You are cordially invited to join us for an exciting VC event?
 
Who:               Houston Technology Center and Forum for Women Entrepreneurs
 
What:              The Houston Launch for Springboard: Southwest 2002, 
a half-day entrepreneurial education event and evening reception
 
When:            October 2, 2001, 2:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.
 
Where:           The Houstonian, 111 North Post Oak Lane
 
Why:              An opportunity for entrepreneurs, investors and professional service consultants 
to network and learn about Springboard: Southwest 2002
 
To register:     There is no charge to attend this event, but seating is limited.  Please visit http://www.fwe.org/pages/calEvent.asp?CID=551&isFwe=yes&mo=10&yr=2001&pageID or visit www.fwe.org/texas , click on "Springboard Southwest 2002," then click on "Houston Launch."
 
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Last year, only 6% of all venture funding from across the US went to companies with women CEOs.  Only 41% of companies that received venture capital had women within their executive ranks.  When it comes to raising venture capital, women-led firms still have a lot of catching up to do in order to narrow the gap.
 
Houston Technology Center is pleased to announce our involvement with a venture capital forum that is taking proactive measures to narrow that gap-- Springboard: Southwest 2002.  In the one-day forum produced by the Forum for Women Entrepreneurs-Texas and the Springboard Venture Forum Series, an audience of over 250 corporate, venture and angel investors will evaluate investment opportunities from 20 of the top women-led companies from Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, Arizona and New Mexico.
 
Springboard Enterprises is a national non-profit venture whose  mission is to increase women's participation in equity capital markets.  Springboard Enterprises' six forums to date have showcased 175 women entrepreneurs and have resulted in women-led ventures raising over $450 million in funding.  Judging by this record, HTC is optimistic that Springboard: Southwest 2002 has great potential for accelerating the growth of local women-led ventures and for narrowing the gap in Houston and across the state.
 
To build awareness of and excitement for the Forum, which will be held in March 2002 in Dallas, HTC is hosting the Houston Launch Event on October 2, 2001 at The Houstonian.  Registration will begin at 2:30 p.m., with the entrepreneurial educational program beginning at 3:00 p.m. and lasting until 6:30 p.m., including a reception for all stakeholders.  Your key questions about accessing funding and the current landscape of venture capital will be answered by a first-class panel of investors and experienced entrepreneurs including:
 
Teresa Bosco
Partner, Houston Partners
 
Nancy Chang, Ph.D.
CEO, Tanox, Inc.
 
Marc Geller
Managing Director, Sternhill Partners
 
Paul Hobby
Chairman, Genesis Park LP
 
Billy Ladin
CEO, Houston Entrepreneurs Foundation
Founder, PDQ.net
 
Dennis Murphree
Managing Partner, Murphree Venture Partners
 
Barbara Paige
Vice President
Enron Principal Investments
 
Donna Romer
Entrepreneur-in-Residence, Eastwest Venture Group
 
Moderators:
Lloyd Bentsen, III
President, Triad Ventures
Chairman, Houston Technology Center
 
Paul Frison
President and CEO, Houston Technology Center
 
The  Launch Event brings together the region's entrepreneurs, investors and professional service firms for the purpose of making connections.  While the Forum is still several months away, now is the time for women-led ventures, investors and professional service firms to learn about the opportunities Springboard offers.  Leading investors and professional service consultants are already enlisting to screen the 500 plus applications and to coach the entrepreneurs selected to present at the Forum.  
 
To register for the Houston Launch event, click on this link to the FWE web site: http://www.fwe.org/pages/calEvent.asp?CID=551&isFwe=yes&mo=10&yr=2001&pageID.  If you have questions about the Houston Launch event, please contact Lou Moore at lmoore@houstontech.org.  Please feel free to pass this information along to anyone you think will benefit from Springboard:  Southwest 2002 and The Forum for Women Entrepreneurs-Texas.
 
We look forward to seeing you on October 2nd for this fine event!
 
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About the Houston Technology Center
Houston Technology Center is a business accelerator for Houston-based emerging technology companies.  A non-profit corporation, HTC seeks to enhance Houston's position as a leading city for starting and growing companies in our city's key technology sectors: energy, information technology, life sciences and NASA-originated technologies.
 
About Springboard Enterprises
Springboard Enterprises is a national, non-profit venture dedicated to increasing women's participation in the equity capital markets as both entrepreneurs and investors.  Springboard Enterprises' unique programming includes targeted education and coaching programs, strategic connections with investors and business development professionals, community building efforts and venture capital forums that showcase women entrepreneurs.  In addition to its successful venture capital forum series, Springboard Enterprises has expanded its scope to include an advanced business development program, on-line learning modules, introductory business development forums, and ongoing strategic networking, coaching and mentoring programs for Springboard presenters.  
 
About the Forum for Women Entrepreneurs-Texas 
Founded in 1993, the Forum for Women Entrepreneurs (FWE) is the premier entrepreneurial non-profit organization for women building and leading venture fundable high-growth technology and life science companies.  FWE's mission is to accelerate women's opportunities to start, build, manage and invest in market-leading companies. FWE offers innovative programs, access to top-tier funding sources and a collaborative community that accelerates women entrepreneurs' ability to launch and build world-class companies. FWE has a Texas office headquartered in Dallas as well as offices in Seattle, Denver/Boulder and Los Angeles with corporate offices in San Francisco, and membership numbers over 1,300.