Activities - March 2008

YES High School Program Launch: The Department of Community Outreach launched its High School Entrepreneurship initiative today with 13 students from Career High School, The Sound School, and Hillhouse High School. It was an extremely exciting first meeting, as the students learned about the basic pillars of creativity and entrepreneurship. In teams, these students will be developing practical business plans and their skills as entrepreneurs, culminating in presentation pitches to a panel of successful local businessmen. The program is meeting every Monday from 3-5PM.

YES Y50K Competition - Executive Summary due: For more information about the Yale Entrepreneurial Society's 2008 Y50K Business Plan Competition, please visit: http://yesatyale.org/y50k.php. All of the official materials and details are available online. The site is updated frequently, so please check back often for more updates. Deadline: 6am, Saturday, March 1, 2008 - mandatory final deadline to register your team and submit your Executive Summary. Register and submit on YESnet (YESnet available at www.yesatyale.org/yesnet, usage instructions available at www.yesatyale.org/y50k.php).

StartingBloc Networking Event: Saturday, March 1st – 7:00pm. Location: BAR on Crown st. Come to StartingBloc’s evening networking reception for the opportunity to connect with 100+ amazing, socially minded innovators – including both students and young professionals - from around the country. Pizza will be provided.

CVG Event: Investing In & Growing Consumer Product Companies: Thursday, March 6, 2008. Stamford Marriott, Stamford, CT. 3:00PM to 7:30PM. The first event of its kind, CVG and the Association for Corporate Growth-Connecticut (ACG-CT) will present a showcase dedicated to Connecticut's emerging and expanding consumer products companies. Apply to be considered as an exhibitor on March 6th and meet investors and industry leaders. The formal program will include two panels comprised of entrepreneurs and investors: entrepreneurs who have successfully raised capital to grow their businesses and investors who will provide insights into closing the deal. Agenda: 3:00 PM - Registration. 3:30 to 4:15 PM - Early Stage Panel: Panelists will include Ann Buivid of Artemis Woman; Virginia Cargill of SignStorey; John Warburg of Warbros Venture Partners and David Yarnell of BEV Capital. 4:15 to 5:15 PM - Exhibition of Consumer Product Companies and New Products. 5:15 to 6:15 PM - Late Stage Panel: Panelists will include : Nora Baker of Pepsico, Inc; David Heidecorn of Catterton Partners; Joan McCabe of Brynwood Partners and Brendan Synnott, Co-founder and CEO of Bear Naked, Inc. 6:30 to 7:30 PM – Reception.

2008 McGinnis Venture Competition: Carnegie Mellon University's Donald H. Jones Center for Entrepreneurship will be hosting its fifth annual McGinnis Venture Competition on March 13-15, 2008. This competition is for MBA and other graduate students with a focus on bringing new technologies to market through entrepreneurship. The McGinnis Venture Competition highlights student ventures in the technology, life science and sustainable technology arenas. McGinnis Venture Competition now has three tracks: technology,life science and sustainable technology. Please visit http://www.mcginnisventurecompetition.com for information.

Connecticut Business Financing & Assistance Fair : When: Tuesday, March 18th 2008, 3:30 - 7:30 pm. Where: Gengras Student Union at University of Hartford, Hartford, CT. Description: If you need capital or other resources to start or grow your business, we want to talk. We’ll tell you about available grants, loans, venture capital and angel investors. Or if you need assistance finding space, engineering expertise, permits, help with a business plan, information on patents or legal structures for your business, experts will be on hand with answers. Our aim is to help you help us create jobs. Workshops: 3:30-3:45pm How to write a business plan to start a new venture (Presenters: Shipman & Goodwin) OR How to write a business plan to grow an existing company (Presenters: CVG) 4:00-4:45pm Funding Sources: Which ones are right for your stage of development? (Presenters: Updike, Kelly, Spellacy, P.C.) OR Self-analysis for Entrepreneurs (Presenters: SBDC) 4:30pm Registration 5:00pm Presentations 6:00-7:30pm Reception and Exhibits More info: http://www.cvg.org/Emails/_2008/2008_03_18.html.

Yale BioHaven Entrepreneurship Seminar featuring Optherion, Inc.: Wednesday, March 19, 2008. 3:30 P.M. The Anlyan Center auditorium, Yale Medical School; 300 Cedar Street (Directions: http://info.med.yale.edu/maps/cab.html). Free registration but please RSVP in advance: e-mail to biohaven@yale.edu or call the Yale OCR main number: (203) 785-6209. Speakers: Colin Foster, President and Chief Executive Officer and David Scheer, President of Scheer & Company, Inc. Optherion, Inc. is dedicated to research, development and commercialization of therapeutics and diagnostics for Age-related Macular Degeneration and other diseases of the alternative complement system.

MIT CT Enterprise Forum: Connecticut’s Optics and Photonics Industry: Growth and Opportunity. A Joint Program of the MIT Enterprise Forum of Connecticut and the Connecticut Optics and Photonics Association. Thursday, March 20, 2008. 5:00-7:30pm. 5:00pm-5:45pm Registration and Networking 5:45pm to 7:30pm Program Lawn Club, New Haven Directions 193 Whitney Ave., New Haven. More Info: http://www.mitforumct.org/popup_03_20_08.htm. Register Online: http://www.mitforumct.org/calendar.htm.

SOM Entrepreneurship Club Speaker Series - Shawn Liu (Hillhouse Tailors): Monday, March 24 2008, 11:30 AM, A-51. See Speaker Series link above for speaker bio.

Connecticut Venture Group: International trade workshop: Date & Place: Tuesday, March 25, 2008 at the Bridgeport Holiday Inn. When: 4:30 pm to 7:30 pm. Cost: $70 No charge for members and entrepreneurs. Please join us for the first international workshop, our continuing series of meetings for the Entrepreneurs Association. The topic will be presented on two different dates – one in February in Stamford and again in March in Bridgeport. Companies with plans to do business internationally or those already involved in overseas transactions will learn how to attract new customers, reduce costs, evaluate overseas sources for supplies and services, and the impact of foreign exchange rates. Agenda: 4:30 pm Registration and networking 5:00 pm Panel Discussion "Overseas Trade Partners" - Melissa Grosso, Int'l Trade Specialist, U.S. Department of Commerce and Laura Jaworski, of the International Division, Connecticut Department of Economic & Community Development "Financing Imports and Exports" - Andrea Ratay, HSBC Bank "Legal Implications of Exporting and International Trade" - Paul Edelberg, Counsel, Murtha Cullina, LLP 6:30 to 7:30: Reception and Networking. For registration and more info (the registration fee can be waived): https://www.cvg.org/Emails/_2008/2008_02_06.html.