9:00 AM - 10:15 AM
Track II:
VC and Investment in the Entertainment & Technology Space: Games, Wireless & Broadband
The VC and Investment community has always led the way in recognizing the newest opportunities in the technology and entertainment space. There are even signs of post-bubble investment and an IPO reversal on the horizon. VC funds are always available for the right idea and in this session, we will focus on the four sectors leading the entertainment and technology space today, broadband, wireless, the DTV/SVOD content and the digital home and technology and games opportunities. Broadband has been the Holy Grail for the entertainment industry for years, but what it represents today, is the reality of locking in millions of users. Wireless represents the explosive technology of the moment, DTV/SVOD represents the next explosive area of growth in the entertainment business - bringing new content to millions of consumers and games represent the next threshold of entertainment.
David O. Higley, Managing Director & Head of Digital Media Technologies, UBS Investment Bank
Sun Jen Yung, Director, Media Investment Banking, Deutsche Bank Securities, Inc.
Allen Sussman, Partner, Morrison & Foerster LLP
Jeff Allen, Managing Director Rocket Ventures
Donald Karl, Partner, Perkins Coie LLP
Joey Tamer, President, S.O.S. Inc., Moderator
Sun Jen Yung, Director, Media Investment Banking, Deutsche Bank Securitie
s, Inc. based in San Francisco. Sun has responsibilities for the firm's Investment Banking franchises in Enhanced TV and Broadband. Sun joined Deutsche Banc Alex. Brown in February 2000 from Lehman Brothers, where she was a senior Internet banker in the San Francisco office. During her seven years at Lehman Brothers, Sun initially spent a year in equity research covering software and service companies and six years in banking covering software and Internet. Prior to Lehman Brothers, Sun spent two years at TCSI in Berkeley, CA in Business Development and Finance. In addition, Sun's background includes several years of investment banking experience at J.P. Morgan (Brazil) and PaineWebber (New York and San Francisco). Sun graduated from Columbia Business School in 1988 with an MBA in Finance and a B.A. in Economics and International Studies from Macalester College in St. Paul, MN in 1984.David O. Higley, Managing Director & Head of Digital Media Technologi
es, UBS Investment Bank: David joined UBS from Prudential Volpe Technology Group where he was head of the Interactive Media and eBusiness Groups. During his career, Dave has raised over $6 billion for his clients and advised on over $2.5 billion in M&A and restructuring transactions. Prior to investment banking, Dave was a securities attorney at Thelen Reid & Priest, a national law firm based in San Francisco. During his time at Thelen, Dave was involved in numerous equity and debt offerings and M&A transactions for emerging growth companies. Dave has a bachelors degree in Business Administration from the University of Southern California (where he was part of the Business Scholars Program) and a Law Degree from the University of Virginia.Allen Z. Sussman, Partner, Morrison & Foerster LLP: Mr. Sussman spe
cializes in representing emerging growth companies and investors in the technology and media sectors, with an emphasis on public and private securities offerings, venture capital transactions, mergers and acquisitions, corporate partnering and strategic alliance arrangements. Prior to private law practice, in the early 1990’s Mr. Sussman was an enforcement attorney with the Securities and Exchange Commission in Washington, D.C., where he handled a number of prominent cases involving auditors, attorneys and insiders of failed banks. Allen graduated from Boston University School of Law (J.D., 1988), and Cornell University (1985) with a B.S. degree in Industrial and Labor Relations.Todd Dagres, General Partner, Battery Ventures: Todd joined Batter
y in 1996 and pursues investments in the media and communications markets. His current focus is on the convergence of content and technology including cable TV, CGI/animation, video gaming and digital content. Since joining Battery, Todd’s major investments have included: Akamai Technologies (NASDAQ: AKAM), Arbor Networks, Broadbus Technologies, Cedar Point Communications, EnvoyWorldWide, Equipe Communications, Predictive Media, Qtera (acquired by Nortel), Redstone Communications (acquired by Siemens), RiverDelta Networks (acquired by Motorola) and XCOM Technologies (acquired by Level 3). Todd is also an Executive Producer with Prospect Avenue Pictures, a film and television production company based on Los Angeles. He sits on the board of Ealing Studios, a London-based independent production company. In 2003, Todd was recognized as one of the top venture capitalists in the United States when we was ranked #14 on the Forbes Magazine "Midas Touch" list of the top 50 VCs in the country. He is a an Adjunct Professor at the MIT Sloan School of Management, where he teaches a course entitled, "New Enterprise." Prior to joining Battery, Todd worked at Montgomery Securities, where he was a Principal and Senior Technology Analyst focusing on the networking industry. Prior to Montgomery, he was a Senior Technology Analyst and Vice President at a division of Smith Barney. He also held positions as VP of Communications Research at The Yankee Group and Business Development Manager for Networking at Digital Equipment Corporation. He holds an MS in Economics from Trinity College, Hartford CT, and an MBA from Boston University.Jeff Allen, Managing Director Rocket Ventures: Jeff Allen is a managing director of Rocket Ventures, and serves on the Boards of eBoomerang, Hipbone, and FullAudio. Previously, Jeff co-founded Greenfield Technology Ventures, a small seed fund and venture catalyst focused on enterprise software companies, where he specialized in investing in and providing interim management assistance to seed stage companies. In addition to providing outstanding operational guidance, Jeff offers entrepreneurs deep skills in building products and services featuring advanced user interfaces, and strategic partnering. Jeff has extensive software development, market strategy, and partnering experience. Jeff was previously a senior technology manager with Andersen Consulting’s (Accenture’s) strategic technology practices in Chicago and Sophia Antipolis, France, where he was a leader in developing cutting-edge business solutions around Microsoft and multi-media technologies. Jeff was instrumental in developing Accenture’s practices involving Windows NT, multimedia, 3D graphics, Internet, and interactive television. Jeff acquired a BSEE from the University of Michigan Jeff focuses on investments in digital media, broadband, and enterprise infrastructure.
Donald E. Karl, Perkins Coie LLP, Los Angeles, California: Don Karl is a p
artner in the Emerging Companies and Technology Group of Perkins Coie LLP’s Los Angeles office. Don provides clients in the technology, entertainment and new media industries guidance and advice on issues relating to corporate finance, mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures and strategic relationships. He has represented motion picture studios, record labels and telecommunications and electronics companies in a wide variety of matters involving new media/technology, including online and other digital distribution of motion pictures, music and games. Don was appointed in 1998 to Los Angeles’ Digital Coast Roundtable, and was a member of the Entrepreneurial Advisory Board of the American Film Institute. He is the author of "Multimedia Joint Ventures: the Business of Combining Art and Technology," a co-author of "The Public Company Handbook: a Practical Guide for Directors and Executives" and is a frequent lecturer on issues relating to new media, technology and business law. Don received a BS in physics from the University of Michigan, a masters in public policy from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University and graduated with honors from Harvard Law School.Joey Tamer, President, S.O.S., Inc.: Joey Tamer is a widely-acclaimed