EI Invitation & Announcement: 3/24 @ 5:30 pm in ELab II rm 119

[Paul G. Silva]

Please join us for this semester's exciting addition to the UMass Amherst Entrepreneurship Initiative's Executive Summary Competition tradition.  

3/24 @ 5:15 pm in ELab II, rm 119 (free parking in lot 45 after 5:00 pm)
Map: http://www.umassei.org/storage/map.pdf

The event opens with a simulated venture fair and moves on to verbal "elevator pitches" with Q&A by the judges.  While the judges deliberate the audience will provide feedback and select which team will win the "People's Choice" award.  Those interested are invited to join us for a post-event social at Rafter's sports bar (map to Rafter's).

Finalists:

• ANDANJE FOUNDATION - We seek to provide computers & learning technology to youth in remote regions of developing nations, starting with seven pilot programs in Kenya.  Our goal is to use computer literacy & technological learning strategies to open doors of opportunity to critically underserved children.
  
• Apera Solutions - is a technology integration firm which is developing a process that enables a synergy of industrial efficiency, renewable power, and renewable fuels within the ethanol and wind markets. 
  
• Localocracy - is a web-based platform for political discussion where users who have been verified as living in a particular community can post and rank responses to their local issues. The service is free to the general public, and is paid for by special interest groups who pay for targeted placement.
• MicroTissues, Inc. - is dedicated to the commercialization of the 3-D Petri dish, a proprietary new tool for the life sciences industry. The 3-D Petri dish is an enabling technology that can grow cells in three dimensions and will reduce the cost to discover new drugs by the pharmaceutical industry.
  
• Precision Slip - is a concept company with a laboratory proven drag reducing marine coating technology capable of decreasing fuel consumption at least 40% for a typical merchant ship or providing the winning edge in the America’s Cup.

Honorable Mentions:

Carabas Training, ComfyCutter, CookIt, Dry-A-Ways, E-Z Laundry, GloSkirts, iSpy, Khross Clothing, RaveWave Club Effects, and Shepherd

Volunteer Judges:

• Denise Dukette - Director of Lending at Western Mass. Enterprise Fund 
  http://www.linkedin.com/in/denisebdukette
  
• John Kole - President at Merrimack Capital LLC, Executive Committee Member at River Valley Investors
  http://www.linkedin.com/pub/7/871/259
  
• Joseph Steig - Director, Venture Well and CFO, Long River Ventures, Co-Founder of the River Valley Investors and EI
  http://www.linkedin.com/in/steig
  
• Paul Gelinas - CEO at Zippy Blue LLC, Member of the River Valley Investors
  http://www.linkedin.com/in/paulgelinas
  
• Steve Willis - Co-founder of Wellfleet Communications and Argon Networks
  http://www.zoominfo.com/people/Willis_Steve_13444015.aspx
  
• DR Widder - Principal at Milestone Strategies Group
  http://www.linkedin.com/in/drwidder
  
• Bill Fontes - Senior Vice President, Commercial Banking
  No website available at this time

And our sincere thanks to the competition's sponsors:

• Harold Grinspoon Charitable Foundation www.hgcf.org
• National Collegiate Inventors and Innovators Alliance - www.nciia.org

We hope to see you at the event.

Sincerely,

- The EI Team

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Paul G. Silva, Managing Partner
Angel Catalyst (www.angelcatalyst.com)
  Excellence in Angel Investing ™
w: 413-241-7285 | c: 413-585-9692
e: pa...@angelcatalyst.com
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LinkedIn Profile: http://www.linkedin.com/in/paulgsilva