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Over three hundred enthusiastic alumni and guests gathered at New York City's Plaza Hotel in February for the first annual HBS Club of Greater New York Entrepreneurs' Exhibition and Conference. Along with exhibits from promising early-stage companies and remarks by two HBS faculty members, a highlight of the dinner event was the presentation of the Club's Entrepreneur of the Year award to David McCourt, chairman and CEO of RCN Corporation.
McCourt built RCN into the nation's first and largest facilities-based provider of phone, cable, and Internet service to the residential market. The company has been a major force in shaping the deregulated communications landscape. RCN was chosen from among hundreds of nominees in the New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut area. "With a stellar group of ten finalist firms, the selection committee had a very difficult task in choosing a winner," said event chair Ron Gerber (MBA '86), who described the gathering as a way to encourage and recognize the increasing number of HBS graduates who are pursuing entrepreneurial careers in the New York area. The two runners-up for the award were StarMedia Network, Inc., the leading Internet portal site for Latin, Central, and South America, founded by Fernando Espuelas, and Bayside Motion Group, North America's leading manufacturer of precision gearheads, founded by Howard Lind (MBA '86) and Avi Telyas (MBA '86).
The evening's keynote address was given by Microsoft CFO Greg Maffei (MBA '86). HBS professor of management practice Myra Hart, a cofounder of Staples, provided remarks on the growing role of entrepreneurship at HBS, and Associate Professor Amar Bhidé discussed his research for his forthcoming book on the origin and evolution of new business. Company exhibits before and after the dinner program gave attendees ample opportunity to meet and share ideas with representatives from nominated companies.
The Club has begun working on its next Entrepreneurs' Exhibition and Conference, scheduled to take place in early November 1999. "We were very pleased with the tremendous response to the conference," said cochair Debra Sito (MBA '92). "We had more potential attendees than we could accommodate." In looking toward the next event, the New York club will build on its successful format. "The exhibitions gave the finalists and early-stage honor-roll companies more of a chance to connect with attendees than a simple awards dinner," said cochair Suzanna DeBaca (MBA '92). "Our next event will capitalize on this as well as provide additional opportunities for networking."
Anyone wishing to nominate a company or inquire about a sponsorship should contact organizers Ron Gerber, rgerber@gerbercompany.com; Deb Sito, dsito@mba1992.hbs.edu; or Suzanna DeBaca, smdeb@aol.com.
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