I sat in on a Toronto Venture Group breakfast meeting yesterday morning. Quite an interesting event. The attendees are a mix of VCs, angel investors, entrepreneurs looking for funding, and professionals offering related services like consulting.
I shared a table with John Philip Green of Savvica, whom I seem to keep bumping into all over the place. He nicely summarizes the main presentation by Charles Chi of Greylock Capital here.
One interesting organizational tidbit: after a buffet-style breakfast, the event kicks into higher gear with a networking round. Anyone who wants to can stand up for 60 seconds, deliver a short elevator pitch on their company, and state what sort of help or connections they are seeking. It was basically the monologue equivalent of speed-dating. (Or, as Charles Chi lightly quipped, akin to the introductory segment of an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting.) It worked well; very lightweight and informative. Worth keeping in mind for future mixers.
