Friday, June 29, 2007

Leaving Sage, For Now

Zach and I shared an office for past the year. It's a nice office. Today is the last day I depart it. This is a video of my journey each day for the past year.


Out is the Start of the Next New

The path through the atrium and out the stairs is special to me. As a student MBA at Cornell at the beginning of this millennium, I cherished this entrance. Leaving meant going home after a long day of MBA stuff.

Sage Hall has always been a welcoming and special place. As a result, departing is bittersweet. Each time it hits me.

I'll be back, that is for sure. As I said to my team at SightSpeed, "This is not a goodbye, just a 'See you later'".

Ciao Sage.
-------------------

Thursday, June 28, 2007

Free Mystery Beer is the Best Beer

Is there anything better than free beer? I have the answer: Free mystery beer. Who doesn't love a mystery? Who doesn't love beer? Put them together, and you have a virtual heaven guarded by Colonel Mustard in the Library with the Candlestick. But I digress.

My good friend Matt has scored the complete hook up for all of us. Free mystery beer, via Scrimple.com:


Scroll, scroll (down on the page) for the mystery!

The website Scrimple.com has all sorts of great free coupons. I used to hate coupons. Coupons are for scissor wielding weirdos. No more. I just print and scrimp. And then I get free beer. I now love coupons.

Thanks Matt! Thanks Level B!

Tuesday, June 26, 2007

Wells Falls

Out my window I can hear a waterfall. Recently I went for a jog down Water Street to Giles Avenue and discovered that not only is there a beautiful waterfall, but it is an awesome swimming hole.

Cool me down, oh sweet falls

This waterfall is called Wells Falls. It is where Giles Avenue crosses Six Mile Creek. There are two great jumping-off points, as highlighted in this terrible PaintShop mock-up.

I had been used to looking at a frozen Well's waterfall for the better part of a year. Swimming in it is much nicer.

Entrepreneur's Barbecue

This Friday June 29th is the annual Finger Lakes Entrepreneurs Barbecue. Delicious eats and lots of tales of wild pre-IPO companies taking on the world from the shores of beautiful Cayuga Lake.


BBQ and Weird Interlocking Rings = Entrepreneurship!

There will be stories told, resumes inflated, and investors chastised. A good time for all entrepreneurs, aspiring entrepreneurs, former entrepreneurs, friends of entrepreneurs, or people looking to meet entrepreneurs. Heck, everyone with $17 who can spell "entrepreneur" is invited!

Click here to learn more and sign up today.

Tuesday, June 12, 2007

An Open Letter: Introduction to the Cornell Entrepreneurs in Residence for 2007-08

Dear fellow entrepreneurs,

As many of you know, my final day as Cornell's Entrepreneur in Residence is June 30th. It has been an exciting year that has flown by. I have enjoyed the experience immensely. I want to especially thank Zach Shulman and Scott MacFarlane for making this role happen.

Between now and then, I want to make sure that I am able to smoothly hand-off the EIR duties to my competent successors. I am pleased and flattered to have spawned a position that will be carried on by Jim Quest and Cliff Lardin.

Jim Quest was appointed the Entrepreneur In Residence for the Hotel School in the spring of this year, and has embraced the role with vigor. He is an experienced entrepreneur and mentor who is a truly remarkable addition to the Cornell entrepreneurship community. His varied and successful career spans over 40 years. I encourage you to learn more by reading Jim Quest's official bio.


Cliff Lardin will take over my specific role within the Johnson School. While this position originates from the Entrepreneurship at Johnson program, Cliff's reach is university-wide. Cliff's strong entrepreneurial and technical background in a number of successful technology companies makes him an excellent fit fostering the type of high-tech businesses that are so prevalent at Cornell, without leaving behind the creative low tech companies that are spawning from the university. I encourage you to learn more by reading Cliff Lardin's official bio.

It has been a delight and a thrill to have this position, and I look forward to staying in touch and hearing about the continued success of every single Cornell entrepreneur I have had the pleasure of working with. If there is anything that I can do between now and June 30th, please do not hesitate to ask.

Regards,
Brad

___________________________________________
Brad Treat
Entrepreneur In Residence
Cornell University

Sunday, June 03, 2007

Hey Brad, What's next?

Someone formerly close to me randomly asked "Hey Brad, what's next?". I take that question as a challenge and sincere inquiry. The entrepreneur's lifestyle is full of fluidity and variation. I was asked that question recently by a reporter, and he wrote about it in his article that I would call "Hey Cornell Entrepreneur In Residence, now what?"

My next big thing is Mezmeriz. We are going to make a thin television that is

  • 10x lighter
  • 10x cheaper
  • 30x more energy efficient

We have unique and patent pending technology developed by my co-founder. This is a $25BB market that is growing at 30% a year. It's hot space that is going to get hotter when we come to market.

As a side note, I still find it weird when people call me Mister Treat. My dad was Doctor Treat, so it's not that father/son identity thing. My sister is a legitimate Dr. Treat (*and veritable lost children saint).

I'm just
Brad. Hi, nice to meet you.