PUBLIC NOTICE Federal Communications Commission 445 12th St., S.W. Washington, D.C. 20554 News Media Information 202 / 418-0500 Internet: http://www.fcc.gov TTY: 1-888-835-5322 Released: October 31, 2011 CAPITALIZATION STRATEGIES WORKSHOP FOR SMALL, MINORITY- AND WOMEN-OWNED BUSINESSES THURSDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2011, 9:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. The Federal Communications Commission’s Office of Communications Business Opportunities (“OCBO”) will host its third annual Capitalization Strategies Workshop focused on capital acquisition for small and diverse businesses in the communications industry. The workshop is free and open to the public and will be held on Thursday, December 8, 2011 from 9:00 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. at the FCC Headquarters, Commission Meeting Room, 445 12th Street, SW, Washington, DC. Small, minority- and women-owned business owners interested in telecommunications, broadcasting, or related businesses for which raising capital is a prerequisite, will hear remarks presented by finance experts from both the government and private sectors. Our experts will discuss challenges and strategies for obtaining public or private-sector financing for entrepreneurs seeking to launch new enterprises or to grow existing businesses in broadband, cable and broadcast TV, radio, wireless services, common carrier facilities, and others. The workshop will also cover strategies for ancillary services that provide technological, marketing, and administrative support to businesses in the communications industry. Finally, the workshop will include 30-minute breakout sessions in which several of our panelists will meet one-on-one with individual entrepreneurs and provide constructive feedback on their business plans. All persons interested in attending this informative event in person are asked to register by contacting OCBO at (202) 418-0990 or via e-mail at Karen.Beverly@fcc.gov. Persons interested in participating via the Internet may do so by logging on to www.fcc.gov/ocbo . This event will be streamed live. Reasonable accommodations for people with disabilities are available upon request. The request should include a detailed description of the accommodation needed and contact information. Please provide as much advance notice as possible; last minute requests will be accepted, but may be impossible to fill. Send an e-mail to fcc504@fcc.gov or call the Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau at 202-418-0530 (voice), 202-418-0432 (TTY). You can also follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/FCC and on Facebook at http://facebook.com/FCC. 2 BREAKOUT SESSIONS Interested parties who wish to participate in the breakout sessions must sign up in advance and identify their top two choices of panelists with whom they would like to meet. Please take a moment to review the investment criteria of each of the panelists and select the most appropriate investor with whom you’d like to discuss your business plan and capital needs. Send your business plan or other pertinent business information, together with your preferences for the one- on-one sessions, via e-mail to Karen Beverly, Consumer and Industry Affairs Specialist, OCBO, by no later than Monday, November 21, 2011. Karen may be reached at Karen.Beverly@fcc.gov or by phone at (202) 418-0990 or (202) 418-0993. There will be a limited number of breakout sessions, and appointments will be scheduled on a first-come first- served basis. Nevertheless, we will do our best to accommodate your stated preferences. CONFIRMED PANELISTS Anita Stephens Graham (Opportunity Capital). Opportunity Capital’s primary investment focus is providing capital to later stage companies seeking acquisition and expansion financing. Opportunity Capital focuses primarily on businesses in the areas of communications, including media broadcasting and wireless, applied technology and traditional manufacturing segments. Opportunity Capital invests in companies with exclusive licenses or franchises, proprietary products or processes or other unique features and characteristics that provide a clear and sustainable competitive advantage. Opportunity Capital invests only in companies with experienced, compatible management teams that adequately cover each of the businesses’ key functional areas. Their preferred investment range is $2,000,000 to $10,000,000. See www.opportunitycapitalpartners.com/. Patrick Kelley (SBA). The U.S. Small Business Administration was created as an independent agency of the federal government and formed to aid, counsel, assist and protect the interests of small business concerns, to preserve free competitive enterprise and to maintain and strengthen the overall economy of our nation. The SBA recognizes that small business is critical to our economic recovery and strength, to building America's future, and to helping the United States compete in today's global marketplace. The SBA helps Americans start, build and grow businesses. Through an extensive network of field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations, SBA delivers its services to people throughout the United States, Puerto Rico, the U. S. Virgin Islands and Guam. For a description of SBA’s loan programs, see www.sba.gov. Gary Bojes (USDA RUS). USDA'S Rural Utilities Service provides programs to finance rural America's telecommunications infrastructure. The Broadband Loan program provides loans to fund the costs of constructing, improving and acquiring facilities to provide broadband service to eligible rural communities. The Distance Learning and Telemedicine program brings electronic educational resources to rural schools and improves health care delivery in rural America. The Community Connect Grant program provides financial assistance to eligible applicants that will provide broadband in unserved areas to provide public safety services and foster economic growth. For more information about RUS, please visit www.usda.gov/rus/telecom 3 David Gillers (U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship). The Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship is directed under the standing rules of the United States Senate to be referred all proposed legislation, messages, petitions, memorials, and other matters relating to the Small Business Administration (SBA). Jack Biddle (Novak Biddle Venture Partners) Novak Biddle Venture Partners (NBVP) was established in 1997 to provide equity financing and assistance to the management of young information technology companies. NBVP is backed by a number of the country’s most prestigious limited partners and has over $580 million under management. NBVP prefers to be the first institutional capital brought into a business with a desired investment range of $100,000 to $10,000,000. While NBVP’s focus is on information technology companies in the very early stage through first round, they will consider financing later stage opportunities and spinouts where they can add significant value. They will also syndicate larger or later stage rounds through limited partners and other firms in the venture community. See http://www.novakbiddle.com Brian Maillian (Whitestone Capital) Whitestone Capital Group, Inc. (Whitestone) is a New York based, minority owned and controlled investment-banking firm established in 1993. Whitestone has garnered a reputation as a premier financial advisor and investment banking firm, founded on credibility, integrity, and ability to provide clients with innovative solutions in a timely, cost effective manner. Whitestone’s core competencies include asset sales, securitizations, privatizations of government assets, international securitizations, strategic advisory services and portfolio analysis. Whitestone's standing engagements affirm its ability to execute large-scale, multifaceted and complex transactions. Whitestone has worked closely with Federal government agencies including the U.S. Small Business Administration, the Government National Mortgage Association, and the Federal Housing Authority. Whitestone has created an infrastructure that mirrors the deal management and asset sales processes to ensure quality control and program integrity and oversight. See http://www.whitestonegroup.com . Hank Torbert (Avondale Ventures) Avondale Ventures, LLC is a private equity acquisition platform which is focused on both middle-market, change-of-control transactions and minority investment transactions. Avondale Venture’s strategy is to partner with existing owners/managers as they acquire and invest in well-managed and well-positioned companies located principally in North America. Avondale Ventures primarily sponsors deals involving businesses with enterprise values from $5 million to $75 million. Their industry expertise includes business services, consumer products, financial services transportation, media, technology and communications. See http://www.avondaleventures.com Jim Downey (Pacific Media Group) Pacific Media Group is a media planning and buying agency specializing in results-oriented radio, television, cable, and print advertising. Pacific Media helps clients by advising them on best practices, while crafting messages and integrated programs that work across multiple platforms. . See http://www.pacificmediagrp.com Additional panelists may be added at a later date.