answered in evaluating this case are:

    • What roles is Riley currently undertaking within the team?
    • What does the team most need out of Riley in these final six weeks before the regatta?
    • How can the rest of the team members step in to help Riley define and refine her job roles?
    • How specifically should Riley define her roles to best benefit the team?
    • What else needs to happen on the team to give them the best chance of success in the Louis Vuitton Challenger?

    These questions must be answered collectively by Dawn and the team immediately, and deliberation and decision should include all levels of team members.

     

    Analysis and Recommendations

    One pervasive issue facing the team is their focus on meetings. The team consistently spends time, energy, and resources assembling themselves in various factions to discuss issues that could have been handled one on one, or by other means of communication. Some amount of meetings are good – they build team synergy, allow for groupthink, announcements, and collaboration. However, the amount of time the America True team spends on meetings takes away from their time and resources they could be spending on other more important items. In the case material  it’s noted that Riley seeks to encourage the boat crew to connect and collaborate with the design crew. (O’Toole 1996) This is admirable. However, in the current form, the meetings don’t actually encourage a free  and open exchange of ideas. They do just the opposite by setting a rigid and terse environment in which ideas are stifled and time is wasted. In order to step away from the rigid meeting structure and encourage more productive and free-flowing communication, novel new methods should be employed. This could include asynchronous communications such as email and instant messaging, as well as synchronous communications such as one-on-one chats and calls. (Lifehacker 2012) As discussed in class, leaders don’t necessarily always need to be rulers or dictators to effect change and communication among those being led. By relaxing her command over the team with rigid meetings and allowing communication to organically flow, Riley will become a more effective leader. (O’Toole 1996)

    Riley works on both a management level as CEO, as well as on a crew level as a member of the boat crew. This creates an increased workload for Riley, and hampers lines between her professional and crew personas.  Ultimately, Riley needs to be removed from the crew. In limited instances, Riley should join the boat crews only an outside observer in order for her to maintain basic connection to on-water development. She could sail with the crew on a semi-regular basis in order to integrate between business leadership and on-water intelligence. However, she should not be working as a consistent member of the race day A or B crews.

    Unfortunately, sexism is rampant in our world today, and especially with high-level leadership. (Beswick 2015)  Riley’s diversified position puts her in the hotseat, and open from attacks from all sides. In order to combat sexism from the outside, as well as within the team combat sexism, Riley should ascend to her core CEO role, and put in the time to make the team shine. By focusing more time on CEO duties, she can make the team better competitively, as well as tackle other “press worthy” tasks that could help gain future sponsorship and funding. These could include gender equality, under dogness, and altruistic funding partnerships/sponsorships. It’s her undeniable success in this one role that may help insulate her from a myriad of criticisms, including the scourge of sexism.

    Riley faces a team bonding issue that’s arising from the “A” and “B” crews being selected just prior to race day   limits the amount of bonding and “synergy” that can be built.(Beauchamp 2013)  Optimally, “A” crew selection needs to happen well prior to race day in order or develop sub-team synergy. Waiting until race day or just prior to race day eliminates the possibility of building crucial sub-crew synergy. It’s that potential synergy that could make or break the team during the critically stressful regatta day.

    Currently, the America True team, at the request of Riley, begins their post-practice debriefing on the boat, as they’re being dragged back to port. This is a measure that was implemented by Riley as a way of saving time and getting the debriefs done as soon as possible. However, setting up debriefings so soon after racing fails to give crew members adequate time to decompress and develop their own thoughts and feelings about how the day’s practice unfolded. In order to give the crew appropriate down time after practice, and to enact a structure that allows Riley to stay off the boat during practice, formal debriefs should happen on the dock. Sure, it may take a bit longer, but those minutes of rest and reflection for the crew as they’re being towed into port may prove to be valuable.

     

    Recommendations

    In order for Riley to become a more effective leader of her team, she must step fully into the role of CEO, giving up her conflicting duties as a member of the boat crew. As CEO, a number of changes must be made. These include:

    • Streamline team communications by reducing meetings, introducing novel new communication tactics.
    • Give the team rest after practice, before debriefs.
    • Focus on team fundraising and sponsorships as full-time CEO.
    • Delegate other design and staffing decisions to other experienced members of her team’s senior management.

     

    Conclusion

    The core question of the Dawn Riley case was how can Riley change her management techniques and roles within her team in order to give them the best chance of winning the Louis Vuitton Challenger regatta. It was found that there were a number of structural, functional, social, and hierarchical changes that should be made. Class material on ethics and leadership styles, as well as other outside sources was drawn from. Further analysis of the issue could reveal additional efficiencies, techniques, and ideas for bringing the America True team to victory.

     

    

    References
    

     
    

      

    


     
    

      

    • Jeffrey, H. L., Beswick, E., & Meade, J. (2015). Learning and unlearning sexism in the workplace. Human Resource Management International Digest, 23(5), 18-20. doi:10.1108/HRMID-05-2015-0086
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    • Bruner, M. W., Eys, M. A., Beauchamp, M. R., & Côté, J. (2013). Examining the origins of team building in sport: A citation network and genealogical approach. Group Dynamics: Theory, Research, and Practice, 17(1), 30-42. doi:10.1037/a0030114
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    • O’Toole, J. (1996). Leading change: The argument for values-based leadership. New York: Ballentine Books.
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    Written by Jeffrey Donenfeld, originally for the University of Denver Daniels College of Business Executive MBA Program Executive Leadership Class, Spring 2016. I received a 94/100 on this assignment. (Original paper PDF)
    

    
			
    
		
    
		
	
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    Application Essays and Starting My MBA at University of Denver
    
			
    Application Essays and Starting My MBA at University of Denver
    
			
    daniels-logo-colorStarting this spring, I’ll be attending the University of Denver Daniels College of Business Executive MBA Program in order to earn my Master of Business Administration graduate degree. It’s an 18-month long program, in a small cohort experienced professionals.
    

    Applying for MBA programs, and making my ultimate selection was not an easy process. I took both the GMAT and GRE standardized tests multiple times, attended multiple test prep courses, filled out lots of applications, refined my resume, tapped my peer group for recommendations and advice, and researched many courses. In the end, I applied to 6 programs.
    

    My admissions essays took a time and energy. As a means of preserving them, and making them accessible to future aspiring MBA students, I’m publishing them here.
    

    Thanks again to my trusted friends and colleagues who supported and advised me through the application process. The journey has just begun…
    

    cs-emba-2016-2018
    

     
    

    

     
    

    MBA Program Admissions Essays
    

    Written by Jeffrey Donenfeld, Winter 2015 to Spring 2016
    

     
    

    University of Colorado at Boulder Leeds School of Business
    

    Why Leeds? Illustrate why earning your MBA at Leeds will enable you to achieve your ambitions?
    

    Joining the Leeds community and earning my MBA will give me the clarity, community, and skills to enhance my career and rapidly become a leader and visionary in my field.  What follows is the story of my career trajectory so far, and an explanation of how Leeds will enable me to take my work — my passion — to the next level.
    

    Shortly after graduating from The University of Colorado at Boulder, I was recruited to join a digital marketing firm in NYC. Over the next eight years, I moved up rapidly in the field and ultimately joined the core team of a small interactive media agency called Morpheus Media. At Morpheus, we built our core team of 12 into a 125-expert strong industry leader.  This was a life-changing experience and an unsurpassed opportunity to make significant inroads in the quickly expanding interactive media and technology industry. At our height, we were the North American agency of record for LVMH, encompassing over 30 luxury brands. My experiences in interactive media gave me the forum to become the effective team leader, group manager, salesperson, consultant, communicator, and innovator that I am today. 
    

    Although my career in interactive media was engaging, challenging, and a natural fit for me, my next big step was just over the horizon. I asked myself: “What’s the ultimate, most ambitious, most fantastic dream job I can imagine?” The answer was to work on science expeditions in Antarctica. 
    

    The road to becoming an Antarctic Field Science Technician was long and frustrating, but ultimately successful. Because I knew nothing at all about the specific science, lifestyle, and career options on the continent, I started researching, networking, and applying for every job I could find. To support my research and engagement with the scientific community, I wrote a blog post every single day until I accomplished my objective. I also met countless scientists, contractors, managers, and explorers. And then one day, three years after I started my quest, I received a call from Lockheed Martin telling me I had a week to get to the Denver Airport and catch my flight to the ice. 
    

    Working in Antarctica was a life-changing experience. During my most recent season on the ice, I worked as a Field Technician and Project Manager on the University of Wisconsin’s Space Science and Engineering Center’s DISC Drill team. I was in charge of comprehensive accounting for our team’s scientific equipment and industrial machinery, management of the packing and shipment process, and general gear and logistics for the entire season. 
    

    My experience working in the field set the stage perfectly for my next step. My next endeavor is to combine my team leadership, agency-level project management and sales skills developed in NYC with my field science management and organization experience to move into the upper levels of field science and technology project creation, development, sales, and management. 
    

    My post-MBA plans cover two important areas of possibility and interest, and I look forward to using my time at Leeds on academic pursuit and discourse, surveying potential pathways, and exploring the options I can create for myself. 
    

    On one pathway, I envision relaunching my own technology and media consulting company, Four North, to specialize in field science-related management and consulting. On the other pathway, I look forward to joining a field/science project management team as a project leader and visionary at a government agency such as NSF, USAP, NCAR.
    

    The scope and offerings of Leeds are perfectly aligned with my academic and career pursuits for multiple reasons. First, the program’s focus on entrepreneurship speaks to my curiosity and passion for leadership and innovation in my own endeavors. As a serial entrepreneur myself — having formed my first company over 15 years ago — I’m excited for the opportunity to engage in more formal academic studies of entrepreneurship, and to connect with my fellow like-minded classmates. 
    

    Second, Boulder is a rapidly expanding hub for innovative new companies and novel ideas. It’s the perfect location to not only learn about these companies, but also to interact with them directly. While at Leeds, I look forward to exploring the full scope of area-based companies and ideas, and to relating them to my own passions and studies. Further, in addition to the new startups, Boulder is also home to some of the world’s premier scientific laboratories, government contractors, and government agencies such as the Lockheed Martin Antarctic Support Contract offices in charge of high-level Antarctic support management, which synergizes directly with my previous and future career endeavors. 
    

    Finally, Boulder is… beautiful. The location, environment, people, and general feeling of Boulder make it the ideal place to pursue my MBA while remaining engaged with, and energized and inspired by, the surrounding environment. I know this firsthand because I’m already a CU Undergraduate alumnus, and I live in Boulder. 
    

    I’m very much looking forward to joining the Leeds School of Business 2018 MBA Class, and hope you’ll invite me to join your community. 
    

    

    How does your intellectual curiosity drive your professional and personal growth? 
    

    My intellectual curiosity has been the primary driver of my growth, both personally and professionally, for as long as I can remember.  As an undergraduate student at the University of Colorado at Boulder, I chose to major in Psychology —not because I had planned to become a psychologist, but because I loved the subject matter, loved my classes, loved learning about the human mind and the way individuals interact, loved doing projects with my fellow classmates, and loved engaging in my studies. I chose to study psychology because it satisfied my intellectual curiosity, and this innate interest paid off by providing me with the academic focus to solidify the ideas and understanding I already possessed within. 
    

    Similarly, I chose my first career — in interactive media — based on my personal passions and innate understanding of the principles of advertising, marketing, sales, technology, and a vision of the future. I started down this path not because I had studied it in depth in school or because I calculated that it would be a rapidly expanding field (which it became).  I chose interactive media because I had a passion for it and an innate understanding of its fundamentals, which allowed me to quickly stand out as an industry leader, innovator, and creative thinker. 
    

    My interest and employment in managing field science operations in Antarctica was also fueled by my intellectual curiosity.  I had long been personally interested in discovering remote corners of the  globe and understanding its supporting infrastructure. I wasn’t sure where the road would lead, but I followed my passion and learned as much as I could about Antarctica and how to get a job there.  After three years of persistent fact-finding, training, and networking, my dream came true. I secured a position working in support of scientific discovery in Antarctica with Lockheed Martin. 
    

    The final example of my passion fueling my personal growth is my blog. In my freshman year of college, in 2000, I set a personal goal of writing an article in my blog regularly.  I succeeded!  And I have continued writing ever since, maintaining a comprehensive blog chronicling my thoughts, interests, and pursuits. In the past 15 years, I’ve written close to 1700 online articles, countless portfolios, studies, analyses, and montages. The ultimate exploration of my intellectual curiosity is online at http://JeffreyDonenfeld.com
    

    My long history of passionate pursuit has lead me to my next step of academic focus and discovery, as I look forward to continuing to pursue my passions at Leeds. 
    

     
    

    I started to approach the world differently when …
    

    I started to approach the world differently when I realized that I could do anything I wanted to do. That there was no specific, set career path that I was forced to take. That I could call anybody a friend. That I had the ultimate, blessed freedom to pursue what was in my heart. And I did it. I’m doing it right now by applying to join the community at Leeds. 
    

    Having the power to do anything I set my mind to is extremely liberating and energizing. Even in the face of an adversity, I can still do whatever I set my mind to is liberating and empowering. Suddenly, the whole world is available — and even if there are definite barriers to dreams, there’s always a way to make the essentials possible. 
    

    I remember sitting at my desk years ago and telling myself – “there’s nobody holding you here but yourself”, and making the decision to pursue my dreams. And although it’s been a long and hard fight — which I’m still fighting — I’m glad I did it.
    

    It’s because of this realization, and my renewed, inspired, optimistic, and empowered approach to the world, that I keep a short, but powerful saying on my desk to look at everyday: “FORTUNE FAVORS THE BOLD”. I live by that every day. 
    

    

    University of Denver Daniels
    

    What contribution will you make to the Daniels learning environment? Include examples of previous experience that demonstrates your readiness for graduate school, specific to the program for which you are applying. 
    

    My distinct diversity in career and life experience make me a superior contributor to the Daniels community and, more specifically, to my class. Several aspects of my background and experience support this.
    

    After graduating from college at CU-Boulder, I was fortunate to start working in the quickly-growing digital marketing field in New York City. I worked my way up gaining experience with a number of smaller marketing firms, until I signed on to help develop and grow a then-small interactive ad agency. I was the 12th employee at Morpheus Media, and one of the two founding members of the SEO Department. During my four years at Morpheus, I helped grow the company from a 12-person startup to a 125-person industry leader. I was one of the co-founders of the SEO and Social Media departments, the founder of the Mobile Media department, and one of the agencies senior-strategists. I was also involved in sales and business development on a weekly basis. My experience at Morpheus exposed me to the full spectrum of business strategy, growth, management, and optimization. Looking towards the Daniels MBA program, I’m excited to combine my significant past experiences with academic discourse and team interaction, and to emerge as a community leader and motivator. 
    

    During the past few years, tI re-focused my career trajectory to pursue my interest in working in Antarctica with the United States Antarctic Program in supporting National Science Foundation-funded scientific exploration and experimentation. I pro-actively made this shift out of a desire to diversify and to continue to pursue what truly makes me excited. Working in Antarctica over two seasons was an incredible experience as I managed a team of deep-field professionals to service a precision deep-ice coring drill at the West Antarctic Ice Sheet Divide Camp, one of the most remote Antarctic field camps in the middle of the largest highest, coldest, windiest, and driest desert on earth. Although a departure from the office life, my work at WAIS was a continuation of my on-the-spot decision making, dynamic management, and adaptive strategy experience, as we battled complex logistics, uncooperative weather, and remote locations to accomplish a shared objective the right way, at the right time. 
    

    It’s these diverse, multidisciplinary, and one-of-a-kind experiences that make me an unparallelled contributor to the Daniels community, which I look forward to joining in the fall.
    

     
    

    Describe an ethical dilemma that you encountered. Explain alternatives you considered and how you determined the best action to take.
    

    Antarctica. The whole place is a bit of an ethical dilemma, but during my two deployments, I got to witness firsthand the nuanced dilemmas inherent in living in a government-run town, scheduling housing and logistics in conjunction with the US Air Force, and grant-funded project operations. 
    

    I’ve deployed to Antarctica twice. My first year, I was stationed at the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station. The station houses about 150 people during the summer, and is a massive structure elevated above the snow and ice. The very existence of the station, given the extensive fuel, personnel, and resource requirements is incredible. The station burns millions of gallons of jet fuel to power generators for heat and electricity. There’s a fully featured galley on station serving three meals per day, in addition to holiday and special meals. Everybody has their own heated bedroom, and there’s a weight room, gymnasium, library, music room, and movie theater accessible to everyone – all at the south pole. 
    

    Merely living there brings to mind the ethical question of whether or not all of the infrastructure and energy is worth it. Sure, there’s great scientific research being done there – but could it be done with less luxury and excess? I asked myself this question almost every day while on station, and decided that yes, it would be possible to conserve more, but potentially at the cost of productivity and quality of life.  In order to cope with this dilemma, I decided to do my best to conserve as much as possible while there, as well as do the best work I possibly could, maximizing the benefit of the myriad resources. Additionally, I wrote extensive articles on my personal blog documenting all of the interesting aspects of the station, with hopes of extending the benefit of the incredible structure at the south pole to people around the world.
    

     
    

    Stanford GSB
    

    What matters most to you, and why?
    

    The relentless pursuit of dreams is what’s important. 
    

    Realizing my dreams. Making the choice to pursue my dreams. And critically, changing the universe to make my dreams happen is what truly matters to me. By far the most illustrative story of my pursuit of the impossible is my quest to get to Antarctica. I failed for four solid years, and finally, after struggle and questioning, finally arrived at the South Pole. 
    

    I worked in NYC for a number of years starting and growing an interactive ad agency from 12-125 people, and although my career in interactive media was engaging, challenging, and a natural fit for me, my next big step was just over the horizon. I asked myself: “What’s the ultimate, most ambitious, most fantastic dream job I can imagine?” The answer was to work on science expeditions in Antarctica. 
    

    The road to becoming an Antarctic Field Science Technician was long and frustrating, but ultimately successful. Because I knew nothing at all about the specific science, lifestyle, and career options on the continent, I started researching, networking, and applying for every job I could find. To support my research and engagement with the scientific community, I wrote a blog post every single day until I accomplished my objective. And then one day, three years after I started my quest, I received a call from Lockheed Martin telling me I had a week to get to the airport and catch my flight to the ice. 
    

    Working in Antarctica was a life-changing experience. During my most recent season on the ice, I worked as a Field Technician and Project Manager on the University of Wisconsin’s Space Science and Engineering Center’s DISC Drill team. I was in charge of comprehensive accounting for our team’s scientific equipment and industrial machinery, management of the packing and shipment process, and general gear and logistics for the entire season.
    

    For the past 15 years I’ve been writing regularly on my personal blog, and for the past 5 years I’ve been writing personal stories about my quest to Antarctica, including an entire account of the evolution of my journey there. http://JeffreyDonenfeld.com/Antarctica
    

    The quest for Antarctica initially seemed like a completely impossible dream, with so many questions at the beginning. Where to even start? However as I realized, you must start somewhere, anywhere, and just get moving. It’s this almost blind confidence that enables each of us to achieve what we truly want, and make the impossible dream happen. 
    

    The easy thing for me would be to go back to working an office job I’m easily qualified for. The hard thing is to continue to pursue my career, personal, and life goals – which includes joining the Stanford community. 
    

    To remix President Kennedy: I choose to go to Stanford. I choose to go to Stanford this year, not because it is easy, but because it is hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of my energies and skills, because that challenge is one that I am willing to accept, one I am unwilling to postpone, and one which I intend to win…
    

    

    Why Stanford?
    

    Joining the Stanford community is that next ideal, impossible, perfect, dreamy ideal which has sculpted my life and career since the beginning. It’s the continuation of my crazy idea to build a tech startup in NYC – and making it work. It’s the continuation of my insane idea of getting a job at the southern axis of the earth – and making it work. It’s the continuation of my proof that to change my world, and the world, FORTUNE FAVORS THE BOLD. That’s why Stanford.
    

    It’s my conception of having a vision of a perfect path forward, where the universe falls into place and flows. What follows is the story of my career trajectory so far, and an explanation of how Stanford will enable me to take my work — my passion — to the next level. 
    

    Stanford is home to some of the most innovative thinkers, brightest minds, and weirdest dreamers anywhere. But it’s missing my creative drive and unwavering dreams. 
    

    My experience working in multiple fields, including in the middle of the world’s largest, highest, coldest, windiest, and driest desert sets the stage for a refinement, innovation, and elevated pursuit of vision – and Stanford is the community, curriculum, and challenge to make that happen.
    

    Stanford’s focus on creative entrepreneurship, innovative thinking, and constant challenge is ideal. Stanford’s engaged community and extensive network is essential. This Fall, i look forward to joining the Stanford community, and creating the next step.
    

     
    

    Hult Business School
    

    To help our Admissions team better understand you, tell us about your professional and personal achievements, and why you are a good fit for Hult.
    

    Joining the Hult community is that next ideal, impossible, perfect, dreamy ideal which has sculpted my life and career since the beginning. It’s the continuation of my crazy idea to build a tech startup in NYC – and making it work. It’s the continuation of my insane idea of getting a job at the southern axis of the earth – and making it work. It’s the continuation of my proof that to change my world, and the world, FORTUNE FAVORS THE BOLD. That’s why Hult.
    

    It’s my conception of having a vision of a perfect path forward, where the universe falls into place and flows. What follows is the story of my career trajectory so far, and an explanation of how Hult will enable me to take my work — my passion — to the next level. 
    

    I moved up rapidly working with startups in NYC, particularly in building Morpheus Media. There, we built our core team of 12 into a 125-expert strong industry leader. It was life-changing, in that i developed solid business skills on the spot, and realized that I had the ability to help make an entire company run. My experiences in interactive media gave me the forum to become the effective team leader, group manager, salesperson, consultant, communicator, and innovator that I am today – that’s a lot of roles – all of which I learned as they became a critical necessity of my everyday life. 
    

    Although my career in interactive media was engaging, challenging, and a natural fit for me, my next big step was just over the horizon. I asked myself: “What’s the ultimate, most ambitious, most fantastic dream job I can imagine?” The answer was to work on science expeditions in Antarctica. 
    

    The road to becoming an Antarctic Field Science Technician was long and frustrating – but I made it a success. I have a knack for that. Because I knew nothing at all about the specific science, lifestyle, and career options on the continent, I started researching, networking, and applying for every job I could find. To support my research and engagement with the scientific community, I wrote a blog post every single day until I accomplished my objective. I also met countless scientists, contractors, managers, and explorers. And then one day, three years after I started my quest, I received a call from Lockheed Martin telling me I had a week to get to the airport and catch my flight to the ice. 
    

    Working in Antarctica was a life-changing experience. During my most recent season on the ice, I worked as a Field Technician and Project Manager on the University of Wisconsin’s Space Science and Engineering Center’s DISC Drill team. I was in charge of comprehensive accounting for our team’s scientific equipment and industrial machinery, management of the packing and shipment process, and general gear and logistics for the entire season. 
    

    My experience working in the field sets the stage for a refinement, innovation, and elevated pursuit of vision – and Hult is the community, curriculum, and challenge to make that happen.
    

    Hult’s focus on creative entrepreneurship, innovative thinking, and constant challenge is ideal. Hult’s engaged community and extensive network is essential. And Hult’s location, as well as global reach is literally where it’s at. 
    

    This Fall, i look forward to joining the Hult community, and creating the next step. 
    

     
    

    INSEAD
    

    Give a candid description of yourself (who are you as a person), stressing the personal characteristics you feel to be your strengths and weaknesses and the main factors which have influenced your personal development, giving examples when necessary.
    

    The problem with me is that I dream big, and obsessively pursue my dreams until I achieve them. I’m an eternal optimist, and throughout my life I’ve been one to think that when I apply myself, I can change my world when it needs to be changed. I’ve proven this to myself time and time again, in my personal, social, and professional lives – and it’s been for the better AND worse. 
    

    The ability to dream, and believe in your dreams can be a powerful force of change. My career pathway is a telling example of my dreams constantly evolving, and my continuous pursuit of them. Coming out of college, I moved to NYC with the vision of living the big city life, working with my best friends, having a typical Manhattan apartment, and developing a close knit community in one of the world’s craziest cities. My first job coming to the city was at a very small marketing firm, but with time, I worked my way up, and eventually made my dream a reality. By the time I was ready to leave the city, I was on the management team of a large ad agency which I helped to create, working on strategy for the world’s largest luxury brands.
    

    Onto the next dream: Antarctica. 
    

    What better way to take a next step than to step completely out of the city, and into the largest, highest, coldest, windiest, and driest desert on earth. That’s what I had in mind when I decided to get a job working with the United States Antarctic Program. I knew nothing when I started the quest, and I failed at it completely and consistently for 4 long years. But I was determined to make my dream into a reality. I was committed, and it was going to happen. Four years later, after numerous last minute flights to meet managers and administrators at Lockheed Martin, countless phone calls, training courses in the mountains, and sleepless nights, I got a cryptic email, and then a call. They said I had 5 days to get myself with all of my gear to the airport, and hop on a flight to the South Pole. 
    

    Those are two examples of how I’ve pursued my dreams, and luckily made them happen – but there have been numerous dreams I’m still working on, that I’ve failed to achieve, and that I don’t even know how to start. I’ve been fortunate enough to have the intellectual and unwavering drive to make lots of them come true, and I’ve also failed time and time again. Through all of this, though, I can’t imagine any other way to be. With so little time, the only thing that seems logical to do is the best, brightest, highest, most incredible things I can think of – and that’s what I intend to continue to do at INSEAD. I can’t picture it any other way.
    

     
    

    Describe the achievement of which you are most proud and explain why. In addition, describe a situation where you failed. How did these experiences impact your relationships with others? Comment on what you learned.
    

    I failed consistently on one seemingly impossible task for over four years. 
    

    Then, in a moment of synergy, luck, and opportunity, all of the pieces came together, and I found myself a week later on a US Military flight to the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station, Antarctica. 
    

    Four years before my ultimate success, I was working at Morpheus Media – a rapidly growing digital marketing agency. Although my career in interactive media was engaging, challenging, and a natural fit for me, my next big step was just over the horizon. I asked myself: “What’s the ultimate, most ambitious, most fantastic dream job I can imagine?” The answer was to work on science expeditions in Antarctica. 
    

    The road to becoming an Antarctic Field Science Technician was long and frustrating, but ultimately successful. Because I knew nothing at all about the specific science, lifestyle, and career options on the continent, I started researching, networking, and applying for every job I could find. To support my research and engagement with the scientific community, I wrote a blog post every single day until I accomplished my objective. I also met countless scientists, contractors, managers, and explorers. And then one day, three years after I started my quest, I received a call from Lockheed Martin telling me I had a week to get to the Denver Airport and catch my flight to the ice. 
    

    Working in Antarctica was a life-changing experience. During my most recent season on the ice, I worked as a Field Technician and Project Manager on the University of Wisconsin’s Space Science and Engineering Center’s DISC Drill team. I was in charge of comprehensive accounting for our team’s scientific equipment and industrial machinery, management of the packing and shipment process, and general gear and logistics for the entire season. 
    

    Throughout this life-changing quest, I met countless incredible individuals who taught me to follow my passions, do what’s interesting and weird, and never give up. It’s this very reason that I’m now excited take on my next endeavor of earning my MBA and revolutionizing my career with INSEAD. 
    

    The full story of my quest for Antarctica is told in exhaustive detail on my blog at http://JeffreyDonenfeld.com/Antarctica
    

     
    

    Tell us about an experience where you were significantly impacted by cultural diversity, in a positive or negative way.
    

    I ran my best marathon ever amidst smiling, confused, cheering crowds lining the streets of Pyongyang, North Korea. 
    

    Here, in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, cultural diversity takes a weird, homegrown, and remarkably flourishing twist. It’s mandated, controlled, and sculpted by the all-seeing government. And lacking an unbiased alternative or diversified voice, the one way truly is the way. As I explored North Korea, this homegrown spin of diversity was both an inspiration, and quite depressing at the same time.
    

    In a certain light, North Korea’s insulated cultural, political, and social ecosystem is a fantastic distillation of truth and purity. For the last three generations of leaders, the cultural identity of the north has been singularly shaped and refined into an incredibly well defined, deep, and powerful national identity. It’s character is completely unique – beautiful expressions of creativity and inspiration abound throughout Pyongyang, if you look with the right eyes. People are pure and loving once you give them a chance. And within their microcosm the people of North Korea are healthy and proud of what they’ve built. 
    

    There’s a prevalent dark side to this insulated brand of singularized cultural diversity as well. Looking in from an outsider’s perspective, North Korea is a timewarp of short-sighted cultural norms, crushing control of the people, and oppression of even the most basic rights. Their society could be seen as dull and lackluster arising out of an almost complete embargo of outside influences.
    

    I disagree with this fatalist view. The optimistic, inclusive, and loving view of North Korea is the one I choose to embrace. Government politics are one thing – but looking directly at the people and heart of the nation, it’s easy to see, with the right eyes, the flourishing warmth and unique cultural identity that’s been created. 
    

    The full story of my cultural exploration of North Korea is online at http://goo.gl/83SD7m
    

    
			
    
		
    
		
	
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    My Personality Is “The Commander” (ENTJ)
    
			
    My Personality Is “The Commander” (ENTJ)
    
			
    According to personality measurement site 16 Personalities, my personality is ENTJ, “The Commander”. A few excerpts from their explanation of my personality profile:
    

     
    

    Screen Shot 2015-09-24 at 6.27.25 PMENTJs are natural-born leaders. People with this personality type embody the gifts of charisma and confidence, and project authority in a way that draws crowds together behind a common goal. But unlike their Feeling (F) counterpart, ENTJs are characterized by an often ruthless level of rationality, using their drive, determination and sharp minds to achieve whatever end they’ve set for themselves. Perhaps it is best that they make up only three percent of the population, lest they overwhelm the more timid and sensitive personality types that make up much of the rest of the world – but we have ENTJs to thank for many of the businesses and institutions we take for granted every day.
    

    Screen Shot 2015-09-24 at 6.25.54 PMENTJ Strengths
    

      

    • Efficient – ENTJs see inefficiency not just as a problem in its own right, but as something that pulls time and energy away from all their future goals, an elaborate sabotage consisting of irrationality and laziness. People with the ENTJ personality type will root out such behavior wherever they go.
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    • Energetic – Rather than finding this process taxing ENTJs are energized by it, genuinely enjoying leading their teams forward as they implement their plans and goals.
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    • Self-Confident – ENTJs couldn’t do this if they were plagued by self-doubt – they trust their abilities, make known their opinions, and believe in their capacities as leaders.
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    • Strong-Willed – Nor do they give up when the going gets tough – ENTJ personalities strive to achieve their goals, but really nothing is quite as satisfying to them as rising to the challenge of each obstacle in their run to the finish line.
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    • Strategic Thinkers – ENTJs exemplify the difference between moment-to-moment crisis management and navigating the challenges and steps of a bigger plan, and are known for examining every angle of a problem and not just resolving momentary issues, but moving the whole project forward with their solutions.
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    • Charismatic and Inspiring – These qualities combine to create individuals who are able to inspire and invigorate others, who people actually want to be their leaders, and this in turn helps ENTJs to accomplish their often ambitious goals that could never be finished alone.
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     Continue reading on 16Personalities.com