Strength in numbers

Alison Amoroso

January 23, 2008

"TiE [Talent Ideas and Enterprise] was the first place in the Southeast to give me an opportunity to present my company," says member Srinivas Kilambi. A recent president/CEO of Reliance, the fastest growing company in the world (and owned by the richest person in the world), Kilambi noticed that Georgia was missing the boat in green investment. After recently joining the Atlanta chapter of TiE, also known as The IndUS Entrepreneurs, this serial capitalist was quickly recruited to become a mentor, and an advocate.

TiE is a global, not-for-profit organization started in the Silicon Valley 16 years ago by a group of forward thinkers, including the founders of Hotmail and Sun Micro, to advance entrepreneurship. Chartered and governed locally, membership is open to all and according to its Web site, has "the explicit goal to benefit entrepreneurs and nurture the next generation of entrepreneurs."

"My presentation at TiE's regional conference in September served as a dress rehearsal; that same week I presented to Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers (which recently brought Al Gore onto the board) and secured $6 million," says Kilambi. "TiE members at the presentation also invested in my business, Sriya Innovations," a company he ambitiously plans to become the Google of bio-refineries in terms of innovation and reputation.

"We're the best kept secret in Atlanta for entrepreneurs. Few groups have the scale we do," says Nandan Sheth, president of the 10-year-old Atlanta chapter. "Or the vision," says Kilambi, who has interested investors and research universities all over the country. He hadn't heard a peep from Georgia investors until he joined TiE, despite living here since 1996 and earning his Ph.D. in Tennessee.

The leader of leaders

Sheth, who recently took the helm of the 400-plus membership, is an infectious leader. An entrepreneur who co-founded the world's largest electronic invoicing and billing company, Harbor Payments, and recently sold it to American Express, has been diversifying the membership and communicating the way it is perceived. He's also recruiting a diverse range of people and types of companies since becoming president-elect a year ago ... despite losing sleep with a newborn at home and starting another company.

Strength-in-Numbers "We've grown our membership among women 50 percent in the last year," says Sheth, "and recently held our first executive round table of women executives, which included Kelly Gay [CEO of KnowledgeStorm]. I wanted to include many of the great women entrepreneurs in the membership and to help women have role models."

"TiE provides access to the best types of people who can mentor any type of entrepreneur," says Kilambi, whose renewable biotech companies and patents are aimed at creating more food and energy for the world. "New entrepreneurs, particularly, will see a path and find people who know exactly where they are on it," says Sheth.

"A typical entrepreneur in TiE will have a company with $5 to $10 million in revenue, employ 25 to 100 people, and will be trying to take her company to the next level through investment, acquisition, merging or organic growth," says Sheth. "But members are anyone from MBA students to corporate executives looking for tools to foster entrepreneurship within their own, large company."

TiE has general members and 25 to 30 charter members, such as Ashish Bahl, who successfully sold three technology companies in the last 10 years and raised more than $100 million in venture capital. Successful entrepreneurs recruited for charter membership have launched, grown, and sold with lucrative exits one or two times. Sheth is building the board, comprised of charter and general members, and external representatives who are well-networked and provide broad direction.

Kilambi is impressed with Sheth's leadership. "I'm an entrepreneur because I want to do something for humanity, not for the money." His newly launched company pioneered research that converted biomass into sugars in 10 to 20 seconds. "I'd like to see TiE become the springboard of innovation in the Southeast, particularly among entrepreneurs of green companies. I'd be the first person to step up and help Sheth," says Kilambi. "Who cares about how sleek the next cell phone is when people are starving? I'm interested in attacking the bottom of the pyramid issues."

For more information about TiE, click here.

Interested in additional networking opportunities? Here are several more resource organizations for entrepreneurs in the Atlanta area.

Entrepreneurs' Organization, Atlanta Chapter: the Young Entrepreneurs' Organization
Global organization with local chapters. Current members are between the ages of 27 to 50, have accumulated sales of over $520 million annually and an average member sale of $6.2 million.
www.eoatlanta.eonetwork.org

Advanced Technology Development Center (ATDC), Georgia Tech University
Science and technology incubator that helps Georgia entrepreneurs launch and build successful companies by providing strategic business advice and connecting its member companies to people and resources.
www.atdc.org

Entrepreneur Series for New Businesses, Kennesaw State University Small Business Development Center
Provides information and support to new and existing business owners.
www.sbdc.kennesaw.edu

Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce
Various councils and resources, including information on starting a business in Georgia, and women and minority owned business certification.
www.metroatlantachamber.com

Women's Economic Development Agency
A non-profit, tax-exempt organization that provides support and programs for women entrepreneurs.
http://www.weda-atlanta.org/

Image: © Fmng | Dreamstime.com

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Strength in numbers

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Alison Amoroso

January 23, 2008