College Entrepreneurs to Pitch Biz Plans
A world-class panel of evaluators and qualified investors will assess 10 national semifinal ventures at the 5th Annual Spirit of Entrepreneurship and Enterprise Development (S.E.E.D.) National Collegiate Venture Forum, March 14-15 at the Reagan Ranch Center. The event helps top college entrepreneurs meet potential capital funding for their business plans. The student presentations on Friday, March 14 from 1:30-4:30 p.m. and Saturday, March 15, from 8-11:30 a.m. are free and open to the public.Dr. David Newton, professor of entrepreneurial finance at Westmont and president of TechKnowledge Point, launched the event in 2003. This year, Westmont students will present their venture Zipperz Corporation along with nine others from UC Santa Barbara, Union (NY), Harvard, Belmont (TN), Emory, and the Universities of Wisconsin-Madison, San Francisco, Florida, and Central Oklahoma.
The forum features a sold-out opening luncheon with speaker Brian Lim, CEO of Atomate in Thousand Oaks, Friday, March 14, at 11:30 a.m. Lim will discuss how his company has successfully pioneered innovative nanotechonology tools for nanoapplications firms worldwide, and Atomate’s experience raising venture capital.
A networking banquet Friday, March 14, at 6 p.m. will feature keynote speaker Brad Barbeau from the Silicon Valley Venture Capital-Angel Roundtable, and founding entrepreneur of several business ventures. Barbeau will review venture capital in 2007 and discuss how 2008 is shaping up for future deals. Tickets are still available for $95 and include a waiter-served three-course dinner from Stanton’s Santa Barbara.
Eric Ryan, CEO of Ryan Security Technologies, a world leader in high-tech security systems with offices in Santa Barbara and mainland China, will talk about enterprise development, venture funding, and strategic positioning for global market growth at the closing luncheon Saturday, March 15, at noon, and afterward, forum attendees will enjoy a special guided tour of President Reagan’s Rancho del Cielo. Some tickets for closing luncheon ($50) and the ranch tour ($25) are still available. Contact David Newton at newton@westmont.edu for more information