Pre-Registration Information: Pre-Registration will close at 6:00 PM on Tuesday February 23rd. The association policy requires that a Pre-Registration must be cancelled prior to 4:00 PM on Monday February 22, 2010. All Pre-Registration are considered as Guaranteed Pre-Registrations and all No-Shows will be billed. We can only accept Credit Cards on our Website. 

AGENDA: 5:15 PM Networking; 6:15 PM Self-Introductions & Dinner; 7:00 PM Presentation of the Gold Coast Venture Forum; 7:25 PM Guest Speaker 

Join us and help celebrate our 26th Anniversary
Free Cocktail Ticket for Networking   

Guest Speaker  Carl DeSantis Founder Rexall Sundown An American Sucess Story

Mr. Carl DeSantis turned a small, family-run; home based mail order vitamin business into what has become one of the world’s leading developers, manufacturers and distributors of vitamins, nutritional supplements and consumer health products. His entrepreneurial spirit dates back to his working-class boyhood when he sold newspapers and Parakeets to help his family. This spirit continued throughout his 17-year retail drug store career with SuperX Drug Stores and Walgreen Drug Stores. During this time, in response to consumer demand for an effective but inexpensive suntan lotion, he created “Sundown”, a product which met instantaneous acceptance. Again, realizing the growing interest in nutritional and health products, he then turned his attention to this industry. The rest is history. In 1985, Mr. DeSantis acquired the Rexall trademark and in 1993 led the company’s highly successful IPO. 
 

Currently, Mr. DeSantis is also involved in diverse business investments. Investments range from a fine dining restaurant (La Cigale) in Delray Beach to a 50,000 acre photographic hospitality game reserve located in South Africa. Other significant investments include commercial office buildings, shopping centers, real estate development and liquid nutritionals.

 

As well known for his community service as for his entrepreneurial success, DeSantis has supported numerous charities and educational institutions and his firm was instrumental in the establishment and continuing support of Rexall Sundown Pediatric Bone Marrow Transplant Center at Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami. His overall philanthropy has extended into the high double digits resulting in millions for worthwhile causes.

 

He is the recipient of innumerable civic and entrepreneurial awards. He has been named Florida Atlantic University’s Entrepreneur of the Year, was inducted into Nova Southeastern University’s Business and Entrepreneur Hall of Fame and received the America’s Free Enterprise Legend Award from Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE). In early 2000, he was inducted into the Junior Achievement South Florida Business Hall of Fame. He has also made generous educational grants to establish programs at Florida State University, Florida Atlantic University, Palm Beach Atlantic College, and Nova Southeastern University, naming a few.

 Gold Coast Venture Forum

Two (2) companies will present 

TBA 

The Gold Coast Venture Forum is designed to facilitate the flow of information between entrepreneurs and investors and does NOT function as a securities broker-dealer, securities exchange or an investment advisor and it is not registered as such with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.  Companies making presentations to the Gold Coast Venture Forum have not been recommended by any federal or state securities commission, regulatory authority and government entity or by the Gold Venture Capital Association.  The GCVCA makes no representation or warranties regarding the truth, accuracy or completeness of the information provided by the entrepreneurs. The GCVCA is a not-for-profit networking membership organization. The Gold Coast Venture Capital Association does not recommend nor make investments.

If your company would like to make a Gold Coast Venture Forum presentation at a GCVCA Monthly Dinner Meeting Click Here.  

Guaranteed Pre-Registration No-Show/Cancellation Policy  

You can make a Pre-Registration on our Website until 6:00 PM on the Tuesday February 23, 2010. All Pre-Registrations are considered as a Guaranteed Pre-Registrations. The association policy requires that a Pre-Registration must be cancelled prior to 4:00 PM on Monday February 22, 2010 due to the fact that the Association must provide a guaranteed headcount to the meeting venue at that time. If the pre-registrant is a No-Show and has Pre-Registered using a Credit Card and the Association has not receive a cancellation prior to 4:00 PM on Monday February 22, 2010 the Credit Card payment will be forfeited. If the pre-registrant is a Member and has used the "Pay at the Door" option and is a No-Show and the Association has not receive a cancellation prior to 4:00 PM on Monday February 22, 2010 then the Member will be invoiced for the Pre-Registration and the Association would appreciate the payment of the fee indicated on the Guaranteed Pre-Registration Invoice so that the Association can cover its cost.

Benefits of GCVCA Membership  

One of the benefits of GCVCA Membership is access to scanned Business Cards collected at each meeting. Join today and assure your ability to follow up on contacts made at each and every meeting. For those times when it is not possible to attend the regular Monthly Dinner Meeting, Members still enjoy the benefit of access to the scanned Business Cards. Click Here for Membership Application.