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| An Interview with Mark Dollinger |
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Last month, Dr. Mark Dollinger, president of U.S.-based Trendlines America, visited the country to meet with incubators, start-ups, and established companies. During his 10-day visit, Dollinger visited 11 incubators from the Golan to Jerusalem. Karen Kozek, Trendlines' senior editor, caught up with Dollinger between meetings.
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Karen Kozek: You have a Ph.D. from the University of Connecticut. What can you tell us about the focus of your research?
 Mark Dollinger: My research centered on brain development in the rat. It also identified issues related to the birth process and mother-infant bonding in rats.
KK: You must see the recent advances in genetic engineering and stem cell research as directly related to your research.
MD (laughs): As a direct outgrowth of my research? No. But as an exciting leap forward in biotechnology? Absolutely.
KK: How can entrepreneurs and biotechnologists take advantage of these "giant leaps"?
MD: They have to look for applications. The most crucial issue in the advancement of basic science is understanding the implications of the research and looking for everyday applications that can lead to commercial success.
KK: Like the privatization of the human genome project?
MD: Exactly. One who understands how this could be appropriately commercialized has no intention of slowing down research or withholding valuable information but rather providing a commercial platform for advances that have been made.
KK: In June you accompanied an Israeli company on a 10-day trip around the States to meet with potential clients and look for business opportunities. What did you bring to those meetings?
MD: I brought an understanding of U.S. market. A trip to the States is not a small undertaking or investment for new companies, and it is important to maximize the time there.
At the most basic level, understanding how to organize a trip in a country as large as the United States requires knowledge. This required a lot of cooperation and coordination between the Trendlines Israel office, the client, and myself. Identifying the decision makers in the company and knowing how to schedule meetings with them requires experience.
KK: Do you feel that you met with the "right" people?
MD: Without a doubt. It is not terribly difficult to set appointments with large companies. They have many gatekeepers, and they are very willing to meet a foreign visitor. To meet with the key people who can move a project forward is what we strive for when planning our trips. In this particular instance we had very positive meetings.
KK: You're nearing the end of a very hectic week of meetings with numerous business incubators. What can you tell us about the state of business incubators here?
MD: One of our goals over the coming months is to establish relationships with a number of incubators and help them execute the overseas-based marketing program that has been made available to them through the Office of the Chief Scientist. This program allows incubators to more effectively penetrate the U.S. market as they are provided with financial support above and beyond the amount they receive upon entering the incubator.
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| Location, Location, Location |
KK: What about the logistics of such a trip?
MD: Understand the scope of the country. From coast to coast, it's almost 2500 miles (4023 km), crossing four different time zones. Don't attempt to fly into New York on Monday, have three meetings, fly to Los Angeles Monday night [a four- to six-hour flight minimally] for three meetings on Tuesday. The country is tremendously diverse in geography and culture.
KK: ...and markets.
MD: Absolutely.
KK: About the geography. You're in the middle of the country [Kansas City, Missouri, metropolitan area]. Is it an advantage or disadvantage being a two-and-a-half hour flight from either coast?
MD: Kansas City is a wonderful base of operations. Its central location allows for easy access to all the major markets, and it's one of those well-kept secrets in the country. It is a major center for communications and agritech. It is only a 45-minute flight to St. Louis, home to numerous Fortune 500 corporate headquarters.
KK: Can you think of two or three tips that you would give you entrepreneurs who are thinking about a trip to the States?
MD: Understand why you are making a trip. Do your research first; see that you've made appropriate calls. If necessary, work with an American who can help you understand how Americans work and interpret the meanings of Americans in meetings. Set a clear agenda. And follow up, follow up, follow up. One of the key issues when working in the United States is the timeliness and appropriateness of follow up.
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| The Israeli Spirit |
KK: You've done a trip with an Israeli client in the States, and now you've met Israeli entrepreneurs on their own turf. What surprises you about Israeli entrepreneurship?
MD: Their intensity, their desire to learn, to grow, and to achieve is dramatic. Most of the entrepreneurs I've met understand the need to succeed in the U.S. market as an important component in their growth plans. The willingness to adapt, the willingness to learn, and the willingness to do what is necessary to succeed are traits that are well represented in this environment.
KK: Would you say that America is receptive to new ideas from Israeli entrepreneurs?
MD: Entrepreneurs in general face a lot of obstacles. Having said that, the United States is always receptive to new ideas. New ideas originating from Israel probably receive a disproportionate amount of attention because of the reputation of Israeli innovation. Most U.S. businesspeople understand that Israel is willing to perform in a way that is consistent with the needs of the U.S. market.
KK: Israel hasn't exactly received much positive publicity over the past nine or ten months. Any other surprises on this trip?
MD: One of the issues that is extremely difficult to communicate is that Israel functions quite well on a day-to-day basis [in spite of the political situation]. The environment is business friendly. The fact that everything that occurs in Israel becomes national news in the United States is absolutely astonishing. There is not a country in the world that is scrutinized like this one.
Israel is very much in the eye of America, and this is a plus for the Israeli entrepreneur. Israelis have an entr?e to the American business arena in ways that other foreign businesspeople do not. When we called to set appointments for Israeli clients, most Americans expressed particular interest in seeing them, not only because the country has a reputation for producing cutting edge work, but because they are Israeli and they are interested in the country.
KK: You mentioned that you were impressed with the intensity of the Israeli entrepreneur. How can you assist them in reaching their goals?
MD: One of the crucial issues for Israeli clients is to help them understand the vast U.S. market. We try to work with our customers early on in the development process so that a project can be tailored to fit a particular need within a market. Identifying proper market segments and market channels is an important service that we provide our clients.
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The Trendletter team welcomes your comments.
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Karen Kozek
Senior Editor
The Trendlines Group
| | Map courtesy of www.theodora.com/maps used with permission. |
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