Keiretsu Forum Corporate Team
Randy Williams
Founder & CEO
Keiretsu Forum
(415) 493-9875
Randy Williams founded Keiretsu Forum in September 2000 to provide a disciplined and structured approach to private equity investing. Randy’s passion for investing and bringing together like-minded community leaders has created a powerful and giving environment for entrepreneurs. With over 1,000 members, Keiretsu Forum is the largest angel investment community in world.
Randy has 30 years of experience in finance, real estate, and marketing. He has held over fifteen board and advisory positions in various companies. Randy was Co-Founder and Director of Diablo Valley Bank from 2003 to 2007. During its first three years the bank grew to more than $250m in assets, serving the entrepreneurial community of the San Francisco Bay Area. Heritage Bank recently acquired the bank for $70m creating a $50m increase in shareholder value realizing a 4X return on investment. Randy was President of Pacific Union Commercial Brokerage, Founder of the LaMorinda Bank, and Managing Director of Kennedy-Wilson International, an international real estate investment company.
Randy holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of California Berkeley and Masters degree from St. Mary’s College of California. He is an avid Masters swimmer, holding past Master’s World Records. He was also was an All-American Water Polo player at UC Berkeley. He lives in Orinda with his wife Maile and their two children, Ford and Summer.
Sonja Markova
Managing Director
Keiretsu Forum
(415) 573-0751
Sonja Markova is a key Keiretsu Forum team member since 2001. Sonja interfaces with the members, entrepreneurs, and Chapter Presidents on all aspects of the Keiretsu Forum process.
Sonja is a Visiting Professor at University American College Skopje, Macedonia. She has previous work experience with Tiburon Research Group, Contra Costa Software Business Incubator, ROI.works Marketing Communications, and Republic of China’s ICDF Equity Investment Fund for small and medium-sized enterprises in Macedonia.
She holds BS in Management from the University of St. Cyril and Methodius in Macedonia, MBA in Finance and New Ventures Management and Certificate in Marketing from California State University, East Bay. Sonja is an alumni Ron Brown fellow. The Ron Brown Fellowship is a U.S. Department of State program that supports young professionals from Central and Eastern Europe. She lives in San Francisco with her husband Scott.
Judith Iglehart
President, Intl’ Chapters
Keiretsu Forum
(510) 207-1320
Judith graduated from the University of California, Berkeley, and holds an Ed.D from Mills College. As President of the International Division she is responsible for international business development and marketing for Keiretsu Forum.
In 1989 she was one of 100 women selected to participate in Leadership America, a national leadership development program for women of achievement. During her career at the University of California she worked as a Special Assistant for two Chancellors at Berkeley and four UC Presidents. She served as UC’s Chief Research Development Officer, and Deputy Senior Vice President for Business and Finance, Chief of Staff to the California Senate Majority Floor Leader, as President/CEO of BARTA/TechVentures, a ten county program to identify and assist early stage companies, UC Berkeley’s Director of State and Federal Government Relations, and as the Associate Director of the California Policy Seminar.
From 2006-2012 she served as a State Senate Appointee to the California Governor’s Small Business Board. She has served on the Boards of Leadership California (Chair), the Alameda County Science and Technology Council (Chair), the Alta Bates/Summit Hospital Advisory Board, New American Media, the Alameda/Contra Costa Economic Development Alliance for Business (EDAB), the Alameda Center for Emerging Technologies (ACET), the Center for Manufacturing Excellence (MANEX), the Alameda County Grand Jury, the Oakland Ballet, and other organizations.
Her doctorate explored technology transfer issues at the University of California between 1984-2004. Judi lectures on Keiretsu Forum and the entrepreneurial ecosystem worldwide. She lives in Oakland, CA and has two grown children.
Keiretsu Forum Chapter Team
Nate Doran
Entrepreneur Director
Northwest Region
(206) 336-5617
Nate likes to help entrepreneurs navigate the exciting but treacherous waters of fund-raising. Prior to joining Keiretsu, Nate acted as the Due Diligence Project Manager for the Northwest Energy Angels where he organized monthly screening calls, managed interns, and facilitated due diligence for deals that raised over $1million in funding. He also coached several startup companies through the angel process and sourced many deals for the NWEA. In 2011, he co-founded a cleantech company – earning wisdom in the process – but has since moved on. He believes that having a good team is fundamental for all successful startups and that most successful startups are customer-driven. He also believes that sometimes failure is the best learning experience (but please do so before you raise money).
If you have a great early-stage company with a compelling team, product, market, and customer revenues, feel free to reach out!
Nathan McDonald
Chapter President
Northwest Region
(206) 255-8870
Nathan brings a unique entrepreneurial business and organizational development background developed during many years of hands-on, active leadership and operational experience. As one of the Northwest’s leading organizers of entrepreneurial and investor relations-focused media and funding events, he has facilitated scores of engagements and successfully promoted hundreds of privately financed high-growth companies.
Nathan co-founded and currently leads as President, the Northwest Region of the Keiretsu Forum global angel investment group. He wrote the business plan and designed the organizational structure, which led to the initial license agreement with global Keiretsu Forum. He recruited the team, implemented policies and procedures, designed, and coordinated multifaceted events. As part of his overall regional growth strategy, he created and implemented controlled expansion activities in Seattle, Bellevue, Boise and Portland. Nathan’s leadership and personal networking skills combined to quickly build the region into the fastest growing angel investment group in the nation, adding over 350 investor members and facilitating $65 million in funding for 113 companies.
In 2004, Nathan became Managing Director of Venture Velocity, a business growth consulting organization. He recruited a talent pool of executive-level consultants from among the most successful and fastest growing companies in the region. Nathan has been a moving force in building and shaping investor networks for two emerging fund managers including The University Funds and Pacific West Land.
Nathan has dedicated much of his career to stimulating growth-stage capital investment including as lead organizer for the Northwest’s most successful venture funding conference, raising over $30 million for 15 growth companies. As Co-founder and Managing Director of the Investment Forum, he produced the highest quality educational programs, social events, and investment forums in the region in collaboration with more than thirty-five industry groups and hundreds of different sponsors. Nathan co-founded an industry leading showcase event and media piece, which attracted over 500 of the region’s most influential investors and CEO’s to recognize and celebrate their accomplishments.
Nathan is a graduate of University of Washington Michael G. Foster Business School with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration & Finance with an emphasis in entrepreneurial leadership and venture finance. He has been a consistent supporter and volunteer for his alma mater, serving as a sponsor and judge for the UW Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship Business Plan Competition for many years. Nathan and his wife Brianna live in the Wedgwood neighborhood in Seattle with their two young sons Evan and Wyatt.
Xavier Casares
Chairman
Keiretsu Forum Spain
Mr. Xavier Casares founded Keiretsu Forum in Spain in 2007 as the first Keiretsu Forum chapter in Europe. He is presently honorary Chairman of Keiretsu Forum Spain and, back to the public sector, is the President of the Vocational & Training National Council of the government in Catalonia (Barcelona).
Mr. Casares has extensive experience in senior executive management. He was twelve years in the finance-banking sector at the Santander Bank and Banco Sabadell; eight years in public Administration at the Generalitat de Catalunya, MD in Industry, Education and Labour. He was Digital Business MD in Grupo Godó-La Vanguardia, for six years. Later Mr. Casares was the founder shareholder of Tibidabo Ventures, Vice-President in Iberoamerican University Foundation and Advisor of different companies and public administrations. He is a graduate in Law and Master In Financial Markets (University of Barcelona) and MBA (IESE).
Miquel Costa
President Keiretsu Forum Barcelona & CEO Keiretsu Forum Spain
Degree in Business in ESADE (Universidad Ramon Llull) and MBA from IESE (University of Navarra). Entrepreneur with over 25 years experience in executive management of the family group companies and subsidiaries, in several units and as CEO. Actually is professionally engaged in strategic consulting business, Member of the Board of Directors in several companies in various sectors as Internet, electric mobility, and services, and co-Founder and CEO in Edap2007 Investments. Miquel has invested in several start-ups and growing businesses from 2007.
Jose Maria Pina
Entrepreneurship Director Barcelona & Vice President Keiretsu Forum Spain
Graduate in Economics (Universidad de Barcelona). Master In marketing (DAF) ESADE. Product Manager in UNASA (Materias plásticas, Distribuidora de Filial de Basell y Ticona). Product Manager in AYEN (Menaje y productos de limpieza, Consumo). Senior Product Manager in AKZO NOBEL (fabricación de pinturas; 300 empleados en la filial española, Consumo). Group Product Manager in NUBIOLA INORGANIC PIGMENTS (Pigmentos inorgánicos-Sector industrial pintura & plástico). Partner and CEO in Sistemas técnicos de Coloración S.L.-StColor.
Manuel Marín
Entrepreneurship Director
Keiretsu Forum Barcelona
Industrial Engineering from the Higher Technical School of Industrial Engineering of Barcelona and IESE PADE. Associate Professor, Department of Business Policy and Entrepreneurship Center Coordinator EADA. For 22 years he developed his career in the publishing industry, as an entrepreneur. From 1990 he was an independent management consultant in Argentina, where he was DFC and Director for the Inter-American Development Bank and SME Secretariat of the Presidency Argentina. Senior Advisor of ACE International Consultants, a consultancy specializing in international development aid. Expert in management and strategy consulting with entrepreneurs.
Fernando Moroy
President Keiretsu Forum Madrid & Vice President Keiretsu Forum Spain
Degree in Physics, DPDG (General Management Program) at IESE and President of the Alumni Association of the EOI, PhD (DEA holds the Diploma of Advanced Studies), Department of Business Economics (Autonomous University of Madrid). Deputy Director of Strategic Planning of the Bank of Vizcaya, Director of Marketing Exterior Bank of Spain, Banco Guipuzcoano ADG, Director of Institutional Relations of La Caixa – DT Madrid (today). Professor of prestigious business schools and universities. Member of the Executive Committee of the AED Madrid (Spanish Association of Directors). Member of the Executive Committee of CEDE (Spanish Confederation of Directors).
Angel Sansegundo
Entrepreneurship Director
Keiretsu Forum Madrid
Industrial Engineering from the UP of Madrid, an MBA and MPA EOI London Business School. Among other positions, has been Partner in PricewaterhouseCoopers and IBM in Spain leading their consulting services in the Transport Sector and CRM. He is currently consultant for several firms, program director and professor of EOI (Enterprise Project Areas and Business Intelligence), and member of the Board of CEDE. He has published three books and numerous articles.
James Shi
Co-President
Keiretsu Forum Beijing
+011 8610 6841 0088
James Jingmin Shi is a co-president of the Keiretsu Forum in Beijing, China. He is currently laying the foundation for members, sponsors, partners, and presenters for Keiretsu’s chapter in Beijing, China. Mr. Shi is a graduate of Southwest University of Jiao tong, Chengdu, China. His degree is in Electrical Engineering. Mr. Shi is the owner, President and CEO of Diao Yu Tai General Hospital. This hospital has 200 beds and 120 employees. As co-president of the Beijing Forum, Mr. Shi’s focus is on developing the membership of the Beijing Chapter. This includes the planning and development of a Beijing Keiretsu Academy, and the Keiretsu China Charitable Foundation.
Co-President, Keiretsu Forum Beijing and President Keiretsu Forum Shanghai
+011 8610 6845 5303
Jenny Shi
Co-President, Keiretsu Forum Beijing and President Keiretsu Forum Shanghai
+011 8610 6845 5303
Dr. Shi is working to develop the Keiretsu Forum Bureau in Beijing. Today, Dr. Shi is a respected businesswoman in California. While living in China, she graduated from the Beijing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Today Dr. Shi owns and operates seven acupuncture clinics in the San Francisco Bay Area and is an accredited angel investor. She is fluent in Mandarin and has family in Beijing where her brother, James Shi, owns and operates a hospital.
Jingjing Liao
Vice President
Keiretsu Forum Beijing
+011 8610 5184 2990
Dr. Jingjing Liao is a TCM practitioner, has Master degree in Medical Science. After retired from Government hospital, she became a vice Secretary general of National Green Industry Promotion Committee, and Chairman of Guohuihongfuge Technology Development Co.,Ltd. She also is partner of a few companies, as Jinzehe Investment Co.Ltd, Medical Beauty Institute, Taurine Project, and representative of city of Ordos biomedical industry investment.
Shelley Bays
Co-President
London & Paris
+33 (0)6 33 91 79 89
Shelley has been an active angel investor for over six years. She has also held senior and executive management positions in a variety of industries (consulting, food and beverage, paper manufacturing). Her primary concentration, however, has been in financial services where she focused on starting up and growing businesses, both within the US and overseas. Her specific financial services experience includes VP positions with Manufacturers Hanover Trust and Bank of America. At Charles Schwab & Co., Inc., she was SVP/Chief Administrative Officer for the Retail Division during a time of rapid growth. This position included responsibility for branch and call center expansion, finance, technology and customer service quality. Later as head of the Exchange Trading Division of Schwab Capital Markets, Shelley was responsible for all listed equity and options trading in the US. She then moved on to be CEO of Schwab and TD Waterhouse’s joint venture in London. Shelley has held Director positions on the Boards of the Boston and Pacific Stock Exchanges, as well as advisory roles for pan-European financial services initiatives. Shelley has a BA from Warwick University (UK) and an MSc from University College London. She also has an MBA from Fordham University in New York.
Jack Bays
Co-President
London & Paris
+33 (0)6 12 93 63 18
Jack is a serial entrepreneur and an active angel investor. He has extensive experience in the food and beverage industry, specializing in nutraceutical and organic products. He also has comprehensive brand management experience at prominent corporations, franchisee relationship management with large international companies, and a background in new product development. Jack began his career at Dow Chemical Company, led key design and engineering efforts at Coors Brewery, and then moved on to head new product R&D at PepsiCo. This included creation of the firm’s first-ever research lab and pilot plant. Under his leadership, Pepsi enjoyed the successful launch of several key products, including Pepsi Free. Jack moved to Shasta Beverages, Inc. as VP R&D. Jack created Shasta Export Company, an independent company providing soft drink products to Japan and Taiwan, and later founded Bay Pac Beverages, growing the company to $30 million in annual sales before exiting. His third venture, JB Consulting, operates today as an international ingredient sourcing and consulting company, located in Northern California. Jack has a BS from the University of Colorado, a diploma from the Graduate Engineering Program at the University of Michigan, and an MBA from Fordham University in New York.
Asli Isinak Gozoren
Chapter President
Keiretsu Forum Istanbul
+90 (532) 778-5537
asli.gozoren@keiretsuforum.com.tr
Asli Isinak Gozoren comes to Keiretsu Forum Istanbul Chapter with over 15 years of international experience in corporate finance, project management and business/financial analysis with projects ranging in various industries targeting small to medium sized companies. Her experience and energy is dedicated towards the members of the Forum and establishing a platform for high growth potential early stage investment.
Prior to joining Keiretsu Forum, she helped start up the Corporate Finance division of Grant Thornton Turkey where she was involved in several high profile M&A and company valuation projects including the fairness opinion for Finansbank’s international subsidiaries proior to the respective sale to National Bank of Greece as well as leading the valuation of Ihlas Sigorta for the sale to German based HDI International Holding. Asli has also consulted alongside UBS on the successful completion of the pre-IPO placement of UniCredit London in a leading Turkish automotive supplier parts company. Her Corporate Finance experience ranges across all industries.
Asli’s extensive international professional experience includes working in Toronto Canada at the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC) and in Boston USA at Fidelity Investments, among the largest asset management firms worldwide. She was a key player during the business/IT integration project in the acquisition of Merrill Lynch Canadian Asset Management business by CIBC; transaction price of $630 million USD.
Asli is a graduate from Northeastern University in Boston with an International Business and Management degree in Business Administration and lives in Istanbul with her husband and daughter.
Ozan Isinak
Chapter President
Keiretsu Forum Toronto
(416) 732-1346
Mr. Isinak is a seasoned alternative investment expert with over 15 years of international experience helping SME’s familiarize themselves with angel investment and venture capital opportunities throughout North America and Europe.
Mr. Isinak started his career in the heart of Silicon Valley during the first dotcom boom in the late 1990’s where he helped implement the digital strategies of financial institutions as a senior project manager at a leading IT consultancy. In 1999, Mr. Isinak became a senior digital management consultant working on high profile projects for global 1000 companies such as Siemens, VISA, Allianz Insurance, Cisco Systems and Providian Bank based in San Francisco, Toronto, Seattle, New York, Hamburg, Munich, Istanbul and Los Angeles.
Having so much direct exposure to the Silicon Valley venture capital eco-system, Mr. Isinak eventually started a boutique consulting practice based out of Los Angeles called Icon Angels. His firm specialized in helping guide seed, early and expansion stage businesses navigate the various due diligence, operational, financial and technical requirements of identifying organic and inorganic growth capital from across North America and Europe. Mr. Isinak was asked to join a new private equity firm as a General Partner and Chief Operating Office in 2008. Based out of Istanbul, he was able to apply his technology investment skills in a dynamic new emerging market.
Based out of Toronto and Istanbul, Mr. Isinak started EMCA – Emerging Markets Capital Advisory Inc. early in 2011 to focus on investment banking, angel capital, venture capital and private equity investment services for individual and corporate clients in Canada and in Turkey.
Mr. Isinak received his MBA in Finance from the University of San Francisco – McLaren School of Business in 1998 and also holds a double major in Economics & Political Science from the University of Western Ontario ( 1994). He is married with one son and lives in both Toronto and in Istanbul. He speaks English, Turkish and French.
Leyuze Kozanoglu
Managing Director
Keiretsu Forum Toronto
(416) 570-9860
Leyuze is an experienced ultra-high-net-worth relationship manager with international private banking experience. She started her career as a wealth manager in one of Europe’s leading private banking institutions. Taking a defensive approach on the financial markets cycle, she decided to carry her expertise into the Angel investing industry. Prior to joining Keiretsu Forum, she worked at the Network of Angel Organizations Ontario as a Business Development Manager with a mandate to grow the Angel network within the province of Ontario.
Leyuze completed a double major in Finance and Economics from the University of Western Ontario. Her interest in environment led to a Master of Science in Bioresource Engineering from the McGill University. She is also a certified Project Manager.
Howard Lubert
Area President
Mid-Atlantic Region
(610) 971-4067
HLubert@KeiretsuForum-MidAtlantic.com
Howard Lubert is the founder and managing partner/senior analyst at SafeHatch LLC, a technical due diligence and business acceleration consultancy that supports startup and early stage technology companies. SafeHatch typically takes a senior management role in the portfolio companies it supports and works with them until they are prepared to complete their management teams with full-time employees. Business Acceleration services are provided for companies in many disciplines, but are usually focused in the Internet, e-business, security, SaaS, infrastructure, software, e-learning, mobile or wireless spheres.
Mr. Lubert dedicated 28+ years to formalizing and optimizing the due diligence and deal flow processes for Safeguard Scientifics and its family of private equity funds, as well as other venture capital and angel investment groups. Lubert was also senior manager at Deloitte & Touche, where he played a principal part in the development of the e-business consulting practice.
Vincent Leusner
Vice President
Mid-Atlantic Region
(609) 220-0988
VLeusner@KeiretsuForum-MidAtlantic.com
Vince Leusner helps businesses maximize value as a Philadelphia-based partner with B2B CFO®. As the largest CFO firm in the U.S., B2B CFO focuses on emerging and mid-market companies, with revenues of up to $75 million, that want to increase cash, profitability, sales and company value.
Mr. Leusner has 27 years of financial management and financial advisory experience, working with publicly traded and privately held entities of all sizes. Vince has managed, advised and consulted with entities in North and South America, Europe and Asia. He worked for clients in a vast variety of industries, including services, media, financial services, retailing, distribution, public utilities, hospitality, manufacturing, not-for-profit and gaming.
Ira Wallace, MD
Vice President
Mid-Atlantic Region
(610) 971-4067
IWallace@KeiretsuForum-MidAtlantic.com
A serial entrepreneur, early stage company advisor, angel investor and physician, Dr. Wallace has extensive experience with new product introductions, commercialization of new technologies and the structure and funding of early & mid-stage companies.
Former managing partner at SafeHatch LLC and current partner at Firelight Partners, Ira helps entrepreneurs, investors and companies — from “back of the envelope” to Fortune 500 — refine their strategic planning, improve their business models and enhance operational performance. He especially enjoys helping earlier stage companies accelerate to profitability.
Dr. Wallace leads the Keiretsu Mid-Atlantic’s Life Sciences & Healthcare silo, with special interest in ophthalmology, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, medical imaging and healthcare IT.
Sherry Zins
Vice President
Northwest Region
(425) 260-1745
Sherry helped found the Seattle chapter of Keiretsu Forum in 2005, and served as the Vice President. In her first year in this role she was able to bring in more than a third of the new members. She rejoined the organization in 2010 and now focuses on membership, retention, committees and the charitable foundation.
Sherry has experience in both engineering and sales. In her past, she held engineering positions at SpaceLabs Medical, Zetron, Honeywell, Solectron and Qualitel. In 2003, she joined American Electronics Association (AeA) as the Washington Council Director of Membership Development. During her six years with AeA, she was consistently in the top three for sales and retention nationally. Because of her strong relationships with executives, Sherry was later hired by WTIA as Membership Development Manager and continued her strong performance serving members.
In all of her professional roles, she has worked with senior executives within the technology industry as well as other industries, including finance, legal, marketing, education, and the start-up community.
From 1982 to 1990, Sherry served in the U.S. Army and held a top secret clearance. She is also active in the community and serves on the ITT Technical College’s advisory committee, works on the University of Washington business plan competition, is a judge for the FIRST Robotics regional competition and serves on the Edmonds Community College Medical Device Skills Panel.
Sherry has a Bachelor of Science degree in Electronic Engineering Technology from ITT Technical Institute, graduating with highest honors.
Sherry speaks four languages (English, German, French and Spanish) and is a tri-athlete.
Tyler Varnell
Marketing/Events Coordinator
Northwest Region
(206) 529-3687
Tyler joined the Keiretsu Forum NW team in May 2012 as the Marketing and Events Coordinator.
Tyler graduated from Pepperdine University in Malibu, California with a B.S. in Finance and a minor in Spanish. During his sophomore year at Pepperdine, Tyler studied abroad for nine months in Buenos Aires, Argentina where he lived with a Spanish-speaking host family and walked through the city to class each day. While studying abroad, Tyler spent extensive time travelling throughout the ruins of Peru, the jungles of Brazil, the beaches of Chile, and all over Argentina. During his other three years at Pepperdine, Tyler played tenor saxophone on scholarship for the Pepperdine Jazz Ensemble, learned to surf, tutored high school students in math, Spanish, and music, and led several Pepperdine organizations and clubs on campus.
It is Tyler’s goal at Keiretsu Forum NW to continuously develop and improve our marketing strategies through brand development, website traffic growth, and maximized presence and publicity in the Northwest. Tyler aspires to grow his understanding of the angel investment community and has always had an interest in private equity and real estate investment. Overall, Tyler desires to utilize his analytical strengths, leadership experience, and creative mind in learning to create and grow value.
In his spare time, Tyler enjoys playing saxophone, piano, guitar, and accordion, as well as staying active through flag football, basketball, ultimate frisbee, boating in the summer, and skiing in the winter. Tyler is originally from Arlington, Washington and frequents his hometown on weekends to visit family.
Loren Lyon
Chapter President
Kirkland/Eastside
(425) 344-5848
Loren Lyon currently serves as the Bellevue/Eastside Chapter President for Keiretsu Forum Northwest. Loren is a serial entrepreneur who in addition to his role at Keiretsu is currently CEO at the local DME early stage company, Magic Wheels. He brings a strong skill set in managing start up technology companies.
He was CEO at SelfCHARGE Inc. from 1996 until 2006. The company was consistently listed as one of the fastest growing in the NW and he was named the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year for the NW in Manufacturing in 2005. Mr. Lyon orchestrated a sale of the company in 2006 and left the company in early 2007. He was CEO at several other high tech companies in the Northwest and has been a senior manager at companies such as Celerex, Data I/O, Applied Microsystems, Kistler Morse.
Loren has a passion for technology and entrepreneurship that aligns well with Keiretsu. One of the greatest strengths of our country is our creativity and entrepreneurial nature. Putting good deals together with good knowledgeable investors is one of the most powerful things that can be done to bring our economy back to good health.
Mr. Lyon earned a BS in Operations Management from NYU at Albany, NY.
Angela Jackson
Co-Chapter President
Portland/Oregon
(503) 319-5875
Angela Jackson is an active angel investor and coach to emerging companies and entrepreneurs. Her background is in marketing/sales, strategy, fundraising and leadership. In addition to her role as the Portland/Oregon Keiretsu Forum Chapter President, Angela is also Managing Director & Fund Manager at Bridge City Ventures Portland Seed Fund, Manager of the Portland State University Business Accelerator, an investor in Oregon Angel Fund and co-chair of Angel Oregon’s Consumer/Active Lifestyle investment track and serves on the company selection committee for Women’s Investment Network. Angela also advises nonprofit/social entrepreneurs and recently was an “Ask the Expert” consultant to Craigslist Foundation social entrepreneurs in New York. She is an advisor/investor with Mercy Corps’ Phoenix Fund, which helps microenterprises in third world areas succeed. Growing up in a family culture of entrepreneurship and philanthropy, she co-founded Social Venture Partners Portland with other area investors in 2001 and has launched numerous non-profit and for-profit enterprises. She held various sales/marketing roles at Auctionpay through Series A and B rounds, a period of rapid growth which earned it numerous awards including a spot on Inc. Magazine 500 fastest growing companies list. Angela loves working with people to help accelerate the success of “the big idea” and is a proud Mom to two budding entrepreneurs, ages 11 and 15.
Chhe Taing
Chapter President
Spokane/Inland NW
(203) 331-7408
Chhe Taing serves as President of the Keiretsu Forum Spokane/Inland Northwest Chapter and as Managing Director for MindShare Resource Solutions. Prior to MindShare, he held prior positions with US Trust Bank of America Wealth Management Services and Bank of America Investments. He received his Bachelor of Arts in Economics, with minors in Finance, and Management Information Systems from Fairfield University in 1998. Mr. Taing is responsible for Strategic Development of MindShare’s Resource Groups: Investment Management, Corporate Finance, Business Development, Branding & Marketing, Business Operations,Information Technology, and Engineering. He leads the Investment Management Group which specializes in preliminary investment due diligence, connecting MindShare’s portfolio companies with funding opportunities and value added services.
Michael Volker
Chapter President
Vancouver/British Columbia
(604) 644-1926
Michael Volker is an entrepreneur active in the development of new high technology ventures. A University of Waterloo Engineering grad, Mike started his own company (Volker-Craig Ltd) in 1973. He sold this company in 1981 and then decided to work with entrepreneurs in building new companies. He is presently the director of Simon Fraser University’s Innovation Office. His latest two projects are: Greenangel Energy Corp, [GAE.V] a public company that invests in green technologies and WUTIF – the Western Universities Technology Innovation Fund – an “angel” fund for start-ups. To further encourage tech entrepreneurship, Mike runs the Vancouver Angel Network, VANTEC and he’s also quite active with New Ventures BC – an annual business competition. Mike was also chairman of the Vancouver Enterprise Forum for several years.
Zeynep Muslu
Membership Relations Manager
Keiretsu Forum Istanbul
+90 (212) 356 2033
zeynep.muslu@keiretsuforum.com.tr
Aydin Koc
Vice Chairman
Keiretsu Forum Istanbul
Aydin Koc currently consults on business strategy matters to small companies and non-profits and has been an angel investor with the Keiretsu Forum for several years. He is also a Board member of Turkish Philanthropy Funds, the first diaspora organization of the Turkish-American community employing the community foundation model to fund philanthropic activities and initiatives in Turkey. In the 2001-2007 timeframe, he was the CFO of ChildCare Careers, a very successful temporary staffing agency that was later bought by two private equity firms.
In the 1987-2001 timeframe, Aydin served in senior executive capacities in a number of semiconductor firms in Silicon Valley. He is a past President and CEO of BitBlitz Communications of Fremont, CA., a venture-funded semiconductor start-up. Previously, he was Senior Vice President and General Manager of ZiLOG’s Home Entertainment Group and the President of the Optical Storage Group at Oak Technology. Aydin also spent about a decade in increasingly responsible management positions at LSI Logic Corp., culminating in marketing responsibility for a $1.2B business worldwide.
During 1981-1987 periods, he worked as an international management consultant with the Boston Consulting Group and Booz, Allen & Hamilton, advising Fortune 1000 companies worldwide on their corporate strategies
Aydin is a valedictorian of Tarsus American College in Turkey, has received B.Sc. and M.Sc. degrees in Electronics Engineering with high honors from Middle East Technical University in 1972 and 1973 and an M.B.A. degree from Stanford Graduate School of Business in 1981. He lives partially in the San Francisco Bay Area and partially in İstanbul and is active in the California Turkish-American community for the last 30 years.
Stephanie Xu
Managing Director
Keiretsu Forum China
Stephanie Xu is First Vice President and Regional Market Development Manager for Northern California at East West Bank. She is responsible for leading the business development and product implementation of the bank’s China initiative. Her past banking experience includes commercial real estate financing, commercial and industrial business financing and construction loan financing. In her 16 year banking career, she has worked with a wide range of types of customers including private equity and venture capital firms, solar companies, commercial and residential real estate developers, Fortune 500 high tech companies, Stanford University and UC Berkley, national sport teams, food industries, life science and pharmaceutical industries, wineries, agriculture, fashion, hospitality and entertainment.
She is currently serving as a board member of the Women’s Council of Realtors of Santa Clara County. She is also the managing director of the China Chapter of Keiretsu Forum, the largest angel investment forum in U.S. Ms. Xu has a masters degree in French from the Sorbonne University in Paris and a BA degree from Sun Yat-Sen University in Guangzhou, China. She speaks fluently English, Mandarin, Cantonese, Shanghainese and French.
Connie Koch Harrell
Region President
Southern California Region
(310) 991-4309
Connie’s unique business sense and creative vision is the blueprint for her proven successes in various industries as both a serial entrepreneur with retail, telecommunications, printing, graphics and forms design, technology, Internet community development and CEO/COO over companies in publications, telecommunications, technology with enterprise management systems, public relations, and fundraising. With a belief that people and relationships are the most vital part of life, along with her pioneering attitude and insatiable desire for new experiences, Connie is growing the chapters of Keiretsu Forum in Southern California.
Nina Quasebarth
Associate, Member Services
Northern California Region
(415) 573-0753
David Rhey
Senior Consultant
Keiretsu Forum China
+86 10 6845 5303
By the experience of cooperation with ministries & commissions and local governments in China, Mr. Rhey is working on the support from the government for the business of Keiretsu Forum in China.
David has a BS from Chengdu University of Technology in China, a diploma from the postgraduate hospitality program at HIM in Switzerland. With the skills of the asset and capital operation, he has a long-term cooperation with most of PE/VC in China. Through financial structure designing、capital operation、resource integration, Mr. Rhey has settled up “China industry new district development union (CIDU) with the support from the government and companies, which there will be fund and FOF after.
Carinda Bourgeois
Director Community Services
Southern California Region
(310) 991-5328
Maria Pitt
Associate, Entrepreneur Services
Northern California Region
(415) 573-0755
Maria joined the Keiretsu Forum Northern California team in May 2012 as an Associate for Entrepreneur Services. Keiretsu Forum’s mission is “Great Association with Quality Deal Flow”. Maria is a key person on the team and her main responsibility is to ensure that our members have access to “… Quality Deal Flow”. Maria facilitates all aspects of the entrepreneur application process from initial submission, through screening, presentation at the Keiretsu Forum investor meetings, and due diligence. She works closely with the entrepreneurs while helping them achieve their goals through the mindshare atmosphere at Keiretsu Forum and access to capital. Maria also collaborates closely with the Keiretsu Forum global team on sharing best practices and deal flow. She is active in the San Francisco Bay Area entrepreneur eco-system and manages the Keiretsu Forum relationship with key entrepreneur partner organizations.
Maria graduated from the University of California Davis with a B.A. in Economics and a minor in History. During her four years at Davis, Maria played club soccer and many other intramural sports. Her junior year of college, Maria spent a semester abroad in Siena, Italy studying the Italian language and culture. She also was very active in volunteer programs which included: Sutter Hospital, Aegis Assisted Living and the YOLO County Children’s Alliance. After graduating, Maria spent 4 months volunteering in Swaziland, Africa as a High School math teacher.
Maria is passionate about traveling and visiting her relatives in England. She also enjoys running half marathons and playing soccer in her free time.
Alphan Manas
Chairman
Keiretsu Forum Istanbul
Alphan Manas graduated from the Department of Textile Engineering of Ege University in 1983. He received his Master’s degree in “Production Management” from the State University of New York (SUNY) in 1987 and worked as Production Manager in the New York factory of Tenba.
Alphan returned to Turkey in 1987 as the Country Manager of Colonial Corp., a subsidiary of the Fortune 500 Vicks Corp., providing ready-made clothing to Sears, K-Mart and JC Penny. In 1988, be became the Founding Shareholder of Exim, established under Teknoloji Holding, and Planet and Teknoser thereafter. As the Founding Shareholder and Co-Chairman of Teknoloji Holding, he personally supervised the business and market development activities of the group for 18 years.
In 2006, Alphan ended his shareholding in Teknoloji Holding, taking along seven companies and established Brightwell Holdings BV, headquartered in the Netherlands. As a private investor, he established and invested into several companies in the financial services, energy and IT industries in Teknoloji Holding and afterwards in Brightwell Holdings BV, and has successfully sold these companies to strategic investors, generating a total value of 600 million USD. The combined annual revenues of the companies whose business models he formed have exceeded 4 billion USD.
Alphan has led and participated in several important infrastructure projects in Turkey at a government level and assisted in related organizations in the drafting of bills, communiqués and decrees. Such projects included the Bar Coding of Pharmaceuticals, the Electronic Highway Toll Collection System, the 1997 Census Project, Automatic Meter Reading (AMR) system based on mechanical meters and Iddaa (Fixed Odds Betting).
In 2004, he became the President of the Turkish Branch of World Future Society. That same year, Alphan became the Founder and Board Member of Business Council for Sustainable Development and held this position for a year.
Alphan is the Honorary Consul General of Cambodia in Istanbul since 2005 and has also received the Commander of the Royal Order of Cambodia.
Alphan established the Turkish Futurists Association and became its first President in 2005, of which he is currently the Honorary Chairman since 2008. He was also elected to the board of Institute of Ecolonomics, a US-based organization developing solutions in agriculture, production and settlement in order to decrease migration to urban areas in 2005 and held this position until 2008.
He served on the advisory boards of Energy, Chemistry and Environment Institutes of TÜBİTAK’s (The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey) Marmara Research Center in 2006 and 2007. In addition Alphan wrote columns for Turkish edition of Forbes in 2006 and 2007 and Businessweek in 2008 and 2009, editor for FUTURE takes, and publication of World Future Society since 2006. He has shared the compilations of his various columns and articles and his comments on current developments on his blog, www.alphanmanas.com.
In 2007 Alphan served on the advisory board of Borate Institute (Boren). That same year, he founded the Millenium Project in Turkey. Millennium Project for the United Nations University is a global participatory research think tank of futurists, scholars, strategists, and policy makers who work for international organizations, governments, corporations, NGOs, and universities. He served as Board Member of Göztepe Sports Club in the 2007-2008 season and assumed the responsibility for the women’s volleyball team, which promoted to the second league. Alphan became the founding member and board member of Istanbul Entrepreneurs Association in June 2009 and served in this position for one year. He was elected to the board of the Young Entrepreneurs Council of the Turkish Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges (TOBB). His responsibilities included the organization and training of young entrepreneurs in Izmir and Manisa provinces. As a member, he also holds conferences at universities on “Entrepreneurship and Innovation”.
In 2009, he became the president of Mensa High IQ Society in Turkey and the founder and president of Mensa Association for the Gifted and Talented.
In 2010 he was elected to the advisory board of Geothermal Institute of Dokuz Eylül University. In 2011 Alphan was elected as the President of the Futurism Thought Group of Turkish Industry and Business Association (TÜSIAD) of which he is a member. He is also an elected board member of the Aegean Industrialists’ and Businessmen’s Association (ESİAD).
Known as an ‘inventor’ because of the dozens of patents he holds involving technology and innovation, Alphan devotes a portion of his time to innovate technology products in order to improve quality of life. His designs include household goods, security products and daily life items. Alphan also works on modernizing and improving the functionality of traditional products. He develops ideas to provide a higher quality of life, a better environment and improved products for civilizations in the near and far future. He shares his work and experiences in conferences on the theme of “The Future” in Turkey and abroad.
Alphan is married and has 3 children.
Director, Aerospace & Defense Review Board
Southern California Region
7147511037
Larry Harrell
Director, Aerospace & Defense Review Board
Southern California Region
7147511037
larry@syndicatingresources.com
Larry Harrell retired as a Northrop Grumman Integrated Systems Vice President assigned to support the recent acquisition of Scaled Composites acting as an advisor to the President of Scaled Composites. Larry’s unique abilities to cultivate start-up businesses are being utilized in the formation of The Spaceship Company (TSC), a joint venture LLC with Virgin Holdings Group. Merging the innovative, rapid prototyping capabilities of Scaled with the process driven requirements for TSC to build a spaceship system manufacturing business is the challenge. He was the Managing Director and CEO of AGS Industries GmbH, a joint venture company that represented the interest of the six shareholder companies and the Industrial Participation interests of the other NATO countries. He was responsible for managing the prime contract for the NATO AGS Program. As the prime contractor, he led the JV in preparing the AGS-I proposal, negotiations, and issuing contracts to the six core industries and the main sensor provider (Transatlantic Cooperative Advanced Radar). Prior to this assignment, Larry was Vice President, Corporate Strategy and Technology in charge of Integrated Systems and Platforms with responsibilities for coordination among Northrop Grumman’s Newport News, Ship Systems, and Integrated Systems sectors. His responsibilities included Sector business strategy, front-end merger, acquisition and divestiture, and optimizing technology investments in connection with developing the company’s strategic framework. With 34 years of professional experience in the defense industry, including 26 years with Northrop Grumman Corporation, Larry has expertise in test and evaluation, research and development, project management, manufacturing operations, program management, business management, and business development. He has worked as an engineering manager on the B-2 Program, and was the air vehicle manager on the first aircraft delivered to the U.S. Air Force and the manager on the first B-2 upgrade program as part of the spiral development program. Since 1995 he has been involved with mergers and acquisitions at the corporate office. Larry holds a bachelor degree in aeronautical engineering from Embry Riddle Aeronautical University and a master’s degree in technology management from Pepperdine University. He has also earned a certificate in toxic and hazardous materials management from the University of California at Los Angeles, and completed executive management and marketing programs from the UCLA Anderson Graduate School of Management, MIT, and the Cranfield University School of Management in London. Larry has also served on the Board of Directors for Scaled Composites, Aurora Flight Sciences, and Hiller Aviation Institute. In 2000 he was Chairman of the Board of Directors for TRW Automotive.
Pat Lawless
Chapter President
Boise/Idaho
(208) 440-6670
As the Keiretsu Forum Boise Chapter President, Pat is a consumate IT professional with extensive experience in executive management of high tech start up organizations. Pat also currently serves as the President and CEO of Voxbright Technologies Inc. As a highly motivated sales and business development executive with a strong track record of overachievement in direct and channel based sales organizations, Pat uses creative problem solving and superior tactical business skills to help the Keiretsu Forum Boise Chapter flourish.
