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3rd Annual SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA ENTREPRENEURS ROUNDTABLE Hosted by the EVMA @ USC MARSHALL SCHOOL OF BUSINESS November 16, 2006 6-6:30 p.m. 6:30-7:15 p.m. 7:20-7:40 p.m. 7:45-8:05 p.m. 8:10-8:30 p.m. 8:30-9 p.m. Post Event Registration/Buffet Keynote Address – Lloyd Greif Round I Round II Round III Closing & Informal Networking Cocktail Reception at the Golden Gopher (see details on p.30) Entrepreneur Venture Management Association (EVMA) The EVMA at the Marshall School of Business is a non-profit graduate student organization committed to venture management and entrepreneurship. Our purpose is to:  Educate students regarding the challenges and issues faced by the venture management community.  Expose members to the business development process and provide hands on experience.  Provide a forum to encourage and foster new ideas and innovations.  Promote and further develop USC‘s reputation as the top graduate school in entrepreneurship.  Support the diverse talents from ALL USC graduate schools and form the foundation for future projects and companies. Some of us have the entrepreneurial instinct, some don't. The EVMA strives to bring together Marshall Students who believe in innovation, not imitation. By putting together entrepreneurial-minded students and various professionals active in the venture management community, the EVMA represents a unique resource in your business school experience. Numerous events scheduled throughout the year put EVMA members in contact with successful entrepreneurs, venture capitalists and other players in the entrepreneurial community. We have formed a Technology Alliance among the Marshall School of Business, the School of Engineering and the School of Medicine to foster new ideas and connect technology with business solutions. Likewise, other events are designed to promote the Marshall relationship with the professional community. Officers of the Marshall School EVMA 2006 Eric Sullano Willis Chin Stephen Henry Josephine Reyes Tony Yang Hammer Huang Paul Kim Christine Katzman Justin Welling Dave Grant Matthew Clark Tom Morphopoulos Lance Patek President VP of Finance VP of Business Development VP of Marketing and Communications VP of Venture Capital/LAVA Relations VP of Venture Capital Events VP of Venture Capital Events VP of Community Relations VP of Community Relations VP of Graduate Technology Alliance VP of Technology VP of TEC VP of TEC ii Please visit our EVMA web site for further information: http://www.marshall.usc.edu/evma/ iii The Marshall School of Business and the EVMA would like to thank the following companies for their support of tonight’s event: Awesome Avenue Biz Bamko The Blues Jean Bar Cliff Michaels & Associates Dogswell Fluidesign Garage Envy GlobalTouch Telecom HNP Pharmaceuticals Media Matchmaker myShape Hamet Watt, nextmedium Premium Financial Services Progressive Brands Sharkeez Silicon Valley Bank True Religion Brand Jeans iv v Entrepreneur Roundtable Attendees American Learns Architectural Detail Group, Inc. Avid Capital Awesome Avenue, LLC Bamko The Blues Jean Bar Cliff Michaels & Associates Condomania Creanspeak Productions, Inc. DISCover Dogswell, Inc. The Dolce Group Entrepreneurial MD Fluidesign Garage Envy, Inc. Gemini Capital Partners GlobalTouch Telecom, Inc. Greif and Company HNP Pharmaceuticals Inside Entertainment Interneer, Inc. Kolobags, LLC Media Defender Media Matchmaker myShape, Inc. NextMedium Ninestar, Inc. O2 MAX O.N.E. World Enterprises, LLC Premium Financial Services Primate Partners ProcessClaims Progressive Brands, Inc. Sharkeez Spohn Ranch, Inc. True Religion Brand Jeans Twin Sun, Inc. Urth Caffe., Inc. VCT Wheels Zen Zoo Tea, Inc. Education Residential/commercial design Private Equity Internet, Retail Marketing Retail Mortgage, Real Estate Brokerage Retail, E-commerce Entertainment Production Gaming Consumer Packaged Goods, Pet care Restaurant Health Care Internet Professional Services Home Improvement Private Equity Telecom Investment Banking Pharmaceuticals Entertainment Software Retail, E-commerce Software, Internet Advertising Services Retail Advertising Services Retail, Action Sports Fitness Consumer Packaged Goods Commercial Finance Consumer Packaged Goods, Beverage Internet, Insurance Consumer Packaged Goods, Alcohol Restaurant Action Sports, Construction Fashion Internet services, hi-tech services Restaurant Automotive Restaurant 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 vi America Learns CEO/Founder – Gary Kosman americalearns.net Company Profile America Learns accomplishes its mission through licensing proprietary technology and content that empowers tutoring and mentoring programs to streamline their reporting and evaluation work while providing personalized guidance and support to teachers, tutors and mentors. Organizations tend to reduce the amount of time and money spent on reporting and evaluation purposes by 70% after beginning to use America Learns' services. The company's clients include Harvard University, UC Berkeley, the Minneapolis Public Schools, the State of Mississippi and others. After two years, the company already reaches more than 12,000 students nationwide. Next month, America Learns will publish its first book for parents, Bonding While Learning. We get tutoring and mentoring programs the evaluation data they need by supporting their tutors and mentors. We accomplish our work through the America Learns Network, an easy to use, low-cost, Web-based solution. We were born out of our founder's experience of volunteering to tutor children and then finding that his program's staff were often incredibly overwhelmed with a myriad of responsibilities and that the volunteers (himself included), though full of good intentions, often lacked the necessary knowledge and competencies to provide high quality support to the students. After receiving direct, comprehensive input from hundreds of on-the-ground tutors, mentors, program staff members, parent advocates, teachers and other tutoring and mentoring stakeholders around the types of support they feel they need to best serve students, we came to believe that many reading tutoring and mentoring programs could benefit from something that helped them accomplish the goals listed in the section above. Biography Gary is the founder & CEO of America Learns, a national educational justice company. America Learns partners with school districts, universities and nonprofits to ensure that every child served by a teacher, tutor or mentor receives the highest quality academic and social-emotional support possible. The company accomplishes its mission through licensing proprietary technology and content that empowers schools, tutoring programs and mentoring programs to streamline their reporting and evaluation work by providing personalized guidance and support to teachers, tutors and mentors. Organizations tend to reduce the amount of time and money spent on ongoing training, reporting and evaluation purposes by 70% after beginning to use America Learns' services. Since launching its service in September 2004, the company has grown to reach more than 12,000 students nationwide. Its clients include Harvard University, UC Berkeley, the Minneapolis Public Schools, and the State of Mississippi. The company was the first for profit entity to be seed funded by Echoing Green, the leading global social venture firm. Gary has been involved in multiple facets of the education sector, from serving on the evaluation team for the City of Los Angeles‘ ―LA‘s BEST‖ after-school program to co-authoring guidelines for the U.S. Navy and Marines' advanced distance learning program. He has also worked with The City of St. Louis' Head Start program, Children's Math Worlds, The Los Angeles Times‘ ―Reading by 9‖ initiative and the U.S. Department of Education. He has received fellowships from Echoing Green, the Johnson Foundation and Coro. 1 Architectural Detail Group, Inc. EO Los Angeles Chapter CEO/Founder – Geral Olesker www.architecturaldetailgroup.com Company Profile ADG inc. is committed to providing the highest quality outcomes for our clients, down to the finest details. This is attained through superior levels of service and attention and clear communication with our clients from beginning to end. We convey our design ideas through sketches and mock ups. We provide samples of design materials for review. We are present at installation to ensure the final product is perfect. From concept to completion, ADG guarantees client satisfaction. We are known for our high quality light fixtures. We continue to selectively expand our product lines, employing the same level of focus on the architectural details that our team has used to create the most beautiful lighting for over a decade. Biography Gerald Olesker believes that all buildings deserve attention to the architectural details, from lighting to landscaping. He founded ADG,Inc. to provide custom design and fulfillment of these details, with the highest level of service. Gerald applies his background in architecture and over 18 years of experience as a designer and project manager to lead the ADG, Inc. team. Gerald previously was the senior designer for Lantern Masters. He began his career with Galper Baldon Associates after earning his Bachelors of Architecture degree from Cal Poly Pomona. He is on the boards of directors of Cabrillo Music Theatre, FJMC-TEC, Education Committee for the Institute of Classical Architecture SC, and Moderator for EO Forum. 2 Avid Capital President - Shaun Tan www.avidcapital.com Company Profile Avid Capital acquires distressed companies. We typically look for companies in the 1 to 10 million dollar sales range. We are not industry focused, just valued fundamental and value driven. We recently started our professional services operations offering M&A advisory services, valuation services and capital procurement. Biography Shaun Tan is the managing partner of Avid Capital who focuses on acquiring distressed companies and other opportunistic investments. They currently have an aerospace manufacturer and a sheet metal company in their portfolio. Avid is branching off into professional services such as M&A advisory services, valuation services and capital procurement. Shaun is also the founder of Entrepreneur Mentor Society, a non-profit entrepreneurial program designed to help educate, promote and develop undergraduate college students who aspire to be entrepreneurs someday. Student participants include USC, UCLA, LMU, Caltech and MIT students. 3 Awesome Avenue, LLC Founder – David Landis awesomeavenue.biz Company Profile Awesome Avenue, LLC is on an online retail boutique devoted to Rock oriented Fashion and Pop Culture Memorabilia of the last 40 years. Originally conceived to be an off shoot of the famous internet radio station, Ultimate-80s.com, David Landis, the founder of both Awesome Avenue.biz and Ultimate-80s.com, saw the opportunity for the store to be much bigger and take on a life of its own. Opening this past October, Awesome Avenue.biz sells over 250 products ranging from T-shirts emblazoned with Rock Music, TV Show, Movie and Pop Culture Icons, Fashion Accessories such as sunglasses from Vuarnet France, DVDs of Rock Bands, Movies, and TV shows, and toys from Duncan Imperial Yo-Yos and Slinkys to full sized arcade versions of Pacman, Defender, and Donkey Kong. Biography David Landis began working in the entertainment industry in 1995 while attending college at New York University‘s prestigious film and television production school. Pursuing his passion, he moved into the music industry in 1998 and got his start at the famed Beverly Hills based talent agency: the William Morris Agency. During his three-year tenure at that company, David assisted in booking international tours and personal appearances of acclaimed artists including Whitney Houston, Blondie, the Bee Gees, Tony Bennett, and Diana Krall. He moved onto the Business Affairs department where he spent a year and a half learning the legalities of the music business with emphasis on concert touring. Realizing the radio landscape was changing and the influence the Internet was beginning to have on global business and entertainment, as well as the emerging fascination the public was having with the music of the 1980s, David launched Ultimate-80s, in late 2000. Since that time, Ultimate-80s has become one of the most respected, visible, and highly listened to stations broadcasting on the Internet. David has become a well-known figure in the Internet radio industry and has spoken on panel discussions at industry conventions and has lobbied Congress to establish fair royalty rates for Internet radio stations. Furthermore, David has also become known as a 1980s expert and has appeared in an episode of The History Channel‘s ―Modern Marvels‖ on ‗80s technology as well as being interviewed by numerous press sources on various topics of 1980s popular culture. In addition to Ultimate-80s.com, David‘s new project is an online retail store known as Awesome Avenue.biz. 4 Bamko Co-owner – Brett Marz www.bamko.net Company Profile Bamko, a leader in higher standards, is rethinking and challenging the way they promotional products industry operates. Their vertically integrated system includes a brand-building marketing firm, an extensive global manufacturing network, and a streamlined distribution system – all designed to deliver innovative, comprehensive, and cost-efficient solutions for their clients. But the spirit of Bamko is defined by their people. As a team, they are committed to being responsible global citizens, and are dedicated to fair labor practices, environmentally sound manufacturing techniques, corporate philanthropy, and personal volunteerism. Two long-time friends, Philip Koosed and Brett Marz, formed Bamko in 1999. Working out of their small apartment, they handled every aspect of the business themselves. Since then, Bamko has exploded into eight international locations, and has become one of the fastest-growing promotional companies in the $22 billion specialty advertising industry. This meteoric rise to the top 1% percent of the industry can be traced to the founders‘ dedication to go above and beyond what was long considered the norm in the promotional item business. Bamko has doubled in size every year it has been in business and has worked with over 10% of the Fortune 500 companies. Bamko is dedicated to becoming the premier company in the promotional industry. Toward this end, Bamko continues to invent new and better ways of doing business that are socially responsible, friendly to the environment, and profitable for their clients. Biography I was born and raised in Encino, CA where I attended Milken for both middle school and high school. I had my first ―business‖ selling Pogs at the age of 11. I continued working for various companies and corporations till college in 2000. I received my degree in business at USC with an emphasis in corporate finance in 2004. Even though my goal throughout high school and the first couple of years of college was to be an I-banker, I was became drawn back to my desire to be an entrepreneur during my college years. While I was in college, I joined a long time friend from Elementary school Philip Koosed, in a company he had started. There was a desperate need on our campus for a promotional company that could do good work at a reasonable price and deliver on time. The company was originally geared toward making promotional products for fraternities, sororities and on campus organizations. We would make t-shirts, short, sweatshirts, shot glasses and several other products with custom imprints designed by the different organizations. After about a year, we delved into the world of corporate promotional product and this soon became our core business and main focus. The fraternity/sorority part of the business continued on for a few years, but it only made up about 10% of Bamko‘s revenue. Even though it was profitable, we wanted to be able to put all of our resources toward our most profitable part of our business, so about year ago we shut down the college division of the company. Being a 24 year old owner of a promotional items company in an industry with an average age of 45 is not easy. We have quickly grown to be in the top 5% of our industry in terms of revenue. Some of our clients include Toyota, Fox, Paramount, Mighty Ducks, LA Kings, LA Clippers, Universal and Target. Over the last couple years, we have opened up offices in China and India, which give us a significantly lower cost basis than most of our competitors. Our goal is to get into the Top 40 of the industry (last year, #40 did about $30 million in revenue) in the next few years. 5 The Blues Jean Bar Founder/President – Lady Reiss www.thebluesjeanbar.com Company Profile The BLUEs JEAN bar is a denim specialty store developed by jean lover, Lady Reiss. Lady was born and raised in New Orleans and possesses a unique blend of genes from her renowned businessman father and fashion model mother. Armed with an MBA, fashion connections, and a keen sense for unique fashion of her own, Lady grew tired of shopping all over the nation for that perfect pair of jeans. She also found it hard to get quality customer service at any store, especially when shopping for blue jeans, when it seemed most pertinent. After living in San Francisco for many years Lady became perplexed and asked the question ‗Why is it that the essential piece of clothing that everyone wears and everyone wants - is the hardest item to find on a shopping mission?‘ Her obsession and quest created a vision of a cool, laid back atmosphere with a bar, flat screen TVs, comfortable seating and the best selection of desirable jeans in the nation for both men and women. In September 2004 Lady‘s vision became reality with the opening of the first BLUEs JEAN Bar in San Francisco and, as the craze has swept the nation, the opening one in Chicago in October 2005, another in Santa Monica in December 2005 and, most recently, in Dallas in April 2006. Biography Lady Reiss is the founder and President of the BLUEs JEAN Bar, Corp. The two year old company is currently comprised of four denim boutiques which are located in San Francisco, Santa Monica, Chicago and Dallas. The stores are thematic "blues bars", where customers order their denim selection from jean tenders. The Blues Jean Bar, Corp has enjoyed tremendous success in each market it has entered and as a result, the company has plans to expand into Denver, Seattle and Houston by the end of 2007. Prior to founding the Blues Jean Bar, Lady worked for many years at CNN in Atlanta, and was involved in the internet industry in the Bay Area. Lady Reiss holds a MBA from University of San Francisco's Masagung school of business and an undergraduate degree in journalism from the University of Georgia. She currently lives in San Francisco, CA. 6 Cliff Michaels & Associates Founder/CEO – Cliff Michaels Company Profile MISSION: To bring intelligent direction to every real estate transaction. VISION: To set the standard for mortgage and real estate services, to provide unparalleled education for consumers and brokers, and to encourage business philanthropy. MORTGAGE BROKERAGE: Since 1991, we have been a standard by which other banks and brokers have built their business. In fact, we now train mortgage and real estate professionals. We work with wholesale divisions of major banks such as Citi Mortgage, Wells Fargo, Chase Manhattan, Countrywide, Washington Mutual, Indymac and more; providing clients with the lowest possible interest rates, the widest variety of programs, and custom financial strategies. REAL ESTATE BROKERAGE: A dedication to client goals has made our firm a premier advisor to CPA's, business managers, financial planners, realtors, investors, and builders alike. We connect our clients to Top 1% Real Estate Brokers worldwide and assist with negotiations, buy, sell, hold, tax, and exchange strategies. From your home to commercial investments, our goal is to help you build short and long term real estate wealth. OUR SERVICES: Whether you're looking for a top real estate agent in your city, or help with real estate mortgages, we are the first and last call you'll need to make. Buy, sell, or finance with intelligent direction every time. www.cliffmichaels.com Biography An aspiring entrepreneur at the University of Southern California, Cliff began real estate investment during the eighties and started his brokerage in 1991. His passion for wealth and no money down strategies quickly caught the attention of seasoned realtors, accountants, bankers and a celebrity clientele. By 21 he was among the youngest real estate experts to provide a combination of mortgage, credit, and realtor services in the United States. Today, Cliff is among the Top 1% Real Estate and Mortgage Brokers Nationwide. His consistent mortgage production of $100 million annually with "no advertising" is a testimony to his referral-based business model. With an additional $100 million in condo sales during the 2005 Las Vegas Casino Hotel Hi-Rise, Cliff has also earned a reputation as a "broker's broker" and "expert consultant" to developers. Among his achievements, Cliff was CEO and Co-Founder of FirstUse.Com, a pioneering digital notary technology that gained worldwide acclaim in the late nineties. He is the author of, Real Estate Secrets, The Credit Doctor, and Diary of a Dotcom: Lessons in Entrepreneurial Start-Up. Cliff is a member of the California Association of Mortgage Brokers, the Beverly Hills Board of Realtors, a 10 year member of the Young Entrepreneurs Organization (YEO), and was the 2003/2004 President of the Los Angeles YEO Chapter. 7 Condomania Founder/CEO – Adam Glickman www.condomania.com Company Profile Condomania®, America‘s first condom store, is the Internet‘s premier safer sex site and an internationally renowned condom distributor. Condomania‘s New York store (opened in 1991), website (launched in 1996), and wholesale division sell hundreds of different products, including 200 types of approved condoms and a broad array of romance and related products. For the past 15 years, Condomania‘s has assisted shoppers of every age, gender and sexual orientation by making the purchase of condoms and safer-sex products fun, hip and accessible. Condomania owns the exclusive North American sales and marketing rights to TheyFit™ condoms, the world‘s first line of sized-to-fit condoms in 70 custom fit sizes. The custom tailored fit provides a much safer and more pleasurable experience compared to standard condoms, greatly reducing the chances of slippage and breakage while significantly increasing ease of application, comfort and sensation. Condomania is the only source in North America of sized-to-fit condoms, a major technological upgrade to the category. In addition to being a primary source of innovative safer sex products, Condomania offers the widest selection of condoms and lubricants available in any one place. Condomania has received wide acclaim and a loyal customer following for the information and advice it offers about safer sex products and information, including product reviews and proprietary interactive search tools online (e.g., Condom Wizard), all in a fun, anonymous online shopping environment and non-threatening physical retail setting. Biography Adam Glickman is considered to be one of the nation's foremost experts on condoms and safer sex issues. In 1991, Glickman opened Condomania, America's first condom store, in New York City. As President and CEO of Condomania, he now oversees all of Condomania's retail, mail order and internet operations. Born and raised in New York City, Glickman, 35, attended Tufts University. While a student at Tufts, Glickman created and sold condoms featuring Tufts' mascot, ultimately founding his first company, Custom Condoms (now Global Protection Corporation). Business boomed, condoms were created for dozens of businesses and colleges, and before long he co-invented the Knight Light Glow-In-TheDark Condom. After establishing Condomania's stores in New York and Los Angeles, in 1993, Glickman inaugurated Condomania's direct marketing operations. Through Condomania's Mail Order Services (1-8009CONDOM), people from all over the world have access to the best of Condomania's products. In January of 1996, Glickman further extended Condomania's reach with the launch of Condomania Online, at Condomania.com. Glickman is the primary architect of the site, designing its look, feel, and composition. 8 Creanspeak Productions, Inc. EO Los Angeles Chapter Founder – Kelly Crean www.creanspeak.com Company Profile Creanspeak identifies and recruits focused, creative talent from a multitude of sources in order to produce the highest quality projects. Through the committed efforts of our staff, Creanspeak consistently delivers quality entertainment to Creanspeak investors, clients, and audiences alike. Biography Crean recently financed & produced Black Irish, Bradley Gann's directorial debut, starring Brenden Gleeson, Michael Angarano, Tom Guiry, and Emily Van Camp (WB's "Everwood"). Ms. Crean currently serves as the executive producer of "Gagsters!," the first hybrid reality/scripted TV show for children. Since the hit show began its run on Kids' WB in 2004; it has been sold in over forty countries. She also co-created and ep's, "Doctors of Rock," for HDnet, and "The Screaming Cocktail Hour" a new, cutting-edge musical variety series. In collaboration with the living Hip Hop legend Kool Mo Dee, Ms. Crean is also producing the revolutionary documentary There's a God on the Mic, based on his highly acclaimed book of the same title. Additional feature films in development include Last Night, The Statue Game and Shattered Stranger. Ms. Crean's previous projects include 2003 Sundance Film Festival's Prey for Rock & Roll (starring Gina Gershon, Drea De Matteo, Lori Petty), Over Dark, and False Start. Previously, Kelly has served as an associate producer on "Emeril Live!", as assistant to producer Cary Woods at Miramax for the productions of Swingers, Scream, Citizen Ruth, Gummo, and Copland; and as college marketing representative for Walt Disney Co.'s Buena Vista Pictures on such features as Dead Presidents, Nixon, Father Of The Bride II, Up Close and Personal, Before And After, Ransom, Toy Story, and 101 Dalmatians. Kelly began her work in production with internships at MGM, CBS News, and Engel Brothers Productions. Ms. Crean's acting career has included 2 feature films, 8 short films and recurring roles on NBC's "Another World" and CBS's "Guiding Light". A former member of the U.S. Ski Team, Kelly has a winner's spirit and a talent for assembling winning teams. She has a degree in English Literature from Columbia University, studied film production at Columbia University's School of the Arts, and is a voting member of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. Kelly's affiliations include AFI, AFTRA, IFP, the Film Society of Lincoln Center, the Ivoryton Playhouse Foundation, and Women in Film. 9 DISCover Founder - Curtis Kaiser www.discoverconsole.com Company Profile Founded in 2003, DISCover (Digital Interactive Systems Corporation), is a premier provider of ondemand videogame content and technology products DISCover is bringing PC gaming to the mainstream by creating a revolutionary and complete gaming experience in the Windows Media Center PC environment with their easy to use products My Games™. In 2005, DISCover introduced My Games to Windows Media Center PCs, giving users a simple interface that organizes all their games. The company‘s patented Drop ’n’ Play technology provides a simple, console-like experience when playing PC titles allowing for seamless play of CD/DVD-based games while its unique Parental Control system incorporates ESRB ratings to help users limit access to younger players. DISCover‘s GameHub offers one easy access point to reach available digital game content and purchase retail games. Through its partnerships with EB Games, GameTap, Trymedia, Yummy and MSN Games, GameHub delivers the most exciting games and experience to consumers. DISCover is currently working with leading PC OEM vendors and has secured significant relationships with HP, Sony, Alienware, Intel Viiv, Microsoft, GameTap, and EB Games. The company‘s technology has been recognized in consecutive years at the Consumer Electronics Show, as TechTV‘s "Product of the Year" in Home Audio/Video in 2004, and CNET"s "Next Big Thing" in 2005. Biography Curtis Kaiser is VP of Operations and General Counsel for DISCover MyGames, a software company focusing on digital distribution in the PC gaming industry. Prior to co-founding the company in 2003, Curtis was an associate attorney at Morrison & Foerster, California's largest law firm at the time. Curtis also maintains a consulting practice advising a wide array of start-up and other small businesses on legal and strategic issues. 10 Dogswell, Inc. EO Los Angeles Chapter President/Founder – Marco Giannini www.dogswell.com Company Profile: Dogswell, LLC is a rapidly growing pet product company that specializes in premium, functional treats for dogs and cats. The company began selling product as Dogswell in February of 2004 and added its Catswell line in late 2005. The first company to fortify chicken jerky for dogs with supplements, Dogswell now produces five distinctive formulations each delivering a unique functional benefit. Dogswell‘s pure all natural meat treats now include duck breast, lamb & rice, and beef liver in addition to the original all-natural chicken breast. Dogswell is distributed through natural grocery, specialty grocery and pet retailers. Dogswell works with over 45 pet distributors, including industry leaders Pet Food Experts, Animal Supply Company and Central Garden and Pet. The company supplies leading natural foods distributors United Natural Foods, Inc and Nature‘s Best. Dogswell is also the only pet treat in Haddon House Food Products, Inc which has been at the forefront of specialty foods marketing and distribution on the east coast for over forty years. Biography Marco Giannini is a native of the San Francisco bay area and has been immersed in the entrepreneurial world all his life. His grandfather first operated grocery stores in the 1920‘s, and his father has been privately practicing medicine for almost 40 years. Influenced by his father‘s medical background and his grandfather‘s entrepreneurial spirit, Marco knew at an early age that these influences and his love for animals would set the course for his life. He attended the University of Southern California and completed his MBA with a concentration in Entrepreneurial Studies. During this time, Marco also received the Best Business Plan Award and Marcia Israel Curly Award, both in 2003. Marco started his professional career working for Charles Schwab. In the fall of 2003, he launched Dogswell with the first sales in March 2004. Dogswell is currently available in over 48 states with distribution in over 3000 independent stores throughout the country. Marco grew up with a white shepherd by the name of Emily. He recently rescued Whiskey, a hound mutt, who is with him in the office every day. Whiskey‘s favorite treat is Vitality. 11 The Dolce Group Founders – Lonnie Moore and Mike Malin www.dolcegroup.com Company Profile Lifelong friends Lonnie Moore and Mike Malin fulfilled a long-held dream of owning a bar in 2001 when they opened a small tapas lounge called Belly on a strip of Santa Monica Boulevard in Los Angeles. The young duo then leveraged the success of Belly and its ties to young Hollywood, assembling a slate of famous investors in order to create Dolce Enoteca e Ristorante on Melrose Avenue in 2003. Dolce serves up a world-class dining experience, offering California-accented Italian cuisine, a Wine Spectator award-winning wine list, sexy yet comfortable ambiance, and flawless but friendly and unpretentious service. Dolce's conception of service & fun dining instead of fine dining has served as a model for every venture that has followed. For their next restaurant, Moore and Malin partnered in 2004 with Hollywood nightclub diva Shereen Arazm to create Geisha House, a two-story Japanese and sushi restaurant set in Tokyo 2050. In 2005, the company (now called The Dolce Group) continued its investment in Hollywood by opening Bella Cucina Italiana only a block away from Geisha House. Bella is a cozy Italian trattoria that combines top-notch food, service and ambience with the warmth, charm and comfort of a treasured neighborhood café, all at a reasonable price. This perennially busy little sister to Dolce already has the makings of a neighborhood institution. In addition to opening Bella, the company launched a consulting division in order to help less-experienced restaurateurs to build successful and profitable companies. Biographies Lonnie Moore believes that skills in all aspects of management, culinary knowledge, and flawless service are essential in successfully running a venue. Throughout his education and career, Mr. Moore worked on all levels of restaurant structure, and found that he had an innate connection with operative details. Lonnie Moore is originally from New York City, NY. He moved to Southern California for college, attending the University of Southern California, where he majored in Communications. Prior to getting into the restaurant industry, Mr. Moore worked at NBC before eventually moving to UPN, where he served as executive director of programming. Though he had a flourishing career in television altogether, Mr. Moore decided to leave the industry to pursue his food and wine interests. Mike Malin has a passion for the Los Angeles nightlife scene and a love for fine food. He and his partners in The Dolce Group have electrified the Los Angeles dining scene. Malin began his career in hospitality as co-owner of Belly, a New York style restaurant/lounge in Los Angeles, for four years before selling the venue. He followed up that venture with the creation of Dolce Enoteca in West Hollywood. Mike is originally from Concord, New Hampshire. He left New Hampshire to pursue his education, and enrolled in Bentley College, in Waltham, Massachusetts. At Bentley College, Mr. Malin majored in finance while also exercising his passion for theater arts. He was active in the theatre program at Bentley College, which led him to his ultimate move to Los Angeles in pursuit of acting as a full time career. 12 Entrepreneurial MD President – Philippa Kennealy www.entrepreneurialmd.com Company Profile At The Entrepreneurial MD, we believe that physicians are smart, hard-working and eager to learn. You are adamant about contributing to a betterment of the world. This makes you exciting clients to work with – when you set your minds to something, you accomplish it! We also passionately believe that to become an entrepreneur is a Radical Act of Creativity. So much of medicine is about standards of care, guidelines and rules, and it doesn't allow much expression for your creative drive. At The Entrepreneurial MD, our goal is to nurture your creative spirit to let it loose upon the world. Finally, we believe that physicians lack access to great entrepreneurial MD role models, sound advice about getting started in their own businesses, and inspiration that is specifically tailored to their skills, talents and interests. Here, we hope you will discover a Home Base, and perhaps even your own community of entrepreneurial MDs, created by a physician entrepreneur……. just for you! As a company run by Dr. Philippa Kennealy, a former practicing physician and physician executive, and current physician entrepreneur, The Entrepreneurial MD is unique. Philippa understands your challenges and struggles, both internal and external, from her own efforts. She had to seek education and information from industries and disciplines outside medicine. She made mistakes that cost her money and, more importantly, time. Philippa has also coached and guided the development of physician businesses from startup to flourishing, and learned a great deal from her clients. This all adds up to a wealth of experience that she is passionate about sharing with you. Biography Philippa Kennealy is President of The Entrepreneurial MD. As a coach with ICF-recognized certification, she works with physicians who are struggling to become entrepreneurs and build their own successful businesses. She is a board-certified Family Physician who left her own private practice in 1996 to embark on an administrative career as first Medical Director and then CEO of UCLA-Santa Monica Medical Center. Subsequently, she served as Executive VP in two internet start-up companies, before launching her first coaching and speaking business, Oya Consulting. Philippa is passionate about professional development for physicians that permits them to reinvigorate their careers and overcome burnout. As reported to her repeatedly, physicians long for more control over their lives. She believes that entrepreneurship is one way to reintroducing physicians to their own creativity and resourcefulness. In her experience as a coach, with encouragement, a belief in their own abilities, and a pragmatic approach, physicians are highly capable of making their inventive ideas a reality. They are, after all, a hard-working, dedicated, smart group of people! 13 Fluidesign EO Los Angeles Chapter President – Michael Schneider fluidesign.com Company Profile Los Angeles-based Fluidesign is a dynamic and award-winning agency with an inspired team specializing in cohesive branding, online strategies, and print and interactive design. Founded by Michael Schneider, Fluidesign is built on the principle of engaging passionate clients with fearless work and a comprehensive, seamlessly integrated range of services. Fluidesign has completed more than 120 websites and has a client list of 300 companies. In 2005, Fluidesign won four Davey awards for excellence in web development among small businesses nationwide. Biography The startup bug struck early for the 25 year-old president of Fluidesign, Michael Schneider. At the ripe age of 10 he began his first business venture, selling customized note paper to fellow students and making about $200 a week. In response to his ingenuity, he was disciplined and almost suspended for selling on public school property. Schneider has known that technology was in his destiny since receiving his first computer at age five (in 1985). While attending the Buckley School in Sherman Oaks, California, this hobby led him to his next startup project, an online store for new and used video games named Video Game Central. A year later he and a friend founded Fluidesign while constructing a website for a relative‘s business. The duo also developed modeltrain.net, the most popular site for model train enthusiasts at the time. Today, as president of Fluidesign, Schneider oversees development, design, marketing and sales; and growth. With 12 employees, he predicts the company will improve 50 percent over last year‘s $1 million in revenue. In 2004, he won the United States Small Business Administration‘s ―Young Entrepreneur of the Year‖ award and the acknowledgments have continued with Schneider being named one of the ―Top 22 Entrepreneurs Under 25‖ by Business Week Online. He repays his community with pro bono work for organizations such as the Lili Claire Foundation, The Karma Foundation and Homeboy Industries; and guest lectures for the same professors who once admonished him for poor grades. In addition, he is a member of the Entrepreneurs‘ Organization and Lloyd Greif‘s Entrepreneur Mentor Program at USC, where he regularly advises that ―Grades do not equal success.‖ 14 Garage Envy, Inc. Founders - John Stanfill, Jaime Dietenhofer, Scott Siler www.garageenvy.com Company Profile Garage Envy is the industry's leader in storage and organization systems designed solely for the garage. Integrating functionality, form, and aesthetically pleasing designs, Garage Envy is the only company that can deliver the quality that you deserve. The founders of Garage Envy formed the company because they realized that the last bastion of the home that continued to be neglected was the garage. Homeowners looking to add equity to their homes and peace of mind to their lives have lacked the options for garage improvement. We at Garage Envy take pride in every project that we encounter. Highly trained design consultants can come to your home and help you figure out what you need to organize and how best to maximize your storage capacity. With an array of products to choose from: modular wall system, cabinetry, accessories, industrial racking, and attractive heavy-duty floor coatings the options are limitless. Let Garage Envy help you ―Master the Mess‖. Biographies John Stanfill conceived the original concept of garage improvement and provided the seed capital for the company. Mr. Stanfill provides oversight on administrative and financial aspects of the company. Mr. Stanfill is the Managing Partner and founder of ELF Capital Partners, LLC, a commercial real estate investment company. He is also a founder and Chairman of LoopNet, Inc., the nations largest commercial real estate online multiple listing service. Prior to founding LoopNet, Mr. Stanfill was the President of CB Richard Ellis‘ Investment Properties division (CB Richard Ellis is the world‘s largest commercial real estate services firm). Mr. Stanfill is a graduate of UCLA. Jaime Dietenhofer is a founder of Garage Envy and is responsible for the firm‘s sales and marketing functions. Mr. Dietenhofer served as President of Quality Shop USA, a successful online retail store offering an array of high-end sports equipment and heavy duty toys. Dietenhofer served as the Director of Sales for Summit International where he helped the company become southern California‘s largest silver reclamation dealer and distributor, growing revenues to an average of 21% annually. Mr. Dietenhofer is Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Garage Envy. During his tenure company sales grew over 45% from ‗03 to ‘04, 54% from ‗04 to ‗05 and 31% from 05 to 06 and have exceeded revenue projections annually since inception. Dietenhofer has a Masters Degree in Management from the University of California at Santa Barbara. Scott Siler is a founder of Garage Envy and is responsible for operations management. Mr. Siler is responsible for the selection, design and development of the Garage Envy product line along with the development of our installation processes. Siler also plays a key role in dealership training and technical support. Siler served as a Design Consultant for RS Construction, one of the most sought after residential home remodel companies in the Portland metropolitan area, and was quickly promoted to Project Manager. Notable projects managed by Mr. Siler included: the design and construction of Phil Knights compound (President and CEO of Nike), Harry Glickman (former owner of the Portland Trail Blazers), John Francis (President of Northwest Ford Auto Group), Jim Eddy (GM of Spieker Properties). Siler served as Lead Design Consultant for D.J. Drilling, one of Oregon‘s leading privately owned deep drilling companies. Siler is the Vice President of Operations for the company. Mr. Siler is a graduate of Whitman College and is a candidate for a Masters Degree in design from the highly regarded Art Center College of Design. 15 Gemini Capital Partners Managing Partner – Gary Alexander Company Profile Gemini Capital Partners is a multi-stage investment and management firm primarily focused on growth opportunities in Real Estate and early stage companies. Historically GCP and its principals have achieved a strong track record as a stage-independent investor and operator funding and managing number of companies and Real Estate holdings at various points in their life cycle. We have been involved in the formation of companies, property development, construction and management. Biography Gary Alexander is a visionary, businessman and motivator. He has founded, built and sold a number of ventures over the past 20 years. His successful track record includes the nationally known Improv Traffic Safety Schools where thousands of students were trained each month in more than 100 locations. He is also a known internationally as a pioneer in ―edutainment‖ which brings the element of entertainment to the learning process. The growth of Improv lead to the establishment of a sister company, American Institute for Public Safety, which served local and state governments in educating general public and government employees on a variety of safety related topics. This experience led to extensive involvement in a legislative process and administrative policy formation. The belief that ―good is the enemy of Great‖ led Alexander to the world of the staffing segment of the healthcare industry. Using superior service, a focus on client satisfaction combined with employee development and ―outside the box‖ thinking, he virtually turned the employment business upside down when he founded OfficeWorksRx Medical Staffing. Today, OfficeWorksRx operates through a national network of Career Centers and continues to grow at a very rapid rate, using the business model implemented by Alexander. Building on his past experience and vision, Mr. Alexander has identified an opportunity for private equity investing in smaller companies which are overlooked by traditional VC groups. As a founder of Gemini Capital Partners he lends his management skills and entrepreneurial thinking to acquire and grow Gemini‘s portfolio companies. He is also an active member and an Advisory Board Member of the Keiretsu Forum and Maverick Angels, networks of angel investors, third term board member of the LA chapter of the Entrepreneur Organization, a largest entrepreneurial organization in the world and is involved in various charitable organizations serving local and international communities. 16 GlobalTouch Telecom, Inc. Chairman/CEO – Gregory O. Welch www.globaltouchtelecom.com Company Profile GlobalTouch Telecom, Inc. offers the industry‘s only vertically integrated VoIP platform. The company designs and develops every aspect of its technology from the ground up, creating a one stop, single vendor VoIP solution. The product comprises an all-inclusive, private label (white label) offering for carriers, MSOs, Resellers, PTTs, ILECs, ISPs, CLECs and marketing companies. The ASP VoIP platform can be completely customized and rolled out in 60 days or less. The ASP product enables low CAPEX/OPEX offerings for both enterprise and residential deployments. Since GlobalTouch Telecom developed, owns and operates all aspects of its VoIP technology, it gives the company the flexibility to create, leverage and market its own innovations and applications versus having to resell 3rd party technology. Our Mission is to enable our carrier and reseller customers to fully leverage the benefits of VoIP by offering them the fastest to market, most flexible, complete, and cost-efficient solution in the VoIP industry – to literally put our customers in the VoIP business in 60 days or less. Biography Mr. Welch is the Founder of GlobalTouch Telecom and has 14 years of retail and wholesale telecom experience. Prior to founding GlobalTouch, Mr. Welch was Executive Vice President of Sirius Telecom, a switching services provider based in Los Angeles, and Executive Vice President of Q Telecom, an international wholesale carrier. Previously, he was Founder, President and CEO of AmeriCom Communications, Inc., a $36 million carrier specializing in international services. Mr. Welch was also Director of America‘s Choice Long Distance, a subsidiary of General Electric, and helped build the West Coast operations for ALNET before it was sold to Frontier and ultimately to Global Crossing. 17 Greif and Company President & CEO – Lloyd Greif www.greifco.com Company Profile Founded in 1992, Greif & Co. is an independent, Los Angeles-based investment banking firm whose raison d‘être is to provide the highest quality of financial advisory services and execution to meet the specialized corporate finance needs of middle-market growth companies. Entrepreneurship is the wellspring of American commerce. Small- to medium-sized businesses employ more people and innovate more newe products and services than all of the ―Blue Chip‖ companies combined. Because of the rapid pace of change experienced by emerging growth companies, the need for professional investment banking representation at every stage of a corporation‘s life – birth/formation, high growth, maturation and wrapping up – is acute. And that‘s just where Greif & Co. fits in: every stage. Biography Mr. Greif founded Greif & Co. in 1992 following a successful, decade-long investment banking career as Vice Chairman of Sutro & Co. Incorporated, where he was Managing Director of the Investment Banking Division and a member of the five-person Management Committee. Previously, he was a management consultant with Touche, Ross & Co. Mr. Greif holds degrees in economics (BA-UCLA), entrepreneurship (MBA-USC), and law (JD-Loyola Law School). In 2002, he received the Corporate Excellence Aware from Loyola Law School and in 1999 received a commendation from the City of Los Angeles for his ―dedication and outstanding contributions to the Los Angeles community.‖ In 1987, he received the Outstanding Alumni Entrepreneur of the Year Award from the USC Entrepreneur Program and in 1984 received the Loyola Law School Annual Alumni Association Award. Mr. Greif is Chairman of the Advisory Council of the Lloyd Greif Center for Entrepreneurial Studies at USC, a member of the Executive Committee of the Los Angeles Economic Development Corporation, Chairman of the joint Milken Institute/LAEDC Capital Access Task Force, a member of the Young Presidents‘ Organization (YPO), a member of the Board of Directors of the Los Angeles Police Foundation, Vice Chairman of the Board of the Los Angeles Area Council, Boy Scouts of America, a member of the Board of Overseers of Loyola Law School, a member of the Board of Trustees of the Florence Academy of Art and a member of both the Board of Directors of USC Associates and the Marshall School‘s Board of Leaders. Hi is an internationally recognized authority in the field of mergers & acquisitions and corporate finance and is admitted to practice law in the State of California. 18 HNP Pharmaceuticals EO Los Angeles Chapter Founder – Robert Prentice Nickell www.hnppharmaceuticals.com Company Profile HNP Pharmaceuticals is a nationally recognized pharmaceutical compounding laboratory, specializing in unique and patent-pending compounded formulations for orthopedic injuries. HNP is the primary compounding pharmacy for more than 60% of all professional athletes in the US, the Olympics, and an ever-growing number of collegiate sports programs. HNP‘s compounds are also employed by numerous orthopedic physicians for patients suffering from similar types of injuries. HNP compounds medications by prescription only in a 5,000 square foot, state-of-the-art facility. Our team of pharmacists has developed proprietary lines of compounds, created upon the orders of physicians and other licensed health care professionals who specialize in orthopedics, physical therapy, psychiatry, sports medicine, pain management and other disciplines. All medications are compounded in compliance with all relevant state and FDA guidelines, and are randomly tested by an independent, qualitative analysis laboratory. Biography Robert Prentice Nickell is the founder of Living Well Inc., the parent company for HNP Pharmaceuticals and SportPharm; he currently serves as President and CEO of both subsidiary companies. Mr. Nickell is a compounding pharmacist, chemist, and inventor of patent pending formulations. As a research scientist, chemist, and pharmacist, Robert has helped to formulate a variety of compounds that have reached the market to include: Jo Mints™, Intratherapies™, Pregame Vitamins, PMS Vitamins, M-60‘s mints, Stans Rodeo Ointment™, and Smitty‘s Wasabi Rub. He currently serves as a member of the board of advisors for Jo Mints®, Energy First®, and the non-profit foundation PS I Love You. 19 Inside Entertainment CEO – Bill Bennett insideent.com Company Profile Inside Entertainment creates "partnership television" by connecting programming with brands. With experience in both TV production and advertising, our relationships are with the creative teams, the producers, the writers and directors. This is what sets Inside Entertainment apart. Millions of dollars are spent on building a brand's equity. Inside Entertainment leverages that brand's equity into the right show – allowing the brand to take advantage of the connection viewers have with the show and its stars. We fuel producers with creative ideas from advertisers while protecting advertisers from commercial tune-out and the pitfalls of digital video recorders. Biography Bill Barnett has been involved in the Entertainment Industry his entire professional career. His background includes Advertising, Radio, Television and Film. He began by working for Foote, Cone and Belding one of the largest and most diversified advertising agencies in the world. Shortly thereafter he created BARNETT/ROBBINS Enterprises a radio production and syndication company, which he sold to MCA Records. Working with the biggest groups and recording artists including Kenny Loggins, Billy Joel, Elton John and Bob Dylan. Later Barnett developed Roggins Heroes, which was syndicated through Universal and NBC Television nationally for five seasons. In 1991 Barnett became the first President of Radio Aahs the first and only Children‘s Radio Network in existence. In 1992 he took the company public. Radio Aahs is known today as Radio Disney. In 1993 Barnett co-founded Goldbar Entertainment a film and Television production company that produced and distributed over 20 films. Films were distributed by Columbia Tri-Star, Disney, HBO Productions, Hallmark Entertainment and Live Entertainment. Barnett has extensive knowledge in all facets of company management, including financing, creative and physical production, operations and sales. In 2000 Barnett became Executive Vice President of Melanie Griffith‘s media and marketing company OneWorldLive where he was responsible for establishing alliances with networks and major sponsors, the beginning of a new industry called ―Branded Entertainment‖ Barnett ran ―Product Integration‖ for Telepictures-Warner Bros. for two years working on shows that included ―The Bachelor‖ and ―Bachelorette‖ the ―Caroline Rhea Show‖ ―Extra‖ ―ElimiDATE‖ and ―Are You Hot‖ before forming Inside Entertainment. Established in 2003 with partner Joni Day, Inside Entertainment is a financing and production partner for both original and existing programming. Current distribution clients include Telepictures/ Warner Bros, Buena Vista and NBC. Production companies include Bungalow3, Bunim/Murray, Stone and company and The Tannenbaum Company. Current sponsors include Clairol, Brand Source, T-mobile, Hotels.com, and 1.800. Dentist/Smileworks. 20 Interneer, Inc. Founder/CTO – Romeo Elias www.interneer.com Company Profile Interneer is revolutionizing software development by delivering a hosted, on-demand application development platform that enables business analysts to rapidly develop web applications that automate, enforce, and improve multi-person processes, projects, and workflows for their organizations, without programming or IT support. Biography Founder & Chief Technology Officer, Romeo Elias is responsible for operations, product development and the integration of complimentary technologies. Prior to Interneer, Mr. Elias worked at Synerdyne Corp. as a mechanical project manager. Mr. Elias developed various consumer electronic products from the initial concept through the manufacturing phases. He then founded WWWID LLC, a software development consultancy. During his tenure, Mr. Elias honed his skills in web technologies for numerous companies. Mr. Elias received an M.S. in Manufacturing Engineering from UCLA, and a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from UCSD. 21 Kolobags, LLC Founders/Managing Partners – Elaine R. Sanders and Raffealla Camera www.kolobags.com Company Profile Kolobags LLC is the one-stop shop for everyone looking for technology fashion without compromising on style. The online boutique (www.kolobags.com) offers the widest array of designer laptop bags, specialty bags and technology accessories available both on- and off-line. Since its opening in Fall 2004, founders, Raffaella Camera and Elaine Sanders, have created an ever-changing selection of top-of-the-line designs, all hand-selected from the latest styles emerging from around the world. The Kolobags concept was formed when Raffaella and Elaine wanted something more than the basic, bulky, black laptop bag to match their own sense of style and eye for fashion. They desired to wear something that was innovative, fashionable and feminine to accessorize their attire with, but found few alternatives. Today, Kolobags has positioned itself as the premiere online destination for the hottest designer technology fashion, offering sleek yet stylish laptop bags, iPod cases, PSP cases, camera cases, business card holders, and other specialty bags, such as yoga mat bags. While black is always a fashion staple, Raffaella and Elaine have purposefully branched out to include color and pattern choices that will blend with or make an outfit for any lifestyle. Biographies Elaine Sanders With fifteen years of successfully developing large-scale integrated marketing programs for top brands such as Reebok, Fox, and Smith Barney, Elaine Sanders identified a need in the emerging technology fashion arena and co-founded Kolobags (http://www.kolobags.com). Elaine took notice in the growing desire to integrate fashion and technology choices to match one‘s personal style, and launched the online boutique concept that offers the best selection of technology fashion all in one spot in Fall 2004. Elaine‘s direct experience in business development, sales, and promotional/loyalty marketing was consequently fitting to the creation of Kolobags. In her role as Managing Partner of Kolobags, she oversees the company‘s P&L and daily operations. Satiating her marketing heart, Elaine shares marketing responsibilities, including developing strategic relationships with companies such as Intel and overseeing the company‘s public relations efforts. Elaine holds an MBA from the University of Southern California, Marshall School of Business, and a BA in History from Duke University, where she was a member of the varsity soccer team. Passionate for all sports, Elaine stays active by playing in a regular soccer league and golfing. Raffaella Camera As the Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Kolobags, the leading online retailer of technology fashion, Raffaella Camera lends her expertise in fashion as well as in business, marketing strategy, and e-commerce development. Her keen eye for new trends has secured the company‘s position as the premiere spot for fashion forward technology carriers and accessories. Apart from overseeing Kolobags‘ extensive product selection, Raffaella manages the site‘s search engine optimization, creative direction, and shares overseeing marketing. She also works on developing strategic partnerships with celebrity events like the Cannes Film Festival. Raffaella has a unique and diverse educational background, including a BS in Political Science and International Trade from the University of Urbino in Italy, with highest honors; an MBA from the Marshall School of Business at University of Southern California; as well as a Masters in Piano Performance, also from USC. 22 Media Defender CEO – Randy Saaf VP, Business – Jonathan Lee www.mediadefender.com Company Profile MediaDefender, Inc. is the premier Internet Piracy Prevention (IPP) service provider. Their goal is to stop the spread of pirated material over the Internet and Peer-2-Peer Networks. Part of their strategy involves manipulating search results and serving decoys or corrupted content, aimed at frustrating pirates and illegal users of the P2P networks. They have launched extremely successful anti-piracy campaigns in the music and movie industry, with a leading 95% effectiveness rating. Their customers include every major record label and movie studio, as well as a generous mix of independent record labels, software/video game publishers, and anime companies. Biography Randy Saaf graduated with an engineering degree from Harvey Mudd College in Pomona, California. He started MediaDefender in 2000, pioneering and creating the Internet Piracy Prevention (IPP) industry. ARTISTdirect bought MediaDefender in 2005; Randy is CEO of the company. Jonathan Lee completed his undergraduate studies at the University of California, San Diego and received his MBA from the University of Southern California Marshall School of Business. He is currently Vice President of Business Development. 23 Media Matchmaker CEO – Betsy Green www.mediamatchmaker.com Company Profile Privately held Media Matchmaker is a business-to-business online service that systematically and instantly connects the people who make movies, television and other entertainment products (producers) with the people who want to sponsor or place products in those movies, TV shows and other entertainment offerings (advertisers, ad agencies and media buyers). Their proprietary matching system simplifies the challenging process of connecting the right entertainment property with the right products and sponsors, saving time, money and headaches for everyone involved. Media Matchmaker is based in Culver City and is led by its two co-founders, supported by an advisory board comprised of some of the most influential people in advertising and entertainment. Biography In her position as Media Matchmaker's chief executive officer, Betsy Green has worked as an executive in advertising, syndication sales and product placement for such prominent organizations as Variety, Fox Television Studios, the Samuel Goldwyn Co. and Viacom, King World. 24 myShape, Inc. CEO – Louise J. Wannier www.myshape.com Company Profile A Little Company with a Big Idea - myShape started around a kitchen table in September 2004. Soon we had to add more chairs around the table, and Louise's driveway couldn't fit anymore cars. We're still around one table, but it's a big conference table in an office. The idea germinated in response to a problem shared by women of all ages and sizes: finding clothes that both fit well and flatter our body shapes. We all deserve great clothing in wonderful, exquisite textiles and designs that celebrate our body shapes. The idea has transformed into myShape.com, an online retail store created for you. Your store (called myShop) is where you'll find clothing matched to your measurements, your body shape and your preferences. Biography I have always loved fashion, color and design, and solving problems. We are building myShape to offer great clothes for busy women. Personally, I don't have time to shop. Usually I try to squeeze it in between meetings or when traveling. My broader hips just don't work with many of the styles that are out there, and I love clothing that has a bit of something different that expresses me. So I am looking forward to myShape offering a great starting point - all good choices plus a really quick way to go shopping and find great clothes...so I don't have to wait for the next trip! 25 NextMedium Chief Executive Officer – Hemet Watt www.nextmedium.com Company Profile NextMedium is the leading provider of technology for brand integration or product placement. As the proliferation of ad-skipping technologies, such as TiVo, contributes to the decline of the traditional 30second commercial, non–traditional advertising alternatives, such as product placement, are becoming a more significant part of today‘s media mix. Unfortunately, entertainment companies and advertisers struggle with the inefficient process of defining, measuring and managing product placement transactions. NextMedium exists to solve this problem. Rooted in science, our solutions enable contextually relevant advertising across multiple entertainment vehicles, including television, film, video games and music. NextMedium empowers entertainment companies to generate new revenue opportunities by providing a platform that enables them to monetize and fully realize the value of their audiences. This platform also allows advertisers to target an increasingly harder to reach audience more efficiently and less obtrusively. By providing its customers reliable measurement, management and marketing solutions, NextMedium enables entertainment companies and advertisers the ability to not only track and monetize product placement occurrences, but also structure and actively manage product placement deals. Biography Hamet A. Watt is the Chief Executive Officer of NextMedium™, Inc., the leading provider of technology and standards for brand integration. NextMedium‘s solutions help entertainment providers generate new revenue opportunities, while enabling advertisers to target an increasingly harder to reach audience. NextMedium has collaborated with Nielsen Media Research to develop and market Place*Views™, the industry‘s first brand integration measurement service. This online subscription solution is poised to become the standard for tracking and measuring brand integration activity in entertainment marketing. Place*Views represents a critical milestone in television history as the market shifts away from traditional forms of ads into non-linear ad forms such as brand integration. An authority in the area of alternative media, Watt is frequently requested to educate media companies on the changing landscape of entertainment, and the need for new approaches to revenue generation. Prior to NextMedium, Watt was a General Partner and Vice President of Business Development at an international private equity investment firm with capital under management in excess of $120 million. Mr. Watt focused on all of the firm's technology and telecom related investments while also working on the formation of new investment partnerships. 26 Ninestar, Inc. Founder – Matt Levenson www.9star.com Company Profile Ninestar has launched the Action Sports Center, a category-killer, multi-channel retailer for the currently fragmented $13 billion dollar Action Sports industry. Over the last 20 years, popularity of Action Sports has skyrocketed. Snowboarding, surfing, skateboarding, inline skating and BMX biking have grown from subculture phenomena to mainstream teen sports, showing double-digit annual participation growth1. But the retail industry has not kept up with this demand. Shoppers must currently settle for limited selection and high prices at tiny Mom and Pop shops, or generic inventory and unknowledgeable sales staff at large general merchandisers and existing sporting goods retailers. Ninestar has answered this popularity with its prototype store in West Los Angeles - a retail and entertainment Action Sports Center opened in November 2003. Ninestar has achieved proof of concept in West Los Angeles, with sales at $260 per square foot in its second full year of operation and pacing to over $400 per square foot in year 3. Ninestar is ready to duplicate its West Los Angeles success, beginning in Southern California and quickly expanding nationwide, Ninestar will continue to launch 8-12,000 square foot superstores, expand its e-commerce website and then publish a catalogue featuring a complete inventory of Action Sports hard goods and soft goods. The Company maintains relatively high margins, garnering customers with a unique shopping experience and vast product selection. The Ninestar experience is both interactive and entertaining. Using an on site half-pipe skate ramp, hands on product displays, and an interactive video game and music lounge, customers demo products right in the store. All sales associates are well trained in Action Sports, and their professional guidance enhances the entire shopping experience and appeal to Action Sport participants of all ages and skill levels. Combining the Ninestar brand and the Action Sport lifestyle, the store reaches its primary target audience: 58 million teens aged 10-24, who spent $158 billion in 1999. The Company hosts in-store appearances and demonstrations by professional Action Sport athletes, and live weekend concerts by bands draw crowds to the store. Day trips to skate parks, beaches and slopes organized by Ninestar attract large groups to the store before and after the outings. Additionally, the company sponsors concert tours, Action Sport competitions and professional athletes. Biography The company‘s founders, Matt Levenson and Jeff Lawson, have a track record of entrepreneurial experience and success in marketing to the youth market and managing large distributed operations. Merchandising Consultant Mike Boshart comes to Ninestar from REI, where he managed the $750 million retailer.s fragmented supply chain and the delicate product mix as their VP of Merchandising. Chief Brand Officer Harvey Hoffenberg has spent thirty years managing such brands as Pepsi, Taco Bell and Pizza Hut while working as Managing Partner and Chief Creative Officer at Bozell Worldwide, Vice Chairman and Chief Creative Officer at Saatchi & Saatchi and Worldwide Senior Creative Director at BBDO. His work has earned him numerous industry accolades, including several CLIO awards. Company Chairman, Kevin O.Connor (DoubleClick Inc. founder and Chairman), brings twenty years of entrepreneurial experience to the management team. Nine Star investors include Jon Samuels (First National Supermarkets and real estate developer), Greg Fowler (Fowler Property Acquisitions), Scott Brittingham (Formerly of Trammell Crow), David Edelstein (Dessert Passage Mall, W Hotel Miami), Robert K Futterman (Robert K Futterman Assoc) and Bob Nakasone (former CEO of Toy R Us and Board Member of Staples). 27 O2 MAX Founder – Karen Jashinsky www.02maxfitness.com Company Profile In the midst of a national youth obesity epidemic, we have a plethora of gyms for toddlers and adults but there is NOTHING in the fitness market teens can call their own. Teenagers have different fitness needs than adults, and they prefer to be surrounded by peers in a friendly social environment. O2 MAX, the club for teens opening this Fall will offer teens a positive place to workout, meet a friend, read a magazine, bring a laptop, I.M., study, download music, get a tutor, or just hang out. In other words, O2 MAX will be a place teens can call their 'home away from home' - only now they can associate the routine habits of their daily lives with a healthy and fit lifestyle. Biography Karen Jashinsky, Founder/CEO, is a Certified Fitness Trainer. Her interest in developing her own business comes from years of experience in every aspect of a successful family-owned restaurant business. Karen also has more than 3 years of combined media planning, marketing and operations management experience for Vivendi Universal. She has worked as a personal trainer for many individual teen clients in the Los Angeles area, as well as in schools in the LA Unified School District. She has consulted fof Gov. Schwarzenegger‘s Fitness Council and has an alliance with the After School All Stars for school programming. She galvanized the community, forged relationships among medical, fitness and business professionals who now comprise the O2 MAX Advisory Board in addition to parent and teen advisory board members. Karen earned her MBA from USC‘ Marshall School of Business with an emphasis in entrepreneurship and has a BSBA from the John M. Olin School of Business at Washington University with an emphasis in marketing and international business. 28 O.N.E. World Experience, LLC Vice President/Director of Marketing - Emilie Fritz onenaturalexperience.com Company Profile O.N.E. World Enterprises was established in 2005 in order to fulfill the growing demand for natural and healthier products in the U.S. market by providing 100% natural ready-to-drink beverages with tremendous health benefits which are packaged in the most environmentally friendly packaging available today, Tetra Paks. O.N.E. World launched its first beverage, O.N.E. Coconut W ater, in summer of 2006. O.N.E. Coconut Water, rich in electrolytes and potassium, is a natural alternative to sports drinks, energy drinks, sodas, enhanced waters and bottled waters. O.N.E. World is the only company that has access to patented technology that allows for the packaging of coconut water with no preservatives or added sugars. O.N.E. World is committed to the sustainability of the Amazon rainforest and donates a percentage of profits to not-for-profit organizations such as the Rainforest Alliance. For more information, visit www.onenaturalexperience.com. Biography Emilie Fritz was born and raised in San Francisco, California. She has over eight years of experience as a Marketing/Communications Consultant in the Pharmaceutical and Consumer Retail industries and 2.5 years of experience in new ventures. She has worked with such companies as Bayer, Novartis, Novo Nordisk, Unilever and Breitling Watches. Emilie is currently the Vice President/Director of Marketing for O.N.E. WORLD®, , an international wholesale beverage business. Emilie earned a BA from Georgetown University (College of Arts & Sciences) in 1998 and an MBA from Pepperdine University in 2005. Emilie is extremely passionate about being an entrepreneur and the thrills and challenges that come with it. She loves to travel, ski, read history books, discuss and study organizational behavior and practice pilates. 29 Premium Financial Services Founder/COO – Jonathan Schuster www.pfslending.com Company Profile Located in Santa Monica, California, Premium Financial Services has earned its reputation as a highly respected commercial finance organization. A recognized leader in accounts receivable funding, PFS supports clients with the capital they need to remain competitive in today's marketplace. Since 1993, this family-owned and operated lender has assisted a wide range of small businesses and entrepreneurs improve their cash flow, increase their profits and enhance business stability. Throughout the years, developing collaborative client relationships has always been, and continues to be, a key success factor. This highly personalized approach enables PFS to provide both the nearterm and long range solutions that enable business owners maximum freedom, flexibility and opportunity. Biography Jonathan Schuster has served as Premium Financial Services's Chief Operating Officer since January, 2004. Having earned his Bachelor of Science in Business from the University of Denver in 1993 and his MBA from the University of Southern California in 2001, Schuster also draws upon thirteen years of financial, consulting and other entrepreneurial experiences. After performing consulting work on behalf of Accenture and serving as U.S. Manager for an overseas military construction start-up, Schuster chose to return to the family firm, a business he had helped found seven years prior. Recognizing the firm‘s closely-held, family-operated nature as a competitive advantage, Schuster upholds the company‘s traditions while pursuing managed growth. Whether guest lecturing at USC‘s Marshall School, engaging with other leaders via Vistage (The Executive‘s Committee) or mentoring young entrepreneurs, Schuster encourages others to think beyond skill-set and to immerse one‘s self into the widest range of experiences possible. His vision for Premium Financial Services includes both service expansion and a concerted seeking out of new ways to advocate on behalf of small business and the emerging entrepreneur. 30 Primate Partners Serial Entrepreneur/Co-Founder – Kelly Kimball www.buttmonkeybeer.com Company Profile When it looked certain that the California Gubernatorial recall election was going to be a reality, a unique marketing campaign was born. What started as a lighthearted discussion between serial entrepreneurs Scott Mednick and Kelly Kimball ended in the formation of Primate Partners, creator of ButtMonkey Beer. At a cost of only $3,500.00 and 65 signatures, virtually anyone could run for Governor. What if, Mednick and Kimball thought, the entire candidacy could be dedicated to marketing a product? And what kind of product? Kimball and Mednick decided it had to be something fun and irreverent. They teamed with Jim Grannan for the creation of the ButtMonkey Beer brand of beers. Expert graphics were created that gave the impression that this fictitious beer actually existed. T-shirts, surfboards, tap handles, carrying cases, kegs, billboards, flags – virtually every accessory the team could think of was ―created‖, and the campaign began. During the course of the campaign, over three million visitors logged into the ButtMonkey Beer website. Countless articles, Television and Radio interviews were conducted from media outlets across the globe. ButtMonkey Beer was a hit… but didn‘t yet exist. Not only had Mednick and Kimball grabbed the attention of the media, but numerous breweries became interested in the brand as well. In early 2005, a deal was struck Island Beverages and ButtMonkey Beer became a reality. ButtMonkey Beer is now available in numerous states throughout the country, including California. Biography Kelly Kimball is a technology entrepreneur and political strategist, business consultant and lecturer. Mr. Kimball has pioneered new, visionary business enterprises and grew them to dominant positions in their newly created marketplaces. In 2004, Mr. Kimball and fellow entrepreneur Scott Mednick ran for Governor of California as a marketing experiment. The irreverent nature of the campaign was to draw attention to what was, at the time, a fictitious beer brand called ―ButtMonkey Beer‖. Although the beer was simply a figment of Mr. Kimball and Mr. Mednick‘s imagination, several million website hits proved the political ―guerilla‖ marketing campaign a success. A Pennsylvania brewery picked up the brand which is now successfully sold in a number of states in the U.S., including California. As both a political strategist and eGovernment evangelist, Mr. Kimball has been a regular fixture in North American media, including CNN, CNNfn and ABC‘s World News Tonight, to name a few, as well as countless other television, print, radio and electronic media outlets. 31 ProcessClaims Founder – David Ferrara www.processclaims.com Company Profile ProcessClaims‘ mission is to be the leading provider of solutions and value added services that streamline the claims process for the insurance industry and its partners. ProcessClaims is the leading provider of software connectivity and business process solutions designed to boost productivity, enhance customer service and deliver significant return on existing IT investments. Our solutions enhance and extend an insurance organization's existing IT investment by automating communication and information flow between employees, partners and their extended community. Companies can rapidly and cost-effectively build and implement automated rules-based business processes that deliver return on investment within weeks of deployment. From first notice to completed claim and total loss, business process and workflow automation are enabling management to make a significant impact on overall operations without adding costly software and consultation overhead. Biography Mr. Ferrara founded ProcessClaims (formally ProcessClaims.com) in February of 2000 which sold web based applications to insurance companies to streamline the auto claims process. He was the point person in financing the company raising over $10 million which included Vector Capital, MVC Capital, and Big Sky Partners. His major accomplishments at ProcessClaims were helping steer the company thru both the April 2000 tech bust and 9-11 crisis to help bring the company to profitability in June of 2002. In the face of large public and private competitors ADP (NYSE: ADP), CCC (NDQ:CCCG), and Accenture (NYSE: ACN) the company grew to be formidable player in the insurance claims software space. Mr. Ferrara helped lead the sale of company in June of 2006 to CCC Information System of Chicago, providing its investors an average annual ROI of more than 40%. Prior to ProcessClaims Mr. Ferrara founded Integrated Collision Management, Inc. (―ICM‖), a software company that provides a management tools to the collision repair industry, he currently serves on its board. Prior to ICM, he founded and built Sea Breeze Collision Centers into a prominent chain of collision repair centers in Orange County, CA which he sold to AutoNation (NYSE:AN) in October of 1998 in an all cash transaction. He has a B.A. in Economics from Bucknell University. 32 Progressive Brands, Inc. Founder/President – William Palmer www.probrandsinc.com Company Profile Progressive Brands, Inc. (ProBrands) is an importer and owner of trend-setting brands in the premium wine and spirits industry. ProBrands manages and accelerates growth for a portfolio of contemporary products within five of the highest growth product categories in the US market representing a wholesale market of $16 billion and average annual growth of 15% over the past five years (imported vodka, rum, tequila, premium sake, and soju). ProBrands portfolio consists of HAN Asian Vodka, Tori Kai Soju, KIGEN Sake, XXX Tequila, and Costa Rican Rum among others. Biography Mr. Palmer, founder of Progressive Brands, has led the Company‘s development and operational success since the initial conception in 2002. Mr. Palmer brings strong relationships in the premium wine & spirits industry as well as skills in product marketing, sales management, and business development. Prior to founding ProBrands, Mr. Palmer was a broker and marketing consultant for Pacifica Capital Group, representing landlords in real estate transactions for over one million square feet of commercial property in Los Angeles. Previously, Mr. Palmer managed corporate strategy, key partnerships and product marketing programs for Synchrony, a customer relationship management software firm. Prior to Synchrony, Mr. Palmer was a Management Consultant with Deloitte Consulting, where he specialized in business strategy and process design with Fortune 500 companies. Mr. Palmer holds a finance degree from the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University where he graduated in the top two percent of his class. 33 Sharkeez Co-founder - Greg Newman www. sharkeez.net Company Profile Greg and Ron Newman opened the 1st Sharkeez in Manhattan Beach in 1993 and it was an instant hit with the cool young professionals and college students who began frequenting the South Bay beach city at that time. This was also during a time when the job market for graduating college students was very poor and Greg was approached by many of his fraternity brothers and peers from USC for jobs; he staffed the whole place with them. This timing accident was one of the lucky breaks they got making this location the 901 Club west for many years. With the success of their first venture, 4 others followed over the years in other beach cities such as Newport Beach, Hermosa Beach, Santa Barbara and Huntington Beach. They and their managing partners plan on opening one store a year moving forward from here. The group also is developing a more upscale full service Mexican food concept called Sandbar that they are currently planning as a second location in Santa Barbara California. Biography Greg Newman was born in Hermosa Beach, California in 1968 he is 38 years old. Greg attended Mira Costa high school and moved on to USC where he majored in Business Administration graduating in 1993. Greg always knew that he wanted to be in the restaurant and bar business and during high school and college he trained and worked every job in his dad‘s as well as other company‘s restaurants. Prep cook, busboy, bar back, waiter, bartender, and asst. manager were just some of the jobs Greg used to train himself for his future career while still in school. Greg always had a passion for promotion and marketing. While still at USC he excelled most in his marketing classes and was social chairman for his fraternity for 3 straight years. Knowing these things would be important in his future business. When he graduated USC his father, who was in the restaurant and bar business, was just getting out of his current partnership so they decided to start something as a team. They knew that their partnership would be a good fit combining the senior‘s experience and expertise with the junior‘s young, fresh ideas, understanding of the younger demographic and connections within the college and beach communities. They traveled around for a few months and settled on a casual but cool concept that brought together mesquite broiled Baja style Mexican food with premier sports viewing facilities and a lively late night social gathering place. They called their new restaurant Sharkeez. 34 Spohn Ranch, Inc. EO Los Angeles Chapter CEO - Kirsten Bradford www.spohnranch.com Company Profile Spohn Ranch, Inc. is the nation's oldest and largest full-service skate park firm offering design, construction, and operation services. We have an extensive background in the extreme sports industry, over 20 years of design and construction experience, and a solid knowledge of municipal contracting requirements. Our mission is to help communities better serve the booming population of youth involved in skateboarding, inline skating, and BMX biking. We work closely with cities to create facilities that are unique, challenging, safe, and fun. Whatever the scope of your skate park project, you can rest assured that Spohn Ranch is the best choice for quality equipment and outstanding service. Biography Kirsten Bradford is the Chief Executive Officer & Chief Financial Officer of Spohn Ranch Inc., a special event services and skatepark manufacturing company. She also serves in the same capacity for Action Park Alliance, Inc., a skate park staffing and management company. While both companies work with municipal clients, the service is substantially different. As with most small businesses, the need to wear multiple hats has given her top to bottom experience in everything from logistics and manufacturing to accounting and government contracting. Kirsten is responsible for supervising all projects from inception to completion. Every critical task or decision for both companies is guided by her hand. Her ability to organize and motivate keeps the Spohn Ranch management team on track in spite of the challenges typically faced by family run businesses. Kirsten has been integrally involved in the action sports industry since 1993. The breadth of her experience is vast and ranges from the production and management of nationwide tours and televised competitions, to the construction of high-quality permanent facilities and the operation of retail locations. She believes that the key to creating successful facilities for today‘s action sports athletes is to stay in touch with the trends in the sports and to work closely with municipalities to facilitate youth participation in the skatepark process. She, along with the rest of the team at Spohn Ranch, accomplishes this through their ongoing relationships with the industry‘s top organizations and athletes, as well as their day-to-day contact with local kids participating in these sports at the street level. Kirsten also has extensive experience with liability issues, and has worked hand in hand with insurance brokers and underwriters to develop programs specifically for skateparks. Through a number of municipal projects, Kirsten has become adept at assisting the various city departments in smoothly achieving their goal of developing a successful skate park. Kirsten‘s clients include ESPN & the X-Games, Red Bull, the City of Los Angeles, Vans Triple Crown, Virgin Airlines, and the Gravity Games. 35 True Religion Brand Jeans Chairman/CEO – Jeffrey Lubell www.truereligionbrandjeans.com Company Profile True Religion Brand Jeans was established in December of 2002 to take denim in a refreshing new direction. The Los Angeles based premium denim company has become known for its intense attention to detail: from the fashion-forward seams, to the remarkable embroidery and innovative hand-sanded vintage washes, True Religion Brand Jeans has distinguished itself as a leader in the high-end denim market for men, women and kids. The line also includes a myriad of colored corduroy pants, skirts, shirts, shorts, jackets, blazers, hoodies, T-shirts and everything in between. Husband and wife designers, Jeffrey and Kym Lubell have combined his love of classic rock and her love of hip-hop and R&B to produce a trendsetting line made to exceed consumers‘ expectations of denim apparel. Magazines including Elle, Bazaar, InStyle, NY Times, Los Angeles Magazine, Lucky, GQ, Razor, DNR, Rolling Stones, Men‘s Health, Vogue, Intl‘ Publications, Teen People, Teen Vogue, Star, People, InTouch, Life & Style, and US Weekly have recently featured True Religion Brand Jeans apparel. Biography Mr. Lubell became a Director and our President on June 24, 2003. Mr. Lubell is also President of our wholly owned subsidiary company, Guru Denim, Inc., a company founded by Mr. Lubell in November 2002. From 2001 to May, 2002, Mr. Lubell was the President and Creative Director (Men's) of Hippie Jeans based in Commerce, California, where Mr. Lubell was responsible for creative design concepts and establishing and managing that company's presence at national and regional trade shows. From 1998 to 2001, Mr. Lubell was the Vice President and Creative Director of Jefri Jeans & Bella Dahl based in Los Angeles, California. From 1978 to 1998, Mr. Lubell was the President and CEO of Jeffrey Lubell Textiles, based in Los Angeles, California, a textile design and distribution firm that Mr. Lubell founded. 36 Twin Sun, Inc. Founder/CEO – Masanobu Matsuo www.twinsun.com Company Profile Twin Sun Inc. (―Twin Sun‖) was founded in 1989, primarily for the purpose of translating and localizing U.S. software for the Japanese market. Since then, Twin Sun evolved into a high technology software developer in Unix oriented network, Database and Groupware. Twin Sun‘s evolving model continues to be centered on its core strengths of IT development and systems knowledge and experience. The Company‘s growth is attributable to a broader range of services that includes a total solutions approach to developing technology solutions to meets its customer‘s needs. Some key projects include large multimedia content server application, PKI security software, financial trading systems, and applications for medical institutions. Most recently, TSI launched a 24- hour support project for NEC‘s Linux/OSS support center. Through such innovations, Twin Sun offers the latest Linux/OSS technology to numerous clients. The Company has offices in Los Angeles, Japan, and South Korea. Biography Twin Sun Inc. was founded in 1989 by Dr. Masanobu Matsuo, CEO, Dr. Paul Eggert, Chief Technology Officer, and Arman Bostani, EVP. Leveraging his strong network in Japan, Dr. Matsuo has brought customers, partners, and investors to the Company since inception. Prior to founding TSI, Dr.Matsuo held several positions in Sumitomo Electric K.K. inclucing Manager of Business Planning and Vice President of Sumitomo Electric USA. Dr.Matsuo holds a Masters and Ph.D degrees in Computer Science from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and a B.S. in electrical engineering from Kyoto University in Japan. 37 Urth Caffe, Inc. President/Co-Founder - Shalom Berkman www.urthcaffe.com Company Profile Established in 1989, Urth Caffe is America‘s first exclusively organic coffee company. To ensure compliance with its rigorous standards Urth Caffe works directly with a limited number of growers who produce the finest coffees available today. The Urth only buys 100% certified organic coffee grown deep in the dense shade of the rainforest from farmers who practice sustainable agriculture. Urth‘s coffees are grown at the highest altitudes from the original coffee seed stock of old Typica and Bourbon trees and produced according to the finest European processing standards. All Urth coffees are bought at a guaranteed premium, usually three times more than the highest market price for conventional coffee. We want to know that the passion and hard work that goes into growing Urth coffees will result in fair wages and better living conditions for our farmers. Biography Shallom Berkman and his wife, Jilla founded Urth Caffe in 1989 in Los Angeles, California. Urth Caffe is widely considered to be the first exclusively organic coffee company in the nation selling wholesale coffee to restaurants and retail through its stores. Shallom and Jilla have opened three Urth branches with their investor group; the cafes are located in West Hollywood, Beverly Hills and Santa Monica. This year 2005, the City of Santa Monica named Urth Caffe the ―Sustainable Business of the Year.‖ Shallom Berkman of Urth Caffe is considered a pioneer in setting standards for the coffee industry in quality, ethics and the environment. Mr. Berkman is currently working with farmers in Kisoro, Uganda to develop the world‘s next most renowned coffee producing region. This will be done using organic, sustainable practices and reforestation to protect the longevity of the land and protect the habitat of the endangered Mountain Gorillas for future generations. 38 VCT Wheels EO Los Angeles Chapter Founder – Stephen Factor www.vct-wheels.com Company Profile In 2001, the VCT Group design team set out to create a line of wheels that would encompass three key elements: style, quality and competitive prices. The result was the dynamic VCT line. In order to expand the success of the VCT line, we introduced the Gitano line in 2002 which turned out to be a huge success and continues to be a highly successful line today. In 2004 the VCT group believed there was a hole in the market in the off-road wheel business, and the VCT group developed the SCORPION Wheel line which was very well received in the market. Together, the VCT, GITANO and SCORPION lines appeal to a wide array of consumers at all price points. In order to maintain quality and prices, the VCT Group strategically aligned itself by investing in a China based leading wheel manufacturer with over 20 years of experience. With a 125% growth rate in 2003 and 200% growth in 2004 and 2005, the VCT, GITANO, and SCORPION lines have quickly gained the attention of both the retailers and the competition across the country and now globally. The VCT Group now has warehouses in Los Angeles, Dallas and Maimi and in 2007 warehouse distribution centers will be set up in key parts of the United States to better serve our customers. With business growing at a record pace the VCT Group decided it needed a presence in the Far East and therefore decided in 2005 to set up it‘s Asia Pacific headquarters in Hong Kong: firstly to be close to the manufacturing base in China and secondly to deal with growth demand for the company‘s products in other parts of the world. VCT‘s products can now be found in the UK, Sweden, South Africa, France, Mexico, Canada, Japan and of course the United States. Moving Forward, the VCT Group will be able to create, design and develop a customized line of wheels to meet the specific requirements of our clients. We will also be capable of developing your own designs and working with you to ensure competitive prices and quality products that reflect the reputation of your brand name. Biography Raised in Australia, Stephen Factor finished High School from Barker College and obtained a Bachelor of Arts majoring in Media from Macquarie University and graduated in 2 years. Stephen began working for AC Nielsen working as an Account Manager, then moved to McCann World Group (Advertising) where he initially looked after the Uni Lever Reporting arm and then onto Business Development. From there he moved to Los Angeles to pursue his dream of the ―Entrepreneur‖. He partnered up with his current partner and tried to build something which is now VCT Wheels USA and VCT Asia Pacific. 39 Zen Zoo Tea, Inc. Founder – J. Alfred Ritter www.zenzootea.com Company Profile: Zen Zoo is a contemporary tea café concept—a vibrant, exciting gathering place where people come to engage with others, meet friends, relax, and escape from the chaos of their modern lives. Founded in 1998, Zen Zoo has established itself as a Los Angeles destination with locations in Brentwood, Beverly Hills and Hollywood. With its unique mix of tea beverages, light Asian food, and eclectic merchandise, the company is poised to roll out additional locations immediately. Capitalizing on a rising interest in tea and Asian culture as well as a desire for quick, healthy food, Zen Zoo seeks to become the premier modern tea café chain in the United States. Over the next 5 years, Zen Zoo plans to operate over 90 stores in upscale, trendy neighborhoods in major metro markets, scaling revenue to over $56 million by 2010. Zen Zoo combines custom tea beverages, Asian food, and merchandise to create a unique social environment. Handcrafted Zodiac ZenFusion beverages are fruit-infused iced tea drinks prepared in cocktail shakers and served with chewy tapioca pearls. Custom-blended green, black, and oolong hot teas are also available. Zen Zoo offers a wide variety of simple healthy menu options such as dim sum, rice bowls, and salads, designed to enhance the enjoyment of tea drinks and increase average customer check. Zen Zoo also sells an eclectic range of products such as tea-scented lotions and candles as well as logo items. Biography A restaurant industry veteran, J. Alfred Ritter developed the concept for Zen Zoo Tea during an extended trip to Asia in 1995. It was in the streets of Taiwan that co-founder Linda Yi showed him the throngs of dynamic young people enjoying frothy beverages at bar-like teahouses. The sensational tastes, colors and scents of Bubble Tea as well as the relaxed ambience of these hip teahouses made an instant impression on Ritter. Dedicated to bringing Bubble Tea and the teahouse experience back to America, Ritter began a journey to develop the ideal teahouse for an upscale American audience. Ritter sought out and studied with the world‘s leading Bubble Tea master, Master Chen Zhong Liang, to perfect his drink-making skills and hone his taste buds. Then he and Yu, discovering no high quality fruit syrups available in the United States, developed their own real fruit syrups for use in their ZenFusion recipes. Ritter drew upon his extensive background in restaurant operations and business management to create Zen Zoo Tea, Inc., which operates Zen Zoo Tea located in Brentwood, California. Ritter brings to Zen Zoo Tea, Inc., more than a decade of experience in both successful restaurant start-ups as well as in leading establishments such as Market City Caffe and the Camelback Inn. He holds a degree in international business with a minor in economics from California State University, Los Angeles, where he graduated in the top five percent of his class. 40 41