Dave
Berkus
Dave Berkus has a proven track record in operations and
investing. As an entrepreneur, he has formed, managed and
sold successful businesses in the entertainment and software
arenas. As an investor, he has obtained healthy returns
from liquidity events in over a dozen investments in early-stage
ventures. As a mentor, he was recently named "Director
of the Year" for his efforts with over 40 companies
in the past decade.
Mr. Berkus was the founder of Computerized Lodging Systems
Inc (CLS), which he guided as CEO for over a decade that
included two consecutive years on the Inc.500 list of America's
fastest growing companies, expansion to six foreign subsidiaries
and twenty-nine foreign distributors while capturing 16%
of the world market for his products. For his accomplishments
in advancing technology in the hospitality industry, in
1998 he was inducted into the Hospitality (HFTP) "International
Hall of Fame", one of only twenty-four so honored worldwide
over the years.
In the last ten years he has made 64 investments in early
stage ventures, for which he has an IRR of 97%, which includes
capital contributions to his two funds (Berkus Technology
Ventures, LLC and Kodiak Ventures, L.P., for which he is
the managing partner). He also Chairman Emeritus of the
Tech Coast Angels, one of the largest angel networks in
the United States.
In recognition for adding significant shareholder value
for emerging technology companies over the past decade,
he was named "Director of the Year - 1999" by
the Forum for Corporate Directors of Orange County, California.
Current boards include: AuriQ Systems, Inc., EPC International,
Inc. (Chairman), GlobaLink Access, Inc. (Chairman), IP3
NETWORKS, Inc. (Chairman), Kodiak Ventures, L.P. (Managing
Partner), LeisureLink, Inc. (Chairman), Teresis Media, Inc.
(Chairman), Transcepta, Inc. (Chairman). Recent Boards:
Apogee Broadcasting Corporation, GameSpy Industries, Inc.
(Past Chairman), Sulcus Hospitality Technologies Corp. (AMEX:SUL)
sold to Eltrax, Inc.(NASDAQ: ELTX), Macro Educational Systems,
Inc. (sold to NCS-Pierson AMEX:NLCS).
A graduate of Occidental College, Mr. Berkus currently serves
as a Trustee of the College. Mr. Berkus is author of "Extending
the Runway", an Aspatore business book for VC's and
emerging growth company executives addressing issues resulting
from rapid growth. He is a commercial pilot with instrument
and multi-engine ratings, and holds Flight Safety International's
coveted "Pro Card" for airline transport pilot
proficiency. He is listed in Marquis' "Who's Who In
America" and "Who's Who In The World". Mr.
Berkus serves as Board Member and Vice President of the
Western Region, Boy Scouts Of America, and is Chairman of
the Advisory Board of ABL/TECHNOLOGY, a networking organization
of CEO's in high tech businesses.
Jeff
Carmody
Jeff Carmody, Manager, Agility Capital. Jeff
has an extensive background in venture debt financing. He
co-founded Agility Capital in 2000. Prior to that, he managed
Sand Hill Capital's southern California operations. He also
ran the Montecito Bank & Trust Venture Lending Group.
Jeff has been involved in over 50 financing transactions
through his 8+ years in venture lending and has 10+ years
in operations and technology management experience.
Jeff is Vice President and a founding member of the Westlake
Village/Santa Barbara Chapter of the Tech Coast Angels,
a southern California-based angel investment capital group.
He has been a member of the Board of Directors of the Central
Coast MIT Enterprise Forum and has chaired the Advisory
Committee for the Technology Council for the Santa Barbara
Region Chamber of Commerce. He is also an active member
of the Central Coast Venture Forum Steering Committee, the
Santa Barbara Business and Technology Awards Dinner Steering
Committee and a panelist at many business plan competitions.
He is a graduate of the University of California at Santa
Barbara and guest lectures at various courses offered by
the Technology Management Program at UCSB on a regular basis.
Sid
Mohasseb
Sid
Mohasseb is a member of the Tech Coast Angels and the managing
director Venture Farm an early stage execution and funding
organization. Formerly, he was the Chief Executive Officer
of Vital Source, Inc. a distributor of electronic components
head quartered in the United States with offices in the
United Kingdom and Hong Kong. Vital Source was created as
result of a strategic acquisition and since 2002 has experienced
a 20 fold growth in revenues.
Previously,
Sid served as the Chairman / CEO of Competitive Knowledge
Inc (CKI) - an internet company with over $48.0 Million
capitalization. Prior to forming CKI, Mohasseb founded the
national management consulting firm of Anabasis and facilitated
its merger with Straub & Associates in early 90's to
create Anabasis-Straub and served as that company's CEO.
His corporate clients include: IBM, Union Bank, Motorola,
Mattel Toys, Paramount Studios, Toyota, Honda, Pacific Bell,
McDonnell Douglas, Grumman Space Systems, etc. His public
sector clients include government agencies throughout the
U.S. on the city, county and state levels.
Sid
has also been instrumental in a number of corporate acquisitions
and turnarounds both as a principal investor and as a consultant/
operator (e.g. Acquisition, turn around and disposition
of NDT Systems from Dupont, merger of Crocker bank and Wells
Fargo and acquisition of Hughes laboratory, Krauses Sofa
Factory, Western Costume, etc.).
Mohasseb
has authored several publications and is the architect for
the award-winning software solutions such as the Resource
Allocation model (RAM), Executive Dashboard model, and Operations
Planner Optimization model, as well as, HOPES Forecasting
system, etc. Additionally, Mohasseb is co-credited for two
pending business process patents and has served as the host
for a national radio program on business with a 7.5 million
audience.
As an
active investor, Mr. Mohasseb is serving on numerous corporate
and advisory boards. He is a graduate of the University
of Southern California with a B.S. and an M.S. degrees in
Industrial Engineering/Operations Research and Technical
Economic Planning.
Luis
Villalobos
Luis Villalobos is the founder of Tech Coast
Angels, whose 111 portfolio companies have received $735,000,000
million in capital. He has personally invested in 57 early-stage
ventures and mentored a dozen CEOs. He formed, headed and
sold two ventures. He conducts workshops and serves as expert
on early-stage investing and intellectual property; and
holds several patents. He earned degrees at Harvard Business
School and MIT where he was a National Merit Scholar. He
is founding Board member of the Angel Capital Association;
and sits on several boards. He is currently raising a VC
fund to co-invest with angel groups: www.angel-led.com.
He is on the Board of the Paul Merage School of Business
at UCI.
Villalobos has been keynote speaker at various venture conferences;
conducted scores of workshops for angels, entrepreneurs
and MBAs, and has been a moderator or panelist at more than
60 events; he is writing a book that expands upon the materials
in his workshops.
