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VCs-to-DC 2019

June 5, 2019 - June 6, 2019
8:00 am - 5:00 pm

Want to make DC work for VC?

Venture to the nation’s capital at NVCA’s VCs-to-DC!

VCs-to-DC convenes venture investors, entrepreneurs and policymakers to take part in a conversation on policy issues to strengthen the entrepreneurial ecosystem. Join us in the nation’s capital for two days of networking, education, public policy discussions, and advocacy on Capitol Hill.

This is your time to advocate and educate Congress on your VC policy needs!

 

AGENDA

TIMELINE:

June 5: CONFERENCE

9:00am – 5:00pm — Content

5:30pm – 7:00pm — Reception

June 6: CAPITOL HILL ADVOCACY DAY

8:30am – 3:00pm — Capitol Hill

2019 VCS-TO-DC PANELS:

FOREIGN INVESTMENT SCRUTINY: HOW IT IMPACTS VCS AND WHAT TO EXPECT NEXT

In the past year, the venture and startup ecosystem has been impacted by foreign investment scrutiny, most notably via expansion of CFIUS’s authority under Foreign Investment Risk Review Modernization Act (FIRRMA).  Significant rulemakings are underway as the Treasury Department implements FIRRMA and the Commerce Department defines “emerging technology,” which may subject venture-backed companies to export controls for the first time and expand FIRRMA further.  Learn how VCs and high-growth companies are navigating the shifting landscape and how NVCA is leading the way to ensure the next-generation of transformative technologies are built in the United States.

Moderator: Jeff Farrah, General Counsel, NVCA

Panelists: Michael Brown, General Partner, Battery Ventures; Patricia Nakache, General Partner, Trinity Ventures; Stephen Heifetz, Partner, Wilson Sonsini

TAX POLICY AND THE STARTUP ECOSYSTEM

VCs and practitioners are working through what the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act means for the industry one year after passage.  Hear about the impact of the three-year hold period for carried interest, how people are thinking about opportunity zones, and other tax issues impacting partnerships and startups.

Moderator: Sue Biglieri, Chief Financial Officer, Kleiner Perkins

Panelists: Steve Franklin, Founding Partner, Gunderson Dettmer; Navin Sethi, Partner, Ernst & Young

POLICY IN AN ERA OF POPULISM

As developed countries undergo the bumpy transition from the manufacturing era to the digital age, their political systems are coming under increasing pressure from a rising wave of populism and discontent with the status quo.  From trade to immigration, tax policy and cross-border financial flows, these trends are rapidly impacting global commerce.  This panel will explore trends in the rise of populism, examine common threads between the experiences of different countries, and what this means for the present and future of the startup ecosystem.

Moderator: Justin Field, SVP of Government Affairs, NVCA

TECHLASH AND ITS IMPLICATION FOR STARTUPS

Large technology companies are under the microscope in DC and many policymakers are focused on “cracking down” on these companies, whether through data privacy regulation, antitrust enforcement, or other means.  This panel will examine how Techlash could impact startups and why policymakers should ensure reforms intended to curtail abuses by some companies do not hamper young, high-growth companies that are necessary for economic dynamism and job creation.

Moderator: Charlotte Savercool, Director of Government Affairs, NVCA

Panelists: Jeff Clavier, Founder and Managing Partner, Uncork Capital; Rob Atkinson, President, Information Technology and Innovation Foundation

POLITICS IN AN AGE OF DISRUPTION

Veteran Washington operatives Bruce Mehlman and David Castagnetti will upack how divided government is impacting the venture and startup ecosystem and what’s around the corner.

PREVIOUS VCS-TO-DC SPEAKERS INCLUDE:

  • Steve Case — Chairman and CEO of Revolution
  • Senator Mark Warner (D-VA) — Vice Chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee,
  • Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) — House Majority Leader
  • Jay Clayton — SEC Chairman
  • Dr. Scott Gottlieb — FDA Commissioner
  • Senator Brian Schatz (D-HI) — Chief Deputy Whip
  • Former Senator Jeff Flake (R-AZ)