Conference Sessions

Monday, April 29

9:15 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Concurrent Sessions

A Financial Projection Template for Incubator Budget Preparation

Hear an overview of the financial projection process, and see how spreadsheets can excel as budget templates during the development and operational stages. After learning how specific variables impact financial viability, you'll be able to test assumptions, make adjustments, or demonstrate a need for initial subsidies.
Developers / General
Lawrence Albertson, President, LPA Associates, Gainesville, FL
Moderator: Richard Younge, Executive Director, South Dekalb Business Incubator, Atlanta, GA

Make Your Contacts Count

Make networking an art, not an accident! Whether you're looking for strategies for yourself or the start-ups you counsel, Lynne Waymon, co-author of Make Your Contacts Count: Networking Know-How for Cash, Clients, and Career Success, will give you rules and tools for becoming the only choice when opportunity arises. Learn practical strategies for creating market visibility and credibility.
General
Lynne Waymon, Waymon & Associates, Silver Spring, MD
Moderator: Adele Lyons, Executive Director, Gulf Coast Business Technology Center, Biloxi, MS
Meet the author!
Waymon, coauthor of Make Your Contacts Count: Networking Know-How for Cash, Clients, and Career Success, will sign copies of her book immediately following this session at the NBIA Bookstore in the Canadian Room.

Rural Incubators: How Their Communities and Needs Vary

Not every rural community or incubation program is the same. Incubators serving remote communities will have very different needs from those serving communities on the fringe of urban development. Join other rural incubator managers to discuss the different types of rural communities and how their incubation needs differ.
Rural
Jim Greenwood, President, Greenwood Consulting Group Inc., Sanibel, FL

Thinking Globally, and Acting Globally Too!

Business incubators specifically designed to attract international SMEs or corporate "landing parties" to your community have different goals, evaluation and design criteria, and economic impacts than do traditional models. Learn about these programs from experts in the field.
Special Focus / International
Gerald Gordon, President and CEO, Fairfax County Economic Development Authority, Vienna, VA
Barbara Harley, Executive Director, International Business Incubator, San Jose, CA
Mary Spaeth, Senior Advisor, Mjärdevi Science Park AB, Linköping, Sweden
Moderator: Lisa Smith, Senior Executive, ANGLE Technology, Herndon, VA

University-Based Business Incubators: How to Design the Best

If you could design a university-related technology incubator from the ground up, what would be the most important design specifications? A panel of the top U.S. university incubator managers, facilitated by former NBIA Chairman Mark Rice (also a former incubator manager), will answer this question and any others that you pose.
Developers / University
Sam Florance, Associate Vice Provost for Engagement, and Director, Gateways Program, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN
Bela Musits, Managing Director, High Peaks Venture Partners (and immediate past manager, Rensselaer Incubator Program), Troy, NY
Joel Wiggins, Director, Austin Technology Incubator, Austin, TX
Mark Rice, Murata Dean, F.W. Olin Graduate School of Business, and Jeffry A. Timmons Professor of Entrepreneurial Studies, Babson College, Wellesley, MA
Moderator: Simon Balint, Manager of Operations, Rensselaer Incubator Program, Troy, NY

What Cluster is Your Community?

Business clusters are an effective economic development strategy worldwide in urban and rural settings alike. Learn benchmarks for developing specific business assistance services, 14 effective practices for developing and managing a business cluster and how to identify an appropriate cluster focus.
Developers / General
Robert Meeder, President, Pittsburgh Gateways Corp., Pittsburgh, PA
Pete Luxton, President, Market Quest LLC, Pittsburgh, PA
Moderator: Jerome Mahone, Executive Director, Natural Environmental Technology Incubator, Wilberforce, OH

When Your Old Building Becomes Too Old

Whether your building is new or 10 years old, it ages every day. Periodic facility analysis and long-term planning are musts to ensure your building keeps pace with the market. Learn how to be prepared with stakeholder support to buy a new roof or even a new building.
Developers / General
Lorne Ross, Executive Director, Northern Alberta Business Incubator, St. Albert, Alberta, Canada
Thea Chase, Executive Director, Western Colorado Business Development Corp., Grand Junction, CO
Moderator: Guy Mascari, Director, Technology Innovation Center, Wauwatosa, WI

11 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. Concurrent Sessions

Differentiating Incubator Feasibility Studies From Business Plans

Feasibility studies and business plans are integral parts of the incubator start-up process. Although the two documents have important differences, developers often confuse and intertwine them. Learn what clearly distinguishes the timing, content and purpose of feasibility studies and business plans.
Developers / General
Jim Greenwood, President, Greenwood Consulting Group, Inc., Sanibel, FL
Chuck Wolfe, Principal, Claggett Wolfe Associates, Auburn, CA

Get the Word Out: Building Awareness Among Media and the Investment Community

Effective communication is vital to success and critical for creating awareness and developing relationships. Explore available communication tools and learn helpful tips for enhancing communication strategies.
General
Mary Sturgeon, Vice President, Corporate Practice, BenchMark Porter Novelli, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Mark Evans, Senior Technology Reporter, National Post, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
BJ Del Conte, Business Reporter and Producer, CablePulse 24, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Tom Enright, President and CEO, Canada NewsWire, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Moderator: Michelle Savage, Vice President, Investor Relations Services, PR Newswire, New York, NY

Measuring Technology Incubators' Economic Impacts

Measuring incubation programs' economic impacts is vitally important for funders at all levels and for incubator managers. Yet, it's complex and difficult to address — especially with multiple sponsors. Presenters will offer different approaches to impact measurement and challenge participants to present their views.
Technology / General
Gary Evans, CEO, ANGLE Technology LLC, Herndon, VA
Heidi Sheppard, Program Manager, Business Incubation Program, Maryland Technology Development Corp., Baltimore, MD
Maxine Lunn, Director of Technology Programs, Virginia's Center for Innovative Technology, Herndon, VA

New Markets Tax Credits

The New Markets Tax Credit program, authorized for $15 billion over seven years, can help fund economic development in distressed rural and urban areas. Learn how the program works and how establishing a Community Development Entity (CDE) can help you access this and other sources of funding for entrepreneurs.
Rural / Revitalization / General
James Carras, Principal, Carras Community Investment Inc., Ft. Lauderdale, FL
Moderator: Susan Prado, Consultant, Sierra Madre, CA

On the European Frontiers of Biotech

Find out how the synergies of companies, research institutes and venture funds help create new models for bioinformatics start-ups. European incubators offer a global perspective on the future of start-ups combining life sciences and information technologies.
Special Focus / International
Christian Pillot, Director, CREALYS, and President, France Incubation, Lyons, France
Moderator: Wayne Zeman, Executive Director, Lewis Incubator for Technology, Strongsville, OH

Organizing Angel Networks for Start-Ups

Start-up ventures are largely dependent upon patient, high-risk seed capital. Angel investors are the primary source of seed funding, but are difficult to identify and organize. Learn tactics and strategies to organize, administer, and sustain angel networks based upon lessons learned by nationally recognized capital networks.
General
Randall Goldsmith, Executive Director, Oklahoma Technology Commercialization Center, Oklahoma City, OK
John Marlow, Director, Crosby, Heafey, Roach & May P.C., San Francisco, CA
Moderator: Lisa Ison, President, The New Century Venture Center, Roanoke, VA

Patent Strategies

This workshop will show incubators how to develop patent strategies for market positioning against competitors and large corporations. Professionals will advise incubator managers with clients from seed stage through pre-IPO phase on how to develop a sound patent portfolio, save costs and use patents to raise funds.
University / Technology / General
Peter Su, Partner, Fernandez & Associates LLP, Menlo Park, CA
Moderator: Gary Meyer, Assistant Vice President, Economic and Technology Development, Ohio University, Athens, OH

2:30 p.m. to 3:45 p.m. Concurrent Sessions

Building a Region's Entrepreneurial Pipeline

St. Louis' Nidus Center for Scientific Enterprise brings together investors, foundations, service providers, corporate and university technology transfer officials, and others to serve very early-stage companies and provide them proof-of-concept and pre-seed funding. Learn about this innovative regional effort that will ensure the pipeline of incubator clients stays full.
Technology
Robert Calcaterra, CEO and President, Nidus Center for Scientific Enterprise, St. Louis, MO

Building the Next Generation of Entrepreneurs

Youth entrepreneurship is an essential component of a true continuum of entrepreneurship support. Gain practical, tangible tips and tools for preparing students from grade five through the community-college level to be the next generation of great entrepreneurs.
Rural / Revitalization / Special Focus
Lee Huang, Director, Youth + Entrepreneurship = Success Program, The Enterprise Center, Philadelphia, PA
Jeff Wicklund, Associate Director, Youth + Entrepreneurship = Success Program, The Enterprise Center, Philadelphia, PA
Thomas Goodrow, Founding Director, Entrepreneurial Institute, Springfield Technical Community College, Springfield, MA

Cool Offices that Attract Cool Businesses and Cold Cash

Transform your physical environment from "make do" to "best in class" with tips from this multi-disciplinary panel. The discussion will cover all aspects of designing, building and furnishing an incubator, including strategy, building plan, budgeting for construction, architectural and design considerations and results.
Developers
George Bell, Applied Research Consultant, Steelcase Inc., Grand Rapids, MI

Influencing and Negotiating

When you don't want to crack down, back down, give in or give up, it's time to negotiate. Make a point without making an enemy. Those who deal with shrinking resources, difficult people and sticky situations can learn to take a stand, set limits and turn around negative energy.
General
Lynne Waymon, Waymon & Associates, Silver Spring, MD
Moderator: Sandy Bourne, President, Pasadena Enterprise Center, Pasadena, CA

New Managers Roundtable Discussion

Learn how others face the challenges of being an incubator director with two years of experience or less under their belts. Whether your incubator is new or you are new to it, you'll speed up the learning curve by sharing experiences with colleagues.
General
Lisa Ison, President, The New Century Venture Center, Roanoke, VA

No Name, No Game: Winning or Losing Your Corporate Identity

A world-renowned authority on corporate nomenclature who advises leading corporations on all matters of complex global naming in e-commerce will provide tips to help companies survive and maximize profits through successful name identity.
International
Naseem Javed, President, ABC Namebank International, Brampton, Ontario, Canada
Moderator: Fred Andrews, Executive Director, Springfield Enterprise Center, Springfield, MA

Preparing Your Companies to Raise Capital and Land Customers

Back by popular demand, the Software Business Cluster (SBC) will describe its proven process for training companies to make successful presentations to potential investors and customers. NBIA's 2000 Randall M. Whaley Incubator of the Year, SBC has helped clients raise more than $400 million in equity investment.
Technology / General
Chuck Erickson, Managing Director, Software Business Cluster, San Jose, CA
James Robbins, Executive Director, Software Business Cluster, San Jose, CA

4:15 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Concurrent Sessions

Accessing Federal R&D Dollars — Roundtable Discussion

Want to help your clients access federal R&D funding? Join this roundtable to find out how the federal government's Small Business Innovation Research program and Advanced Technology Program can help start-up companies.
Technology
Richard Palmer, Business Specialist, Advanced Technology Program, Gaithersburg, MD
Omid Omidvar, Advanced Technology Program, Gaithersburg, MD
Alan Donaldson, CEO, Idaho Titanium Technologies, Idaho Falls, ID
Mike Royce-Jacino, Chief Scientist, Orchid Biosciences, Princeton, NJ

Asset Building … it's a Global Movement

This fast-paced session will provide an overview of the asset building movement in the United States, including information on the national America Saves Campaign, legislation and local economic literacy education strategies and collaboratives. Learn how to use Individual Development Accounts to develop a comprehensive economic literacy education initiative.
Rural / Revitalization / General
Wendy Werkmeister, President, Wisconsin Women's Business Initiative Corp., Milwaukee, WI
Moderator: Heinz Fiedler, SPICE Group, Berlin, Germany

Best Practices in Business Incubation: The East Asian Experience

East Asia represents the most rapidly growing incubation community worldwide. Learn how business incubation experts in Japan, Korea, China and Taiwan have moved the industry there beyond government-sponsored programs focused on providing inexpensive workspace to encompass a variety of sponsors, objectives and models.
International
Fengling Ma, Director, Tianjin Incubation Center, Tianjin, People's Republic of China and Deputy Director, China Business Incubation Association, People's Republic of China
Benjamin Yuan, Associate Dean and Professor, School of Management, National Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu, Taiwan
Hideto Ohtsubo, Professor, Business Management and Entrepreneurial Studies, Fukuoka Junior College of Technology, Fukuoka, Japan
Lak Kyong Song, CEO, KTB Incubating Corp., Seoul, Republic of Korea
Moderator: Dinyar Lalkaka, Partner, Business & Technology Development Strategies LLC, New York, NY

Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM)

The 2001 GEM report assessed entrepreneurial activities in 29 nations, with surprising findings about which are the most entrepreneurial. Conducted by Babson College, the London Business School, the Kauffman Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership and Ernst & Young, this study reveals much more, including the difference between "necessity" and "opportunity" entrepreneurship.
International / General
Rein Peterson, Anne Max Tannenbaum Professor of Family Entrepreneurship, Schulich School of Business, York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Moderator: Jay Delong, Executive Director, Venture Point, Irvine, CA

How to Acquire a Bank Loan: Basic Proposal Formulation

Learn how to help your clients research, interpret and develop a basic, but viable, loan proposal, including product/service description; projected financial statements; and an analysis of industry, market, management and competition.
Revitalization / General
Devron Veasley, Director, Bessemer Business Incubation System, Bessemer, AL
Moderator: Thalia Mendez, Director, Business Incubation & Education Initiatives, Wisconsin Women's Business Initiative Corp., Milwaukee, WI

Incubators Sponsored by Publicly Traded Companies: Emerging Models

With a focus on lessons learned, the founders of technology incubators sponsored by publicly traded companies will candidly discuss their programs and how they bring value to their corporate sponsors. Learn how collaborative initiatives between for-profit companies and nonprofits can work — and what pitfalls to avoid.
Developers / For-Profit / Technology
Bonnie Herron, Executive Director, Intelligent Systems Incubator, Norcross, GA
Tony Antoniades, Director of Incubator Operations, Fizzion, Atlanta, GA and Venture Catalyst, ATDC, Atlanta, GA
Moderator: Kay Wade, Director, Center for Business, Meridian Technology Center for Business Development, Stillwater, OK

Key Issues in Developing a Successful Incubator

Wonder if an incubator is right for your community? This broad overview offers a framework used to create 13 incubators — including the Software Business Cluster, NBIA's 2000 Randall Whaley Incubator of the Year award winner. Speakers will identify key development issues, including the business plan, budget considerations, community partnerships, marketing and client clusters.
Developers / General
James Robbins, Principal, Business Cluster Development, Menlo Park, CA
Carol Kraus Lauffer, Principal, Business Cluster Development, Menlo Park, CA

Tuesday, April 30

9:15 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Concurrent Session

AABI Meeting

Come hear about AABI — Asian Association of Business Incubation — an association "incubated" at San Jose last year. Find out how AABI plans to develop business incubation throughout Asia. Also, learn valuable lessons on how a regional organization can benefit your program or community.
Special focus / International
Hirokazu Okumura, Special Advisor, Japan Association of New Business Incubation Organizations, Tokyo, Japan
Rustam Lalkaka, President, Business & Technology Development Strategies LLC, New York, NY
Hong Kim, President, Korea Business Incubator Association, Choongnam, Republic of Korea
Benjamin Yuan, President, Chinese Business Incubator Association, Taipei, Taiwan
Chan Siu Kam, Director, Business Support and Development, Hong Kong, People's Republic of China
Rong Wang, Director, Shanghai International Business Incubator, People's Republic of China

Benchmarking Technology Incubators — The Role of Geography in Incubator Effectiveness

A groundbreaking benchmarking study focused on U.S. technology incubators resulted in findings that have been analyzed in combination with U.S. Census and other business and education data. Learn how the study illuminates the effects of regional characteristics and program quality factors on incubator effectiveness.
Technology
David Lewis, Senior Research Fellow, The National Center for Neighborhoods and Brownfields, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ
Moderator: Phil Helgerson, Executive Director, The Center for Environmental Enterprise, South Portland, ME

Canadian Incubator Success Stories

Hear a panel of Canadian managers describe four approaches to supporting entrepreneurs and their emerging enterprises: a multilocation technology incubator, a classic mixed-use incubator in a small city, a federal R&D institute incubator and a nationwide rural/small town entrepreneurship support network.
International / General
Lorne Ross, Executive Director, Northern Alberta Business Incubator, St. Albert, Alberta, Canada
David McNamara, Director, InNOVAcorp, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada
Jean-Jacques Ledoux, Director, Industrial Partnership Facility, National Research Council, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Diana Jedig, Member of the Pan Canadian Community Futures Group, Executive Director of Ontario Association of Community Futures Development Corporations, St. Thomas, Ontario, Canada
Moderator: Jim Hughes, President, Jim Hughes Advisory Services, Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Improving Incubation Performance through Benchmarking and Evaluation: Lessons Learned from Europe

Interested in improving incubator performance? The European Commission recently benchmarked incubators across Europe. This session will explain why and discuss methodologies, conclusions, lessons learned, follow-up activities, and possible adaptation of benchmarking to other countries and regions.
Developers / International / General
Jorge Costa-David, Principal Administrator, European Commission Enterprise, Brussels, Belgium
Jack Malan, Partner, Centre for Strategy and Evaluation Services, Sevenoaks, United Kingdom
Rustam Lalkaka, President, Business & Technology Development Strategies LLC, New York, NY
Moderator: Philippe VanRie, CEO, European Business and Innovation Centre Network, Brussels, Belgium

Incubating Without Walls (IWW)

A physical incubator may not always be feasible, especially when the entrepreneurs in need of help are spread over an expansive rural area. Find out how these presenters developed two of the United States' top IWW programs that offer training and technical assistance to hundreds of diverse, often rural, businesses.
Rural / Special Focus
Debbie Neuman, Director, Target Technology Incubator, University of Maine, Bangor, ME
Peg Ryan, Director of Entrepreneurial Training, Commonwealth Corp., Boston, MA
Moderator: Mary Wilson Callahan, Principal Consultant and Founder, Work in Progress, Longmont, CO

Strategic Incubation in Organizations

Learn how business incubation can generate value through new business creation from within. Drawing on experiences in corporate and university incubation, these experts will discuss how large organizations can use incubation to capitalize on latent assets, grow new business divisions and encourage innovation in existing business units.
University / Technology
Gavin Troughton, Senior Consultant, Scientific Generics, Harston, Cambridge, United Kingdom
Andy Hatcher, Vice-President, New Ventures, Reuters, New York, NY
Moderator: Francisco Soares, Board Member, NAER sa, Lisbon, Portugal

Strategies for Client Screening, Evaluation and Tracking, Part I

Selecting clients, deciding if they're ready to graduate, and tracking their progress in the incubator and after graduation is no easy task. Nevertheless, these activities are critical to the success of incubation programs and their clients. In this two-part session, a panel of experienced incubator managers will present strategies for formally evaluating clients at various stages while keeping mission in mind.
Technology / Special Focus
Roger Trabucco, Incubation Manager, The CASE Center, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY
Pamela Hochman Norton, Senior Vice President, Massachusetts Biomedical Initiatives, Worcester, MA
Robert Calcaterra, CEO and President, Nidus Center for Scientific Enterprise, St. Louis, MO

Ten Telltale Signs: This Start-Up Is in Trouble

There are both obvious and subtle signs that a young, growth-oriented company is in trouble. Both are important, as even a subtle threat can be fatal. The good news is that, once sensitized to these signs, incubator managers and investors can spot red flags and be proactive in supplying company-saving assistance.
General
Terry Collison, Principal, Blue Rock Capital, Wilmington, DE
Bill Scari, Pepper Hamilton LLP, Berwyn, PA
Tom Penn, Partner, Meridian Venture Partners, Radnor, PA
Rich Glaser, Regional Managing Director, Village Ventures Inc., Rochester, NY
Tripp Peake, Managing Partner, Long River Ventures, Hadley, MA
Dana Edelman, Managing Director, Collaborative Seed and Growth Partners LLC, Newton, MA

11 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. Concurrent Sessions

Bitter Lessons Learned from Venture Capital's Nuclear Winter

Prior to the recent collapse of funding, VCs believed that companies with enormous upside potential should operate aggressively to achieve "positioning." Cash-flow neutrality was considered the province of weaker firms. Launch-stage companies that observed traditional niceties have survived, however, while others are carcasses. These lessons are useful to all firms — seeking financing or not — and their advisors.
For-Profit / General
Terry Collison, Principal, Blue Rock Capital, Wilmington, DE
Bill Scari, Pepper Hamilton LLP, Berwyn, PA
Tom Penn, Partner, Meridian Venture Partners, Radnor, PA
Rich Glaser, Regional Managing Director, Village Ventures Inc., Rochester, NY
Tripp Peake, Managing Partner, Long River Ventures, Hadley, MA
Dana Edelman, Managing Director, Collaborative Seed and Growth Partners LLC, Newton, MA

Building Your Community's Entrepreneur Infrastructure

No matter how small or large, rural or urban, communities need to support entrepreneurs. And successful incubation programs operate in communities that provide that support. Learn how to gain resources and recognition for entrepreneurs by building local resources, partnering with local service providers and sponsoring local initiatives.
Developers / Rural / Revitalization / General
Don Betts, Consultant, ATDC Entrepreneur Network, Douglas, GA

Incubating Women: Challenges and Opportunities

Business incubation can help create economic opportunity and nurture entrepreneurial activity. In this session, you'll hear how it can also level the playing field for women wanting to start their own businesses. Learn about women who, facing barriers to labor market integration, have used incubation to thrive in the business world.
Special Focus, International
Wendy Werkmeister, President, The Wisconsin Women's Business Initiative Corporation, Milwaukee, WI
Additional speakres to be announced

Incubation on a National Level: Government-Sponsored Programs in Universities

Hear how government-sponsored national programs have helped university and research institutes build on their knowledge to provide support for the establishment of business incubators. Learn from examples including the government of Taiwan's, which launched more than 60 incubators in the past five years.
International / University / Technology
Robert Lai, Director General, Small & Medium Enterprise Administration/MOEA, Taipei, Taiwan
Benjamin Yuan, President, Chinese Business Incubation Association, Taipei, Taiwan
Mauricio Otavio Mendonca Jorge, Director and Technology Secretary, Ministry of Science and Technology, Brasilia, Brazil
Moderator: Larry Albertson, President, LPA Associates, Gainsville, FL

Meet the Incubator of the Year

Get an inside look at the workings of one of the industry's most successful incubation programs. The manager of this year's Randall M. Whaley Incubator of the Year Award will present a case study of his or her incubation program. And don't miss the unveiling of this winner at Monday's awards luncheon.
General
Speaker to be announced
Moderator: Wayne Barz, Manager, Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Northeast Pennsylvania, Bethlehem, PA

Policies And Strategies to Spur Incubator-Led Technology Development

The University of Maryland's top research official and founder of its technology transfer office will describe successful strategies to spur better funding of technology development programs, including incubators. Topics will include new capital funding, reform of ethics laws, linkages to federal labs and gaining higher visibility.
University / Technology / General
Brian Darmody, Assistant Vice President for Research and Economic Development, University of Maryland, College Park, MD

Strategies for Client Screening, Evaluation and Tracking, Part II

Selecting clients, deciding if they're ready to graduate, and tracking their progress in the incubator and after graduation is no easy task. Nevertheless, these activities are critical to the success of incubation programs and their clients. In this two-part session, a panel of experienced incubator managers will present strategies for formally evaluating clients at various stages while keeping mission in mind.
Technology / Special Focus
Roger Trabucco, Incubation Manager, The CASE Center, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY
Pamela Hochman Norton, Senior Vice President, Massachusetts Biomedical Initiatives, Worcester, MA
Robert Calcaterra, CEO and President, Nidus Center for Scientific Enterprise, St. Louis, MO

2:30 p.m. to 3:45 p.m. Concurrent Sessions

Go Ahead … Ask

Pick the brains of a venture capital investor, a corporate technology investor and a successful company founder-turned-private investor. This panel has decades of experience guiding entrepreneurs and young venture-backed company management teams. Ask the company-building questions keeping you up at night.
For-Profit / Technology / General
Terry Collison, Partner, Blue Rock Capital, Wilmington, DE
Bill Scari, Pepper Hamilton LLP, Berwyn, PA
Tom Penn, Partner, Meridian Venture Partners, Radnor, PA
Dana Edelman, Managing Director, Collaborative Seed and Growth Partners LLC, Newton, MA
Rich Glaser, Regional Managing Director, Village Ventures Inc., Rochester, NY
Tripp Peake, Managing Partner, Long River Ventures, Hadley, MA

Innovative Approaches to Bioscience Challenges

Bioscience entrepreneurs face particularly unique challenges in commercializing their technologies. Demanding regulatory processes, ethical and political considerations and large capital requirements all are contributing factors. Hear these experts' advice on funding strategies, support services, mentoring boards, professional service partnerships, student internships and other key issues.
Special Focus
David Lohr, Executive Director, Virginia Biosciences Development Center, Richmond, VA
Timothy O'Brien, Director, Biomedical Biotechnology Center, University of Arkansas, Little Rock, AR

Merging Incubator Management — Maximizing Benefits

When the Entrepreneurial Center, a mixed-use incubator in Birmingham, Ala., took over management of the University of Alabama at Birmingham's technology incubator, great synergies resulted. This unique and culture-sensitive merger permitted hiring incubator staff with higher skills, streamlined operations and improved client services.
University / General
Susan Matlock, President, Entrepreneurial Center, and Executive Director, Office for the Advancement of Developing Industries, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL
Moderator: Mike LeHere, Director, Akron Industrial Incubator, Akron, OH

Opening a New Economic Era: Business Incubation in Japan

Learn about the Japanese incubation experience, including challenges, opportunities and new research. Japanese incubation managers and representatives of the Japan Association of New Business Incubation Organizations (JANBO) will discuss the state of business incubation in their country, highlighting nonprofit and for-profit incubation as well as industry segments.
International / General
Terutaka Tansho, Researcher, Japan Association of New Business Incubation Organizations, Tokyo, Japan
Ichiro Sakata, Director, Regional Economy and Industry Research Team, Regional Economy and Industry Policy Bureau, Tokyo, Japan
Hisashi Tasaki, Research Director, New Business Development Dep., Advanced Software Technology & Mechatronics Research Institute of Kyoto, Kyoto, Japan
Tomoyo Kazumi, Supervisor, Kitakyushu Telework Center
Moderator: Giles McDaniel, Executive Director, Northeast Alabama Entrepreneurial System, Biloxi, MS

Tax Tips for Nonprofit Incubators

What's in the IRS' business plan, and what does it mean for your incubator? Why might the IRS flag your Form 990 for an audit? Are equity kickers okay? A seasoned nonprofit tax attorney will discuss do's, don't's, red flags and recent changes in nonprofit tax law.
Developers / General
Janet Buehler, Esq., Park Ridge, NJ
Moderator: Tony Martinez, Assistant Director, Louisiana Business & Technology Center, Baton Rouge, LA

Trends in Incubation: 2002 and Beyond

Experts in the areas of technology, corporate and international incubation will provide insights on current trends in the changing economy and demonstrate how they may affect your incubator. Learn about innovative programs that are aligned with these trends and how to implement them in your incubator.
For-Profit / Technology / International
Carol Kraus Lauffer, Principal, Business Cluster Development, Menlo Park, CA
James Robbins, Director, Panasonic Incubator, Cupertino, CA
Benay Todzo, Executive Director, Women's Technology Cluster, San Francisco, CA
Chuck Wolfe, Principal, Claggett Wolfe Associates, Auburn, CA

Incubating the Arts

When considering potential entrepreneurs, do potters, theater groups, graphic designers and filmmakers come to mind? Representatives from around the world will focus on the challenges of assisting artists and arts organizations through a business incubation program.
Special Focus
Ben Ferrari, Head of Research and Enterprise at Royal Holloway University of London, Egham, Surrey, United Kingdom
Jean Johnson, Craft Projects Manager at Harbourfront Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Moderator: Mary Kahn Davis, Former Director of the Entergy Arts Business Center, New Orleans, LA

Wednesday, May 1

7:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.

Venture Capital Forum

Are your clients ready for equity investments? Come watch real-life incubator clients pitch their companies to our panel of venture capital professionals. Find out what it takes to secure the money your clients need as our panel critiques, advises and evaluates companies.

9:45 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. Concurrent Sessions

Incubation from Zero to Sixty in Seconds!

Opening its doors only a year ago, the University of Toronto's IT incubator Exceler@tor is now 100 percent full. Still growing at hyper speed, it boasts a unique relationship with Canada's major research university, successful outreach programs and professional services, and partnerships with some of the world's best technology companies.
University / International / Technology
Steven Ilkay, Partner, Professional Services, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Andrew Maxwell, Managing Director, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Moderator: Lisa Ison, President, The New Century Venture Center, Roanoke, VA

Marketing Strategies that Work!

Explore ways to market your incubator to garner the support of the business community. Experts will help you understand your target market, establish market objectives and determine how to implement marketing activities whether your incubator is under development or open for business.
General
Joanne Randolph, President and CEO, BizTech, Huntsville, AL
Charles Stein, President, Strategic Development Services, Powell, OH
Moderator: Hope Player, Chairman of the Board, The New Century Venture Center, Roanoke, VA

Professional Development of Incubator Staff, Advisors and Service Providers — Roundtable

Skilled and dedicated incubator staff are necessary to build strong companies. Advisors, investors and other support personnel who mentor clients are equally important to the process. Join this roundtable to discuss how these players can hone their particular skill sets to ensure client success.
General
Mary Wilson Callahan, Principal Consultant and Founder, Work in Progress, Longmont, CO

Country Reports: Incubation Around the Globe

Pulling It Together

Established in 1967 with a mission to revitalize its East/Northeast Los Angeles neighborhood, CHARO Community Development Corp. is now a multipronged, multimillion dollar economic development program. Developing entrepreneurs and a workforce, CHARO coordinates and links wide-ranging, in-house services with those offered by strategic partners.
Revitalization
Cynthia Amador, Executive Vice President, CHARO, Los Angeles, CA

Taking the High Road to Software and E-Business Excellence

Scottish Enterprise Network (SEN) has created a national network of successful software/e-business incubators. Taking this experience and revealing new studies into account, SEN is setting out to brand its incubator network, standardize offerings and heighten program quality. This session offers lessons for national, state and provincial programs.
Technology / International
Roddy MacAskill, Senior Executive, Scottish Enterprise Network, Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom
John Meiklejohn, Managing Director, Strategem Ltd., Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom
Mike Crawford, Project Manager, Scottish Interprise, Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom
Moderator: James Graham, Director, Information Technology Resource Center, Louisville, KY

11:30 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. Concurrent Sessions

A View of Chinese Business Incubation

Business incubation from a Chinese point of view will feature experts from Hong Kong and elsewhere in China, along with colleagues from Taiwan and Singapore together at this roundtable session. Come explore entrepreneurship and new business development in a number of different Chinese societies.
International
Benjamin Yuan, President, Chinese Business Incubator Association, Taipei, Taiwan
Robert Lai, Director General, Small & Medium Enterprise Administration/MOEA, Taipei, Taiwan
Tang Fengquan, Deputy Secretary General, China Technology Business Incubator Association, People's Republic of China
Moderator: Susan Matlock, President, Entrepreneurial Center, Birmingham, AL

Biotechnology Incubators — A Different Breed

The explosion of life science knowledge continues to be great, with breakthroughs in human health, agriculture and the environment. But the needs of biotechnology companies are different from other companies. Join us to find out how to accommodate these differences through facilities design and scientific equipment.
Special Focus
Patti Breedlove, Manager, University of Florida Sid Martin Biotechnology Development Incubator, Alachua, FL
Elliott Eaton, Founder and CEO, Building Blox Solutions, San Fransisco, CA

Key Ingredients for Best Practices Rural Business Incubation

Does your rural community have the ingredients to develop a sustainable, best-practices incubator? If not, odds of failure are high. Hear lessons learned from recent NBIA research and the ingredients-including human resources, infrastructure and base economy-necessary for developing successful incubators without walls as well as networked and stand-alone programs.
Developers / Rural
Dinah Adkins, President and CEO, National Business Incubation Association, Athens, OH
Hugh Sherman, Associate Director, Voinovich Center for Leadership and Public Affairs, Ohio University, Athens, OH
Chuck Wolfe, Principal, Claggett Wolfe Associates, Auburn, CA

Making For-Profit Incubation Work Despite the Economic Downturn

Two international VC model incubators-survivors of the dot-com boom and bust-will reveal how their business models proved successful when many others failed. With ties to venture groups and top-flight business services professionals, these incubators also boast team members with deep experience starting new ventures.
For-Profit / International
Rick Nathan, Co-Founder and Managing Director, Brightspark Group, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Chris Raman, Chief Commercial Officer, GorillaPark, Gent, Belgium
Moderator: Sharon Gutauskas, Marketing Manager, Emerging Markets and Life Sciences, IBM, Markham, Ontario, Canada

Making Regional and National Incubation Networks Happen

Learn how a regional or national network can strengthen your program. Collaboration and cooperation with other incubators can help you tap into the corporate, academic and governmental organizations in your region. Hear from incubation professionals worldwide how others have benefited from strength in numbers.
Special Focus / International
Linda Kotzot, Managing Director, Pacific Incubation Network , San Jose, CA
Marie Lussier, Manager, CRC Innovation Centre, Ottawa, ON
Olga Lapteva, Director, Tambov Innovation Business Incubation of Regional Centre of Management and Culture, Tambov, Russia