Presented By Venture Capital & Private Equity Club, Member of Student Clubs of HBS, Inc.

Platinum Sponsors

Ernst & Young Goodwin Procter Kirkland & Ellis LLP

Other Sponsors

Boston Consulting Group Wavelength Strategies, LLC

Keynote Speakers

Arthur Patterson
Arthur Patterson
Co-Founder and Lead Investor
Accel Partners

Scott Sperling
Scott Sperling
Co-President
Thomas H. Lee Partners

Matthew Bishop
Matthew Bishop
US Business Editor
The Economist

Panels

Click on panel title for details.

  • Panel Group 1 9:30 – 10:20am
    1. The Venture Market Multiple perspectives Moderator: Kim Reinert (Ernst & Young LLP)

      Moderator Bio

      According to a recent report by the National Venture Capital Association, venture capitalists invested only $17.7B across 2,795 deals in 2009. This marked a 37% decrease in dollars invested from 2008. More importantly, this marked the lowest level of dollar investments since 1997. In 2009, as a result of the global economic crisis, the credit market froze. The IPO market was severely weakened. LPs were re-thinking their investment and diversification strategies. Venture capitalists shifted focus from raising new funds to managing portfolio company cash burn. New ventures seemed riskier and costlier than ever. The recent crisis clearly applied a strong selective pressure on the industry. Yet, venture capital remains a critical driver of entrepreneurship and innovation.

      This panel represents a cross-section of the industry, with operator and investor expertise in information technology, healthcare, internet, and clean energy ventures. Geographically, the panel collectively covers investments on multiple continents. Strategically, the panel represents both independent and corporate venture capital investors. Our distinguished panelists will discuss the impact of the crisis on the different stakeholders in venture capital: entrepreneurs, VC investors, limited partners, and corporate buyers. They will also examine how the industry will evolve over the next 18 to 24 months as the economy recovers.

      Panelists

    2. Turnaround and Distressed Companies Ripe for investing Moderator: Alicia Masse (Ernst & Young)

      Moderator Bio

      Distressed has been one of the hot topics of the past year. In spite of struggling companies across many industries in 2009, surprisingly few deals went through. This panel will explore what 2010 holds for distressed firms, as well as a number of other questions. How will certain sectors perform in 2011? What is the potential in the middle market? How are distressed deals being sourced and is this evolving?

      Panelists

    3. Legal and Regulatory Considerations Weighing the impact of Washington on Private Equity Moderator: Kirk A. Radke (Kirkland and Ellis)

      Moderator Bio

      The financial crisis has created both challenges and opportunities for the Private Equity industry. In conjunction with the overall changing legal and regulatory environment for financial institutions and finance professionals, Private Equity has been specifically challenged by proposed legal changes in the taxation of carried interest and regulatory changes requiring registration with the US Securities and Exchange Commission. Furthermore, potential opportunities, such as the investment in failed banks and banking assets, have been constrained by regulatory restrictions aimed at preventing the 'next' financial crisis. What are the key legal and regulatory challenges and opportunities going forward?

      Panelists

    4. Buyouts Generating returns in the current environment and capital structure alternatives Moderator: Matthew Rhodes-Kropf (Harvard)

      Moderator Bio

      Coming out of the significant economic and financial environment of 2008-2009, the large cap private equity industry observed improvements in credit markets, increases in valuation across sectors, and a reopening of the IPO market. This panel will explore the current investing environment, while addressing the shifting focus and priorities of the large cap firms: What are the types of deals getting done in the current environment? How are they different from buyouts done historically? How are firms modeling return thresholds in evaluating new opportunities? How are firms evolving their strategy with regard to geography or industry? How have financing alternatives and capital structures changed? How has operational involvement in the firms' portfolio companies increased and in what areas are firms focused? How are firms thinking about investment monetization and which alternatives do they believe will be most utilized in 2010? As a result of the financial crisis, what are the long term implications for the private equity industry?

      Panelists

  • Panel Group 2 1:45 – 2:35pm
    1. Venture Capital – Healthcare Moderator: Bob Higgins (Highland Capital Partners)

      Moderator Bio

      Constituting one-sixth of the U.S. economy, healthcare is a multi-trillion dollar industry that touches all lives. With the back-and-forth drama occurring in Washington D.C., perhaps no other issue has been more talked about and debated on the national stage. The goal of this panel is to discuss the future of this industry specifically relating to healthcare venture capital. The panel will cover some of the major subspecialties within healthcare VC including: information technology, medical services, devices, biotechnology, and pharmaceuticals. Panelists will explore major trends within the subspecialties as well as general questions regarding a career in healthcare VC. Audience participation is highly welcomed and encouraged.

      Panelists

    2. Emerging Markets – PE Investing in Asia Moderator: Mr. Srinivas Kaushik (Kirkland & Ellis)

      Moderator Bio

      The growth in private equity activities in Asia continues to be strong in the past years, driven by both international and local firms. A distinguished panel will share perspectives on the opportunities and challenges faced by private equity firms in Asia, especially China and India. The panel will also discuss the future outlook of the region and the extent in which the industry has been affected by the recent financial crisis. In addition, the panelists will also talk about the risks that are unique to the Asian market private equity industry.

      Panelists

    3. Emerging Markets – PE Investing in Latin America Moderator: John A. Davis (Harvard Business School)

      Moderator Bio

      After experiencing a period of difficulty in the early 2000's, Latin American Private Equity deal volume, exits, and fundraising reached unprecedented heights in 2007. Several $1.0+ billion funds were raised, the IPO market in Brazil was booming, and many countries in the region exhibited a strong political commitment to promoting private equity investment. Although the global credit crisis contributed to a significant reduction in activity in 2008 and 2009, most of the countries in the region emerged relatively unscathed and macroeconomic fundamentals remain strong. What will the fundraising environment look like going forward? Which countries and sectors offer the most attractive investment opportunities? What are the greatest challenges ahead?

      Panelists

    4. Investing in the New World GP/LP paradigm and liquidity Moderator: Kirk Radke (Kirkland & Ellis LLP)

      Moderator Bio

      Since the onset of the financial crisis, private equity and venture capital firms, along with the investors in these funds, face significant challenges. Going forward, a new General Partner/Limited Partner paradigm will emerge and guide the rules of investing in this "new world." The distinguished panelists will share their insights and perspectives on the long-term impact of the financial crisis on the PE/VC industry and today's secondaries market. In addition, the panelists will answer questions such as: What is the assessment of the current market environment for private equity? What investment strategies are the most promising now and why? How important is "liquidity" in investing in the new world for secondaries? What is the industry reaction to some sponsors allowing their LPs to reduce their commitments? What is the assessment on the current state of the PE secondary market? What are the implications of new accounting standards?

      Panelists

  • Panel Group 3 2:45 – 3:35pm
    1. Venture Capital – Technology-Enabled Services and Digital Media Moderator: Mikolaj Piskorski (Harvard)

      Panelists

    2. Fundraising Corner Raising money in the current market Moderator: Andrew Wright (K&E)

      Moderator Bio

      Following a historically difficult year for private equity and venture capital fund-raising in 2009, fund sponsors and investors are now re-assessing a changed landscape. This panel of industry leaders will discuss several of the critical issues for fund-raising in 2010, including: What will have to happen for fund-raising to get back on track? What investment styles and strategies will be most successful in fund-raising? Will the shift in bargaining power from GPs to LPs continue? How does the role of fund-raising fit into the overall outlook for the private equity industry? The panel will discuss these and other questions and provide insights on the secrets to success for successful fund-raising in the new decade.

      Panelists

    3. Growth Equity Moderator: Mike Kendall (Goodwin Procter)

      Growth equity, a late-venture stage of private equity, provides financing to companies at an inflection point. This financing, usually in the form of a minority equity investment, is typically made in growing, often profitable, companies. Growth equity has the opportunity to fill the financing gap that entrepreneurs have been facing in the difficult debt financing and lending environment. In addition to opportunities created by lending difficulties, technology has allowed for easier bootstrapping to smaller scale profitability, but most of these companies will require institutional capital to expand and reach their true potential. This expansion of companies suitable for growth capital has created an inflection point for the growth equity industry. This panel will address the prospects of growth equity in the coming years. What are the industries that growth capital will play a pivotal role in financing? Will these deals be more commonly sourced by outbound methods, or will brokers and entrepreneurs initiate communication with investors? As normalcy returns to the markets, how will entrepreneurs respond to growth equity investors, and how will valuations be affected? How will pure-play growth equity firms deal with the increased competition as more middle market and venture funds converge on this promising space? Will deal sizes and composition change in the future because of this dynamic?

      Panelists

  • Panel Group 4 4:00 – 4:50pm
    1. Careers in VC/PE Moderator: Jonathan Shepherd (Harvard Business School)

      Moderator Bio

      Panelists

    2. Emerging Domestic Investing Private Equity Focused on Minority Demographics Moderator: Mina Pacheco Nazemi (Credit Suisse Private Equity)

      Moderator Bio

      Businesses that are part of the Emerging Domestic Market (EDM) are those that i) are substantially owned by an ethnic minority group; ii) serve primarily minority customers; and / or iii) are located in the inner city or low-to-moderate income neighborhoods. Historically, these enterprises have received limited attention and capital from the mainstream business community, resulting in a market with capital inefficiencies that have consequently made this segment ripe for private equity investment capital. Demographic shifts and the increasing importance of minority enterprises in the overall economy have drawn the attention of return-focused and double-bottom-line investors alike. How are fund managers focused on the EDM space viewing investment opportunities? What are the unique characteristics of this market? How do LPs, and public pension funds specifically, view EDM investments in terms of pure returns, diversification, and societal benefits? What is the role of EDM-focused investments in the U.S. and global economies?

      Panelists

    3. Venture Capital – CleanTech Evaluating a new asset class Moderator: Hovey Kemp (Goodwin)

      Moderator Bio

      Investing in clean technology and energy is rapidly gaining prominence in many VC and PE firms. The large capital investments, long time horizons, highly regulated markets, the fact that the product is a commodity (energy, water, etc.), and the need to coexist with much older infrastructure and processes make successfully investing in the space a tricky proposition, and in some cases much different than past investments. How do VC and PE firms navigate this uncertainty, evaluate investment opportunities, obtain the funding needed, and position themselves for sizeable returns in the high-risk cleantech environment?

      Panelists