CEN : CEN Venture Forums

Past CEN speaker Sara Horowitz, Founder of Freelancers Union, at a discussion with the NYC Comptroller.

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CEN Venture Forums

CEN is starting a new program that gives Cornellians an opportunity to meet face-to-face with experienced Venture Capitalists.

At these 90-minute events, 6 to 8 Cornell alumni give a 5-10 minute pitch to a VC, who then gives you 5-10 minutes of feedback about your business. The idea is not necessarily to get funding from this particular VC, but rather to hear insights, opinions, and constructive criticism about your plans from a very seasoned professional who you might not have access to but for your Cornell connection.

Participants can anticipate hearing feedback such as:

What types of professionals to recruit for your advisory board
What kind of funding you should consider
Companies you might consider as strategic partners
Which growth strategies to focus on and why
Presentation style pointers
Immediate next steps for launching your business
Tweaks to your plan that will increase your chances of securing funding

Currently we're setting up events in NYC and have Venture Capitalists from a wide variety of backgrounds and interests participating, so that all types of startups can benefit. Note that these events are no-cost and open ONLY to Cornell alumni, parents, faculty or staff. And you must send your 2-page executive summary to participate - no walk-ins allowed.

Questions? Please call or email Jennifer Cunningham, Director of CEN, at 607.254.7174 or JBL29@cornell.edu.

Upcoming Events
May 14, 2008 NYC: Skip Besthoff MBA '99, Principal at Rho Ventures
Industries: information technology, communications, new media

Past Events
January 16, 2008 NYC: Josh Wolfe '99, Co-Founder and Managing Director at Lux Capital
Industries: advanced materials, life sciences, nanotechnology, semiconductors

October 29, 2007 NYC: Will Rosenzweig '81, Managing Director at Physic Ventures
Industries: science-based, consumer-directed health, wellness and sustainable living companies