The community at large will get a chance to weigh in on emerging mission-based products and services on April 20, just two days before Earth Day. Investors' Circle, an organization of angel investors and the presenter of traditionally exclusive venture capital match-making events for social and environmental entrepreneurs, will open up to a wider audience on Day 3 at their 2010 Spring conference. "'Mobilizing Capital and Community' isn't just the theme of Day 3, it's what we want to see happen as part of this conference," says Deb Parsons, Co-Director of Investors' Circle. IC believes that consumers and early stage Triple Bottom Line (TBL) businesses benefit from early mutual exposure. Referencing goals wider than the norm, the triple of TBL is "people, planet, profit" and it will be the people who get increased access at the event.

Not only a rare opportunity to personally investigate the world of impact investing, anyone interested in networking with business leaders, investors, non-profits, academics and foundations would likely benefit from attending. The adoption of this more outward facing conference concept is meant to underscore the critical community support aspect to taking progressive products and services to the next level. IC maintains early feedback and support from the public provides a valuable edge and can ultimately help shape a successful venture. Equally emphasized is the chance for consumers to directly affect products and services they might some day buy for themselves, which in turn contributes to making sustainability a real concept in action and not just green-speak jargon.

The keynote speaker is San Francisco's own charismatic Chip Conley, who knows all about these crucial elements. Founder and CEO of Joie de Vivre Hospitality and Author, PEAK: How Great Companies Get Their Mojo from Maslow, Chip embodies the balance of those who find their undeniable drive must be lined with community-oriented values. Chip and his company's time-tested techniques have been featured in TIME, Fast Company, Fortune, People and the Wall Street Journal. In 2007 Chip was named the Bay Area's Most Innovative CEO by the SF Business Times, among business leaders across all industries in the Silicon Valley, San Francisco and the East Bay.

Chosen for its wide and far-reaching societal implications, the plenary session, "Transparency as a Competitive Advantage," will address and argue existing business integrity paradigms. Individual experts will conduct a tabletop working lunch served family style that includes a theme-and table-switch opportunity timed with the second course. Numerous simultaneous breakout sessions are scheduled throughout the afternoon offering ample prospects for more intimate connections -- all of which is included with the Big Day 3 conference pass.

The first two days of the conference, April 18-19, will still only permit the pre-selected early-stage businesses that will be vying for vital capital by exhibiting their services and/or products to vetted IC angel investor members plus other accredited investors through a rapid-fire program and showcase. Perfected over the last fifteen years, the process has contributed to the propulsion of companies like Zip Car, Numi Tea and Cardinal Resources. The evening cocktail reception on the second night, Monday, April 18, is generally packed with Investors' Circle members, sponsors and entrepreneurs but IC really wants to get the word out that entrance to the event is guaranteed to anyone with a Big Day 3 conference pass through pre-registration. Early bird rates available until March 19, 2010. Registration info: www.investorscircle.net

Investors' Circle - SJF Institute

Investors' Circle - SJF Institute

SJF Institute was founded in 2001 as an independent nonprofit affiliate of SJF Ventures, a leading national impact investment venture capital fund. SJFI develops national and regional programs to connect, inspire and accelerate impact entrepreneurs and the fields that support them. SJFI has provided direct technical assistance to over 1500 impact entrepreneurs and has helped hundreds of others through its signature programs, including Getting Ready for Equity™, CleanLinks networking events, the SJF Cleantech Mentorship Program, the Green Jobs Award, and field-building reports such as Employees Matter: Maximizing Company Value Through Workforce Engagement.

Since 1992 Investors' Circle has built a network of over 150 angel investors, professional venture capitalists, foundations and family offices who are using private capital to promote the transition to a sustainable economy. During that time Investors' Circle has facilitated the flow of over $145 million into more than 220 companies and small funds addressing social and environmental issues. Members in IC's network of impact investors include some of the most experienced angels, early-stage and growth funds working to change the world.

Together, SJF Institute and Investors' Circle will increase entrepreneurs' access to capital, resources and networks, and will provide more opportunities for collaboration among impact investors.

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