MAKING YOUR COMPANY INVESTOR READY

"How to Make Your Company Investor Ready"

is invitation only and is designed for entrepreneurs, including CEOs and other C-Level executives of start-up or growth companies interested in raising funds.

This is a focused, intensive day that will lead you step-by-step through the following topics:

• Developing a Financing Map
• Getting to the First Milestone and Beyond
• Determining the Amount of Capital to Raise and Use of Funds
• Learning How Venture Capital Firms Think
• Creating a Winning Business Plan

Course Fees: $495/person includes all day education session, copy of course materials, extensive handouts from speakers, breakfast, and lunch.

Agenda - Subject to Change

 

 

 

Presenters

 

 

Full Agenda and Topics

 

8:00 – 8:30 am - Registration and Breakfast    

 

8:30 – 8:35 am - Welcome – Larry Chaityn                            

 

8:35 – 9:20 am

Presenting to Investors – Larry Chaityn

·        What is the point of view you should be addressing?  What are the key points investors expect to see covered?  How many slides should you use? 

 

9:20 – 9:30 am BREAK

 

9:30 – 10:30 am

Strategy & Planning – Eleanor Haas

·        What is strategy?  What is a strategic plan?  Why bother?  What’s a business?  What do you need to know about a business to write a business plan?   What goes into the business plan?  What else do you need before talking with investors?                    

 

10:30 – 11:30 am

Marketing & Sales – Peter Laitmon

·        Implementation of the Business Plan requires a clear understanding of how and at what stage of the launch to employ Public Relations, Merchandising, Sales Promotion and Media. Discussion will include all marketing tools as well as how best to benefit from co marketing activities and the synergies of strategic alliances.

 

11:30 – 12:15 pm LUNCH    

 

12:15 – 1:15 pm

Financial Models & Business Plans - Corey Massella

·        Traditional financial analysis is largely based on historical financial statements and ratio analysis.  However, venture capital financial analysis tends to be based most heavily on projected, future financial statements.  What are the different types of financial models?  Which one is best for your business?

 

1:15 – 2:15 pm

Intellectual Property & Term Sheets – Gerard DiFiore & Greg Shatan

·        Intellectual property assets can be critical to the success of a start-up.  What are the types of IP (patents ,  copyright,  trademarks, trade secrets)?  How do you protect them?  What can go wrong?  What is a term sheet ?   How do you read one?

 

2:15 – 2:30 pm BREAK

 

2:30 – 3:30 pm

Due Diligence & Valuation – Gerard DiFiore, Corey Massella and Greg Shatan

·        Venture Capitalists value companies to determine whether they will be able to obtain ownership percentages sufficient to justify the risk of investing.   A key element of valuation is "due diligence" -- the VC's review of documents and information relating to the company.  What should an entrepreneur do to prepare for due diligence?  How can your company be a "winner" in the valuation process?

 

3:30 – 4:00 pm

Wrap-Up and Q and A - Malcolm Elvey

 

 

Presenter Biographies

 

Larry Chaityn

President, The Keiretsu Forum New York Tri-State Chapters

www.keiretsuforum.com 

Larry is an expert in the development and execution of performance management and corporate acceleration strategies that help organizations achieve their financial and operational goals.  His 18 years of experience consulting in industries such as Technology/Software, Healthcare, Life Science and Manufacturing on multi-million dollar engagements has proven valuable in accelerating growing firms as well as portfolio companies.

 

Larry is President of the New York Tri-State Chapters of The Keiretsu Forum (www.keiretsuforum.com), the largest global private equity investment network of accredited angel investors, venture capitalists, and corporate/institutional investors. Keiretsu Forum members invest in high-quality, diverse investment opportunities in emerging technologies, healthcare/life sciences, real estate, consumer products and other industries with high growth opportunity. Our community is strengthened through education on angel investing, as well as charitable and social activities.

 

True North Global Partners (www.truenorthgp.com) works closely with executives and their team to assess existing business processes, to identify areas of improvement and to implement successful change and performance monitoring strategies. 

 

Larry is an active member in the National Association of Health Services Executives, Turnaround Management Association, and The Institute for Healthcare Improvement, Health Leaders of New York, The American College of Healthcare Executives, and the American Society for Quality’s Healthcare Division and the Manhattan Chamber of Commerce in New York City. He often speaks on topics of change, systems thinking, effective communication, and causal problem analysis.

 

Prior to True North Global Partners, Larry held senior management positions with the consulting practices of Cap Gemini, Ernst & Young and Oracle Corporation.  Larry graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing and a Masters in Business Administration from Fairleigh Dickinson University.  He has completed additional executive education programs in Management from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business.

 

Larry can be contacted at lchaityn@keiretsuforum.com or 212-993-5031(O) 917-859-4266(M). 

Eleanor Haas

Managing Director, The Calyx Group, LLC

www.thecalyxgroup.com 

Eleanor Haas, Managing Director, The Calyx Group., has advised companies on new initiatives and growth issues for more than twenty years.  She is an authority on launching and building innovative businesses and technologies.

Clients include both early stage technology companies and established corporations, such as Elsevier Health Science.

Prior to establishing The Calyx Group in 1999, she was a principal of eTechnologies Associates, a boutique investment bank specializing in the Internet and technology sectors; before that, president of MarketQuest, a strategic advisory firm with clients that included Lucent, Sybase and Oracle.  She also served as vice president-director of strategic in-store planning for The Howard Marlboro Group, an in-store marketing firm.  Earlier, she headed The Haas Group, a business-to-business public relations firm with clients that included AT&T, Chase Manhattan Bank, Westinghouse Broadcasting & Cable, and Crain’s New York Business.

Ms. Haas is a member of the Board of Advisors of Keiretsu Forum New York Tri-State and of Beezag, Inc., a former board member of the MIT Enterprise Forum of NYC, Inc. and of the board or advisory boards of Oddcast, Inc. of several Internet companies.   She is a member of CleanTech Corridor, the MIT Enterprise Forum of NYC, the Columbia Business School Alumni Club of New York, Harvard Business School Club of New York and New York Software Industry Association and participates actively in the Software and Information Industry Association.

She has spoken at the New York Software Industry Association, MIT Enterprise Forum of NYC and Internet World, among others; taught as an adjunct at New York University; and developed and conducted corporate training workshops. She holds a BA in French from Smith College.

Peter J. Laitmon

President; Laitmon, Inc.

www.laitmon.com

 

Peter Laitmon is an accomplished marketing and sales executive with over 30 years experience in U.S. and international markets. He has in-depth experience successfully launching new products and line-extensions, plus re-launching existing brands.

After graduating from Hofstra University with a BS in Marketing, Peter worked for several leading ad agencies and packaged goods companies including Grey, J.Walter Thompson, and Bristol-Myers. Before he was 30, he formed a partnership to develop the initial Franchise Program for "Sbarro - The Italian Eatery". The Sbarro logo he designed is still used around the world today.

Peter's advertising and package goods experience was to prove invaluable; first when he diversified into corporate barter, and later when he became President and CEO of the Revco Drug Stores' closeout division. It was this phase of his career that cemented his knowledge and flair for distribution and channel marketing.

Since forming Laitmon Inc in 1990, Peter has worked closely with domestic firms and European and Asian based global companies to expand their distribution throughout North America.

In 2000, Laitmon Inc. was chosen by Italian vehicle maker Piaggio to be the Company's U.S. representative. The company led an enormously-successful initiative that re-launched the Vespa motor scooter in the United States after a 20-year absence.

 

Corey L. Massella, CPA
Partner, Citrin Cooperman. CEO, SEC Solutions Group

www.citrincooperman.com

 

Corey L. Massella is a partner of the firm and CEO of Citrin Cooperman’s SEC Solutions Group. With more than 20 years experience, Corey has served as partner in accounting firms specializing in SEC accounting and audit services along with domestic taxes and consulting services since 1990. He provides audit, tax and business consulting services for clients in a wide range of industries, including healthcare, apparel, financial services, real estate, and technology. Corey has deep experience with financial service firms, including banks, broker-dealers, investor relations firms, and hedge and private equity funds.

As a business consultant, Corey has served negotiated mergers and acquisitions, performed due diligence for potential target acquisitions; assisted clients in the analysis of cash flows, productivity, personnel, financing, the preparation and development of business plans, the preparation of public offerings; and represented clients before governmental agencies such as the IRS and SEC.

Corey is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants (NYSSCPA). He is presently serving as a committee member on the NYSSCPA Securities and Exchange Commission Committee and has served as a committee member on the NYSSCPA Real Estate Committee, Management of an Accounting Practice Committee, the Committee on Cooperation with Bankers, and as an instructor for such societies on accounting and auditing subjects. He is also a board member and sponsor for the Financial Executives Institute (FEI), Kieretsu Forum and the Long Island Capital Alliance.

Corey graduated from the State University of New York at Buffalo, School of Management.

 

 

Gerard S. DiFiore

Deputy Chair - Emerging Company/Global Venture Practice, Reed Smith LLC

www.reedsmith.com

 

Gerry joined Reed Smith in 1997. He was the firm-wide Chair of the firm's Corporate & Securities Practice Group and is currently the Chairman of the firm's Securities Review Committee and Deputy Chair of the Emerging Company/Global Venture Practice.  His practice focuses on mergers and acquisitions, securities and corporate finance, corporate governance and corporate transactional matters. He is experienced in working with companies in all stages of the corporate growth cycle, from early stage private companies to large publicly traded companies. He routinely works with senior management and with private equity firms and their portfolio companies in reaching strategic goals. He has broad experience in advising clients on disclosure, regulatory and compliance issues related to public reporting status and often acts as outside general counsel on a broad array of issues and transactions for clients that do not have a large internal legal staff. Gerry also counsels asset managers and other regulated securities professionals on various matters and transactions arising under federal securities law including fund formation. He is a frequent speaker and panelist in forums related to Venture Capital, Securities Regulation, the Public Offering process, and public companies in general. Gerry is admitted to the bar in New York, New Jersey and Massachusetts.

Prior to joining Reed Smith Gerry was a Corporate Partner with Herten Burstein Sheridan & Cevasco LLC; before that, a Corporate Associate at, Robinson, St. John & Wayne, and at Bachner, Tally, Polevoy & Misher respectively. He has also worked for the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission in a number of different capacities.

In 2009, New York Super Lawyer named Gerry as a Super Lawyer for his Securities & Corporate Finance practice. He is a member of the American Bar Association and Serves on the ABA's Committee on Federal Regulation of Securities. In May 2003 Gerry was appointed to American Stock Exchange (now NYSE/Euronext) Securities Law Committee. He also serves as a member of the Advisory Board of The Keiretsu Forum NY/Tri State Chapter.

Gerry holds a J.D. cum laude from Suffolk University Law School and a B.A. in economics with honors from The University of Vermont. He has also had graduate level coursework in Securities LL.M. Masters program at Georgetown University Law Center in Washington D.C. He enjoys golf, fishing, skiing and sports.

 

 

Gregory S. Shatan

Deputy Chair - Global Technology Transactions Team, Reed Smith LLC

www.reedsmith.com

 

Greg is a partner at Reed Smith LLP, where he is Deputy Chair of the Global Technology Transactions Team. His practice focuses on intellectual property and technology issues in mergers and acquisitions and other corporate transactions, including strategy, IP due diligence, IP aspects of purchase agreements, and ancillary agreements (such as licenses and transition service agreements). His practice also encompasses drafting and negotiating complex licensing, co-existence, software and website development, outsourcing, strategic alliance, consulting, independent contractor and marketing agreements. Greg has handled domain name acquisitions, transfers, and disputes, as well as other Internet law matters. Additionally, he counsels clients on a broad spectrum of intellectual property matters, mainly trademark, copyright, trade secret, software, domain name, technology, E-commerce, privacy and right-of-publicity matters. Greg works with multinational clients on strategic brand management and IP portfolio management matters, including clearance, prosecution, maintenance and enforcement of trademark rights around the world. Prior to joining Reed Smith, Greg was a partner at Winston & Strawn and Morgan, Lewis & Bockius, and an associate at Weil, Gotshal & Manges. Greg is admitted to the bar in New York State, the U.S. District Court - Eastern District of New York and U.S. District Court – Southern District of New York.

 

Greg is a member of the International Trademark Association, where he serves on the Internet Committee (2005-8, 2010-11).  In 2009, New York Super Lawyer – Metro Edition named Greg as a Super Lawyer for his Intellectual Property practice. Super Lawyers identifies the top 5 percent of attorneys in each state, as chosen by their peers and through the independent research of Law & Politics.

Greg holds a J.D. from Columbia University School of Law , where he was the Editor-in-Chief of the Columbia-VLA Journal of Law & the Arts, a Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar and a recipient of the Shubert Foundation Fellowship. He has a B.A. from Wesleyan University.

Greg lives in Greenwich Village with his wife and two sons. In his spare time, he enjoys playing the baritone saxophone (often with his pro bono client, the Columbia Summer Winds), skiing and watching his former teammates play rugby.

Malcolm Elvey

CEO, Collaborative Capital

www.collaborativecapital.com

Malcolm Elvey is a seasoned entrepreneur with a strong global track record. Elvey brings to his clients a rational, results-driven approach in building the fundamentals for success: business strategy, financing and company structure. His pragmatism is the result of more than four decades of entrepreneurial and academic experience in over 10 countries.
As senior executive of several companies in the U.S. and abroad, Elvey has demonstrated his vision in leveraging technology to gain a competitive advantage. He has used computers and technology to drive the success of numerous pioneering business concepts, including warehouse clubs, off-price retailing and industry consolidations. His strengths are in astute analysis and evaluation of concepts, coupled with the ability to introduce and mentor exceptional management. In his consultancy, Elvey taps a wide network of powerful domestic and international contacts--essential in today's global economy.

Elvey is on the Boards of Directors at The Children’s Place, Inc. (Nasdaq: PLCE). While he was the CEO of Collaborative Capital he made 26 acquisitions in the dotCOM era (1999—2000). He has been active with the portfolio companies and numerous additional Internet companies as either, Founder, Director, or Advisor. Collaborative Capital is one of the few funds that is successful -- CheetahMail was sold to Experian: Javelin technology was sold to NYFIX and Emergent (LZR) is public. In addition, there are still seven companies alive; including www.sessions.edu where Elvey served as an advisor for many years. Other current advisory roles include www.btasia.com, www.beezag.com and www.paksense.com.  He was a Founder and former CEO of LimoRes. Elvey has also been an adjudicator of business plans on the "High Technology Marketing and Entrepreneurship" course at Columbia Business School since 1999. He is Founder and former Chairman of Esquire Communications Ltd. From 1985-87 Elvey was Director of ADT Ltd., a publicly traded international service industry conglomerate, that is today part of TYCO. He is Director and a Founder of SACCA (South African Chamber of Commerce in America) Elvey was the CEO of Metro Cash and Carry from 1970-75, a publicly held South African company that today is a $7 billion global company operating 400 warehouses in 13 countries. In 1976 Elvey opened Jetro Cash & Carry in Brooklyn, which was the precursor of the warehouse club phenomenon in the US.

Elvey is a Chartered Accountant and holds an MBA degree from the University of Cape Town, South Africa, where he was also a member of the faculty in finance and business policy. He has been active in the leadership of The Young President's Organization and the World President's Organization since 1973. He is an active supporter of various philanthropic organizations, Director and former Chairman of the Finance Committee of The Friends of Bezalel, Israel's National Academy of Arts &Design. An avid squash player, Elvey served as Chairman of the US Masters Squash Teams in 1997 at the Maccabiah Games in Israel.

 

 

Tuesday, February 09, 2010 from 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM (ET)

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Keiretsu Forum New York Tristate Chapter

Keiretsu Forum is the world’s largest angel investor network with 850 accredited investor members throughout eighteen chapters on three continents. Since Keiretsu Forum’s founding in 2000, its members have invested over $190m in 200+  companies in technology, consumer products, healthcare/life sciences, real estate and other segments with high growth potential. Forum members collaborate in the due diligence, but make individual investment decisions, with rounds in the range of $250k-$10m.

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