Does “community” fuel innovation?

Ask a random person walking down the street in Boston who won last night’s Red Sox game and you will not only get the box score, but likely to get that David Ortiz went 3 for 4 with a single, a double and a game winning homer in the 10^th, or that Tim Wakefield is going to get a cortisone shot and will hopefully rejoin the starting rotation next week.  There is a tremendous feeling of community in Boston, and everyone that lives there is proud to be a member of the community.

Boston also has a vibrant high technology and medical device eco-system.  The combination of inventors, entrepreneurs, consultants, and investors all work collaboratively to help each other be successful.  Clearly, everyone is motivated by their self-interests, but also, they are prideful of the eco-system that they have developed and are committed to maintain its vibrancy.

Ecosystem development is what we are trying to accomplish in Orange County through OCTANe.  Our simplified mission is to help new companies get started, by networking through our Orange County ecosystem.

Through our programs and our LaunchPad process, we unite inventors, entrepreneurs, strategic advisors, and investors.  Our goal is to help the elements coalesce into critical mass, and fertilize the start of new technology entities.  In the process, all of the constituents share the benefits – inventors and entrepreneurs build new companies, advisors expand their clientele, and investors yield returns on their investments.

A critical requirement to make all of this work is community involvement, and the pride in accomplishment when all the processes come together.  With this the recognition that we will all succeed, or fail, together.  Our nation and our state are facing economic challenges, but previous economic recessions have been mitigated through technology explosions.

OCTANe is a focal point, a meeting place for all of the elements to come together – and working together, we can impact the speed of the economic recovery.  We need to assume the responsibility that goes with Orange County’s position as a national leader in the development of medical device and high technology products and services, and work collaboratively to ensure that our leadership position is earned, and maintained.

The Angels lead the American League West with a 6 game lead over the Rangers.  Center fielder Torii Hunter is having the best hitting season of his 12 year career, batting .315 with 19 homers.  Ervin Santana (6-2 on the road) is expected to take the mound tonight in Seattle.