Thursday, January 5, 3:00-8:00 PM: Venture Café in Session

4:00-5:00 PM Bain Capital Ventures Office Hours

Come by and ask a Bain Capital Ventures Associate or Partner key questions or bench test your business plan in the CriticalMass space here at the CIC! Apply for a 15 minute spot here.

4:00 – 5:30 PM Let’s Talk: Your Personal Finance Checklist for Startups

Everyone wants to be a founder or work for a startup for the upside that lies ahead. But are you worried about only being able to eat ramen? Do you need to dig into your 401k savings or max out credit cards? Have some burning personal finance questions regarding your life in a start-up? Come to our upcoming event this Thursday for insights from financial advisor Adrian Wong from RGL Group in Morgan Stanley Smith Barney with a focus working with start-ups and emerging enterprises.

In addition to addressing questions from our audience, Adrian will lead an informal discussion on the importance of knowing where your own personal money is to avoid financial ruin while working in a start-up. Register here for this event.

4:00-5:30 PM Office Hours with MTDC

This week we welcome back one of our partners to the Café– the Massachusetts Technology Development Corporation – for a series of bi-weekly office hours. This week stop by and chat with Jerry Bird, Senior Vice President of MTDC. He will be at a table in the Café taking meetings on a first-come, first-serve basis. Sign up to meet with Jerry by adding your name to the list located at the bar.

5:00 – 6:00 PM Have a Beer on Bain Capital Ventures!

Fun fact! Bain Capital Ventures sponsors the beer from 5-6pm every other week in the Café!

5:00 – 7:00 PM Office Hours with Kyle Alspach of Boston Business Journal

Stop by and meet Kyle Alspach, the Startups & Venture Capital editor at the Boston Business Journal. Share a bit about what you’re working on and learn about the BBJ’s Startups & Venture Capital Daily, a blog and daily e-mail that covers Boston area tech startups and venture investors.

We hope you stop by, grab a drink and connect!

See you in the Café,

Pardis

Thursday, December 15, 3:00 – 8:00 PM: Venture Café in Session

3:00-6:00 PM TCN Upstart Roundtable with Paul Sonderegger of Endeca

Come meet and hear from Paul Sonderegger (@PaulSonderegger), Chief Strategist at Endeca Technologies (@Endeca). Learn about Paul’s experience with Endeca, the leading provider of business intelligence and customer experience management software that helps guide people to better decisions (See video here). To sign up for this month’s Roundtable, click here.

5:30-7:30 PM Basic Video Lighting Techniques by Pixability

4:00-5:00 PM Bain Capital Ventures Office Hours

Come by and ask a Bain Capital Ventures Associate or Partner key questions or bench test your business plan, plus check out the CriticalMass space here at the CIC! Apply for a 15 minute spot here.

4:00 – 6:00PM Let’s Talk About Early-Stage Accounting and Tax Pitfalls

Do you have some burning accounting and tax questions regarding your start-up? Stop by the Café this Thursday for insights from MFA – Moody, Famiglietti & Andronico, a proactive CPA and consulting firm with an intense focus working with growing start-ups. In addition to addressing questions from our audience, MFA Partner Travis Drouin will lead an informal discussion that will shed light on the common accounting and tax pitfalls to avoid when forming and funding a start-up.

5:00 – 6:00 PM Have a Beer on Bain Capital Ventures!

Fun fact! Bain Capital Ventures sponsors the beer from 5-6pm every other week in the Café! Come chat with the associate or partner holding office hours in Critical Mass beforehand. Note: Separate sign-up is required for office hours held from 4-5:00PM.

5:00-8:00PM Second Annual Innovation Potluck

Hi everyone! I hope you remembered to turn your clocks back an hour today! This Thursday, we have office hours with Bain Capital Ventures and MTDC Office Hours with Vice President Nick Pappas. We also have SXSW Accelerator here to answer questions about their competition event at their Info Table.

Thursday, November 10, 3:00-8:00 PM: Venture Café in Session

4:00-5:00 PM Bain Capital Ventures Office Hours

Come by and ask a Bain Capital Ventures Associate or Partner key questions or bench test your business plan in the CriticalMass space here at the CIC! Apply for a 15 minute spot here.

4:00-5:30 PM Office Hours with MTDC

This week we welcome back one of our partners to the Café the Massachusetts Technology Development Corporation – for a series of office hours. This week stop by and chat with Nick Pappas, Vice President of MTDC. He will be at a table in the Café taking meetings on a first-come, first-serve basis. Write your name in the queue at the bar.

5:00 – 6:00 PM Have a Beer on Bain Capital Ventures!

Fun fact! Bain Capital Ventures sponsors the beer from 5-6pm every other week in the Café!

6:00 – 7:00 PM SXSW Accelerator Competition Info Table

Come to Venture Cafe for an ‘info table’ where SXSW Accelerator will answer questions about the event competition.

SXSW Accelerator returns for its fourth edition to showcase some of the web’s most exciting innovations. This event provides an outlet for companies to present their new digital products and services to a panel of industry experts, early adopters, and representatives from the Angel / Venture Capitalist community. We invite your company to apply for this incredible event, as we highlight the technology market’s most impressive new innovations. All applications must be received by Friday, November 18. For more information on Accelerator, go to http://sxsw.com/interactive/accelerator

We hope you stop by, grab a drink and connect!

See you in the Café,

Pardis

Hey everybody! Hope everyone is staying warm during the first burst of winter! Thursday we have NEVCA Office Hours featuring Ahmad Jivraj of Longworth Venture Partners. Also this week stop by for the Czech Accelerator Showcase to listen from the first startup companies at CIC as part of a three-year program organized by the Czech Republic. Lastly, join us for Boston World Partnerships monthly Connectors’ Corner.

3:00-8:00 PM Venture Café in Session

3:00-6:00 PM NEVCA Investor ‘Unplugged’ Discussion Session & Office Hours

This week’s NEVCA Investor ‘Unplugged’ Discussion Session and Office Hours features Ahmad Jaivraj, analyst at Longworth Venture Partners (@mrjivraj).  All entrepreneurs visiting the Café are invited to participate in the “Unplugged” session from 3:15-4:00p.m. The “Unplugged” session is like a meet-and-greet, consisting of informal introductions, discussions and questions; we usually meet around the couches, so grab a seat! Following this, Ahmad will meet with three entrepreneurs each in 15-minute one-on-one chats that are first-come, first-serve.

Advisor in the Café this week:

Ahmad Jivraj

4:30-6:30PM Czech Accelerator Showcase

Come meet and hear from the first companies at the Cambridge Innovation Center (CIC) as part of a three-year program organized by the Czech Republic to support startup companies. Three Czech companies will be presenting and introducing their technologies and products. As part of a government supported program, these companies won a contest to work on their companies at CIC, in the center of Cambridge which is one of the most innovative places in the world. Petr Ulicny will be presenting his device which enables paralyzed patients to control computers and home appliances using mouth, tongue or any part of their body. This device was developed independently by Petr and is now successfully deployed in the top Czech spinal unit Motol Hospital in Prague. With him, Petr Kotal presenting his two innovative life science projects and Tomas Engelmajer introducing his company and the Supercritical Fluid Extraction method that uses Supercritical Carbon Dioxide to produce pure botanical extracts.

Company bios:

MOUTHMOUSE – Founder: Petr Ulicny – Medical device for people who are paralyzed, after brain stroke or otherwise handicapped. Petr is an independent engineer from Czech Republic. He has developed a medical device for people who are otherwise unable or cannot manually operate various devices and appliances. These includes computers, television, lights or lamps, HIFI towers, ventilators, mobile phones, toys, air conditioners and many more. By utilizing select parts of the body MouthMouse allows people to control everyday devices needed for routine tasks. The device is tested and verified by two years of experience and permanent utilization in one of the finest hospital spinal units in Prague.

ARKO Consult – Founder: Petr Kotal – Boost Innovation potential in Central and Eastern Europe. ARKO Consult is a small international Swiss/Czech company focused on (1) technology development & commercialization and (2) building of effective innovation platform to boost the innovation potential in Central and Eastern Europe. Our scope is the life sciences. Examples of technologies and projects in our development pipeline are “enamel repair” technology which heals the initial carries and probiotic feminine hygienic products, which prevent urovaginal infections.

FLAVEKO Trade – Founder: Tomas Engelmajer – Supercritical Fluid Extraction of pure botanical materials (SCFE). FLAVEKO Trade has been active in extraction of pure botanical materials using Supercritical Carbon Dioxide since 1993. The major advantage of this extraction method is production of clean extracts without any trace of harmful solvents. The company has experience in producing a wide range of pure botanical extracts. RLAVEKO Trade is excited to be in Cambridge to promote the technology, elevate the business and cultivate company’s business relations in the United States.

4:30-6:00 PM Boston World Partnerships Connectors’ Corner

Get together with the BWP staff and some of their Connectors in the Café this week to learn more about what resources, human and otherwise, the Greater Boston area can offer entrepreneurs!

As you can see, there are many opportunities in the Café this week to talk over a beer and share ideas. We hope you stop by, grab a drink and connect!

See you in the Café,

Pardis

Hi everyone! I hope you are enjoying your Columbus Day weekend. This Thursday in the Café we have two office hours – one with MTDC, featuring MTDC Vice President Dina Routhier and Bain Capital Ventures Office Hours. Also, we have Tammo “kb” Hinrichs from demoscene to talk about what demoscene is and how the company has encourage the formation of new companies, such as game studios. Lastly, stop by the Café for MIT’s Public Service Center Pahoehoe and learn about innovative projects from eight fellows. While you’re at CIC, come check out the opening and celebration of the new C3 space!

Thursday, October 13, 3:00-8:00 PM: Venture Café in Session

4:00-5:00 PM Bain Capital Ventures Office Hours

Come by and ask a Bain Capital Ventures Associate or Partner key questions or bench test your business plan, plus check out the CriticalMass space here at the CIC! Apply for a 15 minute spot here.

 4:00-5:30 PM Office Hours with MTDC

This week we welcome back one of our  partners to the Café the Massachusetts Technology Development Corporation – for a series of office hours. This week stop by and chat with Dina Routhier, Vice President of MTDC (@drouthier). She will be at a table in the Café taking meetings on a first-come, first-serve basis. Write your name in the queue at the bar.

4:00 – 5:00 PM What Can Demoscene do for You?

The demoscene is a computer art subculture active most in Europe which has encouraged students, mid-career IT and computer creative professionals to build and continue to develop their coding, graphic arts, and compositional skills. Tammo “kb” Hinrichs is a game industry professional and organizing team member for several demoparties with attendance as high as twelve hundred people. He will give an overview of what the demoscene is and present on what the demoscene community has done in the past to contribute to his and others’ professional development and encourage the formation of new companies. This talk is sponsored by @party, a Boston area demoparty. Please visit their website atparty-demoscene.net and sign up for this event here.

4:00 – 7:00 PM C3 Opening!

This week, C3 will be opening it’s new space on the 5th floor. Come by and check out the new digs, as C3 rings in the new coworking space in style! You are invited!

5:00 – 6:00 PM Have a Beer on Bain Capital Ventures!

Did you know?! Bain Capital Ventures sponsors the beer from 5-6pm every other week in the Café! Come chat with the associate or partner holding office hours in Critical Mass beforehand. Note: Separate sign-up is required for office hours held from 4-5:00PM.

5:00 – 8:00 PM MIT Public Service Center Presents Pahoehoe: 8 People, 8 Public Service Projects 

What is a Panoenoe? Literally, its a type of lava flow
with a multitude of active, spreading, toes. Figuratively, its a forum for MIT students to share their work and spread their ideas. You’ll hear from people working on innovations in banking, employment, health, and much more that address the needs of under-served communities around the world. Come mingle with MIT Public Service Center fellows, interns, IDEAS Global Challenge teams and more. Special thanks to
Eastern Bank located at One Broadway, Cambridge, MA for their generous sponsorship of food for the evening. Learn more about the MIT Public Service Center here.
From 5pm-6:30pm, projects will be presents in a conference room.
From 6:30pm-8pm, will be an open social event at Venture Cafe.

There are many opportunities in the Café this week to chat, learn and share ideas. We hope you stop by, grab a drink and connect!

See you in the Café,

Pardis

3:00-5:00 PM Advice Booth featuring Bill Warner & Nancy Saucier

Tell your problems and get advice from the Advice Booth. On Thursday, we are joined by Bill Warner, an angel investor and entrepreneur (@billwarner) from 3:00-4:00PM and Nancy Saucier, New England Venture Capital Association (NEVCA) Executive Director (@purplenan) from 4:00-5:00PM. The doctors are in!

3:00-6:00 PM NEVCA Investor ‘Unplugged’ Discussion Session & Office Hours

This week’s NEVCA Investor ‘Unplugged’ Discussion Session and Office Hours features Rob Go, Co-Founder and Advisor at NextView Ventures (@robgo).  All entrepreneurs visiting the Café are invited to participate in the “Unplugged” session from 3:15-4:00p.m. The “Unplugged” session is like a meet-and-greet, consisting of informal introductions, discussions and questions; we usually meet around the couches, so grab a seat! Following this, Rob will meet with three entrepreneurs each in 15-minute one-on-one chats that are first-come, first-serve.

Advisor in the Café this week:

Rob Go

4:00-5:00 PM Bain Capital Ventures Office Hours

Come by and ask a Bain Capital Ventures Associate or Partner key questions or bench test your business plan, plus check out the new CriticalMass space here at the CIC! Apply for a 15 minute spot here.

4:00-6:00PM Scaling your Business for Sustainable Growth Discussion & Networking Event 

Growing from a company of 1 to a team of 100 isn’t always an easy task if you want to grow right, something that President and CEO of Integrated Project Management Company (IPM), C. Richard Panico often says. In its 23rd year of operation, IPM has enjoyed a continuum of growth and has successfully navigated many turbulent times. Driven by a corporate mantra of effectively applying process, discipline, and leadership, Panico hasn’t wavered from his vision of building a company that will endure 100 plus years. IPM invites you to join them in the Café for an interactive session on “Scaling your Business for Sustainable Growth.” Panico’s discussion will focus on the importance of building a strong company foundation to ensure a century of success. There will be plenty of time for questions and networking will be provided following the talk.

4:30-6:00 PM Boston World Partnerships Connectors’ Corner

Get together with the BWP staff and some of their Connectors in the Café this week to learn more about what resources, human and otherwise, the Greater Boston area can offer entrepreneurs!

As you can see, there are many opportunities in the Café this week to talk over a beer and share ideas. We hope you stop by, grab a drink and connect!

See you in the Café,

Pardis

Thursday, September 29, 3:00-8:00 PM: Venture Café in Session

4:00-5:30 PM Office Hours with MTDC

This week we welcome back one of our partners to the Café the Massachusetts Technology Development Corporation – for a series of office hours. This week stop by and chat with Nick Pappas, Vice President of MTDC. He will be at a table in the Café taking meetings on a first-come, first-serve basis. Write your name in the queue at the bar.

4:30-6:30 PM Venture Café Mini-Unconference

This week the Venture Café is hosting it’s monthly mini-unconference style breakout sessions during the Café. If you have never experienced one, an unconference starts with a participant-driven agenda and then leverages small interactive sessions to take a deeper dive into topics and interests of the attendees. No slides, no stage, just a session-based approach to increasing the collaboration that already occurs in the Café.

Have a topic idea or want to lead a session (this week or in the future)? Let us know here. The sessions will be a half an hour each and we will run them from 4:30-6:30pm. The Café will go on as usual and you are welcome to join or lead a session based on your interests/needs (no pitches please). We make some tweaks to the traditional unconference based on the dynamic/transient nature of the Café, size of the rooms and number of interested participants. Details to follow once you are at the Café.

5:00 – 6:00 PM Have a Beer on Bain Capital Ventures!

Fun fact! Bain Capital Ventures sponsors the beer from 5-6pm every other week in the Café!

6:00 – 8:00 PM PitchPub in the Café

PitchPub is in the Café for this week for their September gathering focusing on Consumer Product startups. This month’s features CEO pitches by:  Frank Qiu, CEO of Vocalyze Media, Diego Torres-Palma, Partner at OoOTie and Dori Ross, Owner of Tonewood. Sign-up at pitchpub.eventbrite.com.  PitchPub’s mission is to become the region’s leading forum for entrepreneurs to pitch their start-up.  Follow them on Twitter @PitchPub.

There are many opportunities in the Café this week to talk and share ideas. We hope you stop by, grab a drink and connect!

See you in the Café,

Pardis

Thursday, September 22, 3:00 – 8:00 PM: Venture Café in Session

3:00-6:00 PM TCN Upstart Roundtable with Dave Balter of BzzAgent

Come meet and hear from Dave Balter, CEO and Founder of BzzAgent (@davebalter). Learn how Dave started BzzAgent, a social media, word-of-mouth company that has executed over 1,000 social media programs for major brands. Since its launch, BzzAgent has been featured everywhere from the CBS Evening News to the BBC to The New York Times Sunday Magazine, and is the subject of two Harvard Business School cases. Today, across North America and the United Kingdom, BzzAgent remains at the forefront of the changing media and marketing landscape.

To sign up for this month’s Roundtable, click here.

3:00 – 7:00 PM Cleantech Event

The Cleantech Event is focused on making connections among members of Boston’s clean technology community. The New England Clean Energy Council (in the Café from 3-5pm) and the Fraunhofer Institute’s Center for Sustainable Energy Systems (5-7pm) will be joining us to describe the resources they have available to help cleantech entrepreneurs advance their ventures to the next level. Come and catch up with current and former colleagues, or meet new ones!

This event is guest-curated by Gillian Isabelle.

4:00 – 6:00 PM Office Hours with National Cancer Institute’s SBIR Development Center

David Beylin and Todd Haim from NCI’s SBIR program will be in the Cafe to talk one-on-one about funding opportunities from government programs for companies interested in the cancer research field. David Beylin is the Program Director with the SBIR Development Center at the National Cancer Institute.  There, he assists small businesses in the medical imaging field in securing government funding for innovative research and development projects with high commercial potential. Dr. Todd Haim is a Program Manager at the National Cancer Institute’s SBIR Development Center. Dr. Haim manages SBIR & STTR grants related to cancer diagnostics and therapeutics. Additionally, Todd plays a key role in the planning, design, and launching of several center initiatives, including the Investor Forum, evaluation efforts, targeted solicitations, and outreach activities.

The NCI programs offer funding in nanotechnology, anti-cancer agents, biomarkers, proteomics, pharmacodynamics, and many more areas of interest to the NCI. Before you head into the Café, check out this recent Nature Biotech article which introduces the program and view new SBIR funding opportunities here.

Our guests in the Café:

David Beylin               Todd Haim

6:00 – 7:00 PM Pizza Sponsored by smartURL

Come and enjoy a slice of pizza from our friends, smartURL!