Video interview from Silicon Valley. AmBAR is the largest foreign business association of Russian-speaking professionals.

This time we met with members of the Board of Directors of AmBAR - an organization with a center in Palo Alto, which brings together Russian-speaking entrepreneurs and IT professionals across America, and is also a kind of business bridge between Russia and the United States. Prominent US investors and entrepreneurs such as Max Levchin (founder of PayPal), Ron Conway (one of Google’s first investors), Guy Kawasaki, Accel Partners, 500 Startups, Intel Capital, IBM, Adobe, Evernote, etc. take part in AmBAR events. AmBAR events from Russia are attended by both entrepreneurs and investors (for example, Runa Capital) and representatives of RUSNANO. In 2010, AmBAR helped organize a trip for the US President of the Russian Federation , as well as the arrival of major investors from the US to Moscow ( vctriptomoscow.com ). Under the cut more information and video from the interview.


AmBAR President Anna Dvornikova with a group of well-known American investors at a meeting with the President of the Russian Federation (2010)

AmBAR is the largest business association of Russian- speaking high-tech professionals with headquarters in Palo Alto (USA). AmBAR creates conditions for cooperation, acquaintance, exchange of experience, knowledge and business contacts for Russian-speaking professionals around the world. AmBAR regularly holds investment-oriented technology events in Silicon Valley. The largest of them is the annual technological-investment conference SVOD (Silicon Valley Open Doors), which regularly gathers an amazing audience - over 600 participants - investors, start-ups, entrepreneurs.


Google co-founder Sergey Brin (center) and other eminent participants speak at the AmBAR Event, leftmost - Sergey Burkov , a member of the Board of Directors of AmBAR
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This year's SVOD conference will be held June 10-11. Participants will have the opportunity to meet personally with successful entrepreneurs of the Valley, top investors, listen to the speeches of start-ups, learn and build relationships with potential partners. SVOD is a great opportunity for businessmen and investors from Russia to meet with their American colleagues to exchange experience, build the right connections, find profitable deals. Startups can rent a stand for the presentation of their companies, as well as hold a presentation on the stage in front of investors from Russia and the USA. Register for participation in the SVOD conference and read detailed information here .


PayPal co-founder Max Levchin and AmBAR President Anna Dvornikova at the Silicon Valley Open Doors (SVOD) conference

Interview with Stas Hirman - member of the Board of Directors of AmBAR, entrepreneur, investor, mentor.



Below is a list of questions, so that in advance there was an idea of ​​what the conversation with Stas Hirman was.

• Tell us what AmBAR does, what is its main mission?
• No other similar Russian organizations?
• What are the main events, conferences and other events that AmBAR holds?
• What is the SVOD conference, what is it for and who participates in it?
• I would like to talk about the specific benefits that participants receive. For example, I am a Russian investor - what can I get from participation in SVOD?
• As for the American investors, can you name the regular participants of the SVOD among the well-known investors?
• Now let's talk about the benefits for startups. Who should just come to see, and who should make a presentation of their company on SVOD?
• At what stage in the life of the company should be presented, and at what else is it too early?
• What are your plans for AmBAR for the near future? Maybe some new programs?
• Any suggestions or tips for Russian startups?

We also met with other members of the AmBAR Board of Directors: Anna Dvornikova and Tatyana Fedorova. Anna Dvornikova - President of AmBAR, managing partner of TEC Ventures. Tatyana Fedorova - Vice President for Strategy at AmBAR, entrepreneur. Sorry for the noise, this interview was only recorded as such.

• Tell us what AmBAR does, what is its main mission?
• In short: why AmBAR and how does it stand for?
• Is the main function of SVOD more educational and introductory?
• Consider an example: I am a Russian investor, what will I get from participating in the SVOD conference?
• I am a Russian startups, what are my options for participation in SVOD, and what will I get in each of these cases?
• Can I buy a stand for a presentation and show my product?
• For Russian startups: who should present your company? At what stage should the company be?
• At what stage of the company is it too early to come to make a presentation to investors?
• What are your plans for AmBAR for the near future? Any new programs?

PS: please do not litter comments with resentment about the purity of the Russian language. Understand that people who have lived in Silicon Valley for more than 10 years find it difficult to speak the language of Pushkin when, in that environment, everyone operates with foreign terms, even in communication in Russian.

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