‘Agenda for Growth’ location moved to Bedford
In response to requests for a more central location, the “Agenda for Growth,” a collaborative conference on small business planning, growth and financing, has been rescheduled.
It will be held from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 7, at CR Sparks in Bedford.
The first-of-its-kind conference is designed for Granite State business owners and operators who are hoping to expand to the next level of growth, and beyond. It is co-sponsored by New Hampshire Business Review, the only statewide business newspaper, and CEI Community Ventures Inc., a $10 million venture capital fund targeting New Hampshire, Maine and Vermont.
“We received many requests from readers and others who were eager to attend the conference, but they cited the inconvenience of the original North Country location,” said Jeff Feingold, editor of New Hampshire Business Review. “That’s why we decided to reschedule.”
Feingold described the conference as one “designed for businesses on the move.”
“Many of the state’s most respected experts on such topics as venture capital, angel financing, near equity financing and business valuation, will be featured,” he said, along with many other topics related to the planning, growing and financing of a business.
Keynote speaker will be Jay Borden, founder and former CEO of Granite Systems, a former Inc. 500 communications software company acquired in May by Telecordia Technologies. Borden was 2000 New Hampshire High Tech Council Entrepreneur of the Year and 2002 Ernst & Young New England Entrepreneur of the Year.
The all-inclusive conference will cover nine growth-related topics, with presentations and panel discussions showcasing the insights of a wide range of experts, including:
• Michael Gurau, president of CEI Community Ventures
• Jesse DeVitte, managing partner of Borealis Ventures, a northern New England-focused early-stage venture capital firm
• Mary E. Collins, state director, New Hampshire Small Business Development Center
• John Hamilton of Vested For Growth, an initiative of the New Hampshire Community Loan Fund that provides growth capital to high-potential businesses in New Hampshire
• Mary Jo Brown, president, Brown & Company a nationally recognized strategic design firm based in Portsmouth
• Fred Wainwright, executive director, Center for Private Equity and Entrepreneurship at the Tuck Business School at Dartmouth and executive director of North Country Angels and Granite State Angels
• Attorney Jim Cook, partner, Cook, Little, Rosenblatt & Manson, whose practice focuses on business law for high-tech and other entrepreneurs.
• Betsy Walkerman, president, Headwaters Strategy, who specializes in entrepreneurial strategy
• John Bruni, chairman, 1st Run Angels Group
• Dave Aznavorian, senior manager, global brand marketing, The Timberland Company
• Susan Walsh, vice president, media and research, Bedford Granite Group
The six scheduled tracks are:
• Spectrum of Financing, from Grants to Venture Capital
• Marketing as a Strategic Tool for Growth
• Angel Financing
• Alternatives to Venture Capital: Near Equity and Debt to Support your Growth
• Asking ‘what if’ — Financial Panning/Modeling to Expand Your Options
• What’s My Company Worth? An Introduction to Valuing Your Business for Growth and Capital
The event also will feature ample networking opportunities at breakfast, lunch and a post-session get-together, giving participants a chance to meet one-on-one with participating angels, venture capitalists and grant sources.
Fee for the full-day, all-inclusive event is $125 per person. Participation is limited to the first 150 registrants.
For more information or to register, call New Hampshire Business Review at 624-1442, ext. 25, or visit www.nhbr.com/growth.
