This event has been canceled due to the snow storm. The Batten Institute will re-schedule in the upcoming months.

The Venture Capital Startup Funding Myth:
Learn How Expert Entrepreneurs
Fund Their Ventures

Panel Discussion and Networking Social
Tuesday, 14 March
6:30–8:30 p.m.
The Yale Club of New York City
50 Vanderbilt Avenue, New York, New York 10017

When people talk about startup funding, the conversation often centers on venture capital (VC). The reality is that startups need to do a lot of work before a VC firm would consider investing, and most successful startups never receive venture capital. We will discuss what comes first — revenue, friends and family, angel investors, crowdfunding campaigns and loans — and if, and when, it makes sense for a startup to seek venture capital.

Details:
Please register by March 3rd. Space is limited.
$20 for Darden/UVA Alumni. $25 for Guests.
Registration fee includes wine, beer, soft drinks and hors d’oeuvres.

RSVP

Sean Carr (MBA ’03, Ph.D. ’13) is the executive director of the Batten Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation and an assistant professor of business administration at the University of Virginia Darden School of Business. Professor Carr provides administrative leadership for a $130 million center that advances research and teaching in the areas of entrepreneurship and innovation at Darden, recently ranked as the No. 3 entrepreneurship program in the world (Financial Times, 2016). His applied research, which has examined entrepreneurial dynamics, social networks, venture capital and financial crises, has resulted in award-winning books, articles, case studies, digital media and numerous teaching materials.

Panelists:

Asmau Ahmed (ENGR ’00) is currently the CEO and engineer of Plum Perfect, a venture-funded technology startup embraced by top retailers, major brands and consumers in more than 150 countries. Plum Perfect is a technology that analyzes the color of skin, hair, eyes and lips from facial photos that consumers upload to find complementary makeup colors and products for their complexion. Prior to Plum Perfect, Ahmed led post-M&A integration projects and structured joint ventures, primarily in the financial services industry. In 2016, Ahmed was listed as one of five “Top Women in Digital” entrepreneurs by Cynopsis Media and one of seven “Business and Tech Professionals Who Are Changing the Game” byHuffington Post.

Teddy Jones (MBA ’12) is a co-founder of 501 Auctions, which helps fund the growth of nonprofits nationwide with an easy-to-use mobile bidding suite and event management platform. Jones has a background in software product management and customer service. He received a BA from Harvard and has an MBA from Darden.

Harald Kruse (MBA ’07) is an online and mobile travel entrepreneur, with expertise in building and growing digital businesses. He is currently the managing director and partner at Brand New Matter, a strategic advisory and venture capital firm based in New York City and CEO of Buster. Buster is a booking platform where customers can discover, compare and book private group transportation. Kruse also has experience working in startups, established companies, agencies and management consulting.

Monica Gray Logothetis (Col ’08, Batten ’09) is the co-founder and CEO of DreamWakers, a national education technology nonprofit that harnesses free video chat technology to connect classroom learning to real-world careers. Under her leadership, DreamWakers has expanded to 30 states in two years, and now serves thousands of students in low-income communities. Her work has been recognized in The New York Times, The Washington Post and Forbes. Monica received a BA and an MPP with a focus in education policy from UVA.

David S. Rose is a serial entrepreneur and “super angel” investor who has founded half a dozen companies and funded more than 100 others. He is the CEO of Gust, the global platform for startup founders and investors, founder of New York Angels, associate founder of Singularity University and New York Times best-selling author of Angel Investing and The Startup Checklist.