One of the key fundamentals often overlooked in successfully nurturing a young business is financing and funding, two interrelated but equally important activities that are not necessarily understood unless at least one member of the founding team has a background in finance. In the startup phase of your business there is no room to overspend, so how do you create a spending plan for your capital investment? And when, how and from where does the capital investment come?

Join us for breakfast and learn the tips to good budgeting and the basics to successful funding that will help you keep your company financially strong and healthy. 

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Speakers:

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Joanne Wood is the Founder and Managing Partner of Capital Eight, a corporate finance house focused on specialist financial advice to SMEs. With an investment banking career spanning more than 40 years, Joanne has worked in senior corporate finance positions with UBS, Jardine Fleming (JP Morgan) and GE Capital across Europe, the USA and Greater China; 25 of those years have been focused on a wide range of M&A, debt and equity capital raisings, turnarounds and infrastructure financing. She was a member of the first dedicated team of M&A professionals based in Asia with Jardine Fleming and internationally ranked as a leading Asian-emerging markets corporate finance advisor. Joanne continues to advise companies on China domestic and cross-border investment strategies, capital structuring, financings and deal negotiation. Joanne also mentors several aspiring entrepreneurs in China, is an accredited member of SOS Ventures global mentor program, and currently acts as a Non-Executive Advisory Board Director to two tech start-ups in Shanghai. She holds an MBA from London Business School, a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Adelaide, South Australia and reads, writes and speaks Mandarin.

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Since 2003 Kristina Koehler-Coluccia has been a leading expert in China inbound investment. With international expertise and cross-industry experience, Kristina is detail-oriented with a creative personality and a can-do attitude – important traits to have for China. She has supported start-ups, SME’s, multinationals and publicly listed companies with their China market-entry and expansion; focusing on their legal, corporate, tax and administrative needs.