Call for entrepreneurs to present their ideas

The Wanganui Innovation Network (WIN) wants someone in Wanganui to replicate a Rangitikei girl, Victoria Ransom, who established a startup adventure travel company in 2001 and recently sold her latest company Wildfire (www.wildfireapp.com) to Google for a reported $310 million.

WIN is encouraging anyone considering launching a new business venture to prepare a no more than 100 word summary of their idea, and email it to john.patty@xtra.co.nz by September 23, 2012. The WIN committee will then select the response they believe to have the most chance of commercial success. At WIN's Get-together to be held from 5-15pm (for a 5-45pm start) at Element Cafe on Thursday, September 27, all attendees will join tables and discuss and then present their best advice for the selected startup on the following topics:

BUSINESS MODEL

Who are the customers? How could the proposed product/service best be demonstrated as superior to their offerings? etc

CUSTOMER VALIDATION

What steps should be taken to ensure that the people who matter - the all important potential customers - will want to purchase the proposed product/service? etc

EXECUTION

How should the process of conceptualising, testing and building the new product or service be managed? etc

Victoria Ransom's journey to "Wildfire"

Victoria said: "I attended at Parewanui School near Bulls, which had just 25 pupils, two teachers and one computer. While neither of my parents went to college, they instilled in me a "reach for the stars" attitude.

When she attended Wanganui Girls' College, where she was appointed head girl, Victoria was awarded a scholarship to study at Macalester College in New Mexico.

Victoria studied psychology and graduated in the summer of 1999, and then decided to get some business experience.

After this she joined a consulting firm, and after six months with them joined Morgan Stanley's media group. Victoria commented: "I saw a lot of entrepreneurs coming in and pitching to Morgan Stanley. That was eye opening for me. I had never considered being an entrepreneur. I was not one of these kids who knew from day one that it was my career path.

"However, I realised they did not have anything that I did not have. I worked at Morgan Stanley for two years, and completed an MBA at Harvard. However, I knew that it was not a lifetime career for me. So my boyfriend at the time, Alain Chuard, and I decided to start an adventure travel company - starting from our kitchen in Palo Alto.

Their latest company Wildfire creates software that allows other companies to market themselves on social media sites, such as Facebook and Twitter. In just four years, Victoria and Alain Chuard took their company to a headquarters in San Francisco and eight offices worldwide, which now employ over 250 staff members. Wildfire's customers include major brands and agencies such as Facebook, Pepsi, Unilever, Sony, AT&T;, Ogilvy, Publicis, and Digitas.

Victoria was named one of the "25 Women to Watch in Tech" for 2011 and 2010, and was the 2012 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year for New Zealand.

You, too, could become a multi-millionaire like Victoria! A good place to begin your journey would be by attending the WIN Startup Get-together at Element Cafe tonight.

Article contributed by the Wanganui Employers Chamber of Commerce UFB Business Strategy Group. To contact the group, drop an email to john.patty@xtra.co.nz.