Silicon Valley Association of Startup Entrepreneurs (SVASE)

They say the bar is raised, the scales are tipping, what exactly does that mean to the Founder? This irreverent panel will delve into the delicate balancing act that exists between a startup’s investors and founders. Investors say they want founders whose businesses have traction and want to build long term viable companies.  But how does one get from a scrappy start to accelerated growth in the current environment?

Am I working overtime till I get fired?

This oft-quoted comment from a production line worker in the fiercely cyclical semiconductor industry could just as well be ascribed to the founders of many startups.  What really happens to founding teams when milestones fail to be met and there’s no sign of fresh investors on the horizon? 

From conflict resolution...to liquidity timing...to balancing long term and short term goals, this panel will provide a good humored and lively debate on the driving forces behind each side of the investor/founder marriage.

·   What does each side really want from the other?

·   With the bar raised and until you have investor interest, where do you find the people & resources for next to nothing?

·   How does the dynamic change when new investors come on board?

·   Who’s really running the company – the founders or the investors?

·   What happens when milestones fail to be met?

·   How often do founders get coached to succeed versus replaced, and what are the consequences?

·   What’s more important – a successful, viable company, or a profitable exit?

·   What due diligence should you do before approaching investors?

The Panel:

·   Steve Bennet, Member, Sand Hill Angels

·   Savinay Berry, Vice President, Granite Ventures

·   Mike O’Donnell, CEO, Skytide

·   Andrew Roberts, Founder & CEO , Ephox

Moderator: Danielle Naftulin Reed, Associate, Cooley Godward Kronish LLP

When: Thursday, April 8

6:00 – 7:00 pm Networking and hors d’oeuvres

7:00 - 8:15 pm  Panel discussion and Q&A

8:15 - 8:30 pm Additional networking

Location: Cooley Godward Kronish LLP, 3175 Hanover Street, Palo Alto, CA 94304

Pre-Registered Rates (All Rates Include Hors D’oeuvres):

Members - $20; Affiliates who advertise this event - $29; General Public - $49

Pre-registration closes at 9 PM the night before the event.

Walk-In Rates: Add $10.00 to the listed price

Seating is limited, so early registration is recommended to avoid disappointment on the day.

This event is co-sponsored by Cooley Godward Kronish LLP, http://www.cooley.com.  

Speaker Bios:

Steve Bennet, Member, Sand Hill Angels

Steve is founder and managing director of Bodega Partners, a venture catalyst and management consulting firm, which aids early-stage companies in strategic planning and business development.  In the past 12 years with Bodega, he has helped over 75 companies meet their strategic and financing goals.  He has taken the CFO role in over a dozen of these companies, including Fliqz, Orbital Data, Greystripe, Valchemy, iControl Networks, Pharmacy TV Network, Rentals.com, GolfWeb, Tribeworks, and Biological Components Corporation.

Prior to and concurrent with Bodega, Steve was a Venture Partner at Outlook Ventures and held various financial management positions at Bay Logics, Digital Microwave, and Arthur Anderson.  Steve is currently on the faculty at San Jose State University, teaching Entrepreneurial Finance, and a member of the Steering Committee for the Silicon Valley Center for Entrepreneurship.  He is also an active angel investor and on the board of the Sand Hill Angels.

Steve earned an undergraduate degree in economics from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and an MBA from The Anderson School at UCLA.  He is also a licensed CPA.

Visit his blog at http://professorvc.blogspot.com

Savinay Berry, Vice President, Granite Ventures

Savinay Berry joined Granite Ventures in August 2008. He focuses on both software and communications.

Prior to joining Granite Ventures, Savinay held associate positions at JK&B Capital and MK Capital. From 2000 to 2006, he held various positions at Dell Inc., most recently as senior global commodity manager for wireless products. He also served as a development engineer in the data recording equipment start-up at Instrumented Sensors Technology from 1998 to 2000.

Savinay received his M.B.A. from the Kellogg School of Management and Master's in Engineering Management degree from the McCormick School of Engineering & Applied Sciences, both at Northwestern University. He holds a Master's of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from Michigan State University and a B.S. degree from University of Pune, India.

Mike O’Donnell, CEO, Skytide

Michael brings 22 years of internet, media and consumer technology experience to Skytide, with a keen understanding of the digital media market that the company serves. A three-time CEO, he has a strong track record in growing startups, mid-tier and larger, publicly-traded companies.

Michael most recently served as President of Social Media, Cisco Media Solutions Group. He joined Cisco after it acquired Five Across, a social networking software company where he was President & CEO. Prior to those positions, Michael ran his own digital media consultancy; was CEO of BitPass, a digital media payments company; and was CEO & President of Salon Media Group, a pioneering internet media company that he brought public. He was also one of the founding board members of the Online Publishers Association. A graduate of the University of California, Berkeley, Michael resides in the San Francisco Bay Area with his wife and four children.

Andrew Roberts, Founder & CEO , Ephox

Andrew is founder and CEO of Ephox, an innovative software company making enterprise web content management systems easier and more productive. Andrew has been involved in starting technology companies for 13 years. After starting Ephox in Australia, Andrew migrated to the US, established sales and marketing operations and became CEO. As CEO Andrew has led Ephox to profitability, more than tripled sales and developed key strategic alliances with IBM, EMC, Vignette and others. Andrew holds a BS in computer science from the University of Queensland. Andrew is a member of the entrepreneurial committee of the Silicon Valley Association of Startup Entrepreneurs (SVASE) and has previously been a member of the board of directors of Software Engineering Australia. He was a winner of a Young Australian of the Year Award for science and technology.

Danielle Naftulin Reed, Associate, Cooley Godward Kronish LLP

Danielle Naftulin Reed is an associate in the Emerging Companies and Venture Capital Financings practice groups and a member of the Firm's Business department.  She joined the Firm in 2000 and is resident in the Palo Alto office.

Ms. Reed's practice focuses on the representation of issuers and venture capital investors in the formation and financing of emerging technology and life sciences companies, as well as counseling emerging companies with respect to recapitalizations, mergers and acquisitions, spin-outs and general corporate matters.  She also has experience in representing companies with respect to their initial public offerings and various other public financing and strategic transactions.  Ms. Reed also advises public companies operating in several industries with respect to their reporting requirements and corporate governance obligations.

Ms. Reed received a J.D. from University of California, Los Angeles School of Law in 2000, and she graduated with honors from University of Michigan, where she earned an A.B. in History in 1997.

Ms. Reed is a member of the State Bar of California.

Education

• University of California, Los Angeles School of Law
  JD, 2000
• University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
  AB History, 1997, With Honors

Admissions

• California