Michael Gordon, PhD

Dr. Michael Gordon teaches Corporate Entrepreneurial Strategies in the doctoral program at ISM. Gordon has extensive experience in the areas of entrepreneurship, education, public speaking, and science. For the past ten years, he has been teaching entrepreneurship as an Adjunct Professor at Babson College and for the past five years at the Harvard Extension School.

After twelve years in research, development, and management at Polaroid Corporation and Celanese Plastics Company, Dr. Gordon pursued a career in entrepreneurship and founded four companies: a plastics injection molding company, a company which made products for the control of static electricity (Plastic Systems, Inc) a network for entrepreneurs and investors (the Venture-Preneurs Network) and a private investment and consulting firm (Quantum Ventures). He is currently developing the internet venture AngelDeals.com, a virtual global network for the business community: entrepreneurs seeking funding and growth, investors seeking dealflow, business professionals seeking visibility, and both employers and job seekers.

Gordon received a PhD in Organo-Metallics and Polymers from Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1966 and a BS in Organic Chemistry from Worcester Polytechnic Institute.

Publications

• Trump University “Entrepreneurship 101: How to Turn Your Idea Into a Money Machine 2nd Edition, John Wiley & Sons, Inc. (2010)

  Versions in Chinese, Polish and Bulgarian

• “Gordon’s CUSTOMER Model: Framework for the nine entrepreneurial thriving forces.” 2000

Case Study

• "Plastechnology, Inc."

  This case deals with the anguish faced by two entrepreneurs as they try to decide whether to, and how to launch a new plastics manufacturing venture (2008)

• "Polaroid: Who and what killed this magnificent company?"

  This multi-dimensional case examines Polaroid's corporate entrepreneurial strategies (and lack thereof) over its glorious and turbulent 65- year lifetime. The issues encompass leadership, succession of CEOs, corporate vision, segmentation, corporate culture, product entry decisions, the Value Chain and many other broad strategic questions. The case is resolved in a strategy simulation by student teams: How could Polaroid have been saved?,2009

• “Worcester Beef Company”

  a complex three generation, two-family business case with issues of leadership, management succession, sustainable competitive advantages, strategy, family rivalry, estate negotiation after the death of the partner. 2010

• Ocean Spray: House of cards …? 2010

• Sam Walton’s WalMart: Nemesis …? 2010 <hyperlink: http://www.competitivesuccess.com/why-join/about/dr-gordon/>

• “UPS – 100 Years of Continuous Entrepreneurial Transformation,” 2009

• “New York Cheek – Cracks in Paradise;” a troubled upstart clothing company, 2010.