Belly Flop: Learning from Startup Failures
The brutal truth is that most start-ups fail. Hear from entrepreneurs and investors about their failures -- and what they learned.
A panel featuring diverse perspectives from a researcher specializing in entrepreneurial setbacks, an entrepreneur who has faced and overcome startup challenges, and a seasoned tech entrepreneur turned investor. Discover how to turn failures into stepping stones toward success in the startup world.
Moderator:
Eric Zackrison, MA, MBA, PhD
Continuing Lecturing ProfessorDepartment of Technology Management UCSB
CEO President IDI.US Inc/Effectiveness Consultants
Panelists:
Dr. Jessica Santana is a researcher in the Technology Management Department at UC Santa Barbara. Her recent research explored how entrepreneurs use peers and rhetoric to navigate sensemaking and stigma following startup failure. With a Ph.D. from Stanford and a Master's degree from UC Berkeley, she combines academic rigor with real-world experience from Silicon Valley startups to international cooperatives.
Mark Sten has founded and built over six companies, experiencing both successful exits and the challenges of ventures that didn't succeed. His diverse background spans industries from SaaS to hedge funds, giving him a unique perspective on entrepreneurship. He now mentors others through SCORE Santa Barbara and Tech Coast Angels.
With over 35 years in tech as an entrepreneur and investor, Kevin O'Connor brings a dual perspective to business and venture capital. Kevin co-founded and was CEO at DoubleClick, which was acquired by Google, and founded Graphiq, later acquired by Amazon to enhance Alexa. As an investor, he has backed notable companies like Internet Security Systems, which IBM acquired, and Procore. He has served on multiple public and private boards, leveraging his extensive industry experience to guide leading tech ventures.
The brutal truth is that most start-ups fail. Hear from entrepreneurs and investors about their failures -- and what they learned.
A panel featuring diverse perspectives from a researcher specializing in entrepreneurial setbacks, an entrepreneur who has faced and overcome startup challenges, and a seasoned tech entrepreneur turned investor. Discover how to turn failures into stepping stones toward success in the startup world.
Moderator:
Eric Zackrison, MA, MBA, PhD
Continuing Lecturing ProfessorDepartment of Technology Management UCSB
CEO President IDI.US Inc/Effectiveness Consultants
Panelists:
Dr. Jessica Santana is a researcher in the Technology Management Department at UC Santa Barbara. Her recent research explored how entrepreneurs use peers and rhetoric to navigate sensemaking and stigma following startup failure. With a Ph.D. from Stanford and a Master's degree from UC Berkeley, she combines academic rigor with real-world experience from Silicon Valley startups to international cooperatives.
Mark Sten has founded and built over six companies, experiencing both successful exits and the challenges of ventures that didn't succeed. His diverse background spans industries from SaaS to hedge funds, giving him a unique perspective on entrepreneurship. He now mentors others through SCORE Santa Barbara and Tech Coast Angels.
With over 35 years in tech as an entrepreneur and investor, Kevin O'Connor brings a dual perspective to business and venture capital. Kevin co-founded and was CEO at DoubleClick, which was acquired by Google, and founded Graphiq, later acquired by Amazon to enhance Alexa. As an investor, he has backed notable companies like Internet Security Systems, which IBM acquired, and Procore. He has served on multiple public and private boards, leveraging his extensive industry experience to guide leading tech ventures.