The print shows a bear leans over a running stream, jaws open wide, ready to devour a jumping fish.
Beneath the picture in large type is the word “Ambition.”
At first, it looks like the sort of clichéd motivational posters you’d expect to see in the locker room of the golf club or maybe in the boardroom.
But when you read the quote beneath, expecting a feel-good message, you find this: “The journey of a thousand miles sometimes ends very, very badly.”
Posters like this are the work of E. Lawrence Kersten, who co-founded Despair Inc. in 1998. The company sells merchandise adorned with his “demotivational” nuggets of wisdom.
Kersten will be the keynote speaker next month when the Venture Forum hosts its annual Greater Richmond Companies to Watch event Oct. 29. Kersten is planning to speak on “the Art of Demotivation” and satirizing today’s approach to management.
This is the first time the Venture Forum has opted for such an entertaining guest. Last year the speaker was a young buck from LinkedIn.
Instead of providing inspiration, Kersten’s posters offer comic relief with such sayings as “Blame: The Secret to Success is Knowing Who to Blame for Your Failures” and “Consulting: If You’re Not Part of the Solution, There’s Good Money to Be Made in Prolonging the Problem.”
The Greater Richmond Companies to Watch was created by the Venture Forum to identify and publicize businesses that can grow and help the local economy.
The event will be at the Capitol Ale House, 623 E. Main St., from 5:30 to 7:30 pm. Free parking for the evening will be at Lanier Parking Deck at the corner of Sixth and Main.
Tickets are limited to 250 and are expected to sell out. Before Oct. 1, tickets are $50 for members and $75 for non-members. After Oct. 1, tickets will be $75 for members and $100 for non-members. A 20 percent discount is given to those purchasing five tickets together.
The selected companies will be profiled in the winter issue of Grid Magazine and be included on a list to be sent to venture capital firms in Virginia, Maryland and North Carolina.
Since the first selection in 2005, almost two dozen companies that were chosen have gone on to raise venture capital, raise private investments or sell their firms.
To nominate someone or apply for yourself, visit the GRCTW website by Sept. 30.
The 2009 list of Greater Richmond Companies to Watch includes Gallium Technology, LLC; Live Well Financial, Inc.; Marz Industries, Inc.; MedVirginia; Midwest Proteomics; nHealth, Inc.; Romp n’ Roll; Smash Direct; Taradel; and TESLA, Inc.
Mashalla Mukadam is a BizSense reporter. Please send news tips to mm@richmondbizsense.com.
