H. Naylor Fitzhugh Conference - Small Business & Entrepreneurship

What's Next in Small Business and Entrepreneurship

As the economy starts to rebound what opportunities lie ahead for entrepreneurs and small business owners? What changes have you made in your strategy based on the recession and what changes will you make going forward and why? Are there any new exciting ideas that you plan to pursue? What are the hot new trends for small business? Does this economic shift provide more opportunities for small businesses over large corporations?

Panel Speakers

Rob Davenport III, Brightpath Capital Partners, LP

BCP is a triple bottom line emerging growth investor focused on clean tech and UCS is an information technology and outsourced fulfillment services company headquartered near Nashville, TN. Prior to BCP and UCS, he was President and CEO of Covad International, a broadband services provider in Asia and Europe. He also served as SVP of Tele-Communications, Inc. (now Comcast) where he managed the broadband data business unit.

He began his career in private equity, risk arbitrage and business development at First Boston, Lehman Brothers and TLC Beatrice Foods. He has served on the board of directors of MCI, Inc., Teleport Communications Group, Sprint PCS and St. Paul’s Episcopal School in Oakland, CA, and is currently a Director of One PacificCoast Bank, FSB and the East Bay Community Foundation. He has also served on the board of directors of several private companies. He earned his AB and MBA from Harvard University. He also completed postgraduate work in political economy at the University of Nairobi, Kenya, as a Rotary Fellow.

Al Frazier, Goods Movement Inc. & Total Transportation Services, Inc

Impressed with TTSI’s growth and potential, Al purchased his controlling interest in the company in 2006. In addition to his leadership role at TTSI, Al also serves as the CEO and Chairman of Frazier Co., a private equity investment company and as Chairman of the Board, North American Conveyor, Inc. (NACI), a material handling equipment provider based in Azusa, California. Prior to his current owner-management roles, Al was most recently a San Francisco-based partner of Accenture Services and Communications and their High Technology Market units.

Previously, Al held senior executive positions with Pacific Telesis, Booz Allen and Hamilton, and Arthur D. Little. Al received his Masters of Business Administration (MBA) degree with Distinction from Harvard Graduate School of Business and his Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Jose Corona, InnerCity Advisors

As Executive Director, Jose provides strategic leadership, management and direction to Inner City Advisors. Since joining the organization in 2004, Jose has led the organization in helping inner city entrepreneurs achieve success. Over a five year period, Jose has overseen the investment of $3,964,500 of pro bono services into its Portfolio Companies, supporting the creation of 623 new jobs, 1,508 retained– 62% of which are held by inner city residents. This represents over $75 million of wealth creation for the inner city San Francisco Bay Area.

Having worked in business and community development for over a decade, Jose is passionate about entrepreneurship. Raised by a family of successful farming entrepreneurs, Jose understands by way of practical experience how growing businesses have the power to transform communities. In 2009, Jose’s commitment to and track record in the development of businesses and community garnered him the Young Executive of the Year Award by the Oakland Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce. Before working in the non-profit sector, Jose also worked in Corporate Retail Operations and Human Resources at Macy’s, Inc.

Jose sits on various boards. He serves on the Oakland Workforce Investment Board and on the Oakland Schools Foundation. Jose also serves on the Board of Directors of People’s Grocery and the YMCA of The East Bay. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree from UC Davis, and Entrepreneur Management Development Certification from the UCLA Anderson School of Management.

Rohit Deshpande, HBS Professor (Moderator)

Rohit Deshpandé is Sebastian S. Kresge Professor of Marketing at Harvard Business School where he currently teaches in the Owner/President Management Program and in other executive education offerings. He has also taught global branding, international marketing, and first year marketing in the MBA program as well as a doctoral seminar in marketing management. He is coordinator for Marketing faculty recruiting, incoming co-chair of the Global Colloquium for Participant-Centered Learning and has previously been coordinator for Marketing doctoral program admissions and faculty chair of the Strategic Marketing Management flagship executive program from the Marketing unit of Harvard Business School.

In addition to teaching marketing, he was a part of the design and delivery team that created the Leadership and Corporate Accountability MBA required course at HBS focusing on ethics and corporate governance. In 2008-2009 Deshpande was the Henry B. Arthur Fellow for Business Ethics.