(Greenopia) - August 10, 2012 - Per the Kauffman Foundation, during the Great Recession, more Americans have become entrepreneurs than at any time in the past 15 years. In 2011, an average of 47,083 adults started a new business each month. This business-creation rate translates to approximately 565,000 new businesses being created each month throughout the year. With such rapidly increasing rates of entrepreneurship paired with California’s support of green businesses, the California Coast Venture Forum (CCVF) is proud to announce the fourth annual Clean Business Investment Summit™1 on August 10, 2012 at the Corwin Pavilion at the University of California, Santa Barbara.

With increased interest from investors, entrepreneurs, and businesses in emerging, high growth markets such as renewable energy, clean tech, organics, green products, socially responsible, sustainable enterprises, and impact investing, the Clean Business Investment Summit aligns the power of capital and Clean Business principles to build viable, sustainable enterprises. The Summit enables vibrant Clean Business entrepreneurs to present their companies to investors looking for dynamic, cutting-edge opportunities.

“The CBIS event was very helpful for us in many ways. Key investors and entrepreneurs interested in making a profound difference in the world were present and readily accessible. I am encouraged by the opportunities afforded to young firms ready to take the next step in their journey to success. We view our participation in the CBIS event as a critical developmental milestone,” stated Mark Kram, PhD, CGWP, Groundswell Technologies.

With the theme of Forging New Frontiers, this year’s Clean Business Investment Summit touts an outstanding lineup of speakers. Congresswoman Lois Capps will kick off the Summit with her Opening Welcome followed by the Morning Keynote “Steps to Sustainability: Successes and Lessons Learned” by Mark Heintz, Director of Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability of Deckers Outdoor Corporation who has led the company’s impressive social, environmental and community initiatives. The “Forging New Frontiers” Panel Discussion will host dynamic experts across the fields of clean business including Brendon Cussio (Vice President of Finance and Marketing, Solarsilicon Recycling Services), Dan Riley (Vice President Operations, Ralph’s), Nurit Katz (Chief Sustainability Officer, UCLA), Diana Pereira (Chief Financial & Compliance Officer, West Coast Asset Management), and Marty Brown (Product Innovator and Developer), moderated by Michael Manchak (President & CEO of Economic Vitality Corporation). (Greenopia) - August 10, 2012 - Per the Kauffman Foundation, during the Great Recession, more Americans have become entrepreneurs than at any time in the past 15 years. In 2011, an average of 47,083 adults started a new business each month. This business-creation rate translates to approximately 565,000 new businesses being created each month throughout the year. With such rapidly increasing rates of entrepreneurship paired with California’s support of green businesses, the California Coast Venture Forum (CCVF) is proud to announce the fourth annual Clean Business Investment Summit™1 on August 10, 2012 at the Corwin Pavilion at the University of California, Santa Barbara.

With increased interest from investors, entrepreneurs, and businesses in emerging, high growth markets such as renewable energy, clean tech, organics, green products, socially responsible, sustainable enterprises, and impact investing, the Clean Business Investment Summit aligns the power of capital and Clean Business principles to build viable, sustainable enterprises. The Summit enables vibrant Clean Business entrepreneurs to present their companies to investors looking for dynamic, cutting-edge opportunities.

“The CBIS event was very helpful for us in many ways. Key investors and entrepreneurs interested in making a profound difference in the world were present and readily accessible. I am encouraged by the opportunities afforded to young firms ready to take the next step in their journey to success. We view our participation in the CBIS event as a critical developmental milestone,” stated Mark Kram, PhD, CGWP, Groundswell Technologies.

With the theme of Forging New Frontiers, this year’s Clean Business Investment Summit touts an outstanding lineup of speakers. Congresswoman Lois Capps will kick off the Summit with her Opening Welcome followed by the Morning Keynote “Steps to Sustainability: Successes and Lessons Learned” by Mark Heintz, Director of Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability of Deckers Outdoor Corporation who has led the company’s impressive social, environmental and community initiatives. The “Forging New Frontiers” Panel Discussion will host dynamic experts across the fields of clean business including Brendon Cussio (Vice President of Finance and Marketing, Solarsilicon Recycling Services), Dan Riley (Vice President Operations, Ralph’s), Nurit Katz (Chief Sustainability Officer, UCLA), Diana Pereira (Chief Financial & Compliance Officer, West Coast Asset Management), and Marty Brown (Product Innovator and Developer), moderated by Michael Manchak (President & CEO of Economic Vitality Corporation).

The Afternoon Keynote “The Art and Science of Clean Business” by Michael Brown, PhD (Brown and Wilmanns Environmental, LLC) will highlight Dr. Brown’s 25 years of experience leading efforts to establish cutting-edge environmental and energy management programs and provide cost-effective strategies and tools for industry and government with companies that include Patagonia, Nike, Good Housekeeping, Aveda, New Balance, CLIF Bar, Columbia, kinko’s, Ben & Jerry’s, and lululemon athletica, amongst many others.

Additional speakers include Bridgeman Carney (Founder, Carney & Associates), Craig Allen, CFA, CFP, CIMA (President, Montecito Private Asset Management LLC), Gideon Rubin (Local Market Launch), David Raney (Co-founder and CEO, Raney & Associates), Gillian Christie (Founder & CEO, Christie Communications), Peter Hartman (Chairman, MIT Enterprise Forum Central Coast), Craig Shields (2GreenEnergy), Melissa Moreno, JD (Director of Santa Barbara County SBDC & SBCC’s Scheinfeld Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation), Alan Tratner (Founder, Green2Gold), Jeremy Bodenhamer (Entrepreneur), amongst many others. In addition to the engaging keynote speeches, panels, Q & A, and exhibitions, attendees will experience dynamic presentations from pioneering Clean Business entrepreneurs, the annual Joe Nida Entrepreneurial Spirit Award, and much more. This year’s Summit will also launch a dynamic Investor Roundtable component to foster interaction between investors, entrepreneurs, and more. The Investor Roundtable participants include DFJ Frontier, Tech Coast Angels, West Coast Asset Management, Eleos Investment Management LLC, and others.

The California Coast Venture Forum, the largest venture capital forum held in coastal California, unites innovative, high growth companies with leading investors, business development and financing experts, and service providers. More than 585 start-up and growth companies have been introduced to venture investors and related services experts, with more than $110,000,000 invested through the CCVF. This is the 14th annual presentation from the CCVF which has joined forces with Green2Gold (www.green2gold.org) and Christie Communications (www.christiecomm.com) to build the foremost opportunity for Socially Responsible Entrepreneurs to present to Socially Responsible Investors.

CALL FOR BUSINESS PLANS
CCVF invites socially responsible, emerging – growth, start-up and later stage companies seeking investment to participate in the upcoming CBIS on August 10, 2012 in the Corwin Pavilion on the beautiful UCSB campus. Since inception, over 1,350 business plans have been reviewed to meet venture capital standards through a team of experienced business executives and entrepreneurs who annually select the most promising companies to make presentations. The CCVF has helped emerging growth and later stage companies raise over $110 million in capital investments! Business plans meeting the CLEAN BUSINESSTM criteria are now being accepted online at www.ccvf.com/entrepreneurs/.

CLEAN BUSINESS(TM) embraces numerous Industry Segments including, but not limited to:
• Food & Beverage
• Business Systems
• Renewable Energy Sources (wind, solar, geothermal, hydro)
• Pollution