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Leading US angel investor, Bill Payne to help Kiwi businesses in New Zealand

A group of New Zealand businesses and business development agencies has clubbed
together to bring leading American angel investor Bill Payne http://www.billpayne.com here for six months to share
his knowledge with Kiwi entrepreneurs, investors and universities.

Payne will be based at business growth centre The ICEHOUSE from February as the
BNZ University of Auckland Business School Entrepreneur in Residence. Other
organisations that have supported his visit are the Foundation for Research Science and
Technology, Investment New Zealand, Air New Zealand, the New Zealand Venture
Investment Fund and Jucy Rentals.

Payne is one of the United States best known angel investors with an investment history
stretching back almost 30 years. He has invested in over 50 companies, helped
establish four angel networks in the United States and has been referred to as the
closest thing America has to an Entrepreneur Laureate. In 2009 he was awarded the
Hans Serveriens Award, the United States Angel Capital Association’s highest honour.

The ICEHOUSE chief executive Andy Hamilton says Bill Payne’s extended stay
presents a unique opportunity for New Zealand entrepreneurs and investors to learn
from one of the best in the business.
“We are just so lucky that Bill is a keen trout fisherman who has visited New Zealand
before and loves the place. So when we suggested he bring his wife Ann and live here
for six months he was up for it.” Hamilton said sponsorship from BNZ, the University of
Auckland Business School and support from other organisations had made the visit
possible.

Payne has a busy schedule of meetings with investors, entrepreneurs, businesspeople,
universities and government organisations plus speaking engagements throughout New
Zealand. More than 50 organisations including six incubators, five universities and
potentially thousands of people will be able to gain directly from Bill’s visit.
Head of Strategy & Specialists, BNZ Partners Craig Haycock says, "This represents a
great opportunity to tap into the learnings and insights of a global investor and
entrepreneur. Accessing capital from private investors remains a key challenge for local
business and we look forward to hearing from Bill Payne during his time in New
Zealand."

The Icehouse website is also hosting a blog for Bill which debuted in late 2009 and will
enable many more to share his ideas and commentary during his visit.

Bill Payne is an engineer, entrepreneur, angel investor and educator. He started Solid
State Dielectrics, Inc. (SSD), a capacitor dielectric materials company, in 1971 and sold
the company to DuPont in 1982. Since then he has played a leading role developing
entrepreneurship and angel investing in the United States.

His work has included:

• Serving on five university advisory boards

• Teaching over 80 workshops and seminars on angel investing in five countries.

• Providing over 120 man-years of service on profit and non-profit boards of
directors

• Acting as the president of the United States Advanced Ceramics Association,
National Institute of Ceramic Engineers, and the American Ceramic Society.

• Serving as an Entrepreneur-in-Residence to the Kauffman Foundation for 12
years

• Serving on the founding committee of the Angel Capital Association (US)

From 1995 until 2007 Bill Payne served as Entrepreneur-in-Residence at the Kauffman
Foundation, a not-for-profit foundation in Kansas City often referred to as the world’s
largest foundation devoted to entrepreneurship. Its vision is to "foster a society of
economically independent individuals who are engaged citizens, contributing to the
improvement of their communities" and it does this through education, entrepreneurship,
advancing innovation and research.

In 2007 he published a book, The Definitive Guide to Raising Money from Angels, the
how-to for anyone seeking investment. He has also written or been interviewed for
articles in The New York Times, USA Today, Business Week and many other
investor/education articles and websites.
Payne has a track record of sharing his entrepreneurial and investment experience with
others. On his last visit to New Zealand, he led the Power of Angels seminars, a
Kauffman Foundation Seminar series.

More information about Bill Payne is available on his website: http://www.billpayne.com

Bill Payne’s blog on The ICEHOUSE website: http://www.theicehouse.co.nz/billpayne

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