 
Wall St. and Business Wednesdays: Black Electorate Economics University's Webcast Guest Lecture Featuring Reuven Brenner, "Entrepreneurial Success Keys"
I first met Reuven Brenner in early 1998. At the time I was only familiar with his book, Labyrinths Of Prosperity. Like a great many books that I read, I immediately recognized certain insights that it contained and how they relate to the global Black electorate.
When I met Reuven, I told him that I felt many of his views, understandings and solutions had their best application among Blacks in America, the Caribbean and Africa. He seemed intrigued by what I suggested and open to discussing it further.
Well, 8 years later, a friendship and collaborative relationship has devloped and Reuven Brenner and I have discussed, for hours, how all five of his major books - History - The Human Gamble; Betting On Ideas; Rivalry: In Business, Science among Nations; Labyrinths Of Prosperity; and Force Of Finance relate to the Black political economy - its various peoples, institutions, entrepreneurs, and politicians all over the world.
While I respect Reuven Brenner's intellectual insights, it is not those that impress me the most. Rather, it is the way he obtained them. Unlike the seemingly endless supply of academics and consultants who are styled as experts on economic and business matters, Mr. Brenner is the rare find - an economist and professor who actually has experience in business and in applying his economic advice to real world clients, opportunities and scenarios.
Reuven, in addition to teaching in comfortable scholarly settings actually reviews and considers business plans for possible investment; advises entrepreneurs in the setting up of their businesses; and provides advice that is taken by multi-national corporations, governments and businesspersons all over the world. As strange as this may seem, this is not the common profile for many in a profession where mathematical formulas matter more than their application to solving a problem in society. That is why it is as important to mention his business, Match Strategic Partners, as well as the fact that he holds the Repap chair at McGill’s Desautels Faculty of Management.
In addition to his background and experience in the world of business, economics and politics, Reuven has lived a life of struggle, study and risk-taking - in Eastern Europe, Israel, the United States and Canada. He has learned languages, customs, and understands what it is like to have to navigate an entirely new culture in order to make progress for himself and his family.
I respect him as a man as much as anything else.
In June, for the benefit of members enrolled in our online Black Electorate Economic University (BEEU) Semester One, "Doing For Self through The Science Of Business"; Reuven graciously allowed us to visit him in Montreal to record his responses to over 10 questions I asked him related to material covered at BEEU. Reuven talked for 70 minutes on a wide-range of topics, including, how slavery impacted the premier source of capital for Black Americans; the uniqueness of Hip-Hop fashion lines; the role of risk and insurance in evaluating a business opportunity; the four elements that are important to any business plan; what attributes entrepreneurs need to display when presenting their business plan; the five sources of capital that are available; why equity investments have advantages over loans for start-ups; the relationship between capital markets and teh testing of ideas; and his views on the emergence of Black role models in business and leadership over the last 20 years, and so much more.
This is the first time that Reuven has granted such a webcast recording and we are extremely grateful for his time, candor and insight. I am convinced that the BEEU members will appreciate and study this guest lecture for years to come, and that it will affect their bottom lines in business as well as progress in life in positive ways.
To show our appreciation for our BlackElectorate.com viewers and perhaps to whet your appetite for more of what you can expect at BEEU, we are presenting a near 10-minute clip, free-of-any charge, to all of our viewers. We could have selected almost any section of the guest lecture but decided upon this segment because it deals with how Reuven's views - shaped from real world experience and problem solving have shaped his view of entrepreneurial business opportunities. It is a rare look at what went into Reuven's legendary perspectives on risk and insurance.
You can experience this clip by clicking here:
http://www.blackelectorate.com/media/bec_interv1_clip.ram
Enjoy.
Sincerely,
Cedric Muhammad
Provost
Black Electorate Economics University
http://www.blackelectorate.com/out/sel_lesson_out.asp
Cedric Muhammad Wednesday, July 19, 2006 To discuss this article further enter The Deeper Look Dialogue Room
The views and opinions expressed herein by the author do not necessarily represent the opinions or position of BlackElectorate.com or Black Electorate Communications.
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