Joni’s Blog

I seem to be drawn to mountains. I must like uphill climbs. In the political world – signing on with presidential campaigns at their inception: a) Joe Biden in 1987 and b) Bill Clinton in 1991 In the business world – working to create sustainable wealth and job creation in central Appalachia: a) development of Adena Ventures, a “New Markets Venture Capital Company,” and b) the development of a utility scale solar project in the heart of Appalachian Ohio (current). Lessons learned climbing these mountains You must have absolute perseverance. You must be willing to play the long game. You must be willing to lose. More than that,...

FOE. It's a phrase many of the entrepreneurs I work with use--"Family Over Everything". Now when they say it, they have a more universal way of defining "family." They can mean the very close entrepreneurial friends they've made, or their teams at work...

How to Spot a Super Entrepreneur

What comes to mind when I say the words Super Entrepreneur? Close your eyes for a moment. Whose face comes to you? Steve Jobs? Maybe Elon Musk or even Sara Blakely? 

After working directly with entrepreneurs from near and far for nearly 13 years, I can tell you that working to identify an entrepreneur like this is like finding a needle in a haystack. It’s a pretty fabulous needle for sure, if you are looking for the next huge company and all the local economic benefits...