Join us to determine what events The Venture Forum will provide for Fall 2019 and Spring 2020. The Venture Forum relies on input from its volunteers and attendees to identify, plan and execute programs that draw an interesting audience, educate, and provide networking opportunities.

No prework required – just show up...we'll have coffee and some sugar-based to treats to keep you going for the 2 hrs. The process is pretty straight-forward: we spend 30-45 minutes brainstorming program/event ideas, then everyone votes to determine the topics with the most interest.  Then, the most important step – getting volunteers to plan and execute the program. If someone is really passionate about a topic, that makes that topic more attractive since someone will work to make it happen.

No experience with The Venture Forum is required. If you are available on Saturday March 9, please join us.  Registration isn't required, but will help us determine coffee and treat quantities.

2019 5-Minute Pitch Contest

Deadline for applicants: February 28th

This is The Venture Forum’s 13th Annual 5-Minute Pitch Contest. It has been incredibly powerful in getting startups the outlet that they need to advance their business to the next level.

Eight (8) companies will pitch for the audience and judges. In addition, the room will have approximately 20 other businesses displaying their ideas in an Innovation Showcase before the event and during networking time.

Judges:

	Paul G. Silva - A lifelong entrepreneur and educator passionate about helping people & teams create economic prosperity through innovation. Through his career he has had the privilege and joy to inspire thousands of people to innovate, help hundreds of startups launch, and see those startups create a tenfold increase in local startup activity.
	David Fogel is Managing Director of Swifton CFOs LLC, an outsourced CFO firm that provides emerging businesses with strategic and cost-effective financial leadership. David has been an active presenter and panelist with TechStars, MassChallenge, CleanTech Open, The Venture Forum, Greentown Labs, MIT Enterprise Forum Smart Start Program, M2D2 and YouthCities. He is also an active member of the screening and due diligence committees of Beacon Angels, TiE Boston Angels and Mass Medical Angels. David also is an Adjunct Instructor at Northeastern University and WPI. linkedin.com/in/dafogel
	Laurie McPhee is currently a Managing Director at Golden Seeds, an early stage investment firm with a focus on women leaders. Through Golden Seeds work, she is a Board of Directors Observer with NextShift Robotics. She is also a member of the Big Brother/Big Sister (Lowell, MA) Advisory Board following 10 yr. engagement as a Big Sister. Her prior experience features 30+ years project and program leadership in the hi-tech, defense electronics industry encompassing program execution and growth strategies for aerospace defense electronics and broadband commercial electronics. Her expertise centers on technology development, planning and execution, strategic planning and operational efficiencies. Her industry career, from which she is now retired, included leadership roles in both Raytheon Company and BAE Systems She also led advanced technology development teams through concept development and demonstration supporting next gen programs. Gaining commercial exposure she took a leadership role in a corporate spinout to launch and sell commercial satellite based systems into an international market with foreign partners. She holds a MS from MIT Sloan in the Management of Technology.
	David C. Dlesk is an entrepreneurial life sciences senior executive with experience in general management, new business development, sales and marketing, product development and manufacturing and a member of Mass Medical Angels. He is currently Co-founder and Managing Director of Intrepid Life Sciences, where he works with inventors and investors to create valuable medical device, biotech and pharma businesses. He has held key leadership positions as CEO in five start-ups, corporate officer of two public biotech companies, President of a $200 million subsidiary of a multi-billion dollar global medical device company, consultant to a number of life science and technology companies and board member of three companies.