Janco Damas

While years of teamwork in the trenches can’t be easily replaced, quick camaraderie can be found by collectively free falling into a competitive run without much warning. We were called to arrive on Charles Street between Boston Common and the Public Garden for a 7:15 p.m. start. The race actually began earlier that morning for us. In the office after receiving shirts and racing tags, there was a heightened sense of imminent exhaustion, but the intensity with which we refused to be bothered by the challenge also increased.

Scott LaPierre, a multimedia editor and video journalist for the Boston Globe, is busy planning for a future where more news is being consumed in visual formats. Although companies such as Pixability are sprouting up to help companies advertise in videos, video as a vehicle for advertising remains barely tapped producing just, 10 percent of all digital ad revenue according to a 2014 study by the Pew Center.

Last week, Boston’s newest skyscraper “topped off.” The crew at that time had erected the tallest point of the construction.The feat comes two years since the very day construction broke ground on September 17, 2013. At the ground breaking commencement then-mayor Thomas M. Menino, with developers and a sizable crowd, watched as confetti fell in celebration. Mayor Menino concluded his term on January 6, 2014 after two decades in office. Menino died October 30, 2014 at the age of 71. He had advocated strongly for the construction of the Millennium Towers particularly as the old Filene’s site lay fallow in 2008.

Jayme Olaughlin had an idea. The idea was to help gym goers maximize their workouts with a premium protein shake. When prompted by a customer the machine adds fresh protein powder atop cold water in a single use cup with lid which then can be shaken to mix.protein powderthe machine adds fresh protein powder atop cold water in a single use cup with lidMany of us have had disruptive ideas of a similar type, but how many of those ideas survive the long haul to implementation?

Energy has been a hot area for graduates of the last 10 years. Particular areas of interest at the conference were consumer facing technologies and back end software systems for utilities. There was a good mix of nascent technology still under development alongside proven solutions already in the market. Salient themes in the conference were “old” working with “new” and “big” working with “small” towards modern energy systems.

This year’s Product Design and Development course at Babson College introduced 8 new hardware products to the world within a few short weeks. Students who enrolled in the Fall offering of the course were divided into teams and challenged to come up with a new product innovation that solved a problem in a given industry.

Last year brought about all sorts of interesting discussion amongst the entrepreneurs at Babson. Ongoing was the discussion of how to better shift desktop platforms for an increasingly mobile audience. That particular discussion has changed the way founders approach new ideas as many are starting with a mobile-first strategy, such was the case with the first company on the list, WineKick. The list of startups to watch in 2015 is primarily looking at those entrepreneurs who are responding to change. It’s important the community pay attention to their progress as they define a response to this year’s market opportunities. As these founders are already traveling down the unbeaten path, look to see what new insights they can offer about responding to perceived needs that will appear in 2015.

Imagine working in the same garage for 23 years. That’s how long Rahul has worked at the Sunoco gas station at the corner of Washington St and Breck Ave in Brighton. He was hired at a starting salary of $400 a week. Five years later he got a raise and then earned $600 each week. … When ownership is out of reach

Bill LaPoint is a principal investor in Boston based Aly Holdings and an adjunct professor at Babson College where he has taught “buying a small business”. He says one reason a qualified buyer may not find a business is because the listed businesses are not actually for sale. Owners will often list their businesses in … Buying small businesses as a day job

With two months left on his lease, Ali Roozbehani owner of antiques dealer, Dining Room Showcase, in downtown Boston is still hoping to find a buyer for the business. After 35 years of selling fine antiques and furniture throughout greater Boston, rising rents in the Downtown Boston area have cornered Roozbehani between a last minute … Owners discover their businesses are not built to sell