I spend a quite a bit of my time with with innovators and entrepreneurs these days. As CEO of the Arizona BioIndustry Association or AZBio as we say, I get to connect with teams that are researching and developing products for a better world… Sustainable Health (and health care) , more plentiful food, greener energy… pretty heady stuff. My job’s not nearly as sexy. Here at AZBio our job is ground support, providing opportunities for them to connect and engage with each other, pulling together educational and support resources and sharing their stories. Our job is not to change the world. Our job at AZBIO is to support them so that they can.
Recently, some of my friends in the social media world have reached out to say “where’ve you been?” The frequency of my interactions here on the blog or across Twitter have become sporadic Luckily my social media friends keep me plugged in. . Mark Anderson of Andertoons sends me (and countless others) these cartoons every morning which help me start the day with a thought and a smile. Committed “Originals” keep #BeOriginal2 going on Twitter. Others have helped me stay connected using their Blog Talk shows where I get a chance to share ideas on innovation, leadership, and growth with Zane Safrit, Lori Wilk (Successipes), and Stephen J. Blakesley (Entrepreneurs R Us).
President Obama: 3 Steps to Reclaim Our Spot as Global Innovation Leader @ZaneSafrit recaps our chat at MyVenturePad
“EntrepreneursRUs” with StephenJBlakesley @EntrepreneursRU of the chat with Stephen about AZBio, OTEF, and CorePurpose, Inc.
Entrepreneurial Freedom with Lori Wilk on Successipes.
Here at home in AZ, friends of long standing and new connections and colleagues pull together to help AZBio support Arizona’s bioscience innovators and our community. We don’t have enough financial support to do all the things that are needed to move our bioscience community forward… faster but we have a host of community volunteers that are helping with outreach, communications, educational resources, and our big event in October, the AZBIO Awards and EXPO. You can see the fruits of their efforts in our AZBio Info Pack , on Twitter, on Facebook, and at the AZBio Website and Blogs.
Like the young man in the cartoon, generations from now there probably will not be researchers and historians analyzing my great work, yet building communities is still an art.
If we are successful in our mission of supporting our community both as organizations and as individuals, by providing access to the key resources, connections, and information that support their ability to Connect, Collaborate, Innovate and Succeed thus supporting the growth of a thriving economic ecosystem for Arizona’s Bioscience Industry, then the teams that we are supporting today just might make it to the pages of those history books tomorrow.
Thanks for stopping by. Stay tuned…
Joan Koerber-Walker
Joan Koerber-Walker is President and CEO of AZBio, the Arizona BioIndustry Association. A two time Stevie Award National Finalist and former Fortune 500 executive, she is also the Chairman of the Board of CorePurpose, Inc. and the Opportunity Through Entrepreneurship Foundation and serves as Executive in Residence for Callaman Ventures. As the former CEO of the Arizona Small Business Association and a past member of the Board of Trustees of the National Small Business Association in Washington, D.C. Joan has worked with hundreds of small businesses and on behalf of thousands in these roles. Chat with her on Twitter as @AZbioCEO @joankw, @JKWgrowth, @JKWinnovation, @JKWleadership and @CorePurpose or at her blog at www.JoanKoerber-Walker.com.