Leading Venture Capital Event Unveils Expert Speaker Lineup and Early Look at Presenting Companies

ANN ARBOR, Mich., April 18, 2017 /PRNewswire/ — Today, organizers of the Michigan Growth Capital Symposium (MGCS) and Coulter Investment Forum – who have joined together this year to present one premier venture capital event – announced that the conference will feature keynote addresses from Clay Thorp, general partner of Hatteras Venture Partners, and Markus Lampinen, CEO of Crowd Valley. The conference will also include panel discussions covering topics and trends in entrepreneurship and venture capital led by industry experts.

Markus Lampinen and Clay Thorp Headline Roster of Respected Industry Speakers
The program will kick off with a keynote address from Markus Lampinen, CEO of Crowd Valley. Lampinen has built operations on six continents and has been recognized as one of the top 100 thought leaders in crowdfunding. During his address, he will offer attendees an inside look into the current state of funding, his viewpoint on market disrupters and what this means for the venture capital community in terms of opportunity and growth. The program will also include a keynote address from entrepreneur turned venture capitalist and general partner of Hatteras Venture Partners Clay Thorp. Thorp will pull from his extensive experience in the venture capital and startup industries to offer insight into the current state of the entrepreneurial ecosystem and what early stage organizations – specifically in the life sciences arena – can do to advance and be successful.

In addition to Thorp and Lampinen, the program will also feature high-caliber speakers representing entrepreneurs, researchers, investment professionals and business executives who will lead informative discussions on pivotal industry issues. Panel discussions will provide attendees with tips on how entrepreneurs of early stage companies can face and solve challenges, such as developing a solid team and choosing the most appropriate accelerator, incubator or foundry. Panelists will also offer insight into the disruption of traditional financial services in opposition to banks, as well as the implications the transition from Obamacare to Trumpcare will have on the healthcare industry.

Confirmed speakers include:

• Jim Adox, Managing Director, Venture Investors
• Sundu Brahmasandra, President, NeuMoDx Molecular
• Mike Blue, President & CEO, Histosonics
• Markus Limpenen, CEO, Crowd Valley
• Clay Thorp, General Partner, Hatteras Ventures
• Larry Berlin, Senior Vice President, First Analysis Corp.
• Don Layden, Venture Partner, Baird Capital
• Jonathan Murray, Managing Director, Draper Triangle Ventures
• Steve Robert,CEO, Autobooks
• Joan Susie, Chairman, Bank Director
• Justin Field, Vice President of Government Affairs, National Venture Capital Association
• Anna Haghgooie, Managing Director, Healthcare, Sandbox Industries
• David Kereiakes, Principal, River Cities Capital Funds
• Dan Kidle, Principal, Arboretum Ventures
• Ibraheem Badejo Ph.D., Sr. Director New Ventures, J&J Innovation Center
• Sandra Cochrane, Director, WMed Innovation Center, Western Michigan University
• Bill Mayer, Vice President, Entrepreneurial Services, Ann Arbor SPARK
• Karen Spilizewski, Vice President, Business Development, RiverVest Venture Partners; Vice President, BioEnterprise Corporation

Early Look at Impressive Lineup of Presenting Companies
The full list of selected presenting companies will be announced a few weeks prior to the event. Following is an advance look at a partial list:

• Clicktivated – Amplified Video Engagement (AVE) platform for brands looking to create an enhanced interactive user experience
• TAI Diagnostics – biotechnology company focused on providing a non-invasive and highly sensitive diagnostic test to monitor the health of transplanted organs in patients who have received solid organ transplants
• TibaRay, Inc. – medical device company inventing the next generation of radiation therapy systems, particle accelerators and RF sources and components
• Neurotherapia – medical therapeutics company focused on discovering and developing new chemical entities for the treatment of neuroinflammatory disease
• CARROT Wellness – mobile app designed to encourage users to lead healthier, more active lives
• WayMark – Detroit-based mobile and online service that allows local businesses to create and manage digital advertising
• Histosonics – medical device company focused on developing Robotically Assisted Sonic Therapy (RAST) – a completely non-invasive, focused ultrasound treatment
• Opticyte – University of Washington spinout formed to commercialize a next-generation oximeter that will allow clinicians real-time monitoring of cellular oxygenation and perfusion.
• ATLAS Space Operations – provider of cloud based solutions for space access in the rapidly growing global space market

Hosted by the University of Michigan Ross School of Business’ Center for Venture Capital & Private Equity Finance with support from the Michigan Venture Capital Association, this year’s Symposium will be held May 16-17, 2017 at the Marriott Resort in Ypsilanti, Mich. More than 500 entrepreneurs, researchers, investment professionals and business executives are expected to attend for networking, company presentations and panel discussions. The conference has a track record of attracting high-quality investors from around the country. This year there will be a special dinner reception at the U-M football stadium on the opening day where attendees with have a chance to network on and off the field.

For more information on this year’s event, please visit http://www.michigangcs.com/.

About the Michigan Growth Capital Symposium
The Michigan Growth Capital Symposium (MGCS) is the original university-based venture investment fair, which was first held in 1981. This decades-old nationally attended event is the largest Midwest fair of its kind that brings together venture capital investors, business angels, start-up companies, university tech transfer officers and research faculty. MGCS provides an opportunity for participants from the venture capital community to connect with Midwest start-ups seeking funding and to learn about emerging innovations that span tech and the life sciences. MGCS is presented by the Center for Venture Capital & Private Equity Finance and the Zell Lurie Institute at the University of Michigan Ross School of Business, with support from the Michigan Venture Capital Association.

About the Wallace H. Coulter FoundationWallace Coulter dedicated his wealth to continuing to improve health care through medical research and engineering, and established the Wallace H. Coulter Foundation to fund these areas. The Foundation provides leading scientific and medical societies the resources to develop distinctive educational programs designed to improve the quality of care in resource-limited areas. Its’ university-based translational research grant program funds projects at 16 Universities and establishes a business-like commercialization process to accelerate academic innovations to the marketplace. The national Coulter Investment Forum showcases life science companies seeking investment that have been vetted through the Translational Research Partnership Program of participating Universities. The Coulter Foundation also supports American Pacific Islander Association (AAPI) organizations. 

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SOURCE Michigan Growth Capital Symposium