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CVCA 2008 Conference: Roger McNamee of Elevation Partners - An Unforgettable Catalyst for Change


Okay, stop the multi-tasking for a moment. Shut down your email, hold off any calls…come on, I know you can do it…slowly back away from your other TO DO’s :-)…, and focus, really focus, on what Roger has to say.

Welcome to Part 3 of our three part video-cast series of the Canadian Venture Capital Association’s (CVCA) 2008 Annual Conference: Face of Change. For all you start-ups, VCs, Angels, and Private Equity players alike, we’re featuring highlights from the unforgettable presentation made by the conference’s keynote speaker, Roger McNamee of Elevation Partners. Roger’s wake up call and no nonsense, no holds barred style captivated the audience and had them salivating to hear more. Listen in…he dares you to try it his way. Just which way is that, you say?

To find out, fasten your seat belts, and click on the PLAY button on today’s video cast.

And, for those of you who missed or would like to revisit:

We hope that you’ve enjoyed our three part video cast presentation of the 2008 CVCA Annual Conference, “The Face of Change”. Don’t forget to visit their website for details on next year’s event.

Many thanks to the CVCA for inviting vc-tv to cover your conference. And, thank you all for visiting vc-tv. Come back again real soon!

Posted 13 June 2008 † kty § Biz Gurus § Idea Backers § Interviews ‡ Comments (0)

CVCA 2008 Conference: Succeeding in the Face of Change

….And, now on to Part 2 of our 3 part video cast series of the very eventful and highly successful 2008 CVCA annual conference. In addition to Day 1’s rich array of topics, Day 2 looked at how investors will get their edge in the evolving market, growth opportunities in the cleantech sector, and fund raising challenges and opportunities for vc’s and private equity players alike.

You can click on the PLAY button on today’s video cast to see highlights from Day 2’s panelists’ discussions, an interview with this year’s organizing committee’s chairman, Chris Arsenault of iNovia Capital, and a chat with conference participant, Grant Kook of Golden Opportunities.

But, if you missed Part 1 featuring a recap of this captivating conference as well as discussions with the CVCA’s president, Rick Nathan  and conference participants Jevon MacDonald (Startup North and Firestoker), John McIntyre (Birch Hill Equity Partners) and William Woods (CNQ, Canada’s NEW stock exchange), you can catch it all by clicking here.

Come back later this week for Part 3. You’ll see why you could literally hear a pin drop when keynote speaker, Roger McNamee of Elevation Partners had the stage!

This year’s conference left many participants revved up and looking forward to next year’s event. Look out for more details to come about it at the CVCA site. It’s slated for Spring 2009 in booming Calgary, Canada. Hoping to see you there!

Thank you for visiting vc-tv and come back again real soon.

 

Posted 09 June 2008 † kty § Biz Gurus § Idea Backers § Interviews § KTY § Start-ups on the Rise ‡ Comments (0)

CVCA 2008 Conference: Daring VC and PE Players to be the Face of Change

Chris promised and he delivered… in full force!

The unstoppable Chris Arsenault of iNovia Capital was the chair of this year’s CVCA Annual Conference held this past May 28th-30th at the prestigious Fairmount Queen Elizabeth Hotel in Montreal, Canada. Chris and his team have certainly outdone themselves. They’ve thrown down the gauntlet and challenged the venture capital and private equity communities to come up with ideas and solutions for how they can be an effective face of change.

This record-breaking, sold-out, premiere networking and professional development conference was like being at the Canadian venture capital and private equity communities’ version of Woodstock with the who’s who and what’s what’s attending and being covered during these three very eventful days. This year’s theme, Face of Change, featured many well renowned speakers and panelists from North America and beyond including the ever edgy, no nonsense Roger McNamee of Elevation Partners, the “tell it like it is”, brilliant Andrew Waitman of Celtic House Venture Partners, and many more. 

The CVCA stirred the pot, launched lively debates (not only just on stage but in the corridors as well!) and ignited some interesting discussions between attendees. We were also treated to the release of a special report (the first of its kind!) on the private equity industry and buyout investors (click here for a copy).

In a nutshell, the private equity scene is faring well, especially in terms of buy-out returns and benefits for the economy, investors and the invested. For VCs, the fire is burning a bit low and needs to be re-ignited. And although many of the VC stats were grim, speakers and panelists rattled the cages, shared valuable advice and got people thinking about how they can be the face of change and improve the future.

And, it wasn’t about all work and no play either as the CVCA offered participants a day of golf, a fun gala evening including the announcement of their Entrepreneur of the Year Award (we’ll tell you who won in Part 2 of our video cast…), a Scoth-Tasting event and a rock concert featuring Moonalice. 

It was an action-packed programme. And you can click on the PLAY button above to get a taste of the first half of the conference featuring: Rick Nathan (CVCA President), Jevon MacDonald (Startup North and Firestoker….Listen up VCs, angels: check out his interview to hear how he says you can get a first pass at the right deal-flow before the competition does), John McIntyre (Birch Hill Equity Partners) and William Woods (CNQ, Canada’s NEW stock exchange…For you start-ups seeking to raise funds:  their site is worth an exploration!)  

Come back next week to see Part 2 covering the rest of the conference and Part 3 featuring the dynamic keynote speaker, Roger McNamee of Elevation Partners. That video will have you taking notes and running to the drawing board!

For more coverage, check out Heri’s Montreal Techwatch  (am a big fan of Heri’s) and Karen Mazurkewich’s columns at the Financial Post  on May 29th and May 30th as well as at CanadaIT.com

Thank you for visiting VC-TV and come back again real soon!

 

Posted 04 June 2008 † kty § Biz Gurus § Idea Backers § Interviews § KTY § Start-ups on the Rise ‡ Comments (0)

Start-up headed towards Reality…the Reality TV Show Way: MasterLift is Forked Up!

Just because a start-up is not “high tech”, doesn’t mean it’s not exciting or filled with creative ideas…and here’s a company that proves it!

It’s always interesting to peek in and see what our former featured guests are up to and that’s what we’re doing today. Venture Cap TV first covered Gary Wilson and his ingenious Pimp my Ride forklift start-up last year.  You can check out the first of our three part interview series with Gary by clicking here . We also did a quick update on them earlier this year.

Zooooom into Spring 2008 and MasterLift continues to lift their forklift business to new heights and are adamant about standing out of the crowd. They’ve now created a new reality TV show showcasing what they do in a fast-paced, no-holds-barred style with the potential to grow their brand recognition exponentially. They certainly know how to differentiate their company in what many consider a very commodity type business.

This creative forklift start-up’s made-for-reality TV show is called Forked Up. The show’s pilot is complete  and the team is scheduled to attend the World Television Festival in Banff from June 8-11. They even caught the attention of a world-wide media company that’s approached them to distribute the show globally! Is there anything MasterLift’s leader Gary and his team can’t do?!

Forklift, schmorklift, you might say, but did you know that the USA spends roughly $20 Billion annually for forklifts and related materials, and that the handling and logistics industry is one of America’s fastest growing sectors? You may not know it, but you probably know a forklift related professional. Applying the “six degrees of separation” concept, Gary tells me that most people have only two degrees of separation from someone who’s lived the forklift life either as a summer job or on a more long term basis.

If you want to know who’s going to be watching the show, keep in mind that 51% of the working public in Canada and 43% in the USA work with or around forklifts (e.g. in factories and warehouses) and that shows in the same realm enjoy millions of viewers (Overhaulin’ with 3.5 million viewers as just one example). Never mind all the other viewers who just simply enjoy reality TV, appreciate innovative design shows, want to learn how start-ups push the boundaries, or are just plain curious by how things work!

There’s no stopping Gary and his team. It will be interesting to see what other crazy, fun, ingenious ideas will come from them in the future to keep this start-up ahead of the pack. Am sure that they are far from done. And, maybe they’ve inspired our other start-up viewers to create their own shows, too?!

Thank you for visiting vc-tv and enjoy their trailer below!

 

Posted 28 May 2008 † kty § KTY ‡ Comments (0)

Founders and Funders: Igniting Valuable Start-Up Connections

If walls had ears, they would be buzzing with excitement as they listen in on the mind tingling discussions heard at any one of a series of Founders and Funders events held across Canada. The Founders and Funders evenings ignite start-up founders and funders to connect informally and to spark conversations that could lead to THE next, big start-up success story.

And, VC-TV is excited to have covered the “who’s who” and “what’s what” at Montreal, Canada’s 2nd Founders and Funders event held this past week. It was a huge, sold out success hosted by Austin Hill and Patrick Lauzon.

This deliciously invigorating networking supper and cocktail gathered together an inspiring sample of the finest start-up founders and visionary funders from Montreal and abroad. Watch our video and you’ll meet a few of the amazing participants, including:

  • the evening’s co-host, the renowned start-up hero and brilliant angel investor, Austin Hill
  • George Favvas, CEO of Smarthippo and an ingenious and truly dynamic start-up leader,
  • Alok Mohindra who’s launching a fresh, new start-up. He and his partner are at the very beginning of their exciting venture adventure with their revolutionary invention that claims to change the world of lighting
  • David Crow, a MicroSoft User Experience Evangelist and the host of Toronto, Canada’s Founders and Funders events

So, if you’re ready to taste a savory morsel of the not-to-miss Founders and Funders networking events, go ahead and click on the PLAY button below. Thank you for visiting VC-TV and come back again real soon! 

Posted 16 May 2008 † kty § KTY ‡ Comments (0)

CVCA Annual Conference: The Face of Change!

 The Face of Change…Go ahead and look in the mirror…You got it…YOU’re it!

That’s the theme around this year’s Canadian Venture Capital Association’s annual conference. Touted to be THE premiere VC and private equity networking and professional development event, the conference promises an unforgettable experience. This popular conference continues the CVCA’s strong tradition of creating value-adding events for its community…so much so that if you want to attend, it’s now “waiting list” only!

The conference’s outstanding list of renowned speakers, impressive cast of international and local participants and its exciting FACE OF CHANGE theme will certainly breed a host of stimulating discussions. They surely will get our noggins actively thinking and planning about the triggers of change that impact us.

VC-TV recently had a chance to sit down with this year’s conference’s organizing committee chair, Chris Arsenault *, COO and Managing Partner of iNovia Capital. We spoke about why this is the event that YOU MUST attend, who are some of the world class leaders to meet at the conference and why they chose THE FACE OF CHANGE as this year’s theme.

(*….you might remember Chris; we recently did a three part interview series with Chris and iNovia Capital’s founder and president, Mark de Groot to announce the launch of their latest fund, the iNovia II. You can click here for a peek at the first of our three part video cast series with this dynamic duo).

Chris and his brilliant organizing committee have prepared a networking event to remember. And VC-TV will be there to cover it this coming May 28th-30th at the Fairmount Queen Elizabeth Hotel in Montreal, Canada. So come back again to view our video casts of this sure-to-be exciting event shortly after the conference dates.

But for now, let’s move on to our video cast below to learn more about what’s what and who’s who at the event. To find out even more about the CVCA and this year’s conference, you can visit their website at www.cvca.ca Hope to see you there!!!

 

Thank you for visiting VC-TV and come back again real soon!!!

 

Posted 08 May 2008 † kty § Biz Gurus § Idea Backers § Interviews § KTY ‡ Comments (0)

The Start-Up Sorority Wants YOU!

Have you got what it takes?

Membership in this tougher than nails sorority requires a brilliant mind, nerves of steel and a strong stomach. If you’re ready to join the amazing women entrepreneurs from the hi-tech world, face the challenges and enjoy the rewards, then the sorority of start-up ladies wants you!

Welcome to Part 3 of our 3 part video cast series of the April 2008  Canadian Advanced Technology Alliance’s Women in Technology’s (CATA WIT) Symposium on Technology Entrepreneurship. Today, we’re excited to introduce three brilliant start-up ambassadors. They represent the impressive caliber of talent and wisdom who participated as panelists, speakers and guests at the CATA WIT forum. They are:

  • A start-up story turned successful represented by Monique Letourneau , EVP Finance and CFO of Ambrilia Biopharma . This company rose from start-up to public listed having successfully weaved through and met head-on all the financing experiences one can imagine!
  • A visionary organization encouraging start-ups represented by Louise Thiboutot , Business Development Director at Montreal International
  • A future hi-tech start-up leader, Anastasia Serebrianaia. She is a young, dynamic entrepreneur from Russia who is now on to explore similar ventures here in North America as a start up student on the rise!

But if you missed:

Otherwise, click on the PLAY button below and meet three impressive start-up leaders from the CATA WIT Symposium.

 

 
Thank you for visiting VC-TV and come back again real soon!!!

Posted 03 May 2008 † kty § Biz Gurus § Idea Backers § Interviews § KTY § Start-ups on the Rise ‡ Comments (0)

When Sue Speaks, Everyone Listens! (Lessons from a Very Successful Serial Start-Up SHE-E-O)

 Listening to Sue’s wisdom and advice is like attending your favorite concert…you soak up the experience and jump to your feet asking for an encore performance so you can treat yourself to more!

Welcome to Part 2 of our 3 part video cast series of the April 2008  Canadian Advanced Technology Alliance’s Women in Technology’s (CATA WIT) Symposium on Technology Entrepreneurship. The event featured some very impressive panel discussion members and keynote speakers, including a highly successful serial entrepreneur, Dr. Suhayya (Sue) Abu-Hakima. People nation-wide and beyond line up to hear her speak and we were privileged to chat with her first hand.

Sue is the President and CEO of Amika Mobile, a pioneer in automatic content analysis for mobile phones offering a variety of valuable features including sending SMS/ email alerts by phone (better yet, check out their website for an interesting demo at www.amikamobile.com). This is Sue’s second start-up…and I have a feeling that it won’t be her last!

Sue is also an award winning entrepreneur in high technology, a great inspiration to many (women and men entrepreneurs alike!) and as mentioned earlier, in high demand to speak to future great entrepreneurs. We were very privileged and grateful (thank you again, Sue!) to sit down with her for a solid one-on-one session so that we could share her rich wisdom with you, including:

  • her best advice for start-ups on the rise
  • how women should try raising capital and deal with VCs who think women are risky (!)
  • how to encourage more women to join the hi-tech start-up league
  • her thoughts on the global venture cap/start-up community
  • accessing valuable resources, VCs and connections for women entrepreneurs via initiatives like CATA WIT and Springboard Enterprises

Amongst other interesting facts, Sue shared that less than 4% of start-ups in North America are VC backed…and that only 0.1% of all venture backed companies in N.A are female-led. But, I think with incredible leaders like Sue and organizations like CATA WIT and Springboard, we are better armed to really start turning the tides!

If you’re ready to be mesmerized by Sue, do go ahead and click on the PLAY button of our video-cast.

 

But, if you missed Part 1 featuring John Reid (President of the CATA Alliance) and Susan Read (President of Susan Read Talent and a co-organizer of this impressive event), please click here and you’ll learn how WIT was born and hear some practical advice that you can put in place right away.

Come back again soon for Part 3 when we will introduce you to a fine sample of a few of the participants with whom we had an opportunity to chat for a few moments including Louise Thiboutot (Business Development Director at Montreal International), Monique Letourneau (EVP Finance and CFO of Ambrilia Biopharma - a company that rose from start-up to public listed successfully surviving all the financing experiences one can imagine!) and Anastasia Serebrianaia (a young, dynamic entrepreneur from Russia who is now on to explore similar ventures here in North America as a start up student on the rise!)

Thank you for visiting VC-TV and see you again real soon!

Posted 29 April 2008 † kty § Biz Gurus § Interviews § KTY § Start-ups on the Rise ‡ Comments (0)

“Know-How” + “Know-Who” …You Need Both!

  …And that was a clear message at the Canadian Advanced Technology Alliance’s Women in Technology’s (CATA WIT) Symposium on Technology Entrepreneurship this past week.

Hi-tech women’s “know-how” (the brains, talents and strategies to build a desirable solution/idea that the market wants) MUST BE accompanied by a strong “know-who ” (the ability to network successfully and get the right people on board whether they be advisers, team members, partners, or investors).  Women have demonstrated the former (and there’s no doubt about that!), but many still need to work on their “know-who” and CATA WIT is there to help them do it!

Welcome to VC-TV and our three part video cast series on CATA WIT’s Women in Technology’s latest symposium. Ladies, and yes, even the men, from the hi-tech, start-up and VCs sectors met to challenge each other’s ideas, network with other like minded smart business leaders, and strengthen their strategies with the rich advice presented.

Here’s what we have in store for you :

  • In part one, we’re featuring video chats we had with John Reid (President of the CATA Alliance) and Susan Read (President of Susan Read Talent and a co-organizer of this impressive event). We’ll learn how WIT was born and hear some practical advice you can put in place right away
  • Part 2 will be showcasing a video cast with one of the event’s key note speakers, Suhayya (Sue) Abu-Hakima. Sue is President and CEO of an ingenious company known as Amika Mobile. She’s an awesome, successful serial entrepreneur with a wealth of experience and advice to share. I could listen to her for hours on end - we can all learn so much from Sue!
  • Soon to follow, Part 3 will introduce you to a fine sample of a few of the participants with whom we had an opportunity to chat for a few moments including Louise Thiboutot (Business Development Director at Montreal International), Monique Letourneau (EVP Finance and CFO of Ambrilia Biopharma - a company that rose from start-up to public listed successfully surviving all the financing experiences one can imagine!) and Anastasia Serebrianaia (a young, dynamic entrepreneur from Russia who is now on to explore similar ventures here in North America as a start up student on the rise!)

So, if you’re ready to meet those passionate about women entrepreneurship in technology, click the PLAY button on the video below…and remember, come back again real soon for more!

Posted 25 April 2008 † kty § Idea Backers § Interviews § KTY ‡ Comments (0)

iNovia Capital: Playbook Advice for Start-Ups on the Rise

mark-de-groot-1_195255.JPG  chris-1_195255.JPG  Welcome to Part 3 of our three part video-cast series with iNovia Capital’s CEO and President, Mark de Groot and its COO and Managing Partner, Chris Arsenault. Today, we will be featuring:

  • their best advice for start-ups on the rise
  • what they say are the biggest pitfalls that start-ups encounter
  • what they would like to see changed in the start-up/VC world

But if you missed:

But, if you’re ready to get some valuable advice from iNovia’s professional start-up playbook, please click on the PLAY button  on the video box below.

Thank you for visiting VC-TV and our three part interview series with iNovia Capital . Come back again and see us real soon!  inovia-logo-hirez-cymk_resized.jpg

Posted 04 April 2008 † kty § Idea Backers § KTY ‡ Comments (0)