UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — “The State of Venture and Growth Capital in the COVID-19 Era” panel during the Invent Penn State Venture & IP Conference will explore the effects of COVID-19 on venture and growth investing and its outlook through 2021. Taking place virtually from 1:45-2:35 p.m. on Thursday, April 15, the panel also will examine important investment lessons learned because of the pandemic.
Featured panelists include:
- Steve Carpenter – senior vice president, Life Science Greenhouse of Central PA/Penn State Garber Fund: Carpenter is a senior vice president at the Life Sciences Greenhouse of Central PA, a seed-stage investment organization that invests up to $2 million in promising life science companies in central Pennsylvania. His principal responsibilities include serving as director or board observer for portfolio companies, evaluating prospective companies and performing due diligence for investment. He also serves as an adjunct instructor at the Smeal College of Business Farrell Center for Corporate Innovation and Entrepreneurship.
- Catherine Mott – president and CEO, BlueTree Allied Angels: Mott is the founder of BlueTree Capital Group, BlueTree Allied Angels, and the BlueTree Venture Fund located in Pittsburgh. As of December 2020, the BlueTree entities have invested more than $57 million in several startup companies.
- Shaunak Parikh – partner, EW Healthcare Partners: Parikh is a partner in the New York office of EW Healthcare, a private equity firm specializing in growth stage investments in health care. At EW Healthcare, he is responsible for identifying and evaluating new investments across the health care sector, including pharmaceutical, medical device, diagnostic and technology-enabled service opportunities.
- Hunter Swisher – CEO, Phospholutions Inc.: Swisher is the founder and CEO of Phospholutions Inc., which he founded prior to graduating with a bachelor of science in plant sciences from the Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences. Phospholutions develops solutions for managing global phosphorus use and has raised more than $12 million in non-dilutive, convertible and equity financing.
Jonathan Moyer, partner at Reed Smith LLP, will moderate the event. Moyer advises companies, funds and significant individuals regarding venture capital and growth equity transactions, mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, private equity transactions, equity and debt offerings, corporate governance issues, and general corporate law.
For more information on the 2021 Invent Penn State Venture & IP Conference, visit pennstatevip.com and follow Invent Penn State on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram at @InventPennState.