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

• 8:00AM   Registration, Breakfast & Networking

• 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.

• 9:15AM   Keynote on Negotiating the Triple Chasms of Generation, Gender, and Culture by Tom Kosnik, Stanford Technology Ventures Program

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.

• 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

• 11:00   Break

• 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.

• 12:30PM Lunch sponsered by Mintz Levin
  

• 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.

• 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.

• 3:00PM   Break

• 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.

• 5:00PM   Keynote on The Substance of Brand Identity by Julie A. Kirsch, Executive V.P. and Chief Operating officer, Meriwest

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.

• 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.

 

• 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

• 8:00AM   Registration, Breakfast & Networking

• 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.

• 12:30PM  Lunch sponsered by Mintz Levin

• 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.

• 3:00PM   Break

• 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

 

• 8:00AM   Interactive Breakfast Workshop on Grants hosted by Fenwick & West LLP

• 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.

• 12:30PM  Lunch sponsered by Fenwick & West

• 2:00PM   Keynote Speaker:  Lisa Conte, CEO, Napo Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

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.

• 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.

• 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

• 8:00AM   Registration, Breakfast & Networking

• 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.

• 10:00AM   Break

• 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.

• 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

• 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

• 2:30PM   Break

• 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

• 8:00AM   Registration, Breakfast & Networking

• 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.

• 10:00AM   Break

• 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.

• 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.

• 1:00PM   Break

• 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

• 8:00AM   Registration, Breakfast & Networking

• 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

• 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.

• 11:30AM   Lunch

• 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!

• 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 

• 8:00AM   Registration, Breakfast & Networking

• 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

• 10:30AM    Break

• 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

• 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.

• 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

• 8:00AM   Registration, Breakfast & Networking

• 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.

• 10:00AM   Break

• 10:15AM   The Virtual Company - Roundtable Discussion

More Coming Soon....

• 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.

• 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. 

• 1:45PM   Break

• 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.

• 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.

• 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

• 8:00AM   Registration, Breakfast & Networking

• 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

• 10:30AM   Workshop: Group discussions on how to leverage different economies to grow your business and how to make the right connections

• 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

• 12:30PM  Lunch

• 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

• 3:00PM   Break

• 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 

• 8:00AM   Registration, Breakfast & Networking

• 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.

• 10:30AM   Workshop on DOE Grants and Effectively Lobbying

More Coming Soon....

• 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

• 8:00AM   Registration, Breakfast & Networking




• 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.

• 10:00AM   Break

• 10:30AM   Regulatory Workshop

A hands on workshop on certification for early drug and device companies . Hands on review of regulatory strategies

• 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. 

• 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.

 

• 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

 

• 8:30AM   Registration, Breakfast & Networking




• 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.

• 9:15AM   Current State of Venture Capital

Moderated by John China, SVB Captial

• 9:15AM   Current State of Angel Investment

Moderated by Sam Angus, Fenwick & West LLC

• 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.  

• 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.

• 12:30PM C-Suite Lunch

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.