The Clean Economy Network enables business professionals with an interest in renewable energy to connect with one another, to promote the growth of the renewable energy industry. CEN provides opportunities for networking, education and business creation.
The Clean Economy Network enables business professionals with an interest in renewable energy to connect with one another, to promote the growth of the renewable energy industry. CEN provides opportunities for networking, education and business creation.
CEN – MN held event # 3 in a series on the financial development of clean tech business on July 27, 2011 at the law offices of Fredrikson & Byron in downtown Minneapolis. Todd Taylor, a CEN-MN Co-Chair, lead the event and Tom Duevel also a CEN-MN Co-Chair gets the photo/video credits. Attendees representing many sectors of business, government and nonprofits from around Minnesota attended the event: Cleantech Initial Public Offerings (IPOs).
Presenters discussed:
An overview of the steps needed to do an IPO, what it takes and what investors care about.
The Expert. Shari Mager. Shari, a director with KPMG LLP, is a member of the firm’s Accounting Advisory Services practice, focusing on IPO Readiness Services, and is also Practice Leader in the West for KPMG’s IPO Stage Services, part of the Venture Capital practice.
The Investment Banker. Hema Gunasekaran. Hema (also a CEN-MN Co-Chair) is a principal and member of Piper Jaffray clean technology and renewables investment banking. She is focused on providing investment banking and mergers and acquisitions advisory services to companies in the alternative energy and clean technology industries.
Shari and Hema talked about typical IPO and Sarbanes-Oxley Compliance Implementation Timelines.
Meeting and networking photos including Chris Dally (National Program Manager for CEN) on the left in the last of the four photos.
Mark your calendars and plan on attending CEN-MN events that are tentatively scheduled for the summer/ fall to connect this just completed event on Cleantech Initial Public Offerings (IPOs) that will paint a more comprehensive picture of the steps along the way for successful startups and development of new companies in the clean economy.
August 31, 2011 - Cleantech Mergers & Acquisitions and Joint Ventures
September 28, 2011 – Happy hour networking (tbd)
Volunteers Needed!
We hear from people all the time that want to get more involved with clean tech companies. Whether you are out of work, want to change jobs, looking for business partners, financing, or customers/clients, volunteering part time to help organize events for the chapter is a great way to expand your network and meet your goals.
Be sure to join the Clean Economy Network Minnesota Chapter to be the first to know about our next event. Also, check out our LinkedIn group and the Clean Economy Network video channel on You Tube, where you can find a video of the IPO meeting. You can follow the chapter on Twitter @CENMinnesota.
CEN – MN held an event on June 29, 2011 at the law offices of Fredrikson & Byron in downtown Minneapolis. Attendees once again representing many sectors of business, government and nonprofits 
from around Minnesota attended the event. Todd Taylor, a CEN-MN Co-Chair, lead the event and Tom Duevel also a CEN-MN Co-Chair gets the photo/video credits. The topic: The Pathway to Cleantech Private Placements.
Presentations included what it really takes to raise angel and VC money for a clean tech business in Minnesota from a group of entrepreneurs, investors and professionals who have been there and done that. Presenters included:
The Entrepreneur: Bill Faulkner. As part of Draths Corporation's executive team, Bill helped lead their funding efforts, including a multi-million dollar investment round from Khosla Ventures, CMEA Capital and TPG Biotech.
The Investor: Todd Leonard. Todd is the Executive Director at Minnesota Angel Network and has worked on behalf of ventures funds and investors.
The Professional: Zach Olson. Zach is an attorney at Fredrikson & Byron and has assisted many companies obtain initial and project financing.
Bill Faulkner’s presentation included the kinds of things that entrepreneur’s need to consider and be ready to communicate with a focus on vision, mission, goals, strategy and the work plan. Funding typically is dependent on the amount required and the stage that the company is in. A short video is available on the CEN You Tube channel Bill's presentation and a copy of his presentation is located at Bill's slides.
Todd Leonard’s presentation focused on the presentations needed for different situations including the Elevator Pitch, the Investor Presentation and the Due Diligence and Technical Review. He focused on the investor presentation and the material that is required. . A short video is available on the CEN You Tube channel Todd's presentation and a copy of his presentation is located at Todd's slides.
Zach Olson presented on the fundamentals of raising equity and debt and legal requirements and opportunities available if done right and the pitfalls to avoid. He focused on the clearly defining the amount of money required as well as the types of investors who are able to participate depending on the situation. A short video is available on the CEN You Tube channel Zach's presentation and a copy of his presentation is located at Zach's slides.
Mark your calendars and plan on attending CEN-MN’s 3 events that are tentatively scheduled for the summer/ fall to connect this just completed event on private placements that will paint a more comprehensive picture of the steps along the way for successful startups and development of new companies in the clean economy.
July 27, 2011 - Cleantech IPO's
August 31, 2011 - Cleantech Mergers & Acquisitions and Joint Ventures
September 28, 2011 - Green Economy Agency Team
Volunteers Needed!
We hear from people all the time that want to get more involved with clean tech companies. Whether you are out of work, want to change jobs, looking for business partners, financing, or customers/clients, volunteering part time to help organize events for the chapter is a great way to expand your network and meet your goals.
Be sure to join the Clean Economy Network Minnesota Chapter to be the first to know about our next event. Also, check out our LinkedIn group at Clean Economy Network Minnesota and the Clean Economy Network video channel on You Tube.
CEN – MN held an event on March 31, 2011 at a local Minneapolis restaurant,Stella’s Fish Café. About 85 attendees (many new to CEN) from all sectors of business, government, nonprofits and educational intuitions from metro and rural Minnesota listening to presentations on the topic: Cleantech Entrepreneurs – Think Rural!
Presentations where focused on the fact that greater Minnesota has funded billions of dollars of development in biofuels, biomass power, wind and other clean technology. Greater Minnesota also has land, resources, a skilled workforce, experienced advisors, dedicated non-profits and interested community banks that together have helped make this happen.
Todd Taylor, a CEN-MN Co-Chair, lead the event.
David Kolsrud, from DAK Renewable Energy spoke on how his organization helps clients to build or invest in successful businesses in the renewable energy sector providing objective advice and guidance by through assistance that blends long-term strategic vision with practical experience. Participants learned how rural investors have funded clean technology companies and projects and what it takes to get them involved in a company.
Cheryl Glaeser and Pam Bishop fromSouthwest Initiative Foundation and Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation, two of six Minnesota Initiative Foundations gave presentations on how they work to strengthen the communities and economies of Greater Minnesota. Collectively they have provided 3,410 business investments totaling $174.5 million and have helped to create or secure 37,420 quality jobs. Attendees learned about the business finance and entrepreneurship programs that are available in rural Minnesota and examples of how collaboration leads to successful financing for projects.
Josh Gehlen, from Home State Bank, a community bank, told the group how community banks are vital and integral partners in providing funding to support innovation and expansion for businesses in rural Minnesota. He also described what it takes to make a cleantech company more likely to be financed and how deals are typically brought to a community bank.
All in all, it was a very well received and timely event. We would like to do a follow up meeting. We are also looking for suggestions for future topics.
Volunteers Needed!
We hear from people all the time that want to get more involved with clean tech companies. Whether you are out of work, want to change jobs, looking for business partners, financing, or customers/clients, volunteering part time to help organize events for the chapter is a great way to expand your network and meet your goals.
We are looking for 2 or 3 enthusiastic people to help. There is not a huge time committment, but when there is something to be done, it needs attention and focus.
If you are interested, please let us know.
Thank you,
Todd Taylor Hema Gunasekaran Tom Duevel
Be sure to join the Clean Economy Network Minnesota Chapter to be the first to know about our next event. Also, check out our LinkedIn group - Clean Economy Network Minnesota.
After a very successful 2010, we are looking forward to 2011! Below find a list of our chapter events.
September 28, 2011 - Green Economy Agency Team
August 31, 2011 - Cleantech Mergers & Acquisitions and Joint Ventures
July 27, 2011 - Cleantech IPO's
June 29, 2011 - The Path to Cleantech Private Placements
March 31, 2011 - Cleantech Entrepreneurs - Think Rural Discussion
January 20, 2011 - LED Discussion
December 14, 2010 - R&D Tax Credit Discussion
December 13 - CEN Happy Hour for Cleantech focused jobseekers
October 27, 2010 - Minnesota Angel Tax Credit and Science & Technology Program
September 16, 2010 - CEN Roundtable Meeting
October 11, 2010 - CEN Happy Hour
June 22, 2010 - CEN Happy Hour
April 22, 2010 - CEN Event with Great Plains Institute, "Tapping into the Cleantech Investment Ecosystem"
February 10, 2010 - CEN Happy Hour
Volunteers Needed!
Hema and I hear from people all the time that want to get more involved with clean tech companies. Whether you are out of work, want to change jobs, looking for business partners, financing, or customers/clients, volunteering part time to help organize events for the chapter is a great way to expand your network and meet your goals.
We are looking for 2 or 3 enthusiastic people to help. There is not a huge time committment, but when there is something to be done, it needs attention and focus.
If you are interested, please let us know.
Thank you,
Todd Taylor Hema Gunaskaran
On the evening of Oct 19th at the U of MN's Campus Club, the Minnesota chapter of the Clean Economy Network (formerly REBN-MN) organized its first networking event for leaders in the Minnesota-based cleantech community. Central to the night's program was a panel discussion focused on how to get venture financing. Panelists included Doug Cameron of Piper Jaffray & Co., Amol Deshpande of Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, Sunil Paul of Spring Ventures LLC, and Dan Yarano of Fredrikson & Byron, P.A. The crowd of approximately 150 included entrepreneurs, financiers, academics, policy experts and service professionals all united in their desire to promote cleantech in Minnesota. "Exit Polls" indicated that the event was very well received by all. There were even a few participants that offered to sponsor future events! That's a pretty good endorsement!
Special thanks go out to the U of MN's Initiative for Renewable Energy and the Environment. They sponsored the event and proved to be excellent partners.
Be sure to join the Clean Economy Network Minnesota Chapter to be the first to know about our next event. Also, check out our LinkedIn group - Clean Economy Network Minnesota.
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