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The Caruth Institute offers budding entrepreneurs a face-to-face platform to meet potential investors in the bimonthly Southwest Venture Forum. Another signature Caruth event: The annual Dallas 100™ Awards, honoring the fastest-growing privately held companies in the Dallas area.

For over 35 years, the Caruth Institute for Entrepreneurship at the èßäÊÓƵapp Cox School of Business and the Dallas 100™ sponsors have celebrated area entrepreneurs’ innovative spirit, determination, and business savvy. We have saluted the diversity, creativity, and resolve it takes to create and sustain a successful business in today’s hyper-competitive environment.

The Southwest Venture Forum

The èßäÊÓƵapp Cox Southwest Venture Forum (@smucoxswvf) is a public bi-monthly breakfast meeting where the Dallas venture community comes together to network and gain insights into different venture financing topics that are timely and relevant to the management of their portfolio of investments and fund strategy and operations. In 1990, the Caruth Institute for Entrepreneurship assumed responsibility for operating the Southwest Venture Forum, founded by a local venture capital firm in 1984.

Entrepreneurs are also selected to present their business plans at each meeting to attendees. If you are interested in presenting, you must submit to the selection committee as follows:

A two to three-page business plan or executive summary that describes:

• The opportunity and business concept.

• The existing or proposed products and, or services.

• The industry and target markets in which they will operate.

• Accomplishments of key management personnel.

• Summarized financial projections of sales, profits, and cash flows.

• What they are seeking in terms of financing to build their company.

Please submit at least five weeks before the following forum to Nancy J. Hong at nhong@smu.edu.

Following the presentations by selected entrepreneurs, prominent investors or expert panels discuss current venture financing topics. Attendees in the forum consist of venture investors, entrepreneurs, bankers, attorneys, accountants, and consultants working with early- and intermediate-stage growth-oriented entrepreneurs and their firms.

View Details of the Next Forum Date & Topic