AUT welcomes its first Entrepreneur in Residence
A Silicon Valley serial entrepreneur turned venture capitalist has become AUT’s inaugural Entrepreneur in Residence.
Bill Reichert, who has over 30 years of experience as a Silicon Valley entrepreneur, senior executive and venture capital investor, will be based at AUT for the next four weeks.
The university is keen for students and staff to tap into Bill’s wealth of expertise during his month long stint. Bill is also presenting at two Project17 events. In association with Callaghan Innovation, he will present at a three-hour morning Masterclass on Thursday 25 May and an evening Keynote on Thursday 1 June at AUT’s City Campus.
Bill will be available during office hours for small group workshops and mentoring. Staff and students who are interested in discussing topics related to entrepreneurship, innovation, venture capital and technology trends are invited to sign up.
“As AUT’s inaugural Entrepreneur in Residence, I can’t wait to meet and speak with as many people as possible during my time here. The international ecosystem supporting innovation and entrepreneurship has changed dramatically in just the last ten years, and so I’m also here to talk about some of the key changes that entrepreneurs, investors and policymakers in New Zealand should consider,” Bill says.
“Sometimes I see myself as the grit of sand in the oyster. I can be the irritant that stimulates an entrepreneur to grow a pearl,” Bill adds.
Martin Bell, Executive Producer for Project17, said the decision to create an Entrepreneur in Residence reflects AUT’s commitment to nurture and support the continuing evolution of New Zealand’s vibrant culture of entrepreneurship and innovation.
“We’re delighted to welcome Bill Reichert to New Zealand. Bill’s residency offers the AUT community the opportunity to tap into the experience and expertise of a Silicon Valley entrepreneur and venture capitalist. Bill is keen to listen, debate, advise and opine on a wide range of topics, and I encourage everyone to take advantage,” Martin says.
About Bill Reichert
Bill is Managing Director of Garage Technology Ventures. He has over 30 years of experience as an entrepreneur and investor. Since co-founding Garage with Guy Kawasaki in 1998, Bill has focused on early-stage information technology and materials science companies.
As an investor, Bill has been a board director or board observer at CaseStack, WhiteHat Security, ClearFuels Technology, Simply Hired, MiaSole, D.light Design, ThermoCeramix, and VisaNow, among others. Prior to Garage, Bill was a co-founder or senior executive in several venture-backed technology startups, including Trademark Software, The Learning Company, and Academic Systems. Earlier in his career, he worked at McKinsey & Company, Brown Brothers Harriman & Co., and the World Bank.
Bill earned a B.A. at Harvard College and an M.B.A. from Stanford University. He was a founding board member and a Chairman of the Churchill Club. He was also a charter member and a Board Member of the Silicon Valley Association of Startup Entrepreneurs. Currently he is an Advisor to the Women’s Startup Lab in Silicon Valley, and a member of the Council on Foreign Relations in New York.
Project17 events
Bill is also presenting at two Project17 events on 25 May and 1 June. For more information and to book tickets visit the Eventfinda website.
Thursday 25 May, 9:00am – 12:00pm: Project17 Masterclass: The Art of Scaling Up - Making the Transition from Start-up to Scale-up
It’s easy to start up a start-up. Thanks to the flourishing of incubators, accelerators, books, courses, videos and blogs, the world has been flooded with wisdom on what it takes to turn your brilliant idea into a start-up company. But it’s really hard to scale-up a company. Once you’ve validated your idea fits a market need, you need new skills, you need a bigger team, you need a different culture. You have to change your mind-set. In this three hour interactive Masterclass, Bill will take you through the steps required to make the transition from being a “start-up” to being a “scale-up.”
Thursday 1 June, 5:30pm – 7:30pm: Project17 Keynote: 21st Century Entrepreneurship: Lessons from Silicon Valley
The international ecosystem supporting innovation and entrepreneurship has changed dramatically in just the last ten years. As the global hub of venture capital and entrepreneurship, Silicon Valley has also changed. In this session, Bill Reichert, a Silicon Valley serial entrepreneur turned venture capitalist, will outline the key changes that entrepreneurs, investors and policymakers need to understand to be successful in this new world.