SDForum | Green VC

June 6, 2011

SDForum Presents “Clean Lighting Solutions: Lighting the Future” on July 19 (Discount Available)

On July 19, SDForum will present the next program in its Clean Tech Breakfast Series, Clean Lighting Solutions: Lighting the Future. A summary of this program is:

There are many factors that drive sustainability. Tenants and occupants are starting to demand greener, cleaner buildings. Legislation is starting to mandate energy efficiency and a curtailment of greenhouse gas emissions. Lighting associated with commercial buildings accounts for close to 71% of overall lighting electricity used in the US. It is the largest cost component of a commercial property’s electricity bill and a significant portion of the total energy bill.

This program will feature the following panelists:

Mike Dauber, Battery Ventures
Steve Goldberg, Ph.D, Venrock
Carl Schlachte, Ventiva Inc.
Victor Westerlind, Rockport Capita
lModerated by: Mavis Yee, Nixon Peabody

This program will be held from 8:00 – 10:00 am at Nixon Peabody, One Embarcadero Center, 18th FloorSan Francisco, CA 94111. Thanks to our friends at SDForum, readers of Green VC can receive a $5 discount from the non-member registration price for this event. To receive the discount, please use code "CLEAN05" when registering online.

July 2011 Clean Tech Breakfast Promo Video featuring Steve Goldberg, Venrock from SDForum on Vimeo.

April 20, 2011

SDForum Presents “Biofuels – Is Sugar the New Oil?” on May 17 (Discount Available)

On May 17, SDForum will present the next program in its Clean Tech Breakfast Series entitled Biofuels – Is Sugar the New Oil? A summary of this program is:

As global crude oil supplies become more expensive and uncertain, many countries view biofuels from conventional sugar crops as a cheaper, cleaner, more secure substitute for oil. Several questions arise: Once sugar becomes a major energy source, how will sugar prices vary with crude oil prices and with rising demand? Are biofuels truly a cleaner alternative to oil-derived fuels? Will current technologies be compatible with future sources of sugar?

This program will feature the following panelists:

Kef Kasdin, Proterro Inc.
Aaron Moser, LS9
Greg Young, Burrill & Company
Moderated by: Thomas Lord, PricewaterhouseCoopers

This program will be held from 8:00 am - 10:00 am at SAP, 3412 Hillview Avenue, Baltic/Caribbean rooms in Building 2, Palo Alto, CA. Thanks to our friends at SDForum, readers of Green VC can receive a $5 discount from the non-member registration price for this event. To receive the discount, please use code "CLEAN05" when registering online.

April 20, 2011

SDForum Presents Program on Waste Management and Recycling on May 3 (Discount Available)

On May 3, SDForum will present the next program in its Clean and Green Evening Series entitled Waste Management and Recycling. A summary of this program is:

As waste management has intensified the global environmental impact and creates financial costs, a perfect storm is created for technology innovation. SDForum is partnering with Orrick to bring you a dynamic discussion of emerging waste mitigation companies, socially responsible venture investment firms, and local public services as they address building sustainable and environmentally compatible products for full life cycle and highlight the lifecycle of consumer waste management, treatment, recovery and containment.

This program will feature the following panelists:

Nick Drobac, The Clean Oceans Project
Annie Hazlehurst, Draper Fisher Jurvetson
Jim Holm, ENergy
Patrick Mathews, Salinas Valley Solid Waste Authority
Haider Nazar, Verliant
Moderated by: Mitch Zuklie, Orrick

This program will be held from 6:00 - 8:30 pm at Orrick, 1100 Marsh Road, Menlo Park, CA. Thanks to our friends at SDForum, readers of Green VC can receive a $5 discount from the non-member registration price for this event. To receive the discount, please use code "GREEN05" when registering online.

February 28, 2011

SDForum Presents “Electric Vehicles – What’s Under the Hood?” on March 22 (Discount Available)

On March 22, SDForum will present the next program in its Clean Tech Breakfast Series entitled Electric Vehicles – What's Under the Hood? A summary of this program is:

Electric vehicles are hot, yet much of the conversation focuses on charging infrastructure and market readiness. Our panelists look under the hood of electric vehicles, to see what's happening with electric drive trains, power electronics, the user experience and of course, battery systems. Join us to hear exciting insights into the propulsion and human interface technologies that make electric vehicles go.

This program will feature the following panelists:

Matt Boyle, Sevcon
Rob Ferber, ElectronVault, Inc.
Gerd Goette, Siemens
Ryan Popple, Kleiner Perkins Caufiled & Byers
Moderated by: Robert Ebe, Nixon Peabody LLP

This program will be held from 8:00 am - 10:00 am at Nixon Peabody, One Embarcadero Center, 18th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94111. Thanks to our friends at SDForum, readers of Green VC can receive a $5 discount from the non-member registration price for this event. To receive the discount, please use code "CLEAN05" when registering online.

January 22, 2011

SDForum Presents “The State of Corporate Sustainability” on February 2 (Discount Available)

On February 2, SDForum will present the next program in its Green and Clean Evening Series entitled The State of Corporate Sustainability. A summary of this program is:

Corporate sustainability is a "key driver" of innovation that also yields real financial rewards rather than extra cost. By treating sustainability as a goal today, early movers will develop competencies that rivals will be hard-pressed to match. Come hear our experts discuss how they are navigating as they adopt green business models.

This program will feature the following panelists:

Joyce Dickerson, Stanford University
Bruce Klafter, Applied Materials
Andrew Williamson, Physic Ventures
Moderated by: Mitch Zuklie, Orrick

This program will be held from 6:00 – 8:30 pm at Orrick, 1100 Marsh Road, Menlo Park, CA. Thanks to our friends at SDForum, readers of Green VC can receive a $5 discount from the non-member registration price for this event. To receive the discount, please use code "GREEN05" when registering online.

December 8, 2010

SDForum Presents “The Global Water Crisis: Challenges and Opportunities in Water Technologies and Clean Energy” on January 25 (Discount Available)

On January 25, 2011, SDForum will present a special program entitled The Global Water Crisis: Challenges and Opportunities in Water Technologies and Clean Energy. A description of this program is as follows:

Water, our most precious commodity, continues to garner more attention in the media as climate change and increasing demand constrain supplies worldwide. Where are we ahead, where are we behind and what’s next? This conference brings together global leaders and influencers to share best practices and learn more about the intersection of technology driving innovation to solve a pressing world problem which is the energy crisis and limited water supply. This conference is brought to you in partnership with Australia as part of the 'G'day USA 2011 program'.

Opening Keynote by Senator David Cogdill, California State Senate

Other Confirmed Speakers Include:

James Cameron, National Water Commission, Australia
Drew Clark, IBM Venture Group
Dr. Craig Criddle, Stanford University
Jim Davis, SAP
Amol Deshpande, Kleiner Perkins
Burt Hamner, Hydrovolts
Cassie Doyle, Consulate General of Canada
Bill Kocher, City of Santa Cruz Water Dept. CA
Henrik Skov Laursen, Grundfos Water Technology Center
J Patrick McIntyre, ET Water
Tamin Pechet, Banyan Water
Rafael Simon, VantagePoint
Don Wood, Draper Fisher Jurveston

Closing Keynote by Susan Leal, Co-Author of Running Out of Water.

This program will be held from 8:30 AM – 4:15 PM at AMD Commons Auditorium, One AMD Place, Sunnyvale, CA Early-bird registration pricing is available until December 15. Readers of Green VC can also save $10 with code "WATER10". Additional program details and registration is available here.

November 4, 2010

SDForum Presents “Greening Your Data Center” on November 16 (Discount Available)

On November 16, SDForum will present the next program in its Clean Tech Breakfast Series entitled Greening Your Data Center. A summary of this program is:

Mission critical installations face a number of cooling system challenges in the modern data center. The requirements of today's IT systems, combined with the way those IT systems are deployed, has created new cooling related problems. These are new problems which could not have been foreseen when the data center cooling principles were developed over 30 years ago. Come listen to a panel of experts explore the implementation, challenges and future opportunities in data center cooling and capacity. What are the promising technologies in the modern data center?

This program will feature the following panelists:

Rick Chateauvert, EMC
Mike Dauber, Battery Ventures
Joyce Dickerson, Stanford University
Andrew Feldman, SeaMicro
Mukesh Khattar, Oracle
Moderated by: Mavis Yee, Nixon Peabody, LLP

August 24, 2010

SDForum Quarterly Venture Breakfast on October 19 to Focus on Clean Technology (Discount Available)

On October 19, SDForum will present its next Quarterly Venture Breakfast, which will focus on Clean Technology. A summary of this program is:

VC cleantech investing surged from a rounding error 10 years ago to the #3 category in 2008, according to the PwC Money Tree. Recently, the US government has become a major funding source for key cleantech investments, facilitating their growth. Will cleantech continue to be one of the leading areas for investments going forward? If so, how will the mix of cleantech investments change? What are the emerging categories within cleantech? Which parts are fading? Come hear our experts debate these and other cleantech topics.

This program will feature the following panelists:

Wayne Hedden, PricewaterhouseCoopers
Marianne Wu, Mohr Davidow Ventures
Don Wood, Draper Fisher Jurvetson
Rick Yang, NEA
Moderator: Allison Leopold-Tilley, Pillsbury Winthrop

This program will be held from 8:00 am - 10:00 am at Pillsbury Winthrop, 2475 Hanover Street, Palo Alto, CA 94304. Thanks to our friends at SDForum, readers of Green VC can receive a $5 discount from the non-member registration price for this event. To receive the discount, please use code "GREEN05" when registering online. For more information:

August 19, 2010

SDForum Presents “Revamping the Smart Grid” on September 21 (Discount Available)

On September 21, SDForum will present the next program in its Clean Tech Breakfast Series entitled Revamping the Smart Grid. A summary of this program is:

The smart grid is coming to town! The current devices to generate, transmit and distribute electrical power are vulnerable to failure. The need to revamp this outdated technology is apparent, especially in an age of renewable energy. Come listen to our panel of experts, which include key players as well as investors in this massive enterprise, discuss the integration of both large scale and micro-scale technology, innovative business models, and giant investments and returns.

This program will feature the following panelists:

Lee Burrows, VantagePoint Venture Partners
Drew Clark, IBM Venture Capital Group
Andy Colman, GRIDiant Corporation
Jon Previtali, AltaTerra Research
Moderated by: Kris Brown, PricewaterhouseCoopers

This program will be held from 8:00 am - 10:00 am at SAP Executive Briefing Center, Building 1, 3410 Hillview Avenue, Palo Alto, CA 94304. Thanks to our friends at SDForum, readers of Green VC can receive a $5 discount from the non-member registration price for this event. To receive the discount, please use code "CLEAN05" when registering online. For more information: