Welcome!

We’re so glad you found us at JoanKoerber-Walker.com!

Joan is the Chairman of the Board and founder of CorePurpose, Inc. and serves as President and CEO of AZBio, The Arizona Bioindustry Association and Chairman of OTEF, the Opportunity Through Entrepreneurship Foundation.  As a business and community leader, she sees lots of really cool stuff and shares it here.

Look around to find an eclectic mix of ideas and stories  on Innovation, Leadership and Growth.  As well as topics like Embracing Change, Getting Back to Basics and of course a little Real World Inspiration.

Want to talk to Joan?  Send her a note and she’ll actually call you back!

The Power of a Support Team

On January 5th, I boarded a plane to Michigan to join my family in preparation for my Dad’s open heart surgery.  At age 74 he was going into the U of M Cardiovascular Center for on overhaul of the quadruple bypass he had received 22 years before.  This time if was going to be a bit more complex with both the Aortic and Mitral valves severely compromised.  After several days of preparation, on Monday, January 9th at 5:30 AM, the teams assembled.  The operating team was led by Himanshu J. Patel, M.D., a specialist in surgery for thoracic and thoracoabdominal aortic disease, and surgery for valvular and aortic root disease and a host of pre-op, surgical, and post-op specialists.  The support team was led by my Mom who had corralled family and friends for support and prayers.

The Expected and the Unexpected

Spreading the Word on the SBIR STTR Race to the Finish Line

Few government programs make a bigger impact on keeping the United States at the forefront of innovation and technology of all kinds than the SBIR/STTR program.

A heat in the race for SBIR/STTR reauthorization was including in it in the Continuing Resolution (CR) that funded the Federal Government through December 16th, The Senate has now included the SBIR/STTR reauthorization in the Senate Defense Bill that passed yesterday by a vote of 93-7. The Bill also authorizes money for military personnel, weapons systems, national security programs in the Energy Department, and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan in the fiscal year that began Oct. 1.

Senator Mary L. Landrieu, Chair, Senate Committee on Small Business & Entrepreneurship, made the following comments following the Senate’s unanimous vote in favor of Amendment 1115 to the National Defense Authorization bill. The amendment would reauthorize the Small Business innovation and Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs for another eight years.

The Super Committee could put bioscience industry growth and innovation at risk … hopefully they won’t!

Washington’s support is critical in protecting the only sector that demonstrated job gains, in Arizona and in Tucson in 2010.”

Last week I had the opportunity to share my opinion on some of the key decisions that the Super Committee is grappling with that could have a lasting impact on our community and our state.  Southern Arizona and especially Tucson is leading in bringing life changing innovation to the world.  This is what I shared as seen in  Inside Tucson Business

“Next Wednesday, Nov. 23, is the deadline when the Congressional “super committee” is supposed to present its cohesive cost-savings plan. This 12-member panel, among them Sen. Jon Kyl, R-Ariz., has been grappling with the monumental task of slashing $1.5 trillion from the federal budget for months.

Small Business, Innovation, and the Importance of Long Term SBIR and STTR Reauthorization NOW

 

At times like these, when the need for innovation, is greater than ever, the SBIR and STTR Programs hold the keys to the growth of new and innovative products in the U.S. small business sector.  Funding through SBIR and STTR awards provides critical support for new discoveries in both the small business and university research communities across 11 key Federal Agencies and unlocks the vault to bring out new innovations right here at home.

Want To Move Forward Faster? Activate The Collaborative Gene

Arizona biosciences sector demonstrates how to accelerate innovation and job growth and offers insight on how Washington can keep things moving forward faster by activating its “collaborative gene.”

By Joan Koerber-Walker, President and CEO, AZBio – The Arizona BioIndustry Association and Chairman of CorePurpose, Inc.

These days tales of economic vitality are few and far between making Arizona’s bioscience sector an inspiration to all as the nation focuses on jobs and economic recovery.

Reality and Perception: People v the State of Illusion

What is real?  What is perception?  These questions and the answers to them shape our work life, our personal life, and the world around us.  

In business, perception is the basis of our brand, the root of our strategic vision, and the foundation of our team’s commitment to achieving it. 

In life, how we perceive ourselves and others shapes our decisions, our relationships and our ability to succeed. 

Last week I ran into an old friend who has been helping bridge the gap between reality and perception for a number of years as both a trial lawyer and later as an advisor to some of the worlds largest and most successful corporations.  We chatted about his newest project, a film that illustrates the importance of answering these questions.

Making your mark on the wall

I spend a quite a bit of my time with with innovators and entrepreneurs these days.  As CEO of the Arizona BioIndustry Association or AZBio as we say, I get to connect with teams that are researching and developing products for a better world… Sustainable Health (and health care) , more plentiful food, greener energy… pretty heady stuff.  My job’s not nearly as sexy.  Here at AZBio our job is ground support, providing opportunities for them to connect and engage with each other, pulling together educational and support resources and sharing their stories.  Our job is not to change the world.  Our job at AZBIO is to support them so that they can.

 

An Andertoons Cartoon

Brand, Reputation, and Delusion

If you are working on growing your business, you can expect to hear talk about the importance of building a brand.  There are branding companies, branding consultants, branding experts, branding strategists, and so on and so on.  All of them want to help you grow your business by creating a brand presence in the mind of your current and future customers.

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Sometimes you need that extra edge

Whether you are a beginner or a pro, when it comes to winning in the innovation game, sometimes you need that extra edge.

Andertoons Sales Cartoons

Most  innovators can tell you that success is tied to a number of factors.  When they come together in the right order and with the right combinations, it can lead to a winning run.  It’s a bit like a game of pool. 

Leaders, get ready to lock and load

Leaders wear many hats.  Good ones are visionaries, coaches, cheerleaders and trailblazers.  Yet when times get tough or change happens, the chief role of a leader becomes that of a trouble shooter with the responsibility for preparing the team for immediate action.  As they say in the movies…It’s time to lock and load.

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