With the economic challenges of the past year, the field of entrepreneurship has expanded exponentially, presenting opportunities across many market segments. The California Coast Venture Forum announces the 12th annual presentation of the Clean Business Investment Summit, on August 13, 2010, at the Corwin Pavilion at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Touting an impressive lineup of speakers, engaging panel topics, and exciting, attractive start-ups, participants range from BMW DesignWorks to Southern California Edison, Pacific Coast Business Times to Silicon Valley Bank, CBIZ to Nutrition Capital Network, and more.
With increased interest from investors, entrepreneurs, and businesses in emerging markets such as renewable energy, clean tech, ethical, green, socially responsible, and sustainable enterprises, the Clean Business Investment Summit aligns the power of capital and clean business principles to build viable, attractive, clean tech, green, socially responsible, sustainable enterprises. The summit allows clean tech, green, socially responsible, and sustainable enterprises to present their companies to investors looking for viable, ethical “clean business” opportunities.
In addition to a vibrant array of entrepreneurs presenting, this year’s speakers and dynamic panels include:
• Morning Keynote: Udaiyan Jatar, founder of the Blue Earth Network and expert on Clean Business and emerging trends;
• “Making Cents of Sustainability: Trends and Opportunities in Clean Business” Featuring Peter Falt, BMW DesignWorks; Doug Mazeffa, Greenopia; Wigs Mendoza, Metropolitan Water District; Ed Quevedo, Paladin Law Group; Jeff Lebow, Southern California Edison; Henry Dubroff, Pacific Coast Business Times; and Gillian Christie, Christie Communications;
• Lunch Keynote: Jeff Klineman, editor of Beverage Spectrum magazine and BevNET in conversation with a notable clean business pioneer;
• “Straight from the Source: VCs and Angels Tell It How It Is” Featuring Alexander Haislip, author of Essentials of Venture Capital (John Wiley & Sons) and financial journalist; Frank Foster, DFJ Frontier; Steve Allen, Nutrition Capital Network; John Barrymore, 6Pacific Partners, David Jeromin, Golden Mean Capital; and Bill Barber, Maverick Angels.
• Profile of Successful Start-Up: Continental Wind Power introduced by Janice Dunn, California Space Authority.
• “Grow Outside the Box: Alternative Funding Sources and Strategies” Featuring Jack Garza, Silicon Valley Bank; Brent Sonnek-Schmelz, RelaxZEN, Inc.; Patrick Tunison, U.S. Small Business Administration; Anthony Pena, Wells Fargo, and Factor Direct.
“Through the Clean Business Investment Summit, we are committed to maximizing market growth for CBIS Clean Verified Enterprises, simultaneously providing guidance for those companies to strengthen investor relationships and opportunities, build strategic partnerships, and assist in efficiently expanding market share and impact,” explained Jerry Knotts, president & CEO of the California Coast Venture Forum.
This is the 12th annual presentation from the California Coast Venture Forum which has joined forces with Green2Gold and Christie Communications to build the foremost opportunity for socially responsible entrepreneurs to present to socially responsible investors. This rapidly growing summit is made possible through the generous contributions of CCVF’s sponsors and partners including: CBIZ, BevNET, Fess Parker’s DoubleTree Resort, Maverick Angels, Pacific Coast Business Times, Greenopia, Paladin Law Group, California Lutheran University, Lanspeed, Westmont College, Growth Capital Conference, and Ricoh.
The California Coast Venture Forum, the largest venture capital forum held in coastal California, links innovative, high growth companies with leading business development and financing experts, and service providers. More than 575 start-up and growth companies have been introduced to venture investors and related services experts, with more than $110,000,000 invested through the CCVF.
Call for Business Plans
The California Coast Venture Forum (CCVF) invites socially responsible, emerging – growth, start-up and later stage companies seeking venture capital funding to participate in the upcoming CBIS on August 13, 2010, in the Corwin Pavilion on the beautiful UCSB campus. Since inception, over 1,350 business plans have been reviewed to meet venture capital standards through a team of experienced business executives and entrepreneurs who annually select the most promising companies to make presentations. Through its 10th year, CCVF has assisted emerging growth and later stage companies to raise over $110 million in capital investments. Business plans meeting the clean business criteria are now being accepted online.
Clean Business embraces 11 industry segments including:
• Business Systems
• BioFuels
• Renewable Energy Sources (wind, solar, geothermal, hydro)
• Pollution Abatement
• Agricultural Technology
• Green Building
• Transportation
• Environmental Services (conservation and efficiency)
• Lifestyle Products and Services
• Wellness / Health / Fitness
• Water (capture, filtration, distribution, conservation)
Companies seeking financing or venture capital can submit business plans online here.