Deborah Streeter: eClips & Entrepreneurship

Cornell University Professor Deborah Streeter is committed to educating entrepreneurs in revolutionary ways.  As an early adopter of video clips in the classroom, Streeter realized the impact of direct testimonials.  With the vision of a rich online database of content, the Professor took the necessary steps (often against the grain) to mobilize a stellar team and build a database of content now accessed by users in over 800 universities and almost 80 countries.  Behance caught up with Professor Streeter to discuss the steps she took to launch eClips, her approach to staying organized, and some of the perils faced by creative professionals.

Streeter describes the eClips project as an "organic process." As she explains, "I began about a decade ago when I started creating and teaching with video clips I made from interviews with entrepreneurs and experts. I didn't get really serious about sharing them with the world until a few years ago.  The key step was assembling my amazing eClips team." The team developed a noble vision: to capture and transform the real world wisdom in the everyday stories of experts and leaders of today to inspire, inform, and educate the leaders of tomorrow.

Streeter views time management as a continuous struggle, but has developed a system that works. "Maintaining an up-to-date, ordered to-do list is crucial for me.  Using the Action Method system, I am clear on all my follow up tasks after every idea (Behance Editorial Note: Professor Streeter was invited to serve as an early tester of the Action Method). I transfer them to a document that I keep on my desktop. Then everyday I scan the list, pick off what I need to do (urgent AND important) and create a smaller list on Behance’s Action Cards. That stays in front of me for the day and encourages me not to get overwhelmed by the large, long list of to-dos."

As for Streeter’s greatest challenges, like most entrepreneurs she has struggled to get financing. As she explains, "I want to keep eClips inside Cornell, despite its potential as a commercial venture. That means funding comes from foundations and grants, but the grant reviewers are usually in my generation and don't really "get" the importance of using rich media in education. It is always hard to get funded in academic life if you are too far ahead of the curve."

In her work with creative professionals, Streeter has observed a "real discomfort with the idea of making money." As she sees it, "it is important to balance the collaborative, creative, fluid process with the ability to pay the rent. I am amazed at how many artists are willing to work at non-creative jobs to support their artistic 'habit' rather than build a real business around their talents. The other advice is to choose partners carefully. Having three artists running a company usually does not work. You need to have someone on the team who LOVES business and is willing to work on the strategic and operational things that make a business successful (think: cash flow and people - they make the business world go round)."