VLAB

Founders Series: Raise Capital NOW with Equity Crowdfunding
2016-06-28 18:00 - 20:30 (America/Los_Angeles) | Palo Alto, CA
Founders' Series

Raise Capital NOW with Equity Crowdfunding

Tuesday, June 28, 20166:00 pm to 8:30 pm6:00 pm: Reception and networking7:00 pm: Fireside Chat

Palo Alto, CA(Address will be sent to registered attendees.)

Startup founders know that obtaining working capital is critical for building a successful company, but navigating the world of venture capital can be tricky and time-consuming. With the new regulations that took effect this year, startups now have a new way to raise money — Equity Crowdfunding.
New platforms like StartEngine, IndieGogo, and SeedInvest are making it possible for startups to raise much-needed capital through crowdsourcing from unaccredited investors. Groundbreaking regulation changes are democratizing fundraising by allowing startups to raise up to $1 million by crowdsource in exchange for equity.

What are the risks and challenges of choosing equity crowdfunding?
Are there hidden costs?
Which industries will benefit the most?
Can startups raise capital from both VCs and crowdfunding?

Join us for the next VLAB Founders Series event on June 28, 2016 for an engaging fireside chat about equity crowdfunding with Ron Miller, CEO of StartEngine, and Richard Swart, partner at Crowdfund Capital Investors.

Panelists

Ron Miller
Ron is an entrepreneur’s entrepreneur — having founded, built, and sold five companies through management buyouts, private equity firms, private investors and public markets. Ron’s success includes being recognized as a four-time Inc. 500/5000 recipient and as an Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year award finalist. As CEO of StartEngine Crowdfunding and StartEngine Capital, Ron facilitates “financial ignition” for innovative companies in order to help entrepreneurs achieve the American dream.

Richard Swart
Richard has been recognized as one of the top thought leaders in crowdfunding and alternative finance, with particular interest in their impact on social innovation and global challenges. He has been the subject of stories or interviews in leading business publications, including Forbes, Inc., Entrepreneur, VentureBeat, Wall Street Journal, New York Times, BBC, PBS, MSNBC, NPR, Financial Times, and Washington Post. He is coauthor of the book Crowdfunding: The Corporate Era, which discusses how corporations leverage crowdfunding.

View or download flyer for event:

Download the printable PDF.

About the VLAB Founders’ Series
Founders’ Series events provide a unique opportunity for startups and technologists to take part in an interactive session. Come prepared with your burning questions!
If you would like to have the rare opportunity to take the “Hot Seat” on stage to receive feedback from the speakers, please be sure to enter your question in the field below. Startup founders selected for the “Hot Seat” will be notified in advance.
For all other questions, please contact founders.series@vlab.org.
Note: Founder's Series tickets are for startup founders and are subject to approval. Please allow 24-48 hours for final ticket confirmation.

Africa Rising: Entrepreneurship & Investment Networks Propelling the Continent
2016-06-23 18:00 - 19:00 | Zambrano Hall, 641 Knight Way, Stanford, CA, 94305, United States
Africa Rising
Entrepreneurship & Investment Networks Propelling the Continent
A Global Entrepreneurship Summit and Stanford SEED Partner Event

Thursday, June 23, 2016
6:00 pm to 7:00 pm

This event has been built to bring Global Entrepreneurship Summit (GES) Entrepreneurs together with Bay Area investors, entrepreneurs, and students interested in engaging with and learning about companies on the African Continent.
We will feature a 30-minute panel discussion about the entrepreneurship and investment networks on the ground and finish with a 30-minute pitch session in which selected companies from GES will have the chance to share and discuss their companies with our panel.
There are a growing number of unicorns in African markets, and many are led by African Entrepreneurs. Attendees will learn more details surrounding these stories and hear and/or receive live feedback on the business models that GES entrepreneurs are pursuing in multiple sectors.

Panelists

Tim Draper, Founding Partner, DFJ
Eric Osiakwan, Managing Partner, Chanzo Capital
Maya Horgan-Famodu, Managing Director, Ingressive
David van Dijk, Director General, African Business Angel Network
5 GES Companies to be announced

View or download flyer for event:

Download the printable PDF.

Zambrano Hall641 Knight WayStanford, CA 94305

Launching Longevity: Funding the Fountain of Youth
2016-06-21 18:00 - 20:45 | SRI International Conference Center, 333 Ravenswood Drive, Menlo Park, CA, 94025, United States
Launching Longevity
Funding the Fountain of Youth

Tuesday, June 21, 2016
6:00 pm to 8:30 pm
6:00 pm: Reception and networking
7:00 pm: Panel discussion (with Q&A)

Can technology make human longevity a reality? As the pace of discovery accelerates, scientists and entrepreneurs are closing in on the Fountain of Youth. Disrupting the aging process by hacking the code of life, promises better health and longer maximum lifespans. With many layers of complexity from science to ethics, there are still skeptics placing odds against human longevity.
Venture capitalists are betting on success; putting big money on the table to fund longevity startups. Google/Alphabet and drugmaker AbbVie have invested $1.5 billion on Calico, while Human Longevity Inc. recently raised $220 million from their Series B funding round. Complementing traditional venture investment, VCs like Peter Thiel and Joon Yun have established foundations and prizes to accelerate the end of aging.

Why are VCs suddenly investing heavily in longevity startups?
Will extended lifespan be a privilege of the wealthy or will the benefits be accessible to all?
How long before these well-funded startups bring viable products to market?

Special Presenter

Aubrey de Grey, Chief Science Officer and Co-founder, SENS

Moderator

Sonia Arrison, author, 100 Plus: How the Coming Age of Longevity Will Change Everything…

Panelists

Dr. Brian Kennedy, CEO, Buck Institute for Research on Aging
Dr. Daniel Kraft, Founder, RegenMed Systems, and Chair of Medicine, Singularity University
Will Eden, Vice President, Thiel Capital

Joe McCracken, VP of Business Development, Alkahest
Dr. Thomas Rando, Director of the Glenn Center for the Biology of Aging, Stanford University

SRI International Conference Center
333 Ravenswood Drive
Menlo Park, CA 94025

The Next Wave of Online Commerce
2016-05-17 18:00 - 20:30 | SRI International Conference Center, 333 Ravenswood Drive, Menlo Park, CA, 94025, United States
The Next Wave of Online Commerce

Tuesday, May 17, 2016
6:00 pm to 8:30 pm
6:00 pm: Reception and networking
7:00 pm: Panel discussion (with Q&A)

A new wave in e-commerce is picking up energy and is about to hit shore. Powered by Millennials’ preferences for unique products and mobile technology, startups and established businesses alike are competing for the attention of online shoppers. As consumers become overwhelmed by the number of products available, they are craving faster shopping experiences. In response, startups are delivering solutions using “mobile first”, hyper-personalization, and social communities to reach target audiences.
Industry analysts predict 270 million consumers will shop online by 2020 and transactions in the U.S. alone will reach $523 billion.

Will consumers embrace niche marketplaces or are they merely a temporary fad?
Are startups implementing new business models that will disrupt established players?
What role will established retailers play as this new wave picks up momentum?

Moderator

Jim Crawford, Retail Experience Expert

Panelists

Colin Stuart, Co-Founder and CTO, Betabrand
Dennis Liu, Co-Founder and CSO, Touch of Modern
John McDonald, VP of Business Operations, Poshmark
Talia Goldberg, Venture Capitalist, Bessemer Venture Partners

SRI International Conference Center
333 Ravenswood Drive
Menlo Park, CA 94025

Rewriting DNA: Big Returns from Gene Editing
2016-04-19 18:00 - 20:30 | SRI International Conference Center, 333 Ravenswood Drive, Menlo Park, CA, 94025, United States
Rewriting DNA
Big Returns from Gene Editing

Tuesday, April 19, 2016
6:00 pm to 8:30 pm
6:00 pm: Reception and networking
7:00 pm: Panel discussion (with Q&A)

Imagine cutting and pasting genes in DNA, just like editing words in a document on a computer. CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing technology does just that, making it possible to replace genetic material with a simpler, cheaper, more precise method than ever before. Dubbed “the biggest biotech discovery of the century” supporters of CRISPR call out benefits such as potential cures for diseases like cancer, malaria, and cystic fibrosis; increased crop yields; and correcting genetic defects. Opponents raise ethical concerns citing the law of unintended consequences, designer babies, and interspecies organ transplants.
With the market for gene editing expected to reach $3.5 billion by 2019, the stakes for companies, scientists, and entrepreneurs are high with battles already being waged over patents. Notably, pharmaceutical companies are jumping in to protect their interests, too.

Will the winner take all?
Can CRISPR eradicate viruses like AIDS and Zika?
Can science truly control genetics?

Moderator

Ted Driscoll, Parther & Digital Healthcare Lead, Claremont Creek Ventures

Panelists

Riley Doyle, CEO & Technical Lead, Desktop Genetics
Edward Lanphier, President & CEO, Sangamo BioSciences
Jenny Rooke, PhD & Managing Director, 5 Prime Ventures

SRI International Conference Center
333 Ravenswood Drive
Menlo Park, CA 94025

Founders Series: Disruptive Business Models in Enterprise Software
2016-04-14 18:00 | San Francisco, CA
Founders' Series

Disruptive Business Models in Enterprise Software
A Fireside Chat with Ann Winblad

Thursday, April 14, 20166:00 pm to 8:30 pm6:00 pm: Reception and networking7:00 pm: Fireside Chat

San Francisco(Address will be sent to registered attendees.)

Ann Winblad, Founding Partner, Hummer Winblad Ventures
Lars Leckie, Managing Director, Hummer Winblad Ventures (moderator)
The success of a new venture is often determined by the level of disruption it brings to the market. What is being disrupted? How is that disruption making an impact? Is the disruption truly innovative? Success in the competitive world of enterprise software requires innovation in both the business model and the technology.
Whether you are a founder of a company or are just thinking about starting a company, join us on Thursday, April 14, for an evening with Ann Winblad, Founding Partner of Hummer Winblad Ventures. Hear from the pioneer of early-stage enterprise software investing to gain important insights for building a successful company.
Among the topics to be covered, Ann will address:

validating the demand for your product or idea
creating a platform versus building single applications
understanding enterprise sales cycles

Don’t miss out on this unique opportunity to connect with other startup founders and receive custom-tailored advice — and for a select few, personalized mentorship — from Ann Winblad and Lars Leckie. Learn what it takes to build a winning strategy for your entrepreneurial venture.

Speaker

Ann Winblad
Ann is the co-founder and a managing director of Hummer Winblad Venture Partners. Hummer Winblad Venture Partners (www.hwvp.com) is a leading venture capital firm focused exclusively on software investing and manages over $1 billion in cumulative capital. Since Hummer Winblad Venture Partners’ inception in 1989, the firm has launched over 100 new enterprise software companies.
Ann has over 30 years of experience in the software industry as a successful software entrepreneur, strategy advisor, technical author and venture capitalist. Ann has a BA in Mathematics and in Business Administration from St Catherine University, an MA in Education with a focus in International Economics from the University of St. Thomas, St. Paul, Minnesota, and honorary Doctorate of Law degree from the University of St. Thomas.
Ann has served as a director of numerous start-up and public companies. She currently serves on the boards of Ace Metrix, MuleSoft, OptiMine, and Sonatype. She is also a member of the Board of Trustees of the University of St. Thomas and a board member of the Richard Schulze Family Foundation.

Moderator

Lars Leckie
Lars plays a critical role in selecting and managing HWVP’s investments in SaaS, virtualization, cloud, and mobile technologies. Prior to joining Hummer Winblad Venture Partners, Lars held founding and operational roles at multiple start-up companies. As a co-founder of AutoFarm (now Novariant), which is focused on GPS and robotics, Lars was in charge of strategy, product marketing, business development, and building the sales team across three continents.
Lars has a Masters of Science (Engineering) from Stanford University and an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business. He also holds an Engineering Physics degree from Queen’s University (with honors). Lars currently sits on the board of Kiip, PLUMgrid, InsideSales.com, Innovative Leisure, and Aria Systems. He has played a key role in the firm’s investments in Karmasphere (Big Data Analytics) and NuoDB (Scalable SQL database). Lars also holds several US patents.

View or download flyer for event:

Download the printable PDF.

About the VLAB Founders’ Series
Founders’ Series events provide a unique opportunity for startups and technologists to take part in an interactive session. Come prepared with your burning questions!
If you would like to have the rare opportunity to take the “Hot Seat” on stage to receive feedback from the speakers, please be sure to enter your question in the field below. Startup founders selected for the “Hot Seat” will be notified in advance.
For all other questions, please contact founders.series@vlab.org.
Note: Founder's Series tickets are for startup founders and are subject to approval. Please allow 24-48 hours for final ticket confirmation.

Blockchain: Transforming the Future of Global Business
2016-03-15 18:00 - 20:30 | SRI International Conference Center, 333 Ravenswood Drive, Menlo Park, CA, 94025, United States
Blockchain
Transforming the Future of Global Business

Tuesday, March 15, 2016
6:00 pm to 8:30 pm
6:00 pm: Reception and networking
7:00 pm: Panel discussion (with Q&A)

We are on the verge a massive, global change, much like the early days of the Internet. Blockchain technology, extremely secure distributed ledgers, will soon displace legacy databases and their bloated infrastructure in dozens of industries from Wall Street to supply chain management. Secure, running records of verified transactions get chained together and replicated in nodes across blockchain networks. Blockchains will speed up the global economy by allowing companies to complete global transactions faster across borders while guaranteeing data integrity.
Physical, legal, and financial transactions are tied together in a Blockchain, a series of transactions recorded in a distributed ledger without the need for a centralized authority. The economic impact is enormous; Blockchains will account for trillions of dollars in transactions across key industries including healthcare, insurance, real estate, government, banking, and financial markets by 2020.

Is Blockchain all that it is cracked up to be?
Which companies stand to lose the most from Blockchain adoption?
Will Blockchain save businesses and consumers save billions of dollars by reducing losses from theft and fraud?

Moderator

Naveed Sherwani, President & CEO, PeerNova

Panelists

David Aho, Co-Founder, Chronicled
Zaki Manian, Founder, Skuchain
John Wolpert, Global Blockchain Offering Director, IBM
W. Bradford Stephens, Co-Founder & Managing Partner, Blockchain Capital

Demo Pavillion

SkuchainNetworks • IBM • Chronicled • PeerNova • Hedgy • Tendermint • Blockseer • ManifoldTechnology • Ledger • BitSE

SRI International Conference Center
333 Ravenswood Drive
Menlo Park, CA 94025

Founders Series: Overcoming Barriers to Entry
2016-02-24 18:00 | San Francisco, CA
Founders' Series

Overcoming Barriers to Entry

Wednesday, February 24, 20166:00 pm to 8:30 pm6:00 pm: Reception and networking7:00 pm: Fireside Chat

San Francisco(Address will be sent to registered attendees.)

Join special guest Anne DeGheest, Managing Partner at HealthTech Capital, and moderator Lisa Suennen, Managing Partner of Venture Valkyrie, for an exclusive event open to founders of startups only. In established industries barriers to entry may be high, making it difficult for new entrants to gain traction. Anne and Lisa have funded and guided startups in the healthcare space, an industry filled with barriers including government regulations, extensive research costs, and established players. Attendees of this event will get advice on how to navigate industries with high barriers to entry and discuss business models that create barriers for other entrants.

Speaker

Anne DeGheest
Anne pioneered the HealthTech or Digital Health space as an entrepreneur, angel investor, corporate advisor and mentor capitalist. The companies she has founded and advised have created new market categories and have grown to over $6 billion in market capitalization. As an advisor to large corporations and entrepreneurs, Anne’s experience dates back to 1986, when she founded MedStars Ventures Partners. In 2010, she founded HealthTech Capital, a new ecosystem between private angel investors, venture capitalists and industry to fund and mentor new “HealthTech” companies that empower patients and decrease healthcare cost.

About the VLAB Founders’ Series
Founders’ Series events provide a unique opportunity for startups and technologists to take part in an interactive session. Come prepared with your burning questions!
If you would like to have the rare opportunity to take the “Hot Seat” on stage to receive feedback from the speakers, please be sure to enter your question in the field below. Startup founders selected for the “Hot Seat” will be notified in advance.
For all other questions, please contact founders.series@vlab.org.
Note: Founder's Series tickets are for startup founders and are subject to approval. Please allow 24-48 hours for final ticket confirmation.

Smart Buildings: Silicon Valley Delivers Data-Driven Office Space
2016-02-16 18:00 - 20:30 | SRI International Conference Center, 333 Ravenswood Drive, Menlo Park, CA, 94025, United States
Smart Buildings
Silicon Valley Delivers Data-Driven Office Space

Tuesday, February 16, 2016
6:00 pm to 8:30 pm
6:00 pm: Reception and networking
7:00 pm: Panel discussion (with Q&A)

Silicon Valley is driving how corporations operate and manage their commercial real estate more effectively using automation to make buildings smarter. As companies like Google, Apple, Facebook, and LinkedIn expand their campuses, and small companies continue to grow, their need to accommodate employees increases. Smart Building technology using the Internet of Things and data analytics is allowing these companies to design and operate intelligent work environments that allow occupants as well as property managers to work more efficiently and minimize operation costs.
Innovators in corporate real estate and building automation are working alongside Silicon Valley’s entrepreneurs vying for a position in a market that is expected to grow by $200B by 2020.

How will the rise of these data-driven, intelligent buildings change the occupant experience?
What data is being collected and put to use?
What will change in building management?
How many jobs will be affected?

Moderator

Jim Young, Co-Founder & CEO, Realcomm

Panelists

Andrew Krioukov, Co-Founder & CEO, Building Robotics
Vladi Shunturov, Co-Founder & President, Lucid Design Group
Barry Coflan, Senior VP & CTO, EcoBuilding Division, Schneider Electric
Q Motiwala, Managing Director, Draper Nexus

Demo Pavillion

Daintree Networks • Luxul Technology Inc • Amp Technologies • Paqet Systems • Building Robotics • Lucid Design Group • Cold Machines • Telesense

SRI International Conference Center
333 Ravenswood Drive
Menlo Park, CA 94025

Young Entrepreneurs with Big Ideas
2016-01-26 18:00 - 20:30 | SRI International Conference Center, 333 Ravenswood Drive, Menlo Park, CA, 94025, United States
Young Entrepreneurs with Big Ideas

Tuesday, January 26, 2016
6:00 pm to 8:30 pm
6:00 pm: Reception and networking
7:00 pm: Panel discussion (with Q&A)

Millennials, the first generation of digital natives, have big ideas. They are spreading their wings, turning their ideas into reality, and changing the world. While many have already built successful, publicly-traded companies with valuations in the billions, there are many more young entrepreneurs, under 30, who are just now taking flight.
The panelists for this event are on the startup runway, catching investors’ eyes. And venture capitalists believe these four founders have what it takes, investing over $101M in them collectively since 2013. Don’t miss your opportunity to hear their stories — the AHAs, the OMGs, and what they’ve learned along the way.

What inspired our panelists to get started?
Who backed them?
How did they get funding?

Special Door Prize: One lucky attendee will win a full pass to Startup Grind’s Global Conference, February 23-24 in Redwood City.

Moderator

Adam Draper, Founder & Chief, Boost VC

Panelists

Anne Wootton, Co-Founder, Pop Up Archive
Pelu Tran, President, CCO and Co-Founder, Augmedix
Stanley Tang, Co-Founder, DoorDash
Dylan Field, Founder and Thiel Fellow, Figma

SRI International Conference Center
333 Ravenswood Drive
Menlo Park, CA 94025

Monetizing Mobile Deep Linking: Who is Really Controlling the User?
2015-11-17 18:00 - 20:30 | Stanford GSB: Cemex Auditorium at the Knight Management Center, 655 Knight Way, Stanford, CA, 94305, United States
Monetizing Mobile Deep Linking
Who is Really Controlling the User?

Tuesday, November 17, 2015
6:00 pm to 8:30 pm
6:00 pm: Reception and networking
7:00 pm: Panel discussion (with Q&A)

Many of us have experienced mobile deep linking, the ability to link to a specific page inside an app, without even realizing it. Google Maps, Uber, AirBnB, and Yelp redirect users to other apps that provide information like maps, reservations, and events that may be interesting. Deep linking provides the ability to deliver the exact information users need across apps with a single tap on the screen while marketers can gain valuable insights about the customer journey. Startups are innovating, using this technology for more effective mobile marketing and greater ROI.
While only 28 percent of the top 200 apps are currently using deep linking, the potential for growth is enormous. The app market’s worth is expected to reach $7.7 billion by 2017. Mobile deep linking will enable companies to be more effective by providing new marketplaces, contextual information, and valuable analytics to drive business.

How is mobile deep linking currently affecting commerce?
Will apps developers be able to capitalize on the new SDKs/APIs?
Will mobile deep linking be the game-changer that opens the door for the next Google or Apple?

Moderator

Ethan Smith, VP of Growth, Yummly

Panelists

Alex Austin, CEO and Founder, Branch Metrics
Mike Dudas, CRO and Founder, Button
Rosa Wu, Lead Product Manager for App Search, Google
Ben Narasin, Partner, Canvas Ventures

Cemex Auditorium
at the Knight Management Center
Stanford Graduate School of Business
655 Knight Way
Stanford, CA 94025

Drone Swarms: The Buzz of the Future
2015-10-15 18:00 - 20:30 | Stanford GSB: Cemex Auditorium at the Knight Management Center, 655 Knight Way, Stanford, CA, 94305, United States
Drone Swarms
The Buzz of the Future

Thursday, October 15, 2015
6:00 pm to 8:30 pm
6:00 pm: Reception and networking
7:00 pm: Panel discussion (with Q&A)

Imagine ubiquitous, intelligent robots collectively performing complex tasks. By combining intricate algorithms, defined rules, and continuous sensor data, swarm behavior can emerge. Entrepreneurs are using this collaborative intelligence to develop applications for drone swarms in the air, on land, and by sea. Watch out, Drone Swarms are coming!
Startups are developing applications for shipping, security, search and rescue, environmental monitoring, and agriculture to name a few. Industry experts predict the creation of more than 100,000 new jobs in the U.S. alone. With the market potential estimated at over $82 billion for airborne drones, venture capitalists and corporations are flocking to invest.

What types of new jobs will be created?
Will government regulation limit the potential applications for drone swarms?
Which application will emerge the fastest?

Moderator

Timothy Chung, Assistant Professor, Systems Engineering, Naval Postgraduate School

Panelists

James Gosling, ‎Chief Software Architect, Liquid Robotics
William Santana Li, Chairman and CEO , Knightscope, Inc.
Corey Ippolito, Research Scientist, NASA
Jonathan Downey, Founder and CEO, Airware Commercial Drone Fund

Cemex Auditorium
at the Knight Management Center
Stanford Graduate School of Business
655 Knight Way
Stanford, CA 94025

AgTech: Sand Hill Bets on Precision Agriculture
2015-09-15 18:00 - 20:30 | Stanford GSB: Cemex Auditorium at the Knight Management Center, 655 Knight Way, Stanford, CA, 94305, United States
AgTech
Sand Hill Bets on Precision Agriculture

Tuesday, September 15, 2015
6:00 pm to 8:30 pm
6:00 pm: Reception and networking
7:00 pm: Panel discussion (with Q&A)

Agriculture is now one of the hottest high-tech sectors.
With Precision Agriculture, farmers can collect timely data about their crops at the plant level to optimize how they cultivate each plant and possibly affect each fruit. Data-driven precision is replacing massive mechanization. Startups with advanced automation and control components, farm management software, remote sensing and monitoring, robots and drones, offer solutions that improve efficiency and increase yields, while making better use of land resources.
A $3 trillion industry, Agriculture was until recently largely ignored by venture capitalists. Now Khosla, Kleiner Perkins and others are aggressively targeting the agricultural value chain. According to AgFunder, agriculture technology raised a total of $2.36 billion in 2014. The industry took on $1.04 billion in Q1 2015 alone.

Will technology make agriculture more sustainable?
Will the small organic farmers be able to compete?
Will Precision Agriculture allow California to maintain its leading position in high-value crops such as almonds and grapes in spite of water shortages?

Moderator

Rob Leclerc, CEO, AgFunder

Panelists

Lance Donny, Founder and CEO, OnFarm Systems
Jorge Heraud, CEO, Blue River Technology
Brook Porter, Partner, Kleiner Perkins
Ron Zink, Director, On-Board Applications, John Deere

Cemex Auditorium
at the Knight Management Center
Stanford Graduate School of Business
655 Knight Way
Stanford, CA 94025

Affective Computing: The Power of Emotion Analytics
2015-05-21 18:00 - 20:30 | Stanford GSB: Cemex Auditorium at the Knight Management Center, 655 Knight Way, Stanford, CA, 94305, United States
Affective Computing
The Power of Emotion Analytics

Thursday, May 21, 2015
6:00 pm to 8:30 pm
6:00 pm: Reception and networking
7:00 pm: Panel discussion (with Q&A)

Affective Computing — technology that knows how you feel, can now read human emotion in real time. By combining sensor technology, big data and machine intelligence, Emotion Analytics engines will engage consumers more effectively, propelling a new Emotion Economy.
This controversial development will affect all areas of industry from advertising and market research to consumer products. Facial expressions and even the spoken word can be observed and analyzed in real time to detect physical response to stimuli, identify emotion and transform measurable results into actionable insights. Companies using Affective Computing will create a whole new level of brand and product experiences for users, disrupting the $32B Consumer Market Research industry.

How will Affective Computing allow companies to influence your day-to-day behavior?
Will people sacrifice emotional privacy for affective computing enabled enriched experiences?
Can built-in affective computing agents be used to upsell consumers?

Moderator

Zavain Dar, Senior Associate, Lux Capital

Panelists

Yuval Mor, Co-founder and CEO, Beyond Verbal
Rana el Kaliouby, Co-founder and Chief Strategy & Science Officer, Affectiva
Ken Denman, President and CEO, Emotient
Mary Czerwinski, Research Manager, Microsoft Research

Demo Pavillion

Beyond Verbal • Affectiva • Emotient • Gestigon • Eyeris • SAILORS-Stanford AI Lab

Cemex Auditorium
at the Knight Management Center
Stanford Graduate School of Business
655 Knight Way
Stanford, CA 94025

Founders Series: Consumer Based Marketplaces
2015-05-06 17:30 - 20:00 | San Francisco, CA
Founders' Series

Consumer Based Marketplaces
Mentorship from Jeff Jordan,Partner, Andreessen Horowitz

Wednesday, May 6, 20155:30 pm to 8:00 pm5:30 pm: Reception and networking6:30 pm: Fireside Chat

San Francisco(Address will be sent to registered attendees.)

Jeff Jordan is a pioneer in transforming traditional marketplaces to e-commerce consumer based marketplaces and expanding business through product innovation. Join VLAB Founder Series, Wednesday, May 6th, for an evening with Jeff Jordan, partner at Andreessen Horowitz, and gain insights that you can apply to your own startup. The discussion will be moderated by Michael Copeland, Partner at Andreessen Horowitz.
With Jeff’s experience as an executive and VC, he will share his insights on:

Product innovation and implementation in online marketplaces
Economically empowering users through “People marketplaces”
Targeting previously un-addressable markets through new media technologies
The importance of taking risk to be disruptive

Join us at our next VLAB Founders Series event to connect with other startup founders and gain personalized feedback from Jeff Jordan about the opportunities for change in our daily consumption and commercial activities.

Speaker

Jeff Jordan
Jeff serves on the board of Airbnb, Belly, Crowdtilt, Instacart, Pinterest, Walker & Company, and 500px. Jeff also oversees A16Z’s investments in Fanatics, Julep, and zulily.
Jeff was chief executive officer and executive chair of OpenTable. Before Open Table, Jeff was president of PayPal, making them the global standard for online payments. Earlier, as senior vice president and general manager of eBay North America, he drove the successful acquisitions of PayPal and Half.com. Before eBay, Jeff was chief financial officer of Hollywood Entertainment and president of Reel.com. Jeff holds an M.B.A. from the Stanford University Graduate School of Business, where he serves on the Advisory Counsel.

This is event is sponsored by

About the VLAB Founders’ Series
Founders’ Series events provide a unique opportunity for startups and technologists to take part in an interactive session. Come prepared with your burning questions!
If you would like to have the rare opportunity to take the “Hot Seat” on stage to receive feedback from the speakers, please be sure to enter your question in the field below. Startup founders selected for the “Hot Seat” will be notified in advance.
For all other questions, please contact founders.series@vlab.org.
Note: Founder's Series tickets are for startup founders and are subject to approval. Please allow 24-48 hours for final ticket confirmation.

Fintech: Silicon Valley Takes On Wall Street
2015-04-21 18:00 - 20:30 | Stanford GSB: Cemex Auditorium at the Knight Management Center, 655 Knight Way, Stanford, CA, 94305, United States
Fintech
Silicon Valley Takes On Wall Street

Tuesday, April 21, 2015
6:00 pm to 8:30 pm
6:00 pm: Reception and networking
7:00 pm: Panel discussion (with Q&A)

Finance is no longer a game restricted to the professionals.
Today’s lean, data-driven startups are moving financial services from Wall Street to Main Street. Using artificial intelligence and scalable web platforms, they are leveraging operational efficiencies to drive new business models.
Changes to the regulatory environment following the financial crisis now make it possible for new entrants to offer financial services targeted to Millennials and the middle-class. Fintech startups are poised to disrupt this massive multi-trillion dollar market.
Will Silicon Valley startups succeed at revolutionizing Wall-Street or will they be squashed by the massive power, deep pockets and Capitol Hill connections of centuries-old financial behemoths?

Moderator

Nick Shalek, Partner, Ribbit Capital

Panelists

Baiju Prafulkumar Bhatt, Co-Founder, Robinhood
Libor Michalek, CTO, Affirm
Jillian Manus, General Partner, Structure Capital
Jake Fuentes, CEO, Level Money, acquired by Capital One

Cemex Auditorium
at the Knight Management Center
Stanford Graduate School of Business
655 Knight Way
Stanford, CA 94025

The Enterprise Strikes Back: Disrupting Vendor Clouds
2015-03-17 18:00 - 20:30 | Stanford GSB: Cemex Auditorium at the Knight Management Center, 655 Knight Way, Stanford, CA, 94305, United States
The Enterprise Strikes Back
Disrupting Vendor Clouds

Tuesday, March 17, 2015
6:00 pm to 8:30 pm
6:00 pm: Reception and networking
7:00 pm: Panel discussion (with Q&A)

OpenStack is democratizing the data center. Up until now, only very large Internet players like Google, Facebook, Amazon, and Apple could afford custom-built data centers that gave them a competitive edge. With OpenStack, the Compute, Network, and Storage pillars of today’s data center are being commoditized, allowing companies of all sizes to build or buy the infrastructure they need.
As a free and open-source cloud computing software platform, OpenStack enables data center infrastructure as a service (IaaS). With competition driving prices down, startups and entrenched players are in a race to bring the power of the cloud to the Enterprise.
According to 451 Research, the OpenStack market will quadruple over the next four years to reach $3.3 billion by 2018. Dominant players like AWS are being challenged by companies that are gaining traction through interoperable infrastructure, services, and cloud management tools..

Who will guarantee interoperability among vendors?
How will business models evolve for Open Source private clouds?
Will service providers continue to grab the lion’s share of the revenues?

Moderator

Peter Christy, Research Director, 451 Research

Panelists

Joe Arnold, President and Chief Product Officer, SwiftStack
Chris C. Kemp, Founder and Chief Strategy Officer, Nebula
Alex Freedland, Co-Founder and Chairman, Mirantis
Simone Brunozzi, Vice President and Chief Technologist, Hybrid Cloud at VMware
Jacques Benkoski, Partner, US Ventures Partners

Demo Pavillion

SwiftStack • Nebula • 451 Research • Red Hat • SuperMicro • PLUMgrid • OpenStack.org • SF Bay OpenStack

Cemex Auditorium
at the Knight Management Center
Stanford Graduate School of Business
655 Knight Way
Stanford, CA 94025

Founders Series: The Art of Relationship Building
2015-03-12 18:00 - 20:30 | CA
Founders' Series

The Art of Relationship Building
An Evening with Heidi Roizen

Thursday, March 12, 20156:00 pm to 8:30 pm6:00 pm: Reception and networking7:00 pm: Fireside Chat

San Francisco(Address will be sent to registered attendees.)

Relationships are fundamental to every successful startup.
Approaching business interactions with a relational perspective, rather than a transactional one, lays the groundwork for long-term success.
If you are a startup founder, join us on Thursday March 12th, for an evening with Heidi Roizen, Operating Partner at Draper Fisher Jurvetson, and hear from a Silicon Valley icon with deep experience.
Heidi will share her insights on:

Building relationships, not just a Rolodex
Re-thinking the art of negotiation
Maintaining your cool under adversity
How ethics sets the tone

Don’t miss out on this unique opportunity to connect with other startup founders and receive personalized mentorship from Heidi Roizen. Learn what it takes to build successful and meaningful relationships for your entrepreneurial venture.

Speaker

Heidi Roizen
Heidi, a Stanford University Graduate School Alumni, and renowned Silicon Valley VC, is also a successful entrepreneur and former CEO of T/Maker (an early personal computer software company). She was the former VP of World Wide Developer Relations at Apple, and in addition to being a key decision-maker at DFJ, Heidi also teaches classes on Entrepreneurship at Stanford University.
Heidi serves on the board of DMGT (LSE: DMGT), ShareThis, Mode Media, and Technorati, and is on the advisory board of Springboard Enterprises and the National Center for Women in Information Technology.

Moderator

Hank Barry
Hank Barry is co-chair of Sidley Austin’s Emerging Companies and Venture Capital practice group and a co-founder of the firm’s Palo Alto office. Hank’s previous roles include managing director at Hummer Winblad Venture Partners and CEO and a Board member of Napster, Inc. Hank represents Amazon.com Inc. and other companies in digital media matters, as well as technology startups and venture capital firms.

About the VLAB Founders’ Series
Founders’ Series events provide a unique opportunity for startups and technologists to take part in an interactive session. Come prepared with your burning questions!
If you would like to have the rare opportunity to take the “Hot Seat” on stage to receive feedback from the speakers, please be sure to enter your question in the field below. Startup founders selected for the “Hot Seat” will be notified in advance.
For all other questions, please contact founders.series@vlab.org.
Note: Founder's Series tickets are for startup founders and are subject to approval. Please allow 24-48 hours for final ticket confirmation.

Gut-Feeling: Ventures into the Microbiome
2015-02-17 18:00 - 20:30 | Stanford GSB: Cemex Auditorium at the Knight Management Center, 655 Knight Way, Stanford, CA, 94305, United States
Gut-Feeling
Ventures into the Microbiome

Tuesday, February 17, 2015
6:00 pm to 8:30 pm
6:00 pm: Reception and networking
7:00 pm: Panel discussion (with Q&A)

Is Bacteria Analytics the Key to Personalized Medicine?
Bacteria are no longer the enemy. Scientists and entrepreneurs have entered a race to develop tools and datasets that uncover the role microbes play in human health.
The human body contains a complex environment of bacteria that live on the skin, and in the mouth and gut — the microbiome. Genetic information in the microbiome outnumbers genetic information in human cells by 40:1
Advances in DNA sequencing and big data allow us to analyze bacteria like never before. Companies that focus on the microbiome could transform multi-billion dollar concerns like weight loss ($60B), probiotics ($30B), cosmetics, dental health, and even chronic diseases like diabetes.

Will microbiome analysis change modern medicine?
How are entrepreneurs involved?
Is the money in sequencing, analytics, or drug development?

Moderator

Mark Bünger, Sr. Research Director, Lux Research

Panelists

Colleen Cutcliffe, Ph.D., Co-founder & CEO, Whole Biome
Karim Dabbagh, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer, Second Genome
Jackie Papkoff, Ph.D., Vice President, Johnson & Johnson Innovation
Douglas Crawford, Ph.D., Managing Director, Mission Bay Capital, Associate Director, QB3

Demo Pavillion

AOBiome • Nubiome • Stanford Relman Lab • PacBio

Cemex Auditorium
at the Knight Management Center
Stanford Graduate School of Business
655 Knight Way
Stanford, CA 94025

Young Women Entrepreneurs Under 30
2015-01-20 18:00 - 20:30 | Stanford GSB: Cemex Auditorium at the Knight Management Center, 655 Knight Way, Stanford, CA, 94305, United States
Young Women Entrepreneurs Under 30

Tuesday, January 20, 2015
6:00 pm to 8:30 pm
6:00 pm: Reception and networking
7:00 pm: Panel discussion (with Q&A)

VLAB’s annual Young Entrepreneurs Event hosts a panel of women founders under 30.
These extraordinary visionaries are impacting businesses, changing the perception of women.
They will share their stories about building products, leading teams, raising capital, and bouncing back from every setback.
Beyond gender, beyond their words, beyond the products and even beyond their visions and teams, we connect with their passion.
Join us in January 2015 as we hear their drive to leave this world a better place; to show upcoming generations of women that they, too, can succeed. The question was never “why?” or “why not?” – it has always been, “how?”

Moderator

Fran Maier, Founder, TRUSTe

Panelists

Brienne Ghafourifar, Co-Founder, Entefy
Lisa Falzone, CEO, Revel
Alex Meliones, Co-Founder & Chief Creative and Marketing, BitWall
Nanxi Liu, Co-Founder and CEO, Enplug
Yunha Kim, Co-Founder and CEO, Locket

Cemex Auditorium
at the Knight Management Center
Stanford Graduate School of Business
655 Knight Way
Stanford, CA 94025

Human Augmentation: Blurring the Line Between Biology & Technology
2014-11-20 18:00 - 20:30 | Stanford GSB: Cemex Auditorium at the Knight Management Center, 655 Knight Way, Stanford, CA, 94305, United States
Human Augmentation
Blurring the Line Between Biology & Technology

Thursday, November 20, 2014
6:00 pm to 8:30 pm
6:00 pm: Reception and networking
7:00 pm: Panel discussion (with Q&A)

The true age of the bionic man is upon us. Innovative new technologies are restoring and enhancing human sensory and motor functions like never before. Setting a new standard for quality of life and physiological enhancement, their creators enrich human capacities in ways only imagination could promise in the past.
Entrepreneurs and private investors are innovating with low cost materials, sensors, and computation, to quickly replace the clumsy solutions of the past.
What will the glasses, hearing aids, prosthetic, and wheelchairs of today look like in the near future? How will new ventures and entrepreneurs change the meaning of “disability”? What new industries will spawn to meet new customers demands?
Join us as we hear from entrepreneurs to discover how innovation blurs the lines between biology and technology, and explore the implications of what some call Human 2.0.

Moderator

Corinna E. Lathan, Ph.D., P.E., Founder and Chief Executive Officer, AnthroTronix

Panelists

Peter Hadrovic, President, Sonitus Technologies Inc
Nathaniel McCaffrey, Vice President of Engineering, Ekso Bionics
Shahin Farshchi, Partner, Lux Capital
Jeremy Crowell, Director of Central Fabrication, Hosmer, a Fillauer company

Demo Pavillion

Ekso Bionics • Sonitus Medical • FIXED The Movie • VisionCare Opthalmic Technologies • Syn-Touch LLC • Two Six Industries • Emotiv

Cemex Auditorium
at the Knight Management Center
Stanford Graduate School of Business
655 Knight Way
Stanford, CA 94025

Big Data from Space: Actionable Intelligence on Earth
2014-10-22 18:00 - 20:30 | Stanford GSB: Cemex Auditorium at the Knight Management Center, 655 Knight Way, Stanford, CA, 94305, United States
Big Data from Space
Actionable Intelligence on Earth

Wednesday, October 22, 2014
6:00 pm to 8:30 pm
6:00 pm: Reception and networking
7:00 pm: Panel discussion (with Q&A)

Dramatic disruptions to Earth observation are being delivered by ambitious startups that are launching large fleets of small, interconnected satellites and developing cutting-edge analytics. The number of earth-gazing satellites has nearly doubled in 2014 alone. With views into daily global activity being refreshed at a faster rate than ever before, selling raw pixels and signals is not enough to satisfy industry demands. It is these startups that are changing how we use Big Data in business here on earth.
Responding to ever-expanding industry demands by delivering “near real-time” data and developing cutting-edge analytics at a lower cost, these startups are providing actionable insights for many industries. Finance, insurance, agriculture, forestry, fishing, mapping, manufacturing, shipping, mining, sustainable industries, and energy enterprises are using eyes and ears in the sky to make better decisions and improve operational efficiency with actionable data sent ultimately from space.
As funding moves rapidly from government to commercial, the global market for satellite-sourced intelligence is predicted to grow by over $5 billion by 2019. Venture capital firms such as DFJ Venture and Khosla Ventures are investing in innovative startups, with successful exits like the recent acquisitions of satellite operator Skybox Imaging by Google for $500 million and climatology Big Data analytics venture The Climate Corporation by Monsanto for nearly $1 billion.

Why are industry giants eager to consume data from the sky?
Which markets will be transformed using Big Data from Space?

Moderator

Amaresh Kollipara, Principal, Space Angels Network, and Managing Partner, Earth2Orbit

Panelists

Pavel Machalek, CEO, Spaceknow
Theresa Condor, Vice-President Sales & Business Development, Spire
Robbie Schingler, Co-Founder, President and COO, Planet Labs
Shay Har-Noy, Ph.D, Senior Director – Geo-spatial Big Data, DigitalGlobe
Julian Mann, Co-Founder and Vice-President Product Management, Skybox Imaging (acquired by Google)

Demo Pavillion

Mapbox • Spaceknow • DauriaGEO • UrtheCast • Alanax • Silicon Valley Space Center • SETI

Cemex Auditorium
at the Knight Management Center
Stanford Graduate School of Business
655 Knight Way
Stanford, CA 94025

Founders' Series: Building Durable Startups for Lasting Impact
2014-09-23 18:00 - 20:30 | Menlo Park, CA, Menlo Park, CA, United States
Founders' Series

Building Durable Startups for Lasting Impact
Office Hours with John Lilly
Moderated by Robert Scoble

Thursday, September 23, 20146:00 pm to 8:30 pm6:00 pm: Reception and networking7:00 pm: Fireside Chat

Menlo Park, CA(Address will be sent to registered attendees.)

Building a sustainable startup with lasting impact is not an easy endeavor. If you are a startup founder with a compelling vision of the future, join us on Tuesday, September 23rd, to receive mentorship from John Lilly, Partner at Greylock Partners. John, a renown Silicon Valley VC, is also a successful entrepreneur as former CEO of Mozilla, the organization behind Firefox, as well as the founding CEO and CTO of Reactivity (acquired by Cisco in 2007).
John focuses on the consumer internet market. He is Greylock’s investment lead in Dropbox and led their investments in Tumblr (acquired by Yahoo, 2013) and Instagram (acquired by Facebook, 2012). John is on the Board of Directors of MessageMe, Clearslide, Citrus Lane, and Code for America. John previously served on the boards of directors of TripIt (acquired by Concur, 2011) and CenterRun (acquired by Sun Microsystems, 2003). Hear John address:

Building your team
Successfully scaling your business
Distribution and network effects
Choosing your investors

Join us at our next VLAB Founders Series event to connect with other startup founders and gain personalized feedback form John Lilly and Robert Scoble. Learn what it take to build your durable, scalable and impactful company.

Speaker

John Lilly, Partner, Greylock Partners
Building a sustainable startup with lasting impact is not an easy endeavor. If you are a startup founder with a compelling vision of the future, join us on Tuesday, September 23rd, to receive mentorship from John Lilly, Partner at Greylock Partners. John, a renown Silicon Valley VC, is also a successful entrepreneur as former CEO of Mozilla, the organization behind Firefox, as well as the founding CEO and CTO of Reactivity (acquired by Cisco in 2007).
John focuses on the consumer internet market. He is Greylock’s investment lead in Dropbox and led their investments in Tumblr (acquired by Yahoo, 2013) and Instagram (acquired by Facebook, 2012). John is on the Board of Directors of MessageMe, Clearslide, Citrus Lane, and Code for America. John previously served on the boards of directors of TripIt (acquired by Concur, 2011) and CenterRun (acquired by Sun Microsystems, 2003).

Moderator

Robert Scoble, Rackspace
As Startup Liaison for Rackspace, Robert Scoble travels the world for Rackspace’s startup program, tracking the bleeding edge of technology. He’s a technology evangelist who has interviewed thousands of executives and innovators around the globe and has shared his insights and learnings with his millions of followers on YouTube, Twitter, Google+. He has also authored several technology books, and his latest is The Age of Context.

About the VLAB Founders’ Series
Founders’ Series events provide a unique opportunity for startups and technologists to take part in an interactive session. Come prepared with your burning questions!
If you would like to have the rare opportunity to take the “Hot Seat” on stage to receive feedback from the speakers, please be sure to enter your question in the field below. Startup founders selected for the “Hot Seat” will be notified in advance.
For all other questions, please contact founders.series@vlab.org.
Note: Founder's Series tickets are for startup founders and are subject to approval. Please allow 24-48 hours for final ticket confirmation.

Deep Learning: Intelligence from Big Data
2014-09-16 18:00 - 20:30 | Stanford GSB: Cemex Auditorium at the Knight Management Center, 655 Knight Way, Stanford, CA, 94305, United States
Deep Learning
Intelligence from Big Data

Tuesday, September 16, 2014
6:00 pm to 8:30 pm
6:00 pm: Reception and networking
7:00 pm: Panel discussion (with Q&A)

A machine learning approach inspired by the human brain, Deep Learning is taking many industries by storm. Empowered by the latest generation of commodity computing, Deep Learning begins to derive significant value from Big Data. It has already radically improved the computer’s ability to recognize speech and identify objects in images, two fundamental hallmarks of human intelligence.
Industry giants such as Google, Facebook, and Baidu have acquired most of the dominant players in this space to improve their product offerings. At the same time, startup entrepreneurs are creating a new paradigm, Intelligence as a Service, by providing APIs that democratize access to Deep Learning algorithms. Join us on September 16, 2014 to learn more about this exciting new technology and be introduced to some of the new application domains, the business models, and the key players in this emerging field.

Moderator

Steve Jurvetson, Partner, DFJ Ventures

Panelists

Adam Berenzweig, Co-founder and CTO, Clarifai
Naveen Rao, Co-founder and CEO, Nervana Systems
Elliot Turner, Founder and CEO, AlchemyAPI
Ilya Sutskever, Research Scientist, Google Brain

Demo Pavillion

Clarifai • SkyMind • Ersatz Labs • AlchemyAPI

Cemex Auditorium
at the Knight Management Center
Stanford Graduate School of Business
655 Knight Way
Stanford, CA 94025

Algorithm Alchemy: Turning Talent Search into Gold
2014-06-19 18:00 - 20:30 | Stanford GSB: Cemex Auditorium at the Knight Management Center, 655 Knight Way, Stanford, CA, 94305, United States
Algorithm Alchemy
Turning Talent Search into Gold

Thursday, June 19, 2014
6:00 pm to 8:30 pm
6:00 pm: Reception and networking
7:00 pm: Panel discussion (with Q&A)

Startups are turning the tables on recruiting with targeted prospecting algorithms. Applicant search is transformed into precise talent-matching through the collection and curation of data from numerous sources. The new platforms level the playing field, reshaping the interaction between job seekers, recruiters, and hiring managers.
There is a new gold rush in the global talent acquisition market! According to Bersin by Deloitte, the global talent acquisition market is now worth over $150B annually. While online job boards and aggregators continue to hold the largest slice of the pie, new entrants are poised to take away significant market share.
Join us on Thursday, June 19th to find out how today’s alchemists are exploring new frontiers in the job market, disrupting an industry that has become inefficient and unwieldy:

Will resumes and cover letters become obsolete?
Do the new tools threaten the work of today’s recruiters or augment their value?
Will behavioral assessment tools shift the perception of who is considered the most qualified candidate?
Will new marketplaces replace online job postings in an era of powerful employment matchmaking?

Moderator

Craig Driscoll, Talent Partner, Highland Capital

Panelists

Alex Dévé, Founder and CEO, Whitetruffle
Marc Hoag, Co-Founder and CEO, Venturocket & Crowd Vitae
Sheeroy Desai, Co-Founder and CEO, Gild
Dan Shapero, Vice President of Talent Solutions, Linkedin

Demo Pavillion

Readyforce • Venturocket • Whitetruffle • Gild • JobScore • Rewards.to • Loopd • HackerRank • Hired

Cemex Auditorium
at the Knight Management Center
Stanford Graduate School of Business
655 Knight Way
Stanford, CA 94025

Collaborative Robots: Living Amongst Us
2014-05-29 18:00 - 20:30 | Stanford GSB: Cemex Auditorium at the Knight Management Center, 655 Knight Way, Stanford, CA, 94305, United States
Collaborative Robots
Living Amongst Us

Thursday, May 29, 2014
6:00 pm to 8:30 pm
6:00 pm: Reception and networking
7:00 pm: Panel discussion (with Q&A)

We are now standing at the dawn of a new robotic era. Robots are learning to perform complex tasks and to interact with humans in boundless environments. Naturally, Silicon Valley entrepreneurs are at the center of this disruption.
Massive new markets are opening up. A new generation of innovative robotic platforms is emerging with human cadence and more adaptable automation solutions. According to TechNavio, the global service robotics market is expected to grow at CARG (compound annual rate growth) of 20%. Industrial robots will reach $37 billion by 2018. The agricultural robots market is also expected to reach $16.3 billion by 2020, 20 times its current value.
Groups including the Open Source Robotics Foundation are carving the building blocks of a Robot 2.0 revolution, creating open platforms that dramatically shrink the cost of new robot development – much like how LAMP stacks supercharged Web 2.0 and created a wave of internet startups including Google and Facebook.

Will these robots facilitate the predicted re-shoring or renaissance in US manufacturing?
And what will be the economic consequences of this new co-habitation?

Join us on Thursday, May 29th, 2014, as we hear from our panel of entrepreneurs and learn how powerful mobile processors and sensors as well as sophisticated AI technology are inspiring the development of a modern robot.

Moderator

Andra Keay, Managing Director, Silicon Valley Robotics

Panelists

Melonee Wise, CEO & Founder, Unbounded Robotics
Milan Shah, VP of Software Engineering, Rethink Robotics
John Dulchinos, Vice President of Automation, Jabil Circuits
Peter Hebert, Co-Founder, Lux Capital

Demo Pavillion

Aldebaran • Dash Robotics • OSRF (Open Source Robotics Foundation) • Otherlab • Precise Automation • Revolve Robotics • Tempo Automation

Cemex Auditorium
at the Knight Management Center
Stanford Graduate School of Business
655 Knight Way
Stanford, CA 94025

Founders Series: The Perfect Pitch - Connecting with Investors
2014-05-13 18:00 - 20:30 | CA
Founders' Series

The Perfect Pitch
Connecting with Investors
Office Hours with Bill Reichert, Managing Director, Garage Technology VenturesModerated by James Beriker, President and CEO, Simply Hired

Tuesday, May 13, 20146:00 pm to 8:30 pm6:00 pm: Reception and networking7:00 pm: Fireside Chat

Silicon Valley(Address will be sent to registered attendees.)

Are you a startup founder pitching your idea to investors? Join us on on Tuesday, May 13th as our featured luminary, Bill Reichert, Managing Director at Garage Technology Partners, shares valuable insights into the venture capital investment process.
Key topics will include:

Communicating the essence of your company and how to get investors on board with your vision
Developing a compelling pitch
Connecting with potential investors
Devising plausible growth plans, sales cycles, and market segmentation
Addressing risk with potential investors
Aspects of negotiating your Seed and Series A investments

Limited spaces are available for this exclusive event where you will have the opportunity to discuss your burning questions with Bill Reichert in a candid environment.

Speaker

Bill Reichert
Bill brings a wealth of experience as a successful serial entrepreneur and as Managing Director at Garage Technology Partners. Bill has been a member of the Board of Directors of MiaSole, CaseStack, WhiteHat Security, ClearFuels Technology, ThermoCeramix, cFares, and STEP Labs (acquired by Dolby Labs). Some of Garage’s earlier investments include Pandora Media (NYSE: P), Digital Fountain (acquired by Qualcomm), Coremetrics (acquired by IBM), iNest (acquired by LendingTree), Psionic (acquired by Cisco), LeftHand Networks (acquired by HP), Answers.com (NSDQ: ANSW), Hoku Scientific (NSDQ: HOKU), and Kaboodle (acquired by Hearst Corp). Prior to joining Garage in 1998, Bill co-founded Academic Systems, funded by Kleiner Perkins, Accel Partners, and Microsoft, and acquired by Plato Learning (NSDQ: TUTR). Earlier, Bill was a senior executive at venture-backed technology companies.
Garage Technology Ventures is a seed-stage and early-stage venture capital firm based in Los Altos, California. Garage makes focused investments in promising early-stage technology companies and works intensively with them to help them grow and succeed.

About the VLAB Founders’ Series
Founders’ Series events provide a unique opportunity for startups and technologists to take part in an interactive session. Come prepared with your burning questions!
If you would like to have the rare opportunity to take the “Hot Seat” on stage to receive feedback from the speakers, please be sure to enter your question in the field below. Startup founders selected for the “Hot Seat” will be notified in advance.
For all other questions, please contact founders.series@vlab.org.
Note: Founder's Series tickets are for startup founders and are subject to approval. Please allow 24-48 hours for final ticket confirmation.

Click to Fit: How Startups are Personalizing Fashion
2014-04-15 18:00 - 20:30 | Stanford GSB: Cemex Auditorium at the Knight Management Center, 655 Knight Way, Stanford, CA, 94305, United States
“Never go to the mall again,” is the mantra of startups who are setting their sights on disrupting the $200 billion dollar apparel industry.
Through new sourcing technologies and differentiated approaches to big data, next generation retail startups are providing a personalized fashion experience that is scalable and accessible through the click of a button.
What has conventionally been the most subjective of all retail verticals is now being mastered by entrepreneurs with this new data centric approach. Consumers far from Rodeo Drive or Savile Row can now experience personalized fashion that is reflective of their style and custom tailored to fit to their body, shape and size.
Questions to be addressed by our panel include:

How will our shopping experiences change based on this new revolution of mass personalization?
Can a personalization company for the mass market also be efficient, accurate, and scalable?
Can inventory risk be mitigated with this new model of retailing?
With investments in apparel ecommerce declining, how are investors perceiving this new wave of personalization in apparel?

Join us on Tuesday, April 15th, as we discover how retail startups are redefining our pre-existing notion of commerce.

Moderator

Janie Yu, Vice President, Fung Capital

Panelists

Katrina Lake, Founder and CEO, Stitch Fix
Michael Zhang, Co-Founder, Trumaker
Sean Moran, CEO and President, Reflektion
Rob Holloway, Founder and CEO, Zafu (Former President, Levi’s US)

Demo Pavillion

ShoeFitr • PersonalShopping • Dapper • Vastrm • Tulemod

Ambient IQ: Intelligence Anywhere and Everywhere
2014-03-18 18:00 - 20:30 | Stanford GSB: Cemex Auditorium at the Knight Management Center, 655 Knight Way, Stanford, CA, 94305, United States
Ambient IQ: Intelligence Anywhere and Everywhere **VIDEO AVAILABLE**
Event summary here.

Ambient IQ: Intelligence Anywhere and Everywhere Tonight! Tuesday, March 18, 2014Tickets will be available at the door. LOCATION:Stanford Graduate School of BusinessKnight Management Ctr – Cemex Auditorium, Zambrano Hall641 Knight WayStanford, CA 6:00pm – 7:00pm: Registration & Reception7:00pm – 8:30pm: Event Program Ambient data, collected through sensor networks and mobile devices, is transforming our physical environment into a ubiquitous experience which is personalized, context-aware, and responsive to the presence of people and vice versa. With Google’s recent acquisition of smart thermostat maker, Nest, for $3.2B dollars, and the integration of Apple’s CarPlay into the automotive industry, we will see the potential for new platforms to emerge as venture capital firms including Greylock, Highland Capital and Box group are investing nearly $468 million in automation startups. Companies from GE to Yahoo to Intel to Mobile Service Providers are seeking to be play a critical role in this business. Cisco estimates 50 billion networked devices by 2020. This network of devices is expected to help individuals carry out their day-to-day activities seamlessly and with greater efficiency. As we enter the era of the smart environment, what will it take for startups including Electric Imp and Automatic to succeed in this new, dynamic environment where the abundance of data creates both tremendous opportunities and challenges? Join us onTuesday, March 18th as we discover the possibilities and feature startups who are redesigning our everyday experiences. ModeratorBill Ferrell, Founder, Weld Inc. Panelists Hugo Fiennes, Co-Founder and CEO, Electric ImpThejo Kote, Co-Founder and CEO, AutomaticSavitha Srinivasan, Partner, IBM Venture Capital Group & Director, IBM Corporate StrategyJosh Elman, Partner, Greylock Partners

Where's the Beef? Startups Disrupting the Food Chain
2014-02-18 18:00 - 20:30 | Stanford GSB: Cemex Auditorium at the Knight Management Center, 655 Knight Way, Stanford, CA, 94305, United States
Where’s the Beef? Startups Disrupting the Food Chain **VIDEO AVAILABLE** Event summary available here.

Getting a taste for animal-free proteins of the future

Tuesday, February 18, 2014

LOCATION:
Stanford Graduate School of Business
Knight Management Ctr –
Cemex Auditorium, Zambrano Hall |
641 Knight Way
Stanford, CA
(Parking and Directions)

6:00 pm – Registration, Networking Reception & Demos
7:00 pm – Panel Discussion (Q&A)

** Advance Registration Closed – TICKETS AVAILABLE AT THE DOOR **
With recent advancements in tissue engineering and plant protein research, startups and food technologists are now engineering meat and other animal products to meet rising levels of global consumption.

– Will startups like Modern Meadow and Beyond Meat be able to capture a large chunk of the $6 trillion food industry?

– Will they revolutionize how we produce food?
– Will they reduce GHG emissions and our overall carbon footprint?
– What makes a food technology startup fundable?

Join us on Tuesday, February 18th to discover how innovations in the biotech industry are disrupting conventional methods of food production. Find out if these technologies will provide a more sustainable food supply, reduce our carbon footprint, and steer us away from our carnivorous habits.

Moderator

Stacy Feld, Partner at Physic Ventures

Panelists
Andras Forgacs, Founder and CEO, Modern Meadow
Ethan Brown, Founder and CEO, BeyondMeat

Ken Plasse, VP Business Development, Nutritionals, Solazyme

Rob Leclerc, Ph.D., CEO, AgFunder

Demo Companies
Six Food Insects | KuliKuli
| Soylent

** Early Bird Rate ends soon, Register today!

** Follow (@VLAB) on Twitter and Event Hashtag #VLABfood
