Taking the Entrepreneurial Path
Start, Survive, SucceedWhen: Thursday & Friday, Dec. 6-7, 2007
Where: Abbott Center Auditorium, The Darden School, University of Virginia
Parking: Information about parking and maps
The 10th Annual Business Forum is sold out. Registrations are no longer being accepted.This two-day forum kicks off with Entrepreneurial Workshops developed in collaboration with the Batten Institute, the Coulter Foundation, and CBIC. Workshops provide hands-on assistance to regional entrepreneurs looking for practical tools for success. This year's topics include: - Transforming Ideas into Enterprises
- Tsunami: Real e-Tools for Real Entrepreneurs
- Delivering Innovation through Social Networking
- Crash & Learn – Anatomy of a Failure
The private equity portion of the program begins after Thursday's workshops with the Gala Reception featuring Frank Cappiello as our Keynote Speaker who will inspire and engage with his take on The New American Economy - A View from Wall Street. Mr. Cappiello is best known for his commentary on PBS' Wall Street Week. Business Plan submission closed November 23. Applicants will be contacted by Wednesday, November 28.Day Two begins at 7:30 am with a registration breakfast and the ABF's signature "Live Fire" event. You can participate in "Live Fire" by submitting your own business plan in the competition. (Closed) Five early and seed-stage companies currently in their pre-institutional rounds of financing and two University of Virginia innovators will present to a panel comprised of the founders of three of the top angel groups in the United States:  “Live Fire” will be followed by a Special Luncheon Speaker – Eugene T. Haley, CEO, Wilmington Pharmaceuticals, who will share with us an insider's view to building a company, having just successfully completed his first round of funding with successful exits to follow. It is sure to be enlightening, intuitive, and yes, humorous.
Darden Business Concept Competition closes out the afternoon. Innovators with a connection to Darden will present to a panel of angels and VCs to win prizes and a potential opportunity to enter the Darden Incubator. Come, participate, and see if you can predict who the winners will be. Thursday, December 6 | 8:00 | - | 9:00 am | Registration & Continental Breakfast, Auditorium Foyer
| | 9:00 | - | 10:30 am | Workshop I: “Transforming Ideas into Enterprises”
Co-facilitator: Elizabeth P. Pyle, Pyle & Associates, LLC
Co-facilitator: Richard O. White, Hoffman, White, & Kaelber
| 10:30
| -
| 10:45 am
| Refreshment Break, Auditorium Foyer
| 10:45
| - | 11:45 am
| Workshop II: “Information Tsunami – Real e-Tools for Real Entrepreneurs”
Facilitator: David Chen, Director of the Coulter Foundation
| 12:00
| - | 1:30 pm | Networking Lunch, Abbott Center Dining Room
| 1:30
| - | 2:30 pm
| Workshop III: “Delivering Innovation through Social Networking”
Facilitator: Marijean Jaggers, Standing PR
| | 2:30 | -
| 2:45 pm
| Refreshment Break & Networking, Auditorium Foyer
| 3:00
| -
| 4:30 pm
| Workshop IV: “Crash & Learn – Anatomy of Failure”
Facilitator: Philippe L. Sommer, Director of Entrepreneurship Programs, Batten Institute Darden Graduate School of Business Administration University of Virginia
| | 4:30 | -
| 5:00 pm
| Refreshments & Networking, Abbott Auditorium Foyer
| 5:00
| -
| 6:00 pm
| Keynote & Gala Registration
| 6:00
| -
| 7:00 pm
| Keynote Speaker: Frank Cappiello
| 7:00
| -
| 8:30 pm
| Gala Reception
|
Friday, December 7
|
Annual Business Forum
