I was proud to have been featured in this Marketwatch release on August 8, 2011:

 

At recent Business Matchmaking events, it became apparent that California and that state’s pride and joy tech-star, Hewlett Packard, are providing more than  their fair share of impressive leaders with strategies and follow up tactics  that could help their state and the nation rise above their current dollar  doldrums. Two of HP’s most respected leaders are having a dramatic impact
helping shape the national response to changing demographics and procurement  policies.

Brian Burch, currently a spokesman for the new HP Touchpad, discovered and  labeled the “Accidental Entrepreneur”. Burch, a frequent speaker at Business  Matchmaking events where small firms meet face to face with government and major  corporate buyers, discovered surprising trends in entrepreneurial start-ups.

At Business Matchmaking events, he found an unprecedented and unexpected mix  of small business owners. They included combat veterans unable to find a job but  desperate to support their families, wives of executives who were now receiving
unemployment checks, senior citizens who couldn’t get by on their diminished  savings, recent graduates unable to enter the job market and a fair share of  lawyers, bankers brokers and other high level executives courtesy of Wall  Street’s chaos.

“HP has emerged as the entrepreneur’s technology brand of choice based on  both performance and corporate support for small business initiatives around the  country helping companies owned by women, minorities and disabled veterans,”  said Colonel Don Gonneville (USA-Ret) of Gonneville, Inc., past president of the  California Disabled Veterans Business Alliance and a regular speaker at Business  Matchmaking events. “Unquestionably, there is a new breed of entrepreneurs  arriving in full force,” he added.

Other companies and marketing agencies are now aware of Burch’s discovery and  are pursuing a range of imitation campaigns. The original “Accidental  Entrepreneur” has shown up as the “Reluctant Entrepreneur”, the “Surprising  Entrepreneur” and the all-purpose “New Entrepreneur”.

Brian Tippens is charged with directing HP’s international campaign to comply  with its huge supplier diversity standards and environmental responsibility. The  company spends tens of billions of dollars with vendors who sell to the Palo  Alto based multi-national giant.

Tippens has emerged as a major figure on the national green scene based on  his role at HP and his high profile in several collateral industry wide  organizations. “Brian is one of the most informed business leaders in the   country on all aspects of environmental developments and sustainability of   products,” said James Garton, President of Mission NewEnergy, Limited, the   global biofuel firm.

Recently, the two Brians shared the podium at a Business Matchmaking event in Houston with hundreds of anxious small business owners and more than 50 senior  contract officers from the Department of Homeland Security, the Defense  Department and other federal agencies. “They are both stars in the small  business world and have helped HP become the ‘go to’ company for start-ups and  growing firms,” said Michelle Dolberry, President of Business Matchmaking.

On the public side of the track, Mark Quinn wears one permanent and one  temporary hat that place him in the lead position for the SBA in California. He  serves as District Director of the San Francisco office and is now also Acting  Director of the Los Angeles office.

Unlike so many others in government, Quinn does not just keep an open door.  He walks through it regularly to go to dozens of small business events each  month and comes armed with the latest Washington protocols and local banking  realities regarding loans. If there is a podium, panel or program on  procurement, you will find Mark Quinn there with the latest facts and tips on
how to secure assistance for a small business in any industry.

Pamela Smith-Cressel, the veteran small business chief for the federal  government’s western division of the General Services Administration, may be the  most popular government official based in California. Aside from decades of  service, Pamela is absolutely dedicated to answering every call, taking every  meeting and dealing with every question so much so that she fields work calls at  night and on weekends and her cell phone number is not a secret.

On Tuesday, August 2, three of these four leaders were in Carson, California  meeting with 250 small business owners anxious to question Mark Quinn on SBA  loans, Pamela Smith-Cressel on GSA schedules and Brian Tippens on new selling  opportunities to HP. That same day, Brian Burch was on the road, with Touchpad  in hand, to meet with other companies loaded with their own questions.

SOURCE: Small Medium Business Technology Alliance