Thursday, April 23, 2009 -- OCVG/OCTANe Digital Media Mix. OCVG teams up with OCTANe for our first evening event of '09. Learn from some of the quickest minds in Digital Media how they're challenging the powers that be, raising BIG $$$ from VC's and creating some of the coolest companies on planet earth. How Hot Players are Building Cool Companies. As an added bonus, this mega networking event will be hosted at [seven- degrees] in Laguna Beach -- one of the hottest venues in Orange County.Don't miss out.

I look forward to seeing our OCTANe "Family" for our Holiday Party on Dec 2 nd . Top 10 reasons OCTANe did not cancel its Holiday Party." (In It is a FREE reception for our members, partners, supporters who have been working with us for years to develop OCTANe into a true, national "innovation development" best practice that continues to grow and get results. Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving and beginning to the Holiday season. However I have gotten a few comments on "why aren't you cancelling your party given this environment."

Thursday, June 25, 2009 -- Meet the VC: Anthem Venture Partners. OCTANe. Meet the VC brings entrepreneurs and VCs together. See [link] (mor

I was reading the daily Venture Wire blurb last Friday. It was CardioNet , which is a great company Jim Sweeney started/runs down in San Diego (and participated in OCTANe's CA Medical Device Forum in 2006) at the intersection of health care and wireless data. (Congrats, There have been hundreds of venture-backed investments since March 19 th , but none of the existing investments have gone IPO ? Usually these are "quick reads" and sort of a mix between a story in the LA Times and Food and Wine, but the content in this one was particularly fascinating and alarming at the same time.

This is part of my ongoing series Pitching a VC . Last night I attended a DealMaker Media (whom I love because they always host such great discussions) panel on raising angel money moderated by Dan Gould and with panelists Rob Hayes (First Round Capital, more seed or A round than angel), Scot Sangster (with OrganicStartup and the best spokesperson for Tech Coast Angels that I have met to date), Tom McInerney (TGM) and Jarl Mohn (who invests on his own “account” and whose track record is truly humbling). I recently wrote a post on angel financing covering

Thursday, September 24, 2009 -- Meet the VC: Accuitive Medical Ventures. OCTANe. OCTANe's Meet the VC series brings entrepreneurs and VCs together. Join us as we meet Gerard van Hamel Platerink from Accuitive Medical Ventures. Gerard will tell us about his firm, his experience in the medical device and technology space, and their investment strategy. See [link] (mor

Thursday, May 28, 2009 -- Meet The VC. OCTANe. Join us for an informative (and informal) discussion with Dave Ryan of Mission Ventures. Dave will describe his firm's investment philosphy, investment process, and the current state of VC fundraising and investment. Entrepreneurs will have an opportunity to ask many questions and get answers from one of Southern California's This event is for entrepreneurs only. See [link] (mor

Thursday, September 10, 2009 -- Meet the VC: Saban Ventures. OCTANe. Join us as we meet Craig Cooper and Richard Yen from Saban Ventures. Together, they have experience at six leading VC firms from across the country so attendees will also get insight into the VC community in Silicon Valley, Southern California, and New York. Craig and Richard will tell us about their firm, their experience in the digital media, mobile, and consumer internet space, and their investment strategy. See [link] (mor

Thursday, July 23, 2009 -- Special Joint TCVN and OCTANe Forum - Raising Money: Meet The VC's. For this special program, TCVN and OCTANe are joining forces to produce a timely, interactive program on venture capital financing in todays difficult times. This Forum will also serve as a continuation of OCTANes highly regarded, Meet the VC monthly series. Two programs for the price of one! First, this Forum will serve as TCVNs third, consecutive monthly Forum devoted exclusively to Raising Money.

OCTANe. As private and venture capital sources of funding are shrinking, the Federal government has expanded the amount of funding available to private sector companies. Thursday, January 14, 2010 -- Funding Sources Within the Federal Government. The challenge for companies is understanding the process and identifying the business opportunities hidden in the labyrinth of government programs.