The @VENTURE Begins…

The CSPA @VENTURE Series is new entrepreneur program specially tailored to address real issues and real challenges of today's entrepreneurs and the "adventures" of building organizations. Our objectives are to help entrepreneurs build successful ventures and build closer professional networks among their peers.

The @VENTURE Series focuses on the mechanics of building a successful business, whether it's the blocks-and-tackles of dealing with legal issues, the soft skills necessary to build relationships, or navigating the minefield or raising venture capital. The program is designed to provide the serious entrepreneur with a stronger grasp of the materials through in-depth discussion seminars.

The @VENTURE Series will span several months. Each event will occur over an intensive 3 to 4 hours session; each session covering two selected topics that are commonly faced by entrepreneurs, from boot-strapping to beyond Series A.

The first event in the series is scheduled for June 28, 2008, and will cover:

• Topic 1: Company formation, Doing it right!
• Topic 2: Where is your dream team?
  

For more info on this series, click here .

SESSION 1: COMPANY FORMATION: DOING IT RIGHT!

Company formation is more than company registration. It is a complex issue, worth careful and deeper consideration and research. Many of today’s web startups are international from the get-go and/or face a host of other legal structure issues that used to be faced only by large multinational conglomerates. Doing it right could save you $$$, time, and headaches in the long run. In this session, we will discuss the essentials of the company’s legal structure and other important elements of company formation such as timing, location and global consideration.

• Discussion of ‘the essential’ for company formation
• Trade-off of doing it right versus just doing it
• How to avoid costly mistakes?
• When and where to incorporate?
• Global consideration – How to structure it right?

Speakers:

• David Lee, Partner, Orrick
• Craig Kaufman, Partner, Orrick

SESSION 2: WHERE IS YOUR DREAM TEAM?

Do you have your dream team yet? Today’s startups require a lot more than the idyllic few guys working out the business plan on a napkin. A good team is deemed as one of the most important factors in determining the success of a venture. According to most venture capitalists, it’s about “people, people, people”. In this session, we shall cover some of the key issues, lessons, and pitfalls involved in building a strong team.

• What is the true definition of a dream team?
• What are the magic elements that VCs look at in a dream team?
• Why do VCs look for a dream team?
• How to get your dream team?
• Success stories

Speakers:

• Anthony Chang, Managing Director, TL Ventures
• Keng Lim, Founder & CEO, NextLabs
• Ken Rudin, CEO, LucidEra
• Treb Ryan, Co-Founder & CEO, OpSource
• Prashant Shah, Managing Director, Hummer Winblad

*Qualified Entrepreneurs

To be a qualified entrepreneur, you must have a website for your technology startup business/idea and a bio page (not LinkedIn page). If interested, please email venture@cspa.com with a link to your bio page showing your background and credentials. If you’re qualified, we will email a discount code for your registration discount.

Drop-in Price:

+$10 (Qualified Entrepreneurs price available only online.)