6-Day Program Schedule and Public Sessions
Astia's Doing it Right Program for entrepreneurs includes three tracks by sector - Life Sciences, Clean Technology and the General Technology. All enterepreneurs attending the Doing it Right Program will gather on day one at the Microsoft SF Campus. Throughout the remainder of the week, both Life Sciences and Clean Technology tracks will travel offsite to other sponsor locations, while General Technology will reside at the Microsoft location during the entire week.
Many of the Doing it Right Program panel and keynote sessions are open to the public. If you are an entrepreneur and are interested in taking part in the Doing it Right Program please select one of the three tracks offered below for more details and to register.
Life Sciences
Clean Technology
General Technology
MONDAY, November 2: Introduction to Astia
All Entrepreneur Tracks:
Microsoft, 835 Market street, 7th floor, San Francisco, CA 94123
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8:00AM Registration, Breakfast & Networking
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9:00AM Welcome & Introduction to the Doing it Right Program presented by Sharon Vosmek, Chief Executive Officer, Astia
Introduction to Astia and the Doing it Right Program - how strategy meets effective execution and how you can boil the most impactful businesses down to one page.
As entrepreneurs who do business in global markets, we face a common challenge: How to persuade employees, customers, investors, and others to bet their money, time, talent, and other resources on our new ventures?
Venture creation requires negotiation, where we often face the challenge of crossing the triple chasms of generation, gender, and culture. The success or failure of a new venture may hinge on whether we are successful in negotiating the triple chasms.
Tom Kosnik and Ooshma Garg will reveal insights from a global team of more than a dozen entrepreneurial leaders who have navigated the chasms of generation, gender, and culture in hundreds of new ventures over the last twenty years.
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10:00AM Best Practices in Funding Panel
This session will start with a recent funding success story from each sector: from both investors and strategic partners. Entrepreneurs will be introduced to best practices for investor presentations with a focus on how to position your company as an attractive investment opportunity. Included in this session will be the essentials for presentations to angels, venture capitalists, strategic investors, potential partners and other investment sources. It will also cover key differences in presenting to strategic vs. financial investors. This panel is sponsored by Fenwick & West LLP. Moderating this panel is Ted Wang, Fenwick & West LLP
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11:00 Break
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11:30 Workshop on Best Practices in Funding
This faciliated session will allow entrepreneurs to meet each other and share experiences around funding their companies.
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12:30PM Lunch sponsered by Mintz Levin
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1:15PM Keynote on Bootstrapping by Sramana Mitra, Forbes Columnist & Author
In a world battered by economic crisis, Sramana Mitra believes entrepreneurship is the only sustainable path forward to a healthy economic world order. And core to the success of entrepreneurial ventures today is the invigorating art of bootstrapping. Sramana Mitra--a serial entrepreneur, strategy consultant and Forbes columnist--takes aim at this essential route along the roadmap to startup success with Entrepreneur Journeys.
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2:00PM Panel on Alternative Funding Strategies
With the realities of today's market this panel will provide a candid perspective of the alternative sources of funds as well as a discussion of the different types of investors, process, typical deal terms, preference structures, valuations and provide tips on how to successfully negotiate terms in the current economic environment. The panel will also discuss non-equity financing options, including venture debt and A/R financing, and will address the implications of insider rounds, bridge financing and down rounds & recapitalizations. Moderating this panel is Mike Selfridge, SVB Financial Group.
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3:30PM Workshop on Fundrasing One on One
Fundraising one on one. These breakouts will review the alternative sources of funds & resources for each sector, including grants, foundations, strategic partnerships, international investors and public capital markets and various types of debt. The entrepreneurs will learn how to prioritize strategically the different forms of funding.
Brand awareness, brand equity, brand identity …What is it? What isn’t it? Be prepared to spend a meaningful session hearing what really matters in building a brand. Going beyond advertising and logos, Ms. Kirsch will discuss the organic substance of a brand that successfully drives decisions, evokes emotion and provides sustainable, lasting value.
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5:30PM Company & Advisor Orientation
A brief introduction to a Company Identity Session and the Advisory
Program to be followed by a working session with each company and their
assigned advisors to develop a schedule and goals for the advisory
period. Key focus on maximizing the advisory program and why commitment
from both the entrepreneur and the advisor is critical to that success.
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6:30PM Welcome Cocktail Reception sponsored by Mintz Levin
TUESDAY, November 3: Talking Investor
Clean Tech & General Technology Tracks:
Microsoft, 835 Market street, 7th floor, San Francisco, CA 94123
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8:00AM Registration, Breakfast & Networking
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9:00AM Workshop: Effective Investor Presentations
Intensive, interactive session all morning where entrepreneurs will be introduced to best practices for investor presentations with a focus on how to position your company as an attractive investment opportunity. Included in this session will be the essentials for presentations to angels, venture capitalists, strategic investors, potential partners, and other investment sources.
Dan Sapp, Dan Sapp & Associates will lead the workshop.
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12:30PM Lunch sponsered by Mintz Levin
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2:00PM Panel on Developing a Blueprint for Today's Market
Have you ever wondered what potential investors consider deal breakers? This session will help entrepreneurs gain a fundamental understanding of how investors evaluate investment opportunities; how they evaluate the structure of a company, the team, the market opportunity, IP and the business model. This session will include a panel of seasoned investors. Risk elements include: the founder CEO, market, competition, timing, financing, marketing, distribution, technology/intellectual property protections, products, hiring, location and how these factor into an investor’s decision to commit funds. This session will be led by
Kimberly Weisul, Business Week who will be facilitating a Q & A with a panel of investment experts from various funding sources.
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3:30PM Business Planning Workshop
Clean Technology: By examining their approach to business planning the entrepreneurs will learn to view and navigate the inherent risks within their business as seen by a potential investor, banker or strategic partner and what are the fundamental principles to build their businesses and defend their core assumptions.
General Technology: In this hands-on Workshop, the entrepreneurs will learn the core business, team, product and market requirements that investors look for in entrepreneurial companies. They will also learn how to identify and mitigate many of the inherent risks within their business as seen by a potential investor, banker or strategic partner, with an emphasis on actionable business planning as the foundation for fundraising.
Life Sciences Track:
Microsoft, 835 Market street, 7th floor, San Francisco, CA 94123
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8:00AM Interactive Breakfast Workshop on Grants hosted by Fenwick & West LLP
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9:00AM Workshop on Effective Investor Presentations
Intensive, interactive session all morning where entrepreneurs will be introduced to best practices for investor presentations with a focus on how to position your company as an attractive investment opportunity. Included in this session will be the essentials for presentations to angels, venture capitalists, strategic investors, potential partners, and other investment sources.
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12:30PM Lunch sponsered by Fenwick & West
Social Change in the Pharmaceutical Industry
It has been well recognized during the past year that the pharmaceutical industry must not just evolve its business model, but also that the industry may be operating under a broken model of the past. Innovation to address current problems can be achieved coincident with bringing social responsibility and change to the pharmaceutical industry.
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3:00PM Informed Business Strategy Panel - Developing a Critical Eye for the Business Case
Entrepreneurs will learn to view their own companies as an investor (grant agency, angel, VC, partner, etc.). Will your technology/product/drug/device be valuable to the market place, is there a legitimate and compelling need; does it qualify for reimbursement and if so, does it reduce existing costs with its use; does it provide a new or better (how much better) life saving drug. This session will provide a fundamental understanding of how investors evaluate the business case for investment decisions. This panel will be moderating by
Cammie Edwards, DNA Gateway International.
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4:00PM Workshop on Your Business Strategy
This working session will consider the need to develop strategies that are consistent with cash flow and explore alternative funding sources to support spending to accomplish objectives. Methods to develop a company growth implementation strategy that results in clear resource allocations that are based on achieving milestones for funding will be discussed.
WEDNESDAY, November 4: Understanding Your Customer
Clean Tech & General Technology Tracks:
Microsoft, 835 Market street, 7th floor, San Francisco, CA 94123
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8:00AM Registration, Breakfast & Networking
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9:00AM Panel on Marketing From the Top - Understanding Your Market & Opportunity
This panel of VCs and Investors will discuss the importance of the entrepreneur knowing their market and how they are going to acquire customers and drive revenue. This will be a lively session where the panelists will share some of the pitfalls they have seen as well as moments of marketing genius, the value of channels and partnerships and why it is critical that all the management team are involved in the process. This panel will be moderated by
Mark Stevens, Fenwick & West LLP.
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10:30AM Market Segment Breakout Workshop
Clean Technology: In small groups, participants will have an interactive review of their current approach with advisors.
Enterprise Technology: Entering New Markets-Acquiring Your First Enterprise Customers
This session is designed for founders and executives who need to understand the challenges of acquiring their first corporate customers. It is oriented toward technology product & service providers that offer enterprise solutions.
We will cover determining target markets and target titles pursue; generating ideal customer criteria; selling to early adopters and innovators; and obtaining orders for immature products. Attendees will learn about developing crisp value propositions; measuring customer commitment; and developing a sales process in a highly interactive discussion.
Consumer Technology: In small groups, participants will have an interactive review of their current approach with advisors.
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12:30AM Round Table Lunch
Effective Communication in the 21st Century. This round table discussion will address how social networking plays into marketing. This lunch will be moderating by Lori Sherer, Risk Management Solutions
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1:30PM Go-to-Market Strategy Panel
Investors want to know that your company has a strong pipeline of prospects. What they really want to know is that you can execute and close the sale. This panel of practitioners and entrepreneurs will discuss challenges across different sectors including: channel development vs ‘missionary’ roles working directly with customers , adoption cycles in established industries that are reluctant to change, regulatory considerations, and how to get the first customers. Moderated by
Brooks Beard, Morrison & Foerster
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3:00PM Breakout Workshop by sector to discuss customer acquisition
Clean Technology: Integrating all the learnings from the sessions during the day this is an interactive, hands on workshop where the entrepreneur will receive expert guidance: Go to market strategy, SWOT Analysis, Competitive Advantage, Market Size & Growth Strategy.
Enterprise Marketing: Practical go to market strategies in the web 2.0 era. This session will review where the entrepreneur is in the technology marketing cycle (have you crossed the Chasm?) and receive expert guidance around the strategies for growth including the value of SWOT Analysis, Definiing Competitive Advantage and overall Growth Strategy.
Consumer Technology: More Coming Soon...
Life Sciences Track:
Microsoft, 835 Market street, 7th floor, San Francisco, CA 94123
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8:00AM Registration, Breakfast & Networking
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9:00AM Panel: Perspectives on Market Opportunity and its Relationship to Value
"Marketing will be someone else’s problem” is a myth. Investors and potential partners care about a product’s potential to make money, so you should understand how commercial opportunity plays into their perception of value. Moderated by
Fenwick & West LLP.
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10:30AM Panel on Reimbursment and Why it Matters
Reimbursement is a critical component for many life science companies. This session will include an overview of reimbursement and developing a critical strategy to assure success and will include Q&A with reimbursement experts. This panel will be moderated by
Sue Rowinski, Sue Rowinski Group.
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12:00PM Round Table Lunch on Effective Communication
A round table on how to maximize communications for young life science companies including discussion about the value of PR, general advertising and some of the regulations surrounding labeling. The key focus on this session is to explore how the Life Sciences companies can use PR effectively to show R&D progress for the purpose of keeping investors and partners aware over many years.
Lunch is sponsered
by
Fenwick & West. This lunch will be facilitated by
Angela Gillespie, Weisscom.
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1:30PM "Showing them the Money" Building a commercial story that will interest investors and partners
We will cover understanding the commercial opportunity, selling the opportunity and using that understanding to build commercial value into your development process. The examples and principles will cover drugs, devices and diagnostics as well as address different stages of company and product.
THURSDAY, November 5 - Legal Strategies and the art of Negotiation
General Technology Track:
Microsoft, 835 Market street, 7th floor, San Francisco, CA 94123
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8:00AM Registration, Breakfast & Networking
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9:00AM Panel on How to prepare your company from day one for due diligence
This session will focus on the realities of due diligence and how to structure and prepare your company for the scrutiny of financing. The panelists of investors will highlight common mistakes in the formation and structure of companies and the failure to anticipate the due diligence process. You will learn the foundation needed to build a successful high growth company, including managing data and records with the future in mind. The panelists will also discuss the importance of working with your team and advisors and building a long term relationship between the investor, CEO and founders. Moderated by
Robert Dellenbach, Reed Smith
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10:30AM Workshop: Due Diligence Checklist and Sample Term Sheet Review
This will be a working session with a standard check list to assist a company’s identification of the components necessary to an investors due diligence particularly how to and why to provide support for revenue generating data. This session will also highlight the basic terms for each funding situation and describe what investors/granting agencies/strategic partners view as non-negotiable.
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12:30PM Creating Value through Negotiation Workshop
This is an interactive workshop on Negotiation 101 that is being led by Teddy Zmrhal, Lecturer at Presidio Graduate School as well as an Astia Alumni. This workshop will address key aspects of Negotiation, Gender challenges and opportunities and provide some practical tips on how to get what you want!
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3:30PM Interactive Leadership Workshop
This session will focus on the key attributes of effective executive leadership and the importance of building lasting business relationships that lead to success.
This session will also incorporate the decision-making steps to consider when building out the executive team and advisory teams and will review the value and importance of including previous experience, skills and talents, and economic/business credibility, commitment, and diversity.
Clean Technology Track:
Morrison & Foerster LLC, 425 Market Street, San Francisco, CA
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8:00AM Registration, Breakfast & Networking
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9:00AM Panel: Building and Protecting Your IP
Building and protect intellectual property assets can make or break financing. This interactive session will look at barriers to entry, particularly IP and the session will cover each step necessary to mapping a company’s growth strategy. The session will include information about freedom to operate requirements, do's and do not's of provisional applications, unique in-licensing and out-licensing issues among others. Moderated by
Tessa Schwartz, Morrison & Foerster LLP
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11:00AM Workshop: Due Diligence Checklist & Sample Term Sheet Reveiw
This will be a working session with a standard check list to assist a company’s identification of the components necessary to an investors due diligence particularly how to and why to provide support for revenue generating data. Workshop led by
Walter Conroy, Morrison & Foerster, LLP
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12:00PM The Clean Tech Track will join the General Technology Track at Microsoft for lunch and the remainder of the day's panel and workshop sessions.
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6:00PM UCSF Center for BioEntrepreneurship "Scientist to CEO" Award Event (OPTIONAL)
Astia Doing it Right entrepreneurs are invited to this event which focuses on scientists who have transitioned from academia to industry and who have made significant contributions to advancing healthcare worldwide. This year the award goes to
Victoria Hale PhD, former CEO & founder of OneWorldHealth and now the CEO of Medicine360.org
The Center for BioEntrepreneurship fosters interactions between academia and industry, educates the next generation of entrepreneurs, and builds on the rich tradition of scientific innovation at UCSF.
1700, 4th Street, San Francisco.
Tickets $20
Register Here
Life Sciences Track:
Microsoft, 835 Market street, 7th floor, San Francisco, CA 94123
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8:00AM Registration, Breakfast & Networking
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9:00AM Panel: Barriers to Entry & Intellectual Property: How to Build and Protect Your Assets
Building and protect intellectual property assets can make or break financing. This interactive session will look at barriers to entry, particularly IP and the session will cover each step necessary to mapping a company’s growth strategy. The session will include information about freedom to operate requirements, do's and do not's of provisional applications, unique in-licensing and out-licensing issues among others. This panel is sponsered by Fenwick & West. Thispanel will be moderated by Narinder Banait, Fenwick & West.
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10:15AM The Virtual Company - Roundtable Discussion
More Coming Soon....
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11:15AM Panel on Establishing a Roadmap for Successful Due Diligence
This session will focus on the process of due diligence and identify the critical components for a ready made due diligence package. Negotiating the terms of an investment deal is a critical component of securing funding as well as navigating the longer term relationship between investor, CEO and founders. The panel will highlight the basic terms for each funding situation and educate the entrepreneur about the various items that investors/granting agencies/strategic partners view as non-negotiable. The session will also discuss how a company underscores the relevance of their “pitch” to an investor as they develop their due diligence package. This panel is sponsored by
Fenwick & West LLC. The panel will be moderated by
Lynda Twoey, Fenwick & West.
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12:15PM Life Sciences Workshop & Working Lunch
Sample Termsheet Review: This will be a working session with a standard check list to assist a company’s identification of the components necessary to an investors due diligence particularly how to and why to provide support for revenue generating data. Lunch sponsered by Fenwick & West.
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2:00PM Effective Negotiation Workshop
Instructional session that outlines the key aspects of effective negotiation and strategies - including how to effectively partner with your law firm.
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3:15PM Leadership in a Start-Up: Managing the Transition from Enterpreneur to Founder - Leader
Before launching their own start-ups, many entrepreneurs have been highly effective individual contributors or managers in established organizations. Yet the role of a Founder-Leader has a wholly different purpose – and what has made an entrepreneur successful in the past does not necessarily make for a successful future as a leader.
Designed for start-up CEOs and Founders, this interactive workshop incorporates how to evaluate your leadership style and identify what you want to change; how we actually learn to become better leaders; the centrality of emotional intelligence in leadership; and the resources and tools for your development as a leader.
The focus is on thinking and doing. This is about the very hard work and significant responsibility of leading others – and doing it well in the dynamic environment of an innovative, loosely structured, rapidly changing start-up.
For new leaders, or those with limited experience, the session will provide a tangible framework for approaching your unfamiliar challenges. For experienced leaders, the discussion is an opportunity to examine your familiar patterns, think about leadership from a fresh perspective – and perhaps try an approach that is different and new fresh perspective – and perhaps try an approach that is different and new.
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6:00PM UCSF Center for BioEntrepreneurship "Scientist to CEO" Awards Event (OPTIONAL)
Astia Doing it Right entrepreneurs are invited to this event which
focuses on scientists who have transitioned from academia to industry
and who have made significant contributions to advancing healthcare
worldwide. This year the award goes to
Victoria Hale, PhD, former CEO &
founder of OneWorldHealth and now the CEO of Medicine360.org
The Center for BioEntrepreneurship fosters interactions between
academia and industry, educates the next generation of entrepreneurs,
and builds on the rich tradition of scientific innovation at UCSF.
UCSF Mission Bay Campus, Genentech Hall, Byers Auditorium, 600 16th Street, San Francisco 94158.
Tickets $20
Register Here
FRIDAY, November 6 - Growth Strategies
General Technology Track:
Microsoft, 835 Market street, 7th floor, San Francisco
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8:00AM Registration, Breakfast & Networking
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9:00AM Effectively harnessing the Global Economy
This timely session will discuss the opportunities and threats encountered by all businesses operating in a global market, why all entrepreneurs should be planning its real impact at an early stage and how to navigate for success. Expert panelists will discuss effective methods to enter new markets, how to protect your business from overseas threats and whether outsourcing can provide some answers. Moderated by
Osborne Clarke's Stephen Wilson
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10:30AM Workshop: Group discussions on how to leverage different economies to grow your business and how to make the right connections
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11:30AM Panel: Navigating the Corporates or Dancing with Elephants
This panel will help the entrepreneur identify opportunities and successfully navigate the maze of the multinational corporate structure to win them as customers, strategic partners and potential acquirers. Panelists will include corporate executives and corporate innovation teams and will offer a rare opportunity for the entrepreneur to engage with the key people influencing technology decisions today. Sponsored & Moderated by
Margaret H. Kavalaris, Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal LLP
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2:00PM Own Your Financials Panel
Financial strategy is essential to both a successful business and fundraising. This session will prepare the entrepreneur for the first and subsequent meetings with investors. Participants will learn what VCs are looking for in the financial plan and walk away better prepared to articulate and defend the business model and strategy.
Moderated by
Derek Dowsett, Moss Adams
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3:30PM Workshop: Tools for Financial Success
This session dives deeper into the financial model and how VCs and CEOs think about the model for fundraising and ongoing management of the company. The session will also provide participants with tools for developing their financial model including financial templates and a list of the top 10 things to avoid and be prepared for as you develop your financial plan.
Clean Technology Track:
Morrison & Foerster LLC, 425 Market Street, San Francisco, CA
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8:00AM Registration, Breakfast & Networking
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9:00AM Getting the Most out of Washington Panel
Washington is the central pocket book for Clean Tech. This panel of investors and CEOs will discuss the type of capital and trade legislation and RPS that are likely to be implemented, the potential for future stimulus and the potential ramifications out of Copenhagen. This is a must attend session for all Clean Tech companies.
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10:30AM Workshop on DOE Grants and Effectively Lobbying
More Coming Soon....
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12:00PM The Clean Tech Track will join the General Technology Track at Microsoft for lunch and the remainder of the day's panels and workshop sessions
Life Sciences Track:
Microsoft, 835 Market street, 7th floor, San Francisco, CA 94123
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8:00AM Registration, Breakfast & Networking
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9:00AM Panel: The Changing Regulatory Environment
Industry experts discuss how to be both proactive and strategic in developing a process for study design, FDA clearance etc. in a rapidly changing regulatory environment. Includes definition of terms such as “priority review”, “accelerated approval”, orphan drug”, etc. and how these designations can accelerate commercialization.
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10:30AM Regulatory Workshop
A hands on workshop on certification for early drug and device companies . Hands on review of regulatory strategies
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12:30PM Working Lunch: Building The Team
This session will focus on hiring the right talent at the right time, managing employee productivity, driving employee value with equity and aligning goals throughout the organization. Also, building and managing virtual teams, and designing a human capital platform to provide for an international workforce – even a small company can effectively hire, manage and facilitate employees in various countries.
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2:00PM Own your Financials for Life Sciences Companies
Financial strategy is essential to both a successful business and fundraising. This session will prepare the entrepreneur for the first and subsequent meetings with investors. Participants will learn the terms and skills needed to create a defensible financial picture of the company helping them to better articulate and defend the business model and strategy. Also, how financials can drive a compelling valuation.
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3:30PM Optional Workshop:
This is an optional session for the Entrepreneurs to discuss their financial models with experts one on one. Entrepreneurs will also receive a financial template to model their financials along with top ten things to avoid and be prepared for
SATURDAY, November 7 - Making it Happen
All Tracks:
Reed Smith,101 Second Street, San Francisco, CA 94105
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8:30AM Registration, Breakfast & Networking
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9:15AM View from the Top led by Sharon Vosmek, CEO Astia
Introduction to final day, highlights from the week and call to action for the entrepreneurs and their advisory teams.
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9:15AM Current State of Venture Capital
Moderated by John China, SVB Captial
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9:15AM Current State of Angel Investment
Moderated by Sam Angus, Fenwick & West LLC
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10:30 - 12:30 Doing it Right Company Reviews
All Entrepreneurs will have the opportunity for a final screening by the advisors and their peers. This is a valuable session to review the progress made during the week.
The Reviews will follow the same process as Screening Day and will consist of a 10 minute entrepreneur presentation, followed by 5-10 minutes of Q&A.
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Planning Session with Advisors
During the day the entrepreneur will meet with their advisory team to discuss the next 2 months and agree key milestones for the advisor program. There will be a cheatsheet provided to assist in this planning.
Entrepreneurs will have lunch in General Tech, Life Science or Clean Tech groups with C-Suite advisors from each area. This is an excellent opportunity for informal Q&A with top experts in each sector and establishing relationships among the group.