Secretary Cheng and More to Highlight in 2012 Virgina Entrepreneur Summit

RVA is getting down to business. Tomorrow the Venture Forum, a Richmond based organization focused on promoting entrepreneurship in central Virginia, will host a highly anticipated 2012 Virginia Entrepreneur Summit.

Jim Cheng, Secretary of Commerce and Trade, to moderate a panel titled The State of the State for New Business Ventures.

Situated at the interaction of business and capital, Venture Forum has assembled an all-star lineup, featuring some of the biggest and brightest minds in the Commonwealth. Starting at 7:30am, Richmonders will have an opportunity to visit the Virginia Historical Society for a crack at the likes of Jim Cheng, Secretary of Commerce and Trade; Daphne Reid, co-founder and Principal Partner at New Millennium Studios; John May, Managing Partner at New Vantage Group; Karen Booth Adams, Richmond’s favorite angel investor; and more.

Venture Forum, which positions itself at the intersection of business innovation and capital in Virginia, has orchestrated the event to inspire connections, business development, and business growth. The Summit will provide a glimpse into the minds of the area’s most successful entrepreneurs and investors. Growing a business from scratch is a long but rewarding adventure, and those that are serious about expansion, need to be up-to-date on the business world and what they must do to succeed. For example, if they are mostly based offline with online connections, they might want to see how they can Buy EFTPOS terminal machines to provide a secure and diverse way of processing payments from customers. This is just one area that can be looked into as many others will be available for development.

Schedule of Events
April 24, 2012 Virginia Historical Society
7:30a.m. – 3:00p.m.

Wake-Up Call: Daphne Reid, Co-Founder & Principal Partner, New Millennium Studios
Speed Networking
The State of the State for New Business Ventures: Moderator – Jim Cheng, Secretary of Commerce and Trade
The Finance Workshop brought to you by the: Richmond Venture Forum Women’s Initiative
Sharks or Angels? Financing your Early Stage Company: Seasoned Angel Investors provide tips for Closing your Seed Round
Series A and Beyond: a panel discussion featuring VC’s and Entrepreneurs
Building a Corporate Culture, Maximizing the Journey–and the Exit Value: Brian Callaghan, Founder & Co-CEO – Apex and Scott Walker, CEO – Ironworks Consulting
Keynote Speaker: John May, Managing Partner, New Vantage Group
Five-Minute Forum Showdown: Panelists –John May, Managing Partner – New Vantage Group; Mike McGinley, Managing Partner – New Dominion Angels; Karen Adams, Angel Investor.