CED's Venture Capital Series: Agenda

Venture Capital Reality: Creating a Sustainable Business

Thursday, November 29, 2007

4:00 p.m. – 4:15 p.m. Registration & Welcome Remarks
  • John Fogg, Member, Hutchison Law Group PLLC
  • Dhruv Patel, Manager, Capital and Technology Development, Council for Entrepreneurial Development
4:15 p.m. – 4:45 p.m. What is Venture Capital?

Begin the day with a quick primer on venture capital and gain some insight into the following: How are venture funds structured? What is the investment process and how many meetings could it take to get a deposit slip? How do VCs evaluate opportunities and how does the approval process work?

  • Ted Baker, Assistant Professor, Management, Innovation & Entrepreneurship, College of Management, North Carolina State University
4:45 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. Is it VC-able?

So, you have a great idea but can you build a business around it? Will VCs invest in it? Hear from a panel of experienced, well-regarded venture capitalists about what they and their funds look for in a potential portfolio company.

Moderator: Brooks Malone, Partner, Hughes Pittman & Gupton LLP

  • Jan Bouten, Principal, The Aurora Funds
  • David Griest, Managing Director, SJF Ventures
  • Michael Wasserman, Partner, H.I.G. Ventures
  • Janet Yang, Principal, Novak Biddle
5:30 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. Dinner  
6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. Legal Issues from Start-Up Through Series A

Step through the legal matters founders face when starting a company. Entrepreneurs can save themselves headaches down the road if they focus on company formation issues and protecting intellectual property in the early stages of the game.

  • Justyn Kasierski, Member, Hutchison Law Group PLLC
  • Caroline Horton Rockafellow, Of Counsel, Hutchison Law Group PLLC
7:00 p.m. – 7:45 p.m. The Art of the Pitch

Hear a real world, practical example of one entrepreneur’s pitch and how it has evolved over time. Investors on the panel will share their thoughts on what to do and what not to do when trying to attract their attention.

Moderator: Adam Smith, Vice President, Director of Square Roots, Square 1 Bank

  • John Cambier, Chief Financial Officer, Senior Vice President, IDEA Fund Partners
  • Jason Caplain, General Partner, Southern Capitol Ventures
  • Ben Weinberger, Chief Executive Officer, Digitalsmiths
7:45 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. Networking Reception