EL DORADO HILLS, CA. – For entrepreneurs, this economic environment is especially difficult, but there is one event that can turn that all around in one day – the Entrepreneurial Drive Golf Tournament.

The tournament, which will be held Monday, July 20, at Serrano Country Club in El Dorado Hills, brings investors and startup executives together for what could be a lot more than a great day of golf for both.

The tournament is seeking applications from young technology-oriented companies, interested in seed, angel or early-stage venture capital funding. The deadline for submitting a request to present is June 26 – submissions can be made to info@entrepreneurialdrive.com. Each of the start-ups chosen will have the opportunity to present to investors right on the course – competing for up to $5,500 in prize money.

Bringing investors and entrepreneurs together attracted top tier sponsors and more than 120 golfers to the tournament last year, raising $10,000 for non-profit organizations that support entrepreneurship in the Sacramento region.

"Those unique tee-box pitches paid off for emTRAiN last year,” said Janine Yancey, CEO and founder of emTRAiN, an online training and delivery platform service that presented to investors last year. “It was a busy day of real work out there on the course, believe me, but it was good for us.”

The Entrepreneurial Drive was the vision of Jack Crawford, Jr., of Velocity Venture Capital. Since 2005, Velocity has been investing in seed and early-stage technology companies with an emphasis on clean tech companies.

“This region is quickly becoming a national leader in clean energy with its quickly maturing technology sector – we’ve got all of the ingredients: a strong academic infrastructure, a talented workforce, plenty of incubating companies, a cache of great entrepreneurs and a bunch of experienced investors,” said Jack Crawford Jr., a general partner with Velocity Venture Capital, which is presenting the event in conjunction with the non-profit Enterpreneurs’ Organization of Sacramento. “Events like this help bring us all together to support really promising local companies, who create jobs and wealth right here at home.”

“It’s an exciting opportunity that we just couldn’t miss,” said John Finegan, past president and Board member of the Sacramento chapter of EO. “I played in the tournament last year and I was really impressed with the caliber of the participants, and the tee-box pitches were great. This event is a perfect fit for us.”

The tournament is generously supported by a number of regional top tier businesses that contribute to technology ecosystem with professional services that are essential to the growth and development of young companies. Banks, legal firms, accounting firms, device manufacturers recruiters and others, round out investors and venture firms as sponsors and golfers participating in the event. Sponsors for this year’s tournament include Social Venture Philanthropy of Sacramento, Interwest Insurance Services, and the Positive Coaching Alliance.

The tournament begins with a trade-show luncheon 10:30 a.m., and the shotgun start is at noon. For more information on sponsorships or to register, visit www.entrepreneurialdrive.com

About Velocity Venture Capital

Located in the Sacramento region, Velocity Venture Capital is a venture capital firm specializing in seed and early stage technology companies. Since 2005, the firm has invested in 13 companies with an emphasis on the clean technology sector. Leveraging its proximity to California’s capital to develop a large network of influential relationships in the political arena, Velocity is well positioned to support its clean tech companies and other portfolio companies that will be positively impacted by the stimulus package. For more information, please visit www.velocityvc.com.

About EO

The Entrepreneurs’ Organization (EO) – for entrepreneurs only – is a global community that enriches members’ lives through direct peer-to-peer learning, connections to experts and once-in-a-lifetime experiences. EO is the catalyst that enables entrepreneurs to learn from each other, leading to greater business success and an enriched personal life. EO is comprised of more than 7,000 members in 38 countries, with an average member age of 39 and average annual revenue of $14.4 million. The organization is committed to building the world’s most influential community of entrepreneurs. For more information, please visit www.eonetwork.org.