Americas Venture Capital Conference brings together giants of the Latin American business world

MIAMI — The Pino Global Entrepreneurship Center at Florida International University, a recognized leader in international business education, today announced it will host distinguished business leaders from Latin America as part of its Americas Venture Capital Conference. To be held Nov. 17 and 18, 2010, the conference will highlight the importance of Latin America to globally-focused investors through its theme: “Latin America: The New Mainstream.”

Image courtesy of www.jonathannicholas.com.

“The Americas Venture Capital Conference is an extraordinary opportunity to network with important leaders in Latin American entrepreneurship,” stated Gustavo A. Cisneros, chairman of the Cisneros Group of Companies, and a keynote speaker. “I look forward to participating in this historic conference of the Pino Entrepreneurship Center.”

This first-of-its-kind conference will cover critical elements venture capitalists look for when investing in companies that do business in Latin America. Keynote speakers also include Constancio Larguia, founder and CEO of on-line lender Weemba, and co-founder of Patagon.com, the first on-line stock broker in Latin America and Don Browne, president of Telemundo Communications Group, Inc., communications giant and innovator in original Latin programming.

These speakers will address the Latin American perspective from the fields of finance, government, academia, international trade and law. The full conference program is available at: www.AmericasVCConference.com

“We are here to support and build a global community in support of Latin American investment,” said Conference Chair and Director of the Pino Center Irma Becerra-Fernandez. “We are thrilled with the strong world-wide support we’ve received in our very first year, and we invite all interested parties to join us.”
Fifteen innovative ventures from the United States and Latin America, all doing business in strong growth sectors of Latin America, will present their business plans at the conference. Information about presenting companies is available at: (http://business2.fiu.edu/vc/presenting_companies.html)

 Four companies will be awarded the following prizes:

• Tres Mares Innovation Prize: $10,000 to the conference’s most innovative company, and an artistic rendition of innovation by Miler Lagos valued at $5,000;
• FedEx Access to Global Markets Prize: $10,000 in-kind service prize to a company with a commitment to expanding global trade;
• CP Capital Emerging Venture Prize: $10,000 in investment banking services, awarded to the most promising company;
• CP Capital Inflection Venture Prize: $10,000 in investment banking services, awarded to the company with a proven track record, standing at an inflection point.

Those who can benefit from attending the conference include entrepreneurs interested in starting or building Latin American ventures, companies who want to expand their business in the region, and all those who want know more about linking their business to Latin America.

Registration for the two-day conference is USD $495.00, and includes admission, meals, networking breaks, and a closing reception.

For more information on the conference, please call 305-348-7156 or visit www.AmericasVCConference.com

Media Contacts:  Maydel Santana-Bravo at 305-348-1555 or Ellen Forman  at 954-873-4118.