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Task Force Created to Attract VC to Southern Region

May 16, 2005

The South represents 20 percent of the nation's economic activity but attracts only 9 percent of the total U.S. venture capital invested. In an effort to bring those numbers closer together, the Southern Growth Policies Board recently announced the creation of a multi-state task force dubbed VentureSouth. Virginia Gov. Mark Warner, a former venture capitalist himself, will chair the group as it develops strategies to increase the flow of venture capital in the 14-state region.

Membership in the task force will be capped at 100 firms, with participants primarily coming from the private sector - entrepreneurs and professionals in the venture capital industry. The remaining members will be comprised of policymakers - governors, legislators and state government science and technology directors.  The membership fee to join VentureSouth is $500.

Task force members will meet for the first time in October to begin developing recommendations for the region. Managed by the Southern Technology Council, the network is expected to complete its work in two years.

To view a list of current VentureSouth members, get more information or to join, visit: http://www.southern.org/main/STC/venturesouth/venturesouth.shtml

North Carolina