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TCN Launches 2010 Venture Coaching Program
Confirms Coaching Participants and TCN Members Raised Over $15 Million of Angel Funding in New England
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Dana Harris
Red Javelin Communications, Inc.
+1 (978) 440-8392
The Capital Network (TCN) Launches 2010 Venture Coaching Program;
Confirms Coaching Participants and TCN Members Raised Over $15 Million of Angel Funding in New England
Wellesley, MA, April 28, 2010 –The Capital Network (TCN), Boston's leading non-profit organization providing early-stage entrepreneurial education specifically on the funding process, today announced it has started accepting applications for its Spring 2010 Venture Coaching Program. The program prepares and positions participants to successfully raise funds from potential investors. In addition, the organization also announced that participants in 2008-2009 Venture Coaching Program, and other TCN Members, raised over $15 million of angel funding in 2009, and created over 30 jobs in new companies in the greater New England area.
TCN’s Venture Coaching Program
TCN’s Venture Coaching Program provides entrepreneurs with expert feedback on venture fundamentals, including business and revenue model, sales and distribution model, financing model, value proposition development, and competitive and market positioning. It helps entrepreneurs understand the presentation materials necessary for fundraising, and provides them with real-time feedback on live presentations.
TCN’s Venture Coaching Program has been successful in helping dozens of companies master the entire funding process and successfully raise seed capital for financing their high-growth startups. Recent graduates include:
- Incentive Targeting, a retail marketing start-up incubated from Babson College’s Business Hatchery, successfully raised $1.8 million of angel funding, created a strong board of directors and found a strong CEO;
- Pixability, a video start-up founded out of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, increased revenues ten-fold since participating in the Venture Coaching Program, raising a successful “A” round and increasing their headcount to meet demand for their new products.
“TCN is a truly effective organization because it offers hands-on practical programs that do more than simply sing the praises of entrepreneurship. Since participating in TCN’s Venture Coaching Program, Pixability increased revenues significantly,” Bettina Hein, CEO Pixability.
TCN Successes Fuel Interest in New Programs
Over the past year, TCN has successfully created deep relationships between members of the Boston area Entrepreneurial Ecosystem which has helped drive over $15 million of funding into promising early-stage companies. Participants include New England’s premier entrepreneurs, angel investors, venture capitalists, corporate/strategic investors, government agencies, educational institutions, and area-expert service providers. To meet the demand:
- TCN doubled the number of new programs offered to early-stage entrepreneurs to include sessions on Friends & Family Capital, Valuation Metrics, new Mobile sessions and Dilution Modeling class.
- TCN expanded to offer additional programs and events in focused areas such as Women Entrepreneurship, Mobile, Clean Tech and Life Sciences.
About The Capital Network (TCN)
The Capital Network (TCN) is Boston's leading non-profit organization, providing extensive educational programs and a community to help early-stage entrepreneurs master the entire funding process. For entrepreneurs seeking between $50K and $4M in seed, angel or venturecapital investment, TCN provides the most comprehensive set of early-stage financing education, networkingand resources available.With more than 35 events annually, including large breakfast roundtables, intimate deep-dive topic expert lunches, mentoring sessions, venture coaching, focused industry events and networking receptions, the organization provides the tools and guidance necessary to build and grow a fundable business. These events also provide investors with the opportunity to see some of the area’s hottest startups up close, and gain exposure to exciting new technologies and businesses. Headquartered in Wellesley, MA, please visit TCN’s site for more information at www.thecapitalnetwork.org.
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The Capital Network (TCN) Adds New Members to Board of Directors and Advisory Board
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Dana Harris
Red Javelin Communications, Inc.
+1 (978) 440-8392
The Capital Network (TCN) Adds New Members to
Board of Directors and Advisory Board
Wellesley, MA, April 13, 2010 –The Capital Network (TCN), Boston's leading non-profit organization providing early-stage entrepreneurial education specifically on the funding process, today announced the addition of serial entrepreneur Leslie Williams to its Board of Directors. In addition, TCN has expanded its Advisory Board to include the addition of Chris Brogan, Tim Jones and Ellen Rubin.
Leslie Williams was recently elected as the newest member to TCN’s Board of Directors, comprised of accomplished and respected entrepreneurs, investors and sponsors. Recognized in 2006 as one of the top 100 leaders in life sciences by PharmaVOICE magazine, Leslie Williams has more than 20 years of industry experience in healthcare, management, commercial product development and marketing. Her two decades-plus career runs the gamut from critical care nursing to corporate executive leadership positions, including president and chief executive officer of Ventaira Pharmaceuticals, director of marketing for INO Therapeutics, Inc and other commercial positions at Merck and GlaxoSmithKline and a Venture Partner with Battelle Ventures. See more on Leslie at: http://www.thecapitalnetwork.org/about.board.lwilliams.php
“We are excited to add such a diverse and accomplished group of individuals to our team,” said Jeffery Halpern, Co-Chair of TCN’s Board of Directors. “Each one has a strong proven track record in their area of expertise and can add significant value to the organization as well as the TCN community.”
The TCN Advisory Board is comprised of key members of New England’s entrepreneurial, investor, academic, political and service communities and provides critical thought leadership and feedback to the TCN Board of Directors and the TCN Program Line Managers. New members include:
- Chris Brogan - Chris Brogan is President of New Marketing Labs, a new media marketing agency, as well as cofounder of the PodCamp new media conference series, exploring the use of new media community. See more on Chris at: http://www.thecapitalnetwork.org/about.advisors.CBrogan.php
- Tim Jones - Tim Jones is CEO of Buzzient, leader in enterprise-class social media analytics, and has over 15 years of executive experience starting new companies and developing new businesses in the technology industry. See more on Tim at: http://www.thecapitalnetwork.org/about.advisors.TJones.php
- Ellen Rubin - Ellen Rubin is Founder & VP Products, of CloudSwitch. She is an experienced entrepreneur with a proven track record in founding innovative technology companies and leading strategy, market positioning and go-to-market. See more on Ellen at: http://www.thecapitalnetwork.org/about.advisors.ERubin.php
About The Capital Network (TCN)
The Capital Network (TCN) is Boston's leading non-profit organization providing extensive educational programs and a community to help early-stage entrepreneurs master the entire funding process and successfully raised seed capital for their high-growth startup.
For entrepreneurs seeking between $50K and $4M in seed, angel, or venture capital investment, TCN provides the most comprehensive set of early-stage financing education, networkingand resources available.With more than 35 events annually including large breakfast roundtables, intimate deep-dive topic expert lunches, mentoring sessions, venture coaching, focused industry events and networking receptions, the organization provides entrepreneurs the tools and guidance needed to build and grow a fundable business, including advice from leading experts in the field of early-stage financing. These events also provide investors the opportunity to see some of the area’s hottest startups up close, and gain exposure to exciting new technologies and businesses.
Headquartered in Wellesley, MA, please visit TCN’s site for more information at www.thecapitalnetwork.org
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July 2009
TCN Reenergizes New England’s Entrepreneurship Community
TCN revamps Board and programs; adds Vice Chair and COO
Boston, MA, July 1, 2009 – The Capital Network of New England, Inc. (TCN), a non-profit organization for education, resources and community for entrepreneurs seeking early stage high growth funding, announces restructuring of the organization, additions of programs and resources in order to more vigorously provide support for entrepreneurs in this economic cycle.
Over the years, the organization has recruited to its Board a number of accomplished entrepreneurs, investors and industry leaders. Recently, under the leadership of Janet Kraus, the Chairwoman of the TCN Board and CEO of the media company Spire.com, home of Suzanne’s Files, the Board has made a strategic decision to revamp the programs and add resources to make the organization capable of supporting more entrepreneurs looking to accelerate their path to early stage fundraising success.
“With an increased level of entrepreneurial activity, the Board felt obliged to ratchet up the level of activity at TCN to support the new entrants in this world of exciting new ventures,” says Kraus. “We are pleased to announce that Jeremy Halpern, a participant at TCN since 2001, has been voted to and accepted the role of Vice-Chair, with the expectation that he will step into the Chair position within the next 6 months. With Jeremy’s enthusiasm, connections in the industry, and dedication to entrepreneurship, I am positive that TCN will continue to provide the quality programming and even stronger community for entrepreneurs seeking funding, including after I step away from the chair role this coming fall.”
Expanded Programs Require New Resources
While TCN has a 20+ year history, the last few years have brought some extraordinary growth and changes at TCN, including the expansion from 10 roundtables to over 40 programs per year and the addition of summer programming. Those additional elements include creating marketing partnerships with industry leading associations, addition of a top tier TCN Advisory Board and the expansion and reconstitution of TCN’s Board of Directors.
“To satisfy the needs of entrepreneurs who need advice and mentoring about fundraising, it was clear to us that we needed to expand our reach and visibility for which we needed new level of resources at TCN” says Jeremy Halpern, Vice-Chair at TCN and Managing Director of Evolution Advisors. “I am delighted to announce the appointment of Michelle Hipwood to the position of Chief Operating Officer. Michelle comes to TCN from the consulting and investment banking world. We are looking forward to seeing Michelle use her experience and network to help TCN grow and to execute on its continuing mission to provide education and resources to entrepreneurs seeking early stage investment.”
Michelle Hipwood’s experience spans work in advisory services and investment banking and restructuring organizations such as The Roseview Group, Deloitte, and Fleet Boston Financial. Michelle has MBA from Babson College/Olin Graduate School and BS from Boston College.
About TCN
The Capital Network is Boston's largest non-profit dedicated to providing education, resources and a community to entrepreneurs seeking early stage investment. As a hub of entrepreneurship in New England, TCN, a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit, helps connect entrepreneurs, angel investors, venture capital, enterprise customers, strategic investors, state and federal agencies, educational institutions, students and sponsoring service providers around issues of early stage finance. The organization currently runs four program lines: TCN Roundtables and Expert Lunches (panel-led programs, special events and networking programs designed to help the entrepreneurial community understand the requirements, challenges and tactics of early stage fundraising); the TCN Venture Coaching Program (a set of tailored coaching and mentoring sessions designed to help entrepreneurs that are actively fundraising); the TCN University Series (a series of panels and lunches designed to provide our educational content to entrepreneurs and would-be-entrepreneurs on campus at our partner Universities and Colleges; and TCN Special Events focused on financing issues in HealthTech companies, GreenTech companies, and women-led entrepreneurial companies. More information on TCN can be found at www.thecapitalnetwork.org.
For programming or other info, please contact [email protected]
June 2009
Study suggests early stage founders may offer a solution to the current economic recession
2008 Babson Entrepreneurship Monitor for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts
For the first time, the 2008 Babson Entrepreneurship Monitor compares similarities and differences in entrepreneurial activity by stage of business, development, region and founder demographics across the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.... While this study was completed the summer prior to the recent financial crisis [...], the optimism, persistence and resilience of entrepreneurs reflected in this study suggests that early stage founders may offer a solution to the current economic recession.
Download and read the entire study.
May 2009
Over 100 turn out to hear panel explore financing options for funding early stage ventures in Clean Tech / Clean Energy
TCN CleanTech Capital Program
Despite the bad weather, TCN and Bingham McCutchen LLP hosted a crowd at Bingham's office in downtown Boston who came to the TCN CleanTech Capital Program to hear experts discuss funding options for financing early stage ventures in the Clean Tech / Clean Energy space. It was a great evening of discussion and networking, and a sign that despite the current economic climate, the entrepreneurial spirit is alive and well in New England.
Our thanks to everyone who joined and we hope to see you at a future TCN event!
