Michael Moritz, a partner at leading venture firm Sequoia Capital since 1986, has been described as the most powerful venture capitalist in Silicon Valley. Routinely ranked at or near the top of Forbes’ Midas List of wealth creators, Moritz has led Sequoia’s investments in Google, Yahoo, PayPal, YouTube, Zappos, Kayak, Sugar, and many other companies. A native of Wales and a graduate of Christ Church college at Oxford, he joined Sequoia after starting a career in journalism at Time magazine.
In a rare public appearance, Moritz will speak on stage with Xconomy San Francisco editor Wade Roush on November 30 about lessons he’s learned after a tumultuous quarter-century seeking out great entrepreneurs in the Internet and technology markets and helping them create world-changing companies.
Register here for the event, which will be hosted by Kicklabs in San Francisco’s bustling SoMa startup district.
Among the issues we’ll discuss:
—What defines a great entrepreneur? What do Larry Page and Sergey Brin have in common with Steve Jobs? If somebody is out there cooking up the next Google or Apple right now, what will they need to know to succeed?
—Many regions try to copy Silicon Valley’s formula for breeding high-growth companies, but most fail. What are the underappreciated factors behind the Bay Area’s record on innovation, and what examples can Silicon Valley entrepreneurs offer to a nation still struggling to reboot after the worst economic downturn in decades?
—What is really happening in places like China, India, and other international hotbeds of innovation—and how can Silicon Valley maintain its lead?
—In the wake of recession, and in light of the new profusion of angel and “super angel” investors, how is the venture business changing? What, if anything, are top firms like Sequoia doing differently to court early-stage startups—and what do entrepreneurs need to know about them?
We’ll explore these issues and more and take your questions at San Francisco’s Kicklabs incubator on Tuesday, November 30. Click here for information and registration.
