The FENG New York, NY Chapter

Next Meeting
When: Wednesday, 3/05/2008 5:30 PM to 8:30 PM

Where: Lee Hecht Harrison 200 Park Avenue (MetLife Building), 26th Floor 212-557-0009

Agenda: “Financial and Marketing Strategies for Start-Ups and Entrepreneurs”
Starting your own company as an entrepreneur requires considerable financial, marketing, and technical expertise. Many start-ups fail because their core competencies are too narrow; a novel idea or product alone does not spell success. In particular, many have difficultly raising sufficient capital to launch the initiative, or skimp on marketing under the false assumption that their novel concept will sell itself. Consequently, firms with considerable potential are often forced to close their doors not as a result of a flawed invention, but as a result of inadequate or faulty launch strategies.

The FENG New York has invited two experts in the start-up, entrepreneur, and angel investor fields to provide their insights into the various components of successful launch strategies. Doors open at 5:30, with speaker presentations beginning at 6:00. Both speakers will have the floor for up to 30 minutes, followed by a half hour of group Q&A. The networking hour begins at 7:30 and goes to 8:30. In order of speaking:

Michael Segal is the General Partner of Joshua Capital Partners, a private investment partnership. He is also founder of the boutique investment banking firm M.J. Segal Associates, which he created in 1987. M.J. Segal was formed to address the many problems faced by emerging/growth companies in accessing capital markets. In particular, these companies are often unable to raise capital through the large Wall Street firms. His firm actively focuses on developing relationships with institutional investors to find alternative sources of equity and debt capital for its clients, as well as create corporate strategies. His primary criticism of the investment process is that it tends to be unnecessarily complicated and tedious; thus his firm concentrates on developing realistic business plans and incubation time frames for its clients as they launch their initiatives. Michael is a member of the screening committee for the Tri-State Private Investors Network, one of the area’s leading Angel groups; and is a Founder of New York Private Equity Forums.

Sandra Holtzman founded Holtzman Communications, LLC in 1997. She is a marketing expert in the pharmaceutical industry, with expertise in several sectors including biotech, nanotech, chemical, and emerging and converging technologies. Her experience in this sector led her to co-author a recent book on marketing mistakes of emerging companies, entitled “Lies Start-Ups Tell Themselves to Avoid Marketing.” The book covers a wide range of managerial misconceptions and tactical errors that typically lead to the demise of entrepreneurial firms. Sandra will discuss the main points of the book, which will be on sale at the event. She also authored the marketing chapter of “A Comprehensive Guide to Business Incubation,” a top-selling book published by the National Business Incubation Association. Further, Sandra contributes as a columnist on a regular basis to the trade periodicals “Oncology Business Review” and “Lab to Wall Street.”

In order to attend this event please reply promptly to The FENG New York at fengnyc@gmail.com, providing your name, preferred email address, and primary telephone number. After the meeting, this contact information will be circulated for networking purposes. A $20 cover charge for chapter administration is payable at the door. If your plans change and you are unable to attend, please provide notification so that another member can have your seat. As a matter of courtesy to the speakers, please turn off cell phones and do not leave the meeting until its conclusion.

Remember: The dress code is business casual.

Directions: From 45th Street entrance walk up one flight to 2nd floor check-in. From 42nd Street entrance walk through Grand Central Terminal, take escalators up two flights to 2nd Floor reception.

Navigating the startup road-- Thursday, October 11, at NJEF's Entrepreneur University sponsored by the NJ Entreprenurial Forum

Why is a business plan not enough without a marketing plan?

How do you identify the early adopters who will purchase your product?

These and other questions will be answered on October 11, 2007, from 4-6 p.m., at the CCIT when NJEF's Entrepreneur University hosts Sandra Holtzman at a special session of the Entrepreneurs Forum. Sandra will present the findings of her book, "Lies Start-ups Tell Themselves to Avoid Marketing" at the Commercialization Center for Innovative Technologies, at 675 Route 1 South, North Brunswick, NJ. Register in advance for $30 ($35 at the door) at the NJEF website, www.njef.org . Come for the good food and camraderie, stay for the networking and knowledge.

Sandra Holtzman will be giving a marketing seminar at University of Rochester School of Medicine December 4, 2007
Rochester Clinical & Translational Research Curriculum Seminar Announcement
December 4, 2007

The Truth About Marketing a Startup Business
Sandra Holtzman recently spoke at the Rochester Chapter of the Licensing Executives Society.

"Lies Startups Tell Themselves to Avoid Marketing" presented by Sandra Holtzman President, Holtzman Communications, LLC Lead Co-Chair, New York City Chapter of Licensing Executive Society

Lite luncheon will be served. Please join us! @ 12:15 - 1:15pm LeChase Assembly (G9576)

LeChase Assembly is in the Arthur Kornberg Medical Research Building, just past the Coffee Shop in the Atrium on the ground floor, then through the double doors.

Panelist at the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Licensing Training Program: Protection, Marketing and Licensing Research Results
Organized by The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) in cooperation with The University of West Indies (UWI), The Scientific Research Council of Jamaica (SRC), The Jamaica Intellectual Property Office (JIPO), and The Jamaica Promotions Corporation (JAMPRO).

The main objective of this event was to empower technology managers in research institutions and the private sector to value and protect their intellectual property assets, to identify opportunities and risks in licensing agreements, and to negotiate successful technology licensing agreements.

Focus on Canadian Life Sciences and IT Companies
Endorsed by the University of Manitoba's Technology Transfer Office

"Lies That SMEs & StartUps Tell Themselves to Avoid Marketing!" and overcoming barriers for Canadian companies entering the US market were the subjects of Sandra Holtzman's presentation to the Health Care Products Association of Manitoba at The Hotel Fort Garry, Winnipeg, Manitoba. As a result, her company was endorsed by the University of Manitoba's Technology Transfer Office.

Appeared at New Jersey Biomedical Engineering Showcase
Sandra Holtzman will be selling and signing her new book "Lies Startups Tell Themselves to Avoid Marketing" at the 4th Annual New Jersey Biomedical Engineering Showcase at the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) Campus Center Ballroom (second floor), Newark, New Jersey.

Sponsors include NJIT, Rutgers-The State University of New Jersey, Princeton University, The University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, Stevens Institute of Technology, Kean University, the Public Health Research Institute of Technology, The Biotechnology Council of New Jersey, The New Jersey Commission on Science and Technology, The New Jersey Commission on Spinal Cord Research, the HealthCare Institute of New Jersey, and the Biomedical Engineering Alliance for Industrial Internships.

This year's theme is Biomedical Engineering Innovation – from Concept to Clinic to Commerce. The program includes keynote panels exploring the topics of technology commercialization, New Jersey State support for the Bio/Life Sciences Cluster and global perspectives and success stories on translational research.

Planting New Ideas at BioStrategy Partners First Sightings 2007
Sandra Holtzman will be speaking and signing her new book, "Lies Startups Tell Themselves to Avoid Marketing", at BioStrategy Partners' First Sightings 2007 in Princeton, NJ. "Resources, Challenges, and Opportunities for Emerging Life Sciences Companies" is a mentoring and networking program for pre-seed and seed-stage life sciences companies in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware.

First Sightings is a coaching process and networking opportunity for emerging life sciences companies. BioStrategy Partners provides discovery, pre-seed, and seed life sciences companies with the tools to help them grow their businesses to the next level.

Hatching the Right Companies at the NBIA Annual Meeting
Holtzman Communications was a participating sponsor at the National Business Incubation Association's 21st International Conference on Business Incubation in Seattle, Washington. NBIA is the world's leading organization advancing business incubation and entrepreneurship. This meeting provided thousands of professionals with the information, education, advocacy, and networking resources to bring excellence to the process of assisting early-stage companies worldwide.