Finding private-sector champions, building strong mentor networks, and creating organizational flexibility rank among the most critical elements of success, according to leaders of the 2014 Excellence in TBED award recipients. Expert insights on how these and other issues can be addressed are found in the latest SSTI Awards podcast series. The awards program and podcasts reveal best practices in supporting university startups, building meaningful relationships between leaders of industry and local startups, investing in early stage companies, launching an accelerator program that creates successful graduates, and bringing together regional assets to support the growth of an industry cluster. Each of these conversations with award-winning programs provides listeners with practical and proven strategies to improve their own organization's performance and regional impact.