Last week had me thinking about transcending (and including) the current financial crisis. The inspiration for that piece was partially grounded in a column I had written for Colorado Biz magaine,
which runs today. Assuming (as I did in the blog post) that the world
continues to operate after the bailout and election, some US economic
sectors will be stronger than others. And all signs indicate -- and even the New York Times, in a relative comparison of city-by-city economies corroborates -- that a strong entrepreneurial trend is sweeping Colorado.
The trend is based on what many entreprenurial thought leaders --
from investors to serial entrepreneurs to the lawyers and PR pros who
live through the cycles -- recognize as sectors that will thrive, even
during a predictably rough national economic period. These sectors are
technology (and in Colorado, especially IT and web 2.0), energy and
other CleanTech / GreenTech / Sustainability companies.
In the CoBiz column, I propose a few potential local results of the current Wall St. banking crisis:
Many investing "truths" have forever changed. The
question is: which ones? We suspect — and a quick query of investors
this week has quasi-confirmed — that core investing principles are
intact, but the situational realities as to who will be an interesting
funding candidate are likely to be quite different.
Intuition suggests that fewer wealthy people will be making
investments, but with the investment banking sector suddenly and
irreversibly (lets' check that assumption in a few months) extinct,
more money and talent could focus on growth sectors like green tech.
It's also possible that money will re-localize. Investors will want
their money to be a bit more tied to tangible nearby investments as a
backlash to the ideological bankruptcy of radical derivatives. Further,
as investors take a deep stock of their values, the evolution toward a
more holistic investing approach will amplify.
But that's all speculation. What's real is that on November 21st,
forty of the strongest Colorado start-up businesses will present to
hundreds of venture capitalists and angel investors at the annual Angel Capital Summit.
And at the end of that day, we will present a once-in-a-generation
opportunity to "not only learn about but participate in the co-creation
the future of our regional business ecology."
With Anita Burke
telling us all how to measure sustainable business practices at lunch,
and the as-yet-uncomfirmed special appearance by one of Colorado's
favorite political leaders open the day, it promises to be an exciting
"first day of the rest of your career" type of experience.
Hope to see you there. | 
