Thursday, April 19, 2012
8:00 - 9:00 AM
Registration, Breakfast & Networking
9:00 - 9:05 AM
Opening Remarks: The Importance of Data and Analytics in Crowdfunding
Speaker:
- STEVEN DRESNER, DealFlow Media / PrivateRaise
9:10 - 9:20 AM
Crowdfunding Market Outlook
Speaker:
- DOUGLAS ELLENOFF, Ellenoff Grossman & Schole
9:20 - 10:10 AM
Legislative Momentum, SEC Rulemaking, and Small Company Capital Formation Initiatives
- The current state of legislation for crowdfunding
- What form will the various bills take when voted upon?
- Understanding the role of the SEC in the lawmaking process
- Issues relating to federal and state oversight in order to mitigate fraud
- Capital formation initiatives tangential to crowdfunding
Moderator:
- ANDREW VERSTEIN, Yale Law School
Panelists:
- SEAN GREENE, U.S. Small Business Administration
- KAREN KERRIGAN, SBE Council
- JOAN MACLEOD HEMINWAY, The University of Tennessee
10:10 - 10:35 AM
Protecting Intellectual Property: Understanding both U.S. and Global Patent/Copyright Protection Specific to Crowdfunding
- How can a project sponsor protect their idea?
- Understanding the potential pitfalls of posting a project on a crowdfunding website
- Practical ways to protect your intellectual property (both patents and copyrights)
- What is your recourse if you suspect theft of your intellectual property?
Speaker:
- MICHAEL JARRETT ALLAN, Steptoe & Johnson
10:35 - 10:50 AM
Networking Break
10:50 - 11:40 AM
Venture Capitalist's Point of View: A Discussion of Crowdfunding Alternatives and what makes Crowdfunding Appealing to Institutional Investors
- Exploring the crowdfunding spectrum, from reward sites to lending to equity-based investment
- Understanding the different investment strategies used by VCs
- Common criteria being used by venture capitalists for backing a crowdfunding website
Moderator:
- DAVID VERRILL, Angel Capital Association
Panelists:
- MACKEY CRAVEN, Bessemer Venture Partners
- STEPHAN PATERNOT, Actarus Funds
- PAUL SINGH, 500 Startups
- DAVID TETEN, ff Venture Capital
11:40 - 12:35 PM
Understanding the Segmentation of Crowdfunding Markets: For-Profit vs. Non-Profit, Onshore vs. Offshore
- What do the current crowdfunding business models look like?
- Defining the "boundaries and borders" of the crowdfunding universe, determining the scope of what's considered crowdfunding
- Discussion of for-profit vs. non-profit and onshore vs. offshore websites
Moderator:
- STEVEN DRESNER, DealFlow Media/PrivateRaise
Panelists:
- SEAN CARR, University of Virginia - Darden School of Business
- MICHAEL FAULKNER, SeedUps
- MAURICE LOPES, EarlyShares
- BRIAN MEECE, RocketHub
12:35 - 1:40 PM
Networking Luncheon
1:45 - 2:05 PM
Special Keynote Presentation
Speaker:
- SENATOR SCOTT BROWN (R-MA)
2:10 - 3:00 PM
Social Networking Technologies and their Integration with Crowdfunding Websites
- How social networks are integrated with crowdfunding portals
- Understanding why successful crowdfunding initiatives are quickly propagated across the Internet
- Implementation strategies used to integrate project funding with email, Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn
- How entrepreneurs can maximize visibility by leveraging social media as it applies to crowdfunding initiatives
Moderator:
- CARL ESPOSTI, crowdsourcing.org
Speakers:
- ANTONIA ABRAHAM, Betaworks
- WILLIAM HICKS, Mintz Levin
- DANAE RINGELMANN, indiegogo
3:00 - 3:25 PM
Emerging From the Dark Ages: How new legislation will positively impact the transparency of companies issuing and trading equity.
- Crowdfunding, Reg A, and general solicitation changes will create more opportunities for small companies to raise equity capital.
- Where will investors in these securities find secondary market liquidity.
- How will companies provide high-quality disclosure to their investors outside SEC registration?
- What do platforms such as OTC Markets, private markets, and exchanges offer for small companies and their shareholders?
Speaker:
- R. CROMWELL COULSON, OTC Markets Group Inc.
3:30 - 4:20 PM
Understanding Policy Issues vs. Securities Rules if you're in the Crowdfunding Business
- Reforming current rules and laws governing the sale of securities
- How new technology is influencing the discussion in Congress
- Will crowdfunding adapt to existing rules or will rules be influenced by crowdfunding, social media, and other innovations on Wall Street?
Moderator:
- SARAH WILLIAMS, Ellenoff Grossman & Schole
Panelists:
- CRAIG NEWMAN, Richards Kibbe and Orbe, LLP
- MANJU PURI, Duke - The Fuqua School of Business
4:25 - 4:50 PM
A Crowdfunding Case Study
- How we went from Crowdfunding to Crowdfund Investing
- The legal and legislative framework for equity-based Crowdfunding
- Best practices for Crowdfund Investing Intermediaries
- Best practices for Entrepreneurs
- The future of Crowdfund Investing
Speaker:
- SHERWOOD NEISS, Startup Exemption
4:55 - 5:25 PM
Broker/Dealer Considerations: When Website Operators Should Be Registered and a Discussion of the Sale of Securities over the Internet
- Issues that might arise if legislation is passed in the United States
- Understanding the registration and regulation of broker/dealers
- The do's and don'ts of selling securities online
- Global jurisdictional considerations
- Ideas for how monitoring of websites might be accomplished
Panelists:
- DAVID LYNN, Morrison & Foerster
5:30 PM
Closing Remarks
DealFlow Media CEO Steven Dresner on Bloomberg Television
DealFlow Media CEO Steven Dresner on FOX Business Network
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