Santa Clara University

Eighth Annual Silicon Valley Boomer Venture Summit & Business Plan Competition Takes Place June 15; Winners Eligible for $11,000 in Prizes

SANTA CLARA, Calif., April 4, 2011 — Santa Clara University’s Leavey School of Business and Mary Furlong & Associates are soliciting business plans for the eighth annual Silicon Valley Boomer Venture Summit and Business Plan Competition, taking place at Santa Clara University on June 15.

The business-plan competition – with a deadline for entries of April 14 — is focused on finding winning business plans targeting the older adult marketplace, in areas such as biodesign, medical devices, geriatrics and gerontology. This year there is a separate prize for best mobile-device application for Boomers.

Finalists will compete at the summit, an annual event designed to give insight to entrepreneurs, marketers and corporate strategists on best practices for reaching the U.S. Baby Boomer consumers -- a large and growing marketplace of 78 million who control 77 percent of the nation’s discretionary income.

For more details on submission guidelines for the competition overall see: http://www.scuboomerventure.com/competitions/bplans.html

For information on the app-specific competition, visit : http://www.scuboomerventure.com/competitions/apps.html.

The business-plan competition allows participants to interact with venture capitalists, angel investors, investors from major corporations, entrepreneurs, and researchers who are at the leading edge of the Boomer market.

Finalists will get an opportunity to present their plan to top venture capitalists as they compete for a $10,000 grand prize or $1,000 prize for the Best Mobile Device App.

Some of the judges include Jody Holtzman, Senior Vice President, Thought Leadership, AARP; Andy Cohen, CEO, Caring.com;  Andy Donner, Director, Physic Ventures;  Peter Ziebelman, Partner, Palo Alto Venture Partners;  Nancy Kamei, Sector Director, Intel Capital; Xander Mahony, Draper Fisher Jurvetson; and Jeff Shoemate, United Healthcare.  

About the summit

The 2011 Silicon Valley Boomer Venture Summit brings together industry analysts, the venture capital community, entrepreneurs, and business leaders in the field of aging. Together, they create a unique forum to explore business ideas, share trends and best practice information and design products and services that will serve the large and growing baby boomer market in the coming years.

Among the topics to be addressed at the summit: serving or investing in companies that will meet the needs of the boomer market; where and why venture capitalists are investing heavily; and how key analysts segment the market and evaluate opportunities.

How to enter the contest:

Full rules are at http://www.scuboomerventure.com/competitions/bplans.html. Submissions should be sent to svboomerventure@gmail.com.

For more information, please visit http://www.scuboomerventure.com or send an email to inquiries(at)scuboomerventure(dot)com. Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/SCUBoomerVenture; Twitter: @scuboomer

About the Leavey School of Business
The Leavey School of Business at Santa Clara University began in 1923, and was one of the first business schools in the country to receive national accreditation. Its undergraduate business, MBA and Executive MBA programs are consistently ranked among the top in the nation. The curriculum at all levels emphasizes the leadership role of business in creating an ethical society as well as business responsibilities for social justice and sustainability in the global marketplace. The School opened its new $49 million building for undergraduate, graduate, and professional business education in Fall 2008. For more information, see www.scu.edu/business/

About Mary Furlong & Associates
Mary Furlong & Associates works with companies seeking to capitalize on new business and investment opportunities in the boomer market. The company provides business development, financing strategy and integrated marketing solutions to entrepreneurs, corporations and non-profit organizations serving the 50+ market. Mary Furlong is the Dean’s Executive Professor of Entrepreneurship at the Leavey School of Business. See http://www.maryfurlong.com for more information about the boomer marketplace.

Media Contact:

Deborah Lohse | SCU Media Relations | dlohse@scu.edu | (408) 554-5121