Philly Startup Leaders – Ambition Needs a Network

Mission Statement:

Philly Startup Leaders unites isolated entrepreneurs into a network of ambitious leaders who inspire, energize, and empower each other.

About Us:

Philly Startup Leaders began in September, 2007 as a handful of entrepreneurs who traded war stories over a few beers. Now, with 200 members and growing fast, we have become the center of a thriving startup community—and the go-to resource for aspiring entrepreneurs.

We share advice, support, and contacts at every opportunity. Many of our members have become good friends. Some have become business partners.

How did we get here? It all began at a local bar called Ten Stone, where our founder Blake Jennelle invited the first and only startup entrepreneurs he knew in Philadelphia. From there, the group grew organically, as our members invited other entrepreneurs they met as they networked on behalf of their companies.

Early this year, we saw an opportunity to turn our small group—itself a startup—into something more ambitious: a force for growth in our members’ lives and our members’ companies. Blake organized our first leadership meeting. There, he rallied the group around the problems that frustrated us most: lack of early stage funding, lack of mentors, difficulty finding the right support and resources, and lack of access to affordable talent.

Rather than look to others for solutions, we decided to take matters into our own hands. Leaders volunteered to tackle each problem. Out of their determination, our flagship initiatives were born, which continue today.

As we have grown to over 200 members, we have not lost sight of the grassroots principles that have made us successful:

• Our members are all entrepreneurs.
• We focus exclusively on serving our members, not sponsors or service providers.
• We know our niche—startup entrepreneurs. Our focus is our advantage.
• We fund ourselves.
• We believe in lean and flexible leadership, not bureaucracy and hierarchy.
• We encourage entrepreneurship within our organization, so that any member can champion a cause they believe in, and can use the full resources of the group to make themselves successful. After all, entrepreneurs don’t believe in asking permission.

So with this proud history, what’s next for us? We have some exciting things in the works, but would rather not spoil the surprise. Stay tuned for the latest.

Interested in joining? We are always open to startup entrepreneurs and aspiring startup entrepreneurs. Membership is free, and eternal success is included in the price of admission.

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Officer Bios

Blake Jennelle, Founder and President

Blake led Philly Startup Leaders from a twinkle in his eye to the thriving community it is today. Now, he wears many hats—chair of the leadership committee, ambassador to other organizations, evangelist, and the guy who knows everybody.

By day, he is CEO and Founder of Anthillz, a reputation network for ambitous freelancers.

Brad Denenberg, Membership & Networking Director

Brad began his first venture, a nationwide sports memorabilia wholesaler, when the fax machine still reigned supreme; and launched his first website in 1995. Later Brad became a stock trader, joining various Wall Street firms as a Nasdaq Market maker.

Brad’s current venture involves the creation of an environmentally-focused social network called Climate Innovations, a portal where customers can learn how to become green and are rewarded for helping to save the planet.

Brad is a graduate of Penn State University with degrees in Finance and International Business.

Scott D. Bohrer, Esq., Funding Director

Scott plays an active role in screening and managing investment opportunities submitted to ETF Venture Funds and works closely with ETF’s portfolio companies. Prior to joining ETF Venture Funds, Scott worked at TMG Health, where he served as Special Assistant to the President & CEO and helped the company’s revenue grow by over 250% in a two year period. Prior to working at TMG Health, Scott worked for over 6 years in the sports/entertainment marketing industry, most recently with Comcast-Spectacor.

Scott earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree from Penn State University and a Juris Doctorate and an MBA from Temple University.

Christopher D. Cera, Technology Director

Chris has a diverse background as a project leader, software developer, academic researcher, and now CTO of Vuzit. Chris has been employed at both large and small startup companies including Traffic.com, Drakontas, SmithKline Beecham, and Drexel University. Chris graduated from Drexel University with a MS and BS in Computer Science.

His current passion is Vuzit (www.vuzit.com), an online document viewer and web services platform for distributing and displaying documents.

Aaron Haydn McLean, Marketing & PR Director

Aaron and his Marketing & PR Team are responsible for the out-ward facing identity, brand and communications for Philly Startup Leaders and its initiatives.

In 2007, Aaron co-founded Eight Eleven Inc. (www.eight-eleven.com), a Philly Metro based branding, creative and strategic marketing, advertising, Web / Interactive and public relations agency, where he is now the Creative Director and Executive Vice President. His company has seen over 100% growth in the first year of operation and continues to grow its client base both regionally and internationally.