Bart Greenberg

Chairman

Bart is a partner is the Orange County office of Haynes and Boone, where
he practices general corporate law with an emphasis on mergers and
acquisitions, debt and equity financings and the cost-effective
representation of entrepreneurs, start-ups and emerging technology
companies.

Bart’s expertise extends to all types of general corporate matters,
essentially serving as outside general counsel to most of his clients.
Such matters include, among others, mergers and acquisitions, with an
emphasis on consolidations and roll-up strategies; private securities
offerings, with an emphasis on those for emerging technology companies,
including so-called “friends & family,” angel and venture capital
offerings; debt offerings, including senior credit facilities, as well
as mezzanine, subordinated and vendor-facilitated debt facilities; the
formation of business entities, such as corporations, partnerships,
limited liability companies and joint ventures; shareholder and buy-sell
agreements; employment and consulting agreements; employee compensation
matters, with an emphasis on providing equity incentives to employees
through the use of restricted stock, stock options and phantom stock
plans; and intellectual property protection.

Bart is also a strong contributor to the community by his tireless
support and active involvement in many local technology organizations,
including, among others, Tech Coast Venture Network, where he currently
serves as its Chairman, TechBiz Connection, where he currently serves on
its Board, Digital Media Center in Santa Ana, California, where he
currently serves on its Advisory Board, and OCTANe, where he currently
serves on its Technology Leadership Council.

Shaheen Sheik-Sadhal

Member

Shaheen is the founder of Esse Law Group, a boutique law firm empowering today’s social entrepreneurs and start-ups find their bottom line in the new sustainable economy: profitability and positive social impact. Shaheen’s practice scope includes general corporate law, debt and equity financing and intellectual property transactions.

Prior to starting her own practice, Shaheen traveled the world as a professional musician and was signed to Times Music, the largest record label in South Asia. In 2000, she founded Azadi Music, which serves as a clearing house for her original works. Today, her music is licensed for major compilations such as George V Records’ Buddha Bar. Shaheen brings this decade-long business development experience to bear on her legal clients’ business strategy needs.

As an Executive Committee Member of TCVN, Shaheen focuses on strategy, marketing, and developing contemporary and relevant content for members.

Ash Kumra

Member

Ash Kumra is a business coach, speaker and entrepreneur. Ash was honored by the White House in November 2011 as a Empact 100 recipient, a list recognizing the top 100 companies run by young entrepreneurs who positively impact the economy and inspire others to join the movement.

Ash has spoken to over 10,000 people on entrepreneurship, social media and branding including USC’s Entrepreneurship Program, Network of Indian Professionals, The Indus Entrepreneurs, UCI Merage School of Business, UCLA Anderson School of Business, and the 2011 Free Enterprise Tour (sponsored by the US Chamber of Commerce). Ash is also an adjunct professor on entrepreneurship for several institutions and is a entrepreneurship fellow for Occidental College.

Ash is also an active entrepreneur for businesses involving consumer internet and digital media. The South Asian Business Alliance Network awarded the 2010 “Best Young South Asian American Entrepreneur” to Ash. Ash is currently Chairman, and co-founder of digital content distribution agency DesiYou, the 2010 recipient for “Best Digital Media” company by the Irvine Entrepreneur Forum.

Jeff Weiss

Member

Mr. Weiss is an inventor, entrepreneur, and computer specialist. He has built a successful 20-year career in the IT industry. Mr. Weiss has worked extensively in IT Services at the Walt Disney Company, including work at Imagineering’s research and development group under the direction of Bran Ferren. Mr. Weiss has spent the past seven years on the development and management of his own company Digital Matrix LLC. Mr. Weiss served with the US Air Force and is a 20-year member if the IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers).

Brandon Carl

Member

Brandon serves as Business Development Manager at Global Human Resources Outsourcing (GHRO) a firm providing integrated services designed to streamline the cost and complexities of HR management, employee benefits, payroll, Workers’ Compensation and more.

Allen Clason

Member

Allen Clason graduated from Southern Nazarene University, Bethany, Oklahoma, with a BA and from California State University, Los Angeles, California, with a Master of Business Science – Finance. His thesis, Interstate Banking Issues in the 1990s, correctly predicted the banking industry consolidation.

Allen was a banker for thirteen years with Security Pacific National Bank and Bank of America. In 1993 he began business and financial consulting for various domestic and international businesses. In 1995, He founded Quest Financial Services designed to offer assistance to businesses in working capital procurement. This focuses on leveraging a company’s accounts receivables and inventory. Additionally, companies will benefit through equipment leasing.

He is a member of the Pasadena Chamber of Commerce. Under the auspices of the Chamber of Commerce he actively participate in the Business Development Committee which sponsors and organizes over twenty business development and community involvement events each year. He is an active member of the CalTech Enterprise Forum, the California Capital Summit, and the Tech Coast Venture Network.

Wally Eater

Member

Wally was a founder of TCVN and a former TCVN Chair. He also trades leveraged ETFs.

Brad Hall

Member

Brad Hall is Managing Director of Hall & Company where he is actively involved in all aspects of taxation, auditing and business planning. He has over thirty years of experience in public accounting.

He has significant experience negotiating corporate sales/merger, acquisitions and divisional spin-offs. In addition, Brad spends a great deal of time consulting in the area of business management, business succession planning, estate planning and preparation of comprehensive personal financial plans. He represents clients before the IRS, FTB and other taxing authorities. Brad started his career in 1977 with Mckeehan Hallstein & Co. in Los Angeles and later became Tax Manager of Haskell & White (formerly know as Swenson & Clark CPAs)upon moving to Orange County. He subsequently took a position as Tax Partner at Wright Ford Young & Hall where he oversaw an extensive tax and accounting practice. He left to form Hall & Company with a vision – to significantly build business value for owners and executives of companies in various industries through the use of sophisticated financial analysis.

He was a featured speaker at the 2002 American Institute of Architects annual conference at which his topic was Retirement Planning and the use of various qualified plans available. In addition, Brad is continually contacted by local and national newspapers and magazines for interviews on various tax matters (BusinessWeek, Wall Street Journal, Dow Jones, Consumer Reports, Orange County Register, L.A. Times, CNN, Journal of Accountancy, California Real Estate Journal, This Old House).

Mark Hartsell

Member

Mark Hartsell, MBA is the President of CEO Advisor, Inc., (www.CEOAdvisor.com) a CEO advisory firm serving small and mid-size business owners. Mark has thirty-two years of experience with small businesses and Fortune 250 corporations. He was most recently the founder, Chairman and CEO of Infocon America Corp., a software company that he funded, grew and sold to a NASDAQ company with a $2 billion market capitalization. His prior experience includes Vice President of Sales & Marketing, Vice President/General Manager, Group Director of Consumer Products, Vice President of Operations and Vice President of Subscriptions Services with companies including McGraw-Hill, Film & Video, Thomson Corp., Saban Entertainment/Fox and Digital River. Mark Hartsell attended the University of Maryland for undergraduate studies, and has a Masters Degree in Business from Loyola University. Mr. Hartsell is certified in Mergers & Acquisitions from The Wharton School of Business, University of Pennsylvania. Mark Hartsell is accredited by the Institute for Independent Business, an international accreditation organization specializing in serving small business owners. He is a board member of Tech Coast Venture Network and TechBiz Connection, a LaunchPad Advisor and member of Octane, and a member of the Tech Council.

Larry Kutcher

Member

Larry Kutcher is the CEO and Founder of theAdvantage, a business consulting firm providing strategic, operational and technology services to uncover profit, efficiency and growth opportunities for emerging-growth, high-growth and early stage companies.
Bridging strategy and execution, Larry and his team work with business owners and management to build alignment and deliver greater value among the various operational facets of the business: finance, technology, people, operations and processes. Larry achieves this for his clients by strengthening and managing their business infrastructures, processes and technologies in order to scale resources and drive profitability.
Larry has 25+ years experience in finance, operations, management, technology and consulting. In addition to leading his own consulting firm, Larry has served as COO, CFO and IT Director for emerging growth companies over the years and has extensive experience in start-ups as well as in software implementation, negotiation and complex modeling and transactions. His strong expertise in business solutions and processes coupled with quantitative, financial and business management provide his clients a means to drive their companies to the next level of growth. Previous to this, Larry worked at Ahmanson Commercial Development Company, a subsidiary of Home Savings of America and KPMG, LLP. Larry holds a Masters of Business Administration in Finance and Accounting from the UCLA Anderson School of Management and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of Iowa.

Larry is on the Executive Committee of Tech Coast Venture Network, and is active in the UCLA Anderson Alumni Association and several local volunteer organizations.

Thomas Miller

Member

Mr. Miller has more than 25 years’ experience across a broad range of industries, focusing primarily on entrepreneurship, new ventures, change management, and organizational design.

Mr. Miller is President of Persuasive Business Plans, where he has a significant record of accomplishment helping clients tell compelling stories that attract money and people to accelerate business success.

Prior to his consulting career, Tom served as an executive with several entrepreneurial firms. He was Vice President of Planning and Development at Select University Technologies (SUTI), a firm focused on the commercialization of university-developed technologies, and was Vice President of Operations at Advanced Electronic Packaging, a manufacturer of custom electronics.

Mr. Miller began his career with R. R. Donnelley in Chicago, where he held several staff positions and headed an engineering effort that resulted in several U.S. Patents.

Mr. Miller has an MBA with a specialization in Finance from the University of Chicago, as well as both a BS in Information and Computer Science and a BA in Economics from the University of California, Irvine. n his spare time, Mr. Miller volunteers with the Boy Scouts and is a Licensed Deacon in the Pacific Southwest District – LCMS.

JJ Richa

Member

JJ Richa is an accomplished technology executive with over 20 years of experience in a vast spectrum of the technology industry. Mr. Richa is a results-oriented serial entrepreneur who has demonstrated his strategic, proactive, and creative abilities with the successful start-up and launch of several companies including a SaaS/WaaS technology company for the hospitality industry, an online ecommerce portal for exquisite and unique shoppers, and a custom software development company with main concentration on the financial sector. Mr. Richa is a Managing Director at Trenchant Ventures, LLC – a private equity firm with concentration on distressed business acquisition and restructuring. Mr. Richa holds a Bachelor of Science degree and a Master of Science degree from California State University Long Beach. Mr. Richa is a private equity investor and is a member of Tech Coast Angels. He serves on the board of for-profit in addition to not-for-profit organizations that help start-ups in accelerating business growth and raising capital.

Jim Shnell

Member

Jim Shnell is a partner in Jackson, DeMarco, Tidus & Peckenpaugh’s corporate and business law practice group. He has extensive experience with start-ups and emerging companies, including the formation and organization of such entities and the protection and licensing of their intellectual property. Jim also represents emerging as well as established companies in negotiating equity, debt, and project financing, and at other times he has represented the investors or banks in such transactions.

Jim also has experience with mergers and acquisitions, having represented acquiring entities as well as selling entities in a variety of contexts. He has counseled both emerging and established companies with respect to corporate governance issues. He also has broad experience in representing clients with respect to contractual and other general business matters.

Jim earned his Bachelor’s degree at Stanford University in 1972, a Master’s of Business Administration at Harvard University in 1978 and his JD at Boalt Hall (U.C. Berkeley) in 1981.

Jay Winokur

Member

Versatile, resourceful Finance Executive offering extensive experience in financial leadership, business planning, and management reporting in F- 500, fast-growth, start-ups, turnarounds, acquisitions, divestitures, and reorganizations. Accomplishments reflect hands-on project management skills, analytical ability and accounting knowledge. Broad industry experience includes telecommunications, systems integration, software, electronics.

Experienced in financial management of science and engineering-based companies. Adept with high growth, turnarounds and other high-stress situations. Successful with Fortune 500 AND with start-ups. Use Diffusion of Innovation theory to evaluate new products, technologies and markets.