9:00 AM - 10:15 AM
Session C:
Investment and Venture Capital in Broadband: From Incubator of Ideas & Talent to Financier of Operations (Part I)
The investment and venture capital community in the high technology field has added an interesting strategic dimension to its operations over the past few years. Much of the industry has evolved from the old strictly hands-off analytical approach of investing to one of extensive strategic involvement in the sustained development of the operation, supplying it with both talent and ideas and providing it with strategic relationships with the firm’s other clients. With the technology sector overflowing with start-up to IPO success stories, this approach is something like Major League owners maintaining a minor league infrastructure, with managers, trainers and spring training facilities. In this workshop we will hear first hand from a number of investment, start-up and legal experts to better understand the breadth of the incubator approach and how it works in practice.
Ravin Agrawal, Partner, East/West Capital
Mariana Danilovic, CEO & President, The Digital Media Incubator
Douglas C. Barry, General Partner, Selby Venture Partners
David L. Ficksman, Co-Chair, iLaw Group, Loeb & Loeb LLP
David Eun, Principal, Arts Alliance
Joanna Tamer, President, S.O.S. Inc., Moderator
Ravin Agrawal, Partner, East/West Capital: Prior to joining East/West Capital, Mr. A
grawal was a New York -based business consultant for McKinsey & Company, the global management consulting firm. At McKinsey, Mr. Agrawal was deeply involved in the evolution of Internet commerce by helping major global banks respond to the opportunities presented by start-ups with new business models and technologies. He also managed several programs to improve the operations of media and entertainment companies, and international business development efforts for technology clients. Previously, Mr. Agrawal had founded and served as chief executive of SouthAsia.com, a pioneering web design firm in Bangalore, India, and had been a noted nationwide speaker on the commercial possibilities of the Internet for South Asian companies. While earning his MBA, he was selected by the Walt Disney Company as the first student Producer in its new electronic entertainment unit, Disney Interactive. There, he designed original video-game, PC, and online product concepts. Mr. Agrawal received a BA in Economics from Harvard College, where he served as the Producer of the Hasty Pudding show and as an editor of the Harvard Lampoon, and he received his MBA from Harvard Business School.Mariana Dani
lovic: Ms. Danilovic is the CEO & President of Digital Media Incubator LLC, which she founded in February of 2000. Digital Media Incubator LLC provides seed financing and incubation to digital media and convergence companies. Prior to founding DMI LLC, Ms. Danilovic founded and managed the Digital Media Business Incubator at KPMG LLP. This practice developed numerous "cutting-edge" clients, including Digital Entertainment Network, Internet Wire, Tonos.com, Beyond Music, mySMART.com, Internet Wire, Popular Arts, WalkThisWay.com, FirstLook.com, Bridge Entertainment, Thirsty.com, and QST.com. The practice successfully assisted the sale of the Well to the Salon. Prior to joining KPMG, Ms. Danilovic headed business development for Mandalay Entertainment. She was also in business development at Sony Pictures Entertainment and at Twentieth Century Fox International Television Group. Prior to attending business school, she worked in Product Management and Mergers & Acquisitions for Transamerica and Sun America. Ms. Danilovic earned a Master in Business Administration degree from Anderson Graduate School of Management at UCLA and a Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics from University of California at San Diego. She serves on the Board of Directors of VIC, the Board of Directors of the Zone Club, the Board of Directors of California Culture Net, the Industry-University Council of University of California’s Digital Media Innovation Program, and as a member of the Los Angeles Mayor Riordan’s Digital Coast Roundtable.David L. Ficksman is a partner in the Century City office and is Co-Chair of the iLaw Group. Mr. Ficksman received his A.B. in Political Science from Tufts University, where he graduated cum laude. He obtained his J.D. and his LL.M. from New York University School of Law. Mr. Ficksman’s practice includes initial public offerings, mergers and acquisitions, domestic and international corporate finance and public company representation (offerings and compliance). He represents a number of clients who are based outside the United States in connection with their activities in this country. Mr. Ficksman represents clients in many industries, ranging from telecommunications, the Internet, publishing, environmental, financial services (including underwriters and placement agents), manufacturing and entertainment. Mr. Ficksman is a member of the State Bar of California and the New York State Bar.
David Eun, Principal, Arts Alliance: Arts Alliance has co-invested with such notables as GE Capital, Allen & Co., Chase Capital, Intel and Kleiner Perkins. These deals -- and successful investments suc
h as Firefly, AtomFilms, Launch.com, Spinner and eStyle (kidstyle/babystyle) -- resulted in a 600% on return on their first fund. Arts Alliance has made recent deals in the broadband wireless space -- Upoc and PocketThis -- and have been the only American VC invited to join the international elite wireless organization of WiVa (Wireless Internet Venture Association). David has a particular focus on entertainment and new media investments. These include early stage Internet and wireless applications companies developing enabling technologies, marketing services platforms and proprietary tools. He sits on the boards of Cybersites, Licensemusic and Flixer, and has an observer seat on UBUBU and Upoc. Previously, David worked at NBC Enterprises where he oversaw NBC's first cross-media commerce initiatives, which involved its television programming and interactive properties with major music labels, film studios and publishers. In addition, he was responsible for negotiations of all entertainment content and distribution deals for NBC.com. Prior to NBC, David worked as a management consultant with Bain & Company in Boston and San Francisco. David earned his juris doctorate from Harvard Law School, where he served as a teaching fellow at the Harvard Negotiations Project, and graduated magna cum laude from Harvard College with a bachelor's degree in government.Doug Barry is a general partner of Selby Venture Partners, a $100 million seed capital fund in Menlo Park, California. Doug has a fifteen-year investment and operating background in the software, e-commerce and media industries. He is intricately involved in sourcing, evaluating, investing in and supporting Selby's Internet, wireless and broadband investments. Doug currently sits on the board of directors for Cobaltcard, Electronic Media Communications and Filmson.com. Doug is also an investor and board advisor to Onechannel.net, Pagoo and Panopticon (BBSW). Prior to Selby Venture Partners, Doug founded several startups and held senior management positions in a variety of private and public software and media companies, including Electronic Arts, Inc., Navio Communications (now Liberate Technology: LBRT), and Turner Broadcasting. Doug has also been a consultant to several other early stage Internet and broadband companies including Tivo (TIVO), Veon, and Pulsent. Doug holds a B.S. from U.C. Berkeley and an MBA from Harvard University.