Invest Atlantic, the premier conference for investors and entrepreneurs in the region, takes place today with a keynote speaker from Arkansas and a generous infusion of entrepreneurs.

Jeff Amerine, Technology Licensing Officer of the Adjunct Faculty of Entrepreneurship at the University of Arkansas, will deliver the main speech at the third annual conference, talking about the lessons he has learned in developing an innovation community in his home state. What will be particularly relevant in Amerine’s speech will be his experience in commercializing university research and the role of post-secondary institutions in innovation. It’s a pertinent message for this region, given the importance of universities in the development of innovation in each of the four provinces.

Amerine’s bio says he has spent his career creating, financing and deploying high-tech products and services, including senior leadership positions in seven startup ventures and three Fortune 500 companies. His current role is commercializing research and teaching entrepreneurship at the University of Arkansas. He stepped in to give the key address after San Francisco entrepreneur Adam Jackson was trapped by storms in Philadelphia and unable to complete his journey.

I’d like to highlight one new feature of Invest Atlantic that is already beginning to pay dividends. Sponsors this year are allowed to nominate young companies, who receive discount admission. Because of this, a group of tech companies from P.E.I. have journeyed to Halifax to attend the conference.

Last night, the P.E.I. contingent had dinner with a group of mentors and investors who are attending both Invest Atlantic and MentorCamp, held earlier in the week. It allowed the sort of one-on-one networking that Innovation Week was designed for.

Today’s featured speakers include: Thor Muller, CTO of Get Satisfaction, San Francisco; Nimeshh Patel, COO AOL Europe; Julia Law, former VP in charge of Global HR at Nike; and April Seggebruch, VP Finance & Operations, Merchant View LLC, Fayetteville, Arkansas.

The four entrepreneurs competing at the Pitching Den are: Paula Morand, Jumpstart 720, N.B.; Garnett Wilson, CEO, Afinin Labs, NL; Tapajyoti Das, CEO, Leadsift, N.S.; and Jordan MacLeod, CEO, Strue, P.E.I.