Welcome to Netpreneur, your guide through the entrepreneurial ecology of the National Capital area -- including the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia -- and beyond.

Netpreneur is currently in a period of transition. In October of 2002, it was announced that the program would sunset at the end of that year as the Morino Institute refocused its efforts. Since that time, however, hundreds of individuals, entrepreneurs, and organizations have volunteered to help continue many of the program's services. As a result, the Institute announced that it had decided to continue hosting the Netpreneur website into 2003 while new homes were found for its services.

During this period of transition, if you’re starting a technology business, you’ll still find that Netpreneur is a powerful tool for finding knowledge, partners, connections, opportunities, funders, and much more. Netpreneur is a community—both virtual and physical—where tech entrepreneurs can connect, partner and help one another grow and succeed. From bio-informatics to eCommerce, telecom to telemedicine, communications devices to Web services, members of the Netpreneur community are pioneers of new markets  and new opportunities.

Netpreneur’s communications center is here at  the Netpreneur Exchange website. Visit the Quick Guide to Netpreneur Resources for a brief overview of our primary services, or the Site Map which will help you navigate through the many options the site has to offer. They range from discussion groups to contact databases, introductions, news, and information. If you ever find yourself with a question about using the site or experiencing difficulties, visit our Support Center for immediate answers.

In addition to our online programs, Netpreneur has hosted face-to-face events around the region where entrepreneurs can meet each other, as well as funders, advisers, experts, thought-leaders, journalists, and potential partners. You can learn more about our past events in the  Event Archives.

We encourage you to make use of all the services that are ongoing through the transition.

frequently asked questions

1.   What is Netpreneur?

2.   Who participates in Netpreneur?

3.   What kinds of entrepreneurs get involved in Netpreneur?

4.   What services does Netpreneur offer?

5.   Does it cost anything to participate?

6.   How do I get started?

7.   How can netpreneurs outside the region get involved?

8.   When is the next Netpreneur event?

9.   Are there any conditions I must abide by when using Netpreneur resources?

10. Can I use Netpreneur’s discussion groups, registration lists, or databases to market myself or my business?

11. What happens to the information I supply to Netpreneur about myself and my business?

12. How can my company support Netpreneur’s work?

Don't see your question here? E-mail us: feedback@netpreneur.org

1. What is Netpreneur?

Netpreneur is a network of entrepreneurs and their stakeholders primarily in the Greater Washington, DC region, joined by entrepreneurs, investors, and others from almost every US state and dozens of countries around the world. Netpreneur’s goal is to create education and communication channels so that community members can make contacts, uncover opportunities, and find answers that will help them grow their businesses. Netpreneur is operated by the Morino Institute in cooperation with partners and volunteers from across the region. The Institute is a nonprofit organization that explores the opportunities and risks of the Internet and the New Economy and their ability to advance social change.

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2. Who participates in Netpreneur?

The Netpreneur community includes thousands of people in the entrepreneurial ecology -- anyone who has a dream of starting (or helping to start) a technology business. Meeting both online and offline, the community is primarily comprised of individuals working in high-tech companies (from founders and CEOs to “entrepreneurs in waiting”), as well as investors (such as angels and venture capitalists), strategic partners, journalists, educators, students, and service providers (such as accountants, attorneys, and consultants). In addition, many individuals and established businesses with regional, national, and global profiles participate as sponsors, speakers, guest experts, and partners in Netpreneur’s efforts, offering their experience wisdom, products, and services for the benefit of the community.

-     For entrepreneurs, Netpreneur offers channels, connections, and a vast base of knowledge to help you grow your business.

-     For investors, Netpreneur offers news about promising young companies and qualified introductions to their founders.

-     For journalists, advisors, students, educators, and others, Netpreneur offers connections to the hundreds of high-tech businesses in this thriving entrepreneurial community.

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3. What kinds of entrepreneurs get involved in Netpreneur?

  Whether their business is still just a concept, or on through startup, early, middle, and later stages, all kinds of high-tech entrepreneurs participate at levels appropriate to their stage of growth. These entrepreneurs are developing products and services in areas as diverse as Web design, software, security, distance education, bio-informatics, eCommerce, communications devices, and much more, for use in industries such as telecom, software, networking, IT services, media, and biotech. In addition, many serial and veteran entrepreneurs remain active members of Netpreneur, offering their experience and advice in discussion groups, networking events, and speaking engagements.

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4. What services does Netpreneur provide?

Visit the Quick Guide to Netpreneur Resources for a brief overview of our primary services, or the Site Map which will help you navigate through the many options our website has to offer. Please bear with us during our sunset period while many of these services are transitioning to new homes in the community. You can get learn about new developments in the process at our updates page.

In addition to Web and email services, Netpreneur has hosted face-to-face events that have both educational and networking components. They typically feature information and knowledge-sharing from veteran entrepreneurs, investors, experts, researchers, and practitioners who have a track record of success. Beyond the knowledge shared, these events offer inspiration and encouragement in groups that may range in size from 30 to over 1000 attendees. Visit the Netpreneur Event Archives to find summaries, transcripts, resources, and streaming video collected from our previous events.

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5. Does it cost anything to participate?

No. Currently, all Netpreneur services are offered free thanks to the generous support of the Morino Institute, as well as contributions and sponsorships from our partners in the community.

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6. How do I get started?

Begin by becoming a registered user of the Netpreneur website. Registering is a quick process that provides you with access to premium services, including Funding & Finance resources, Netpreneur database search, and other protected content. One of the advantages to becoming a registered user is that you can access your My Services page which makes it much easier to sign up for Netpreneur events and manage your Netpreneur subscriptions.  Registering is free and only takes a few moments.

While registering, you’ll be asked to review and agree to our Access Agreement. Please take a moment to do so. The agreement simply presents a few fair and friendly “rules of the road” that keep our community running smoothly and protect the rights of all members. Even if you decide not to register, your use of the Netpreneur website and other Netpreneur resources is conditional upon behaving in accordance with the Access Agreement.

While registering, you can also subscribe to Netpreneur News and Netpreneur Calendar, our two free weekly news services. (You can also subscribe to Netpreneur News now or subscribe to Netpreneur Calendar now without registering if you choose.)

Once you’ve registered, visit the Quick Guide to Netpreneur Resources for a brief overview of our primary services, or the Site Map which will help you navigate through the many options our website has to offer. Be sure to check out valuable resources such as ActionNet, Netpreneur discussion groups, and our Event Archives.

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7. How can entrepreneurs outside the Greater Washington region get involved?

Almost all Netpreneur services are equally useful and available to entrepreneurs no matter where they live or work, although there are some limitations.

-     All of our events circulate between venues in the Greater Washington region, including Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, DC. If you are planning to travel to the region, you are most welcome to attend. For those who can’t make it, transcripts and streaming video for nearly all Netpreneur events are made available in our Event Archives, usually within one week of the event.

-     Netpreneur Calendar covers only events occurring in the region. Everyone with an interest is welcome to subscribe.

That’s about it. Everything else -- from our discussion groups to informational resources -- are all open and available to anyone, no matter where you live.

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8. When is the next Netpreneur event?

Future events are being considered during the transition period. Consult the updates page or Netpreneur Calendar to learn more about upcoming events from Netpreneur and other groups in the Greater Washington region.

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9. Are there any conditions I must abide by when using Netpreneur resources?

Yes. As with any community, all members accept responsibility for their behavior, and Netpreneur is no exception. Consult our Access Agreement which presents a few fair and friendly “rules of the road” that keep our community running smoothly and protect the rights of all members. Your use of the Netpreneur website and other Netpreneur resources is conditional upon your behaving in accordance with the Access Agreement.

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10. Can I use Netpreneur’s discussion groups, registration lists, or databases to market myself or my business?

No, and we’re very strict about enforcing this policy. While some of our services,  offer matchmaking or promotional opportunities, there are restrictions on how they can be used -- and using any Netpreneur resources for unsolicited, mass-marketing is strictly forbidden. Consult our Access Agreement for more on this and other conditions of using the Netpreneur website and our other services. Individuals who violate this agreement can be removed from discussion groups and other Netpreneur vehicles. They will also be denied access to the Web site and events.

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11. What happens to the information I supply to Netpreneur about myself and my business?

All the information you provide through Netpreneur  (or any other Morino Institute website) is protected and used only as described in our privacy policy. Netpreneur does not sell, rent or lease any personal information collected through its website.

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12. How can my company support Netpreneur’s work?

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