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"This event was one of the best conferences I've ever attended."

Nik Rouda, AlertMe.com, MBA 2005

Silicon Valley Comes to Cambridge 2007

For local high-tech students, entrepreneurs and investors, Judge Business School was the place to be last week as the inaugural Silicon Valley Comes to Cambridge conference got underway. More than 500 attendees participated in the Silicon Valley vs. Silicon Fen debate, full day of masterclasses and CEO2CEO Forum. High profile speakers included Bill Janeway (Warburg Pincus), Hermann Hauser (Amadeus Capital Partners), Reid Hoffman (LinkedIn and Facebook) and Megan Smith (Google).

The conference launch is an initiative to bring together leading Silicon Valley serial entrepreneurs and investors for discussion and debate on how and why they have created and funded today's most groundbreaking "disruptive" technologies. Participants had the opportunity to meet the entrepreneurs, investors and academics who shape today's consumer technology market. Panel discussions highlighted the latest developments from the West Coast and helped us learn about the challenges faced when developing new ideas.

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  Ellen Levy, Founder & Managing Director of Silicon Valley Connect

  "We salute the entrepreneurs (from both sides of the pond) who have contributed to this, who share our ambition for change and who appreciate the vital role they play as alumni to help universities create an ecosystem that fosters innovation and entrepreneurship. We hope that our efforts make at least a small contribution to encourage students to make the next step in their careers a more entrepreneurial one."

Nik Rouda (MBA 2005) of AlertMe.com, a local start-up that provides people-friendly home security, summed up the buzz felt throughout the three days:

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  Nik Rouda, AlertMe.com, MBA 2005

  "This event was one of the best conferences I've ever attended. The quality and range of speakers was simply extraordinary. DFJ, Amadeus, Oak, Google, Warburg Pincus, Index, LinkedIn, Greylock, Cambridge Angels and more - all in one intimate venue.

  "The opportunity to really meet the investors and entrepreneurs was fantastic, and every session was packed with keen insight and entertaining stories. I met more of the superstars of the Internet world in three days in Cambridge than in 10 years of living in the Bay Area.

  "The new connections and ideas will be invaluable, especially as I have strong ties to both geographies. This event rightly reflected Cambridge's position as a world-class centre of innovation. Sign me up for next year, please!"

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  Romijn Basters, MBA 2007

  "Becoming a successful entrepreneur might not be the top of the list for all MBA students, but the Silicon Valley Conference helped us better understand the world of entrepreneurship and innovation. The crowded lecture theatre rooms, with people struggling to get in, created a fantastic buzz.

  "Having some interest in starting my own company, I particularly wanted to attend these meetings to know whether I had it in me. Two panel discussions that attracted my attention were "Show me the money" and "What does it need to become a good entrepreneur?

  "Show me the money, a panel discussion led by the School's dean, Arnoud De Meyer with Reid Hoffman (LinkedIn) and Megan Smith (Google) gave holistic advice on how to set up your customer base to get the money in. The main message was not to focus on how to get your first customer, but on your first million customers and once you get there how to get the next ten million customers. The second message was not to bother with identifying market segments; focus on your distribution, what really matters is your ability to get your product to the client!

  "The next panel discussion focused on what it takes to be a successful entrepreneur. The main message was not about personal qualities, but about how to select and set up a competing team.

  "All the lectures were extremely helpful in getting a deeper and/or broader insight in to what it takes to become a successful entrepreneur. It made me even more aware that there is only one way to find out: Start doing, stop thinking!

Hosts

We are delighted to have worked with Silicon Valley Connect, NESTA - The National Endowment for Science Technology and the Arts, and Sherry Coutu to make possible this inaugural "Silicon Valley Connects to the UK" summit.

Our other partners include: LinkedIn, GrowthPoint Technology Partners, UKTI Global Entrepreneur Programme, DFJ Esprit and Library House.