Forum for Women Entrepreneurs Announces Venture Summit Progressive Dinner and Event Timeline; Event's Unusual Format Provides One-on-One Opportunity for Entrepreneurs and Capital Providers.

NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. -- The Orange County/Los Angeles and San Diego Chapters of Forum for Women Entrepreneurs today announced a partial list of attendees, sponsors and the timeline for the Third Annual Progressive Venture Summit, to be held on October 5 and 6, 2004, at Pelican Hill Golf Club in Newport Beach, California.

The event comprises an entrepreneurs' venture boot camp, two networking receptions, a capital providers' luncheon and the capstone, a progressive venture summit dinner (PVSD).

The dinner is expected to bring together 40-60 top capital providers (venture capitalists, angel investors, investment professionals and corporate investors), a select number of leading professional service providers and up to 90 high-growth industry CEOs and founders for an evening of insight, structured networking and great food. Entrepreneurs will progress through dinner courses of salad, entree, dessert and coffee, for a total of three table exchanges, offering each participating entrepreneur the opportunity to present his or her pitch to a variety of experts in their particular field. Seated at each table will be two capital providers who are matched to the entrepreneur's targeted industry, a table moderator, a sponsoring professional service provider for that table, and four high-growth entrepreneurs.

Unlike traditional venture events, where entrepreneurs present in a large room and don't know which specific capital providers are in attendance, the progressive dinner format allows entrepreneurs the opportunity to "break bread" with up to six capital providers over the course of the evening. There are also other opportunities for entrepreneurs to network with additional capital providers during events leading up to the dinner, such as the cocktail reception on October 5.

"While we're excited to invite all entrepreneurs to apply for participation in the summit, FWE is committed in its focus of women-owned businesses in high-growth industries," said Jnana Anderson, president of FWE's Orange County/Los Angeles Chapter. "While privately funded women-owned businesses are growing at an accelerated rate, venture-funded organizations owned by women have dropped to less than 8% -- probably closer to 4% -- of venture-backed companies as a whole."

Capital providers benefit from an exclusive networking luncheon on October 6, also at Pelican Hill Golf Club. The luncheon offers capital providers the opportunity to thoroughly understand each other's specialties, and offers opportunities for referral during and after the event. In addition, the luncheon will have a panel discussing the state of doing business in Southern California and Orange County.

Registered capital provider attendees to date include: Draper Fisher Jurvetson Frontier, Palomar Ventures, Huntington Ventures, Hamilton Apex Ventures, Redpoint Ventures, Finaventures, IDG Ventures, Seraphim Management, LLC, Guide Ventures, LLC, Hamilton Tech Capital Partners, Versant Ventures, Motorola Ventures and GrayHawk Venture Partners.

Event sponsors to date are:

Key Sponsor: Wells Fargo Bank

Headline Sponsor, Pre-Conference Reception: Cerius Consulting Partner Network, an entity comprised of Cerius Consulting, Baker & Hostetler LLP; Link, Murrel & Co.; White, Nelson & Co. LLP; Gevity; cFour Partners; and Castleton Consulting, Inc.

VSPD Table Sponsors: Bank of the West; Business Wire; Cox Business Services; Fish & Richardson, P.C.; Microsoft; Palomar Ventures; Perlinski & Company; Preston, Gates & Ellis, LLP; PriceWaterhouseCoopers; and Unismart Capital Software, LLC.

About the Venture Summit Progressive Dinner and Related Events

The cost for entrepreneurs to attend the event is $500 for FWE members prior to July 30, 2004 and $650 until August 31, 2004. Non-members fees are $100 more, with the same deadlines. The fee includes the venture boot camp, two networking receptions and the progressive venture summit dinner. In addition, entrepreneurs will receive a CD of all exhibiting companies' presentations and information on attending capital providers. Although payment is due at time of registration, the credit card or check will not be charged if an entrepreneur is not accepted by FWE's entrepreneurial screening committee.

Capital providers are the guests of FWE and the participating entrepreneurs. Attending capital providers will enjoy access to the two networking receptions, the capital providers' luncheon, and the progressive venture dinner.

Third Annual Progressive Venture Summit Dinner Timeline:

July 30:        Deadline for entrepreneurs to receive discounted rate
                to register and submit application for screening

August 31:      Deadline for entrepreneurs to register and submit
                application for screening

September 18:   Entrepreneurs' venture capital boot camp

October 5:      A cocktail networking reception with manned display
                tables

October 6:      Capital providers' luncheon with panel discussion:
                State of doing business in Southern California

October 6:      Venture summit reception

                Venture summit progressive dinner.

For more information on FWE's Third Annual Venture Summit Progressive Dinner and related events, including up-to-the minute information, registration information and guidelines, entrepreneur applications, agenda, speakers, sponsorship opportunities and sponsor information, please visit www.pvdsc.org.

About Forum for Women Entrepreneurs:

Founded in 1993, the Forum for Women Entrepreneurs (FWE) is the premier entrepreneurial organization for women building and leading high-growth technology and life science companies. The organization's mission is to accelerate women's opportunities to start, manage and invest in market-leading companies. FWE offers innovative programs, access to top-tier funding sources and a collaborative online community that accelerates women entrepreneurs' ability to launch and build world-class companies. For more information on Forum for Women Entrepreneurs' Orange County chapter, please call Jnana Anderson, president, at 949.439.1943, e-mail [e-mail], or visit the organization's web site, www.fwe.org/laoc.