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Venturing into Silicon Valley Some leaders in Silicon Valley's high-tech and business investment industries have more in common than their cautious outlook in the wake of the nation's economic shift. The common denominator: They all share a connection to Northwestern. In April University President Henry S. Bienen brought nearly 100 of these alumni together through a panel discussion he facilitated in Palo Alto, Calif. Those attending Venture Capital Investing in the Post Boom Market, co-sponsored by the Northwestern Alumni Association, learned the state of new business from six alumni who funded and implemented many of the high-tech and dot-com deals of recent years. C. Richard Kramlich (EB57), co-founder and general partner with New Enterprise Associates and an investment veteran of more than 30 years, reassured the audience that even though these are lean times for investment partnerships, with careful decision making, it's still possible to launch successful companies. "Good companies were founded in lean times ... Apple in 1977, Genentech in '76 and Cisco [Systems] in 1987," he said. "They were born in a period where there was discipline, and they formed good habits." Other speakers included Tod Francis (WCAS81, KGSM83), general partner with Trinity Ventures; Promod Haque (GMcC74, 76, KGSM83), managing partner of Norwest Venture Partners; Jay Crandall Hoag (WCAS80), general partner with Technology Crossover Ventures; Donna Petkanics (WCAS80), managing director of operations with Wilson, Sonsini, Goodrich & Rosati; and Scott Ryles (WCAS81), president and CEO of Epoch Partners. "I was surprised and pleased at the breadth of positions held by Northwestern alumni in the Valley," said Francis. "I would like to see more events to foster networking and raise the awareness of other University alumni in the area." Look for links to video clips of the panel discussion by logging on to alumni.northwestern.edu/2001/venture_capital.htm. — Michele Hogan
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