We shared the latest strategies and techniques to help position companies for growth and prosperity through a combination of panel discussions and highly interactive breakout sessions with business experts and successful entrepreneurs. Attendees got a current picture of the state of venture capital from both the investor and company perspectives, and learned how other companies are successfully facilitating growth through strategic partnerships, leveraging distressed opportunities, exploring alternative exit strategies and new trends in management compensation, and managing IP strategies in this changed economy.

The conference explored the imminent issues facing emerging technology companies today, and was aimed at entrepreneurs, executives of start-up companies, managers responsible for growing technology businesses, and investors in and advisers to technology companies.

Questions? Please contact Cheryl Winkowski at cwinkowski@foley.com or 312.832.5115.

Foley thanks our 2009 Sponsors.

Foley Partner Susan Pravda Opens the 2009 Emerging Technologies Conference in Boston
Susan Pravda, Foley Partner and Chair of the Emerging Technologies Industry Team, kicks off the conference by sharing the results of the Fifth Annual Emerging Companies survey conducted by Foley on the current trends in the emerging technology sector. SESSION MATERIALS Listen to Opening Remarks
Prospering in a Volatile Market: An Investor Perspective
Learn from experienced investors and entrepreneurs how best to position your company for funding in today's uncertain world. How do you obtain proof of concept funding in this market? Has the venture capital investing model changed? Are alternative sources of capital and investing models emerging? Moderator: Gabor Garai Panelists: Shawn Broderick, Executive Director, TechStars Boston Paul Maeder, General Partner, Highland Capital Partners Nina Saberi, Managing General Partner, Castile Ventures Michael Skok, General Partner, North Bridge Venture Partners SESSION MATERIALS Listen to Session
Management Incentives
What are management incentives and why do you need them now? Listen as industry insiders discuss retirement plans, compensation, equity arrangements, and morale issues. How do the AIG bonus issues impact or filter to private companies? How do you maintain morale and creativity in these troubling times? Moderator: David W. Kantaros Panelists: Scott G. Kinnear, Chairman & President, Myxer, Inc. Theo Sharp, Managing Director, Pearl Meyer & Partners Douglas S. Sweazey, Partner, MFA - Moody, Famiglietti & Andronico, LLP SESSION MATERIALS Listen to Session
Finding the Money: Venture, Angel, Debt
Industry experts discussed trends in the availability of angel, debt, and venture capital funding. Discussion focused on areas of investor concern, how to find financing, and what terms to expect in these troubled economic times. Moderator: Beth J. Felder Panelists: Rob Go, Senior Associate, Spark Capital Eric Hjerpe, Partner, Kepha Partners Gwill E. York, Founder and Managing Director, Lighthouse Capital Partners SESSION MATERIALS Listen to Session
Finding and Working with Strategic Partners
As risk capital becomes more difficult to find, entrepreneurs should increasingly consider strategic partners as a means to financing their business. Listen as industry insiders discuss how best to find the right strategic partner and structure a mutually beneficial deal. Moderator: Richard A. Kaufman Panelists: Richard Brudnick, Senior Director of Business Development, Biogen Idec Inc. Richard F. Burtt, Chief Executive Officer & President, Nomir Medical Technologies, Inc. Keith W. Cooper, President, Carbonite, Inc. SESSION MATERIALS Listen to Session
Exit Strategies in a Changed Economy
This panel of seasoned industry veterans addressed: Sales and recaps How do you get to the exit and when do you start planning? Have exit strategies changed with the economy? Have deal terms changed? How do you sell when there are fewer buyers? Moderator: Susan E. Pravda Panelists: Mohamad Ali, Senior Vice President of Corporate Development, Avaya Robert Brown, Managing Director, Lincoln International LLC Gary Nelson, President, Viaflo Corporation SESSION MATERIALS Listen to Session
Changing IP Strategies in Lean Budget Times
Listen to experienced IP professionals discuss how best to right size your IP spending to strike the right balance between reducing IP costs and building your company's IP position and technology value. This panel discusses how the changing IP regulatory environment may impact these decisions. Moderator: John T. Gutkoski Panelists: David Cerveny, Vice President Intellectual Property and General Counsel, ConforMIS, Inc. Wendy Rieder, General Counsel and Vice President Intellectual Property and Legal Affairs, Synta Pharmaceuticals Corp. Steve Tannenbaum, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Collegium Pharmaceutical, Inc. SESSION MATERIALS Listen to Session
How to Take Advantage of Distressed Opportunities
In today's market, distressed companies and assets are plentiful. Learn from experienced M&A veterans how best to take advantage of these situations. How do you buy distressed companies and stay healthy and profitable? What are the inherent risks? How do you manage the unknown liabilities and integration? Moderator: Todd L. Boudreau Panelists: Jackson Craig, Managing Director, H.I.G. Capital Charles R. Dougherty, Managing Director, BR Strategies, LLC Richard L. Vieira, Co-Founder and Managing Partner, 2SV Capital, LLC SESSION MATERIALS Listen to Session
Medical Devices: What's Hot and What's Not
This panel discussed the current state of the medical device industry with an overview of trends and opportunities. Moderator: Ronald S. Eppen Panelists: Gerry Brunk, Managing Director, Lumira Capital Bill McPhee, Managing Director, Praxis Advisors LLC Piran Sioshansi, President & Chief Executive Officer, Advanced Radiation Therapy, LLC SESSION MATERIALS Listen to Session
Prospering in a Volatile Market - A Company Perspective
Listen to successful executives discuss the current state of capital markets and how they have positioned their companies to survive and even prosper in these difficult times. Moderator: Paul D. Broude Panelists: Ari Buchler, Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary, Phase Forward Incorporated David R. Follett, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Lewis Rhodes Labs Barbara Osband, President and Chief Executive Officer, Cambridge Biomedical Dr. Michael E. Woehler, President & Chief Executive Officer, MediFacts International, Inc. SESSION MATERIALS Listen to Session
Alternative Energy: Green Trends and Opportunities
This panel discussed the current state of the alternative energy market with an overview of trends and opportunities in wind, solar, biofuel, and hydro. The panel also discussed the currently proposed cap-and-trade system and how it may impact the alternative energy markets. Moderator: Edouard C. LeFevre Panelists: Ed VanDyne, President and Chief Executive Officer, VanDyne SuperTurbo, Inc. Dr. Cary A. Veith, Vice President of Research and Development, Myriant Technologies, LLC SESSION MATERIALS Listen to Session
Mobile and Wireless Technology: The Sky is the Limit
This panel discussed the current state of the wireless telecommunications market with an overview of trends and opportunities. Moderator: Susan E. Pravda Panelists: David W. Baum, Partner, Stage 1 Ventures Todd Christy, President and Chief Technology Officer, Pyxis Mobile, Inc. Scott G. Kinnear, Chairman and President, Myxer, Inc. John Simon, Co-Founder and Managing Director, General Catalyst Partners SESSION MATERIALS Listen to Session