An Economic Outlook and McCombs School Update
In addition to providing updates on the latest initiatives, programs and departments at McCombs, Dean Tom Gilligan offers an economic forecast and touches on topics such as GDP growth and unemployment, as well as look at UT and McCombs’ financial picture in relation to the latest Texas Legislative session.

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Numbers All Americans Should Know
This presentation will focus on many of the fiscal and economic numbers that you should be familiar with in order to participate in the political and economic discussions that will take place for the foreseeable future. We'll discuss debt, social security, health care, disability insurance, employment and other issues.

We are unable to post a recording of this webinar. For more information and updates from Sandy Leeds, visit his blog at www.leedsonfinance.com or view this list of recommended resources from his presentation.

Crisis Management and the Psychology of Blame
A critical issue companies face during a crisis is whether they will be blamed by the public, even when it is not clear how the crisis occurred. Will people blame the company, despite the uncertainty surrounding the cause of the crisis? How does the public assess blame during a crisis? This webinar discusses the factors influencing the assessment of blame during a crisis, a topic that Daniel Laufer has been researching over the past 10 years since receiving his Ph.D. from McCombs in 2002.

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"Money, Power, Politics and Ambition: The Texas Way"
In Dr. Cunningham's keynote address at the 7th Annual Alumni Business Conference, he discussed some of the more interesting and controversial events that took place during the period he was President of The University of Texas at Austin and Chancellor of The University of Texas System. These ranged from the creation of the Big 12 to his relationship with four Governors and the Texas Legislature. Video coming soon.

Advocacy
"Good ideas never sell themselves. The only way any idea sees the light of day is by effective advocacy by its proponents." Professor Daly just released his new book "Advocacy: Championing Ideas and Influencing Others" and shared thoughts on how to transform ideas into practice. Video coming soon.

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Case Studies in Ethics
Paula Murray discussed "Hot Topic in Business" and presented two cases related to ethics at the 7th Annual McCombs Alumni Business Conference. Video coming soon.

“How Do We Solve the US Fiscal Crisis?”
Is the federal government’s fiscal health as bad as conventional wisdom say it is? Or is it even worse? Using actual data from the federal government’s audited financial statements, Professor Michael Granof will attempt to answer those questions. In addition, he will tie the federal government’s fiscal condition to that of state and local governments, so as to present a more complete picture of the challenges that we as citizens and taxpayers are currently facing. Video coming soon.

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Findings from the UT Energy Poll
UT's new groundbreaking public opinion poll measures and reports biannually (October and April) on consumer opinions and attitudes toward energy consumption, pricing, development and regulation. The Energy Poll results provide an impartial and authoritative source of public perspectives on energy to inform and guide discussion, business planning and policy development.  The University of Texas at Austin's Energy Management and Innovation Center, a research center within the McCombs School of Business, and the McCombs Department of Marketing developed the Energy Poll to provide objective, scientifically valid and practical data on consumer attitudes and perspectives on energy issues, tracked over time. The survey was rigorously developed and tested by academic and research experts. To ensure its usefulness and impartiality, the university also solicited input from parties across the energy spectrum, including non-governmental agencies, consultants, a large energy user, energy producers, and an academic advisory panel. Video coming soon.

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Venture Capital, Entrepreneurship and Why It Matters to Everyone
Kevin Williams develops and teaches graduate courses at the McCombs School, where he has received several awards for teaching. He has also taught at the McCoy College of Business Administration, Texas State University, San Marcos. Williams was a Venture Partner with ARCH Venture Partners from 1999-2005, where he was involved in seed and early-stage technology investing.

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Is a Sovereign Default an Earth-Shaking Experience?
A sovereign default, or even a near default, can have earth shaking consequences to income levels, wealth redistribution, institutions and governmental structures. The developments in Europe make clear the unleashing of forces to change most everything we are accustomed to. The European situation will be reviewed and some general conclusions will be drawn.

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Open Innovation and Technology Transfer, Sustaining the Firm for the Future
In this webinar, Professor John Sibley Butler will investigate the relationship between laboratory science, the commercialization of laboratory science and the competitive strategy of the firm.

Butler is professor of management and sociology and is the director of the IC² Institute and Herb Kelleher Center for Entrepreneurship and Small Business. IC² is an interdisciplinary research unit which has 18 endowed fellows and over 280 fellows worldwide. Butler’s research areas are organizational science, with special emphasis on military and entrepreneurial organizations.

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Motivating Employees: Beyond Carrots and Sticks
This presentation will explore academic theories of motivation within the context of three key themes: (1) motivation requires a relationship, (2) true change and learning comes from inside a person and (3) a change of behavior is as much emotional as it is intellectual. In addition to an overview of theoretical knowledge, the presentation will provide applicable guidelines and examples to help you understand how to improve productivity and morale in your workplace.

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Organizational Corruption and Control
Organizational corruption is action taken by organizational members, through their organizational positions or with organizational resources, which is illegal or unethical by societal standards. This webinar will examine the drivers of this type of corruption and the tools and techniques that have been developed for organizations to control corruption and to build ethical organizational cultures.

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Capital and the Investor's Perspective
This session will provide participants with a crash course in capital for new businesses, including:

• Provide you with a fundamental knowledge base of what investors look for
• Discuss investment patterns in clean energy
• Identify sources of capital for network-centric energy
• Evaluate new funding sources and strategies

Kirk Coburn is an entrepreneur and start-up advocate that has founded three companies through idea creation, market validation, team building, fund raising, company launch, operational execution and successful acquisition. 

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Influence and Problem Solving
Dr. Gaylen Paulson is associate dean and director for Executive Education at the McCombs School. He is also a Senior Lecturer for the Management Department. His research and teaching are focused on the strategic aspects of interacting with people, including negotiation, conflict management, persuasion and interpersonal communication.

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Update on the Private Capital Market
Professor Nolen will give an update on the current state of the private capital markets, including capital availability for privately owned businesses, venture capital and private equity activity and middle market M&A activity. Recent and pending IPOs by LinkedIn, Groupon and Facebook will be discussed on whether these high profile VC exits will revive the IPO market in the US or lead to another tech bubble.

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Challenges of Ethical Leadership 
The ethical behavior of an organization is largely dictated by its ethical climate. The leaders of an organization are the most significant contributors to its ethical climate. Leaders face unique ethical challenges by the simple virtue of being leaders, however, and this webinar will address those challenges.

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Economic and McCombs Update
In addition to providing updates on the latest initiatives, programs and departments at McCombs, Dean Tom Gilligan will offer an economic forecast, touch upon on topics such as GDP growth and unemployment, and look at UT and McCombs’ financial picture in relation to the latest Texas Legislative session.

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Texas Venture Labs
Continuing the discussion from his webinar in November, Dr. Rob Adams will cover the newly formed Texas Venture Labs, a cross campus initiative around innovation, commercialization and entrepreneurship. Venture Labs provides direct links to the entrepreneurial, business, technology and legal resources available both on the campus and in the Texas entrepreneurial eco-system.

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Sustainability of Government Spending
Is the federal government’s fiscal health as bad as conventional wisdom says it is? Or is it even worse? Using actual data from the federal government’s audited financial statements, Professor Michael Granof will attempt to answer those questions. In addition, he will tie the federal government’s fiscal condition to that of state and local governments, so as to present a more complete picture of the challenges that we as citizens and taxpayers are currently facing.

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Keynote Presentation: 6th Annual McCombs Alumni Business Conference
I. Jon Brumley has more than 40 years of experience in the oil and gas industry. He was chairman of the Texas State Board of Education and has been active in educational causes and oversight since 1980. He has a BBA degree from McCombs and an MBA degree from Wharton.

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Making a Difference in a Second Career: Planning and Results at McCombs
Lamar Johnson discussed "Hot Topic in Business" related to career changes at the 6th Annual McCombs Alumni Business Conference.

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Energy at McCombs
Professor Spence discussed "Hot Topic in Business" related to energy at the 6th Annual McCombs Alumni Business Conference.

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Marketing UT Athletics
In 1996, The University of Texas at Austin’s athletics programs languished in the Southwest Conference with an unimpressive record, coaching turnover and a $21 million budget. The rise of Texas Athletics to become a national powerhouse with $143.6 million in revenue is a story of focus, innovation and branding, with lessons for every enterprise. Ben Bentzin, lecturer in the Department of Marketing and CEO of an Austin technology startup was formerly a marketing executive with Dell Inc.

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Business Ethics
Professor Cox will discuss the “creed of greed” based on the concept of “economic man” and its progeny: “rational choice theory” and “game theory.” He will use sports as a metaphor for business and its regulation. Cox is the La Quinta Motor Inns Centennial Professor in Business and professor in the Department of Marketing. He received his B.A. (1965) and MBA (1966) from Michigan State University and his DBA (1973) from Indiana University.

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Rob Adams
Senior Lecturer,
Director of Texas Venture Labs

Market Validation and Texas Venture Labs
The November Knowledge To Go (KTG) webinar will feature Rob Adams on market validation and the newly formed Texas Venture Labs. Texas Venture Labs is a cross campus initiative around innovation, commercialization and entrepreneurship. Market validation is a technique core to making new products successful in the market that has been the framework for some of the successful acquisitions that have come through Texas Venture Labs.

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Real Estate Outlook
What started out as a subprime crisis led to a financial crisis, which in turn impacted the macroeconomy. The resulting recession led to a standstill in real estate activity and a drop in values. Now, many worry that commercial real estate represents the “next shoe to drop” (or that has already dropped), providing negative feedback into the financial system. In this September KTG webinar Professor Hartzell will discuss current conditions in the real estate markets, how we got to this point, and the outlook for the future.

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Challenges & Successes with Marketing Sustainability
Walmart believes that customers shouldn’t have to choose between products they can afford and products that are good for their family and the planet.  That’s why sustainability is embedded deep into the DNA of Walmart's brand and business. While not an easy thing to do, it’s the right thing to do, and sustainability is one of the ways Walmart is able to deliver low prices.  Through their scale, they have the ability to bring affordability to more sustainable products as well as influence our suppliers and their suppliers to look at the way they do business and how their practices impact the environment.  Ultimately, the customer wins with lower prices and higher quality products, all while reducing the impact on the communities in which they live.  Tony Rogers, SVP of marketing, explains Walmart's responsibility and challenge to bring greater transparency to customers, allowing them to make more informed purchasing choices.

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Building Your Company Culture
Marcie Zlotnik has more than seven years of experience in the energy industry. Prior to co-founding StarTex Power in 2004, she served as President and Director of Gexa Energy, a retail electricity provider Zlotnik co-founded in 2001. StarTex Power has received the J.D. Powers award for Residential electricity in Texas, Houston Business Journal Top 10 Best Places to Work and #30 Fastest growing Private Business in US. How does one company satisfy its customers, employees and shareholders? Corporate culture plays a significant role in StarTex Power’s success.

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8 Keys to Building Lasting Enterprises
Gary Hoover, entrepreneur-in-residence at McCombs’ Herb Kelleher Center for Entrepreneurship, has spent a lifetime studying business and entrepreneurship and has started four companies himself, including Bookstop and Hoovers. In this webinar, he speaks to the eight keys to building lasting, successful enterprises, giving vivid examples along the way, beginning with the importance of a robust curiosity.

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School Update & Economic Outlook
In addition to providing updates on the latest initiatives, programs and departments at McCombs, Dean Gilligan offers an economic forecast and touches on topics such as GDP growth and unemployment.

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Global Trade Outlook
We are in the eye of a hurricane in global trade, unlike anything anyone has seen in recent history. Andy Grove calls this time a strategic inflection point, “a time in the life of a business [or country] when its fundamentals are about to change. That change can mean an opportunity to rise to new heights. But it may just as likely signal the beginning of the end,” (Grove, Only the Paranoid Survive). Our rules of thumb and assumptions are no longer valid, and countries we hadn’t considered to be competitors in the past are emerging ahead of the US. Listen and learn as Professor Doggett examines recent global trends and zeroes in on the future global economy as impacted by recent Chinese economic growth.

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Corporate Culture
How does one company satisfy it’s customers, employees and shareholders? Marcie Zlotnik, BBA ’83 and chairman and CEO of StarTex Power, answers this important question. Zlotnik has more than seven years of experience in the energy industry. Prior to co-founding StarTex Power in 2004, she served as President and Director of Gexa Energy, a retail electricity provider Zlotnik co-founded in 2001. StarTex Power has received J.D. Power awards for electricity in Texas, Houston Business Journal Top 10 Best Places to Work and #30 Fastest Growing Private Business in US.

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Texas Venture Labs & Innovation Using Market Validation 
Rob Adams, lecturer, director of Venture Labs and Moot Corp, and IC2 Fellow covers the recent formation of Venture Labs, a cross-campus University of Texas at Austin program to increase innovation, technology commercialization and entrepreneurship for students and faculty. He reviews the process behind Venture Labs that has been used in a skunk-works format for the last five years to successfully identify, raise financing, and launch multiple student ventures. Rob also shares his insight on market validation, the primary business technique used to identify promising market opportunities in teaching entrepreneurship.

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Texas Athletics
In 1996 The University of Texas athletics programs languished in the Southwest Conference with an unimpressive record, coaching turnover and a $21 million budget. How Texas Athletics became a $138 million national powerhouse in 10 years is a story of focus, innovation and branding, with lessons for every enterprise. Ben Bentzin, lecturer in the department of marketing, formerly served as Director of Ballet Austin and was the CEO of World Congress on Information Technology (WCIT) 2006 and Director of Marketing at Dell, Inc.

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The New CIA: China, India & America
Senior Lecturer, Department of Management, John Doggett's research and teaching interests include international entrepreneurship, global competition and sustainability and energy. He teaches summer and winter courses on entrepreneurship and global competition in Austria, China, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, Singapore, Taiwan and Thailand. In this presentation, Doggett examines global trends and growth particularly in regards to Brazil, Russia, India, China and America.

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Energy Issues & the Groundbreaking Research Being Conducated at the University's New Energy Institute
Ray Orbach, director of the Energy Institute at The University of Texas at Austin, sheds light on the groundbreaking research being conducted at the University's new energy institute and potential solutions to critical energy issues affecting our country.
Prior to his directorship, Orbach was the U.S. Department of Energy's first undersecretary for science. Orbach sees the Energy Institute as a unifying collaborator to help The University of Texas at Austin mobilize its faculty and academic resources, as well as talent from other institutions in The University of Texas System.

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Social Media--Is It Good for Business?
Social Media is a phenomenon that has been talked about, debated, and complicated for a variety of reasons. Listen to Sean McDonald, BBA ’86 & MBA ’95, in this March 9 Knowledge To Go webinar as he also shares observations of how social media transforms business (yes, small business too).

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Venture Capital & Private Equity--Past, Present & Future
Steve Dow, partner at Sevin Rosin Funds in Dallas, told the New York Times in 2006 that “the VC model is broken.” A recent survey from executive search firm Polachi Inc. polled more than 100 venture capital executives, 70% of which were partners or managing partners. It found that a majority, 53% of respondents, indicated the venture capital industry is “broken.” Will the current funding gap affect the US’ ability to develop new technologies and create new jobs? What will be the next "big thing" or growth driver in the next decade? This presentation discusses the golden years of private equity, the current environment and what the future holds for this industry and entrepreneurial activity.

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Is America in Moral Decline?
Marketing Professor Eli Cox speaks on whether America is in moral decline. He believes it is and is writing a book about it. In his lecture to alumni, Dr. Cox reviews several relevant resource books. He explains the economic concept of marginal utility in depth and its effect on quality of life. Dr. Cox argues that there is a point of satiation for most individuals where marginal utility begins to decline. For some individuals, no amount of money is enough and that is when aberrant behavior kicks in.

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The Subprime Crisis: Who Is To Blame?
Professor Leeds, senior finance lecturer at McCombs School of Business, reviews a myriad of entities who are to blame for the subprime crisis, among them homebuyers, mortgage brokers, bankers, the Federal Reserve, U.S. Treasury and the Security Exchange Commission.

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