The Post-American World

I just finished reading Fareed Zakaria’s The Post American World. It explores the ‘rise of the rest’ – China, India, Brazil, Russia, Indonesia, Turkey – and America’s role in this rather more balanced world where it no longer has undisputed hegemony. >>>

Food Entrepreneurs: Johnny Cupcakes

By Guest Author Erika Valdez

If you’ve already had your fill of holiday sweets, the next installment in the food entrepreneurs series is for you. Today’s post is the story of Johnny “Cupcakes” Earle, the founder of Johnny Cupcakes—a kitschy and fun food-themed merchandise design business. You might be asking yourself how this story relates to the food entrepreneur series. Even though Earle does not own a food business, his company incorporates the theme of cupcakes, a classic American baked good that has been enjoying a resurgence, in its business model. >>>

Helping Failing High School Students Pass: Revolution Prep Founders Ramit Varma and Jake Neuberg (Part 3)

SM: Are you primarily a brick-and-mortar tutoring service, or are you an online education service?

RV: The SAT prep courses are 90% offline and 10% online. However, we have another larger business that we started in California and Texas three years ago which is 100% online. >>>

Forbes Column 2009: Health Care’s Email Prescription

Zero In this week asks: How often have you balked at your doctor’s unwillingness to use e-mail? Read: Health Care’s E-mail Prescription.

Helping Failing High School Students Pass: Revolution Prep Founders Ramit Varma and Jake Neuberg (Part 2)

SM: What kinds of learning challenges do you help your students to overcome?

RV: A lot of students have a hard time reading long passages. They read something and then realize they have no idea what they just read. To counter this, we teach kids how to actively read by asking themselves questions after each sentence. >>>

If VCs Turned You Down

We’re at the dusk of 2009, a gruesome year for most businesses. It has been an especially harrowing one for those entrepreneurs on the funding trail. This post is specifically meant for those entrepreneurs who have tried but not succeeded in raising venture money this year. >>>

Entrepreneur Journeys Book Review: Niches Abound Within Niches

A reader shared a nice review of Bootstrapping: Weapon Of Mass Reconstruction on Slide Share: >>>

Helping Failing High School Students Pass: Revolution Prep Founders Ramit Varma and Jake Neuberg (Part 1)

Revolution Prep was founded 2002 by Ramit Varma and Jake Neuberg, who met at UCLA’s Anderson School of Management. Founded in 2002, Revolution has become the largest provider of SAT prep courses and tutoring in California and one of the largest providers nationwide, with students in 12 states. Building on the success of its SAT program, Revolution’s products and services now address a wide range of academic areas, including ACT, GRE, high-stakes No Child Left Behind testing, and online education.

SM: Ramit, to start, tell me about who you and Jake are as entrepreneurs. Where do your stories begin?

RV: I am from Maryland and I went to the University of Maryland, where I studied electrical engineering. While I was in college I started teaching for the Princeton Review, and I discovered that I really loved teaching. >>>