GreenPlug, the startup that launched its universal power adapter technology at DEMO 08, is celebrating earth day later this month with the “What’s Under Your Desk?” sweepstakes. The contest asks entrants to take a photo of the wire-y messes that support the computers, phones, printers, and other peripherals of modern technology. Three winners will be randomly drawn from all entries received by May 1.

The objective of the contest is to draw attention to the proliferation of power supplies, and of course, to GreenPlug’s universal power protocol integrated circuit. Given the photo below of the first entry received, we suspect the contest may also draw attention to fire hazards and other code violations.

First prize in the sweepstakes is a lunch in Beverly Hills with environmental advocates Chris Knight and Adrianne Curry of My Fair Brady. (Yes, that’s Peter Brady to those of us who grew up watching the original Brady Bunch.) Second prize is a $500 Wal-mart gift certificate which you can use, presumably, to purchase environmentally-friendly products. Third prize is a $250 contribution to the “green charity” fo the recipient’s choice.

Further information on the sweepstakes can be found at http://greenplugcontest.typepad.com

We think this is an incredible program and great opportunity for a budding entrepreneurs, so we’re posting the announcement here pretty much as it came to us.

Summer@Highland 2008

 Are you a student (graduate, undergraduate or even recent grad) with a business you’d like to rapidly accelerate this summer?  If so, the Summer@Highland 2008 program may be just what you need!

Following the success of last year’s inaugural Summer@Highland, we are again offering stipends, office space, and experienced advisors to a small number of students with ambitious aspirations for building their businesses.

What we’re looking for

We are especially interested in having you spend the summer with us if:

- You’ve a leadership team with vision, passion, and drive
- Your business has the potential to be highly-disruptive in its area
- Your business initiative is showing momentum. While you may, or may not, have incorporated, you’ve more than a vague concept in mind
- You have real depth of expertise in your technology/market of interest
- You can direct us to some advisers who see your business’s potential as you do

 
Particulars of Summer@Highland 2008

- The program is open to current graduate and undergraduate students, as well as recent (December 2007 or later) grads.  At least one member of the team must meet this criterion.

- Teams can comprise 1 to 4 persons.

- A single person team will receive a $7,500 stipend for the summer.

- A multi-person team will receive a $15,000 stipend.

- Teams will reside in office space in Highland’s Lexington, MA or Menlo Park, CA offices (or, an exception basis, in our Geneva or Shanghai offices).

- Teams are required to work full time for 10 weeks.  Start and end dates are flexible and to span the period of June through September 2008. Teams are expected to share our office space with us during this full term.

- Each team will have a Highland sponsor who will be the team’s gateway to advice and counsel from Highland’s investors and industry network.

- In consideration of these benefits, but not to overly constrain the teams, we ask that if a team goes on to raise venture capital within 180 days from the end of the program, then Highland be provided the option to co-invest in up to 50% of the total financing round.

How to apply

- Please complete the brief online application (available at www.hcp.com/summer)

- Attach to your application (1) resumes/bios for each team member, and (2) up to two referrals/letters of recommendation (recommended).  The latter may be from faculty & administration, board or advisory group members, or others affiliated with close knowledge of your project and/or team members.

- Deadline for applications is April 22, 2008

- Selected projects will be notified via email no later than May 6, 2008.

Completely Remake Your Marketing Success.

The seminar promises to give you no less than 10 BIG ways to add new leads to your business. And you won’t just leave with great notes and copies of slides; you will walk away with a written marketing plan that you design for your business, 9 marketing leverages that will move your business fast, key tactics to implement these leverages, as well as a revenue model that will lay out where new revenue available today will come from.

The seminar is valued at $1,347 and seats are selling for $937, but we negotiated a special rate of $837 for Friends of Guidewire Group. The seminar is limited to 60 people. To get the additional discount email martha@marketoutloud.com and be sure to mention GUIDEWIRE in the email.

The Forum for Women Entrepreneurs and Executives in partnership with Astia, is pleased to present “Utilizing Advisory Boards for Company Growth – An Executive Discussion.”

Every entrepreneur deals with the question of if, when, and how to build an Advisory Board. And they must address how to evolve the Advisory Board when things change to be a true competitive advantage for the next stage of the company’s growth. Join us for an interactive executive conversation with other company founders and entrepreneurs who’ve formed successful and value creating advisory boards.

The program will be an interactive panel discussion with entrepreneurs who’ve formed successful advisory boards and then small working groups to apply these ideas to your own company situation, with the guidance of the panelists, to plan the strongest advisory board strategy for your company. The panelists will also share perspectives on how they’ve seen advisory board roles impact career plans.

Panelists

• Larry Augustin, Entrepreneur, Angel Investor, Serial Advisory Board Member, and Board Director
• Tiffany Bass Bukow, CEO and Founder of www.Msmoney.com
• Sue Kunz, CEO & Founder of Solidware (serial entrepreneur, graduate of SUN)

Event Details:

Date: Thursday, March 13, 2008
Time: 6:00 - 9:00 PM
Location: Fenwick & West
Address: 801 California Street, Mountain View CA 94041

Registration: Click here to register for this event. Space is limited

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