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CAMBRIDGE, MA -- (Marketwire) -- 11/20/08 -- On December 3, the MIT Enterprise Forum of Cambridge, in collaboration with the MIT Energy Club, will host one of New England's first conversations to discuss opportunities and challenges for startup companies seeking to advance water technology. The session will feature leaders in business, investment and regulation within the water industry.

Jim Matheson of Flagship Ventures will begin the evening by offering perspectives on the various fronts involved in "The War for Water" and New England's resource base for emerging as a leader in the water industry. Heather Landis, senior water analyst at Lux Research, will provide an executive summary of Lux's recent water report followed by a panel of experts discussing the current water landscape including emerging technologies, the profitability of water and the impact of water regulations on the industry.

Panelists:

Eric Emmons is an investment partner at Siemens Venture Capitalist specializing in energy, materials and industrial solutions. Before joining Siemens in 2008, Emmons was a general partner at the Massachusetts Green Energy Fund, where he invested in photovoltaics, biofuels, industrial process efficiency and new materials. He also worked with Commons Capital, a venture capital firm in the Boston area investing in energy, medical and technology companies.

Sally Gutierrez is director of the National Risk Management Research Laboratory (NRMRL), a division of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in Cincinnati, Ohio. Prior to EPA, she was responsible for administering several water programs for the state of Texas environmental agency in the areas of drinking water, water monitoring, wastewater treatment permitting and utility rates. Previously, she was president of the Texas Environmental Health Association and also sits on the Board of Directors for the Inter-American Association of Sanitary Engineering and Ambiental (AIDIS) USA.

Rob McGinnis is founder and CTO of Oasys Water, a startup company focused on water desalination and treatment using a proprietary technology platform based on osmotically driven separation systems. McGinnis is completing his PhD at Yale University, where his research focuses on seawater and brackish water desalination, impaired and waste water treatment and sustainable power production from renewable sources. His work on forward osmosis desalination has been supported by a consortium of funding agencies and the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship.

Trent Yang is founder of Clean Membranes, an MIT spin-out focused on next-generation water filtration membranes. Previously, Yang was at Globespan Capital Partners, where he focused on investments in cleantech and consumer media and technology. Prior to Globespan, Yang helped start a technology-focused strategy group at Booz Allen Hamilton, which advised Fortune 1000 companies and top government research labs. Yang currently sits on the Steering Committee of the New England Venture Network and is an active participant in a number of energy, start-up and MIT Alumni committees.

The panel will be moderated by Tom Burton, member of the Corporate Practice at Mintz Levin, and founder and chair of the firm's Energy and Clean Tech Practice Group.

When: Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Networking: 5:30 p.m.
Program: 6:15-8:00 p.m.
Reception: 8:00-9:00 p.m.

Where: Stata Center (Bldg. 32), Kirsch Auditorium, 32 Vassar St., Cambridge

Sponsors: Energy SIG, Flagship Ventures, Greentech Media, Mass High Tech, Mintz Levin, MIT Energy Club

Registration and information: http://www.mitforumcambridge.org/dec.html

Pricing: Forum members: $20; Non-members: $30; Students from all universities, free with college ID.

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