<p><a href="http://new.corepurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/rick-gibson-by-mg-irc.jpg"><img style="border-width:0;margin:5px;" border="0" alt="Rick Gibson ( photo by Mark Goldstein/IRG copyright 2010 all rights reserved)" align="right" src="http://new.corepurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/rick-gibson-by-mg-irc_thumb.jpg" width="294" height="197"></a>All the HOT companies are in the Silicon Valley - Right?&nbsp; Of course not.&nbsp; Great ideas and great entrepreneurs come from everywhere.&nbsp; Luckily so do strong investor partners and advisors and a great example is Rick Gibson, Managing Director of <b><i><a href="http://www.hotventures.com" target="_blank">HOTventures</a></i></b>, a "mentor capital fund" for the Southwest U.S., which invests in and advises fast-growth companies, specializing in Information Technology, BioSciences, GreenTech and Media. As an investor and entrepreneurial activist, he’s totally immersed in early-stage growth companies...finding them, making them great, and helping them reach that magical moment, a liquidity events.&nbsp; Rick has been an investor, advisor or board member in:<i>&nbsp;</i> <i>Avisere</i>, <i>The Book Patch, <i>Bourque Industries</i>, CopperKey</i>, <i>Flypaper, Funding Universe, GridCoNet, High Throughput Genomics, <i>IVIS</i>, Medipacs</i>, <i>MedSphere, MDS VetInfo, MojoVideo, MSDx, Octopi, Real Time Companies, Regenesis, StrongWatch, USU2India, Virtual Learning Technologies, World Wide Wheat and Zero Waste Wine</i>. He was a limited partner in <i>Solstice Capital II</i> (one of the largest venture capital funds in Arizona) and is a shareholder in Bill Gross’ <i>Idealab</i>.  <p>Rick is also part of the panel of investors who will joining us at <a href="http://www.azec10.com" target="_blank">AZEC10,</a> the fifth annual Arizona Entrepreneurship Conference on November 17, 2010 in Phoenix, Arizona.&nbsp; The annual investor's panel is a perennial conference favorite along with keynotes from national thought leaders and local CEOs who will share their lessons from along the growth path.&nbsp; (To see more about all the AZEC10 speakers <a href="http://azentrepreneurship.com/speakers" target="_blank">click here</a>.)&nbsp;&nbsp; <h4>As part of our <a href="http://jkw.typepad.com/corepurpose_joan_koerberw/making-2010-your-year/" target="_blank">continuing series on who you will meet at AZE</a>C10, I asked Rick a few questions and this is what he had to share...</h4> <p><strong>JKW:&nbsp; How do you see your role in AZ’s entrepreneurial eco-system?</strong>  <p><strong>RG:</strong>&nbsp; My firm <a href="http://www.hotventures.com" target="_blank">HOTventures</a> builds fast-growth companies.&nbsp;&nbsp; Throughout AZ, I serve as investor, fundraiser, board member, mentor, coach, speaker and deal guy.&nbsp; I am constantly am looking for awesome companies, and then acting as a catalyst to help them succeed.  <p><strong>JKW:&nbsp; How long has&nbsp; your business been in AZ and how has it&nbsp; grown?</strong>  <p><strong>RG:</strong>&nbsp; HOTventures is now 10 years old.&nbsp; It began as an opportunity which looked easy then.&nbsp; We began with zero assets and created potentially millions of dollars of value.&nbsp; Time will tell.&nbsp;&nbsp; Call me back in about two years.</p> <p><strong>JKW:&nbsp; That's pretty impressive growth. Who helped you along the growth path?</strong>  <p><strong>RG:</strong>&nbsp; Several people.&nbsp; Often it was about finding the right deals at the right time.&nbsp; I have been lucky to work with some really amazing people.&nbsp; As you know, I have a long history with Bill Gross, founder of Idealab, then Harry George, managing director of Solstice Capital.&nbsp; I was able to be part of the Desert Angels from the very first meeting, and served on its board and screening committee.&nbsp; I was lucky to get involved with Invest Southwest and meet lots of AZ’s best entrepreneur’s over the years.</p> <p><strong>JKW:&nbsp; You lead your own team and support the leaders of your portfolio companies.&nbsp; Have you ever gotten stuck?&nbsp; What was your “reset” ?</strong>  <p><strong>RG:</strong>&nbsp; I am forever finding major revelations.&nbsp; Since my role is to make difficult things happen, getting stuck happens regularly.&nbsp; Often we find a way, sometimes we don’t.&nbsp; Once in a while, I get deep into something and it fails.&nbsp; I had one a couple of years ago, and I am still fixing it.  <p><strong>JKW:&nbsp;&nbsp; What do you plan to achieve between AZEC10 and AZEC11?</strong>  <p><strong>RG:</strong>&nbsp; Meet ten awesome entrepreneurs and try to help some of them.  <p><strong>JKW: WHY did you choose to support <a href="http://www.otef.org" target="_blank">OTEF</a> and AZEC10?&nbsp; Why will you be there?</strong>  <p><strong>RG:</strong>&nbsp; There are rare occasions like this to meet entrepreneurs, at this stage in the game, who are looking to build themselves.&nbsp; I can’t wait.</p> <p>JKW: And I can't wait either.&nbsp; Every time&nbsp; I am around Rick and the other great leaders who join us at AZEC I learn something new.&nbsp;&nbsp; They share lots on event day and all through the year.&nbsp; For example, here is a quote from the <a href="http://www.hotventures.com/" target="_blank">HOTventures website</a> - some&nbsp; great rules to live by for companies of every size...  <blockquote> <p><b><u>Rules To Live By</u></b></p></blockquote> <blockquote> <p>It is good to trust, but much better <em>to know</em> (not <em>just</em> to trust)  <p>Focus on what <i>should</i> be done, not just what you <i>can</i> do. Then put all effort into <i>how</i> you can do it. While this is much harder, it not only provides the best solution for your customers, but the biggest deterrence to your competition  <p>It is not as simple as <i>knowing</i> what to do. For example, most people <i>know</i> what foods are necessary for an ideal diet and how much they should exercise. However, most lack the discipline to actually perform to this knowledge. Knowledge is good, but the <i>ability to execute</i> is much better.  <p>(Rick Gibson - HOT Ventures)</p></blockquote> <p>Don't miss your opportunity to hear more from Rick and our other great panelists, CEOs and thought leaders at <a href="http://www.azec10.com/">AZEC10</a> on November 17th.&nbsp; <p>Thanks for stopping by.&nbsp; Stay tuned.&nbsp; There will be more AZEC10 behind the scenes glimpses between now and the conference.  <p>&nbsp; <blockquote> <p>Joan Koerber-Walker</p></blockquote> <p><strong></strong> <p><em>Note:&nbsp; Joan Koerber Walker serves as Chairman of the Board of The Opportunity Through Entrepreneurship foundation,which is the host organization and sole beneficiary of AZEC10.&nbsp; To learn more about OTEF, visit </em><a href="http://www.otef.org/"><em>www.otef.org</em></a><em>. </em> <p>Technorati Tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Opportunity%20Through%20Entrepreneurship%20Foundation"></a></p> <div style="display:inline;margin:0;padding:0;" id="scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:56d93a3b-5949-4998-b90e-00258e2e0d7d" class="wlWriterSmartContent">Technorati Tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/AZEC10" rel="tag">AZEC10</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Arizona%20Entrepreneurship%20Conference" rel="tag">Arizona Entrepreneurship Conference</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Rick%20Gibson" rel="tag">Rick Gibson</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/HOTventures" rel="tag">HOTventures</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Joan%20Koerber-Walker" rel="tag">Joan Koerber-Walker</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/OTEF" rel="tag">OTEF</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Opportunity%20Through%20Entrepreneurship%20Foundation" rel="tag">Opportunity Through Entrepreneurship Foundation</a></div>