A note from our editor, Elizabeth MacBride
I wonder what would happen if entrepreneurs had a professional code?
It could be a useful and viable check and balance in addition to government regulation of the business world.
Doctors take an oath; Accountants work by a strict code, because trust matters. Lawyers pass the bar. Teachers are overseen by boards of publicly elected citizens.
Just because you can do a surgery, doesn’t mean you should. Just because you can raise money to build a profitable business that can trounce the competition, doesn’t mean you should.
The free market philosophy that took hold in the second-half of the 20th century gave entrepreneurs and investors a pass on thinking through the hard questions. I don’t buy that mindset anymore. The people who gain power in a free market system aren’t particularly wise or principled. Our government is too easily corrupted to rely on it alone to reign in the business world.
The pandemic showed us we’re all in this together: The question is, what obligations do entrepreneurs have to regulate themselves, individually or through organized bodies?
Speaking of peer regulation: As springtime unfolds, my daughter plans a small outdoor prom at my house, to replace the ones that were canceled because the pandemic. She’s asking prom-goers to share their vaccine status and sign a pledge: “I pinky swear that I have not had COVID symptoms and will not come if I have because I am not a p****.”
Like mother, like daughter.
We’re starting work on our next list: Most Influential People in Entrepreneurship. Taking nominations at [email protected].
Times of Entrepreneurship Stories of the Week
20 Great Places To Start A Business After the Pandemic
If you’re thinking of putting down roots somewhere new, don’t miss this list.
Insight Into the Times of E’s List of Great Places To Start A Business
Second-tier cities are benefitting, and states matter to a surprising degree post-pandemic.
Two Sports Stars At Lewis & Clark Have A Mission And Device To Prevent DUIs
The “People’s Choice” award winners from the Oregon Collegiate Challenge developed a portable breathalyzer connected via Bluetooth to their car’s ignition.
The Hub: Georgia Aims To Be The Tech Capital of The East, Indie.vc’s Future and $20 Million in Prizes At MIT Solve
Plus, meet Nicole Walker, the new managing partner of Arboretum Ventures in Ann Arbor, and James Hilton, the new senior director of entrepreneurial services at Bounce Innovation Hub in Akron, Ohio.
You May Have Missed:
March Madness: A Player-Turned-Businessman Aims To Help Young Black Men Seize Power Via Sports ‘IP’
A conversation with former NBA and Big3 player Jerome Williams about economic structures, race and sports.
Best practices: LinkedIn Is Adding New Job Titles, Including Stay-At-Home Mom
The goal is to help explain people’s employment gaps. Soon-to-come: Parental leave, family care and sabbatical options.
Buzzworthy: Net Positive: How Courageous Companies Thrive By Giving More Than They Take
Former Unilever CEO Paul Polman and sustainable business guru Andrew Winston show how leaders can help tackle our biggest challenges—from pandemics to shrinking biodiversity—through long-term, purpose-led business models.
Made in the USA:
Art Unites Journals: Artists Silent Fox and Leif Kutschera crafted thesejournals, designed to symbolize the theme “Minnesotans Unite” in the wake of George Floyd’s killing. They’re currently showcased at Coimatan, a creative studio in the Twin Cities.
How to:
If you’re curious how much innovation has been happening on college campuses during the pandemic, check out some of the recent winners in collegiate business plan competitions we’ve covered. In addition to the founders of the anti-DIU gadget Cari, the Times of E has recently profiled Busy Co., a maker of planet-friendly wipes and Locker Lifestyle, which creates wearable accessories like pocket neck gaiters to stash small essentials. The university startup world never sleeps, even during COVID-19.
