(http://www.ventureforwardconference.com/)
Today,
Gust(http://ctt.marketwire.com/?release=900272&id=1723372&type=1&url=http%3a%2f%2fwww.gust.com%2f),
the global investor relations platform connecting high-growth
entrepreneurs and active early-stage investors, and
DiligentDeal(http://ctt.marketwire.com/?release=900272&id=1723375&type=1&url=http%3a%2f%2fwww.diligentdeal.com%2f),
a conference organizer in the early-stage investment space, hosted
Venture Forward
2012(http://ctt.marketwire.com/?release=900272&id=1723378&type=1&url=http%3a%2f%2fconferences.diligentdeal.com%2fHome_Page.html),
the first in an annual series of industry summits. Angel investors,
venture capitalists, non-traditional investors, and select members of
the media discussed and debated the rapidly changing landscape of
entrepreneurial financing; how, where and by whom deals are being
funded; and how new regulations and legislative action are shaping the
future of private investment. The day-long event was held at the New
York Academy of Sciences in New York City.
"The vigorous debate at today's Venture Forward conference provided
investors with a roadmap for navigating the new landscape of
early-stage start-up financing," said Conference Chair David S. Rose,
CEO of Gust and one of the most active technology 'super-angel'
investors. "This exclusive opportunity to hear from the country's
leading investors and the brightest minds in business was impressive
and highly informative. We look forward to collaborating on future
Venture Forward conferences and providing investors in this asset
class with a rich perspective and insights into the future of the
early-stage economy."
The forum featured analyses and predictions especially prepared for
the conference by industry
visionaries(http://ctt.marketwire.com/?release=900272&id=1723381&type=1&url=http%3a%2f%2fconferences.diligentdeal.com%2fspeakers)
including Dave Berkus, bestselling author of Berkonomics and a
renowned angel investor with an IRR of 97% across 80 investments;
Richard Bendis, CEO of Innovation America and Chairman of the Board of
Innovation Philadelphia; and Joe Bartlett and Lori Smith of the
Legislative Policy Committee of the Angel Capital Association. Among
the world-class investors who shared their perspectives with
participants were David Hornik of August Capital, author of
VentureBlog, the first VC blog, and founder of The Lobby Conference;
Eric Hippeau of Lerer Ventures and former CEO of Huffington Post;
Howard Morgan of First Round Capital; Habib Kairouz of Rho Capital
Partners; David Tisch of Techstars; Esther Dyson of EDventure
Holdings; Stephanie Newby of Golden Seeds; Gil Beyda of Genacast
Ventures; and Bob Rice of Tangent Capital Partners. Rigorous
examination of the issues was conducted by moderators Henry Blodget of
Business Insider, Bruce Upbin of Forbes, Jonathan Marino of Thompson
Reuters' peHUB, and JJ Ramberg of MSNBC, drawing on thought provoking
questions from both panelists and the audience. In addition, Deirdre
Bolton of Money Moves with Deirdre Bolton on Bloomberg Television held
fireside interviews with Josh Kopelman of First Round Capital and
Scott Kurnit of Adkeeper, two of the industry's most perceptive
entrepreneur/investors.
In addition to a highly interactive conference
agenda(http://ctt.marketwire.com/?release=900272&id=1723384&type=1&url=http%3a%2f%2fconferences.diligentdeal.com%2fagenda)
and participation in panel discussions, attendees took advantage of
the conference's professional networking opportunities to foster
high-end engagement and dialogue with featured angel investors,
venture capitalists, prominent media figures, and policy makers.
Venture Forward is an annual conference that advances the interests of
angel investors and venture capitalists in shaping the future of
entrepreneurship and private investment. Interested angels,
super-angels, angel groups, micro-VCs and non-traditional technology
investors and entrepreneurs are encouraged to visit
www.gust.com(http://ctt.marketwire.com/?release=900272&id=1723387&type=1&url=http%3a%2f%2fwww.gust.com%2f)
for upcoming events and to learn more about how to participate in the
extraordinary opportunities presented by early-stage investment.
About Gust Gust provides the global platform for the sourcing and
management of early-stage investments, enabling skilled entrepreneurs
to collaborate with the smartest investors by virtually supporting all
aspects of the investment relationship, from initial pitch to
successful exit. Gust is endorsed by the world's leading business
angel and venture capital associations, and powers over 750 investment
organizations in 65 countries. More than 180,000 start-ups have
already used the platform to connect and collaborate with over 40,000
individual accredited investors. Gust is based in New York, NY, with a
development center in Vancouver, British Columbia, and European office
in Paris, France.
About Diligent DealDiligentDeal is a professional event organizer in
the early stage investment space specializing in the organization and
management of congresses, conferences, seminars and similar events.
Run by investors, serial entrepreneurs, a professor of computer
science and drawing on the experience of the former head of the
conference groups at Forbes and The Economist, DiligentDeal is
uniquely positioned to deliver relevant content in stimulating
formats.
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