LARGE AND SMALL CITIES COULD BENEFIT FROM THE DEC’S MODEL, BOWLES TELL SUMMIT

Trey Bowles, Dallas Innovation Center founder and CEO and co-founder of the Dallas Innovation Center, recently was the keynote speaker at the first Mayor’s Summit on Entrepreneurship in Little Rock, Arkansas.

The event was held by Little Rock Mayor Mark Stodola.

Bowles told the more-than 100 people in attendance that entrepreneurs need a physical space for collaboration, community building, and to meet with investors and customers.

“Most of us don’t have enough money to make all the mistakes we’re going to make and still watch our business.”
Trey Bowles

He said that Dallas Entrepreneur Center could be used as a model for promoting entrepreneurship by large and small cities. Since opening in 2013, the DEC has had 48,000 visitors, contributed 2,500 hours to assisting entrepreneurs, and has held more than 800 events.

FIND LEADERS IN STAKEHOLDER GROUPS

DEC companies have created roughly 955 jobs, raised $115.7 million in capital, and generated about $90 million in revenue, Bowles told the audience.

Bowles told the crowd that the entrepreneurs need to find leaders in  stakeholder groups.

“The thing an entrepreneur needs most is often what they don’t have, and that’s experience … you can gain it in one of two ways. You can earn it, which takes time, money and wounds. Most of us don’t have enough money to make all the mistakes we’re going to make and still watch our business,” Bowles said. “Or, two, you can learn it.”

He also used the summit to trumpet the Dallas Innovation’s Alliance Smart Cities initiative that will lead to an innovation district in downtown Dallas’s West End Historic District.

Bowles offered tips and advice to the attendees, and you can read more about his keynote address here.

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