LAVA to Host 5Th Annual Awards Dinner and Honoring Idealab's Bill Gross

Business Wire, Jan 8, 2008

LOS ANGELES -- The Los Angeles Venture Association (LAVA) will host its fifth annual awards dinner on January 17, 2008 to recognize some of Southern California's best growth companies and to present the Lifetime Achievement Award in Venture Capital to Idealab CEO Bill Gross. The awards dinner will benefit the Pasadena Union Station Foundation and will take place at the Luxe Summit Hotel Bel-Air in Los Angeles.

The dinner will feature the hottest growth companies from 2007 in various categories: Best Venture Financing in Biotech and Medical Devices, Communications and Wireless, and Software and Media, Best M&A Exit, Best Private Equity Deal, and Best IPO. The dinner also will pay special tribute to Mr. Gross, a lifelong entrepreneur who has been developing groundbreaking technology companies and business leaders for over two decades.

"It is a special honor for LAVA to recognize the area's best growth companies and to acknowledge the incredible achievements of Bill Gross," said Leonard Lanzi, LAVA's Executive Director. "We're also very excited to benefit the Pasadena Union Station Foundation through this event," he added.

To register for this event and to learn more about LAVA, please visit www.lava.org.

About LAVA

The Los Angeles Venture Association is Southern California's premier forum for entrepreneurs, middle-market companies, venture capitalists, financial advisors, and other professional service providers. For over 20 years, LAVA's monthly breakfast meetings, annual Investment Capital Conference, and co-produced events have created an unprecedented platform for innovation and financing in Southern California. To learn more about LAVA, please visit www.lava.org.