Thursday, November 10, 2011
8:30 AM – 4:30 PM
American Legion, Middlebury
Read more about our sponsors here.

Click here to download a printable schedule.

Financing the Working Landscape is an all-day conference to network the regional capital community; to educate entrepreneurs about the capital continuum, stages of development and preparation; and to catalyze opportunities by showcasing businesses looking for capital.

Inviting:  Capital and service providers, foundations, entrepreneurs and businesses involved in food and agriculture and the working landscape, students.

Schedule:

8:00 – 9:00 AM: Registration and set-up of information tables

9:00 – 9:15 AM: Welcome and Opening Remarks – Jonathan Corcoran, ACORN Network

9:20 – 10:20 AM: The Capital Continuum and stages of development:
Where is your business?

Facilitator: Janice St. Onge, VT Sustainable Jobs Fund

Panelists:

  • Ken Perine, National Bank of Middlebury
  • Robin Scheu: Addison County Economic Development Corporation
  • Dave Robinson: US Department of Agriculture
  • Sarah Isham: VT Economic Development Authority
  • Ryan Torres, VT Community Foundation
  • Gregory O’Brien, Worth Mountain Consulting

Q&A: 20 mins.

10:20 – 10:35 AM: Break

10:35 AM – 12:00 PM: Capitalization: What it takes to get money into your business

Introduction and Addison County Business Profile: Robin Scheu, ACEDC

A) Business readiness: Preparing for capitalization: Matching needs, time frames and stage of development with the right type of capital:

  • Business planning, technical assistance resources: Steve Paddock, VT SBDC
  • Presenting your financials: Bret Hodgdon, Davis and Hodgdon Associates CPAs
  • The venture perspective: James Macon, Closed Loop Capital

B) Case studies of successful capitalizations: How did you do it?

  • Corie Pierce, Bread and Butter Farm
  • Mike Rainville, Maple Landmark
  • Barney Hodges, VT Refrigerated Storage
  • Cheryl DeVos, Green Mountain Organic Creamery

12:00 – 1:00 PM: Local Food Lunch by the Glass Onion Restaurant at the Hannaford Career Center (Chuck Ross, VT Agency of Agriculture, invited)

1:00 – 2:10 PM: Alternative strategies to mobilize local private capital to support the working landscape

Facilitator:  Eli Moulton, Merritt and Merritt & Moulton

Panelists:

  • Bonnie Rukin, Slow Money Maine
  • Orly Munzing, Strolling of the Heifers, Business Plan Competition
  • Eric Becker, Clean Yield Asset Management
  • Kevin Lehman, Three Revolutions, a crowdfunding project
  • Tim Storrow, Castanea Foundation
  • Dorothy Suput, Carrot Project

Q & A: 20 minutes

2:10 – 2:30 PM: Break

2:30 – 3:20 PM: Entrepreneurs Showcase:  Eight 3-minute pitches from selected entrepreneurs.

         Facilitator: Ellen Kahler, VT Sustainable Jobs Fund

3:25 – 4:15 PM:  Four rounds of 7-minute matchmaking sessions for entrepreneurs with capital providers.

         Facilitator: Annie Harlow, ACORN Network

4:15 PM: Closing remarks:  Robin Scheu, ACEDC

4:20-4:45:  Open networking session