"Bridges" may be the foundation from which to build the perfect liberal arts education. Take the finest liberal arts college in the world, add the most creative and forward thinking faculty, add students who are interested in having an impact in the real-world and mix it together with interested, capable, talented, and giving alumni/parents/friends and you have the making of a community that can build business, educate, motivate and effect change....not to mention write run-on sentences. The key to this all is particpation. As Michael Claudon said at DB this last weekend, if this is not used, it will die. Please register and please encourage your Midd friends to take a look too.
Success also requires another form of participation. DB is NOT funded by the College. It is funded by a relatively small group of committed alumni/parents and friends. Without their support DB would not be here. In addition, this community has been funded, albeit not fully-funded yet, by incremental gifts to the program. If this site appears helpful, and if you feel that DB is an essential part of educating tomorrows leaders, please, after you have made your annual gift to the College, consider supporting DB and its ancillary programs.
Michael and DB students....congratulations on another tremendous conference. - KK
Calling all Middlebury Entrepreneurs!
BRIDGES is the exclusive online community of and for entrepreneurial individuals and organizations having legitimate ties to Middlebury College. Members will help one another grow enterprises independent of their maturity by collaborating, building relationships and finding needed skill sets within a community of fellow entrepreneurs, investors, professional service providers, future employees and possible strategic partners. (Additionally, jobs will be found and vacancies will be filled using the Jobs Board that we are developing.)
Since its launch in 2002, DigitalBridges2.0’s Middlebury Solutions Group (MSG) has helped scores of Vermont-based founders navigate the process of translating their ideas into viable enterprises. Our experience convinces us that that good ideas and business plans are much more likely to succeed when founders are paired with coaches having proven experience. Now we are extending our reach via the Web and by building a corps of volunteer coaches who are committed to nurturing entrepreneurship and willing to contribute some of their time, experience and expertise to helping entrepreneurs in the community create fundable business plans and operate funded entities.
Soon members will have access to a growing roster of coaches who will mentor entrepreneurs via email or telephone, and through discussions using BRIDGES online tools. We are hard at work compiling our already extensive roster of talented, experienced coaches, and will begin delivering these services to you in the nearest future.
As Kelly says, the size of the network, and the active involvement of its members, drive its value and ultimately its success. To that end, we encourage members who have experience and expertise in venture formation and funding, strategic planning, management team building, and operating and growing businesses to volunteer as BRIDGES venture coaches.
You will have complete control of your time commitment and the extent to which you become involved in individual venture projects.
Please consider volunteering to be a BRIDGES Coach. Just click on the contact information link at the botoo of the page, send us an email and we will do the rest.
Be sure to visit and subscribe to the new Job Group that has been launched by Aaron Abend '77. Post your needs and search for jobs here!
Let's grow this community and its value by leading the way from though to action together!