Andrew Duffell

Andrew is the Senior Vice President of the Business Development Board of Palm Beach County. Andrew has worked with the North of England Inward Investment Agency in Atlanta where he assisted U.S. companies looking to expand into the European market.  Through his domestic and international work, Andrew created a broad network of relationships and gained extensive knowledge of the life sciences, IT, telecommunications and financial services industries in the Southeastern United States and in Europe.  During his career he has worked with start-up and Fortune-100 companies, assisting them with market entry strategies and local market knowledge. As the lead recruiter of businesses to Palm Beach County, it is Andrew’s responsibility to design and implement the recruitment strategy for the Business Development Board. In 2008 Andrew was recognized as the South Florida Business Journal’s Up & Comer of the Year for finance/economic development.

Anthony F. Altmann

Co-Founder & CEO, Intl Renewables Group, LLCAnthony F. Altmann is a Senior Partner and Co-Founder at International Renewables Group, LLC (IRG), a company focused on service and support for renewable energy projects and energy efficiency programs across the US. He has been a successful senior level operating executive, corporate consultant and entrepreneur.

In addition to IRG, Mr. Altmann has been an active operating advisor and partner in numerous businesses applying his skills in turn-around management and early stage companies. Most recently he spearheaded the turn-around and sale of a long established environmentally friendly chemical company (Enviroline) to a major foreign industrial concern (AkzoNobel) at a significant premium to industry averages.

Arnold L. Cohen

Mr. Cohen is co-founder of Mahoney Cohen & Company, CPA, P.C. Mr Cohen is the former Financial Vice President and member of the Board of Directors of Puritan Fashions Corporation. He holds membership in the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants. M.r Cohen was Chairman of the State Society’s Committee on Textile and Apparel Accounting and was a member of the State Society’s committee on Cooperation with Investment Bankers. He is a frequent lecturer at seminars and related events on topics of concern to the industry.

Bruce J. Rector

President of The Rector GroupBruce J. Rector has helped numerous companies, both large and small, to understand not only their financial performance but the strategic implications “behind the numbers” – and the potential opportunities that lie ahead. With a background in engineering and finance, and experience across a wide variety of industries – including technology, healthcare, biotech, distribution, utilities, and consumer product manufacturing – Bruce possesses the broad range of professional skills and expertise to help you take your company to the next level as well.

CJ Wilson

CJ has been a central banker, commercial banker, investment banker, merchant banker, M&A advisor, CEO, board member and venture specialist based in Asia and US for both public and private companies.

He founded the merchant bank Global Alliance Ltd in 1994. With offices in New York, Los Angeles, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok, and personnel in Sydney and Henley, the firm completed acquisitions, financings and dispositions for its clients, and invested in growth companies. Global Alliance Ltd. produced two books on valuation in English and one in Japanese, and assisted the first Japan conference on socially responsible investing. In parallel until 2001 CJ co-managed Hong Kong-based Global Ventures Management investing in early stage high-tech investments.  CJ retired to Florida in 2004 and operates Florida Equity Partners.

Cory B. Nass

Corporate Counsel, Noesis CapitalCory Nass is Corporate Counsel to Noesis Capital, an investment management and investment banking firm with offices in Boca Raton, FL and Fremont, CA. Mr. Nass has 20 years of experience as a corporate securities attorney. Prior to joining Noesis Capital, Mr. Nass practiced laws with White & Case in New York and Broad and Cassel in Miami. Mr. Nass received his J.D. form Washington College of Law, The American University where he served as a member of The American University Law Review.

David Bates

David Bates is a is a shareholder of Gunster, Yoakley & Stewart, P.A.. He is chairman firm’s Technology and Entrepreneurial Companies Practice Group. He is AV Rated as determined by Martindale Hubbell, has written numerous articles about the Internet, venture capital and emerging companies, and has an MBA in addition to his law degree. He has given numerous seminars and presentations on technology and corporate law to a variety of groups in Florida. David regularly counsels clients in business law, mergers and acquisitions, technology law, venture capital, licensing and distribution and corporate finance and securities.

Jack Karabees

Jack Karabees, Managing Director of Corporate Finance at CP Capital Securities, based in Miami, has spent the past 25 years successfully establishing development capital, both equity and debt, for early-stage and mid-market companies, as well as developing, organizing and executing high-growth sales and marketing plans for those same start-up, early-stage and turn-around operations. In addition to CP Capital Securiites, Jack is a Principal with Groundwork Equity, a Management Consulting firm based in Los Angeles. Prior to joining CP Capital Securities, Mr. Karabees served as Executive Vice President of Sales for Hudson Capital, a $1B+ real estate development firm based in Miami, FL, was responsible for all banking relationships and domestic and international sales and operations for the company. Mr. Karabees came to Hudson Capital from Katalyst Securities in Philadelphia, PA,  where he held the position of Senior Vice President / Investment Banking and where he remains on the board.

Mark Patten

Principal, Crossbow VenturesMark is currently a Principal at Crossbow Ventures, a $175 million venture capital firm based in West Palm Beach, FL focused on early and expansion stage opportunities in the Southeast U.S. Mark originally joined Crossbow as an Analyst in 2000 and was promoted to his role as Principal in 2008. During his time with Crossbow, Mark has been directly involved with deal teams responsible for investing over $100 million of the Firm’s committed capital. Mark has spent the majority of his time working on portfolio matters as well as conducting due diligence on opportunities across a range of the Firm’s preferred industry sectors. He is currently responsible for portfolio company management, deal origination and evaluation, Limited Partner Reporting and sits on Crossbow’s four-member Investment Committee. Mark also serves as a Director of ScriptRx and InfoDesk on behalf of Crossbow.

Michael Gordon

Michael Gordon, Co-founder of Pizza Fusion, is a graduate of Florida Atlantic University School of Business. As an undergraduate he started his first business, Vision Magazine, which was a city wide publication that raised over $80,000 in just two months. After graduating from college in 1999, Michael started a boutique candle shop called Burn. The savings he made from his magazine got invested into this next project. Starting with just 10K, Burn grossed over 1 million dollars in sales in only three years. His next business was a real estate holding company. Mr. Gordon raised over 10 million dollars of hard capital to buy and sell single-family houses. Investors earned over 12% annually for the three years they had money with Michael. With the collapse of the real estate market only months away, Michael started his best venture, Pizza Fusion, with college friend Vaughan Lazar. Knowing little about the food business, they raised over 5.3 million dollars of funds over the worst two-year period in our economic times. With his expertise and the confidence he instills in others, Michael Gordon has raised over 20 million dollars in 9 different enterprises. Michael Gordon will be on National Television on the Sundance Channel September 22, at 8:00pm, Big Ideas for a small Planet.

Nord Brue

Nord is active as a Director of New World Angels, a South Florida Angel investment group.  Vocationally, he serves as Chair of Franklin Foods (Dairy Processing), PKC Corporation (Medical diagnostic and case management software), and Via Cheese (Mozzarella and other cheeses).  Mr. Brue serves as Vice-Chair of Green Mountain Power Corporation (electric utility) and as a director of NNEEC (holding company for gas and electric utilities).  His charitable boards include serving as Life Trustee for Grinnell College and as Vice-Chair of Vermont Public Radio. In addition to founding and building a business oriented law firm, he founded Bruegger’s Bagels (QSR restaurants) and built the enterprise to 300+ units before selling the Company.  Nord’s avocational interest is the study and business application of Personality Type (MBTI.)  He recently taught a college level course on using knowledge of type to succeed as an entrepreneur.

Robert C. White, Jr., Esq.

Robert is a Equity Shareholder, Gunster, Yoakley & Stewart, P.A. Member of the Firm’s Technology and Entrepreneurial Companies Practice Group and its Corporate Practice Group. He represents clients in many business segments with an emphasis on technology, innovation and entrepreneurial situations. His regular practice areas include corporate strategic counseling, technology law, venture capital and private equity law, mergers and acquisitions, corporate finance law, corporate governance and general business, corporate and financial law matters. He regularly counsels business entities, entrepreneurs and executives in these areas.

Ron Rosenzweig

Ronald Rosenzweig is currently a member of the Board of ANADIGICS and was previously Executive Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer for ANADIGICS, a position he held since co-founding the Company in 1985.  ANADIGICS designs, manufactures and sells high speed, gallium arsenide (GaAs) analog integrated circuits (ICs) used in wireless and broadband communications applications.  ANADIGICS is a NASDAQ listed company. He is an experienced Chief Executive Officer with a proven track record in directing the process of creating a successful business based on state-of-the-art technology.  In addition to ANADIGICS, Mr. Rosenzweig was also a co-founder of Microwave Semiconductor Corporation (MSC).  He served as President & CEO of MSC for 15 years.  MSC, a market leader in microwave silicon and GaAs transistors and amplifiers, was a publicly traded company, which was later acquired by Siemens Corporation.

Steven R. Sponder

Founder and President of Vplenish Nutritionals, Inc., a nutraceutical company recently launched in FAU’s Research & Development Park. Having personally written Business Plans that have raised over $10 million from U.S. and European Venture Capitalists, Sponder knows first-hand what it takes for an entrepreneur to raise their start-up and growth capital. Over the past twenty-five years, he has led organizations through all stages from original concept development, raising capital, forming strategic alliances to mergers and acquisitions. In addition to launching and operating companies in several industry sectors, Sponder was chosen for joint-venture partnerships with global leading companies including Microsoft and AOL Time Warner. Sponder is passionate about FAU and volunteers in several areas including The Foundation Board, The College of Business Dean’s Executive Council and The College of Engineering and Computer Science Advisory Council. He also mentors FAU students who are aspiring entrepreneurs and speaks to classes about his 25 years of experience as a serial entrepreneur.