Top Gun

TOP GUN MAINE CELEBRITY PRESENTATION

On February 15 at 6:00 PM EST an international celebrity entrepreneur will be beaming his message across the state.

Steve Blank the startup guru who is using the Customer Development methodology he created to change how startups are built and how entrepreneurship is taught – will give a videoconference talk during Maine Entrepreneur Week next month. Blank, a retired serial entrepreneur, author and educator, is a Silicon Valley thought leader. He teaches entrepreneurship at Stanford University, UC Berkeley and Columbia University, and developed the Lean LaunchPad, a hands-on class that uses his Customer Development process to get students out of the building and talking to customers as they build and refine their products. Last year, the National Science Foundation adopted Lean LaunchPad for its Innovation Corps (ICorps) – an exciting new initiative that is helping handpicked teams of the nation’s top scientists and engineers take their ideas out of the university lab and into the marketplace.

He will be videoconferencing a presentation to Top Gun Maine’s 20 entrepreneurs and 50 mentors. For one night only, other videoconferencing rooms in libraries and university campuses will be open for local entrepreneurs to listen, ask questions, and discuss his presentation alongside Top Gun Maine. Check back often for an updated list of participating locations. Presented by the Maine Center for Entrepreneurial Development, supported by Blackstone Accelerates Growth.

Maine Participating Libraries:

Cherryfield Free Public Library 546-4228

Cary Library (Houlton)532-1302

Lewiston Public Library 532-1302

Maine State Library (Augusta) 287-5620

Camden Public Library 236-3440

Thompson Free Library (Dover-Foxcroft) 564-3318

York Public Library 363-2818

University of Maine Participating Locations:

University of Southern Maine 774-8111 (Portland) Rm. 133 Wishcamper Center

University of Southern Maine 774- 8111(Gorham) Rm 223 Baily Hall

University of Maine 581-1454 (Orono) Rm 102 Innovation Center