Innovation Breakfast is brought to you by the creators of Mass Innovation Nights. These shorter, smaller events provide a forum for discussing the issues swirling around inside the local Innovation Economy.  Join us!  Our May 21, 2010 Innovation Breakfast will feature TechStars mentor and serial entrepreneur, Bill Warner.  Bill will be discussing how to:

 “Build Your Startup From the Heart.” 

Much of the advice that entrepreneurs get regards how to "follow their head."  How to make logical decisions about their business.  This month's Innovation Breakfast talk will look at tools for the other part of the startup equation: how to follow your heart. Bill Warner will discuss his theories about where the energy comes from within founders, and how to use that energy to make a startup most successful.

In addition, in keeping with our continuing innovation theme, attendees also have the opportunity to purchase half-price copies of the book, “Drawing On Brilliance”.  Discover a treasure trove of patent lithographs - discarded by the U.S. Patent Office, then rescued from destruction by Randy Rabin.  Randy and Jackie Bassett uncover the secrets to innovation success behind the Wright Bros., Heddy Lamar, Nikola Tesla, Thomas Edison, W.H. Carrier and hundreds of others.

You may also wish to check out some of our other events too!

• Mass Innovation Nights -- May 12, 2010
• Funding for all stages -- May 26, 2010

William (Bill) J. Warner is the founder of Avid Technology, Inc. and Wildfire Communications, Inc., FutureBoston, Inc, and Warner Research, LLC.  Avid (Nasdaq: AVID) makes video, audio and film editing systems that make, manage and move media.  Mr. Warner won an Emmy from the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences in 1993 for the development of the Avid Media Composer. In 1999, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences presented Avid with the Oscar® for its success in transforming the editing process in filmmaking. Mr. Warner accepted the award and was shown on the worldwide telecast.

Wildfire developed an innovative electronic secretary that used speech recognition to manage one’s phone calls and messages. Wildfire was sold to Orange, PLC in 2000.

Since 2000, Warner has shared his time between work with non-profits, and a focus on helping entrepreneurs.

In 2002, Warner started a shared-space center for entrepreneurs called the Collaboration Space at Warner Research. This center is now called the Brickyard Collaboration Space and provides low-cost space to early stage entrepreneurs. Many successful companies have started here and moved on to get additional capital for growth.

In addition, Mr. Warner has acted as an angel investor for eight startups, and for three non-profits. The startups are in such diverse areas as 3D animation, email-based blogging, event networking, ad insertion for online videos, visual environments for nightclubs, shared calendars, and compensation design and management. The non-profits are involved with historic/current mapping of Boston for planning purposes; a film school, and an open-source mechanical design approach for new vehicles for people with disabilities.

Mr. Warner is also working on book about entrepreneurship called “Intention and Invention.” It explores how to optimize the connection between what drives an entrepreneur, and how they go about making inventions that spring from that drive.

Mr. Warner has been a long-time trustee of the Massachusetts Technology Leadership Council, and has taught classes for entrepreneurs through that organization. In 2008, Warner created and co-chaired the MassTLC Innovation 2008 unConference.

Mr. Warner attended MIT and received a BSEE degree in 1980. Mr. Warner grew up in Millburn, NJ, and is an avid cyclist and photographer.