After spending most of my life as an entrepreneur, author and venture capitalist, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity came across my desk to teach at Georgetown. The truth was I wouldn’t have gotten accepted there as an undergraduate — and so I take my responsibility as an educator, coach and teacher seriously.
As Adam Grant says, “The most meaningful way to succeed is to help others succeed.”
Today I’m fascinated on how all of us can become creators — what’s in our DNA as children and we often lose as we grow older. What has driven my own success are the things I’d created — books I’d authored, products I’d launched, funds I’d raised and ideas I’d shared. And now my teaching, my startups, my writing and my time is laser focused on how to Create Creators.
About Eric
Eric Koester is the founder and CEO of Creator Institute, a b-corporation whose mission is to inspire, teach and support tomorrow’s creators — authors, podcasters, speakers, entrepreneurs, corporate innovators and course builders. Through his work he’s coached nearly 1,000 first-time creators. He is also a Professor of Entrepreneurship & Innovation at Georgetown University and the school’s only two-time entrepreneurship professor of the year, faculty at Growth University, and the executive director of the Intrapreneur Institute, which researches, trains and develops future innovation leaders.
The 2020 Entrepreneurial Educator of the Year by USASBE, Eric has taught, spoken and advised at the White House, the World Bank, The United Nations, and Fortune 500 leaders and executives.
Prior to his career in education and EdTech, Eric has been a serial entrepreneur having founded ventures backed by Kleiner Perkins, Ashton Kutcher, Floodgate Capital, Felicis Ventures, Meg Whitman and Steve Blank. He has served as the Managing Director for Next Gen Venture Partners, an early stage technology venture capital firm and today is a venture partner. Eric has also been a corporate attorney specializing in securities, venture capital and startups at Cooley LLP and a finance professional and CPA at a leading biotechnology and diagnostics company and completed his undergraduate degree in business at Marquette University and completed his juris doctorate at The George Washington University School of Law.
Eric is a two time TEDx speaker and his books Founder, JD, Green Entrepreneur Handbook and Starting a High Tech Business Venture have all been well received by readers. Eric is also host of the podcast The Learning Project featuring conversations with creators and innovators including Ti ffany Haddish, Arianna Hu ffington, Apolo Ohno, Dan Pink, Roy Choi, Aneesh Chopra and Chris Voss.
Discover more
Founder, JD: How America's Top Lawyers Leverage their Law Degree in the Startup World and How You Can Too
Green Entrepreneur Handbook: The Guide to Building and Growing a Green and Clean Business (What Every Engineer Should Know)
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Be a part of a community of creators — authors, podcasters, speakers, entrepreneurs and course builders.
The Monday Spark Newsletter (weekly)
Long-form articles on how to learn better (once or twice per month)
Offers on upcoming courses & books (a few times per year)
