October 22, 2002

Panel Discussion Topic:
VC Victories: How VCs Help Their Portfolio Companies To Succeed
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This program will help portfolio companies stakeholders anticipate some of the many types of interactions, benefits and challenges of going the VC financing route. VCs do have Victories. Very few companies grow to substantial sustainability without at least one round of venture capital.

Panel Moderator:
Bill Tobin, Director, Emerging Company Services, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP

Speakers:
Peter Dumanian, General Partner, Red Rock Ventures
Ron Weissman, Venture Partner, Apax Partners
Phil Wickham, Partner, Profile Ventures
Bill Tai, Partner, Charles River Ventures
Armando Castro, Partner, Brobeck, Phleger & Harrison

• General structure of the discussion:
  As this event progresses through itís three structured phases, audience interaction will be encouraged to provide valuable augmentation and calibration to the stories, lessons and principles our experienced investors will present. First as a jumping off point each of our VCs will present a couple of actual successful cases. Then specific lessons learned from experience will be conceptually abstracted, and then the basic functional areas will be addressed including finance, operations, sales, marketing and business development. Additionally, advice on how to choose, manage and work with service providers all of the way through syndication will be proffered.
  
  
• Why is the topic important to the attendees:
  Even serial entrepreneurs have important lessons to learn. Harvesting insights into sustainable enterprises is an extremely challenging activity often fraught with peril, especially in recent times. It is valuable to learn some of these lessons without having to personally experience those arrows in your back. Seasoned professionals who have succeeded are perhaps the absolute best source of wisdom available. Nowhere else but Silicon Valley has as many veterans of these fast-moving complex and risky scenarios. When one enters the jungle it is best to have a guide that knows the way to the goal.
  
  
• What attendees will gain:
  Every time someone starts a company and experiences a birth through exit cycle it takes something out of the founders and also adds to the critical mass of lessons one needs to be proficient at this game. This is a way to accelerate ones experiences without having to live through the personal pain often associated with the cycle.