What we’re about
#AvantLink
Entrepreneurship permeates the culture of Silicon Valley - the innovation capital of the world.
The advent of the Digital Age has democratized innovation and entrepreneurship.
Never before has it been more possible for anyone from anywhere, with a great idea and a burning desire to succeed, to make it big, and in the process, change the world in a relatively short period of time.
HP, Intel, Apple, Microsoft, Cisco, Oracle, Yahoo, eBay, Amazon, Google, Facebook and many, many, many other iconic companies all started with just an idea.
Taking a startup from idea to IPO has taken on mythical proportions in Silicon Valley and beyond. Many dream the dream, with hopes of launching the "next big thing".
We are a community of entrepreneurs, technologists, engineers, venture capitalists, angel investors, educators, financial professionals, corporate executives, attorneys, academics, bloggers, writers, content creators, and social activists.
Our mission is to provide entrepreneurs with the knowledge, guidance, tools, and connections they need to succeed. Our goal is to build a strong, vibrant, collaborative entrepreneurial community with deep, lasting business and social relationships throughout Silicon Valley and beyond.
One of the compelling features of our organization is our packed, busy calendar of informative programs and practical activities designed to help our entrepreneurial members achieve their objectives and realize their aspirations. Taking advantage of this vast array of relevant content will make you a better entrepreneur.
We believe in working together. We share resources, exchange ideas, and actively engage with each other -- on a personal level as well as on a business level. We participate in on-line as well as off-line events.
Our events feature expert speakers, networking opportunities, collaboration, community, and fellowship.
Many events on our calendar are in held in collaboration with other like-minded Silicon Valley organizations and institutions.
Our popular business and social networking mixers are festive occasions that allow you to meet new people from many different groups. We hold many social events to help members connect on a personal level and make friends.
Our network is expansive and global. We have members throughout the U.S. and around the world. We welcome international entrepreneurs from everywhere in the world to become part of our global community.
We are inclusive, not exclusive. : - )
We believe entrepreneurial educational opportunities should be accessible to anyone with a dream and ambition.
We support:
http://www.khanacademy.org/donate
We are inspired by:
Upcoming events (4+)
See all- 15 PERCENT OFF! Funded Female Founders - YC & Early Stage Venture CapitalistsCANOPY Jackson Square, San Francisco, CA
This event is organized by Startup Grind.
This event is being promoted by many groups.
Our meetup group is collaborating by promoting this event.
In order to attend, please register here:
Funded Female Founders - YC & Early Stage VCs · Luma
Our meetup members get 15 PERCENT OFF!
Use promo code:
IPO15
Hurry!
Slots are limited!
Join us for the second edition of Funded Female Founders hosted by Superconnected and Startup Grind — now launching in San Francisco.
After drawing 125+ attendees in Menlo Park, we’re bringing this high-impact evening to SF — uniting founders, investors, and operators who are scaling startups and championing women in leadership.Featuring top Silicon Valley early-stage funders and venture capitalists from Boost VC, BDev Ventures, and Unusual Ventures — with the conversation moderated by Good Trouble Ventures.
Enjoy live music, wine, light bites, and two bold panels:
- 💡YC-backed female founders sharing what it really takes to scale
- 💡VCs on what makes a fundable founder in today’s market
Y Combinator Founders & Investors Panel:
- Moderator: AJ Thomas – Founding Partner, Good Trouble Ventures
- **Deepali Jain** – Co-Founder & CEO, Assembly (YC W24)
- **Caitlin Leksana** – Co-Founder & CEO, Fazeshift (YC S24)
- **Komal Ahmad -** Founder of Copia (YC W'16)
- **Niki Kohkale** - Co-Founder & CEO Fountain9 (YC W21)
Investors & Venture Capital Panel:
- Moderator: Simran Nath – Partner, Suncoast VC
- **Emily Yu** – Investor, Boost VC
- **Keshia Theobald-van Gent** – Partner, BDev Ventures
- **Niamh O’Donnell** – Director of Programs, Unusual Ventures
Last time, 60% of attendees were founders (26% pre-seed, 8% seed, and 6% Series A+), with the rest comprising investors and seasoned operators who shape the ecosystem.
Agenda: Register to receive the full agenda and event details straight to your inbox. All attendees will receive a special gift, because you deserve more than just great content. If you’re raising, scaling, or looking to plug into the right circles, this is your room. — now launching in San Francisco.
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- Startup Fundamentals 3: Understanding the "Terms" in Term Sheets5 Palo Alto Square, Palo Alto, CA
This event is organized by ASV.
Our meetup group is collaborating by promoting this event.
In order to attend, please register here:
Take advantage of early responder pricing!
Hurry!
Slots are limited!
Venue:
5 Palo Alto Square
Ground Floor Event Center
3000 El Camino Real
Palo Alto, CA 94306Unlock Your Startup’s Potential: Join Our Essential Workshop!
Are you an entrepreneur ready to transform your vision into a successful, fundable startup? Access Silicon Valley invites you to join us for an invaluable 3-hour workshop designed to equip you with the legal and business tools and insights necessary to build a fundable and scalable startup and thrive in the startup ecosystem!This is the last of three workshops in the Access Silicon Valley Startup Fundamental Series for startup founders, startup executives, entrepreneurs, innovators, and developers. While advantageous to have attended all 3 workshops, this is stand-alone content. You can still attend this program if you missed the first.
Thank you to our event sponsor, Snell & Wilmer.
In this third workshop of the Startup Fundamentals series, Roger Rappoport, a former entrepreneur, founder of Access Silicon Valley, a partner at Snell & Wilmer and co-leader of its Emerging Growth and Venture Capital practice group, will conduct an interactive, informative session with in depth content on the terms and term sheets for a seed, angel, convertible debt, Safe (pre-money and post-money) and Series A round.
This session will cover:
- When and from whom to take money
- When is an amount raised too much or too little, and the perils of both
- The anatomy of a term sheet
- Understanding the structure of, and the provisions that will most likely be included in, a convertible debt, Safe, angel and venture financing term sheet
- How to arrive at a realistic pre-money valuation
- The impact of term sheets on existing shareholders
- The provisions that will impact control of major and day-to-day decisions at your startup
- The most recent trends relating to: liquidation preferences, participation rights, anti-dilution provisions, pay-to-play provisions, redemption rights, registration rights, rights of first refusal, drag along rights, co-sale rights, among others
Materials:
A comprehensive 50-page digital workbook with an actionable step-by-step guide will be distributed to all registered event attendees on the day of the event.
Agenda:
5:00 PM - 6:00 PM - Dinner and networking
6:00 PM - 6:15 PM - Speaker and sponsor introductions
6:15 PM - 7:30 PM - Startup workshop Part A
7:30 PM - 7:45 PM - Intermission
7:45 PM - 8:45 PM - Startup workshop Part B
8:45 PM - 9:00 PM - Q & ASeating is extremely limited, so reserve your seat now.
About the Speaker:
Snell & Wilmer Partner Roger Rappoport, Co-Leader of the Emerging Growth and Venture Capital Practice Group, is a seasoned advisor to startups and emerging growth companies and the investors who finance them, guiding clients from inception through exit. With over two decades of experience in the startup ecosystem, Roger focuses on venture capital and angel investor financings, including convertible notes, SAFEs, and other debt financings. His knowledge extends to mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, distribution, development, manufacturing, and licensing transactions, as well as executive compensation and the establishment of equity incentive plans.
He has extensive experience in advising startup and well-established emerging growth companies, primarily in the software, information technology, Internet, fixed and mobile communications technology, cleantech and life sciences sectors. Roger is the co-author of “Investor Agreements in a Financing Transaction” a chapter in Financing California Businesses,” California Continuing Education of the Bar, Co-author of "Considerations for Angel and VC Funded Startups and Emerging Growth Companies Considering a Loan Under the Paycheck Protection Program," and Co-author of “Changes in Convertible Instruments for Early Stage Financings.”Roger is a frequent speaker and panelist on topics and issues related to the development and implementation of a company's formation and funding strategy.
Before attending law school, he was the founder of a technology company with $10 million in revenue.
Roger is very connected with investors in Silicon Valley and beyond and is an active angel investor. As an attorney, he has been involved in hundreds of transactions such as merger and acquisition transactions, private equity and venture capital financing transactions, and complex restructuring transactions.
Roger is also the founder of Access Silicon Valley, a platform for entrepreneurs, on a global basis, to gain access to Silicon Valley's best and brightest Venture Capitalists, "been there done that" entrepreneurs, and experts. Take a closer look at the Access Silicon Valley Video Fireside Chat Series hosted by Roger, with representatives of some of the Valley's most high profile VCs, such as Andreessen Horowitz, Foundation Capital, Floodgate, Venrock, Canaan Partners and more.
Questions?
Email:
Alex Levine
alevine@swlaw.com
