Stanley D. Ratcliff
palo_alto, ca
- Gender: Male
- Interested In: Neither
- Member since: 2007-02-14 00:00:00
- Last log-in: 2007-05-01 00:00:00
- Events: 20
Events:
VC TaskForce - Elevator Pitch Roundtable
Where: Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP
Date: 2007-05-02 18:00:00
Type:
The VC Taskforce Elevator Pitch Roundtable is a great opportunity for entrepreneurs to network with investors and other CXOs, present their company and idea, and hear first-hand what it takes to raise early-stage capital in 2007. If you are an entrepreneur in a Bay Area startup and currently seeking capital, come prepared with your best 60-second elevator pitch. If you are an investor come and listen to entrepreneurs' pitches. You never know where you'll find your next deal. Find out how our panel of investors rate the entrepreneurs' pitches; which VCs pass and for what reasons; and, which entrepreneurs other VCs want to talk to ASAP. Please let us know if you would like to participate on one of our Elevator Pitch Roundtable panels or Workshop panels. During the evening, a select number of entrepreneurs will present their pitch to the entire room. Please note that pitching time limits will be strictly enforced! Our lively panel discussion and Q&A will also provide critical insight into what it takes to raise capital today. Chair & Moderator: Steve Bengston, Director, Pricewaterhouse Coopers Panelists: Ron Weissman, Apax Partners / Band of Angels Francis Ho, Panoramic Capital Atul Kapadia, Bay Partners Gary L. Benton, Partner, Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP Please note: Space is very limited and reserved for investors and entrepreneurs only. If you register for this event and are not an investor or entrepreneur, your registration fee will be returned less a $15 order processing fee as well as any CVENT fees. We apologize for any inconvenience. $35 VC Taskforce members, $45 General, Door plus $10.
Tom Hayden: Ending the War in Iraq
Where: First Baptist Church
Date: 2007-09-06 19:30:00
Type:
Sponsor: Peninsula Peace and Justice Center Contact: Paul George or Julia Bernd, 650-326-8837 Cost: $10 to $20 (sliding scale suggested donation), https://www.reachandteach.com/ppjcstore/index.php?action=category&id=10 On Thursday, September 6 at 7:30 p.m., Tom Hayden will discuss his new book, Ending the War in Iraq, at First Baptist Church of Palo Alto (305 N. California Ave). As a leading antiwar figure in the 1960s, Hayden wrote extensively on Vietnam and was one of the small number of Americans engaged in dialogue with both sides during the Paris peace talks. Hayden remains a stalwart antiwar activist and is credited with initiating 2005 Congressional exit-strategy hearings on Iraq. This urgent book comes from a patient understanding of the nature of conflict resolution. Hayden argues that the Iraq War will end by applying public pressure against the pillars of the Bush Administration's foreign policy. For the first time in American history, he writes, an American majority voted against a war in progress in November 2006. A new kind of antiwar movement, delineated in this groundbreaking work, can help turn the tide of public opinion against the current conflict. This is a book for millions of peace activists, for an undecided public, and for the 2008 presidential candidates as well. Copies of Ending the War in Iraq will be available for purchase and signing at the lecture.
L.A. Theatre Works
Where: Stanford Dinkelspiel Auditorium
Date: 2007-10-27 20:00:00
Type:
Tickets: $40/$36 (Adult) / $20/$18 (Stanford Student) Half-price tickets are available for young people age 15 and under and discounts are available for students and groups. Call 650-725-ARTS (2787) or visit: http://livelyarts.stanford.edu Description: Veteran actor Stacy Keach leads L.A. Theatre Works—America’s foremost radio theater company—in a live radio-theater-style production of Geoffrey Cowan and Leroy Aarons’ docudrama Top Secret: The Battle for the Pentagon Papers. Read from the stage with sound effects created live as in the golden age of radio, the play dramatizes the Washington Post’s controversial decision to publish documents implicating the Nixon administration.
Palo Alto Children's Theatre presents LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS
Where: Palo Alto Children's Theatre
Date: 2007-07-27 19:30:00
Type:
Book and Lyrics by Howard Ashman, Music by Alan Menken, Based on the film by Roger Corman, Screenplay by Charles Griffith A floral assistant becomes an overnight sensation when he discovers an exotic plant with a mysterious craving for fresh blood. Soon “Audrey II” grows into an ill-tempered carnivore who offers him fame and fortune in exchange for feeding its growing appetite. This affectionate spoof of 1950s sci-fi movies features the songs “Somewhere That’s Green” and “Suddenly Seymour.” Performed by high school and college members of the Wingspread summer stock company. Performances: Fri July 27 at 7:30pm, Sat July 28 at 7:30pm, Sun July 29 at 2:30pm, Thu Aug 2 at 7:30pm, Fri Aug 3 at 7:30pm Tickets: $8 Adult, $4 Child Box Office: (650) 463-4970, Tue-Sat, 1:30-6:00pm
CSPA: Games Industry 3.0
Where: Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP
Date: 2007-05-29 18:30:00
Type:
The global games industry is now valued at over $30 billion. The rapid growth of the industry, introduction of next generation gaming consoles and advanced PC hardware, the wide popularity of massively multiplayer online (MMO) content such as World of Warcraft, user generated games, and online distribution channels all introduce new challenges and new opportunities. How is the industry dealing with these challenges? What opportunities exist in this highly popular and lucrative industry? With video game budgets easily exceeding $20 million, where will the intrepid entrepreneurs thrive? How does the convergence between the TV and the computer screen affect the games industry? What new business models are emerging? This CSPA event brings together a group of highly experienced panelists to shed light on the challenges in the Games Industry, and represents a great opportunity to network with peers. Topics to be explored include: * The increasing cost of making AAA video game titles * Growth opportunities of MMOs * Mobile Games * Online distribution of games * New business models in the industry Moderator * James Hursthouse, CEO, Online Game Services Inc. Speakers * Tom DuBois, Lead Producer, Global Online Studio, Electronic Arts * Gus Tai, General Partner, Trinity Ventures * Jeff Yates, Vice President Product Management, Havok Inc. Join us for some food, networking, and an insightful evening. Pre-pay: $15 for premium members, $25 for basic members, $20 students, $30 non-members (register as basic member for free); $5+ for walkins.
Vienna Teng
Where: Bol Park
Date: 2007-08-07 18:00:00
Type:
Free concert with bay Area local, singer/songwriter and pianist performing folk and pop originals with warm up act at 6 pm: AUSTIN WILLACY. www.viennateng.com www.austinwillacy.com
Web Monday Silicon Valley
Where: Cooley Godward Kronish LLP
Date: 2007-06-18 18:00:00
Type:
Welcome to our 1-year-anniversary event in the Bay Area! Speakers * Ibrahim Evsan, Founder and CEO, Sevenload * #2 * #3 As always, watch the wiki for updates. What is ze Veb Monday? Web Monday is an informal gathering (in and around Germany) aimed at bringing together developers, designers, entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, researchers, web pioneers, inventors, bloggers, podcasters, end users and other folks interested in web 2.0 (in the broadest sense). The goal is to better connect the German web 2.0 scene as well as improve transatlantic idea exchange between Germany and the US (and – hopefully – help bring some of those good Silicon Valley vibes to Germany). Since its inception in November 2005, Web Monday has spread fast: meetings are now being held in 15+ cities all across Germany on a regular basis and have attracted several hundred repeat participants so far. Meetings have also been held in Vienna (Austria) and Innsbruck (Austria) as well as on Second Life. Anyone involved in web 2.0 or neighboring fields who has an interest in German-US business (or any kind of "bridging" between the two, for that matter) is most welcome to join. Whether you are from Germany and live and work here in Silicon Valley (and want to help spread the love), or whether you are from Silicon Valley and have ties to Germany – Web Monday Silicon Valley is your chance to present your product, your service, your startup, your cool new project or your next big idea to a growing audience of German web aficionados. There will be pizza/snacks and drinks (we may ask for a small contribution from those who can afford it).
Stanford Summer Institute for General Management
Where: Stanford University Graduate School of Business
Date: 2007-06-23 00:00:00
Type:
The business world is in need of young leaders with a background in humanities, science, and engineering. Now that you have the education, all you need is the right skills. The Stanford Graduate School of Business Summer Institute for General Management offers college juniors, seniors, and recent graduates the unique opportunity to build the analytical and practical skills critical to launching a successful career in the business world. As a Summer Institute participant, you will learn from and interact with the same outstanding faculty who teach in Stanford's world-renowned MBA program.
Annual Korea IT Conference - Digital Media - KINCON2007 - C3...
Where: Crowne Plaza Cabana
Date: 2007-06-07 00:00:00
Type:
KINCON2007, the annual Korea IT industry event in the US, will focus on Digital Media with speakers from innovative companies from the US and Korea. $95 in advance; $120 at the door
SVASE Event: 'BIG EVENT: Mobility – Opportunities In Digital...
Where: SAP Labs, LLC
Date: 2007-06-21 18:00:00
Type:
Event: 'BIG EVENT: Mobility – Opportunities In Digital Convergence' BIGs Business Interface Groups – where Business & Technology collide! Date: Thursday, June 21, 2007 At 06:00 Duration: 2 Hours 30 Minutes Contact Info: SAP, 3410 Hillview Avenue, Palo Alto, CA Laura Weigant Email: info@svase.org URL: http://svase.org/index.php?option=com_extcalendar&Itemid=149&extmode=view&extid=939 With the advent of wireless as an enabler for mobility the user experience becomes more complex as internet access can be achieved via Wifi, WiMAX cellular and other infrastructures with devices that can accommodate all, and the users who demand to smoothly roam among these networks locally and internationally. Wireless Convergence is still the magic word in the mobile arena. There are many interpretations to Convergence. For carriers it means transparent roaming among wireless and wire line networks; Device vendors’ interpretation is "the Swiss army knife" of the mobile consumer, such as the iPhone = iPOD and cellular phone; another interpretation for conversion might be one location to store all your information and access it from any mobile device. Where is all this headed? Our experienced and opinionated panelists will explore the topic of Digital Convergence in a Mobile World and explore opportunity for entrepreneurs and startups in this huge emerging market including: • What is YOUR definition of Convergence? • What services will change from wireless to fixed networks and vice versa? • What opportunities do you see for entrepreneurs from the recent deployments and developments in voice roaming between mobile and fixed? • What opportunities do you see for entrepreneurs from the recent deployments and developments in data roaming between mobile and fixed? • What opportunities do you see for entrepreneurs from the recent deployments in devices toward Convergence? • What opportunities do you see for entrepreneurs from the recent deployments and developments in cellular / DSL / cable Convergence? The Panel: • Sebastian Blum, Managing Director, T-Venture of America, Inc. • Sanjiv Parikh, Director Strategic and Emerging Business, Microsoft Corporation • Dilip Venkatachari, Director of Products for Mobile Ads, Google • Henry H. Wong, Founder & Managing Director, Diamond TechVentures, LLP Moderator: Tony Perkins, Founder and Editor, AlwaysOn When: Thursday, June 21 6:00 - 7:00 pm: Business showcase, networking and hors d’oeuvres 7:00 - 8:15 pm: Panel discussion and Q/A 8:15 - 8:30 pm: Additional networking Location: SAP, 3410 Hillview Avenue, Palo Alto, CA PRE-REGISTERED RATES (All Rates Include Hors D’oeuvres): Members - $20; Affiliates who advertise this event - $29; General Public - $49 Business Showcase Exhibit Table (Includes exhibit table and two tickets to the event.) Members - $149; Non-members - $500 WALK-IN RATES: Add $10.00 to the listed price This event is co-sponsored by SAP, http://www.SAP.com Seating is limited, so early registration is recommended to avoid disappointment on the day. Speaker Bios Sebastian Blum, Managing Director, T-Venture of America, Inc. Sebastian Blum joined T-Venture in 1999, 2 years after the inception. T-Venture is the corporate venture capital arm of Deutsche Telekom group, that manages several VC funds on behalf of the strategic business units of Deutsche Telekom, which also includes T-Mobile. Since 2006, Sebastian is at T-Venture's U.S. subsidiary. As the Managing Director of T-Venture of America, he is responsible for U.S. portfolio companies, new deal flow and projects, the relationships with U.S. venture capital companies, and for managing T-Venture's partnership with TeleSoft Partners. Sebastian has been actively involved with investments in Silicon Media Group, The Fantastic Corporation (IPO) and Lastminute.com (IPO). In his 4-year tenure as a investment professional with the T-Mobile Venture Fund he has made the investments and been responsible for Flash Networks, MindMatics, UCP Morgen (sold to Qpass, sold to Amdocs), and Apertio. His current investments include Kineto Wireless and Ruckus Wireless. Before joining T-Venture, Sebastian did his postgraduate MBA degree with NIMBAS, Utrecht (Netherlands). Prior to that, he worked in sales and marketing with Unilever Germany. Sanjiv Parikh, Director Strategic and Emerging Business, Microsoft Corporation Sanjiv Parikh is a Director for the Emerging Business Team at Microsoft, based in Silicon Valley. The Emerging Business Team manages Microsoft’s interaction with venture capitalists and start-ups world wide to accelerate innovation and foster the software ecosystem. Within the Emerging Business Team, Sanjiv is in charge of engagements with mobility oriented start-ups, venture capitalists and enterprises. Prior to joining Microsoft, Sanjiv was Managing Director of FairWinds Ventures, a private equity advisory and investment firm. He advised large corporations and assisted early/mid-stage companies with their private equity needs: which included M&A, spin-outs, financings, and interim management. Previously, Sanjiv was a Managing Director of Atrium Capital. Atrium Capital is a 16 year-old Sand Hill Road venture capital firm which, in addition to having its own financial fund, managed the venture capital activities of Fortune Brands, Hallmark Cards, R.R. Donnelley & Sons and W.W. Grainger. Atrium’s investments include AdForce, B2BWorks, DigitalPersona, FieldCentrix, InfoUSA.com, MapQuest, MetaTV, Multex and RedEnvelope. Prior to joining Atrium Capital, Sanjiv helped launch RightWorks Corporation; an enterprise software company in supply chain management and procurement that was sold to Internet Capital Group for $1.25 billion and is currently part of i2 Technologies. Sanjiv holds an engineering degree from the University of California at Berkeley and an MBA from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. Tony Perkins, Founder & Editor In Chief, ALWAYSON Tony is a pioneering media entrepreneur and a prominent opinion leader in the technology business and investment editorial world. He founded Red Herring in 1993 and his two current ventures, the AlwaysOn Network and the GoingOn community management platform in 2002 and 2006, respectively. In 1999, Tony co-wrote The Internet Bubble, a book that forewarned the dot-com bust. Tony’s public activities include serving on President George W. Bush's Information Technology Advisory Council. He cofounded and chaired Silicon Valley's premier business and technology forum, the Churchill Club in Palo Alto, California. Prior to launching Red Herring and ALWAYSON, Tony was founder and CEO of Upside Publishing and vice president of business development at Silicon Valley Bank. Dilip Venkatachari Director of Products for Mobile Ads, Google Dilip manages Google's mobile ads and monetization. Dilip joined Google from eBay/PayPal, where he was Vice President of Payment Services and Business Operations, responsible for PayPal's payments infrastructure, relationships with financial institutions, risk and fraud management, and compliance. Previously, Dilip was the President & Co-founder of CashEdge, a provider of online payments solutions for financial institutions; and has held a variety of executive roles in technology companies such as Commerce Soft, Aspect Communications and Tandem Computers. Prior to that, Dilip has worked in management consulting, with McKinsey & Co and in investment banking, with Goldman Sachs. Dilip earned an M.B.A. with distinction from the Harvard Business School, an M.S.E.E. from Rice University, and a Bachelor's Degree in Electrical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology. Henry H. Wong, Founder & Managing Director, Diamond TechVentures, LLP Henry H. Wong has resided in China & Silicon Valley for the last 25 years. From being a Serial Entrepreneur to a Venture Capitalist, Wong is in a unique position where he can fully utilize his operational experience, investment talent and his Chinese heritage to help and build companies with a global vision. In his prior Fund, Crystal Ventures, Wong was active with portfolio companies including SMIC, LGC Wireless, Infinera, and Exavio. A seasoned investor and entrepreneur, Wong has succeeded as the founder, chairman & CEO of SS8 Networks Inc., IP Communications, XaQti Semiconductor, CNet Technology Inc., and Combinet (ISDN Systems). His success, experience and leadership are invaluable in his role as an Investor, Serial Entrepreneur and mentor in Silicon Valley. In 2002, Wong was the finalist to receive the “Entrepreneur of the Year Award”. Wong is an Advisor to 6 non-profit organizations and is active with community events. In education, Mr. Wong received a B.Sc. degree in Business from University of Utah and a MBA in Telecom Management from Golden Gate University.
Annual Korea IT Conference - Digital Media - KINCON2007 - C3...
Where: Crowne Plaza Cabana
Date: 2007-06-07 00:00:00
Type:
KINCON2007, the annual Korea IT industry event in the US, will focus on Digital Media with speakers from innovative companies from the US and Korea. $95 in advance; $120 at the door
Academy of Ancient Music with Richar Egarr, harpsichord
Where: Stanford Dinkelspiel Auditorium
Date: 2008-02-13 20:00:00
Type:
Tickets: $48/$44 (Adult) / $24/$22 (Stanford Student) Half-price tickets are available for young people age 15 and under and discounts are available for students and groups. Call 650-725-ARTS (2787) or visit: http://livelyarts.stanford.edu With trademark brilliance and virtuosity, the Academy of Ancient Music brings Baroque masterpieces vividly to life. Performing on period instruments, Britain’s foremost early music ensemble takes on some of the most fiery and unforgettable period concerti by Bach, Handel, and Telemann. Stewart Pollens, former curator of musical instruments at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, will be on hand for a free pre-performance talk.
Vista Security (Windows SIG Monthly Meeting)
Where: Cubberly Community Center
Date: 2007-08-01 18:30:00
Type:
Presented by: Jean-Luc Brouillet Use Vista and you will run into an elevation prompt asking you to "Allow/Cancel" something. What are these prompts and why did Microsoft create them? How do you keep your existing code running? We'll answer these questions and dig into code. After the talk, you will be familiar with UAC, integrity levels, file and registry virtualizations, manifests, and user brokers. About the Presenter: Jean-Luc started writing Windows applications with Windows 3.0. He has built embedded NT messageware, compilers, expert systems, and more recently, spent a year making applications work and install on Vista. Jean-Luc currently works for Google. We'll be rafflling off some cool stuff (including a copy of Vista).You must be a member and present to win. $15 at the door for non-SDForum members, No charge for SDForum members, No registration required.
The Emerging Brain Fitness Software Market
Where: Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati
Date: 2008-02-12 18:00:00
Type:
A Presentation by the MIT Club of Northern California's BoomerTech Series in association with SmartSilvers: Here is the buzz … Scientific, technological and demographic trends have converged to create an exciting new market in brain fitness, where software and online applications can assess and train cognitive abilities. That equates to a sharper mind and better memory retention contributing to healthier aging. There is currently a $400m worldwide market with high growth ahead predicted. Join us in lively and informative discussions as Alvaro Fernandez; CEO of SharpBrains.com summarizes the science, key market segments, players and trends, based on the first Brain Fitness Software Market Report, presented in this event. He will discuss the implications with several neuro-technology, gaming experts and investors." Moderated by Zack Lynch, the speaker and panel will discuss: · What results are scientists discovering from the use of Brain Fitness tools? · Who will use brain tools and why? · What is the market potential for new companies entering the brain fitness market? · What kind of brain fitness applications are being developed? Speaker: - Alvaro Fernandez, SharpBrains.com Moderator: - Zack Lynch, Neurotechnology Industry Organization (NIO) Panelists: - Andy Donner, Physic Ventures - Kunal Sarkar, CEO Lumos Labs - Alexander Doman, CEO Advanced Brain Technologies - Dan Michel, CEO Dakim Opening Remarks and Speaker/Panelists Introductions: - Susan Ayers Walker, SmartSilvers and AARP.org (Contributing Technology Journalist) Time: 6:00PM Registration, Hors d'oeuvres and Networking 7:00PM Presentation and Panel Discussion Cost: $20 online, $25 walk-in
Beyond Us and Them: Confronting Hidden Bias in Our Community
Where: Palo Alto Art Center
Date: 2008-03-13 12:00:00
Type:
A Leadership Workshop of Not In Our Town- Silicon Valley Cost: Free, includes lunch RSVP to reserve your space: niot.siliconvalley@yahoo.com We invite you to engage in a half-day discussion and workshop that can help launch new efforts to build a stronger, more inclusive community. Through panel discussions and interactive breakout sessions, "Beyond Us and Them" will launch ongoing communication and action about issues of diversity and inclusion in key Silicon Valley organizations and institutions. The conference features a video screening of "Not In Our Town: Northern California," a panel discussion called "Listening to Our Neighbors: How Does Hidden Bias Affect All of Us?," and breakout sessions. Not In Our Town uses the power of documentary storytelling, media, the web, and outreach to encourage community action against hate violence and intolerance. The Not In Our Town project has become one of the country's leading resources for community organizing to prevent hate violence. Anti-bias activities on the Peninsula are part of a region-wide Not In Our Town project designed to connect civic leaders, law enforcement, educators, students, citizen activists and the faith community to respond to hate violence and jointly address methods of prevention.
WCA LBS SIG & WCA RFID SIG presents: Where's The Stuff? And ...
Where: PARC's George E. Pake Auditorium
Date: 2008-03-25 16:00:00
Type:
Vehicles, cash, equipment and much more can be tracked. Temperatures of ice cream, beer and other precious materials in transit, fluid levels in engines and medicinal dosing can be measured and evaluated for action such as change or replenishment. Wireless technologies including RFID, WiFi and GPS enable these fantastic location-based services. Please join us March 25 to hear from some of the leaders in the asset tracking and management space as they share their views of the current and future in "tracking and managing our stuff"
Vigil and Leafletting on the Fifth Anniversary of the Iraq W...
Where: Palo Alto, Lytton Plaza, University at Emerson
Date: 2008-03-19 12:00:00
Type:
On the fifth anniversary of the invasion and occupation of Iraq, we will hold a "human billboard" vigil and leaflet passersby during the lunch hour in downtown Palo Alto. Help us to reach out to those who oppose the war but have not yet spoken out. Informational leaflets with Congressional and presidential candidates' phone numbers will encourage one and all to take action to end the war now. Sponsored by Peninsula Peace and Justice Center. For more information, visit www.PeaceandJustice.org or contact 650-326-8837 or ppjc@peaceandjustice.org.
Firzoozeh Dumas at Circle of Support Breakfast
Where: Crowne Plaza Cabana
Date: 2008-05-08 08:00:00
Type:
Bestselling author Firoozeh Dumas (Funny in Farsi) is the keynote speaker for the Fifth Annual Circle of Support Breakfast benefiting Family & Children Services. Ms. Dumas will speak on "Laughing Without an Accent: Building Bridges Through Humor." Also at the breakfast, Susan Ford Dorsey, President of the Sand Hill Foundation, will be presented with the Circle of Support Award. Tickets: $75 each, tables of 10 for $700. Proceeds benefit Family & Children Services, a nonprofit agency that has served children, youth, adults, and families on the Peninsula and in the South Bay since 1948.
SVASE VC Breakfast Club with Vish Mishra of Clearstone Ventu...
Where: Townsend and Townsend and Crew LLP
Date: 2008-04-24 20:00:00
Type:
SVASE VC Breakfast Club with Vish Mishra of Clearstone Venture Partners, focus on Communications, Wireless, Consumer Internet, Service VC Breakfast Club with Vish Mishra of Clearstone Venture Partners, focus on Communications, Wireless, Consumer Internet, Service Start: 04/24/2008 - 8:00am End: 04/24/2008 - 9:30am Timezone: Etc/GMT-7 URL:www.svase.org/?q=node/1034 WHAT:VC Breakfast Club with Vish Mishra of Clearstone Venture Partners, focus Communications, Wireless, Consumer Internet and Services WHEN:Thu Apr 24 from 8:00am – 9:30am WHERE:Townsend, Townsend & Crewe 379 Lytton Ave., Palo Alto, CA 94301-1431, www.townsend.com CONTACT:Jai Kumar, Program Chair, jai@vigyana.com Cell: 408-406-4693 COST: $25 SVASE Members; $39 Affiliates; $49 Non-members. This event is for ENTREPRENEURS ONLY, BY PREREGISTRATION ONLY. This event is co-sponsored by Townsend, Townsend and Crewe, www.townsend.com. VC Breakfast Club: Vish Mishra of Clearstone Venture Partners, focus Communications, Wireless, Consumer Internet and Services Clearstone Venture Partners Clearstone has a distinct approach to venture investing in technology opportunities. We prefer to be the lead investor in most of our financings and we are proactive, participating in the guidance of our companies through our relationships with the full management team. We are also very receptive to investment opportunities in market leaders with established syndicates. Inside our fund, we have invested in operating expertise to back up our investing professionals. The technology executives in our firm are available to our portfolio companies as well. Clearstone makes an unusually thorough effort to understand the intricacies of an entrepreneur's business before making an investment decision, and that detailed approach to gaining knowledge typifies our guidance of portfolio companies once we've invested. How Clearstone Invests Clearstone seeks companies that are creating next-generation infrastructure, and related solutions, that create economic advantage for businesses. We focus on enterprise technologies that propel profitable growth for business and add value for customers, communications (including the wireless, semiconductors and advanced optics that support the sector), and business-model innovations that leverage advances in Internet or communications infrastructures. We are attracted to innovators, category creators and market leaders who can define and dominate large sectors. We like to see companies mine horizontal markets for long-term scalability, with identifiable near-term revenue opportunities in specific verticals or identifiable customer types. We are also open-minded critical thinkers and are enthusiastic about pioneer companies that launched too early for steady revenue from their markets but are seeing convergence of their idea, solution and market acceptance. Vish Mishra Vish joined Clearstone in March 2002 with over 30 years of leadership and management experience in the high tech industry including software, Internet, networking and telecommunications. He is a founder and served as a board member of Telera, a cutting edge voice web infrastructure company funded by Accel and Sequoia, which was sold to Alcatel for $140 million in 2002. Vish was also co-founder of Excelan (1983), which was funded with $7.3 million in venture capital, went public in 1987, sold for $225 million in 1989 and went on to contribute $1 billion to Novell’s revenue in subsequent years. Vish prides himself in being a mentor capitalist who sits or has sat on boards of many venture-backed companies such as Abeama, Cofix, Onjibe, PostMedia Group, Quantros, Ramp Networks (sold to Nokia), SloMedia, Verano, and Xalted IP Networks. His prior experience includes founding VP of Operations of Excelan and VP Novell and EVP of iPlanet (a unit of Sun Microsystems and AOL), and CEO of four start-ups: Info-Objects, Mindworks, IntelliMatch and Ace Software. Vish holds a BS in Electrical Engineering from the Institute of Technology at Benares Hindu University, an MS in Electrical Engineering from North Dakota State University and MBA work from the University of Minnesota. He is a very active Director and Charter Member of TiE who has dedicated himself to the growth of the organization since its inception. Vish's focus at Clearstone is deal flow, syndicate networking, portfolio company support and executive coaching. His vast network in Silicon Valley, extended globally through TiE, is an invaluable asset to entrepreneurs and to us. Vish serves on the board of Novariant (formerly IntegriNautics).
SDF Emerging Tech: Ribbit- Bringing Mobile Voice to Web Appl...
Where: DLA Piper Rudnick Gray Cary LLP.
Date: 2008-04-09 18:30:00
Type:
SDForum Emerging Tech SIG Event: Ribbit: Bringing Mobile Voice to Web Applications Ribbit's co-founder and SVP, Crick Waters, will reveal the latest development and innovation emerging from the Ribbit platform, an open API for the integration of voice objects in Web applications. Crick will spotlight breaking news about the platform, the release of Ribbit's new Salesforce application, and a preview of Amphibian, Ribbit's breakthrough consumer product. You wanna be there! Crick is co-founder of Ribbit and serves as Vice President of Strategy and Business Development. Crick has delivered award winning results in roles as diverse as Sales, Engineering, Marketing, and R&D for companies from 5 to 50,000 employees. At AT&T, Crick was responsible for product and business development for several consumer broadband products including voice over DSL, Wi-Fi Internet Access, Broadband over Power Line (BPL), AT&T CallVantage VoIP service, and the 115,000 household UTOPIA FTTH broadband VoIP and IPTV MetroNet service. Previously, Crick was Director of Value Added Services at NorthPoint Communications where he led development and launch of one of the industry's first business voice over DSL services. Prior to joining NorthPoint, Crick was Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Applied Process Technology. Prior to Applied, Crick held leadership positions at three separate divisions of International Paper in technology management, research and development, product development, and business segment management. Crick also devoted seven years to developing the U.S. Navy's nuclear reactor instrumentation and control technology for the United States' last fast attack submarine, the U.S.S. Seawolf. Crick holds a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Duke University, an M.S. in Nuclear Engineering from Bettis Reactor Engineering School and an M.B.A. from Duke University. Note location change for this meeting only!!!! Free to SDForum members; $15.00 for non-members.
Author Andrew Altschul
Where: Books Inc
Date: 2008-04-30 19:00:00
Type:
Wednesday, April 30 at 7:00 PM Meet Andrew Altschul when he reads from and discusses his spectacular debut novel, Lady Lazarus, the sprawling tale of Calliope Bird Morath the daughter of legendary punk-rock star—whose horrific suicide devastates the world. The novel is narrated by both Calliope and her obsessive biographer, who follows her from her silent childhood to her first tortured, manic public statements about her father; from her highly publicized publication of a book of poetry to her mysterious disappearance; from her reappearance as the mute leader of a cult-like brigade known as The Muse to her spectacular showdown with the biographer. A disturbing and razor-sharp meditation on twenty-first-century celebrity culture, Lady Lazarus is also a funny and moving story about the age-old question of the nature of the self. Bio: Andrew Foster Altschul is a Jones Lecturer and former Wallace Stegner Fellow at Stanford University. His work has appeared in Fence, Swink, Story Quarterly, One Story and other journals, as well as the anthologies Best New American Voices 2006 and The O. Henry Prize Stories 2007. He lives in San Francisco.
Author Tony Horwitz
Where: Books Inc
Date: 2008-06-04 20:00:00
Type:
A Voyage Long and Strange: Rediscovering the New World Bestselling author of Confederates in the Attic, Tony Horwitz, discusses his latest, A Voyage Long and Strange: Rediscovering the New World, a thrilling and eye-opening voyage to pre-Mayflower America, an irresistible blend of history, myth, and misadventure. The bestselling author of Blue Latitudes and Confederates in the Attic, takes us on a thrilling and eye-opening voyage to pre-Mayflower America. On a chance visit to Plymouth Rock, Tony Horwitz realizes he's mislaid more than a century of American history, from Columbus's sail in 1492 to Jamestown's founding in 16-o-something. Did nothing happen in between? Determined to find out, he embarks on a journey of rediscovery, following in the footsteps of the many Europeans who preceded the Pilgrims to America. An irresistible blend of history, myth, and misadventure, A Voyage Long and Strange captures the wonder and drama of first contact. Vikings, conquistadors, French voyageurs--these and many others roamed an unknown continent in quest of grapes, gold, converts, even a cure for syphilis. Though most failed, their remarkable exploits left an enduring mark on the land and people encountered by late-arriving English settlers. Tracing this legacy with his own epic trek--from Florida's Fountain of Youth to Plymouth's sacred Rock, from desert pueblos to subarctic sweat lodges--Tony Horwitz explores the revealing gap between what we enshrine and what we forget. Displaying his trademark talent for humor, narrative, and historical insight, A Voyage Long and Strange allows us to rediscover the New World for ourselves. Bio Tony Horwitz is a native of Washington, D.C., and a graduate of Brown University and Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism. He worked for many years as a reporter, first in Indiana and then during a decade overseas in Australia, Europe, Africa, and the Middle East, mostly covering wars and conflicts as a foreign correspondent for The Wall Street Journal. After returning to the States, he won the Pulitzer Prize for national reporting and worked as a staff writer for The New Yorker before becoming a full-time author. His books include Baghdad Without a Map, a national bestseller about the Middle East; Confederates in the Attic, a national and New York Times bestseller about the Civil War; and Blue Latitudes, a national and New York Times bestseller about the Pacific voyages of Captain James Cook. Horwitz has been a fellow at the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study at Harvard University and a visiting scholar at the John Carter Brown Library at Brown University. He lives with his wife, Geraldine Brooks, and their son, Nathaniel, on the island of Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts.
Richard Diebenkorn, Artist and Carey Stanton, Collector
Where: Stanford University Iris and B Gerald Cantor Center for Visual Arts
Date: 2008-07-23 11:00:00
Type:
This exhibition includes close to 50 drawings, paintings and prints by Richard Diebenkorn from the private collection of Carey Stanton.
Stanford/MIT VLAB Event: The Rise of Crowdsourcing - The Cre...
Where: Stanford University Graduate School of Business (GSB)
Date: 2008-05-20 18:00:00
Type:
"Peer production is about more than sitting down and having a nice conversation... It's about harnessing a new mode of production to take innovation and wealth creation to new levels." -- Eric Schmidt, CEO Google. Wikipedia does it. So does Yelp, Amazon and Digg. Millions of customers have eagerly helped to build up reviews, ratings and other content for the most popular sites on the web. CEOs, founders and VCs talk up the growing number of opportunities in crowdsourcing and answer questions such as: How can you get your customers to work for you? What rewards do they need? How do you deal with the issue of accuracy and reliability of the information? What are the trials and tribulations of crowdsourcing? Who’s making money and what are the business models? Come join us to find out about the next wave of customer driven companies and see how entrepreneurs are letting customers take charge in order to help change the world. Moderator Jeff Howe, Contributing Editor, Wired Magazine Panelists Michael Sikorsky, CEO & Founder, Cambrian House Mike Agnich, Co-Founder & CTO, Predictify Bill Reichert, Managing Director, Garage Technology Ventures Bios Jeff Howe, Contributing Editor, Wired Magazine Jeff Howe is a contributing editor at Wired Magazine, where he covers the media and entertainment industry, among other subjects. In June of 2006 he published "The Rise of Crowdsourcing" in Wired. He has continued to cover the phenomenon in his blog, crowdsourcing.com, and is currently writing a book on the subject for Crown Books to be published in July 2008. Before coming to Wired he was a senior editor at Inside.com and a writer at the Village Voice. In his fifteen years as a journalist he has traveled around the world working on stories ranging from the impending water crisis in Central Asia to the implications of gene patenting. He has written for U.S. News & World Report, The Washington Post, Mother Jones and numerous other publications. He lives in Brooklyn with his wife, Alysia Abbott, their daughter Annabel Rose and son Phineas and a miniature black lab named Clementine. Source: http://crowdsourcing.typepad.com/about.html Michael Sikorsky, CEO & Founder, Cambrian House Michael loves startups, software and people. Since the age of 14, he has been involved in community-based software development and entrepreneurship. His fifth and most recent startup, Cambrian House, launched in 2006. Since then, it has become an internationally-recognized leader in crowdsourcing (leveraging the wisdom and participation of online crowds for commerce). As CEO, Michael has been invited to speak about Web 2.0, entrepreneurship and crowdsourcing at Cyberport Hong Kong, Harvard Business School, MIT, Community 2.0 Las Vegas, VidFest, and WebGuild's Web 2.0 Expo. In 2007 he was named "Canada's Internet Revolutionary" by Profit magazine and a "CEO to Watch" by CNNmoney.com. Michael sold his last software company, Servidium, to ThoughtWorks, received a Computer Engineering degree from the University of Alberta, and holds a software patent related to innovative rendering techniques. Mike Agnich, Co-Founder & CTO, Predictify Mike Agnich is Co-Founder and CTO of Predictify.com. Predictify is an internet platform which allows users to predict and “go on record” with everything from pop culture to current events. Monetizing through a combination of market research and brand engagement, Predictify allows users to generate expert (or not so expert) reputations over time and to compete against friends. In early 2008, Predictify closed its series A financing lead by Sierra Ventures. Michael has a 4 month old daughter and has been happily married for four years. He has a BS in computer science from Stanford University and is an MBA candidate ’08 at the Stanford Graduate School of Business. Prior to business school, Michael was one of the first employees at Zazzle.com where he spent over five years leaving as Vice President of Product Technology. Bill Reichert - Managing Director, Garage Technology Ventures Bill Reichert has over 20 years of experience as an entrepreneur and an operating executive. Since joining Garage in 1998, Bill has focused on early-stage information technology and materials science companies. He sits on the Boards of CaseStack, WhiteHat, ClearFuels, cFares, and ThermoCeramix. Prior to Garage, Bill was a co-founder or senior executive in several venture-backed technology startups, including Trademark Software, The Learning Company, and Academic Systems. Earlier in his career, he worked at McKinsey & Company, Brown Brothers Harriman & Co., and the World Bank. Bill earned a B.A. at Harvard College and an M.B.A. from Stanford University. He was a founding board member and a Chairman of the Churchill Club, and a Charter Member of the Silicon Valley Association of Startup Entrepreneurs. Currently he is the Chairman of the Small Fund Roundtable of the VC Taskforce and a member of the Council on Foreign Relations in New York.