He shuttled deals between 5 networks at Tech Coast Angels; over 8 years he's seen more than 100 companies get funded.

Today Jeff's with MHS Capital with a different investment strategy. But Jeff's heart is with VentureNet, he's helped run the event for the past 5 years, and since it's less than a week away it's time for you to jump!

Register today at VentureNet.org.

Show #248 (19:11) Listen

Miramar has great relationships with both UCI and UCLA and since I've just come from UCI's Don Beall Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship where the focus has been how to turn research into commerce, we have a timely discussion on Seed funds.

Bruce speaks of newly funded deals and the revised approach to due diligence that this economy has forced onto the fund.

Show #247 (55:12) Listen

Join Bruce and me at VC in the OC, Oct 8th at the Balboa Bay Club in Newport Beach. Keynote by Guy Kawasaki. Register today.

Was he rooting for McCain/Palin when he named his angel group Maverick? If I had this interview to do over, I'd ask, but we do cover all things related to angel investing in Southern California, especially its newest angel group, the Maverick Angels. Westlake Village, to be more specific, which once hosted a Keiretsu Forum chapter. Is Maverick Keiretsu reincarnated? Just how are they unique? I do ask that question.

Southern California already has mature, well established angel groups like the Pasadena Angels and the Tech Coast Angels; is there room for one more? Will a little competition be good for entrepreneurs? Is Maverick part of the evolution of angel investing?

Show #246 (54:35) Listen

Join Miramar Ventures' Bruce Hallett, Guy Kawasaki and me at
VC in the OC, Oct 8th at the Balboa Bay Club in Newport Beach.

It's your last chance to register for VentureNet, Oct 7th at the Westin South Coast Plaza. See "the future of Southern California technology".

Let's take a trip back to my alma mater, UMASS Amherst where Paul Silva volunteers as the Chairman of the Entrepreneurship Initiative, an organization teaching students how to become successful entrepreneurs; he's also the Managing Partner of Angel Catalyst. Nearby, Phil Weilerstein is the Executive Director for NCIIA and Joseph Steig runs its Venture Well program.

"Unproven and young" describes the challenges facing university entrepreneurs. My guests detail the programs that help them get that next stage of funding.

Show #245 (49:19) Listen

At the 16th Annual NASVF conference in Oklahoma City today I caught up with vSpring Capital's Gavin Christensen after he appeared on a panel discussing special purpose funds.

What kind of funds? He's recently developed Kick Start an early stage seed fund that involves stakeholders from the nearby universities, angel groups and, of course, vSpring. Sounds great for the region, but how did he get "economic alignment" from these very different groups?

Show #244 (21:46) Listen

Care to know the "economics of running funds"?

Jim Jaffe knows. He's the President/CEO of the National Association of Seed and Venture Funds, NASVF.

It's a challenging time for Seed funds, Jim tells you why. Challenging times? Maybe that makes it a good time for everyone to get together at the NASVF 16th Annual Conference next week in Oklahoma City.

Show #243 (31:31) Listen

He founded the Melbourne Angels, co-founded the Australian Association of Angel Investors and was a founding partner in Melbourne Venture Partners so Jordan knows his way around investing in early stage companies in Australia.

Show #242 (43:01) Listen