Thursday, October 03, 2002

Wilmington, NC -- UNCW’s Cameron School of Business, in cooperation with the Coastal Entrepreneurial Council, is bringing to Wilmington leading investors from four of the state’s most powerful angel and venture capital organizations. “Finding Capital in a Bear’s Cave,” a discussion among key leaders in nontraditional capital funding, will be held at 6 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 10, in Cameron Hall Auditorium at UNC Wilmington.

These four experts in capital funding for business ventures will be together on the same stage discussing what they look for when investing in new and growing business enterprises. “We are extremely pleased to have a panel of this caliber available for the coastal region business community,” said Dean Larry Clark of the Cameron School of Business. “Their perspective on today’s capital resources for business ventures is particularly important in these times of sparse funding support for expansion and growth. I expect their views will be of great interest to both the academic and business communities of our region.”

Featured will be Robbie Hardy, chairman and founder of the Atlantis Group of Raleigh; Steve Nelson, partner in the Wakefield Group of Durham; H. Dabney Smith, general partner in Dogwood Equity of Raleigh; and Andy Rico, vice president of Silicon Valley Bank, Research Triangle Park. Michael G. Cain of Wilmington’s Cape Fear Capital, LLC, will be the moderator. The evening’s topics will range from the current state of capital funding to the potential opportunities that exist in the Southeast coastal region.

A reception for the panel follows at 7 p.m. Advance registration is required. Please email register@cec-nc.org to sign up for the meeting. Admission is free for Coastal Entrepreneurial Council (CEC) members, university faculty and staff. There is a $15 fee for the public and guests.

The CEC is a volunteer group of business leaders who have organized to encourage the creation and development of entrepreneurial businesses in the Southeast coastal region. The CEC provides platforms for personal and professional growth for its members through a variety of services and programs. From individual networking to professional perspectives on a wide range of topics, CEC programs and meetings offer unique opportunities for business owners and executives. Inquiries regarding the CEC should be directed to Warren Gulko, CEC executive director, phone 962-3901 or email warren@cec-nc.org.