December 1, 2004

Newly Formed Capital Formation Institute announces appointment of Dan Loague as Executive Director

The Capital Formation Institute (CFI) has announced the appointment of Dan Loague as Executive Director, effective December 1, 2004. The CFI, recently established as an independent 501(c) (3) organization, is a spinoff of the National Association of Seed and Venture Funds (NASVF).

CFI will focus on research and education on all aspects of early stage investment and enterprise creation, fundamental and critical elements of success for the nation's competitive tech-led economy.

Loague, previously the NASVF's executive director, joins CFI to help build a national knowledge base on seed investing. "There is a significant shortage of accessible and authoritative research on this vital aspect of the knowledge-based economy", Loague said. "CFI will undertake a series of projects to make a wide range of information available on how investors successfully fund and bring new entrepreneurial ventures into the marketplace".

Mr. Loague is currently co-host of VC Radio Show, an on-demand Internet program featuring interviews with the nation's leading seed investors (see www.lab2ipo.org). He is a frequent speaker at professional meetings throughout the U.S. on the topic of seed investing and enterprise development, and has made several presentations on seed investing in the People's Republic of China. His recent article, "Enterprising Capital - Bringing the Knowledge-Based Economy Home", was published in Economic Development America, Economic Development Information Coalition, Spring 2004, Washington DC.

"CFI welcomes the opportunity to work with Mr. Loague," said Dr. Richard Meyer, CFI Board Chair. "He is well known among seed investing professionals in all phases of the investment process. We are look forward to working with him to begin building a premier research organization."

Loague's experience provides a solid foundation for building CFI's research programs. At NASVF he managed all services including the newsletter, annual conference and coordinating the delivery of Seed Capital Investing Seminars. The 2004 NASVF Conference, recently held in Salt Lake City, UT was the organization's eleventh annual national conference. In addition, NASVF completed its 86th seed investing seminar in November.

Loague has extensive experience as an economic development professional. For the State of Oklahoma, he directed major programs in enterprise development for the Oklahoma Department of Commerce, and provided direct staff support for six Oklahoma governors, including the Governor's Performance Team for Governor Frank Keating in 1996.

He is an accomplished researcher, skilled in statistical research procedures, and has conducted numerous statewide surveys for the B.D. Eddie School of Business at Oklahoma City University. In addition, he has published several private research reports and numerous economic development analyses for the State of Oklahoma. A former university professor and instructor, he has taught at several Oklahoma higher education institutions and, during 1989, taught on-site at Wuhan, People's Republic of China. His education includes two-year's doctoral work at Arizona State University, Tempe, MAT, University of Kansas, Lawrence, and BA, University of Oklahoma, Norman.

About CFI:
The mission of CFI is to become the premier international research and educational entity in the fields of early stage capital financing and enterprise creation and growth. This mission will be accomplished by sponsoring and conducting leading edge research projects, by recruiting researchers, by soliciting program and project funding support from both public and private sources, and by organizing and conducting educational conferences, seminars, and workshops in the U.S. and worldwide based upon its research.

CFI is governed by a four-person Board of Directors, all active participants in enterprise creation and capital formation. CFI is also advised by a six-person Research Advisory Board, each well known in academia and published journals for their professional research in the applicable fields of study.

For more information: Dr. Richard Meyer, 505-343-9500; [email protected]; Web: http://www.CFI-institute.org or Dan Loague (405-824-5549; [email protected])