by Kent Strand and Tim Bates | at MinneBar 12 | 10:20 – 11:10 in Tackle | View Schedule
Achieving Scale and Exit are the least well understood and most important parts of being an entrepreneur.
For founders and leaders of emerging companies interested in skills and knowledge needed to maximize the probabilities that their company are among that successfully scale and achieve exit.
Developing scale is one of the most challenging aspects of starting a business or even of an existing one. And, most of the time, even after entrepreneurs scale to a saleable company, we fail to successfully exit. When we miss the ideal time to exit, the most likely end result is that the company will fail - completely.
This session will focus on why this happens so frequently and give you the skills and knowledge to maximize the probabilities that your company is among those that are ultimately successful.
A pioneering Minnesota Tech Entrepreneur and successful NASDAQ senior leader. Kent is Managing Partner of Minneapolis-based Accredent – a national specialty advisory firm focused on the business of the Internet-of-Things and Data Analytics. A technology industry veteran with 33 years of experience - Kent founded a successful start-up after leaving university, and went on to serve as divisional GM and senior executive on the management teams of several disruptive and innovative NASDAQ companies which successfully achieved exit. For the past eight years, he has advised public and private technology and non-technology companies on growth strategy, digital transformation, business development and merger & acquisition. Kent also works with emerging companies through Accredent’s concierge Exit acceleration program focused on accelerating the growth, value creation, and value realization of companies preparing to scale.
see: accredent.com/busdev
I run the Exponential Group, a fifteen-year-old company that works with young early-stage technology businesses in the US, Europe, and Asia developing and bringing to market product and services in the areas of mobile, digital imaging, SaaS, big data and IOT technologies. I have a BA in Mathematics from St. Olaf College and an MBA from the University of St. Thomas.
I started as a software engineer and was the inventor or co-developer of a number of leading-edge computer graphic software systems. I then moved on to managing, running, and starting technology companies that pioneered digital cameras, SaaS services, advanced database systems and e-commerce solutions helping them develop and build markets in the US, Europe, and Asia.
In addition to running the Exponential Group, I currently am a board member and advisor to young technology companies as well as work with others as a mentor through MESA.
