Kyle Blumin is a Syracuse native and serial entrepreneur with three successful exits in diverse industries. As StartFast Entrepreneur in Residence Kyle will spend the summer of 2013 working closely with one or more StartFast teams. Since Kyle is the archetypal entrepreneur leader we want to see more of, we asked him to share his thinking with the rest of the community.
There’s a lot of talk these days about the recent election, the fiscal cliff and how the government can get us out of this economic mess we’re in. I see the current situation, and many other things, in a different way. I ask, “how can we get ourselves out of this mess and not wait for someone else to fix our problems for us?” I’ve always been one to think of how things will be five to ten years in the future. Dwelling in the past or the current never did me much good. So when I look at the economic situation in this country and the Upstate New York region, I think about how things could be in five to ten years. Entrepreneurs have the ability to create a positive future for themselves and those around them. In the case of high-growth entrepreneurship, they have the ability to create the future around the world. They have the skills and vision to truly transform a region. To prove my point, Central Florida was a swamp, Southern Nevada was a vast desert and Verona, New York used to be known for a tough economic past. This summer, I watched Tiger Woods play golf in Verona, just 30 minutes from my house.
I believe that StartFast has the ability to drive substantial growth over time in a place that has an unbelievable set of untapped assets – until now… In Upstate New York we have world-class universities, half a million students, a vibrant and overlooked entrepreneurial community, a highly educated work force and some amazing landscape. All of this is positioned between the Adirondack Park and the financial capital of the world in New York City. Whether you know it or not, it truly is a great place to start a business. When I think about all of that, I really don’t care about what the past held for this region. I can clearly see what is in store for us in the future. As time progresses, more and more successful and aspiring entrepreneurs will call this region home.
What do your next five to ten years look like? I know what mine look like and that’s why I joined Startfast.
