SVASE Startup-U SFO: Building Your Board / Advisory Board with # Blair LaCorte - Partner at TPG Growth and David Samuel - Partner at Freestyle Capital. Former Co-CEO at Grouper & Spinner.com March 10, 2011

SVASE Startup-U SFO: Building Your Board / Advisory Board with # Blair LaCorte - Partner at TPG Growth and David Samuel - Partner at Freestyle Capital. Former Co-CEO at Grouper & Spinner.com

Start: 03/10/2011 - 11:45 am
End: 03/10/2011- 1:30 pm

Contact Info: Anne Donker
Email: anne@annedonker.com
Phone: 415 378-3966 end_of_the_skype_highlighting

Location: DLA Piper
555 Mission Street, Suite 2400
San Francisco, CA94105

URL:-www.svase.org/events/startup-u-sfo-building-your-board-advisory-board-blair-lacorte-partner-tpg-growth-and-david-s

*** SELECTING YOUR ADVISORY BOARD, DO'S AND DON'TS ****

One of the most critical tasks as founder of a startup is picking those who will sit on your board of advisors.

Join us as our distinguished panel will discuss how entrepreneurs can jumpstart the success of their companies by choosing their board members well.

They will explore questions such as:
* Why you should build a board
* What kind of expertise do your board members need to bring to the table
* How do you balance the board, i.e. with financial, operational or industry expertise
* What are some of the (legal) implications for board members to join
* Should you compensate your board members and if so, how

The Panel:
*Blair LaCorte - Operating Partner at TPG Growth, Interim CEO XOJET

Blair is currently the Interim CEO and board member at XOJet, one of the fastest growing business aviation companies in North America. He also sits on the Board of directors of CourTrax and Starcite. In his role at TPG, he works with various companies across the TPG Capital and Growth Portfolios as well the TPG executive network.

Prior to joining Texas Pacific Group Growth, Blair was an Executive Fellow at the Center for Digital Strategies, Dartmouth College. Blair focused on Marketing, Strategy and Entrepreneurship.

Previously Blair was the Executive Vice President of Business Development and Marketing at Savi Technology, a private, venture backed network solutions provider. Savi is a world leader in developing RFID technologies to track and manage assets throughout the global supply chain. Blair founded Savi's Network Services Business and created the Smart and Secure Trade Lanes (SST) initiative, the largest industry sponsored global container tracking and security network. Savi was sold to Lockheed Martin in the largest transaction to date for active RFID technology.

Prior to Savi, Blair was VerticalNet's Senior Vice President of Strategy and E-commerce. He was part of the team that took the company public in what was the most successful IPO in 1999. Blair was also an EIR at Internet Capital Group, which became one of the first publicly traded venture funds. Initial investors included GE, IBM, GM and Comcast. Prior to that he was President of CADIS; a private venture backed Software Company focused on electronic publishing and procurement in the B2B markets. CADIS was acquired by Aspect Development, the combined company was then sold to i2 Technologies in the then-largest software company acquisition in history. He held various executive positions at AutoDesk, the largest CAD and visualization Software Company and founded and became General Manager of both the GIS and Data Management & Publishing Divisions.

Blair was Manager of Worldwide Strategy and Market Planning for Sun Microsystems (WWFO), a Senior Consultant at Gemini consulting specializing in process engineering in the Energy, Chemical and Transportation segments and held several operational and financial positions at General Electric. Blair was an initial member of the team at GE Capital that launched Power Funding Corporation. Blair began his career in the Airline Industry where he helped to found Boston Air Taxi, which pioneered the use of helicopters in traffic reporting.

Blair received a BA from the University of Maine with highest distinction, an FMP degree in Finance from General Electric and an MBA from the Tuck School at Dartmouth College where he received the Lebowitz award. Blair has been honored with numerous industry awards, including being named "Top Ten Business Marketers" by Business Marketing and Advertising Age; Technology of the year by NASA; Product Innovator by Industry Week, etc. Blair holds numerous patents for both Hardware and Software. Blair sits on the Board of the Graduate Business Foundation as well as the MBA Board at Dartmouth College.

*
* David Samuel - Partner at Freestyle Capital. Former Co-CEO at Grouper & Spinner.com

David Samuel is an experienced executive with a proven ability to identify market trends and build companies from the ground up. A serial entrepreneur and Internet pioneer, Dave has specialized in software & media since 1994. In early 1996, David, as CEO, founded Spinner.com, the first and largest Internet music service. In May 1999, AOL acquired the firm for $320 million. In late 2003, David co-founded Brondell, the first American-based company to develop high-tech toilet seats. David currently serves as Chairman of the Board. The company has raised $1.5 million from Angels, including a round co-led by Mark Cuban. In early 2004, David, as President, co-founded Grouper.com, a website specializing in Internet Video. In August 2006, Sony Pictures Entertainment acquired the company for $65 million. Today, Dave is co-founder of Freestyle Capital, an early-stage Internet & technology venture capital firm.

David graduated from MIT in 1994 with a degree in Electrical Engineering. David is a member of the SF Bay YPO (young president's organization), an SF Giants fan, enjoys both wakeboarding and snowboarding, and lives in Marin County with his wife & 4 children

Please bring your questions for a lively interactive discussion.

When: Thursday, March 10
11:45-12:00 Registration, Networking and Food
12:00-12:15 SVASE/Startup-U Overview, Introductions, Speaker Intro
12:15-1:15 Speaker Presentation & Interactive Q&A
1:15-1:30 Networking with the presenters!

Location: DLA Piper, 555 Mission Street, Suite 2400, San Francisco, CA 94105

Pre-registration closes at 9 AM the day of the event. With your help, we will start on time so the speaker can provide you with as much interactive information as possible.

This event is co-sponsored by DLA Piper,

Official Website: http://www.svase.org/events/startup-u-sfo-building-your-board-advisory-board-blair-lacorte-partner-tpg-growth-and-david-s