With only two weeks to go before the Berkeleyside Local Business Forum, details of the event are coalescing.

The Forum, scheduled for 7 p.m. on Monday, January 24 at the Freight & Salvage on Addison, will provide participants with a chance to discuss the business climate in Berkeley, share experiences and learn from peers. The evening will be conversational and interactive — it’s not an occasion for speeches or soporific PowerPoint presentations.

Among the confirmed panelists so far are Chris Anderson, Berkeleyan, Editor-in-Chief of Wired, author of The Long Tail and Free and entrepreneur; Carl Bass, another Berkeleyan and CEO of Autodesk; Michael Caplan, director of the city’s Office of Economic Development; Kat Taylor, founding director of OneCalifornia Bank and Foundation; Amy Thomas, president of Pegasus Books; and Amanda West founder of Amanda’s restaurant. Mayor Tom Bates will provide introductory remarks.
We’re also delighted to announce that the Berkeleyside Local Business Forum is being held in conjunction with the Berkeley Startup Cluster, and will be the first in a series of such discussions.
We’re also grateful for the generous support of Freight & Salvage Coffeehouse, who are providing the venue, and Pane Italiana Qualità, who are supplying coffee and pastries.
The Forum is a free event, but we do ask that you reserve a place by emailing us. Doors for the Forum will open at 6:30 p.m. We look forward to seeing you there.