Event Sessions

Coming to VCjawn? Don’t forget your goggles 

I recently started reading Impact Players: How to Take the Lead, Play Bigger, and Multiply Your Impact by Liz Wiseman. I am still working my way through it, though there was a line that jumped out at me and has had me thinking: “Impact players wear opportunity goggles [when they see everyday challenges].”

The first thing I think of when I hear “opportunity goggles” is Holtzmann’s spectacular spectacles in Ghostbusters. But the second is how many entrepreneurs and innovators are wearing them. Entrepreneurs and innovators are constantly looking at how to solve a challenge or make a process/product better.

In a recent OnRamp session, Founder-in-Residence, Jessie Garcia of Tozuda Head Impact Indicators, talked about how she fell in love with the problem of signaling possible head trauma earlier for athletes and their support systems, especially since injuries like concussions are not as immediately evident as a twisted ankle or broken bone. Jessie mentioned she iterated on her original MVP (Minimum Viable Product) to better meet the needs and behaviors of athletes. The opportunity to make an impact (and literally making it visible) is what drives her and her team.

Even when you see the opportunity, however, it’s critical to have a team to support you. As an entrepreneur, you may be a team of few or one. To borrow from Simon Sinek, I often see Thursday Gatherings as a meeting of “invisible teammates.”  Each week, we come together –whether it’s your first Venture Café or your 109th (shout out to George!) — to help each other win and build connections.

Every week that you join Venture Café, you can assume the role of an impact player by connecting people and ideas. I often overhear these conversations in the Café or during sessions: “That’s interesting! Have you tried this?” or “Hmm… tell me more about that.” Or one of the most exciting: “I’m so glad I found you. I’ve been thinking about your question from two weeks ago.”

In creating connections, we’re building networks of possibility and highlighting impact players—or rather, impact innovators. It’s one of the reasons why I look forward to Thursdays every single week.

See you Thursday and don’t forget your goggles,

Jen