i2E venture advisor speaks about entrepreneurship at Sand Springs Open Forum
By Rachel Snyder
© 2016 BH Media Group, Inc.
i2E Venture Adviser James Lovely spoke at the Sand Springs Chamber of Commerce Open Forum Monday about the nonprofit, which seeks to teach and invest in entrepreneurs to build successful companies in Oklahoma.
The corporation was started in response to an Oklahoma Center for the Advancement of Science and Technology initiative and works directly with entrepreneurs, researchers and companies to help them commercialize their products or services, launch and grow new business and access capital.
Lovely is responsible for identifying companies than can benefit from i2E advisory services.
“We provide tools to leverage what they’ve created economically,” he said. “You have to have a disruptive product…disruptive innovation is what has taken these companies to the next level…we’ve got a really good presence in the state.”
i2E serves 140 active clients and has invested $33,000,000, according to their website, www.i2E.org.
Venture advisers work with their clients to coach them in areas including technology development, business planning, funding, company launch and growth, according to their website.