VLAB

Founders Series: The Perfect Pitch - Connecting with Investors
2014-05-13 18:00 - 20:30 (America/Los_Angeles) | 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

Young Entrepreneurs: Under 30 and On Fire
2014-01-21 18:00 - 20:30 | Stanford GSB: Cemex Auditorium at the Knight Management Center, 655 Knight Way, Stanford, CA, 94305, United States
Young Entrepreneurs: Under 30 and On Fire **VIDEO AVAILABLE** Event summary available here.

Stanford University
LOCATION:
Cemex Auditorium | Stanford University
655 Knight Way
Stanford, CA
Tuesday, January 21, 2014
6:00 pm – 7:00PM Registration & Reception
7:00 pm – 8:30PM Panel Discussion including Q&A Session

**ONLINE REGISTRATION IS CLOSED. TICKETS AVAILABLE AT THE DOOR**
Follow (@VLAB) on Twitter and Event Hashtag #VLABGenY

VLAB is back with one of the most anticipated events of the year: Young Entrepreneurs – Under 30 and On Fire. We are tapping into the minds of some of the most successful innovators under 30 in the heart of Silicon Valley. They are doing it all: raising money, leading talented teams and steering their vision forward.

Five young entrepreneurs, all under the age of 30 will share their stories as they inspire us with the power of their ideas and their relentless passion to execute.

Moderated by Adam Draper, CEO and Founder of Boost Incubator, our panel will feature:
Michael Carter, CEO at Game Closure, raised $12M to tackle the hardest problems in mobile gaming and is recognized by W3C for his initial design of the HTML5 WebSocket real-time technology that is used in all modern web browsers

Melody McCloskey, CEO at StyleSeat, a woman entrepreneur recognized in 2010 by Business Insider as a Silicon Valley 100

James Tamplin, CEO & Co-Founder at Firebase, a co-founder of a realtime application platform that allows developers to synchronize data instantaneously
Lat Ware, Founder at Crooked Tree Studios, a game developer who successfully launched a game with telekinesis like powers on Kickstarter
Marcus Weller, Ph.D., CEO & Chairman of Skully Helmets, the CEO of a heads-up display motorcycle helmet which won the coveted DEMO God award at their 2013 launch
To see highlights of last year’s event, click on the following link and join us on Jan. 21st.
Five distinguished panelists, one moderator. No theory; real execution and real results. Don’t miss it! See you there!

Self-Driving Vehicles
2013-11-21 18:00 - 20:30 | Stanford GSB: Cemex Auditorium at the Knight Management Center, 655 Knight Way, Stanford, CA, 94305, United States
Self-Driving Vehicles ***VIDEO AVAILABLE***
New inroads bring driverless cars to market. Event summary available here.

LOCATION & SCHEDULE:

Stanford University

Cemex Auditorium,
655 Knight Way, Stanford, CA 94305-7298

Parking Information
Parking Structure VII, 655 Knight Way off Campus Drive (located under Faculty Building West @ Knight Management Center)

5:30 pm – 6:15PM Pre-event Appearance: Google Self-Driving Car
6:00 pm – 7:00PM Registration & Reception

7:00 pm – 8:30PM Panel Discussion including Q&A Session

**ONLINE REGISTRATION IS CLOSED. TICKETS AVAILABLE AT THE DOOR**

Follow (@VLAB) on Twitter and Event Hashtag #VLABauto

Advances in sensor technologies, robotics, and vehicle-to-vehicle communications are now converging to (finally) make driverless cars a reality.

Sales of driverless vehicles are expected to surpass 95.4 million by 2035, representing 75% of all light-duty vehicle sales according to an August 2013 report by Navigant Research. Unfathomable? Think again!

This radical shift in transportation is driving the old, established auto industry to a new frontier. Opportunities abound for leveraging technology and innovation to get driverless cars to market. These include connected cars, cars initially used for slower speed driving, networks of alternative fleets, traditional automakers, and even autonomous expertise from other industries.

When self-driving, autonomous vehicles replace the ones we have today, it will impact an existing ecosystem of stakeholders from automobile manufacturers to dealers, servicers, insurers and car-for-hire providers. Those who remain complacent in the face of such disruptive change may find themselves left behind.

When will today’s passenger vehicles become the dinosaurs of tomorrow? Why will this happening in the near future instead of in 10+ years?

Which technologies and customer needs have triggered the disruption in transportation? (Environment, Congestion, Safety, Rising costs of fuel?)

Which business models are the most viable? What approach will garner the most funding to propel it forward?

How will companies generate the most demand and traction for their route-to-market?

Join VLAB and our panelists on Thursday, November 21st for a lively discussion on the reality and future potential for autonomous cars.

PANELISTS

Thilo Koslowski, Vice President & Automotive Practice Leader, Gartner
Josh Switkes, Ph.D., Founder and CEO, Peloton Technology Inc.

Corey Clothier, President and COO, Induct Technologies USA
Marteen Sierhuis, Director, Nissan Research Center – Silicon Valley
Luca Delgrossi, Director, Driver Assistance & Chasis Systems NA, Mercedes-Benz R&D North America
Sven Strohband, Partner and CTO, Khosla Ventures

Special Appearance by Google Self-Driving Car
Time: Thursday, November 21st – 5:30-6:15PM

Please join us for the chance to speak with a Google operations driver and have an up close and personal opportunity to check out one of their self-driving cars equipped with video cameras, radar sensors and a laser range finder to “see” other traffic.

Special thanks to our sponsor, Panasonic Automotive Systems Company of America, for their support of this upcoming event. Panasonic Automotive Systems is the premier provider of innovative, environmentally responsible in-vehicle electrical systems and devices.

Founders' Series: Office Hours with Carl Showalter, from Opus Capital
2013-10-24 18:00 - 20:30 | Mountain View, CA, Mountain View, CA, United States
Office Hours with Carl Showalter, from Opus Capital
Exclusive Event for Startup Founders & Technologists

Moderated by Bill Schreiber, Partner at Fenwick & West
Thursday, October 24, 2013
LOCATION: Mountain View, exact location TBA

6:00 pm – Registration & Reception
7:00 – 8:30pm – Event Program
This is an exclusive event for startup founders and technologists.
Are you a startup founder or an innovator at a tech company with burning questions looking to get some great advice on your venture or idea from an industry luminary in enterprise infrastructure, big data, SaaS and the Internet of Things? Join us at our next VLAB Founders Series event on Thursday, October 24th featuring Carl Showalter, General Partner at Opus Capital.
Please apply to attend the October 24th Founders Series event here !
Please apply by 12 PM Tuesday, October 22 for an invitation to attend this event.
About Carl Showalter
Carl Showalter brings a wealth of experience in the areas of the Internet of Things, network virtualization, next generation wireless, and data center/cloud infrastructure software. His investment portfolio includes many exciting startups including Panzura, SpiderCloud Wireless, Arraynet and Vertascale. Before joining Opus as a founding General Partner, Carl was a General Partner with Lightspeed Venture Partners. Prior to this, Carl served as Vice President of Marketing at Juniper Networks. Before Juniper, Carl was Vice President of Dial and Broadband Services for UUNET, overseeing the 300-person, $1B revenue division. He also held various sales and management positions at ANS, an AOL company, where he helped build AOL’s modem access network and then helped launch hardware-based firewalls and IP VPNs in the mid 1990′s.
Opus Capital is an early stage, IT-focused venture fund that invests in startups focused on building big businesses leveraging trends around the cloud, mobility and big data.

About VLAB Founders Series
Founders Series events provide a unique opportunity for early stage startups and technologists to take part in an interactive “office hours” style session, so come prepared with your burning questions! Several startup founders are invited to take the “Hot Seat” on stage, where they each have the opportunity to ask Carl questions and receive feedback, specifically about their startup idea, execution, or positioning.

Application process for the Founders Series event with Carl Showalter:

Apply here to the Founders Series event (application is brief and painless…we promise!)
Purchase a ticket. You will receive an email with a link where you can register for the event by purchasing a ticket (Early Bird price: $25, Regular price: $35).
Event location notification. Once you have purchased a ticket, you will receive an email with event location 48 hours prior to event.
Hot Seat finalists. If you have requested to be a “Hot Seat” candidate, semi-finalists will be notified no later than 24 hours prior to the event date. All Hot Seat semi-finalists will be requested to have a brief discussion with VLAB Founders Series Chair/Co-Chair prior to event. Final selection will be announced at event.

Apply early for the best chance at an invitation!

For all other questions, please contact founders.series@vlab.org

Privacy Startups
2013-10-15 18:00 - 20:30 | Stanford University: Vidalakis Dining Hall, 680 Serra Street, Stanford, CA, United States
Privacy Startups ***VIDEO AVAILABLE***
Can entrepreneurs protect your privacy online? Event summary available here.

Tuesday, October 15, 2013

LOCATION:
Stanford University

Vidalakis Dining Hall | Schwab Residential Center (
Directions
)
680 Serra Street

Stanford, CA

6:00 pm – Registration & Reception
7:00 pm – Panel Discussion including Q&A Session
Online registrations are now closed. Tickets will be available for purchase at the venue.
Follow (@VLAB) on Twitter and Event Hashtag #VLABprivacy

Everyone is mining your data.

In the next minute, Google will receive over 2 million search queries, Facebook users will share nearly 1 million updates, and over 200 million emails will be sent. Large scale data-mining and analytics have enabled data brokers, like Acxiom, Datalogix, and Epsilon, to build detailed profiles on you and over 700 million other consumers.

According to the Wall Street Journal, privacy concerns are shaking up the $120B online advertising business, and the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF) reports that the lack of trust in U.S. networks may cost us between $22 to $35 billion dollars.

As the loss of privacy in the digital age becomes more rampant, entrepreneurs are fighting back – securing your data, protecting your web traffic, and encrypting your communications. Will they succeed, or do we live in the age where privacy is forever lost? Join us on Tuesday, October 15th to find out.

Moderator

Seth Rosenblatt, Senior Writer, CNET

Panelists
Casey Oppenheim, Co-Founder, Disconnect.me

Nico Sell, Co-Founder & CEO, Wickr
Jack Yang, Associate General Counsel – Global Privacy Office and Enterprise Risk, VISA

Jacques Benkoski, Partner, US Venture Partners

Phil Zimmermann, Creator, PGP, and Co-Founder, Silent Circle

Aerospace: The Overlooked Customer for Your Startup
2013-09-24 18:00 - 20:30 | Jen-Hsun Huang Engineering Center, MacKenzie Room, 475 Via Ortega, 3rd Floor, Stanford, CA, 94305, United States
Event summary available here.

Aerospace: The Overlooked Customer for Your Startup
Tuesday, September 24, 2013
Location:

Stanford University
Jen-Hsun Huang Engineering Center, MacKenzie Room
475 Via Ortega,
3rd Floor
Stanford, CA 94305
Parking Directions

There will be a catered reception before the start of the event.

6:00 pm – Registration & Reception
7:00 pm – Panel Discussion
ONLINE REGISTRATION CLOSED
**TICKETS AVAILABLE AT THE DOOR**
Follow (@VLAB) on Twitter and Event Hashtag #VLABsi
Do you consider yourself an aerospace innovator? If not, think again. In this new economy of agile and rapid global innovation, cutting edge developments in both consumer and enterprise focused markets can make significant contributions to aerospace, yet many entrepreneurs are unaware of their technology’s potential in the aviation market.
Aerospace companies are creating new business models and forming partnerships to tap the potential of mainstream business models for the aerospace market. Come join a panel of aerospace-leading thinkers and learn how those that defy gravity are also defying traditional thinking on opportunities, partnerships, and innovation.
This event is sponsored by Sikorsky Innovations, the research and development organization of Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation. Sikorsky Innovations hosts an Entrepreneurial Challenge to identify and accelerate the development of emerging, transformational business solutions across all markets that can be applied to specialized aerospace and rotorcraft markets.
For additional details about the 4th Annual Entreprenerial Challenge hosted by Sikorsky Innovations, please click on the following link. Applications are due by November 1st, 2013.

Moderator:
Amaresh Kollipara, Founder and Managing Partner at Earth2Orbit and Principal at Space Angels Network

Panelists:
Jonathan Hartman, Disruptive Technologies Lead at Sikorsky Innovations

Adam McKenzie, Founder and CTO at Rescale

JoeBen Bevirt, Founder at Joby Aviation

Education Technology Tsunami: Common Core Disrupts K-12
2013-09-17 18:00 - 2013-09-21 20:30 | Stanford GSB: Cemex Auditorium at the Knight Management Center, 655 Knight Way, Stanford, CA, 94305, United States
Education Technology **VIDEO AVAILABLE**
Education Technology Tsunami: Common Core Disrupts K-12. Event summary available here.

Tuesday, September 17, 2013
LOCATION:
Stanford University
Cemex Auditorium, Zambrano Hall | Knight Management Center
641 Knight Way
Stanford, CA
(Parking and Directions)

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

A massive wave of change is transforming education as personalized, data-driven, digital learning programs storm into K-12 classrooms. The Common Core, adopted by 45 US states, imposes learning and testing which adapts to a student’s ability in real time. This may be the greatest driver ever of opportunity for EdTech entrepreneurs. Companies are innovating with new technologies, data platforms and tools to conform to the Common Core. Opportunities abound in curriculum design, testing and assessment tools.

Based on research by GSV Asset Management and Candlestick Research, the 2013 US education industry at large is nearly $1.5 trillion, representing 10% of America’s GDP, the largest category after healthcare. Education technology spending alone is predicted to hit $60 billion by 2018. California’s governor has allocated $1.25 billion in the next two years just to transition to Common Core technologies.
·How can entrepreneurs best leverage this historic business opportunity?
·What are the most effective go-to-market strategies in creating a sustainable business model?
·Which companies are successfully integrating Common Core into their products and services?
·How can companies develop successful partnerships with key stakeholders, including parents, students, teachers and administrators, all of whom are trying to make best use of all these new technologies?
·How can entrepreneurs help unleash data, create new curriculums, and train teachers all the while inspiring students to achieve higher levels of learning?

According to leading education investor, Tom Vander Ark, Partner and Founder of Learn Capital: “It’s exciting to see 45 states voluntarily adopting common college and career ready expectations for students — it makes the U.S. globally competitive, is embraced by teachers, and is unleashing an avalanche of innovation.”

Moderator

Tina Barseghian, Editor, Mindshift, and Senior Editor, KQED

Panelists
Mick Hewitt, CEO & Co-Founder, Mastery Connect
Lane Rankin, CEO & President, Illuminate Education
Scott Drossos,

Senior Vice President 1:1 Learning, Pearson North America
Karen Lien
, Director and Partner, ImagineK12
David Reilly, Assistant Superintendent, Sequoia Union High School District

Demo Companies
Agnitus | Bloomboard | Duck Duck Moose | Front Row Classroom | Motion Math | Pathbrite

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

VLAB Open House: Season Kickoff Event 2013-14
2013-08-27 18:30 - 20:00 | Palo Alto, CA
VLAB Open House, Season Kickoff Event 2013/14
Join us at the VLAB Open House

When:
6:30 PM – 8:00 PM, Tuesday, August 27, 2013

Location:
Palo Alto, CA

Event is Sold Out. N
o tickets are available at the door, please no walk-ins.

You’re cordially invited to come kick off the 2013-14 VLAB program year and find your place in an event committee, functional team, or both! Join VLAB’s Executive Leadership for an evening of food, drinks, networking, and compelling discussion about what you can get out of being an active member of the VLAB Volunteer Community. This year’s event will be held in Palo Alto.

VLAB has continued to thrive for the past 23 years in large part because of its vibrant volunteer community, made up of people just like you. With a passion for entrepreneurism and connecting ideas, technology and people, you provide the spark that helps maintain the high caliber of VLAB events and our reputation as a nexus of Actionable Discovery. Our 2013-14 Program Year Kickoff Party is the perfect chance to reconnect and decide where you’re going to get the greatest benefit by speaking with our Executive Committee chairs, event chairs, and each other. Let’s discover together what VLAB can become this year.

Looking for the next official VLAB Monthly event? Join us for

September’s EdTech Tsunami!

Virtual Currencies: Gold Rush or Fools' Gold
2013-06-18 18:00 - 20:30 | Munger Bldg 4, Paul Berst Hall, 555 Salvatierra Walk, Stanford, CA, United States
Virtual Currencies: Gold Rush or Fools’ Gold ***VIDEO AVAILABLE***

When

Tuesday, June 18, 2013
6:00 – 7:00pm Networking and Refreshments
7:00 – 8:30pm Panel Discussion and Q&A

Where

Munger Bldg 4, Paul Brest Hall,
555 Salvatierra Walk, Stanford Univ
Parking Address:
Parking Structure 6, 560 Wilbur Way
Please allow some extra time for parking; availability may be tight due to increased event activity at Stanford.
Directions to Munger Conference Center

Tickets will be available at the door!

Introduction

Susan Athey, Professor of Economics,
Stanford Graduate School of Business

Moderator
Kashmir Hill, Senior Online Editor, Forbes Panelists
Fred Ehrsam, Co-founder, Coinbase
Chris Larsen, CEO and Co-Founder, OpenCoin, the company developing the Ripple protocol

Wendy Cheung, Director of Compliance and BSA Officer,
Silicon Valley Bank
Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss, Principals,

Winklevoss Capital

Event Description

What if currency wasn’t something that exchanged hands physically, but moved instantaneously between networks, countries, and continents? What if it wasn’t regulated by a government, system of banks, or any entity at all? And, what if it was completely open source?This disruption of what we view as currency isn’t just theory, it is already a $1.5 billion dollar movement. Leading the charge is Bitcoin. Launched in 2009, Bitcoin moved to decentralize currency in a big way by leveraging cryptography (instead of government authority) to digitally coin and transfer money. Users can choose to use the currency veiled in anonymity while steadily gaining ground as a valuable, peer-to-peer currency.
With over 11M bitcoins in circulation, the virtual currency is gaining significant traction. Thousands of companies and online retailers, and as many as 140 non-profits currently accept payment in bitcoins. The market value of a single bitcoin was as low as pennies at the outset, has risen as high as $266 and now hovers in the $100-120 range.
The emergence of an alternative currency has had a domino effect. As more people “mine” (create) new bitcoins, more retailers and organizations scramble to adopt the infrastructure to accept this new form of payment. Non-profits have also been early adopters and virtual currencies have provided new ways to fund and extend their work.
The spike in consumer interest has also lead to new currency exchange systems like Mt. Gox—the current most popular online exchange, and Ripple–an emerging platform that calls itself the world’s first open transaction network to facilitate exchanges between all kinds of currencies, including Bitcoin. And the rise of Bitcoin has also spurred new similar virtual currencies such as Litecoin. The interest has not gone unnoticed by VC’s. Andreessen Horowitz recently completed an angel round for an undisclosed amount to fund OpenCoin, the developer of Ripple.
This fascinating area is also fraught with its own concerns. The characteristic potential anonymity of Bitcoin has led to virtually untraceable funding of illicit activities. The government, which has been slow to recognize virtual currencies, is starting to take notice considering the booming growth of this largely untaxed, unregulated currency.
Whether you are bitcoiner yourself or are brand new to virtual currencies, join a panel of experts on June 18th 2013, to learn about the past and future potential of virtual currencies.

VLAB and OPEN, Founders Pitch Fest
2013-06-08 08:00 - 16:00 | Santa Clara Convention Center, 5001 Great America Parkway, Santa Clara, CA, 95054, United States
VLAB and OPEN, Founders Pitch Fest
Where: Santa Clara Convention Center
When: Saturday, June 8th, 2013
Register: http://bit.ly/15nPJSx
Submission Deadlines:
Business Pitch/Presentation submission deadline: 6/06/13
Qualified entrepreneurs to be contacted: Upon receipt of the pitch
VLAB and OPEN Silicon Valley will host an all day pitch fest, pairing entrepreneurs with industry veterans or investors for targeted feedback on their pitch. The best pitches discovered throughout the day will be presented to a panel of executive and investor judges.
Founders pursuing opportunities in Consumer Web, Mobile, Life Sciences, Healthcare, Social Entrepreneurship and others will benefit tremendously from this opportunity to learn, network, share and be inspired! Motivated startup founders are encouraged to apply.
The qualities/attributes we are looking for in Founder applicants include, but are not limited to:

Tech professional who has utilized his or her experience to start a venture
Open to potential investment, mentorship, new knowledge and inspiration
Has a viable problem / solution fit, viable market potential or another unique qualification in addressing the problem that he or she is pursuing
May have met milestones such as product prototype or initial product release, customer traction, or building the team.
Has an idea with high-growth potential and could go on to raise capital
Has a collaborative mindset in working with other founders

Format
Your submission should consist of a 1 Page Executive Summary and/or 5 slides and present the following information:

Business Idea and what unmet need it solves
Target market, potential of the market and your competition
Business model – margins, scalability of solution
What you need to execute on your idea (your funding requirement)
Why us, why now – brief bios of team members, track records

For questions or to submit your pitches email LaunchPad@opensiliconvalley.org

Founders' Series: Apply to Startup Office Hours with Bob Borchers of Opus Capital
2013-05-29 18:00 - 20:30 | Menlo Park, CA, Menlo Park, CA, United States
Apply to Startup Office Hours with Bob Borchers of Opus Capital
A Founders’ Series program
When:
May 29, 2013
6:00pm – 7:00pm: Networking / Refreshments
7:00pm – 8:30pm: Interactive Office Hours Program

Where:
Menlo Park, CA

This event is exclusively for startup founders.

Please apply by 11 p.m. on May 28 for an invitation to the May 29th program: http://goo.gl/3kRWi

VLAB Founders’ Series is proud to announce this month’s featured expert, mobile and consumer marketing veteran Bob Borchers, Partner at Opus Capital. Bob is focused on investments in mobile applications and services as well as adjacent opportunities in hardware and software. Prior to joining Opus Capital, Bob was part of the original iPhone team at Apple and was instrumental in the development, launch and global expansion of the revolutionary iPhone, iPhone OS, App Store and iPhone 3GS. Before Apple, he pioneered mobility solutions at FusionOne and spent six years at Nokia where he co-founded the Vertu business.

The Founder’s Series event is a great opportunity to learn from the featured expert and to network with other founders.

Several lucky founders will be selected for a turn on the “hot seat,” where each will have will have six minutes of direct interaction with Bob, to ask questions and receive direct feedback, specifically about their startup idea, execution, or positioning. All founders in attendance will benefit from hearing the questions, responses, and overall insight provided by the featured expert. Questions and answers are requested to be kept confidential as a courtesy to founders whose startups are in stealth mode. Thus, the event is not a venue for exposure for startups, so promotional/marketing materials are not permitted and pitching is not allowed. Hot Seat participation is optional, and we encourage all founders to apply even those not interested in being on the Hot Seat.

If you are invited, register by purchasing a ticket and await an email that will provide event night details, including time, location and parking specifics. “Hot seat” semi-finalists will be notified 24 hours prior to event date and the final selection will be announced at event.
Apply early for the best chance at an invitation.

Please apply here by May 28 for an invitation to the May 29 program: http://goo.gl/3kRWi

Once invited, registration requires a nominal fee.

For all other questions, please contact founders.series@vlab.org

Collaborative Consumption
2013-05-21 18:00 - 20:30 | Oberndorf Event Center, Stanford, CA, 94305, United States
Collaborative Consumption

When

Tuesday, May 21, 2013
6:00 – 7:30pm Networking and Refreshments
7:30 – 9:00pm Panel Discussion and Q&A

Where

Oberndorf Event Center at Knight Management Center, Stanford (Parking and Directions)

Tickets available at the door!

Event Description

A new economic model is emerging as the millennials are thinking smart about ways to make money on everything they own. As the “sharing economy” proliferates, p2p and point-to-point luxury cars are being used by the minute and sophisticated car owners are earning cash for their cars while at work. Instead of paying retail prices for top fashion, folks are using online platforms to choose and swap with others. Vacationers are staying at personal townhouses, mansions and even pitching tents in people’s gardens while homeowners turn a profit on their assets.Time and space limitations, uneasy economic times and increasing sustainability and community values have triggered a shift in behavior, a new business philosophy. While “sharing” has been around for some time, mobile applications, advances in payment technologies and connected social networks are putting in place an infrastructure that supports trust and accessibility for community sharing – pushing this movement to a whole new level.
The impact is in the numbers. Car-sharing revenue is expected to reach over $3B by 2016 and peer-to-peer rentals are expected to expand to become a $26B industry. Perhaps most telling is $110B–the estimated total market for the sharing economy over the next few years. This market is emerging and expanding at a rapid pace.

· What made Airbnb such a commodity, will this work for others startups and in which verticals?
· How do the changes in auto sharing impact auto manufacturing?

· How do insurance models work in the “sharing economy”?
· What barriers are inhibiting this movement to scale?
· Should you trust just anybody with your home, car, dress or power saw?
· What is the regulatory environment like around this movement?

You can learn more about this fascinating topic by joining VLAB on May 21st 2013 for a lively discussion exploring reality and future potential for collaborative consumption. Meet a panel of experts including entrepreneurs who are driving the new, sharing economy.Moderator:
Kanyi Maqubela, Venture Partner, Collaborative Fund

Panelists:
Andre Haddad, CEO, Relay Rides
Andy Ruben, Co-Founder, yerdle
Ronny Conway, Partner, Andreessen Horowitz
Peter Dempster, Advanced Technologies Engineer – Energy Topics, BMW Group

Founders' Series: Apply to Startup Office Hours with Vinod Khosla, Khosla Ventures
2013-04-30 18:00 - 20:30 | Mountain View, CA, Mountain View, CA, United States
Apply to Startup Office Hours with Vinod Khosla, Khosla Ventures
A Founders’ Series program
When:
April 30, 2013
6:00pm – 7:00pm: Networking / Refreshments
7:00pm – 8:30pm: Interactive Office Hours Program

Where:
Mountain View, CA

Vinod Khosla grew up dreaming of being an entrepreneur, despite growing up in an Indian Army household with no business or technology connections. After moving to the Silicon Valley, Khosla started the standards-based Sun Microsystems in 1982 to build workstations for software developers. Through the years at KPC&B, Khosla took on Intel’s monopoly with Nexgen/AMD (the only microprocessor to have significant success against Intel, sold to AMD for 28 percent of AMD), incubated the idea and business plan for Juniper to take on Cisco’s dominance of the router market, formulated the very early advertising-based search strategy for Excite, and transformed the moribund telecommunications business and its archaic SONET implementations with Cerent (sold to Cisco for $7B). Khosla, now at Khosla Ventures, has a passion for nascent technologies that can have a beneficial effect and economic impact on society. His greatest passion is being a mentor to entrepreneurs, helping them build technology-based businesses.

VLAB Founder’s Series hosts leading visionary expert mentors who have brought unique innovations, special entrepreneurial characteristics, and sometimes even, the emergence of entire industries to Silicon Valley, and furthermore, the world. These mentors have made significant impacts on the spirit of entrepreneurialism and have a strong interest in seeding the next generation of life changing developments.

Founder’s Series is held once a month where approximately 80 founders of solid early stage startups are selected to take part in a collaborative “office hours” style session. Several startup founders are selected for the “hot seat,” where they each have six minutes to ask questions of the featured expert and receive feedback, specifically about their startup. All founders in attendance will hear the questions, responses, and overall insight from the featured mentor.

This event is exclusively for startup founders. Several founders will be given the opportunity to be on the“hot seat”– a chance to interact directly with Vinod to get direct feedback about your startup idea, execution, or positioning.

Please apply here for an invitation: http://goo.gl/3kRWi

Final application deadline is Saturday April 27 for event date Tuesday April 30. However, the event is expected to reach capacity, so please apply early.

Please allow 2-3 days for invitation requests to be processed. Once invited, registration requires a nominal fee.

For all other questions, please contact founders.series@vlab.org

The Future of Diagnostics: Consumer Driven Medicine
2013-04-16 18:00 - 21:30 | Munger Bldg 4, Paul Berst Hall, 555 Salvatierra Walk, Stanford, CA, United States
The Future of Diagnostics: Consumer Driven Medicine ***Video Available***

When

Tuesday, April 16, 2013
6:00 – 7:00pm Networking and Refreshments
7:00 – 8:30pm Panel Discussion and Q&A

Where

Munger Bldg 4, Paul Berst Hall,
555 Salvatierra Walk, Stanford Univ
Parking Address:
Parking Structure 6, 560 Wilbur Way
Directions to Munger Conference Center

Online sales are closed.
Remaining tickets will be available at the door on a first come, first serve basis.

Event Description

What if the first step diagnosing your health was done by you, in your home, at your convenience? What if you could leverage new technology to see your fertility cycles, determine whether you have the flu or just a cold, monitor a chronic condition, or update your eyeglass prescription?
Point-of-consumer diagnostics is a rapidly expanding field that uses advanced sensing technologies, wireless monitoring, smartphones, big data, and affordable point-of-care biochemical processes to put diagnostic tools directly in the hands of the patient. Driven by the convergence of these technologies and healthcare cost pressures, a new direct-to-consumer healthcare market is emerging, in which we actively take ownership of our health by demanding new technology that empowers us and mitigates healthcare costs.
According to a report published by BCC Research in January 2012, the point-of-care diagnostic space reached $13.4B in 2010 and is estimated to grow to over $16.0B in 2016, leveraging the one billion smartphones already in use globally.
New venture opportunities for direct-to-consumer diagnostics are vast, yet challenges remain as entrepreneurs push the bounds of existing regulations, seek capital at the unmapped crossroads of high-tech and medicine, and identify the keys to monetization and market entry. Join us to learn more about how entrepreneurs are disrupting the medical infrastructure to put your health in your hands.
Moderator:
Daniel Kraft, M.D., Executive Director, FutureMed, Faculty Chair of Medicine, Singularity University
Panelists:
Walter De Brouwer, CEO of SCANADU
Dr. David Albert, Founder and Chief Medical Officer at AliveCor
Anne DeGheest, HealthTech Capital, Managing Director and Founder

Founders' Series: Startup Office Hours with Andy Miller
2013-04-10 18:00 - 20:30 | Palo Alto, CA
Startup Office Hours with Andy Miller
A Founders’ Series program
When:
April 10, 2013
6:00pm – 7:00pm: Networking / Refreshments
7:00pm – 8:30pm: Interactive Office Hours Program

Where:
Palo Alto, CA

This event is exclusively for startup founders.

VLAB Founders’ Series presents an interactive event for startup founders, the Startup Office Hours with Andy Miller, a true pioneer in all things digital.

Andy is a serial entrepreneur turned venture capitalist turned startup leader, with a career spanning mobile, advertising, television, and consumer Internet. Andy founded, led, and then successfully sold a startup to Apple. After working directly with Steve Jobs, he then turned to venture capitalist as a Partner at Highland Capital Group. Andy is currently at Leap Motion, the motion-control software and hardware company that is changing the future of human/computer interaction.

Several founders will be given the opportunity to be on the “hot seat”– a chance to interact directly with Andy to get direct feedback about your startup idea, execution, or positioning. Other founders will be able to ask questions during the rapid-fire Lightning Round.

All will benefit from the questions and answers provided as the office hours are conducted on stage, in addition to the extraordinary opportunity of networking with the dozens of other founders in attendance.

Please apply here for an invitation: http://goo.gl/3kRWi

NOTE: All invitations have been sent and the event is now COMPLETELY FULL. Thank you for your interest

Please allow 2-3 days for invitation requests to be processed. Once invited, registration requires a nominal fee.
For all other questions, please contact founders.series@vlab.org

Drones: The Commercial Era Takes Off
2013-03-19 18:00 - 20:30 | Oberndorf Event Center, Stanford, CA, 94305, United States
Drones – The commercial era takes off ***VIDEO AVAILABLE***

When

Tuesday, March 19, 2013
6:00 – 7:00pm Networking and Refreshments
7:00 – 8:30pm Panel Discussion and Q&A

Where

Stanford University –
Oberndorf Event Center

Parking Info: Here
Tickets are currently SOLD OUT.
Follow us on Twitter (@VLAB) to get event day updates on ticket availability.

Event Description

Imagine delivering pizza by flying
drone. Impossible Dream or Innovative Business Plan?
Drones aren’t just coming soon, they are already here. While military
drone technology is a hot topic these days, commercial applications of
drone technology are poised to make a big impact across a number of diverse industries. The commercial implications are virtually endless –
drones can be used by journalists to record aerial video and photos, by law enforcement to see without putting officers at risk, by farmers to keep an eye on crops, or by civil organizations to inspect infrastructure for safety.

In the US, commercial applications of flying
drones are regulated by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The
drone commercial era will begin with the announcement of the FAA’s rules for integrating
drones into the National Air Space by 2015. Much like the 1889 Oklahoma Land Rush, an avalanche of disruptive commercial
drone applications and services is bound to emerge.

VLAB is excited to host a panel of innovative entrepreneurs and experts to discuss commercial
drone technology, its potential for the future, and implications on daily life. Join us in March for a robust discussion by a diverse set of panelist. Learn what your opportunities are as the commercial era of
drones takes off.

Panelists:

Moderator: Chris Anderson, CEO of 3D Robotics and founder of DIY Drone

Helen Greiner, CEO of CyPhyWorks

Zack Schildhorn, Lux Capital

Matthew Pobloske, Director Unmanned Aircraft Programs at BAE Systems

Jonathan Downey, CEO of Airware

Young Entrepreneurs: Gen Y Innovators Landing the Next Big Idea
2013-02-19 18:00 - 20:30 | Stanford Faculty Club, Stanford University, 439 Lagunita Drive, Stanford, CA, 94305, United States
Young Entrepreneurs: Gen Y Innovators landing the next Big Idea! *** VIDEO AVAILABLE ***

When

Tuesday, February 19, 2013
6:00 – 7:00pm Networking and Refreshments
7:00 – 8:30pm Panel Discussion and Q&A

Where

Stanford Faculty Club
439 Lagunita Drive, Stanford, CA 94305

Directions and Parking

Event Description

Each year VLAB sets out to tap the minds of the most innovative emerging young entrepreneurs. And while Gen X took to redefining online experiences such as search (Google, Yahoo) and ecommerce (Amazon, Ebay), a new generation of entrepreneurs is now coming into their own. The Millennials, as the Gen Y are called, are bold, adventurous and ready to re-envision the future that one app, wearable device, and social media share at a time. This year’s “Young Entrepreneurs” will feature startups with founders born in the 1980s and 1990s vying for an opportunity to create their own niche in Silicon Valley.

Although all of them younger than the age of 30, all are accomplished, confident, and incredibly collaborative. They are poised to impact the world, now, and in the years to come.Our panel of Young Entrepreneurs include:

Jonathan Cain
President, Thiel FoundationJonathan Cain is president of the Thiel Foundation, which promotes science and liberty across the globe. He is co-founder of the 20 Under 20 Thiel Fellowship, which identifies and supports young tech visionaries in fields as diverse as robotics, biotech, education, communications, and energy.

Eric Migicovsky
CEO and Founder
Pebble WatchSmart watch and crowdfunding wonder…his prototype of a sleek watch was initially turned down by 10+ Silicon Valley VC’s; yet, he raised a record $7.8M on Kickstarter in only 3 weeks.

Cameron Robertson
Founder of Apigy
Maker of LockitronRaised over $2.0M in crowdfunding for Lockitron after being rejected by Kickstarter.

Ernestine Fu
Social Entrepeneur
Venture Capitalist at Alsop LouieSocial Entrepreneur…featured on the cover of the Forbes Magazine’s All-Star Entrepreneur List August 2011. At the age of 19, she was hired as the youngest VC in the Valley.

Matt Mullenweg
Co-Founder of WordPress
Founder of Automattic
Founder and Principal of Audrey CapitalWith a staff of just over 100+ people, Matt Mullenweg, Co-Founder of WordPress and Founder of Automattic, is overseeing an organization that generates over $45.0M in revenue and powers more than 17.5% of sites on the web.

Join us as our dynamic panel of Millennial entrepreneurs share their personal start-up experiences and articulate what they envision the impact their generation will make.
Event Twitter Hashtag:
#VLABGenY

Programming Nature: Entrepreneurs Are Transforming Synthetic Biology into Real Dollars
2013-01-22 18:00 - 20:30 | Stanford GSB: Cemex Auditorium at the Knight Management Center, 655 Knight Way, Stanford, CA, 94305, United States
Programming Nature ***Video Available***
Entrepreneurs Are Transforming Synthetic Biology into Real Dollars

When:
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
6:00 – 7:00pm Networking and Refreshments
7:00 – 8:30pm Panel Discussion and Q&A

Where
Cemex Auditorium at Knight Management Center (Parking and Directions)
Event Description:

Synthetic biology was once-upon-a-time reserved for big pharma and the multimillion dollar chemical manufacturing industry. But today, startups and hackers in their garages and basements are using cloud based services and low cost labs, tools, and equipment to manipulate organisms to produce materials and products of economic value.
Startups like Lygos are altering the DNA of yeast and e-coli to produce nylon, polyester, and polypropylene for clothing. RefactoredMaterials is transforming proteins to create materials that mimic spider silk. All of this is possible because cloud-based services and low cost tools are enabling these companies to quickly and cheaply build and iterate through multiple DNA blueprints to discover the right formula to produce these materials.
Come to our event on January 22, 2013 at the Stanford Graduate School of Business to learn:

What are the tools and cloud services that enable synthetic biology for startups?
What are the keys to low cost innovation that will democratize synthetic biology and create profitable ventures?
How do movements like Biohacking and Biocurious help shape this new movement?
Can backyard biologists have the same impact that the homebrew computer clubs did in the 1980s?
Is there a Moore’s law equivalent for this space and what do investors see as the next big opportunities?

Join us to Learn More.

Moderator:

Megan Palmer, Deputy Director, Stanford University, Synthetic Biology Engineering Research Center (SynBERC)

Panelists:

Dan Widmaier, CEO, Refactored Materials
Nathan J. Hillson, Founder and Chief Scientific Officer, Teselagen
Warren Hogarth, Partner, Sequoia Capital
Sasha Kamb, Senior Vice President, Amgen

VLAB Innovation: "Out of the Labs" Holiday Party 3
2012-12-11 18:00 - 20:30 | nestGSV, 425 Broadway Street, Redwood City, CA, 94063, United States
VLAB Innovation – “Out of the Labs” Holiday Party
Innovate , celebrate, and discover – join us as we spend an evening with scientists from the Valley’s elite and new research labs.

When

Tuesday, December 11th, 2012
6:00pm – 6:30pm Registration
6:30pm – 8:30pm Main Event

Where

nestGSV
Redwood City Campus
425 Broadway St. Redwood City, CA 94063

Online registration is closed; tickets will be available at the door.

Event Description
Innovate , celebrate, and discover. Join us as we spend an evening with scientists from the Valley’s elite and new research labs. Come get an inside up-close view to the next wave of innovations on their way to commercialization. We’re looking forward to seeing you at the VLAB “Out of the Labs” innovation celebration.
Networking and discussions will be ongoing between 6:30 pm and 8:30 pm; opportunities to meet the labs will run throughout the entire evening. We anticipate that all labs will have their key scientists, business development and licensing experts on site.

Labs Confirmed include:

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) – Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) is one of the world’s premier applied science laboratories winning six awards in R&D Magazine’s 2012 R&D 100.

SRI – SRI , the birthplace of many innovations including Siri, mobile wireless, and robotic surgery will be attending and available for conversations about their prolific innovation and technology development.

SLAC – SLAC is celebrating its 50th year and its scientific mission has grown and diversified. Did you know 55 companies already use SLAC’s X-ray facilities for research aimed at developing medicines and other products? In addition to its original focus, SLAC researchers now also delve into alternative energy research, environmental sciences, biology, chemistry, and materials. Come speak with the scientists and team behind one of the world’s leading collaborative laboratories.

LBNL – Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, The Berkeley Lab is an incubator for ideas, innovations, and products that help society and explain how the universe works. The lab has a very active tech transfer office and a long list of available technologies. There are active initiatives in computational science, advanced networking, renewable energy (artificial photosynthesis), materials, climate change research, biology, chemistry, and physics.

Grid Energy Storage: Beyond Batteries
2012-11-13 18:00 - 20:30 | Stanford University: Frances C. Arrillaga Alumni Center, McCaw Hall, 326 Galvez Street, Stanford, CA, United States
Innovators with breakthrough technology finally meet the scale and efficiency requirements of grid level energy storage. For the first time last year, investment in renewable energy infrastructure was higher than in fossil fuel infrastructure. With grid-scale energy storage, intermittent sources of renewable energy, such as wind and solar, become viable for the grid. VLAB will examine the technology and economics to make this transformation possible.
The global market for energy storage services could be worth as much as $31.5 billion in 2017, according to Lux Research. Additionally, Pike Research forecasts that $122 billion will be invested in energy storage projects between 2011 and 2021.
Today, 99% of the global energy storage is pumped hydro, which is geographically constrained. Now entrepreneurs free us from this constraint with fundamentally new technology challenging conventional expectations of capacity, efficiency and product life.

Where are the best business opportunities for these start-ups — at green energy farms? on the grid? or at the consumer’s home or business?
What are key metrics to make this economically viable, without subsidies? Efficiency, life-time costs, Capex?
Will advances in traditional pumped hydro and compressed air prevail over battery/chemical technologies?
Which countries are leading in Energy Storage on/off the grid?
When will these new technologies become profitable?
How and when will US utility companies get on-board?

Join us to learn more.

Moderator

Eric Wesoff, Editor-in-Chief, Greentech Media

Panelists

Professor Jay Whitacre, Founder and Chief Technology Officer, Aquion Energy
Dr. Steve Crane, Co-Founder and CEO, LightSail Energy
Haresh Kamath, Strategic Program Manager, Energy Storage at EPRI (Electric Power Research Institute)
Abe Yokell, Partner, Rockport Capital

SPECIAL EVENT SPONSOR: Morgan Stanley
Morgan Stanley is a global financial services company that, through its subsidiaries and affiliates, provides its products and services to a range of clients and customers, including corporations, governments, financial institutions and individuals. The Company is a financial holding company. The Company operates in three segments: Institutional Securities, Global Wealth Management Group and Asset Management. The Company provides financial advisory and capital-raising services to corporate and institutional clients worldwide.
If you have any questions about partnering with Morgan Stanley, please contact Mike Lee at (650-496-3990) or mike.lee@ms.com

The Revolution of Software-Defined Networks
2012-10-16 18:00 - 20:30 | Stanford University: Li Ka Shing Center, 291 Campus Drive West, Stanford School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, 94305, United States
The Revolution of Software Defined Networks ***Video Available***
Video:

When:
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
6:00 – 7:00pm Networking and Refreshments
7:00 – 8:30pm Panel Discussion and Q&A
Where:
Stanford School of Medicine
Li Ka Shing Center, 2nd Floor Conference Center ** NOTE: change in location
291 Campus Drive, Stanford, CA
Driving Directions
Parking: Parking at Stanford is free in most places after 4 pm, but can be unpredictably busy. Allow extra time in your plans to find parking. Park only in “A”, “C”, or “Visitor” designated spots after 4pm. Prior to that, parking is by permit or payment only.
Event Description:

On July 23, 2012, VMware bought Nicira for $1.26B validating this revolution in Networking.Next week, Oracle acquired Xsigo. Just recently Cisco acquired vCider. Upstarts claim they will commoditize the expensive networking gear sold by the incumbents, with standards like Software Defined Networking (SDN), and OpenFlow (OF). Already, Google and Facebook deploy their own network hardware and software – and not the proprietary offerings of incumbent networking players. Many entrepreneurs are betting on SDN and OpenFlow. VLAB engages a robust discussion on SDN.

Are we ready for chasm crossing?
Is Cloud Computing driving SDN?
Who else is using SDN and why?
Is SDN a tectonic technology shift, or just a niche?
Will incumbents co-opt SDN with closed proprietary implementations?
Are we to have a win-win between users and vendors?
Where are the opportunities?

Join us to Learn More.

Moderator:

Matt Palmer, Partner at Wiretap Ventures, Partner and co-curator at SDN Central

Panelists:
Michael Beesley, Chief Technology Officer, Platform Systems Division at Juniper Networks

Kelly Herrell, Chief Executive Officer at Vyatta
Awais Nemat, Chief Executive Officer at PLUMgrid
Jake Flomenberg, Partner at Accel Partners

Gamify Everything: From Monetization to Social Benefit
2012-09-18 18:00 - 20:30 | Stanford GSB: Cemex Auditorium at the Knight Management Center, 655 Knight Way, Stanford, CA, 94305, United States
Gamify Everything – from Monetization to Social Benefit ***Video Available***

When:
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
6:00pm – 7:00pm: Networking and Refreshments
7:00pm – 8:30pm: Panel Discussion and Q&A
Where:
Cemex Auditorium at Knight Management Center (Parking and Directions)

Event Description:
In the 1964 classic Mary Poppins, the Bank’s children refuse to clean up the nursery, so what does Mary Poppins do… she turns the chore into a game of course! Companies across the globe are using this same approach to achieve customer loyalty, employee engagement, and even social benefit.
Humans are wired from birth to play games that are fun and engaging. Games provide motivation, ability, and trigger and feed our basic drive for self-accomplishment according to the Fogg Behavior Model.
We have already seen mobile, social, and simple online games entice hundreds of millions of people into the gaming world. Will the next wave of games incentivize us to accomplish goals outside of the fun of playing the game? Will gamification revolutionize customer engagement, alter the way we measure and motivate employees, or change the way we improve our health and educate our children?
Join us at the Stanford Graduate School of Business to Learn More.
Moderator:
Margaret Wallace, CEO and Co-Founder, Playmatics
Panelists:
Courtney Guertin, Co-Founder & CTO Kiip, Inc.
Rajat Paharia, Founder & Chief Product Officer of Bunchball
Amy Jo Kim, Founder & CEO of ShuffleBrain
Joshua Williams, Senior Software Design Engineer at Microsoft Corporation
Andrew Trader, Venture Partner at Maveron

Crowdfunding: Disrupting Traditional Funding Models
2012-06-19 18:00 - 20:30 | Stanford University: Li Ka Shing Center, 291 Campus Drive West, Stanford School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, 94305, United States
Crowdfunding: Disrupting Traditional Funding Models
Uncovering the opportunities and risks hidden behind Crowdfunding…
When: Tuesday, June 19, 2012

6:00 – 7:00pm Networking and Refreshments
7:00 – 8:30pm Panel Discussion and Q&A

Where:
Li Ka Shing Center
for Learning and Knowledge,
Stanford University

291 Campus Drive West

Stanford School of Medicine

Stanford, California 94305

Click Here for Parking Details

Event Description

Can your $1 contribution create a Big Business? YES, with crowdfunding.
$1.5 billion in 2011, crowdfunding is set to double this year [1]. Kickstarter and Indiegogo crowdfunded 60,000 projects: Half of the cash came as donations, while the other half came as an exchange for creative rewards or future product.
Now that the JOBS Act lets startups exchange Equity-for-Cash up to $1M per year, implementation will prove interesting. Crowdfunding has vined its way through informal social networking sites, and these continue to fuel the rapid growth of this new economic engine.

Will crowdfunding consume or complement existing capitalist models?
How will alternative funding models accelerate disruption?
Will it create massive opportunities for entrepreneurs and the economy overall?
What does it mean to give equity to individual consumers and what’s the impact on the company?
Will VC’s shy away from a Series A funding due to the startup’s early-stage crowdfunding?

[1] Crowdfunding Industry Report from Massolution study on crowdfunding platforms
Come join us as the panelists uncover the opportunities and risks hidden behind Crowdfunding!

Moderator
Carl Esposti, Founder at Crowdsourcing.org
Presenter
Slava Rubin, CEO & Co-Founder at Indiegogo
Panelists
Ryan Caldbeck, CEO, CircleUp
Daniel Zimmermann, Partner, WilmerHale
Don Ross, Managing Director/Founder and Board Member, HealthTech Capital and Sand Hill Angels

About 500 to 600 attendees at the event and only 1 hour of networking.
What are you going to do?

Event Networking

(
powered by Presdo Match
)

***
Special announcements and invitations are communicated through the private network***

Each of our VLAB events now features a topic-based event network for all event attendees, included with your ticket purchase. Your contact info is not-exposed and protected.

Opt-In ‘Yes’ during registration to connect with like-minded founders, investors, and thought leaders. Welcome email will be sent to you to setup your profile.

Founders' Series: Startup Office Hours With SoftTechVC's Jeff Clavier
2012-05-22 18:00 - 20:30 | Palo Alto, CA
Startup Office Hours With SoftTechVC’s Jeff Clavier
VLAB Founders’ Series
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Palo Alto, CA
6:00 – 7:00pm Registration / Networking
7:00 – 8:30pm Program and Office Hours

Founder of a startup?
Not in an incubator?
Have questions or need advice?…from an experienced Silicon Valley luminary like a startup founder who has had a successful exit, a high profile CEO or a VC?
VLAB is launching a new series of events exclusively for startup founders using an office hours format but with the added benefit of being on center-stage so that all founders in attendance will get to hear all of the questions, responses, and insights.
Several founders will be chosen for six minutes each on the“hot seat”— a chance to ask the featured expert burning questions about your startup – and get brutally honest feedback, immediately!
This event is for current startup founders only and has a registration fee of $35.
Registration is Closed.

Additional information available here
Questions? Please email founders.series@vlab.org

NoSQL & Big Data: Scaling the Enterprise into the New Age
2012-05-15 18:00 - 20:30 | Stanford GSB: Cemex Auditorium at the Knight Management Center, 655 Knight Way, Stanford, CA, 94305, United States
NoSQL & Big Data: Scaling the Enterprise into the New Age

When:
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
6:00 – 7:00pm Networking and Refreshments
7:00 – 8:30pm Panel Discussion and Q&A
Where:

Stanford Graduate School of Business
CEMEX Auditorium at Knight Management Center
641 Knight Way, Stanford, CA
Map: PDF Download
Parking: Parking at Stanford is free in most places after 4 pm, but can be unpredictably busy. Allow extra time in your plans to find parking. Park only in “A”, “C”, or “Visitor” designated spots after 4pm. Prior to that, parking is by permit or payment only.
Parking map and location coordinate information.

Event Description:

0 to 50 million users in 50 days? Disruptive scaling is painless with NoSQL.
Even enterprises have taken notice. They are using the same technology that propelled Google, Facebook and Amazon to massive success by analyzing petabytes of data from sensors, social media and commerce demographics. Imagine: If power companies had real-time analytics from all the log files in the grid to improve response time in emergencies. Or if the sales team had insightful analytics about trouble tickets or other call center issues… before they got an escalation from their customer’s executives.
Worth of this ‘Big Data’ market is projected to reach $53 billion in five years, and NoSQL is open-source. How can startups cash in, and how will incumbents respond?
Come join the discussion and learn about:

What new analysis and business disruption can NoSQL and related technologies unlock in the enterprise market?
Is there more value to be made higher up the stack in an analysis software?
How do companies build successful businesses with open source software?
Can startups provide the same level of professional services and support expected from an enterprise vendor?

Panelists:

Robert Scoble, Startup Liaison Officer at Rackspace Hosting
James Phillips, Director, Co-Founder & Sr. VP, Products at Couchbase
Max Schireson, President at 10gen, the company that develops and supports MongoDB
Doug Cutting, Chairman of the Board of Directors at Apache Software Foundation, Founder of Hadoop
Andrew Mendelsohn, SVP, Database Server Technologies, Oracle
Ravi Mohan, Managing Director, Shasta Ventures

3D Printing: Personalized Production for the Mass Market
2012-04-17 18:00 - 20:30 | Oberndorf Event Center, Stanford, CA, 94305, United States
3D Printing: Personalized Production for the Mass Market ***Video Available***

When

Tuesday, April 17, 2012

6:00 – 7:00pm Networking and Refreshments
7:00 – 8:30pm Panel Discussion and Q&A

Where

Stanford Graduate School of Business
Oberndorf Event Center, 3rd Floor, North Building
641 Knight Way, Stanford, CA
Map: PDF Download

Parking: Parking at Stanford is free in most places after 4 pm, but can be unpredictably busy. Allow extra time to find parking. Park only in “A”, “C”, or “Visitor” designated spots after 4pm. Prior to that, parking is by permit/payment only.
Parking map and location coordinate information.

Event Description

3D Printing is poised to become a part of our daily lives, allowing consumers to make things in a new era of mass customization. Once an expensive technology used by engineers, 3D printers today print car bodies, medical and dental prosthetics, high-fashion shoes and much more. Layer by layer, 3D printers deposit material to build up one-of-a-kind products, even with complex internal shapes.

Virtual marketplaces, cheaper printers and cloud-based consumer software are transforming the 3D Printing ecosystem, bringing the technology within the reach of everyone. With a current market size of $1.3 billion, the 3D printing industry is set to explode to $3.1 billion by 2016, according to industry consulting firm Wohlers Associates.

Join us and our industry leading panelists to understand business models and see the technology in action.
Some of the key questions we’ll explore include:

How are entrepreneurs using 3D printing to build profitable businesses?
Will the entrepreneurial opportunities be in designing, printing, materials, or tools?
Will consumers print at home or use cloud-based services?
Will 3D printing be a niche market or will it disrupt traditional manufacturing with personalized production?

ONLINE REGISTRATION IS CLOSED

Tickets will be available at the door.

Moderator:

Dale Dougherty, Co-Founder, O’Reilly Media; Editor & Publisher, MAKE Magazine

Panelists:

Peter Weijmarshausen, Founder & CEO, Shapeways
Rajeev Kulkarni, VP, General Manager, Consumer Solutions Business, 3D Systems, Creator of Cubify
Gonzalo Martinez, Director, Strategic Research, Office of the CTO, Autodesk
Philip Delamore, Director of Fashion Digital Studio, London College of Fashion, University of Arts London

Come experience leaders in the 3D space, demos by –

Converse

Shapeways

Autodesk

Bespoke Innovations

3D Systems/Cubify

Techshop

Made in Space

London College of Fashion, University of the Arts

OâReilly Media, Maker Faire

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Each of our VLAB events now features a topic-based social network for all event attendees (included as part of your ticket purchase). Find out who’s attending and connect with like-minded founders, investors, and thought leaders. Please Opt-In during registration and look for a welcome email to begin.

The Uploaded Life: Personal Evolution through Self-Tracking
2012-03-20 18:00 - 20:30 | Stanford GSB: Cemex Auditorium at the Knight Management Center, 655 Knight Way, Stanford, CA, 94305, United States
The Uploaded Life ***Video Available***
Personal evolution through self tracking

When

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

6:00 – 7:00pm Networking and Refreshments
7:00 – 8:30pm Panel Discussion and Q&A

Where

Stanford Graduate School of Business
CEMEX Auditorium at Knight Management Center

641 Knight Way, Stanford, CA
Map:
PDF Download

Parking: Parking at Stanford is free in most places after 4 pm, but can be unpredictably busy. Allow extra time in your plans to find parking. Park only in “A”, “C”, or “Visitor” designated spots after 4pm. Prior to that, parking is by permit or payment only.
Parking map and location coordinate information.

Event Description

What happens when we add the power of Social/Mobile and always-on personal devices to the evolving health markets. Peer pressure (social reinforcement) and data tracking have significantly contributed to the success of the $11B self improvement and $55B weight loss markets. Legacy business such as Weight Watchers have relied on snippets of painstakingly input data. How will the game be changed when personal data goes from a drop in the bucket to an ocean?

Large companies, as well as, garage hackers are leveraging smaller, cheaper sensors and powerful mobile devices are accelerating the virtuous circle of goal setting, data collection, analysis and social motivation necessary to stimulate lasting and steady gains in health, sports performance or other areas of self evolution.

What new perspectives do start ups provide using sensors and on-line services, to disrupt and support the incumbents in self evolution and health? And, what is needed for break-out success?

What new opportunities will exist in widespread tracking?
How do you keep users engaged long enough to make meaningful changes?
Will a start-up create virality to accelerate growth, become a category killer?
What are the challenges of collecting and applying meaningful data?
What incentives are effective to encourage adoption outside of tracker enthusiasts and early adopters?
Can a single offering service survive or will those aggregating multiple data streams dominate?
Can these services grow on an ad based model or is a subscription necessary?
How are companies using social motivation to encourage consistent engagement and long term participation?

Click HERE to Register

Online registration is closed; tickets will be available at the door.

Moderator:

Gary Wolf, Co-Founder, The Quantified Self & Editor, Wired Magazine

Panelists:

Rick Lee, CEO of Healthrageous
Mark S. Gainey, Co-Founder Strava, Inc
Leslie Ziegler, Creative Director, Rock Health
James Park, CEO & Co-Founder, Fitbit
Greg LeMond, Three-Time Winner of the Tour de France

VLAB Private Social Network

(powered by Presdo Match)

Each of our VLAB events now features a topic-based social network for all event attendees (included as part of your ticket purchase). Find out who’s attending and connect with like-minded founders, investors, and thought leaders. Please Opt-In during registration and look for a welcome email to begin.
