Press Release
Contact: Robert Albright |
Phone: 919-549-7500 ext.123 |
CED Sets Speaker Lineup for First Engage Program
Entrepreneurs, VCs and Other Executives to Speak at Engage: Finance on Jan. 15
December 9, 2003, Research Triangle Park, NC - The Council for Entrepreneurial Development (CED) has assembled an all-star cast of speakers for the first Engage session, which will be held Jan. 15 at Embassy Suites in Cary. In addition to previously announced keynote speaker Ken Wilcox of Silicon Valley Bank, Engage: Finance will also feature successful entrepreneurs, venture capitalists and other area financial leaders.
During four concurrent sessions at Engage: Finance, panelists will explore a range of financial topics such as funding options, exit strategies and advisory board issues. Monica Doss, president of CED, said the Engage: Finance speakers will convey insights into the opportunities, trends and obstacles found in today's financial landscape.
“We're pleased with the high caliber of speakers, who will each share their perspectives on the dynamic financial environment,” said Doss. “Engage: Finance presents a unique opportunity for the Triangle's entire fast-growing entrepreneurial community to better understand business practices and global marketplace trends through these thought-provoking speakers.”
Confirmed speakers and session topics at Engage: Finance include the following:
Finding Funding: Which Source is Right for Your Company?
- John Cambier, Vice President of New Ventures, MCNC Research and Development Institute
- Nick England, President and CEO, 3rdTech, Inc.
- John Ujvari, SBIR Program Specialist, Small Business and Technology Development Center
- Michael Zapata, President, ArrayXpress, Inc.
- Glenn Kline, President and CEO, Silicon Semiconductor
Growing Your Company to Scale Without Venture Capital
- Donald Holzworth, CEO, Constella Group, Inc.
- Thomas Finegan, CEO and Co-Founder, Clarkston Consulting
- Andrew Kennedy, President, Boramed, Inc.
Debates in the Board Room: Not Your Typical “Corporate Reforms” Discussion
- Chuck ReCorr, National Association of Corporate Directors
- Janet Wylie, President and CEO, Engineous Software Inc.
- Greg Bohlen, CFO, The Aurora Funds, Inc.
- Jim Verdonik, Partner, Daniels Daniels & Verdonik, P.A.
- John Miller, President, Triangle Financial Concepts, Inc.
Exploring the Exit Alphabet Soup: M&A, IPO, LBO, ESOP
- Jack McGlinn, Director, CapitalSouth Partners
- Rick Carlisle, Managing Partner, Dogwood Equity
- Bruce Kelleher, Managing Director, Cary Street Partners LLC
- Gail Brown, Financial Consultant, Wachovia Securities/Asset Management Group
Several other leading speakers may be added as panelists before the event. Engage: Finance kicks off with these four interactive sessions at 11 a.m., followed by Wilcox's luncheon keynote address. The program concludes with a networking reception from 1 to 2 p.m.
Beyond the Jan. 15 session on finance, other upcoming Engage sessions include Engage: Health Care in March 2004 and Engage: Marketing in May 2004. All Engage programs will each consist of three core components: Knowledge (expert-led, interactive sessions conveying insights for business success), Networks (high-energy networking environment with trendsetters from all industries and company stages) and Trends (keynote who will highlight of “big picture” opportunities and obstacles). More details are available online at www.cednc.org/engage.
About CED: The Council for Entrepreneurial Development, located in Research Triangle Park, NC, is a private, non-profit organization formed in 1984 to stimulate the creation and growth of high-impact companies in the greater Research Triangle region. CED provides education, mentoring and capital formation resources to new and existing high-growth entrepreneurs through annual conferences, seminars, workshops and monthly programs on entrepreneurial management and finance. CED is the largest entrepreneurial support organization in the nation with more than 4,000 members representing 1,100 entrepreneurial companies, financiers and professional firms. www.cednc.org
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