In the 90s, after building my software companies in Silicon Valley, I went home to Australia and started a venture capital fund, running it for five years with a business partner. Years later, with resilient determination, the company gave birth to one of the best performing VCs in Australia.

We then eventually exited that fund, sold the portfolio, delivered eight times the return to the investors, and then I found myself looking around for a better way to really serve the emerging startup community in Australia.

Access to capital continues to be a stumbling block for many entrepreneurs. However, there is startup financing and working capital available to business owners in need of investing in inventory, facilities, and staff to establish a solid market presence and generate a profitable revenue stream. It probably goes without saying that the first source of capital for your business is you—personal savings or supplemental income from a side hustle—followed by money from friends and family. There also are several sources of capital out there in the form of equity, debt, and grants or cash prizes.

The University of Chicago is establishing a new, unified center that will increase opportunities for entrepreneurship education, venture creation and research commercialization, bringing additional economic and social benefits for the Chicago region.

The center is supported by a $50 million commitment from University Trustee Michael Polsky, MBA ’87, founder and CEO of Invenergy and an alumnus of the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.

I’m envious of my friends who have the courage to give up secure jobs to take a risk on something entrepreneurial. They seem to find it so gratifying. As for me, I feel that I am too risk-averse to try something new and challenging. I am happy in my work but not passionate. Any suggestions for how to make that transition easier if I decide to do it?

Colleges were once the place where many students encountered their first computer -- and back then, the computer took up an entire room. Now, with computing power in every student's book bag and pocket, some colleges are finding the standard computer lab is no longer needed. St. Norbert College is one such example. The private Roman Catholic liberal arts college, located in De Pere, Wis., last year finished a complete renovation of its Gehl-Mulva Science Center. The last phase of the project included plans for a computer lab, but with the college about to phase in a bring-your-own-device (BYOD) policy -- requiring that all students bring their own laptops to campus -- filling that lab with desktop computers didn’t seem to make sense, said Krissy Lukens, the college’s director of academic technology.

SINGAPORE, Dec 5 (IFR) - Metech International, an electronic-waste management company, is marketing a S$2 million ($1.4 million) crowdsourced bond, the first of its kind in Singapore.

The recycling company is selling so-called listed company, or listco, bonds on Singapore-based crowdfunding platform FundedHere, which is hosting the securities in collaboration with the Singapore Exchange and under licence from the Monetary Authority of Singapore.

You’ve heard the horror stories about many Americans retiring with puny nest eggs and little income to live on. Still, data show that more than two-thirds of Americans are out of the full-time workforce by age 66.

About half of Americans call it quits between ages 61 and 65 while 18% retire even earlier, according to the data shown here from LIMRA Secure Retirement Institute. By age 75, 89% of Americans have left the labor force, LIMRA says.

Donald Trump descended on Indiana this week to praise Carrier Corporation’s decision to partly reverse its plan to ship 2,000 jobs to Mexico.

The president-elect and his running mate, Mike Pence, credit Trump’s deal-making prowess, of course. But the real prowess belongs to Indiana’s use of the almighty dollar. It’s the fungible asset that drives where business invests to create jobs and build communities. Or doesn’t.

HYDE PARK — The University of Chicago is pulling $25 million from its endowment to back business ideas from faculty, students and alumni.

The university on Friday announced it will tap into its $7.1 million endowment to provide funding for startup companies founded or that include people from the university or ideas developed on the Hyde Park campus.

This dramatic change, facing us all, will have a significant impact on each organization’s innovation management design. It will require new connected thinking, built upon a substantial network of collaborations and partnerships. I believe innovation has needed change and 2017 will be the transforming year

I sense innovation will change dramatically in 2017 as we are coming very quickly to a refraction point in how it’s going to be managed. The underlying change is the contribution of technology and digital, enabling the opening up of our world of possibility, through ecosystems and platforms that provide the collaborative base for a new, complex, diverse set of connections.

Technology doesn't just change the world — it runs it. 

In 2016, the algorithms, networks and slabs of glass and metal that make up today's digital tools had a direct impact on our lives in some very unexpected ways. 

From Facebook's fake news problem to the Galaxy Note7 literally exploding, that impact wasn't always for the good, but there were also signs of hope thanks to the promise of virtual reality and driverless cars.

The breakup of the massive Larsen C Ice Shelf in Antarctica is getting closer and will eventually produce an iceberg the size of Delaware prowling the Southern Ocean, according to new NASA data. 

On Friday, NASA released an astonishing new image taken by researchers flying above the ice shelf on Nov. 10 showing the crack is getting longer, deeper and wider. Scientists think it will eventually cause a large section of the shelf to break off.

MUMBAI, DEC 3:   Public policy think tank Carnegie India, instituted in April 2016, is the sixth international centre of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Washington DC.

The centre’s research and programmatic focus includes the political and economic reforms in India, public policy, foreign and security policy, and the role of innovation and technology in India’s internal transformation and international relations.

There are few capital cities around the world that are not directing finances and energy into connected technology. Every year local neighborhoods, suburbs, and cities incorporate technology into their infrastructure, transport systems, housing and local services.

From Jaipur to Seoul, what makes each location unique is how they respond to challenges specific to their location, landscape, and community.

We are creatures of habit. Everything we think, say and do is a result of deep-seated habits etched into our minds through years and years of repitious behavior. Those very same habits either help to propel us forward or to hinder our progress in life. In fact, the state and quality of our lives right now is a direct reflection of our daily habits. 

With the new administration about to take the reins in Washington, it's time revisit where entrepreneurship stands. This is particularly important in light of the fact that President-elect Trump's victory was due, in part, to supporters who feel left behind by the current economy.

Startups are responsible for nearly all of the net new job creation in the U.S., not to mention countless innovations that change the way we live and work. And yet, despite all the coverage of startups in the media and the never-ending techno-optimism of Silicon Valley, the hard truth is that entrepreneurship in America is on the decline.

Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Testimony_of_Steve_Case_before_the_U.S._Senate_Committee_on_the_Judiciary_Hearing_On_%27Comprehensive_Immigration_Reform%27_February_13,_2013.jpg

The era since World War II has become known as the “American Century.” Driven by entrepreneurship and creativity, Americans built products that redefined the way we live. From the personal computer to breakthroughs in healthcare, these innovations were the result of investments in education and research, and people who were willing to take a risk on a creative idea.

Today too many startup entrepreneurs dream and seek the VC-funded path of least resistance. At the same time the media lavishes “credibility” to such companies that are either unproven, unprofitable or both.

Upon obtaining funding, these firms often pursue a strategy of blasting copious amounts of cash at every challenge. For the principal shareholders, the goal is to achieve quick market dominance before scrambling toward a lucrative exit.

SILICON VALLEY, CALIFORNIA —  California's Silicon Valley, known as the global center of high-tech innovation, is also a showcase for immigrant success stories. In 2013, two immigrant startups were among the top five biggest Silicon Valley venture capital deals.

Silicon Valley provides a platform that turns dreams into reality. For many immigrants, just getting to America is the goal. Others dream bigger.

We’ve all watched as startup funding in Silicon Valley slows a bit, and entrepreneurs are sweating a little as they try to find the best way to extend their runway, or even get a foot in the door. Accelerators have always been a good bet for startups, but they’re even more imperative now -- if you can find one to take you on.

Marlon Evans, CEO of GSVlabs, wants to help. Under Evans watchful eye, GSVlabs has their hand in many different arenas such as housing startups, running acceleration programs and hosting events like their annual Pioneer Summit.