Why not? With the internet and the mathematics of algorithms, you can create a billion dollar business anywhere.

Not too, too long ago Huntsville was a sleepy town of about just 20,000 people; but in the '60s, it was transformed into the space capital of the world and grew to over 200,000. These are the rocket kids of the '50s and '60s all grown up. And now, the city is being repositioned for a different kind of lift-off. Here is a platform for diversified and even revolutionary growth.

After hitting his first home run, we pick up the story to explore this man's quest to change the face of his cherished hometown... and the world.

Huntsville has become a hotbed for technology startups and there are dozens of people quietly investing in hundreds of businesses, providing everything from start-up capital to mezzanine funding.

They are often called angel investors. Remigius Shatas says, "My goal for Huntsville is that it becomes the most generous city in America." He wants everybody to invest in the good ideas of others!

But this story is all about wires, connections, security and control. It is not a glamorous story. There are no actors, no gurus, no big names. These are the people the general media ignores. With big souls, big brains, big hearts, and humble spirits, they are today's quiet heroes and pioneers. We have to watch carefully and reflect; these key ideas could easily go right over our heads ... here is the story of the America dream.

Want to see an episode of the show on TV? There are over 40 different episodes that air in a given week.
1. Next episode to go up on the satellite
2. Today's episodes (up to three within a given day are displayed and only PBS-member stations are in this dynamic listing; someday other public television stations will be.)
3. Look up your state and station


CONTACT(S):

• John Cooper, Chairman / CEO
  
  Stephen F. Thornton
  Board of Directors
  Avocent Corporation
  4991 Corporate Drive
  Huntsville, AL 35805
  Tel: 800-932-9239
  Email: click here
  URL: avocent.com
  
  
• BizTech
  102A Wyan Drive
  Huntsville, AL 35805
  Tel: 256-704-6000
  Email: click here
  URL: biztech.org
  
  
• Remigius G. Shatas, Partner
  Chuck Lofty, Managing Partner
  RNR Ventures, Inc.
  1525 Perimeter Drive, Suite 225
  Huntsville, AL 35806
  Tel: 256-837-0140
  Email: click here

We invite your questions or comments

• SUPPORT PUBLIC TELEVISION:
  Become a member of your local station. If you are already, great. If not and your business is doing well, consider joining the Producers' Club ($1000).

• JOIN, JOIN, JOIN: Your professional associations in your industry are your key to continuing education, market research, collaborations, strategic partnerships, capital and so much more ... often you'll find that you enjoy like-minded people and many will become friends for life.

• GO FURTHER: Spend some time with each of the key points of the case study guide (just above in the green box) and each of the related transcript segments.

• Selection: We follow Business Week, Forbes, Fortune and Inc's magazine's lists of the fastest-growing and best-managed small businesses in the USA. We were heading to Huntsville to do a story with NASA and decided to look a little deeper for another story. We compiled lists of companies and noticed that the name Cybex kept popping up.
  
  When we asked Joanne Randolph of BizTech, a business incubator, "Who are these people?" she could not stop bragging. One of the founders of Cybex was on her board and the company was a good corporate citizen of the community and the founders were now involved in helping dozens of startups get on their feet and their products to market.
  
  In our Seattle market listings, Apex was also high on our lists. We quickly discovered that they had merged with Cybex. The merged business, called Avocent, was doing well.

• A Quiet Tribute: Bob Asprey, the Chief Scientifc Officer of Cybex, died in May 2007. He was blessed with deep mathematical wisdom and a profoundly curious mind. Over the years, he patented many inventions and he was well along the way to understand something profoundly insightful about superconductors, composites, and gravitation.
  
  We will all miss you, Bob. And we simply ask, please guide us beyond all space and time.

• STEPS 1 - 4: Start Up. Remigius is coaching, counseling, and cajoling dozens of start ups into existence. He selects businesses that are intellectually challenging for him and his partners.

• Angel Capital. There are dozens of resources online from the Angel Capital Association and ACE-NET now known as Active Capital.

• Basic economics. Let's discuss the principles of business, capitalism and democracy. Today, lying, cheating, and stealing via the web is a real pandemic and threatens the very foundations of an open society.

• Transparency: Our mantra is, "Let's help the good among us get better." Let's be so competitive, the bad people (especially the unethical) are forced to get better or go out of business. The web is constantly increasing transparency. There are no hiding places. We will all know who the nasty ones are. Let's all be doing business with only those who try to be good citizens within their communities.

• Billion Dollar Businesses. Since 1994 we have interviewed many honest, loving-albeit-driven people who have created billion dollar businesses. You can, too.

• CASES BY BUSINESS TYPE. Click on the heading to find all the business types and then click on your type of business to check out those case studies.

• NATIONAL TRADE ASSOCIATIONS. There are national trade associations for every industry and business sector. These associations are the most relevant resources for continuing education and networking for small business owners. We are not alone.

• Chambers of Commerce and National Trade Associations: We work with all business associations to help them serve their members better. We did a very special episode about volunteers within the Chambers of Commerce. Plus there are special sections of this web site just for leadership within the local, state and national Chamber and all levels of our National Trade Associations.

• FIRST PRINCIPLES: Starting a business is the road to economic independence for most of us average people. Read a little more to see why incorporating a business keeps the passion of the American revolution alive!