The Keiretsu Forum Northwest region formed in 2005 and is comprised of the Boise, Kirkland-Eastside, Portland, Seattle, Spokane-Inland, and Vancouver chapters. Keiretsu Forum Seattle launched in September 2005 and is the founding chapter of the Keiretsu Forum Northwest region. It enjoys close synergies with the regional and global Keiretsu Forum angel investment network.
Our members possess and share diverse industry expertise, from software, telecommunications and life sciences to retail and information technology. Our goal is to fund great companies. The Keiretsu Forum Northwest member investments consist of a broad array of 149 companies in diverse industries.
In 2012, the Keiretsu Forum Northwest region had outstanding membership growth of 85 new members and collective funding results of over $20m invested in 34 companies.
Meeting Location
Keiretsu Forum Seattle holds its Forum meetings at:
RBC Wealth Management Building
Puget Sound Conference Room
1918 8th Avenue
Seattle, WA 98101
Team
Entrepreneur Director
Northwest Region
(206) 336-5617
e-mail
Nate Doran
Entrepreneur Director
Northwest Region
(206) 336-5617
doran@keiretsuforum.com
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!
Chapter President
Northwest Region
(206) 255-8870
e-mail
Nathan McDonald
Chapter President
Northwest Region
(206) 255-8870
nathan@keiretsuforum.com
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.
Vice President
Northwest Region
(425) 260-1745
e-mail
Sherry Zins
Vice President
Northwest Region
(425) 260-1745
sherry@keiretsuforum.com
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.
Marketing/Events Coordinator
Northwest Region
(206) 529-3687
e-mail
Tyler Varnell
Marketing/Events Coordinator
Northwest Region
(206) 529-3687
tyler@keiretsuforum.com
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.
