Turning start-up ideas into reality

Updated on: Monday, June 21, 2010

NEN EClub, functioning in Chennai, Pune, Mumbai and Bangalore, now helps all aspiring entrepreneurs to stay connected.

You have a strong entrepreneurial ambition burning within. But you have completed college, and networking opportunities seems to be narrowing down.

The National Entrepreneurship Network (NEN), a non-profit initiative working at inspiring, developing and supporting new entrepreneurs, has recently expanded its activities to bring together college pass-outs and budding entrepreneurs in one platform.

NEN EClub is an extension of the ECell activities it initiated in colleges. However, EClubs will run as a separate entity outside the college but be guided by NEN. Besides alumni of ECells, professionals keen on becoming an entrepreneur, aspiring and budding entrepreneurs can become members of the community.

“You probably have a start-up idea and would float the company in a few years. The club would be a platform for like-minded individuals to share thoughts on becoming entrepreneurs,” explains Kiran Paul, one of the founding members of the EClub, Chennai, and a student of Loyola Institute of Business Administration.

These EClubs are currently functioning in Chennai, Bangalore, Pune and Mumbai, where the leadership council in every city chalks out various programmes. In Chennai, around 64 members have joined the group and they have conducted a couple of events.

“We are planning to bring 20 start-ups for our next event, where members keen on becoming entrepreneurs could interact with founders. Some could also look for jobs with these start-ups,” says Mr. Paul. Among other activities planned are helping create a business plan, arrange meetings with investors or venture capitalists.

Mr. Paul says that unlike the Open Coffee Club concept, these clubs are different as they would have a set agenda in every event. The Bangalore EClub, for instance, has been conducting at least one event a month.

“Our first event was a speed networking event based on the speed dating concept. In the second we had VCs speak on their experience as investors,” says Shamiroh Tikoo, one of the leadership council members from Bangalore who works for a strategy consulting firm.

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Turning start-up ideas into reality

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