California Lt. Governor Gavin Newsom Joins Silicon Valley Entrepreneurs and Deal Makers for Fireside Chat at "Launch: Silicon Valley 2011"

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., June 3, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The Silicon Valley Association of Startup Entrepreneurs (SVASE) today announced that California Lieutenant Governor Gavin Newsom will help kick off Launch: Silicon Valley 2011, Silicon Valley's most affordable, high visibility product launch showcase for emerging technology companies, to be held on June 7, 2011. Startup America CEO Scott Case, Garage Technology Ventures Managing Director and author Guy Kawasaki, and Microsoft Corporate Vice President for Strategic and Emerging Business Development Dan'l Lewin will also address this gathering of innovators from around the world.

Lt. Governor Gavin Newsom will participate in a discussion with Bill Reichert, Managing Director of Garage Technology Ventures, on his plan to jumpstart California's economy and the high tech industry's role in these efforts. An audience Q&A with the Lieutenant Governor will be part of this interactive session.

"California's fast growing technology sector continues to have a positive impact on our state's economy," said Lt. Governor Gavin Newsom. "SVASE and their showcase, Launch: Silicon Valley, have played an important role in the delivery of technology innovation and success and I look forward to speaking with these entrepreneurs and investors who are helping to drive our economy forward."

"We are honored to have such an important decision maker as Lieutenant Governor Gavin Newsom, who truly understands the critical role of the Silicon Valley tech community,  share his insights with the entrepreneurs and investors from Silicon Valley and throughout the world who make Launch: Silicon Valley such an important launch venue," said Chris Gill, President and CEO of SVASE.

Panels:

• Sell Fast or Grow Big, with MySpace Entrepreneur and VP Technology Michael Cerda, Zuora Founder and CEO Tien Tzuo (a Launch: Silicon Valley alum), and GGV Capital Partner Glenn Soloman.
• The Changing Face of Venture Capital, with Andreessen Horowitz General Partner John O'Farrell, SoftTech VC Founder and Angel Investor Jeff Clavier, and Garage Technology Ventures Managing Director and Entrepreneur Bill Reichert.

Launch: Silicon Valley 2011, to be held June 7 beginning at 8:30 a.m. at Microsoft's Mountain View Campus, is considered Silicon Valley's most affordable, high visibility platform for emerging technology companies to demo their products or services for launch into the market. This year 30 startups in cleantech, life science, mobile, next generation internet, and technology will make presentations to investors and other influencers who can help shape their success. In addition to the presentations, participants also have the opportunity to network with the audience.

Full agenda: http://www.launchsiliconvalley.org/agenda

Who's Who Attendee List: http://www.launchsiliconvalley.org/atendee

Launch: Silicon Valley 2011 will feature new companies that have a product or service available as of June 7, 2011, but have not been in the marketplace for more than a few months beforehand. The 30 selected companies will present on stage for 6-minutes plus 4 minutes Q&A with the audience and a panel of VCs and Angels, with the opportunity to explain their products in more detail to the audience in networking breaks. The event will also feature an award for the "Most Likely to Succeed" in each of the six presenting categories. Presenters will be on hand to showcase their companies and products between presentations.

List of launching companies: http://www.launchsiliconvalley.org/presenting  

During the past five years, appbackr, BLADE, Data Robotics, Dayak, d.light.design, fix8, Industrial Origami, Jaxtr, JungleCents, Kongregate (acquired by GameStop), MyShape, Smaato, tenCube (acquired by McAfee), Triggit, Trooval, Truemors (acquired by NowPublic), uTest, Vizibility, Yodio, Zuora, and over 100 other startups leveraged SVASE's annual Launch: Silicon Valley event, to launch their products, raising over $130MM in venture capital, securing customers and partners along the way.

Launch: Silicon Valley is co-presented by SVASE, early stage venture capital firm Garage Technology Ventures and Microsoft, which will host the event at the Microsoft Silicon Valley campus in Mountain View. Additional sponsors include Cooley LLP, Draper Fisher Jurvetson, Global Media Strategy communications, Mintz Levin LLP, the Band of Angels, Sand Hill Angels, Wilmer Hale LLP, the Angels Forum, The Kauffman Fellows Program, PR Newswire, Halosys Technologies, Life Science Angels, Foglifter Media, Alchemy Search Partners, Hawaii High Technology Development Corporation, LeadFormix, Link Silicon Valley, and VentureDeal.

For more information about the event, go to: http://launchsiliconvalley.org

Audience members may register at Discounted Early Bird rates at: http://www.acteva.com/booking.cfm?bevaid=214780

About SVASE

Founded in 1995 by entrepreneurs, for entrepreneurs, The Silicon Valley Association of Startup Entrepreneurs (SVASE) is the largest and fastest growing nonprofit in Northern California dedicated exclusively to helping technology and life science entrepreneurs start and grow successful businesses.

SVASE provides support and resources for entrepreneurs, from the idea through initial rounds of funding to product launch, delivered at 12 monthly events and a continually evolving web site. For more information about SVASE, please visit http://www.svase.org.

About Garage Technology Ventures

Garage Technology Ventures is a seed-stage and early-stage venture capital fund headquartered in Palo Alto, California, with investors that include Thomas Weisel Partners and CalPERS, the California Public Employees Retirement System. Garage is focused on investing in emerging technology startups in the Western U.S. For more information about Garage, visit http://www.garage.com.

SOURCE The Silicon Valley Association of Startup Entrepreneurs