VC trends for Green and Clean Business
in 2010

Monday, February 22nd

6:00 - 6:30 pm: Registration and networking
6:30 - 8:00 pm: Panel discussion, and Q/A
8:00 - 8:30 pm: Additional networking

Winston & Strawn LLP, 101 California Street
Directions

REGISTER HERE

The FACCSF and its Sustainability Committee are proud to invite you to a panel discussion on ''VC trends for Green and Clean Business in 2010''. Venture Capital companies assume the risk of investing in technologies and services for the next generations. They help shape new business models, allow new strategic directions and launch new managerial talent. Sustainable Development can improve profitability and value for any company. So come and listen to our panel to understand the investment in Green and Clean Business, and learn about the current trends, the VC selection process as well as their best practices.

The Panel:

Courtney McColgan - Analyst, Draper Fisher Jurvetson
Sheeraz Haji - Managing Partner, Cleantech Group LLC
Bernard Slede - Corporate Venture Capital, Hewlett-Packard
Dan Baldi - Relationship Manager, Silicon Valley Bank

Moderator:

James E. Topinka - Partner, Winston& Strawn LLP

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Courtney McColgan - Analyst, Draper Fisher Jurvetson
Courtney McColgan is an Analyst at Draper Fisher Jurvetson where she focuses on clean technology and China-related investments. Courtney is active with DFJ investments Deeya Energy and Oasys Water Technologies. Connected with her work at DFJ, Courtney serves on the leadership committee of Young Professionals in Energy (YPE). Prior to joining DFJ, Courtney worked as an investment banking analyst in the Financial Sponsors Group at Morgan Stanley. Previously, Courtney founded Wokai, a person-to-person giving platform for China. The organization was an extension of a post-graduate research project Courtney completed during a Fulbright grant as well as work she was involved in during her undergraduate studies. Courtney is a graduate of University of California, Berkeley with an BA in Chinese and Economics. She is fluent in Mandarin.

Sheeraz Haji - Managing Partner, Cleantech Group LLC
Sheeraz Haji is based in Cleantech Group's San Francisco office. Previously, Sheeraz spent eight years co-founding and leading GetActive (merged with Convio), a venture-backed software-as-a-service company providing CRM tools to nonprofits, associations and educational institutions. As CEO, and later as President of the merged entity, Sheeraz built a company with 1,200 clients and 300 employees.
He has also worked as a strategy consultant for McKinsey & Company, an Entrepreneur-in-Residence (EIR) for El Dorado Ventures, an operations executive for GMO and a Product Manager for Digital Impact (acquired by Acxiom).
Sheeraz launched his career as an environmental engineer in the Washington, DC office of Environ International. He has a BS from Brown University and an MS from Stanford University, both degrees in Environmental Engineering. Sheeraz is a U.S. and French citizen.

Bernard Slede - Corporate Venture Capital, Hewlett-Packard
Bernard Slede is a key member of HP’s Corporate Ventures team, in charge of portfolio management, business development and identifying equity participation opportunities with startups in areas of strategic value to Hewlett Packard. HP is often hailed as an innovator and leader on global citizenship and sustainable practices. An entrepreneur and startup advisor prior to HP, Bernard has developed tangible innovation and returns via corporate venturing at Elf Aquitaine (energy, pharma, new materials), a new business unit at Intel, and at TVC, a Lockheed Martin foundation. While at RTL Group, Bernard launched and spun out a satellite TV service which garnered over a million subscribers. Bernard was also advisor to early stage companies, including Adura Technologies and PowerAssure, two startups that won the California Clean Tech Open competition and went on to receive venture funding. Bernard is a graduate of the HEC School of Management in Paris and the International Management Program at ESADE (Barcelona) and McGill University (Montreal).

James E. Topinka - Partner, Winston& Strawn LLP
James Topinka is a corporate partner in Winston & Strawn’s San Francisco office with more than 30 years of experience in the financing and development of emerging companies, with particular emphasis on technology, consumer products, alternative energy, and financial services. 
Mr. Topinka received a B.A. from Dartmouth College in 1968.  He received a J.D. from Stanford Law School in 1974, and an LL.M. from Harvard Law School in 1976. He was a member of the adjunct faculty at the Boalt Hall School of Law and also a research associate at the Institute of Comparative Law at the University of Florence, Italy.

Dan Baldi - Relationship Manager, Silicon Valley Bank
Dan Baldi is a relationship manager and venture lender in Silicon Valley Bank’s cleantech practice. 
He manages numerous client relationships across the Bay Area and beyond. 
Dan has primary responsibility for banking and lending activity to venture-backed cleantech companies. 
His is experienced in many aspects of early stage and middle market financing including growth capital lending, working capital lending, asset based lending, EXIM finance, cash flow lending, international credit products and trade finance. Prior to joining Silicon Valley Bank Dan spent four years in middle market banking at commercial banks. 
He also has experience in technology leasing, partnering and syndications, and public and private accounting.

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Registration

At the door: $35

Cancellations must be made 5-days prior to the event date
Any cancellation within a 5-day period of the scheduled date will not be refunded
Name of guests will be kept at the door

The French-American Chamber of Commerce of San Francisco thanks its first Benefactor Member: Barclais USA

 

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