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The 2008 Midwest Venture Summit has finished its run and we would like to thank all of the sponsors who have supported the event both financially and with their expertise.  To view these sponsors please click here.  We also thank all those who participated as presenters, room hosts, panelists, volunteers, coaches and voters. 

We had a record number of submissions to be considered (78) and we appreciate the time that our voters took to review all those plans and choose the final 42 presenters. 

On the first day at the University of Chicago Gleacher Center, our focus was on the University Business Plan Competition including the late morning awarding of the IL DCEO Entrepreneur's Challenge Grant to ReTel Technologies (University of Chicago).  Early Stage presenting companies followed in the afternoon.  Our attendance for that day surpassed 220 attendees.

Overall attendance including the second day, at the Sheraton Chicago Hotel &  Towers, which focused on the Series A+ presenting companies numbered more than 400 with the breakdown as follows:

The second day began with a networking breakfast sponsored by Red Flash and SVB Silicon Valley Bank where the 2008 Bob Geras Grant of $70,000 was awarded to PatientImpact LLC.  This was followed by the first run of the Series A+ presenting companies.  With presentations completed, there was an offering of VC Panels (hosted by Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal LLP and Reed Smith LLP), an Angel Roundtable (hosted by Dennis Serio, Illinois Business Investors Forum and Joe Kremer, Wisconsin Angel Network) and the Series A presenters were available at their exhibit booths for some one-on-one contact with investors and attendees.

The luncheon, sponsored by KPMG LLP, featured speaker John Gartner, author of The Hypomanic Edge.  Gartner noted how "hypomania" endows many of us with energy, creativity, enthusiasm, and a propensity for taking risks.  Sounds very much like the necessary qualities to make successful person in the venture capital and private equity industry!

The afternoon session was comprised of repeat presentations by the Series A+ presenters, more VC Panels (hosted by The Revere Group and Probitas Partners) another Angel Roundtable (moderated by  Dennis Serio, Illinois Business Investors Forum and Joe Kremer, Wisconsin Angel Network) and the final session of exhibit booths for contact with the Series A+ presenters.
 

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