VC Taskforce Launches "StartUP Academy"

PALO ALTO, CA--(Marketwired - Sep 12, 2013) -  VC Taskforce™, an organization committed to enhancing collaboration in the venture community, has launched the "StartUP Academy," a new program for entrepreneurs who are serious about starting a company. StartUP Academy features a structured program of workshops and pitch events -- as well as face time with investors -- organized specifically to help go from concept to company. The Academy is limited to 50 participants.

StartUP Academy participants will be able to attend a total of five programs over a three-month period. They will be able to choose from four different Academy workshops and four different Pitch Gauntlet events. Each workshop and pitch event will be highly interactive and will provide dedicated feedback and assignments, with feedback coming from start-up marketing experts, early stage attorneys, service providers, successful entrepreneurs, angels and/or venture capitalists. Program workshops and pitch events include:

Academy Workshops

• Concept to Company Workshop
• Elevator Pitch Workshop: Getting to Wow
• Presenting to VC Partners Workshop 
• Demo Pitch Workshop

The Pitch Gauntlet

• Pitch Practice
• Angel Pitch
• Seed Stage Investor Pitch
• Elevator Pitch Plus an hour with an attorney

"We want to give entrepreneurs the opportunity to really understand all the dynamics needed to get a company up-and-running. You can't do that by just attending one event," said June Riley, CEO of VC Taskforce. "We felt a specific set of workshops that provided intense immersion in company building basics was important. But even more important for entrepreneurs is the one-on-one face time and feedback from the right people that can really give them a leg-up in launching a company."

As part of the new program, VC Taskforce is rolling out an Academy Card that will allow participants to attend the five-program Academy -- and bring a guest to each of the programs -- at a discount of 45% off regular program prices.

The 5-program Academy Card is being offered at $299 for VC Taskforce members, $349 for Affiliates and $378 for non-members (which includes a one-year membership). To register, please visit: https://vctstartupacademy.eventbrite.com/

About VC Taskforce
"Enhancing collaboration in the venture community"
Founded in 2001, VC Taskforce is primarily an educational organization that provides forums for real-time information exchange and dialogue through a series of networking events, panels, keynote discussions, workshops and roundtable meetings conducted by investors and business and industry experts that support venture capitalists, institutional investors, angels, companies looking for funding and venture-backed company executives in managing their businesses for maximum success. Visionary thinking, uncensored questions and opinionated discussions around pressing issues that face members are hallmarks of events. Today, more than 16,000 members and participants have been actively involved in VC Taskforce. www.vctaskforce.com.