Startup2Startup & Fast Pitch Host: Dave McClure, Founders Fund

Dave McClure has been geeking out in Silicon Valley for over twenty years as a software developer, entrepreneur, startup advisor, angel investor, blogger, and internet marketing nerd. Dave currently runs FF Angel, a seed-stage investment program for Founders Fund, and ran the 2009 fbFund REV incubator program on behalf of Facebook, Accel Partners, & Founders Fund.

Dave's passion is helping startups with marketing, product strategy, and startup metrics, and he has been an advisor or investor for over 50 companies in the past five years including: Mint.com (acquired by Intuit), CreditKarma, KissMetrics, Mashery, Simply Hired, SlideShare, TeachStreet, and Twilio. 

Dave is the co-founder of Startup2Startup & Finance4Founders, monthly dinner meetings for Silicon Valley startup entrepreneurs & investors.  He leads a travel group called GeeksOnaPlane to promote cultural exchange & education for tech entrepreneurs around the world.  Dave also supports the StartupVisa program toreform & improve US immigration policy for entrepreneurs.

Startup2Startup Keynote Speaker: Mark Suster, GRP Partners

Mark joined GRP Partners in 2007 after having worked with GRP for nearly 8 years as a two-time entrepreneur. At GRP Partners, Mark focuses on early-stage technology companies – usually looking at Series A or seed investments. Most recently Mark was Vice President, Product Management at Salesforce.com (NASDAQ: CRM) following its acquisition of Koral,where Mark was Founder and CEO.

Prior to Koral, Mark was Founder and CEO of BuildOnline, the largest independent global content collaboration company focused on the engineering and construction sectors, which was acquired by SWORD Group (PARIS: SWP). Earlier in his career, Mark spent nearly ten years working for Accenture in Europe, Japan and the U.S.

Mark received a BA in Economics from the University of California, San Diego, and an MBA from the University of Chicago. He grew up in the U.S. and is also a citizen of the UK.

In the current portfolio, Mark sits on the Boards of Ad.ly, Bedrock, Burstly, GumGum and Ring Revenue and is a Board Observer of Qualys.

Mark's blog Both Sides of The Table is widely read by tech entrepreneurs and VCs worldwide as he shares insights and advice for startup entrepreneurs based on his previous years as an entrepreneur and his current role as a venture capitalist.

Fast Pitch Co-Host:
William Bao Bean, Softbank China & India Holdings

William Bao Bean  has been a partner at Softbank China & India Holdings, an early stage venture capital firm that is backed by Softbank of Japan and Cisco and focused on the technology, media and telecom sectors, since March 2007.  William began his investment career 14 years ago as a technology analyst in Taiwan.

Most recently at Deutsche Bank, he was responsible for Internet and Telecom Equipment across Asia as well as China technology including telecom equipment, Internet, media, PCs, display, handsets and software. Prior to this, he covered Telecom Equipment and Digital Media companies with Banc of America Securities in San Francisco. William also worked as an associate analyst with the team covering PCs, Enterprise Hardware, Handhelds, Storage and Semiconductors at Bear Stearns in New York.

In 2006 he was ranked #3 All-Asia analyst for Technology/Software and IT Services by Institutional Investor Magazine Asia. In 2005, he was ranked #1 stock picker in Technology, Media and Telecom, and #3 overall for Hong Kong/China by Forbes/SCMP/Starmine as well as was a ranked analyst by Institutional Investor Magazine Asia. William is a regular presenter at industry conferences and has authored a number of white papers including: The Digital Home Handbook - Intelligence At The Edge and China Internet WVAS - The Second Coming. He currently sits on the boards of advisors/directors for companies including Punch Entertainment, SRT, Radiance, Massive Impact, Naiscorp - Socbay, Peacesoft - Chodientu, IVIVI, iTalki, Niurenku, the AAMA Shanghai Angels and the Music Matters and ad:tech China conferences. He holds a BA from Bowdoin College.

GeeksOnAPlane Asia 2010

GeeksOnAPlane began in early 2009 as an idea by angel investor / venture capitalist Dave McClure to lead a group of Silicon Valley tech entrepreneurs and investors on a tour of startup communities in other parts of the world.

The GeeksOnAPlane tours immerse the group in local tech sectors outside the US and give the group the opportunity to meet and learn from key influencers driving innovation in each of these markets.

Connections are made, cross border relationships are built and new ideas are exchanged and shared both offline and online via the social media networks of those involved.

In less than a year, GOAP has grown into a global network of "geeks" who have connected in cities such as Tokyo, Beijing, Shanghai, London, Amsterdam, Berlin, Paris and Prague. GOAP also retreated to Hawaii and most recently visited the White House and Congress in support of the Startup Visa movement.

From May 21 to June 3, GeeksOnAPlane is returning to Asia with a tour that kicks off at the Shanghai World Expo and moves on to Beijing, Seoul and Singapore.