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| Backing Innovation - How States Are Investing In The Future
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| With Danny Qiao (Director on Connecticut Innovations), Jennifer Tegan (Managing Director, Empire State Development's New York Ventures), John Wisniewski (Managing Director, Strategic Initiatives and Venture Products at New Jersey Economic Development Authority). |
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Sep 23 (Wed) @ 05:00 PM
FREE
| | Venue, To Be Announced
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State venture funds are playing an increasingly important role in building regional innovation ecosystems.
This panel brings together leaders from three of the Northeast's most active public VC programs - Connecticut Innovations, New York State's NY Ventures, & the New Jersey Economic Development Authority - for a candid discussion on how government capital is shaping the next generation of startups.
Panelists will discuss how their funds source & evaluate deals, what differentiates public venture capital from traditional VC, & where they see the biggest opportunities for founders & investors across the region. Stick around afterwards for a happy hour with the founders & VCs.
Meet the panelists:
Danny Qiao is a Director on Connecticut Innovations' investment team, where he leads the team's consumer & international investment efforts. Prior to CI, he led consumer investing at Sweater Ventures, backing brands like IQBAR, Graza, Nomadica, OROS, & Havenly. He began his career at Accenture Strategy & later covered financial sponsors & financial institutions in investment banking at BNP Paribas. Danny holds an MBA from the Yale School of Management & a BS from Cornell University's School of Industrial & Labor Relations.
Jennifer Tegan is the Managing Director of Empire State Development's New York Ventures, where she oversees over $320 million in investment programs aimed at fueling New York's startup ecosystem. Since joining in 2020, she has managed direct & indirect investment funds including the NYS Innovation Venture Capital Fund & the Emerging & Regional Manager Partner Fund (a fund of funds). An experienced investor & advocate, Jennifer previously spent 18 years as a partner at Cayuga Venture Fund. She has served on the board of the National Venture Capital Association & held leadership roles with Tompkins Financial Corporation & the Upstate Capital Association of New York. Jennifer holds an MBA from Cornell University, an MS from the University of Cincinnati, & a BA from Smith College.
John Wisniewski is the Managing Director, Strategic Initiatives & Venture Products at New Jersey Economic Development Authority. His responsibilities include oversight of the state's investment into Strategic Innovation Centers, & venture investment programs. John started his career with ExxonMobil where he held various positions developing projects in the US & internationally. He ran a private equity infrastructure fund based in the Middle East for Arcapita Bank, & then switched to venture capital working with Clean Energy Ventures Group. John has a BS in Chemical Engineering from Cooper Union, & an MBA from Rice University.
Meet the hosts:
Connecticut Innovations is Connecticut's venture capital arm, investing in early & growth-stage biotech, IT, & deep tech companies.
NY Ventures is New York State's innovation venture capital fund, backing high-growth startups across the state.
NJEDA's Venture Products team supports New Jersey's innovation ecosystem, including through the New Jersey Innovation Evergreen Fund.
Meet the sponsors:
Rho is the all-in-one banking platform for startups & the accountants supporting them. With banking setup in minutes, cashback cards, & tools for managing spend, paying bills, & closing the books, Rho helps high-growth startups move fast & stay focused, backed by support that goes to the end of the earth to help you win.
Rho is a fintech company, not a bank. Checking & card services are provided by Webster Bank, N.A., member FDIC; savings account services are provided by American Deposit Management Co. & its partner banks.
KPMG Private provides specialized advisory, audit, tax, & strategic consulting services tailored for emerging growth companies, startups, & private enterprises scaling up through various lifecycle stages. Whether you're launching a startup or accelerating your growth, the Emerging Growth team offers strategic insights & resources designed to support your business journey.
#nyc #venturecapital #government
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