Friends,
Come celebrate that small win in the Café this Thursday or plan ahead and mix global and local by creating a more structured schedule. Here’s some suggestions: make connections in between Office Hours, then explore whether crowdfunding is a viable option with attorneys from Mintz Levin. Following that, either lean local with the upcoming Open Data Science Conference or discover how local entrepreneurs turned their products into companies. Or, go international and learn about either research and development funding options in France or Peace Corps opportunities in México.
Thursday’s scheduled Office Hours begin prior to Mintz Levin’s Equity Crowdfunding: Viable Financing for Emerging Businesses or Much Ado About Nothing?, the first of our three Feature Events. Following that, register online with “CIC” to stay in the same room for free by reserving your spot for MassTLC’s seminar: Turning Products into Companies featuring local entrepreneurs and Michael Skok. Or, go into the Cancun conference room in the Café for PwC’s French Research and Development Funding Discussion. Meanwhile, chat with representatives from Peace Corps México and Open Data Science Conference at their Info Tables in the Café.
Hope to see you Thursday,
Pic of the Week: Naming ceremony for Bruce C. Bolling Municipal Building in Roxbury, home to Roxbury Innovation Center. Opening in the Fall.
3:00 – 8:00 P.M. | Venture Café in Session
Feature Events
4:30 – 6:00 P.M. | Mintz Levin’s Equity Crowdfunding: Viable Financing for Emerging Businesses or Much Ado About Nothing?
“Crowdfunding” has become increasingly popular as a capital-raising mechanism for artists, film-makers and small businesses, in which financial contributions are made in exchange for a tangible item of value, such as tickets to a performance. In April 2012, as part of the JOBS (“Jumpstart Our Business Startups”) Act, the SEC was directed to implement rules allowing “equity crowdfunding,” in which small businesses would be allowed to raise needed capital in exchange for shares or other ownership interests. Three years on, despite great expectations, the SEC’s rules on this topic have been proposed, but are not yet final. Some states, including Massachusetts, have taken matters into their own hands and adopted rules allowing intrastate equity crowdfunding, in which small amounts can be raised through offerings only to residents of one state.
At this session hosted by Mintz Levin’s Megan Gates and Kristin Gerber, you’ll learn what the SEC’s rules will ultimately permit small businesses to do, what the state rules allow, and other potential means for financing startup businesses.
RSVP here.
6:00 – 7:00 P.M. | French Research and Development Funding Discussion with PwC & Efficient Innovation France
In 2013, the OECD ranked the French R&D credit n°3 in the world by the tax advantage per euro of R&D spend (35%) and n°1 by its weight in proportion to the GDP (0.26%). The credit reduces the cost of R&D close to Singapore and lower than in most Western European countries and the US. Certain features of the credit make it even more attractive for US investors. And there are numerous other sources of financing from the regions, State and the EU. The presenters, Stefan Brouwers, Efficient Innovation France Emmanuel Picq, PwC Cabinet d’Avocats, Paris, will explain the rules, opportunities and pitfalls.
Participants can also learn about the Young Enterprise “Start in France” competition with the possibility to benefit from a free one-week immersion in France: laureates will benefit from an extensive customized business network and connections to some of the best resources in Europe.
6:00 – 8:00 P.M. | MassTLC Seminar: Turning Products Into Companies
RSVP REQUIRED! Please RSVP here and use the promotional code “CIC”. Only 50 codes available.
If you’re interested in building a billion dollar SaaS business, it’s necessary to first start with a multi-billion dollar problem. And to turn this problem into a billion dollar business you have to make it repeatable, sustainable, valuable, and predictable.
To help you navigate the myriad of challenges at every stage of the process, join MassTLC’s Cloud and Sales & Marketing Communities, Michael Skok and local entrepreneurs as case examples in a three-part series of dynamic workshops on successfully bringing your SaaS business to market.
You may have a great product, compelling Value Proposition, and a Disruptive Business Model, but how do you build a successful company around that? It can take several years to create your company. In the meantime, markets change. In addition to investing in R&D, you need to prove market acceptance – then repeat and scale through sales and marketing.
This interactive workshop, led by Michael Skok and featuring a case study with a local innovator, provides a framework to help founders and entrepreneurs bridge the product-company gap, and will include best practices to:
Develop foundations;
Design to fit; and
Architect to attract
Missed the first workshop on Value Proposition? Click here for the blog recap!
Office Hours
3:00 – 5:00 P.M. | Massachusetts Small Business Development Center
Mark Allio is Regional Director of the Massachusetts Small Business Development Center’s (MSBDC) Boston office and its Minority Business Center. MSBDC is part of a national public business assistance program representing a three-way partnership between the Small Business Administration, Massachusetts Office of Business and Technology, and UMass Boston. The Center provides free one-on-one business advisory services to entrepreneurs and business owners, entrepreneurial training workshops, and special assistance in gaining access to capital.
A former two-time entrepreneur, non-profit administrator, and strategy consultant, Mark regularly meets entrepreneurs with diverse backgrounds, providing them with ongoing practical perspective to help them realize the American Dream. More than 2,500 entrepreneurs have attended his workshops on a variety of topics of entrepreneurial interest.
Reserve 15 minutes with Mark.
3:00 – 5:00 P.M. | Sarah von Helfenstein
Valuation – the queen of finance & economic disciplines – is largely misunderstood, misrepresented, and misapplied. Yet she is essential for all business decisions – particularly those for dynamic, high growth companies and projects.
Sarah von Helfenstein would like to move you past Go – that “point estimate of value” where most people get stuck – and guide you behind the veil of mystery. Bring your questions. Find out how a meaningful valuation can do far more than wow potential investors or plug a number into a tax return or audited financial statement.
Value + Realism + Insight » Effective Decision Support
RSVP here.
Sarah’s Office Hours on Thursday are full.
3:00 – 6:00 P.M. | Joe Caruso
For the last 20 years Joe Caruso has served has been an “Advocate for entrepreneurs” as a mentor, coach, and personal advisor to CEO’s and entrepreneurs. In recent years, he has served an investor, advisor and active director with dozens of companies, public and private. He also maintains an active consulting practice dealing with structuring and negotiation of acquisitions, strategic partnerships and financings, and issues related to dispute resolution.
Reserve 30 minutes with Joe here.
3:30 – 5:30 P.M. | Marty Sack
Marty Sack has mentored more than 200 start-ups over the last two years as a volunteer for SCORE. He brings with him the mentoring resources of more than forty additional successful executives, CPAs, small business owners, and other experts in diverse areas of business and non-profits–all volunteers offering free mentoring services.
Marty is the now retired co-founder of LunchDates Dating Service. He also founded and led a national job publication for 26 years, and he was the executive director of a Cambridge based non-profit for 18 years.
Marty’s Office Hours on Thursday are full.
Reserve 30 minutes with Mary here
.
5:30 – 7:30 P.M. | Dr. Sheldon Borkin
Get advice from Dr. Sheldon Borkin on growing and funding your company. Sheldon leads Strategic Angels which helps larger software companies become involved in the innovation economy. He is a mentor at both Techstars Boston and MassChallenge, and also a member of both Launchpad Venture Group and Investors Collaborative. Sheldon has done three startups resulting in two IPOs (including WebMD) and one acquisition. He is particular interests in enterprise and SMB software companies across verticals, and those with IoT and/or digital marketing technologies..
Reserve 30 minutes with Sheldon here
. Sheldon’s Office Hours on Thursday are full.
Info Tables
5:30 – 7:00 P.M. | Peace Corps México
Want to get warmer and still be cool? Consider joining Peace Corps México! Their unique program promotes technology transfer, innovation and the sustainable use of natural resources. They work with the National Council for Science and Technology (CONACYT) to place experienced Volunteers in research centers throughout central Mexico. They also work with technical universities, where Volunteers help strengthen university English and science curricula, train teachers, and teach classes in their areas of specialty. In the environment, they collaborate with the Mexican park service and forest service and are looking for Volunteers with expertise in land management, biodiversity monitoring, GIS and environmental education and communication. They’d love to talk to you!
5:30 – 7:30 P.M. | Open Data Science Conference
The #ODSc Conference brings together most influential practitioners, innovators, and thought leaders in the open source and data science fields to discover, develop, and accelerate the adoption of open source in data science.
Open source data science is revolutionizing the way we analyze information.
Be among the first to understand how you can leverage the promise of the #ODSc revolution
Explore 70+ technical and non-technical talks to grow your expertise
Discover latest applications and breakthroughs
Connect with other innovators across industries and disciplines