Entrepreneurial Forum - 
 Breakfast Series, features: 

      Navigating the flat earth
Richard Brock
Chairman & CEO, FirstWave Technologies

Richard's presentation will use specific examples to explore how we can:

1. Understand technology-induced disruption and appreciate the new opportunities and risks that such change poses

2. Identify our company’s core competencies

3. Understand the “ecosystem” in which our company operates and discover the company’s competitive “niche”

4. Re-conceptualize our business and navigate this new “flat earth” by:

         Creatively re-segmenting our market
         Identifying emerging needs and expectations of target customers
         Differentiating our product offerings
         Developing collaborative alliances and channels
         Exploring new revenue models
         Developing new skills and extending our company’s competencies

Over the course of his entrepreneurial career, Richard Brock has received many accolades and has also served in numerous industry and community leadership positions.  In 1990, Richard was named Georgia’s High Technology Entrepreneur of the Year in 1990.  Over his career, Richard has served as Chairman of the Technology Association of Georgia, President and Board Member of the Business & Technology Alliance, President of the Entrepreneur’s Division and Board Member of the Information Technology Association of America, President and Board Member of the Southeast Software Association, Chairman of Georgia High Technology Month, and Board Member of the Technology Executives Roundtable.  He currently serves on the Executive Committee of the American Electronics Association Southeast Council. 

Richard has also played a significant role in the development and management of several companies.   He founded Brock Capital Partners, a capital investment firm, and was a director of Datastream Systems, Inc., a leading provider of maintenance software until it’s acquisition in 2006.  Prior to his originating FirstWave, Richard founded and served as CEO of Management Control Systems, a software provider for CPA firms that is now a division of Research Institute of America.  In addition, he has held board positions with three other companies.

A Certified Public Accountant, Richard received his MBA from Louisiana State University and his BS from Spring Hill College.