Agenda

7:45 – 8:30 am Registration and networking
8:30 – 8:45 am Introduction
8:45 – 9:45 am Part I: Marketing Strategy Panel
9:45 – 10:00 am Break / Networking
10:00 – 11:00 am Part II: Funding Strategies Panel
11:00 – 12:00 pm Part III: Scaling Up Strategy Workshop
12:00 – 12:15 pm Break / Networking
12:15 – 1:15 pm Part IV: Government Grants for Green Biz

 

Part I: Marketing Strategies Panel

Topics Covered

  • Social media
  • Leveraging stakeholders
  • Retooling your business model
  • Rebranding your business
  • Pitfalls to avoid greenwashing

Moderator

Erica Grigg - CEO of Carbon Outreach

Panelists

  • Michael Margolis — Get Storied, company branding and positioning
  • Susan Mcpherson - SVP Fenton
  • Les Neumann - Managing Director, Hudson Valley Innovation Center
  • Marissa Feinberg, Co-Founder, Green Spaces
  • Martin Saposnick - Hudson Valley Innovation Center

Part II: Funding Strategies Panel

Topics Covered

  • Green money vs. traditional capital
  • Importance of human capital
  • How the founder’s role changes
  • Right balance of Scaling (not too much, too quickly)
  • Management team needs to buy in
  • Using TBL indexes

Moderator

Stefan Doering — CEO of BEST coaches, Inc.

Panelists

  • David Kistner — Green Apple Cleaners, green entrepreneur
  • Ron Bergamini — Action Carting, CEO
  • Franklin Madison — ITAC, government grants

Part III: Scaling Up Strategy Workshop

Topics Covered

  • Leveraging your vision
  • Building your marketing strategy
  • Refining your financial strategy
  • Not selling out while scaling up
  • Putting it all together

Facilitator

Stefan Doering—BEST coaches, Inc.

Part IV: Bonus: Government Grants for Green Businesses

Grants are an overlooked source of early stage funding. The SBIR program provides small businesses the opportunity to propose innovative ideas that meet federal R&D needs.

Eleven federal agencies offer these grants, and cleantech opportunities exist in many of them. Learn how to access these grants, and to find out whether your technology is a good fit for non-dilutive government investment. Nearly $2.5 billion was invested in FY2010. Will your project be ready to win in FY 2011?