Switzerland. Thailand. Taiwan. Malaysia. Wales. China. Mexico. Australia. New Zealand. Ireland.

Those are the countries that have programs that would like ASU Technopolis’s Sharon Ballard come do what she has done for numerous entrepreneurs in Phoenix, San Diego, Scotland and Finland—help science and technology entrepreneurs get their ideas off the ground and to the market.

Ballard got involved in entrepreneurial coaching in 1997, a year after she stepped down as President & CEO Reticular Systems, a California-based computer hardware and software development firm she co-founded. Officials at the University of California at San Diego’s CONNECT program contacted Ballard to see if she had any interest in coaching early stage technology companies in a voluntary role. Over the next ten months, she coached about sixty companies, and found that she enjoyed working with science and technology-based entrepreneurs.

“Scientists and engineers tell us what is possible, but I really enjoy helping them turn what is possible into business realities,” Ballard says. “I am convinced that some of the best entrepreneurs are actually scientists and engineers who make the decision to learn the language and science of business.  When they decide to become entrepreneurs and business executives, they are so bright and energetic and hardworking that they can be as successful as any well-educated and experienced business executive.”

Ballard’s initial work with UCSD led to her being named CONNECT’s first Management Fellow for the Springboard Program, upon which the ASU Technopolis Launch Pad Program is based. Through administrative referrals, as well as through her role as a lecturer for CONNECT’s global summer studies in entrepreneurship, Ballard had the opportunity to interact with officials from visiting international universities and organizations who were interested in having her work with their own entrepreneurship programs. This network of contacts has allowed Ballard to work with entrepreneurs across Scotland and Finland, and in the US in Kentucky, Southern California, and Phoenix. 

Her first experience abroad came in 2000, when Ballard served a two-month fellowship at the University of Strathclyde’s Hunter Centre for Entrepreneurship.  While there, the Hunter Centre asked Ballard to detail how she coached first-time entrepreneurs.  This provided the seed for the Supercoaching™ the Entrepreneur program, which is now the basis for all of Ballard’s offerings.  Since that initial fellowship, Ballard has visited Scotland about twice a year, teaching business advisors and professional services providers these coaching methods, as well as guest lecturing in various entrepreneurial classes.  She is also writing a book with the director of the Hunter Centre, Dr. Jonathan Levie, entitled Launching Technology Startups:  Practical Tools and Techniques for First-Time Entrepreneurs.

Ballard finds that international and American entrepreneurs both positively respond to the structured facilitation in her offerings, saying that “They respond quite well to the accountability, the structure, the order of the assignments, the unparalleled networking opportunities, and to the rare opportunity of presenting their business plan to a ‘dream panel’ of business and other experts for feedback and advice.”

Having lived in the Phoenix area twice before, and visiting often while living in San Diego, Ballard and her husband moved back in 2000 for their “retirement.”  Ballard believes “Even in ‘retirement’ it is important to me to stay involved in my community and do whatever I can to add value.  I think my value is to share lessons learned, often from mistakes made, that might improve the quality of life here in my home community.” 

And around the world.