Javier Rojas
Javier Rojas is Managing Director of Kennet Partners leading U.S. investment activities. He is currently on the boards of Intelepeer, Revolution Prep, AcademixDirect and Kapow Technologies. Javier holds an M.B.A. from The Harvard Business School and a B.A.S. from Georgetown University.
Recent Posts
Book review: The Breakthrough Company by Keith R. McFarland
(Editor’s note: Javier Rojas is a managing director leading U.S. investment activities for Kennet Partners. He submitted this story to VentureBeat.)
“The Breakthrough Company” helps entrepreneurs navigate the hyper-growth that companies pass through on the way to becoming market leaders.
In the spirit of Jim Collins’ Good to Great, author Keith R. McFarland undertook an extensive study of small growth companies that grew from $5 million to $250 million in revenue, comparing them with … Continue Reading
Book review: “Tribal Leadership”
(Editor’s note: Javier Rojas is a managing director leading U.S. investment activities for Kennet Partners. He submitted this story to VentureBeat.)
There’s a central theme to “Tribal Leadership”: Change language and relationships and you can change your company. By studying how teams interact socially, authors Dave Logan, John King, Hale Fischer-Wright outline common patterns of success, why they work and how they can be developed.
When all’s said and done, though, teams and organizations can … Continue Reading
Book review: “Delivering Happiness” by Tony Hsieh
(Editor’s note: Javier Rojas is a managing director leading U.S. investment activities for Kennet Partners. He submitted this story to VentureBeat.)
Tony Hsieh has founded two very successful companies. Along the way, he has learned innumerable lessons and develop a model for creating intensely passionate corporate cultures. In “Delivering Happiness,” he gives insight into both.
Hsieh is the first entrepreneur I have seen to take many of the tenets from the emerging field of positive … Continue Reading
Book review: “Switch” by Chip and Dan Heath
(Editor’s note: Javier Rojas is a managing director leading U.S. investment activities for Kennet Partners. He submitted this story to VentureBeat.)
One of the biggest challenges entrepreneurs have is managing change – for prospects, customers and employees. Using research studies and integrating ideas from top authors with related insights, the Heath brothers, authors of the best-selling “Made to Stick,” have woven a concise, actionable formula for managing change and illustrated it with real life stories … Continue Reading
EC Book Review: “Wired for War,” by P.W. Singer
(Editor’s note: Javier Rojas is a managing director leading U.S. investment activities for Kennet Partners. He submitted this story to VentureBeat.)
If you’ve been keeping an eye out for emerging market opportunities, it might interest you that robotics is one of today’s fastest growing technologies. Innovation takes place primarily in the battlefield (Iraq and Afghanistan) and through defense contracts, so most of the developments taking place are not yet widely known.
In “Wired for War,” … Continue Reading
EC Book Review: – “Drive,” by Daniel Pink
(Editor’s note: Javier Rojas is a managing director leading U.S. investment activities for Kennet Partners. He submitted this story to VentureBeat.)
Bringing an idea to its most powerful reality comes down to one thing: Building a team of the right caliber and motivation. “Drive” proposes a new model to develop that motivation and deliver far more than you can with strictly monetary rewards.
Author Daniel Pink knows his stuff. He’s a noted writer and researcher … Continue Reading
EC Book Review: "Made to Stick," by Chip and Dan Heath
(Editor’s note: Javier Rojas is a managing director leading U.S. investment activities for Kennet Partners. He submitted this story to VentureBeat.)
What’s holding back the spread of your ideas? The problem may be that you know too much.
For entrepreneurs, the ability to inspire, motivate and evangelize is critical. It’s a 24/7 job. In “Made to Stick,” the Heath brothers have developed a helpful formula to rate how likely your message is to be remembered … Continue Reading
7 must-reads for entrepreneurs
(Editor’s note: Javier Rojas is a managing director leading U.S. investment activities for Kennet Partners. He submitted this story to VentureBeat.)
If you’re an entrepreneur, odds are you’re insanely busy. You may welcome constructive suggestions to improve your business, but don’t really have time to hunt for answers. The good news is there are plenty of great books on the market that can help make a difference.
No time to read? You’re not alone. But … Continue Reading
The art of the bootstrap
[Editor's note: With the economic downturn drying up venture capital in Silicon Valley and elsewhere, more early-stage companies will be forced to bootstrap their way to profitability. But what does that actually mean for the companies who go this route? Javier Rojas, managing director of equity capital firm Kennet Partners, offers his insights.]
Times being what they are, it’s encouraging to know that some of the world’s leading public companies got to where they are … Continue Reading
Deciding on the right time to sell your business
[Editor's note: With valuations of private companies at high levels, driven by a robust M&A environment, now is the time for some people to think about selling their business. Here's a primer.]
Should I sell my business? A question every business owner ponders, but how do you know the right answer?
Three major factors are typically involved in the decision to sell: market, financial and personal. By carefully evaluating each of these areas, … Continue Reading
