Giants of the Startup Community, Founders Who Make It Big Tell What’s Important

Entrepreneurs’ Network – 6:30PM, Tuesday, 1 September

Giants of the Startup Community, Founders Who Made It Big Tell What’s Important

Meeting Location – Constant Contact, 1601 Trapelo Road, 1st Floor, InnoLoft, Waltham, MA

PRE-MEETING DINNER at 5:15 PM (sharp) at Bertucci’s, Waltham

Successful entrepreneurs have said that fearlessness, resilience, and being true to oneself are three of the most important qualities an entrepreneur must have when starting his/her own business. ENET is assembling a panel of successful founders who made it big in different fields who will tell you what was important in their success. On September 1, 2015, the kick-off meeting to ENET’s 25th year, we will hear stories of entrepreneurial challenges, surprises, disappointments, victories and triumphs. We hope you will join us. Learn from the experts: founders who have had the courage and tenacity to step out on their own, and navigate the rough waters of the unknown, and made it big in doing so. If you are thinking of starting your own business, or if you are already a company founder, learn from those who have gone before you. What they have experienced may help you avoid a pitfall or two, and accelerate your own company’s progress. Why reinvent the wheel when others willingly share their wisdom? Our meeting begins with an open networking session. A question and answer session follows the presentation, and panelists are available afterwards for responses to individual questions.

Speaker: Anthony DiPaolo is CEO, of Work ‘N Gear, a workwear and healthcare fashion retailer. http://www.workngear.com/ Tony is a seasoned entrepreneur and executive with over 30 years of experience in retail, manufacturing, product development, product sourcing and domestic and international sales. His company Work ‘N Gear is the largest retail chain in the United States specializing in the work apparel and footwear industry. Work ‘N Gear operates more than 45 retail stores throughout the Northeast and Midwest. In 1990, Tony acquired Herman Survivors from Stride Rite Corporation, and raised its sales from $8 million to $50 million before selling the company to Walmart in 2001. In 2002, Tony purchased Work ‘N Gear, which was in bankruptcy, raised $40 million in VC investment and with new management focused on the workwear marketplace. In 2011, DiPoalo launched Scrubology — a new “store-within-a-store” concept that caters to healthcare consumers. In partnership with Sears Holdings Corporation, Scrubology was launched in 39 Sears and Kmart locations across the United States. Committed to his community, with Work ‘N Gear, he developed the “Boot Trade” program that each year before the cold of winter hits program provides thousands of pairs of gently worn boots to the homeless in 12 northern states. In telling the ENET audience what was important in his success, Tony will focus on his specialties: Negotiation, financing, leadership and brand repositioning. Tony is a graduate of George Washington University.

Speaker: Venkat Kolluri is co-founder of Chitika www.chitika.com and has served as President & CEO since the company’s inception. Venkat oversees all of Chitika’s operations, including it’s strategic direction and product planning, as well as corporate development. Previously, Venkat worked at Upromise, leading the Partner Services group in the Database Marketing & Analytics division. Prior to Upromise, he worked at Lycos as the Principal Technologist in the Marketing Services group and spearheaded the development and launch of several innovative advertising and marketing automation products and services across the Lycos Network. Venkat’s work has been published in several journals and conferences. Venkat holds a Ph.D. in Information Science from University of Pittsburgh. In 2009, Chitika won the Red Herring award as a Top 100 Global Finalist and in 2010 the DPAC Award as Finalist for Best Mobile Advertising Network Innovation. In 2011, Venkat received from TiE Boston the Crystal Award for a Charter Member who built his company from the ground up.

Additional speakers: There may also be one or more additional speakers to be announced. Check our website in August to see who will be speaking – www.boston-enet.org

Moderator: Robert Adelson, business and tax attorney and partner at the Boston law firm of Engel & Schultz LLP (www.ExecutiveEmploymentAttorney.com ), is the Chairman of the IEEE Boston Entrepreneurs’ Network. Rob has been an attorney for over 30 years specializing in business, tax, stock and options, employment, contracts, financings, trademarks and intellectual property. Rob began as an associate at major New York City law firms before returning home to Boston in 1985 where he has since been a partner in small and medium sized firms before joining his present firm in 2004. Rob represents entrepreneurs, start-ups and small companies, independent contractors and employees and executives. Rob is a frequent speaker on business law topics and author of numerous articles published in Boston Business Journal, Mass High Tech and other publications. He has been named among the “Top 20 Boston Startup Lawyers” by ChubbyBrain.com, a website that provides tools for entrepreneurs. Rob has been on the ENET Board since 2002 and Chairman since 2009 and is also a Co-Founder and Board member of the 128 Innovation Capital Group. He holds degrees from Boston University, B.A., summa cum laude, Northwestern University (Chicago), J.D., Law Review, and New York University, LL.M. in Taxation.

Meeting Location: Constant Contact, Inc., Reservoir Place, Main Building InnoLoft Great Room, 1st Floor, 1601 Trapelo Rd., Waltham, MA (Exit 28B, I-95/Route 128)

Pre-meeting Dinner at 5:15 PM (sharp) at Bertucci’s, Waltham, (Exit 27B, Route 128)

Check for Updates at: Boston Entrepreneurs’ Network Website at ( http://www.boston-enet.org )

Directions: http://www.constantcontact.com/about-constant-contact/office-location-waltham.jsp

Reservations: ENET Constant Contact meetings are free to ENET members and $20 for non-members. No reservations are needed for the dinner. To expedite sign-in for the meeting, we ask that everyone — members as well as non-members — pre-register for the meeting online. Pre-registration is available until midnight the day before the meeting. If you cannot pre-register, you are welcome to register at the door.