Last
year marked the highest level of venture capital funding in
the U.S. since 2001, with over $25 billion invested by VCs across
the country. Southern California companies received more than
10% of those funds and the region's diverse venture-backed economy
continues to outpace all regions other than Silicon Valley in
attracting new capital.
Please
join PricewaterhouseCoopers and a distinguished panel of industry
experts and VCs for their insights into the 2006 results of
the PricewaterhsouseCoopers MoneyTree Report™, including:
SPEAKER
Bio's:
Michael
A. Carr, Vice President of American Capital Strategies
Michael
Carr joined American Capital as a Vice President in the West
Coast Buyout Team. Previously, Mr. Carr was the Managing Partner
of BAC Investments, a lower middle market equity firm that focused
on outsourcing providers, business services, and value-added
distribution companies. Mr. Carr’s activities included
originating, evaluating, and structuring financial transactions.
Prior to founding BAC, Mr. Carr spent 10 years as an operating
executive where he successfully mapped the strategic and operational
paths of middle market companies that were struggling with succession
issues.
Mr.
Carr often speaks at various business events on the topics of
business succession and the role of Private Equity. He is actively
involved with professional organizations and is the Immediate
Past President of the Los Angeles Chapter of ACG. Mr. Carr also
currently serves on the Global Board of ACG.
Mr.
Carr received his M.B.A. from the Graziadio School of Business
and Management at Pepperdine University and received his B.S.
from Cal State University.
Sid
Mohasseb, Tech Coast Angels & Managing Director of Venture
Farm
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.
