NWEN Breakfast: Eclipse Aviation: Flying in the Face of Convention December 9, 2005

Great entrepreneurs find opportunities anywhere, even in the most established, entrenched industries. Take Eclipse Aviation, an Albuquerque-based start-up company with 460 employees, which has created an entirely new transportation category?the very light jet?and is poised to revolutionize business and personal travel by promising point-to-point, on-demand travel, even between remote airports.

Vern Raburn, the founder and CEO of Eclipse and a Seattle technology industry veteran, is bringing a radically different philosophy to the aviation industry. His premise is that the cost of private jet travel should be the equivalent of full-fare coach. As a result, Eclipse is producing small jet aircraft that cost about a third of today?s price for a private jet and will be significantly safer, easier, and cheaper to operate. The firm is reinventing how planes are developed, investing in innovation where the risk and reward are high, focusing on core competencies, leveraging IT to maximize business efficiency, and building a world-class team. These advances are leading to an entirely new industry?the ?air taxi? business?which has sparked a wave of innovation (and concern) across the established aerospace industry.

A 25-year IT industry veteran, Vern Raburn is a successful entrepreneur who has helped shape the course of high-tech. In the 1970s, he joined Bill Gates as one of the first employees at Microsoft, where he led the firm?s entry into the retail channel. After Microsoft, he served as the EVP and general manager of Lotus, where he played an integral role in the successful launch of Lotus 1-2-3. Raburn was also the CEO of Symantec and Slate. Before founding Eclipse, he oversaw high-tech investments for the Paul Allen Group. Raburn has amassed more than 6,500 hours of flight time and is certified to fly aircraft ranging from four-engine airliners and World War II bombers to executive jets.

Join us on December 9 to hear Raburn talk about what it takes to revolutionize an industry from the outside, how great opportunities can be found virtually anywhere, and how entrepreneurs can leverage their experience from across industries to succeed.

Cost: $25 for pre-registered members, $40 for pre-registered nonmembers. Onsite registration available for an additional $5, as space permits.

Register online (http://www.nwen.org/calendar/regbreakfast.htm) or call 425-746-1973.