This is Terry McGuire’s fifth big economic downturn as a venture capitalist, the first being Black Monday in 1987. But when he gets together to chat with Peter Brooke tomorrow night, he’ll be the inexperienced one. That’s why I’m incredibly excited about our Xconomy Forum tomorrow night, which will be held at the offices of WilmerHale in downtown Boston. The two venture capital pioneers will be offering a fantastic lens—or set of lenses—with which to view our economy, the state of venture capital and private equity today, and how they have evolved and will continue to be major forces in shaping our local and global economies.
You can find out all about the event here. We only have about 10 tickets left, and sales end at midnight tonight, so get yours now. But just to give you the basics, McGuire is a co-founder and managing director of Polaris Venture Partners and chairman of the National Venture Capital Association. Brooke is the founder and chairman of Advent International and TA Associates, and one of the true pioneers of the venture industry in New England who has also played a major role in the emergence of the private equity market. Brooke’s forthcoming book, A Vision for Venture Capital, written with Daniel Penrice, covers his long and successful career in VC and private equity—and looks ahead to provide insights on how the private equity field can help the world’s economies recover from the current recession and grow. Although the book has not yet been released, a few advance copies will be on hand at the event for attendees to look over.
The chat will start off with a short overview from Brooke about the evolution of venture capital and private equity, and then McGuire will provide a quick picture of the current state of venture. Then the two will sit down together and McGuire will conduct a chat with his fellow investor—one that they hope will have plenty of audience interaction.
McGuire says that the single thing he is looking forward to most is Brooke’s views on past recessions and the insights they hold for the current downturn. “I would like to hear how he reflects on when the economy hit a rough patch, what impact did it have on the business, and what lessons can we learn today,” McGuire says. But they will also talk about the scandals that have wracked private equity in the past year—and how Brooke thinks that might influence the field going forward. McGuire and Brooke will also tackle anything else that’s on the audience’s mind.
We hope to see you there. Register here.
