• February 14, 2023
• by:crossoceanfund

Cross Ocean Ventures, the premier early-stage investment fund for international founders with global ambitions announces investment in PicUP, an award winning AI-based visualization, optimization, and personalization platform system …

• November 14, 2022
• by:crossoceanfund

Cross Ocean Ventures, the premier early-stage investment fund for international founders with global ambitions announces investment in LeadSales, the first multi agent CRM that facilitates conversational commerce through …

• October 3, 2022
• by:Serhat Pala

Lately, almost three of the four seed-level early-stage companies I meet are have difficulty determining the amount of funding they want to raise. This difficulty is a common …

• September 19, 2022
• by:Zeynep Ilgaz

A leader must set the tone and align the troops toward a common goal to build a great team.  However, setting these goals is no easy task. Identifying …

• August 29, 2022
• by:Serhat Pala

My wife and I came to the USA for our San Diego State University MBA degrees from Turkey after we finished Bogazici Economics and worked in Istanbul for a couple of years. …

• August 25, 2022
• by:Zeynep Ilgaz

A good business management strategy is vital for every new business to operate smoothly and efficiently. Managing a business is one of the most difficult things an entrepreneur …

• August 1, 2022
• by:Zeynep Ilgaz

Angel investors are high-net-worth individuals who invest their money in startups and early-stage companies. Unlike venture capitalists, angel investors fund startups in their very early stages, making these unproven investments …

• December 12, 2017
• by:Serhat Pala

This article originally appeared on Inc. Self-driving and electric cars are coming at us fast. The landscape for them right now is similar to what it was for home computers in the …

• December 6, 2017
• by:Serhat Pala

This article originally appeared on Inc. When thinking about what traits a good leader has, charisma is right up there at the top. You may have a brilliant business mind, but if …

• November 28, 2017
• by:Serhat Pala

This article originally appeared on Inc. One of my first entrepreneurial encounters was during my years as a child laborer in Turkey. (Don’t worry, I’m exaggerating. It wasn’t really that bad.) In fifth grade, …

• November 22, 2017
• by:Serhat Pala

This article originally appeared on Inc. Even the best relationships go through hard times. Whether you are friends, siblings, a couple, or business partners, you’re bound to hit a few bumps in …

• November 16, 2017
• by:Serhat Pala

This article originally appeared on Inc. In our current culture of celebrity worship, we often look to well-known names and faces to teach us things. You’ll find enough lessons inadvertently …

• October 31, 2017
• by:Serhat Pala

This article first appeared on Inc. Promises are essentially verbal contracts we make with each other or with ourselves. If you’ve broken a promise, you’ve broken one of these contracts (and even …

• October 25, 2017
• by:Serhat Pala

This article originally appeared on Inc. In our current state of technology the sheer volume of data is staggering and it’s easy to have your eyes glaze over from data overload. That’s why …

• October 17, 2017
• by:Serhat Pala

This article originally appeared on Inc. Before you start a company, there are many crucial steps to take. One of the most important is to develop a definition of success that you …

• October 11, 2017
• by:Serhat Pala

This article originally appeared on Inc. The more you know about the world, the easier it is to come up with ideas to change the world. For entrepreneurs, a truly world changing …

• October 3, 2017
• by:Serhat Pala

This article originally appeared on Inc. You can find many stories of successful companies that originated from a serendipitous moment like two people randomly meeting or someone being in a certain …

• September 26, 2017
• by:Serhat Pala

This article originally appeared on Inc. You’re never too young or too old to learn or teach. I was always excited at the prospect of teaching my two sons about entrepreneurship. With …

• September 19, 2017
• by:crossoceanfund

This article originally appeared on Inc. There is much anecdotal evidence that living abroad is a significant factor for an artist to be successful. In fact, it’s often considered a necessity. Many aspiring …

• September 13, 2017
• by:Serhat Pala

This article originally appeared on Inc. When trying to come up with new business ideas, you need to have diversity in your life, which includes knowing a wide-ranging group of people who …

• September 4, 2017
• by:Serhat Pala

This article originally appeared on Inc. When you’re learning a musical instrument, it’s sage advice to practice what you can’t do rather than what you can do. If you can speed through …

• August 31, 2017
• by:Serhat Pala

This article originally appeared on Inc. Just like a jigsaw puzzle, sometimes taking small pieces and putting them together to form something larger and coherent works with entrepreneurship, too. Don’t take …

• August 23, 2017
• by:Serhat Pala

This article originally appeared on Inc. One very real conundrum for entrepreneurs who are starting a business is that they have to be active on social media to keep up their presence on …

• August 16, 2017
• by:Serhat Pala

This article originally appeared on Inc. If you ask me what entrepreneurs I want my sons to emulate as they grow up, the top three that come to mind …

• August 9, 2017
• by:Serhat Pala

This article originally appeared on Inc. You’re almost certainly familiar with the domino effect. It’s when you do something that causes something else to happen, which then causes something else to …

• August 3, 2017
• by:Serhat Pala

This article originally appeared on Inc. Given the choice (and the guarantee that you would not suffer any negative consequences), how many hours would you prefer to sleep each day? Five? …

• July 27, 2017
• by:Serhat Pala

This article originally appeared on Inc. One of my 13-year-old son’s idols is Bill Gates. The fact that he is the richest man on Earth plays a part in that, …

• July 18, 2017
• by:Serhat Pala

This article originally appeared on Inc. Deciding to start a company is the first step toward entrepreneurship for most people. But, you also have to decide what type of business you are going …

• July 11, 2017
• by:Serhat Pala

This article was originally published on Inc. Firing someone never gets easier (unless you’re getting paid big bucks to yell “You’re fired!” at people). Even if you’re happy to see …

• July 7, 2017
• by:Serhat Pala

This article was originally published on Inc. You’ve probably come up with at least one seemingly brilliant business idea in your life but then after some sober thought, decided that it …

• June 29, 2017
• by:Serhat Pala

This article was originally published on Inc. Companies and yogurt have at least one thing in common: they both need culture to survive. A company without culture is merely a group of disconnected …

• June 21, 2017
• by:Serhat Pala

This article originally appeared on Inc. For people who are running a company or trying to start one, potentially day-ruining events are always lurking just around the corner, waiting to pounce. …

• June 13, 2017
• by:crossoceanfund

This article was originally published on Inc. A lot of people give inspiration too much credit. Contrary to popular belief, artists don’t sit around waiting for inspiration before they create something. When trying …

• June 8, 2017
• by:Serhat Pala

This article was originally published on Inc. January 18, 1943 isn’t a date you’ll learn in a textbook, but for a brief while, it was the day the American government was forced to …

• May 30, 2017
• by:Serhat Pala

This article was originally published on Inc. Starting your first business is like falling in love for the first time: You are as excited as you are clueless. There are many …

• May 25, 2017
• by:Serhat Pala

This article first appeared on Inc. The act of listening is pretty simple. Ok, technically it’s not that simple, but I don’t want to get into the actual logistics of sound …

• May 17, 2017
• by:Serhat Pala

This article first appeared on Inc. The late Steve Jobs said that if you don’t love what you do, you are bound to get sick of it. I’m paraphrasing …

• May 10, 2017
• by:Serhat Pala

This article first appeared on Inc. When I started my first business, I thought the secret of success lay in one word: “yes.” I was wrong. It’s easy to fall into …

• March 20, 2017
• by:Zeynep Ilgaz

Generation Y is perhaps the most misunderstood generation that has ever entered the workforce. This group has been labeled lazy, entitled, and needy, but this is a terribly …

• February 7, 2017
• by:Serhat Pala

All successful businesses share some common elements. Any business that lacks one or more of these elements is going to have a difficult time succeeding.    These elements …

• November 7, 2016
• by:Serhat Pala

Family life is the backbone of American culture. It shapes our lives, affects our future and defines our past. It is the strongest of units that a person …

• March 15, 2016
• by:Serhat Pala

It usually starts as a rumor around the water cooler (or, more likely, the Keurig). Uneasy crowds gather ‘round and ask who is going to acquire the company …

• February 8, 2016
• by:Serhat Pala

It usually starts as a rumor around the water cooler (or, more likely, the Keurig). Uneasy crowds gather ‘round and ask who is going to acquire the company …

• March 18, 2015
• by:crossoceanfund

The United States is the Land of Opportunity for many. This includes the almost 820,000 foreign students who were enrolled in US universities in 2013. They all came for their …

• March 12, 2015
• by:Serhat Pala

Sometimes they wake you up in the middle of the night, sometimes they just pop into your head fully formed and sometimes they only arrive after painstakingly brainstorming …

• December 17, 2014
• by:Serhat Pala

It’s easy to get caught up with new technology. So shiny and fun to play with, we’re drawn to it and want to use all of its new …

• September 24, 2014
• by:Zeynep Ilgaz

This post originally seen on TriplePundit. It should go without saying that giving back is a good thing. Every member of society benefits from the health of the community, …

• August 29, 2014
• by:Zeynep Ilgaz

This post originally seen on BlogHer No job description has more bullet points than a mom’s: nurse, teacher, nutritionist, accountant — not to mention the voice of innumerable storybook …

• August 13, 2014
• by:Zeynep Ilgaz

This post originally seen on Careerealism You’re probably tired of hearing stereotypes about your generation, and so am I. Frankly, in interviewing candidates at my company, I’ve seen just …

• July 31, 2014
• by:Zeynep Ilgaz

This article originally posted on KillerStartups. When I was a child, the most valuable lessons my mom taught me involved running a business. During the summer months, she made …

• July 23, 2014
• by:Zeynep Ilgaz

Originally posted at Women 2.0 Running a business is tough, but if you have a spouse and kids, you know it’s a never-ending battle to keep things running smoothly …

• July 18, 2014
• by:Serhat Pala

Managing a blog isn’t always easy. Fresh content doesn’t just pop out of the ground or fall out of the sky. It takes work. You have to constantly …

• July 9, 2014
• by:Zeynep Ilgaz

This post originally seen in Yahoo Voices My husband, Serhat, and I came to America 16 years ago from Turkey with nothing but two suitcases, a love for each …

• June 27, 2014
• by:Zeynep Ilgaz

This article was originally posted on WeWork They say that opportunity doesn’t knock twice. The truth is that opportunity maynever knock on your door. It might only be a tap …

• June 25, 2014
• by:Serhat Pala

No matter how good your product or service, it won’t sell itself. Everything needs a push behind it so, at the very least, people know it exists. It …

• June 12, 2014
• by:Zeynep Ilgaz

It’s easy to spot dollar signs glittering in the eyes of most would-be entrepreneurs. Money is the goal. Funding is the hurdle. With all the focus on cash, …

• June 4, 2014
• by:Serhat Pala

Most companies have some kind of video relating to their business up on their websites. Those trendy, animated videos that explain things in a fun-to-watch way are everywhere. …

• June 3, 2014
• by:Serhat Pala

You finally landed an interview with your dream company. You are nervous, excited and nervous all over again! Your interview is in two days. Would you: Which approach …