Professional Development & Networking
Date/Time : Wednesday, 27 May 2015 - 6:30pm - 9:00pm | Add To Your Calendar
Location : Dogwood, 715 W 6th St, Austin, TX
Austin is a hot bed of start up activity with hundreds of companies trying to become the next big thing. Have you ever thought about starting your own company? Here’s your chance to learn what to do and what not to do. Join Rob Suffoletta (ND Law ’90), Jeff Racho (’91), and Rajiv Bala (a VC investor) for a discussion on key issues for start up companies. Bios for each of these fantastic speakers are below. The evening will begin at 6:30 with networking, a panel discussion plus question/answer session at 7:00, and closing it out with additional networking. The Club will provide a spread of heavy hors d’oeuvres. RSVP now to guarantee your spot!
Please RSVP here.
BIOGRAPHIES
Robert Suffoletta is a partner in the corporate and securities practice of Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati. He joined the firm’s Austin office in 2001, after 11 years in the firm’s Palo Alto office.
Rob works with emerging growth and technology companies, both public and private, as well as investment banks and venture capital funds. During his tenure at the firm, he has gained extensive experience with public offerings, mergers and acquisitions, venture capital financings, and start-up company representation. He regularly advises a number of public companies on corporate governance, disclosure, and SEC compliance matters.
Rob earned his JD from the University of Notre Dame and his MBA and BS in Finance from Indiana University in Bloomington.
Jeff Racho is a patent attorney and was an early employee at the startup companies Sapphire Mobile Systems, Tabbedout, and Simversity. His current startup clients include Real Savvy, a winner of the 2015 SXSW Accelerator competition. He is currently developing a money management system for online casinos with a faculty member at the Mendoza College of Business. He is a director of the Irish Angels, a Notre Dame inspired angel investor group based in Chicago and made up of 140 Notre Dame alums and family members located throughout the U.S.
Jeff earned a BS in chemical engineering from Notre Dame, a law degree from Villanova, and an MBA from Cornell.
Rajiv Bala serves as Vice President with S3 Ventures. His responsibilities at S3 include deal sourcing and structuring, due diligence, partner engagement and portfolio management. Rajiv’s investment focus includes software, internet/web, telecommunications, technology-enabled services, and medical device. Rajiv was a Marketing Manager at Texas Instruments where he led marketing for Automotive Infotainment in the North American region. Prior to marketing, Rajiv was an Applications Engineer with the Digital Radio Group at Texas Instruments where he helped grow the business from zero to over a million units shipped.
Rajiv holds a BS in Electrical Engineering and a BA in Economics from Rice University and an MBA from the University of Texas at Austin. He currently sits on the board of Ascend Center for Learning and Texchange Austin.