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SUMMARY:Tech-Savvy Investing: How To Capitalize on the Innovation Economy
DESCRIPTION:Curious about investing in the technologies shaping the future? Join Urban Capital Network to get insights on navigating the innovation economy\, discovering how corporate employees can become investors in groundbreaking startups and emerging technologies\, and how to capitalize on opportunities that are driving corporate growth and wealth creation. \nSpeakers: \nFelix Chevalier\, Co-Founder of Urban Capital Network \nFelix is an attorney with extensive experience advising start-ups\, governments\, and multi-national corporations. He is adept at facilitating business development and structuring public-private partnerships by leveraging his business\, political\, and legal expertise. \nFelix co-founded Urban Capital Network\, an investment management firm that provides retail accredited investors exclusive access to premium venture back investment opportunities at lower investment thresholds. \nFelix also serves on the board the Innovation Center for Urban Entrepreneurship\, a non-profit organization focused on educating\, empowering\, and enabling a new class of investors to build wealth and self-sustaining economic ecosystems for entrepreneurs and investors. \nRecently\, Felix was appointed as a Trustees to the Houston Municipal Employees Pension System Board\, which oversees over 4 billion in employee benefits. \nFelix received his law degree from St. John’s University School of Law\, his Bachelor of Arts from the State University of New York at New Paltz and completed an Executive Education Program at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College. The son of Cuban immigrants\, he is fluent in Spanish. Felix is a native New Yorker and resides in Houston\, Texas. \nAnthony Williams\, Managing Director of The Black Diamond Group \nThe past 10 years\, Anthony Williams has served as the Managing Director of the Black Diamond Group.  While functioning in a dual capacity of Managing Director of equity2 (Impact investment fund) and Market President of AltCap Texas (regional CDFI) for nearly 3 years.  During this span of time\, he’s raised $5M+ in loan capital\, closed $2M+ in community-focused loans and invested $2M+ in minority-led companies and LMI community real estate projects. \nAs a strategic advisor and implementor\, he has extensive experience in providing interim leadership and raising capital for companies in various cities throughout the Midwest\, Southeast and Texas to the tune of $115M+ in capital raised and $40M+ in debt restructures. Additionally\, Williams has substantial experience in providing both tactical and strategic guidance to global corporations and small businesses. \nPrior to starting The Black Diamond Group\, Anthony was the former President/CEO of a regional National Minority Supplier Diversity Council (NMSDC). In this role\, he served as catalyst for minority business development\, corporate supplier diversity partnership and community collaboration to spur economic development.   During his tenure leading the council possessed 80+ corporate members and certified over 400 MBEs annually throughout the Missouri and Kansas region that employed 34\,000+ employees and generated over $10B in annual revenue. \nLenny Saizan Jr.\, Managing Director of Urban Capital Network \nIn the early years of his career and after receiving his Electrical Engineering degree from L.S.U.\, Lenny worked as an Electrical Engineer\, specializing in automation and controls\, and systems integration. \nAfter 10 years of working as an employee\, his interest in entrepreneurship eventually led him to launch a technology consulting firm based in New Orleans\, LA and enrolling in an MBA program to hone his business skills. Unfortunately\, the first stint in his entrepreneurial journey and MBA was short lived due to the impact of Hurricane Katrina. \nLenny suddenly found himself homeless\, jobless\, and living in a hotel room with a family of 5 and a couple of days’ worth of clothing for each. After initially evacuating to Beaumont\, TX\, he eventually landed in Houston. Determined and desperate to start rebuilding\, Lenny returned to Corporate America\, landing a job in Oil and Gas. This was the beginning of a career transition from engineering and technology to management and finance\, which prompted him to re-enroll in an MBA program. \nLenny earned his MBA from Tulane University Freeman School of Business. He spent the next 10 years working in Oil and Gas in various roles in accounting\, finance\, audit\, and operations. After experiencing several layoffs\, Lenny decided it was time to give entrepreneurship another go. \nDuring his MBA program\, he developed a strong interest in Mergers and Acquisitions\, so he decided to buy a Business Brokerage Franchise. In addition to his Managing Director role at Urban Capital Network\, Lenny is the owner of Murphy Business Brokerage – West Houston where he helps business owners exit plan\, maximize value\, and sell their businesses. He also helps buyers with the assessment and purchase of businesses. His work as a business broker led him to investment opportunities and eventually becoming the co-founder of Urban Capital Network. \nThe two businesses are highly complementary\, and Lenny enjoys the opportunity it provides to participate in all phases of the business life cycle\, from start-up to exit. More importantly\, he enjoys helping people achieve their goals and dreams\, whether it’s starting\, buying\, selling\, or investing in a business. For fun\, Lenny enjoys working out\, sports\, and spending time with family. \nGrace Chan\, Venture Principal of bp Ventures \nGrace Chan serves as a Venture Principal and the Bioenergy Lead at bp Ventures\, where she plays a pivotal role in advancing bp’s objectives in bioenergy\, one of bp’s key growth engines. \nWith a career spanning 17 years across various bp entities\, Grace has amassed extensive experience in operations\, technology\, and strategy. Her passion lies in scaling new technologies from laboratory-scale inception to their deployment in the first commercial plant\, with a particular focus on decarbonizing hard-to-abate sectors. Her diverse industry expertise extends to geothermal energy\, carbon capture\, and electric vehicle (EV) charging. \nResiding in Houston\, Texas\, Grace balances her professional pursuits with her role as a mother to two young sons. She holds dual business degrees from Florida State University\, with a minor in French\, and is a Certified Management Accountant. Currently\, she is pursuing her MBA at The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania\, further strengthening her expertise in venture capital and business strategy. \nHer contributions to the field have garnered notable recognition\, including being honored as a Global Corporate Venturing Rising Star in 2022 and named among the Women to Watch in Venture Capital in 2023.
URL:https://iondistrict.com/event/tech-savvy-investing-how-to-capitalize-on-the-innovation-economy/
LOCATION:Ion\, 4201 Main Street\, Houston\, TX\, 77002\, United States
CATEGORIES:All Communities,Investors & Capital,Networking,Panel Dicussion
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DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20250224T173000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20250224T190000
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CREATED:20250211T181440Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250211T181605Z
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SUMMARY:Innovation and the Future of US Research Universities: A Dialogue Between Presidents
DESCRIPTION:Register here: https://www.bakerinstitute.org/event/innovation-and-future-us-research-universities-dialogue-between-presidents \nResearch universities are engines of innovation\, economic growth\, and social mobility. They educate millions\, drive scientific and technological discovery\, and help sustain U.S. global competitiveness\, demonstrating their vital role as a public good. In an interconnected and rapidly changing world\, how can American research universities best serve the public? Join Baker Institute for a conversation between Rice University President Reginald DesRoches and Michael Crow\, president of Arizona State University\, two distinguished leaders in higher education and public service\, to discuss the role of U.S. research universities in advancing democracy\, equity\, and innovation in service to the nation. \nThe event is free and open to the public and will take place at the Ion\, the anchor of Houston’s Innovation District located in Midtown. This event is co-sponsored by Rice Innovation and the Baker Institute Science and Technology Policy Program. \nFollow @BakerInstitute on X to join the conversation online with #BakerLive. \nSpeakers \nPaul Cherukuri\, Ph.D. \nVice President for Innovation and Chief Innovation Officer\, Adjunct Professor\, Management and Entrepreneurship\, Associate Research Professor\, Electrical and Computer Engineering\, Rice University. \nMichael M. Crow\, Ph.D.\, is an educator\, knowledge enterprise architect\, science and technology policy scholar\, and higher education leader. He became Arizona State University (ASU)’s 16th president in July 2002 and has spearheaded its rapid and groundbreaking transformation into a major public metropolitan research institute. Under his leadership\, ASU has advanced its model as a “New American University\,” emphasizing excellence\, inclusivity\, and societal impact. \nReginald DesRoches\, Ph.D.\, is an engineer\, resilience expert\, and higher education leader. He became Rice University’s eighth president in 2022\, guiding its growth as a leading research institution with a focus on excellence\, inclusion\, and societal impact. Previously\, he served as provost and dean of engineering\, driving major research expansion\, new academic programs\, and institutional partnerships. An expert in resilient infrastructure\, he has played a key role in national disaster response efforts and science policy. A member of the National Academy of Engineering\, he holds a doctorate in Structural Engineering from the University of California\, Berkeley.
URL:https://iondistrict.com/event/innovation-and-the-future-of-us-research-universities-a-dialogue-between-presidents/
LOCATION:Ion\, 4201 Main Street\, Houston\, TX\, 77002\, United States
CATEGORIES:3rd Party Registration,Academic Network,All Communities,Community Event,General Community,Networking,Panel Dicussion
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