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WebConference Feb 27 08
What Do Early Stage Investors Really Look For In Startups (II)
Wednesday, Feb 27, 2008, 12:30-2:00 ET (9:30-11:00 PT)
Jura Zibas ( President, Clear Springs and Executive Vice President, S.N. Phelps & Co. )
Dan Gordon ( Director of Research, Valhalla Partners )
Stephen Ringlee ( Partner, Centesimus Capital )
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Jura Zibas
( President, Clear Springs and Executive Vice President, S.N. Phelps & Co. )
Bio
Jura Zibas is Executive Vice President of S.N. Phelps & Co. and Vice Chair of Clear Springs. S.N.Phelps & Co. is a private investment firm and Clear Springs is a 18,000 acre development located in Central Florida. She manages the process of selecting companies for funding as well as the overall operations of the ongoing companies owned by Mr. Phelps. By way of background, Jura has over 17 years of legal experience in intellectual property and litigation as well as working with start up companies in both a business and legal capacity. She works on a broad range of companies to select the correct company for funding as well as the appropriate funding vehicle. Her legal practice emphasized all aspects of corporate transaction and intellectual property matters including licensing, strategizing on IP and business models, patent mining for potential joint ventures, patents and trademarks, litigation and trade secrets. She has been instrumental in developing analytical tools for biotechnology companies to resolve problems with regulatory agencies. She is also a chemist by training and her scientific background is invaluable to the selection process of companies for funding. In addition, scientific research and educational training in dental school provides a strong knowledge base for the biotech industry. Awarded recognition by the American Cancer Society for her research in alpha interferon. Recently, she has published articles in industry journals related to intellectual property and issues faced by businesses.
Click Here for Jura Zibas Slides
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Dan Gordon
( Director of Research, Valhalla Partners )
Bio
Dan has thirty years' experience working with technology, as a computer scientist, software developer, manager, analyst, and entrepreneur. Prior to joining Valhalla Partners, Dan was a Director and senior staff member at the PricewaterhouseCoopers Global Technology Centre, analyzing technology trends and consulting on technology-oriented strategies in the software, e-business, wireless, optical, networking, semiconductor IP, and life sciences arenas. He worked with clients from North America, Europe, the Middle East, and Australia. Dan was a Contributing Writer and Contributing Editor to the Technology Centre's annual Technology Forecast, and a frequent speaker at industry and general business meetings. Prior to joining PwC, Dan spent 20 years in Silicon Valley as a software technologist, manager, director, and entrepreneur, including senior technical roles at well-known Silicon Valley firms like Symantec, Intuit, and Oracle. Dan has also been involved in startup companies in the applied Artificial Intelligence and Web applications fields. Dan has a B.A cum laude from Harvard University and an M.S. degree from New York University in Computer Science. He is a Professional Member of the IEEE and ACM. Dan lives in Washington, D.C. with his wife and two children.
Click Here for Dan Gordan Slides
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Stephen Ringlee
( Partner, Centesimus Capital )
Bio
Stephen Ringlee is Partner of Centesimus Capital, an early stage investment firm in Ames, IA, and formerly Managing Director of investment manager Cimarron Capital Partners LLC which develops and manages regionally-targeted private equity programs to enhance economic development. He has been an active investor and entrepreneur for almost twenty years. He lives and works in Ames, IA and Boston, MA. He has founded or co-founded a number of firms in manufacturing, life sciences, and information sciences as well as participated as a founding investor in others. He is board member of the Iowa Taxpayers Association, a business tax policy group and of a large manufacturer in New England. He is active in statewide industry groups and is a regular speaker on entrepreneurial capitalism at industry, banking, and university conferences. He graduated from UC Berkeley in engineering and from Dartmouth’s Tuck School with an MBA in finance and served as a Captain in the United States Air Force.
Click Here for Stephen Ringlee Slides
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