Fabless semiconductor, EDA, IP, and design-house start-ups face a number of challenges in today's market and investor climate. It is no longer enough to come up with a great technology and assume it will lead to success. To increase the odds for getting a new venture successfully off the ground, getting it funded, avoiding pitfalls, meeting key milestones, and seeing the venture through to successful exit requires a good understanding of the ecosystem environment. Founders who often come from an engineering background face a multitude of business and marketing-related challenges to assure that their start-up is launched on sound footing. The panel will address these issues to help entrepreneurs understand how to create an ecosystem and a community leading to a sound foundation for a new venture. Experienced industry professionals who are in the semiconductor startup ecosystem will provide insights and answer questions to address these issues.

Steve Szirom Founder InsideChips.com (a division of HTE Research, Inc.)

Mr. Szirom is a semiconductor industry analyst and consultant with more than 35 years of international and business experience in the microelectronics industry. His management consulting specialties are tracking and analyzing start-ups, strategic business planning, organizational development, integrated marcom strategies, and investments. Mr. Szirom worked for Motorola Semiconductor in international marketing with responsibility for analog ICs and later in strategic marketing for power devices. After Motorola, Szirom joined Signetics/Philips Semiconductor as international memory marketing manager. He founded HTE Research, Inc., a semiconductor industry consulting and market research company, in 1984.

Glen Balzer President New Era Consulting

Mr. Balzer rose at AMD in sales and marketing from 1974 to 1984, when he became VP of American and strategic sales. He was AMD Japan's president for four years until 1992. Later, Mr. Balzer was VP of North America sales at Philips Semiconductors and co-founder of Sand Hill Angels.

Steve Bengston Director, Emerging Ventures Practice PriceWaterhouseCoopers

Mr. Bengston heads the Emerging Company Services group at PricewaterhouseCoopers. ECS acts as "mentor capitalists" for young, high-potential companies. Before joining PwC, he had 20 years of experience in a variety of marketing, business development, and general management roles at several high-tech companies in the Bay Area.

Dave Guzeman President Mindpik

Mr. Guzeman combines sophisticated technical savvy with keen marketing instincts. His Mindpik consultancy has been formulating successful sales and marketing programs for high-tech companies since 1985. Mr. Guzeman has just completed the writing of the definitive book on "Big M Marketing," which is expected to be published in early 2008.

Lucio Lanza Managing Director Lanza techVentures

Mr. Lanza has over 30 years of experience in the electronics industry in marketing, engineering, and general management, including ten years at Olivetti in engineering management, six years at Intel as marketing executive and then as chairman of the microprocessor business segment, and group vice president at Daisy Systems Corporation. In 1986, he founded and was CEO of EDA Systems. Mr. Lanza also spent six years as an independent consultant working closely with CEOs of semiconductor, communications, and computer-aided design companies to define corporate strategic directions.

James Prenton Partner K&L Gates

Mr. Prenton is a partner in the Palo Alto office of K&L Gates. He regularly represents emerging growth companies and provides counseling in connection with entity formation, financings, M&A, and IP transactions. Mr. Prenton also advises clients regarding the development, licensing, acquisition, and divestiture of intellectual property and technology; commercial arrangements; and strategic alliances and joint ventures.