Attended Startup Riot today at the Fabulous Fox Theater in Atlanta, and I was amazed at the entrepreneurial spirit present at the event.  It reminded me that even during down times, there are still tons of people out there trying to create and develop new technologies and companies.  Really encouraging!

The keynote speaker was Bo Peabody, General Partner at Village Ventures.  He had a few memorable quotes including, “every successful investment i’ve ever made was at one point on life support…” and “an entrepreneur is someone whose passion for an idea inspires passion in others…”

But, what I liked best about the event was the entrepreneurial spirit alive in the room.  Even if you are not interested in starting you own business, there is plenty to be learned from those willing to take that risk.  Many of the characteristics that make certain entrepreneurs successful can translate to making anyone successful, and I believe the most important to be simply this:  having passion for what you are doing.

Related articles that may be of interest…

• Entrepreneurs Dare to Stick Their Neck Out (startupprofessionals.com)
• Launch of Mentoring Competition for Social Entrepreneurs (thenextwomen.com)
• Guest Post: The Biggest Myth in Entrepreneurship Dispelled (Part 1 of 3) (thriveal.com)
• Entrepreneur: have you got what it takes? (careermoves.cjwriting.com)
• James Caan opens Entrepreneurs’ Business Academy (telegraph.co.uk)