Meeting Date
Tuesday, May 1, 2012Meeting Time
7:30 - 9:30 a.m.Meeting Location and Information
PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC)
in Sorrento Mesa.
5375 Mira Sorrento Place, Suite 300
San Diego, CA 92121
Just off of 805 and Mira Mesa Blvd.
If coming north on 805, exit Sorrento Valley Road
Go straight at the signal and turn into the driveway for the
two buildings you see on the right.
Once in the parking structure, go to the far left for the PWc building
Parking is Free
Topic Synopsis
CONNECT’s Unique Role in San Diego – and Opportunities for Financial Executives to Connect with CONNECT.
With a charter to catalyze the creation and growth of innovative technology and life sciences companies in San Diego, CONNECT has assisted for almost 20 years in the formation and development of more than 3,000 companies in the San Diego region. It has accomplished this through a combination of mentoring, teaching, facilitation of fundraising and legal assistance; coaching; recognition and awards; connection of ideas and entrepreneurs with capital, management talent and other resources; and a variety of other means.
It has done all this in the areas of semiconductors, software, e-commerce, aerospace, cleantech, nanotech, wireless-life sciences convergence, action sports, communications technology, bio-pharma, medical devices and diagnostics, and other industries.
As such, CONNECT provides an unparalleled opportunity for San Diego’s financial executives to contribute their skills to that process and, by so doing, to not only help the community in which we live but to help enhance our own careers as well. Ruprecht will address how this process works in his talk to the FENG.
CONNECT is widely regarded as one of the world's most successful organizations linking inventors and entrepreneurs with the resources they need for commercialization of innovative products in high tech and life sciences. The program has been modeled in more than 50 regions around the world. CONNECT has been recognized by Time, Inc. and Entrepreneur magazines, and in 2011 won the national State Science and Technology Institute’s 2011 Excellence in Tech Based Economic Development Award for Building Entrepreneurial Capacity.
Key to CONNECT’s success has been the unique "culture of collaboration" between research organizations, capital sources, professional service providers and the established industries.
While CONNECT typically has multiple events going on every day of the week, its flagship program is the Springboard program. Hundreds of companies have graduated from the program and raised more than $700 million in funding. The Springboard program offers free assistance for life science and high tech companies in all stages of development, including concept, start-up and companies at critical inflection points. Applicants meeting the criteria – from concept-stage inventors and scientists to companies seeking funding – will typically spend three to six months in coaching sessions with volunteer Entrepreneurs in Residence (EIRs) and subject matter Domain Experts (e.g., finance, marketing, operations) to help them develop their business model. The program culminates in a panel presentation, offering entrepreneurs feedback, advice, and introductions from seasoned industry veterans and top tier service providers.
In his talk, Ruprecht will enlighten us about CONNECT, the Springboard program, how the program works, how CONNECT’s EIRs and Domain Experts work with entrepreneurs to develop companies, some of their success stories, how this work helps the greater San Diego community and – of particular interest to all of us – how the EIRs and DEs themselves benefit from their affiliation with the program.TBA
*** As usual we will have coffee, bagels and cream cheese for all attendees. Refreshments will be provided courtesy of the City of Murrieta and its Economic Development Director, Bruce Coleman. ***
Speaker
Ruprecht von Buttlar-Vice President of Business Creation and Development for San Diego CONNECT
About Ruprecht von Buttlar-Vice President of Business Creation and Development for San Diego CONNECT
Ruprecht von Buttlar is CONNECT’s Vice President, Business Creation & Development. He directs the execution and development of: the Springboard program and the Nearsourcing Roundtable program, among other things. He has been with CONNECT since 2006, having actively volunteered with them for 18 months prior to that. Ruprecht also serves on the executive boards of CCAT (Center for Commercialization of Advanced Technologies), San Diego Advanced Defense Technology cluster and the Biomimicry BRIDGE.
Under Ruprecht’s leadership, the Springboard program has become an internationally renowned business creation program. During his tenure, more than 200 companies have completed the Springboard process, with over 50% of these companies still in operation. These companies have raised over $ 310 Million in seed-, venture- and debt financing and have created 1000 jobs in San Diego.
Prior to CONNECT, Ruprecht held global chief executive, general management and business development positions in the internet and communications industries with companies including Motorola, DSC Communications (Alcatel), Nortel Networks, Scientific Atlanta and Aegis Broadband. Ruprecht has a BS in Industrial Engineering from the University of Hamburg and a MBA from Loyola College in Maryland.