[ Emplicity ]

CEO Bootcamp at MIT Attracts World-Class Leaders
Emplicity Chief Accepted into Birthing of Giants® Class of 2008
Boston, Massachusetts

Locked up in a lecture hall at a suburban Boston campus with 59 other CEOs for 4 days straight, Vic Tanon is lost in a melting pot of Type-A personalities. Between the blackberry breaks, elevator speeches, and Boston summer heat, evidence of prosperity and hunger were painted on the faces of the colorful crowd of entrepreneurs.

Upon graduation of the rigorous program in 2008, Tanon will become part of an elite alumni group that includes: Thomas Golisano, founder of Paychex; Ted Leonsis, president of America Online (AOL), Jim Koch, founder of Boston Brewing Company, and Jim McCann, founder of 1-800-FLOWERS.

"It was an honor to be locked up on campus with such a distinguished think tank of entrepreneurial wisdom... Year 1 was intensive and incredibly inspirational. The relationships, insight, and the whole experience validated many of the best practices at Emplicity that helped us serve our clients better...and likewise, a few critical keys that will bring our Clients value and growth," says Chief Simplicity Officer, Vic Tanon.

Now in its 12th year, the Birthing of Giants(R) program brings together 60 young entrepreneurs-each under the age of 40, each a founder who leads a company that grosses more than $1 million--for four days on a suburban campus of MIT.

Jointly hosted by the world-renowned MIT Enterprise Forum, Inc., and the Entrepreneurs' Organization (EO), this unique executive educational program has been designed for three specific reasons:

To identify and bring together the next generation of entrepreneurial giants--the next Bill Gates or Richard Branson.
To provide the kind of intense blending of practice and theory that is absolutely necessary to excel in this decade, and to do so in a format that fits your busy schedule.
To offer this high-quality program at a price that is less than half the cost of comparable programs (all our effort goes into quality programming and facilities, not fancy promotion).

The focus is on leadership and exponential growth. The sessions are rigorous and competitive. In short, the captains of industry convene here at MIT's Endicott House to bring these up and comers the best and most timely advice in driving their business to new heights.

Distinguished Faculty
Over the next three years, the 2008 class will be immersed in the key six functions of management: Management, Finance, Human Resources, Marketing & Sales, and Research and Development. Faculty include professors from MIT, Harvard as well as top entrepreneurs and business advisors including:

George Naddaff, founder and former chairman of Boston Market
Norm Brodsky, chairman of CitiStorage and Inc. Magazine Writer
Aubrey Daniels, author of Bringing out the Best in People
Geoff Smart, President of gHSmart and co-author of TopGrading
Bill Aulet - Professor at MIT Sloan School of Management
Alex d'Arbeloff - Founder, Teradyne, Inc.
Yonald Chery, CEO and founder of Calenova
Ian Eslick-founder, Silicon Spice
Bill Isaacs, founder Dialogos
Jeff Calibaba, Founder of Heart Save Awareness

World-Class Enrollment
CEO's from around the world, many whom are members of the Entrepreneurs' Organization (formerly Young Entrepreneurs Organization, or YEO) were accepted into year 1 of the 3 year BOG program. Class of 2008 international representation included:

China
Hong Kong
Phillipines
Singapore
Ireland
England
Columbia
Canada (West and East)
Australia
Japan

Denmark
India
Malaysia
Saudi Arabia
Pakistan
The Netherlands
South Africa
El Salvador
United States

Grant Rule, founder and president of Messagemedia, a Melbourne, Australia-based provider of SMS Text messaging technology shares that his desire to build his business attracted him to the program. "I got a lot of great ideas and inspiration from the other students and faculty," comments Rule, who aims at the United States as the next target for his marketing company. Growing his firm at a 200% rate is quite common amongst his distinguished peers.

Participants enjoyed the inspirational stories of Franchise Guru, George Naddaff, known for his success in franchise startups including Sylvan Learning Centers and as chairman of Boston Market.

Bearing their souls at the "Night of the Living Dead," an open-mic event where every one shared their most horrifying experiences in business, these captains of industry forged relationships that would endure for years to come. Ken Sim, founder of Nurse Next Door in Vancouver,Canada enjoyed the fellowship of his fellow entrepreneurs. "The people you meet at BOG and the relationships you forge are incredible, and I look forward to getting to know the class even more thoughout the years," says Sim, who has led his 2-year rocketship to over 1,500 employees.

Getting In To BOG
Despite the hundreds of applications received, the exclusive acceptance into the 3-year BOG program lies at the mercy of the highly decorated and accomplished board, led by founder and program chair Verne Harnish, author of "The Rockefeller Habits". The business columnist who leads his own management consulting firm, Gazelles, was named one of the Top 10 Minds in Small Business by Fortune Small Business in 2002.

Of the many tips and ideas taken away from year 1, students remembered the most practical advice the most. After total immersion into best practices, case studies and inspirational lectures, these CEO's wanted to take something home.

Vic's Takeaways

Packaging Your Business for Profit (Starbuck's and the $5.00 coffee)
Verne's insistence on routines, rhythm and market intelligence
Geoff's ability to increase hiring accuracy to 90%
Everyone outside of the US uses Skype (Free Internet telephone)
Everyone needs a coach- even Michael Jordan had five of them.

Ready for Inspiration?
For further information on BOG, click here

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