Strategic Advice from the VC’s!

Wharton Entrepreneurs- Education and Resource Network (WE-EARN) Affinity Group


Join WE-EARN as some promising Wharton startups present their businesses and solicit strategic advice from a panel of seasoned venture capital investors.

Note: entrepreneurs will not be pitching for funding; instead they will be soliciting advice regarding strategic issues facing their business.

Want to present your business to the panel?  See the instructions at the bottom of this page.

You certainly don't need to present to attend.  We think this event will be highly educational for all.

The 3 panelists will be:

  • Thatcher Bell, Managing Director at DFJ Gotham Ventures.  DFJ Gotham is an early-stage venture capital firm based in New York City focused primarily on investments in information technology startups.  DFJ Gotham is part of the Draper Fisher Jurvetson Global Network, the largest venture capital network in the world.
  • Brett Topche, Managing Director at MentorTech Ventures.  MentorTech is a seed- and early-stage venture capital fund that invests in companies from the University of Pennsylvania ecosystem. These companies typically have key founders or managers who are students, faculty members or alumni of the university.
  • Matthew Witheiler, Principal at Flybridge Capital Partners.  Flybridge is an early-stage venture capital firm whose goal is to find talented entrepreneurs and then partner with them to build exceptional and valuable companies.
When:
Thursday, April 25, 2013
6:00pm - 6:15pm (networking)
6:15pm-8:00 (presentations/feedback)
8:00pm-8:15 (networking)

Where:
Midtown location (Address will be emailed to registered guests prior to event)

Cost:
WCNY Supporting Members - $10 (WCNY basic membership costs $95/year at Join/Renew Membership)
Other Wharton alumni (and guests) - $40

Registration will open March 14th. Click here to register.

Please contact us with any questions at weearn@whartonny.com. We look forward to seeing you there!

Ross Klenoff and Marcus Dahllof, Co-Chairs, Wharton Entrepreneurs - Education and Resource Network (WE-EARN).

To join WE-EARN, send an email to weearn@whartonny.com with:

1. Your Wharton graduation year(s),
2. A short two-liner about your activity in entrepreneurship/new ventures,
3. Your professional email address and contact info., and
4. Your personal email address to keep in touch throughout your career.

Membership is limited to those that both: 1) are Wharton undergrad or Wharton MBA alumni and 2) are or were actively (a) pursuing an entrepreneurial venture or (b) serving as an advisor/financing source for entrepreneurial ventures. Membership is not open to vendors at this time.

Due to building security requirements, you must pre-register for this event.  Walk-ins cannot be accepted.
Registration is subject to availability and will close on Wednesday, April 24th at 4:00pm - No Exceptions! 

HOW TO BE SELECTED TO PRESENT:

Send a paragraph describing your (i) business, team and milestones/status and (ii) the specific issue(s) you would like to present to the panel, to weearn@whartonny.com.  Given time constraints we can only select a limited number of startups.  If selected, you will get about 15-20 minutes to present your company, solicit advice and receive some valuable feedback.  Specific format to be provided following selection.

If you are interested in presenting, let us know ASAP.  Available spots may disappear quickly!  All prospective presenters must register via the registration link (i.e., to ensure a spot in the room, which has limited capacity).  Note that events sell out quickly.

For more information on WE-EARN, please visit the Wharton Entrepreneurs - Education and Resource Network page.