Universities are uniquely positioned to provide strategic and tactical assistance to promote urban development through entrepreneurship by traditionally disadvantaged participants. Schools of law and business have engaged in such efforts locally and around the country. What types of assistance might a university provide? What are the problems and prospects that such work entails? How should success be judged? The panel will feature one exemplary intervention, provide some additional examples of local initiatives, discuss what scholarship reveals about work elsewhere and engage the audience in what the future might hold for interdisciplinary support of efforts to enrich the urban environment.

Moderator: Prof. James V. Rowan

Panelists:
Mary Kay Leonard, President and CEO, Initiative for a Competitive Inner City (NUSL '78)
Cynthia Jackson, Associate Professor of Accounting, College of Business Administration, Northeastern University
Rashmi Dyal-Chand, Professor of Law, School of Law, Northeastern University (NUSL '94)

This panel will discuss particular challenges for developers and start-up companies in the business of developing computer or video games. What are the funding and IP hurdles for developers? How has timing and the nature of risks in this sector affected investor requirements? The idea is to engage experienced developers and legal advisors in a dialog about particular issues and trends in this locally expanding and competitive sector of the entertainment industry. Possible areas of focus include: early stage IP risks and preferred forms of protection for ideas and gaming concepts; employment terms and conditions for development teams; emerging issues and trends for early stage investment; partnering with publishers and alternative funding sources; and copyright, trademark and personal rights clearance and licensing for game content.

Moderator: Prof. Susan Barbieri Montgomery (NUSL '86)

Panelists:
Alexander J. Aber, Attorney, Foley Hoag LLP (NUSL '02)
Brian Balfour, Serial Entrepreneur, Co-Founder & VP Product Marketing, Viximo, Inc.
Eitan Glinert, Entrepreneur, Founder, Creative Director & Fire Chief, Fire Hose Games
William Hochberg, Attorney, High Mountain Law (NUSL '90)
Terrence Masson, Director of Creative Industries, Northeastern University

The panel will discuss the ways in which the economic crisis has impacted the venture capital environment. How the levels of financing, terms of agreement, and the forms of financing have differed? How are issues of sustainability and government funding (i.e., stimulus grants) impacting the venture capital landscape? To what extent and how have changes in the economy affected the availability of early stage capital funding? What are venture capitalists looking for in an entrepreneur? The panel will consist of representatives from venture capital firms, lawyers who represent venture capitalists, entrepreneurs, and academics. The hope is to have venture capitalists, entrepreneurs, and lawyers from different sectors represented so that the audience can get an idea of how these issues are being resolved across industries.

Moderator: Prof. James R. Hackney, Jr.

Panelists:
Peter M. Rosenblum, Partner & Business Department Chair, Foley Hoag LLP
James M. Moran, North Bridge Venture Partners (NU '87)
Karthik Krishnan, Assistant Professor of Finance, Department of Finance and Insurance, College of Business Administration, Northeastern University

Speakers and attendees (students, alum, faculty and others)