Events provide opportunities for entrepreneurs to gain business insights, network with investors and showcase new products
Start-up authority and popular business author, Guy Kawasaki, will kick-off The Art of the Start conference that morning with a talk on the subject, followed by a series of panels and presentations by experts from Garage Technology Ventures, Silicon Valley leaders, venture capitalists and successful start-up CEOs. The event will also feature sessions entitled, “The Art of Raising Capital” by Bill Reichert, managing director of Garage Technology Ventures and “The Art of Pitching” by Bill Joos, founder and managing director of Go To Market Consulting, as well as a lunch keynote.
Launch: Silicon Valley to Showcase New Products for VCs
The Art of the Start will be followed by the debut of Launch: Silicon Valley, an event in which seed and early-stage companies will have the opportunity to showcase their businesses and products to an audience of influential Silicon Valley venture capitalists and angel investors. In addition, SVASE will also be reaching out to regional venture capital organizations to give them the opportunity to expose some of their funded companies to the Silicon Valley investment community. Selected companies will be invited to participate in the event with a selection of these companies then chosen to deliver a detailed product presentation to the group.
“In the current Web 2.0 frenzy, it may be time for a dose of reality. This is an outstanding opportunity for entrepreneurs to hear from people who have been there, done that, and learn what it takes to translate their visions from concept to reality, no matter what the environment,” said Guy Kawasaki, managing director of Garage Technology Ventures.
“As a company that is so dedicated to the advancement of new technologies, Microsoft is happy to be a host of this year’s conference,” said Dan’l Lewin, corporate vice president of Strategic and Emerging Business Development at Microsoft Corp. “The creative energy and ingenuity exhibited at these events is nothing short of amazing and it’s wonderful to be able to take part in it.”
“SVASE is proud to be hosting this premier event which holds so much opportunity for entrepreneurs to learn about issues that are vital to running a successful start-up, including the current investment climate and what it takes to secure funding,” said Chris Gill, president and CEO of SVASE. “For over a decade, SVASE has provided support and resources to local entrepreneurs and we’re privileged to contribute to the creativity and innovation that’s so characteristic of Silicon Valley.”
Companies wishing to be considered for Launch: Silicon Valley must be proposed by a professional business partner, such as an attorney, banker or investor. The submitting party must send a two page executive summary to LaunchSV@svase.org by no later than October 6, 2006. All submissions will be reviewed by a panel of successful entrepreneurs, angel investors and early-stage venture capitalists. Selected companies will be notified via email by October 25, 2006.
Agenda:
Art of the Start
8:00 a.m. Breakfast & Registration
8:30 a.m. Opening remarks
8:40 a.m. Guy Kawasaki: The Art of the Start
9:20 a.m. Panel: Successful entrepreneurs: Been there, done that
10:20 a.m. Break
10:40 a.m. Bill Reichert: The Art of Raising Capital
11:20 a.m. Bill Joos: The Art of Pitching
12:00 p.m. Lunch
12:50 p.m. Lunch Keynote: TBA
1:20 p.m. Panel: VCs – Funding your dream
2:20 a.m. Break
2:40 p.m. Guy Kawasaki: The Art of Rainmaking
3:15 p.m. Close
Launch: Silicon Valley
4:30 p.m. Opening remarks
4:40 p.m. Session I: Information Technology: Five companies present
5:40 p.m. Break
5:50 p.m. Session II: LIfe Sciences: Five companies present
6:50 p.m. Break
7:00 p.m. Session III: Consumer Technology: Five companies present
8:00 p.m. Closing Reception: Showcase room
4:00 – 9:00 p.m. Launch: Silicon Valley Showcase (adjacent hall): 30 companies
Both events will take place at Microsoft Building 1, located at 1065 La Avenida Street in Mountain View, CA. For each event, early bird registration for SVASE members is $125 and $145 for non-members and is available until October 18, 2006. Thereafter, the cost for registration will be $195. For more information or to register for the event, please visit www.launchsiliconvalley.com, www.svase.org or www.garage,com.
Sponsors of one or both events include:
GOLD
Fenwick & West
SILVER
ABD Insurance
Bridges SF
Colorado Venture Capital Association
Draper, Fisher, Jurvetson
DMNA
Garage Technology Ventures
Microsoft Corporation
National Venture Capital Association
Pillsbury Winthrop
Voce Communications
Woodside Fund
Lunch/Dinner/Breaks
Cooley Godward
Finpro
Schwegman, Lundberg, Woessner & Kluth
About Garage Technology Ventures
Garage Technology Ventures is a seed-stage and early-stage venture capital fund headquartered in Palo Alto, California, with investors that include Thomas Weisel Partners and CalPERS, the California Public Employees Retirement System. Garage is focused on information technology and materials science startups in the Western U.S. “Art of the Start” is Garage’s signature conference for entrepreneur education. For more information about Garage, visit www.garage.com.
About SVASE
Founded in 1995 by entrepreneurs, for entrepreneurs, The Silicon Valley Association of Startup Entrepreneurs (SVASE) is the largest and fastest growing nonprofit in Northern California dedicated exclusively to helping technology and life science entrepreneurs start and grow successful businesses.
SVASE accomplishes this mission through key programs such as the weekly VC Breakfast Club, which introduces entrepreneurs to venture capitalists; the Forum lunches for startup CEOs, CFOs and CTOs; on line 24 Hour Networking; the online Startup Reference Guide; and much, much more. For more information about SVASE, please visit www.savse.org
