March 31, 2023 | New York City
The Largest Forum Dedicated to Non-Dilutive Financing Strategies for Emerging Growth Companies
The use of venture debt has gained in popularity as emerging growth companies remain private longer and seek creative forms of financing that minimize dilution. Many debt products such as term loans, revenue-based financing, receivables financing, and equipment financing fall under the broad moniker of venture debt, but despite the growing popularity of these products, for many, venture debt remains an unfamiliar form of financing.
The Venture Debt Conference offers a unique opportunity for networking and discussion of non-dilutive loan strategies for VC-backed and emerging growth companies. Hosted by DealFlow Events, this full-day forum addresses the growing interest in using venture debt to complement venture capital and to discuss alternative financing to companies unfamiliar with these investment strategies.
This event draws a broad range of finance professionals including:
DealFlow Events are widely recognized as the dominant networking forums in every market we cover. The Venture Debt Conference brings together the leading professionals focused on non-dilutive investment strategies.
Meet with other thought-leaders in the industry. You can count on the best networking during breaks and at the post-conference cocktail party to maximize your business development.
1Our panelists and presenters are thought leaders in the industry. This is your opportunity to get in front of the industry’s decision-makers.
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This event offers a forum for privately scheduled meetings which you can coordinate using our event app.
Discussion of trends, debt structures and strategies, timing considerations and financing options for emerging growth companies.
4Here are just a few of the unique presentations and panel discussions we’re developing for The Venture Debt Conference:
Principal
Trilogy/ESW Capital
Brent is has been M&A Principal for Acquisitions & Debt Originations for Trilogy and ESW Capital since May of 2022. Prior to Trilogy and ESW he was at Cadence Bank as a Senior Vice President and Credit Executive from August 2021 to November 2021. Brent spent time from December 2002 to March 2020 at JPMorgan Chase Bank as a Vice President Senior Banker, Senior Vice President - Technology Banking, Executive Director and Credit Executive - Leveraged and Investment Grade North America Corporates. In April 1995 to December 2002 he worked as a Commercial Banking Officer and Vice President, Senior Relationship Manager for Wells Fargo. He received his M.B.A in Banking and Corporate Finance at the Southern Methodist University. He also received his BBA in accounting at the University of Texas of San Antonio.
Chief Operating Officer and Chief Investment Officer
Horizon Technology Finance
Dan Devorsetz co-founded Horizon Technology Finance Corporation (NASDAQ: HRZN), a public, externally-managed business development company in March 2008 and is its Executive Vice President, Chief Operating Officer, and Chief Investment Officer, and also serves as a member of the investment committee. Dan joined the manager and investment adviser of Horizon in 2004 and has more than 25 years of credit and portfolio management experience including more than 20 years in venture lending.
Previously, Dan held positions with General Electric Capital Corporation’s Life Science Finance Group, GATX Ventures, Inc., the venture lending subsidiary of GATX Corporation, and Citigroup. Dan serves on the Board of Finance for the Town of Brookfield, Connecticut, and is the Chair of the town’s Audit Committee. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Cornell University and a Master of Business Administration degree from Clark University and is a Chartered Financial Analyst.
Senior Managing Director, BD
Hercules Capital
Catherine Jhung is a Senior Managing Director at Hercules and leads origination, venture relationships, and business development for the fund’s Technology and Sustainable/Renewable Groups. Catherine’s investments include AppDirect, Arctic Wolf, Carbon Health, Carwow, C2FO, Convoy, Couchbase (NASDAQ: BASE), DemandBase, Fastly (NYSE: FSLY), Impossible Foods, PivotBio, RocketLab (NASDAQ: RKLB), SingleStore, SeatGeek, Skydio, Thumbtack, Varsity Tutors (NYSE: NRDY), Velo3D (NYSE: VLD), WorldRemit, Wrike (acquired by Vista), Zimperium (acquired by Liberty Strategic Capital), and others.
Before joining Hercules, Catherine spent over 10 years in senior operational roles within startup companies, including sales, business development, research and product management. At Cleantech Group, Catherine ran the company’s data business, where she lead the product, engineering, research and sales teams. Prior to Cleantech Group, Jhung was the Director of Sales at edo Interactive. Prior to edo Interactive, Catherine spent over five years on the executive team at Equilar, the leading research firm for benchmarking executive and board compensation. There, she built and managed the business development and client services divisions from the ground up, growing the business to over 600 clients.
Catherine received an MBA from the Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley, a BS in Agricultural Economics and a minor in Computer Information Systems from UC Davis.
Partner
Foley & Lardner LLP
Louis Lehot is a partner and business lawyer with Foley & Lardner LLP, based in the firm’s Silicon Valley, San Francisco and Los Angeles offices, where he is a member of the Private Equity & Venture Capital, M&A and Transactions Practices as well as the Technology, Health Care, Life Sciences and Energy Industry Teams. Louis focuses his practice on advising entrepreneurs and their management teams, investors and financial advisors at all stages of growth, from garage to global. Louis especially enjoys being able to help his clients achieve hyper-growth, go public and to successfully obtain optimal liquidity events.
To assist his clients in realizing their objectives, Louis brings to bear a broad array of legal and business instruments, processes and strategies, from formation to liquidity. He guides emerging private companies as they secure venture capital financing, prepare for IPO or de-SPAC, and navigate the exit. His domain experience in public offerings and private placements of equity, equity-linked, and debt securities, mergers, acquisitions, dispositions, spinoffs, strategic investments, and joint ventures, as well as corporate governance and securities law compliance matters, serves his clients well. Additionally, Louis regularly represents US and non-US registrants before the SEC, FINRA, NYSE and NASDAQ.
Senior VP of Capital Markets Exec. of Investor Relations
Biz2Credit
Prior to joining Biz2Credit, Tom ran Debt Capital Markets and Risk Solutions North America for the Royal Bank of Scotland. He also spent 20 years at Credit Suisse in a number of roles including head of Financial Institutions Debt Capital Markets where he and his team advised and executed financing and liability management transactions on behalf of banks, insurers, and specialty finance companies. He began his career in Structured Product sales at JP Morgan.
Tom received an MBA from the Yale School of Management and a BS from Cornell University.
Chairman, Founder, CEO, and CIO
Runway Growth Capital
David founded Runway Growth Capital in 2015 and is a member of the firm’s investment committee.
David is a seasoned and respected Silicon Valley-based investment executive, with 30 years of experience as a venture capitalist and growth debt lender. As a VC, he has been active in the formation and development of nearly 50 technology companies with 18 IPOs and 14 trade-sales. He was ranked four times by Forbes magazine on their annual Midas List as one of the top 50 venture capitalists; in 2006 he was ranked the #8 VC.
Beginning in 2010, David transitioned from venture capital to growth lending as a Co-Founder of Decathlon Capital Partners, a provider of revenue-based loans to small, fast-growing, bootstrapped
companies. His experience at Decathlon opened his eyes to the opportunity to use debt as an alternative to equity to finance the growth of both venture-backed and non-venture backed growth companies. In 2015, he formed what is today Runway Growth Capital to pursue this vision.
David’s commitment to the entrepreneurial ecosystem is unwavering. He has served on the board and as Chairman of the Government Affairs Committee of the National Venture Capital Association (“NVCA”) and has been an active member of the World Economic Forum (“WEF”) community—including as a frequent panelist in Davos, as a member of the Technology Pioneers Selection Committee, the Steering Committee for Entrepreneurship and Successful Growth Strategies, and as an adviser to the Alternative Investments 2020 and Mainstreaming Impact Investing initiatives.
CEO
Lighter Capital
Melissa Widner is the CEO of Lighter Capital, the pioneer and leader in revenue based financing for tech start ups and scales ups. Lighter Capital is backed by National Australia Bank, Silicon Valley Bank and Voyager Capital. Melissa has a deep understanding of both the entrepreneur’s journey and the role a funding partner can provide. AS CEO, Melissa led two companies to successful exits returning over a 10x return to her investors. She was the founder and CEO of Silicon Valley based 7Software (acquired by CNQR, acquired by SAP). She was the Managing Director of NAB Ventures, the VC arm of the National Australia Bank where she led the bank’s investments into high growth fintechs, including Lighter Capital.
Melissa is also the co-founder and Chairperson of Sydney based Heads Over Heels, an organization that supports women entrepreneurs running companies with high growth potential.
Melissa served as a lecturer at the University of Washington's Graduate School of Business where she taught courses on venture capital and entrepreneurship. She was previously on the board of the AIC (AVCAL) and has served on the boards of several venture backed technology companies in both the US and Australia.
Melissa holds a Masters degree from Stanford University and a Bachelors degree from the University of Washington.
237 Park Avenue
New York, NY 10017
Convene at 237 Park Avenue has been called the “venue of the future.” Unlike other event spaces in New York City, this location is purpose-built for professional education and networking.
Our sponsors are thought-leaders in the industry. Corporate sponsorship provides unmatched exposure during a lengthy promotional campaign and the conference itself. Benefits include pre-conference publicity, logo and literature placement, exhibit space, online ad placement, and complimentary registration.
To become a sponsor, contact Charlie Napolitano at (516) 876-8006 extension 20 or charlie@dealflowevents.com.
Call us at (516) 876-8006 or email team@dealflowevents.com.