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The Cooperative Venturing NetworkTM Since 1983, Wayne Brown Institute, a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation, has been accelerating development of selected emerging-growth companies through Cooperative Venturing, a business development partnership with the worldâs leading venture and professional firms. Emerging-growth companies seeking venture capital typically have a one-in-one-thousand chance of raising money. Companies participating in Wayne Brown Institute programs increase their chance of raising capital to seventy percent. In fact, participating companies have gone on to raise over USD $400 million.   Cooperative Venturing Philosophy Venturing is typically described using such familiar terms as: Innovation, Hard Work, Vision, Talent, Opportunity, and Rewards. Cooperative Venturing is much more. It is all of the above, but applied in a highly-effective and systematic approach based on proprietary knowledge, expertise and technology. Tried and proven over fifteen years, this philosophy combines proven performance in business development for emerging-growth companies, the professionals that serve them, and the investors that provide growing companies with financial resources. Simply put, Cooperative Venturing leverages the venture capital industryâs business model through a proven process of attracting, selecting, mentoring and providing access to capital for emerging -growth companies. Wayne Brown Instituteâs Cooperative Venturing process is comprised of four key elements. Cooperative Venturing Network: Service professionals, capital providers, and proven entrepreneurs provide young firms with an infrastructure of resources and practical education such as seasoning, specialized preparation, and pragmatic tutelage. Directed Mentoring: The process of combining the Cooperative Venturing Networkâs expertise and insight with academically-based proprietary technology to instruct selected emerging-growth companies relative to the fund raising process. Proprietary Technology: Leading edge software tools allow the Wayne Brown Institute and the Cooperative Venturing Network to accelerate commercialization and capital acquisition for companies mentored through the application of this breakthrough science. This tool maps the "trajectory" of any selected company and provides an accurate description of the firm's current business model. In addition, the software suggests course corrections and evaluates the firm's probability of landing in the high potential business-model success zone. Investors Choice Venture Capital Conferences: Multiple venues across the United States showcase the work of the Cooperative Venturing Network and allow promising companies to present to and meet capital resources.   The Cooperative Venturing Partnership A variety of professional firms (banking, accounting, legal, investment banking, insurance, consulting, marketing, business services, human resource, etc.) participate as members of the Cooperative Venturing Network (CVN). These companies realize tremendous business development opportunities as they join the Wayne Brown Institute in working with emerging high-growth companies to create quality deal flow for the venture capital community, and share in the wealth that follows. In addition, members of the network identify and establish relationships with other professional firms that can add value and invite them to participate.   Attracting High-Potential Companies Wayne Brown Institute and Members of CVN work together in the "attraction process." The attraction process is systematic direct contact and relationship building between Network Members and emerging high-potential companies. This occurs as each Network Firm works within its own client base to identify companies that could raise capital through Cooperative Venturing. Second, CVN members develop relationships that may be discovered through association with other reputable service professionals, information technology, biomedical, and other trade associations. Third, information regarding high-potential companies is passed to Wayne Brown Institute (WBI) to be used in the solicitation process. WBI, with the help of CVN members, uses the target company information to build and maintain an electronic database that is used to solicit an "Expanded Executive Summary" from emerging companies: with less than twenty million dollars in annual sales; have ambitious expansion plans; a seasoned management team; fully expect to achieve forty to fifty million dollars in annual sales after three to seven years. Upon submission of an Expanded Executive Summary, only the most promising of these businesses are selected to present to individual, corporate, venture capital investors and other financial organizations during an Investors Choice Venture Capital Conference.   Selecting High-Potential Companies All written submissions are reviewed by a panel of venture capital experts. Independence in the company selection process is critical for quality control. Membership organizations, governmental agencies and academic institutions are all subject to constituent pressure and lack the expertise to make such decisions. Not only is Wayne Brown Institute (The Institute) free of these influences, it relies on the venture capital community, which is the most independent group in making the final selection. Also, the selection process allows Cooperative Venturing Network Members to remain independent, which is critical since one of the main purposes of CVN is quality client development. The Institute directs the company selection process through its Capital Advisory BoardTM (CAB). Capital Advisory Board: A group of venture capital experts, led by the Wayne Brown Institute, have developed a unique and effective method of reviewing and selecting emerging-growth companies to participate in the Investors Choice Venture Capital Conference Process. In addition, these professionals provide a critical element of the mentoring process. They are the component that provides access to the key element of market-driven selection by the capital market(s). Proprietary Software: CAB members have at their disposal the Company Selection AnalystTM, developed in an academic environment using almost two decades of Cooperative Venturing Data provided by the Wayne Brown Institute. The technologyâs powerful Venture Analysis StandardsTM and profiling capabilities assist the CAB in evaluating and communicating the strengths and weaknesses of emerging-growth companies. When used in conjunction with Directed Mentoring, Company Selection Analyst maps the "trajectory" of the company being evaluated and provides Directed Mentoring Teams with an accurate description of where it is now. This information facilitates the Directed Mentoring Process as CVN team members combine their experience to accelerate the educational process. This means that each member of the Cooperative Venturing Network adds exceptional value during the mentoring process while spending limited time. The Cooperative Venturing Network successfully mixes the art of investor analysis with the science of the next century. All submitting companies receive a written critique from the Institute. This critique is a compilation of the selection panelâs observations and acts as the foundation for the Directed Mentoring.   Directed Mentoring Directed Mentoring is the tool for accelerating quality deal flow in a rapidly changing technological and globally competitive marketplace. It is the process of guiding firms with promise. The client development proposition is to develop firms that are focused on the science of becoming attractive, viable investments. Directed Mentoring also focuses participants on issues they havenât faced before by forcing them to accomplish critical tasks that need to be completed before accredited investors would demonstrate an interest to invest. All of this takes place in an environment of cooperation. Emerging-growth companies become prepared for success by establishing relationships with the key professional elements of intellectual property, corporate law, accounting, entrepreneurship, due diligence, investment banking, venture leasing, banking, human resources, marketing, sales, and regulation. Directed Mentoring establishes relationships, manages expectations, and solidifies direction. Wayne Brown Institute Produces Seminars CVN Firms assist in the Directed Mentoring Process by hosting local seminars designed to prepare selected companies for success. Wayne Brown Institute presents yearly seminars such as Accelerating Business Success through Relationship Management; Six Secrets of Building a High Potential Venture; Preparing to Create a High Potential Business. These programs are designed to demonstrate the value of Network Members. They also provide a platform from which CVN Firms assist high-potential companies during the fund raising process through a team approach. Firms Work Together in Teams Each high-potential company participates in a Directed Mentoring Team. Each Mentoring Team is made up of representatives from the Cooperative Venturing Network placed in combination. The combination consists of at least four persons from specialties including law, accounting, banking, marketing, human resources, investment banking, risk services, distribution, finance, and successful venture-backed entrepreneurs. Team members donate the time necessary to mentor selected companies in their geographic area (approximately ten hours per company) in presentation development. Mentor Teams Help Build a Ten Minute Presentation The short-term goal of Directed Mentoring is to build a ten-minute presentation designed to stimulate capital provider interest in the Team's high-potential company. Team Members rely on the Institute's powerful Venture Analysis Standards and profiling capabilities to provide companies with distinct direction. This approach allows companies to benefit from years of Cooperative Venturing data as well as the combined experience of their Mentoring Team. New Venture Standards The combined experience of Directed Mentoring is focused on the Instituteâs "New Venture Standards." These standards force each company to work toward demonstrating how they are moving their firm toward becoming a model high-potential venture. This process is ensured as each member of the Cooperative Venturing Network receives training revolving around Company Selection Analyst TM and its use in the mentoring process. As a result, CVN members participate in a partnership that maximizes client development results and minimizes time expenditure. Failure Prevention Cooperative Venturing is a failure-prevention approach to new venture formation. Directed Mentoring minimizes time expenditure by "pre-engineering" the presentation in every way possible to demonstrate an emerging companies ability to eliminate the "six fundamental causes of failure" that afflict new ventures. Directed Mentoring implements a consistent, systematic and integrated process for presentation, client, and network development. Relationship Driven Cooperative Venturing Network members work on numerous mentor teams throughout each year. This allows for close relationships to be developed between CVN member firms and they become more proficient at the mentoring process. As this proficiency grows, the value of Company Selection Analyst and the Cooperative Venturing Network Grows. This increased ability translates into greater access to capital for high-potential firms   Providing Access to Capital Companies that have completed the mentoring process present their business opportunity during Investors Choice Venture Capital Conferences held in Atlanta, Maui, New York, and Salt Lake City in May, September, November, and February respectively. These diverse locations and dates provide Network Members with flexibility, enhanced access to capital, and continuous targeted client development opportunities. Investors Choice Venture Capital Conferences are the showcase of Cooperative Venturing. Each conference is a forum for presentation and consultation. CVN Distributes Conference Information Cooperative Venturing Network Firms use their resources to distribute information regarding Investors Choice Venture Capital Conferences throughout the United States. In this way, CVN Firms are positioned as a gateway for access to capital. Emerging-growth companies can see the way to growth resources and capital clearly and work to establish a relationship. Wayne Brown Institute Produces and Markets Conferences Investors and financial resources from throughout the United States attend the conferences, due to a direct marketing effort that highlights the Cooperative Venturing Network and Conference Sponsors. Wayne Brown Institute has developed and maintains a database of investors and capital resources interested in providing additional resources to high-potential companies. A direct mail campaign is combined with targeted print media and public relations efforts to ensure a well attended event. This attendance is combined with that of Cooperative Venturing Network to produce a higher level of opportunity for all participants. Network Members Attend Conferences Members of the Cooperative Venturing Network attend the conferences to leveraging their credibility on behalf of participating companies. Capital Providers attend the conferences to review the companies mentored and to collaborate with firms associated with the Cooperative Venturing Network. The results are unmatched-- well built chances for business development success; favorable contact with investors and financial resources; increased quality deal flow; and opportunities to form partnerships and strategic alliances. Cooperative Venturing Network Membership Benefits Clients or potential clients can apply Assist in identification of potential presenting companies in your community High-Potential Firms solicited One position on local mentor team Help develop an electronic database for the Institute to use in marketing Cooperative Venturing Establish relationship with High-Potential Firms Demonstrate your companyâs value to High-Potential Firms Seminars to enhance mentoring in your market Use proprietary tools to enhance your value Become a distribution point for Conference information Attendance fee to one Conference of your choice included Reduced rate to all additional Conferences Listed in the national CVN Directory in all four Conferences Receive materials from all Conferences Access to all submitting company materials Receive fact sheets on all companies that present during Conferences Recruit successful local investors and entrepreneurs to the Network Submit articles to the Instituteâs "Business Building Information Products Library"   Cooperative Venturing Network Sponsorship Donate time to advise clients or potential clients on their submission Donate the time necessary to mentor selected companies in your local area (approximately 10 hours per company) for presentation during a Conference Participate in network orientation Host and or attend annual seminars Contribute $2,500 annually to the Wayne Brown Institute as CVN membership fee Distribution of cooperative venturing promotional materials