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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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