Laura Rich at FastCompany published a great article today on Why You Should Start A Company in… Atlanta.

I’ve lived and worked in & out of Atlanta since 1981 – I’m passionate about this town, the quality of life here, and so much that it has going for it.  I know Alan Taetle at NMP and agree with a number of references in the article.  Unfortunately, here are several fundamental points Alan didn’t mention:

1. Lack of Ideas – Even with Tech and Emory in town, there are not enough compelling ideas being generated by intellectual curiosity and horsepower!  Wonder how many quality and quantity deals Alan has looked at in the past month?
2. Lack of Seed Funding – Atlanta has never been a strong capital market and we seem to lack visionary angel investors who are willing to put their money, experience and reputation behind budding entrepreneurs.  In the past Angels would fund early, promising ideas – now they’re looking for proven market validation, i.e. customers!  Wonder how many Angel deals of say less than $1M has been completed here in the last year?
3. Lack of Institutional Funding – ATDC can produce great ideas backed by decent entrepreneurs.  A handful maybe able to find Angel investors, but then what?  Without a robust and competitive venture capital community, how can these early stage firms mature and progress their vision?  Wonder of all of the deals Alan looked at last year, how many did NMP fund?  How many were co-syndicated by other local VCs?
4. Lack of Entrepreneurial Ecosystem – Detrimental to the entire picture is lack of any sustainable entrepreneurial ecosystem. Unlike other regions where successful entrepreneurial exits tend to reinvest their green- and gray matters back into the market, Atlanta’s successful entrepreneurs retire to Lake Oconee or move on to real estate development, depriving the ecosystem from much needed fuel to support the next generation of ideas.
5. Lack of Leadership and Vision – The local business chronicle has yet to replace its technology staff writer from the last one they let go two years ago!  Leadership Atlanta seldom selects class members from the technology entrepreneur ranks.  The local technology association often confuses vibration with forward motion.  And our last several governors and mayors couldn’t spell technology if they tried.

Atlanta is an amazing town with some amazing people – unfortunately, a technology entrepreneurial Mecca, it’s not.  It’s about time we stopped kidding ourselves and started doing something about being seen as more than just the town that hosted the Olympics and home to Coke, UPS and Delta!

David Nour is CEO of the The Nour Group, Inc. and author of Relationship Economics (Wiley), ConnectAbility (McGraw-Hill), and The Entrepreneur’s Guide to Raising Capital (Praeger).

Wow – how times have changed since 1981 when I came to this country?  Wonder if "private consulting or professional speaking, or perhaps authoring a book" reform is coming?  I’m sure the Federal Solo Consulting Practitioners Administration can do what I do – or at least tell me how to do what I do – much more effectively…

If you haven’t read the Declaration of Independence lately, it makes for an interesting read…

I hope you’ll read this with shared disappointment in how our State Department / US Consulates treat global citizens and in particular their mistreatment of Iranian nationals.  We’re talking about valuable individuals who want to contribute to our business community and are trying to enter our country legally.  If we don’t take a stand against these abuses, not only will they continue but will become more rampant and degrade our perception in the world community and diplomatic stature – at the street level where it counts.

Separately, these bureaucrats need to learn a thing or two about “customer experience” and Citizen Relationship Management!

From: David Nour
Date: December 30, 2009 6:25:30 PM EST
To: “Jennifer Whitt, PMP”
Subject: Fwd: Request for NIV appointment for an Iranian National

Jen – thank you for the offer to help.  I’m outraged by the manner in which US Consulates in general, and the one in Dubai in particular a) mistreats Iranian citizens, and b) disengages from interaction with US citizens in an urgent situation.  They’ve become arrogant and disengaged from the fact that they have jobs because of our tax revenues and they are in the business of supporting US citizens in international matters.

I am writing stern letters to Governor Purdue, Senators Chambliss and Isackson, as well as Congressman Lewis.  As you know I also met Secretary Rice this past year – bottom line, the State Department’s policies and Consulate’s behavior are unacceptable and globally, citizens of various nationalities who wish to enter our country legally are being mistreated, abused, belittled, and outright discriminated against.

Here is a summary of what transpired today in Dubai, UAE:

• The Nour Group, Inc. has applied for and been granted an H-1B visa for an Iranian citizen to help me write my next two commercial books entitled “Escape from Oppression” and “The Immigrant Success DNA.”
• The non-immigrant visa process mandates that they attend an in-person interview to verify their credentials and the fact that they will return to their country once their work permit expires.
• There are four (4) consulates worldwide who will allow Iranian citizens to come for these interviews.
• One of those is in Dubai, UAE.  Working with the immigration law firm of Siskind Susser, and per their Atlanta office Managing Partner’s email below, we had secured an appointment for BOTH the principal employee and his spouse for today, December 30th at 7:30 AM Dubai time.
• When they arrived at the security guard station just outside the embassy compound, the Principal, was turned away because he was told that he did not have an appointment.
• His spouse was allowed to enter the embassy, but when she met with a consular representative, she was asked regarding the person for whom the H-1B was approved.  When she replied that it was her husband, she was handed back all of the documents we along with our law firm have prepared (over 200 pages and four separate application processes) to return to the security guard station to try to get her husband cleared to enter the compound.
• Because he was not on the appointment list – what clearly appears to be the consulate’s mistake, they left the embassy for their hotel and contacted me.
• At 12:30 AM EST (Dubai is eight and half hours ahead) I contacted the US Consulate in Dubai and through their automated system reached a live operator.
• I asked for the “non-immigrant visa section” and was told that “they do not take phone calls” and that I’d have to send them an email to which they’d reply within 2 days.
• I specifically mentioned that I’m a U.S. Citizen and that I had an urgent situation regarding an employee and a mistake in the appointment time.  The operator, with a thick Indian accent reiterated that I can not speak with anyone live and I’d have to send them an email to which they’d reply within 2 days.
• The next two days are New Year’s holidays and the US Embassy in Dubai will be closed.
• UAE requires a visa of Iranian citizens and the only way to get a visa from Tehran is to go with a tour company.  As such, the above mentioned employee and his spouse will have to return to Iran tonight at 12:30 AM EST (9 AM tomorrow in Dubai) and go through the entire ridiculous process all over again within the next 30 days – it simply takes that long to get back, find another tour company to return to Dubai for their interview.
• This episode has caused our small firm considerable expense in travel and legal fees, and a great deal of unnecessary stress and aggravation – simply because of the arrogance, carelessness, and lack of accountability in the administration of appointments by the US Consulate in Dubai and as mentioned earlier, their behavior is unacceptable.
• This is NOT an isolated incident and given the turbulent political conditions in Iran and the age of both our employee and his spouse, I’m concerned for their safety and candidly life.  Given President Obama’s open support of the Iranian citizens, I’d expect a more professional and supportive behavior by the US Consulate staff toward Iranian citizens and US Citizens who are their “customers.”

Thank you,
David

David Nour – CEO
The Nour Group, Inc.

Begin forwarded message:

From: “Karen Weinstock”
Date: December 30, 2009 1:22:17 PM EST
To: “David Nour”
Cc: “Elena Kochutin”
Subject: FW: Request for NIV appointment for an Iranian National

David,

I understand that you are upset about the situation but our office scheduled the appointment correctly. The embassy have messed things up entirely on their own. See below back and forth correspondence with the embassy scheduling the appointment. Unfortunately we do not have control over what goes inside the embassy, but perhaps they just didn’t add the Principal’s information to the security guards?

Karen

*******************************************************************
Karen Weinstock, Attorney at Law
Managing Attorney, Atlanta Office
Siskind Susser – Serving immigration clients throughout the world

In an astonishing fashion, the official Iranian government spokesperson recently announced that any dissatisfied citizen not only is more than welcome to migrate internationally, but that they would also be provided a stipend for their citizenship.

Said another way, if you don’t like our corrupt, injustice, devalued human rights, and oppressive regime, you are welcome to leave – permanently. We will even compensate you: $10,000 USD for you, $5,000 for your spouse and $2,000 for each child. Otherwise comply or risk detention, rape, or murder as other viable options on the menu.

In the past three decades, Iranian citizenship has experienced dramatic dilution in international acceptance and creditability. Consider this; as late as the 1970s U.S. was the sole country requiring an admissions visa; compare that to today where only 16 of an estimated 196 countries allow Iranian citizens entry. It has not been an incremental but exponential change in how Iranian citizens are perceived. Beyond its official status for cross border travel, one’s passport is an internationally recognized brand of a nationality, culture, and its global Reputation Capital – unfortunately Iran’s is currently at its lowest in centuries.

Iranian citizens should celebrate this day with Joyous pride in how their government is treating its citizens. In our work with multitude of global organizations, I cannot fathom the senior leadership / board encouraging and compensating its top talent to leave. Iran’s self-proclaimed governance model as “an inspiration for 100 other countries to follow” as claimed by Ahmadinejad is clearly flawed in this situation with this announcement.

How much is each citizen worth? And how does a government determine its ROI and lifetime value? How do you price culture, education, and global impact? How do you price talent, knowledge, and unparalleled sense of patriotism? How do you price love for one’s country, family, and sense of belonging? If you are asked to leave your own country where do you become a citizen of?

With an all time low brand perception and a “seller” that sees little to no value in its citizens, who would be a prospective “buyer?” Considering Iran’s current identity crisis, this is not a sale of its citizens but a disposal – with paid expenses.

In the past few decades Iranian citizens have been bartered, traded for political capital, manipulated for diplomacy and murdered in the name of religious freedom. Unfortunately much of it without success for the oppressive regime or the improved lives of its citizens; interesting perspective for the Iranian government to use revenues from its natural resources to expel its citizens. In essence proclaiming you are not worthy of an investment other than as an export.

The one-size-fits-all pricing is consistent with the communism-inspired governance model where a villager barely able to read is perceived to have the same export value as the PhD. This ridiculous notion reiterates why after three decades of oppression, this regime must go!

Have you ever had a perception of a public figure and when you finally meet them, it’s invalidated instantaneously?  Read the rest of this entry »