Reserve your seat today!

Jonathan Nelson, legendary investor and founder of Providence Equity Partners, and Gov. Gina Raimondo will be the featured speakers at the Annual Meeting of the Greater Providence Chamber of Commerce on Monday, November 21 at the Rhode Island Convention Center.

In a unique appearance, the two leaders will engage in a wide ranging conversation on the rapidly changing global entrepreneurial environment. They will focus on new opportunities in emerging sectors, including FinTech, and ways Rhode Island is poised to capture jobs and investment in advanced industries.

A Rhode Island native, Mr. Nelson studied economics at Brown University and recently gifted $25 million to launch the school’s Jonathan M. Nelson Center for Entrepreneurship.

“We are honored to feature two extraordinarily accomplished professionals, Jonathan Nelson and Governor Raimondo, to hear their informed perspectives on how big data and the digital revolution are driving the formation of entirely new industries and ways in which Rhode Island is being positioned as a location of choice for companies in this space,” said William F. Hatfield, chairman of the board of the Greater Providence Chamber of Commerce. “We are also eager to hear them talk about how innovation and entrepreneurship are playing an increasingly important role in driving progress around the world.”

Providence Equity Partners is a premier global asset management firm with $47 billion under management across complementary private equity and credit businesses. Since the firm’s inception in 1989, Providence has invested in over 150 companies and become the leading equity investment firm in the world focused on the media, communications, education and information industries.

Mr. Nelson is currently a director of The Chernin Group, MLS Media and Univision Communications. He has also served as a director of numerous other Providence Equity portfolio companies including Bresnan Communications, Eircom plc, Hulu, Language Line, MetroNet (now AT&T Canada), VoiceStream Wireless (now Deutsche Telekom), Warner Music Group, Western Wireless Corporation (now AT&T  Corp.) and Yankees Entertainment and Sports Network (YES). He is a trustee of Brown University, The Rockefeller University and Institute for Advanced Study, a member of the Board of Dean's Advisors at Harvard Business School and serves on the board of the Newport Festivals Foundation.

The Nelson Center for Entrepreneurship will operate in collaboration with existing departments, schools, and centers at Brown University to provide students with a strong academic grounding in entrepreneurship, blended with applied experiences and mentorship opportunities. Funding from the Nelson gift will also allow planning to begin for a facility to house classrooms, workspace, and areas for faculty and students to collaborate on developing new ventures. Entrepreneurs-in-residence and a range of student-led activities will also be housed in this center. In addition, students from the Rhode Island School of Design will be welcome to participate in the activities of the center. RISD currently participates in student-led initiatives with Brown that bring students together with designers, educators, and innovators to use design for the social good.