As the Los Angeles Venture Association (LAVA.org) starts fresh with a new Executive Director and a new Board President, one of the first tasks was to revive the important strategic interest groups.

The IBA's Michael McClune was asked to co-chair the long popular Global LAVA committee with Sharon Rehbinder who represents the Grenoble Alpes region of France. Grenoble Alpes is a European hotspot for high-tech innovation like super and quantum computing. Think MIT and Stanford in the US. Sharon also chairs Women in LAVA.

This is one more way the International Business Accelerator brings the growth capital ecosystem closer to its clients.

For US companies ready to work with the IBA, LAVA has a fertile roster of VCs and Angels who understand the potential of cross-border sales and expansion.

For foreign companies ready for the IBA's InboundLA program, LAVA is the easy foray into the Southern California venture capital ecosystem.

To launch the new Global LAVA, Michael moderated a June panel entitled 'How to Make Your Startup Sexy to EU & UK Investors.' Panelists included James Cummings of London & Partners which is the London Mayor's trade and promotion agency. Brenda McCabe, angel investor in femtech and CEO of Matchbook Services brought her experience as an American leader of two European companies and stories of raising capital in Europe. The third panelist was Alfred Vericel of the venture firm Red River West which helps French companies expand as well as globally competitive companies with French/European market entry.

One lucky winner won two bottles of Chartreuse!

Sharon and Michael are planning the 2020 calendar with panel seminars focusing on Africa, LATAM, Asia, Southeast Asia, Middle East/North Africa and Canada.

More information on LAVA and Global LAVA at https://www.lava.org/groups/global-lava