Venture Capitalist, Leadership Expert Robert Stringer Meets with Students

Robert Stringer holds a copy of his book while Yi Yang looks on Image by Ed Brennen
Robert Stringer holds a copy of his latest book while answering a question from Wilson Center Co-director Yi Yang at the Saab ETIC Center.

10/15/2019
By Ed Brennen

The Jack M. Wilson Center for Entrepreneurship recently welcomed Robert Stringer, an expert on startup business culture, to campus to discuss his latest book, “Culture.com: How the Best Startups Make it Happen.”

Part of the Wilson Center’s Entrepreneurship Speaker Series, Stringer’s talk drew close to 100 students and faculty to the Perry Atrium at the Saab Emerging Technologies and Innovation Center.

“We are honored to have one of the country’s top leadership experts to our campus to talk about his career in organizational consulting and strategy that spans more than 40 years,” said Assoc. Teaching Prof. Ashwin Mehta, co-director of the Wilson Center.

Jack Wilson, Ashwin Mehta, Sandra Richtermeyer, Robert Stringer and Yi Yang pose for a photo Image by Ed Brennen
Robert Stringer, second from right, poses with, from left, Jack Wilson, Ashwin Mehta, Sandra Richtermeyer and Yi Yang after his talk with students.

As founder and managing partner of Crimson Seed Capital, Stringer currently works with more than 30 early-stage companies in the technology, health and wellness and consumer goods industries as an angel investor.

Stringer, who has taught at Harvard Business School and Babson College, has written three books on culture and business strategy. In “Culture.com,” he interviewed 75 entrepreneurs from across the country to learn how they created and built their company culture.

Students listen to Robert Stringer speak Image by Ed Brennen
Students listen to Robert Stringer discuss startup culture.

“I came up with seven qualities, or characteristics, that the most successful startup cultures exhibited: passion, ownership, learning, collaboration, messiness, transparency and caring,” Stringer told students.

“This was a great opportunity for our students and faculty to learn from his amazing journey,” said Wilson Center Co-director Yi Yang, professor of marketing, entrepreneurship and innovation in the Manning School of Business.

Students and faculty who attended Stringer’s guest lecture received a free copy of “Culture.com.”