George Abraham

Vistage Executive Chair
Vistage Worldwide

George is a passionate advocate of high-performing and diverse teams, He help organizations build winning teams that drive business growth and success. With a love for networking and relationship-building, He specialize in understanding clients' needs and crafting unique, multi-party solutions to complex situations. He help create and align workforce strategies to the business strategy. He coach entrepreneurs at Vistage to build their business and leadership skills, extending my expertise to corporate and technology managers.

With experience working in multiple global organizations such as Accenture, Sasken, Birlasoft, and DSQ (aka Scandent) Software, He have led global teams and functions, creating HR and operations strategies during growth phases by developing best-in-class processes, building systems, and developing people. His strategic understanding of business enables him to align people, strategy, and systems for achieving business objectives. His specialties include change management, product and system implementation for HR processes, organization design, employee engagement, talent acquisition, strategic planning, career development, competency modeling, project management, leadership development, culture transformation, succession planning, performance management, business process design, learning and development, and sales force effectiveness.

Eran Bashan

CEO & Chairman
Hygieia

Eran Bashan is the co-founder, CEO, and chairman at Hygieia. He leads the vision, strategy, and commercialization revolutionizing diabetes. Eran is driven by a mission to transform patient care and outcomes. Before Hygieia, Eran held R&D positions at OTM and Elbit Systems. He started his career in the military serving as a field officer, and holds a PhD in EE from the University of Michigan.

Joe Basilico

Principal, Transaction Advisory Group
Doeren Mayhew

Joe brings over 15 years of experience to his role leading the firm’s Transaction Advisory Group, where he focuses on helping businesses in the middle-market sector gain financial, tax and operational clarity in a transaction. Joe specializes in buy-side and sell-side financial due diligence and mergers and acquisitions.

Joe’s true passion is helping both buyers and sellers achieve their goals, while contributing to a smooth and successful transaction. He strives to be efficient and effective in tight time frames while focusing on the important areas and risk mitigation throughout the transaction process. Applying his early career Big 4 experience and technical acumen to the due diligence process, Joe prides himself in his ability to make sense out of complex financial data and presenting it in an understandable manner.

Committed to helping clients through the entire process, Joe also works hand-and-hand with them from before the letter of intent, through negotiations to post-close integration. As a result, clients often select to work with Joe and his team on post-acquisition audit and tax work.

Collaborating with buyers and sellers, Joe stands ready to help them navigate the complexities spanning the transaction’s lifecycle. When working with sellers, he takes a cordial and down to earth approach. Viewing himself as an extension of his client’s team, he treats all parties with respect as he tries to make a difficult process as painless as possible.

Kal Beidas

President & CEO
Wälzlager Industriewerke Bulle AG

With extensive experience in both North America, Europe and Asia, Kal Beidas is a visionary leader in the manufacturing space with a proven track record in identifying and capitalizing on value creation initiatives across the global value chain spectrum. He currently serves as a Managing Partner at Worldwide Alliance Group and as the CEO & President of Wälzlager Industriewerke Bulle A.G., a manufacturing firm based out of Switzerland, where he charts the company’s strategic direction and provides operational leadership. He serves as Chairman of the Board and plays an active role in product innovation, process engineering, lean manufacturing, global supply chain architecture, sales strategy and talent management.

Robert Berdanier

Managing Director
Riveron

Andrea Boucher

Commercial Real Estate, SVP
Old National Bank

Andrea is part of Old National Bank’s Commercial Real Estate Lending Group as a Senior Vice President. She specializes in financing commercial real estate acquisitions, refinances, ground-up construction, and bridge loans. Andrea has over 20 years of experience, most recently with Flagstar Bank. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Central Michigan University and serves on the Board of the Macomb Food Program. Andrea is also the State of Michigan Co-chair for Old National’s Women Lead Impact Network.

David Brophy

Professor of Finance, Ross School of Business
University of Michigan

David Brophy is director of the Office for the Study of Private Equity Finance and a professor of finance at University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business. His research focuses on pricing of private equity and initial public offerings of common stock and characteristics of the venture capital market. He was the principal investigator on “Prospects for Small Business and Entrepreneurship in the 21st Century,” a White House Conference on Small Business, and directs The Midwest Growth Capital Symposium.

Ian Bund

Senior Advisor, Founder
Plymouth Growth

Ian Bund is a founding partner of Plymouth Growth and has been active in venture capital investing since 1969. He brings extensive financial, operational, and technological expertise to the Plymouth team.

Ian formed the first institutional VC in Michigan and has led or co-led 14 funds. He has been involved in building over 350 companies, executing over 40 IPOs, and serving on the Board of more than 20 businesses.

John Decker

Partner
Taft

John has expertise in complex business transactions, including mergers and acquisitions, financings, private equity and venture capital investments, cross-border transactions, general contracts, and securities. He represents a diverse client base ranging from individual entrepreneurs and professional athletes to private equity firms, private foundations, and global businesses. In addition, John serves as outside general counsel to several firm clients in support of their day-to-day and strategic, long-term operations.

Brian Demkowicz

Chairman & Founding Partner
Huron Capital Partners LLC

Brian is a seasoned investor and entrepreneur with a 30+ year track record of successfully transforming and building middle-market companies in partnership with experienced operating executives. He founded Huron Capital in 1999 with the goal of building great companies with great people through the deployment of high-impact buy-and-build investment strategies, the core tenets of which include improving profitability through operating efficiencies and accelerating growth through strategic add-ons. Since inception, Huron Capital has successfully established six private equity funds totaling nearly $2.0 billion and invested in over 275 businesses throughout North America underpinned by its margin-of-safety approach.

Derek Dickow

Execuitve Coach
DerekDickow.com

Derek Dickow connects people with opportunity and is a world-class networker known for facilitating high-potential introductions. He is a passionate fundraiser, who has raised millions of dollars for people, projects, political campaigns, and charities he’s passionate about.

Today, Derek serves as a keynote speaker and executive coach who supports first-class events and consults with best-in-class people and organizations. Clients include elected leaders, CEOs and some of the most innovative thinkers. Derek is a highly sought-after professional keynote speaker, sharing his expertise on power connections and his “5 Pillars of Purpose-Driven Networking.” A proud member of the National Speakers Association, Derek serves on several boards and has been honored with many business and leadership awards.

Kevin DiDio

Partner
Barnes & Thornburg LLP

Kevin advises a wide range of domestic and international clients and provides an in-depth understanding of substantive legal disciplines in virtually all corporate issues. With a keen eye for detail, he assists clients in corporate matters and transactions including mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures and strategic alliances, corporate governance and structure, cross-border business transactions, private equity investments, and business taxation.

Scott Dillabaugh

Senior Vice President
Lockton Companies

Scott leads Lockton's business development strategies and provides customized solutions for benefiting clients. Lockton is the world's largest privately held, independent insurance broker.

Wafa Dinaro

Executive Director
New Economy Initiative

Wafa Dinaro is the executive director for the New Economy Initiative (NEI), a project of the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan. In this role, she leads the program and grantmaking activities for entrepreneurship-based donors of the Community Foundation. She also cultivates public support for inclusive entrepreneurship and small business development-related initiatives.

Before her current role, Dinaro directed economic development for Wayne County, Michigan. Her responsibilities included the oversight and execution of Wayne County’s economic development initiatives including business attraction, retention and expansion programs, small business, and entrepreneurial support.

Dinaro has held a variety of other positions in the private and public sector over the years and is seasoned at developing partnerships between business and government. Her professional background includes project management, community development, strategic planning, and communication. Dinaro’s experience also includes diplomatic work, where she led operations for the Department of Defense while assigned to Defense Attaché Offices in U.S Embassies around the world.

Dinaro holds a master’s degree in public policy from Georgetown University and a bachelor’s degree in political science and communications from the University of Michigan.

Martin Dober

SVP & Managing Director
Invest Detroit Ventures

Martin Dober is senior vice president at Invest Detroit and managing director of its venture capital arm, Invest Detroit Ventures. He has deep experience in investment, support, and operational roles in early stage ventures, and a background in finance and engineering. He was previously senior vice president of entrepreneurship and innovation for the Michigan Economic Development Corporation. Prior to this, he held senior positions in several small technology companies, including iRobot, ASTI, and EIP, Inc. His career also includes M&A at Delphi, corporate finance at DaimlerChrysler, and engineering at the Budd Company. Martin received a Bachelor of Science from Kettering University and an MBA from the Harvard Business School.

Jason Duzan

Managing Partner
Lake State Partners

Over the last twenty-plus years, Jason Duzan has led nearly two billion in private investment transactions, developed new investment opportunities, and managed a diverse portfolio of operating companies. Jason is launching Lake State Partners, a control buyout firm, to partner with family and founder-owned businesses in the Great Lakes Region. With Colfax Creek, Jason is a managing partner and board member for Midwest Innovative Products (Twist & Seal), Premier Engineered Products, Traverse City Products, and Dial Tool Industries. His prior work experience includes Glencoe Capital and BMO Harris Bank.

Jason earned an MBA from the University of Chicago and an undergraduate degree from the University of Illinois. He was raised on a corn and soybean farm in Colfax, Illinois. Jason and his family live in Birmingham, Michigan.

Rick Ellis

Managing Director
Grand Sakwa Capital, LLC

Rick Ellis is a Managing Director and Co-Founder of Grand Sakwa Capital, LLC. The company invests in operating companies as well as alternative assets. Prior to that, Rick was a Managing Director and Licensed Investment Banker for JPMorgan Chase. He ran their Southeast Michigan Commercial Banking operations.

Laura Engelland

Principal
Uphill Partners LLC

Laura Engelland founded Uphill Partners to search for, acquire, and operate a business in Southeast Michigan. Prior to running Uphill, Laura built businesses and drove product adoption while working at market-leading companies like iRobot Corporation and Ford Motor Company. As a marketer and growth strategist, Laura creates a vision and secures the tools and resources to achieve it. Laura is a former NCAA Div. I athlete in cross country and track & field, bringing dedication and teamwork to her pursuits.

Nick Garippa

Vice President
BlueWater Equity Partners

David Girodat

Regional President
Fifth Third Bank

David Girodat serves as regional president of Fifth Third Bank in Eastern Michigan. In this role, he is responsible for the growth and strategic alignment of Fifth Third’s Commercial, Wealth & Asset Management, Business Banking and Treasury Management. David joined Fifth Third Bank in 2001 with the acquisition of Old Kent Bank. He previously served as senior commercial banker for Fifth Third Bank. He has more than 30 years of banking industry experience in multifaceted roles, where he started as a teller and served as a credit analyst, loan officer and head of Commercial real estate. David earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration and a master’s degree in finance from Walsh College. He serves as a trustee of Walsh College and on the boards of the Detroit Regional Chamber, Detroit Economic Club, New Detroit, Henry Ford Macomb Hospital and Business Leaders for Michigan. David is a member of the New Detroit executive committee and the United Way Cabinet. Additionally, he is a founding and former chairman of Advancing Macomb and a former chair of Henry Ford Macomb Hospital.

Gerry Giudici

President
Barden Brook Capital

Gerry is president of Barden Brook Capital, an advisory firm to both corporate and private equity clients. Gerry serves private equity-sponsored firms as an operating executive, advisor, board director, and investment partner. Gerry assists with deal sourcing, diligence, execution, and management. In this capacity, Gerry is currently an operating executive for a portfolio company serving defense and industrial markets. Corporate clients engage Barden Brook for sales, operations, business development, market development, and strategy execution.

Rob Grimaldi

COO
Viscogliosi Brothers

Rob Grimaldi is chief operating officer of Viscogliosi Brothers, a leading investor and innovator in the med-tech space, and co-founder and CEO of Ad Infinitum Cell Preservation Technologies, a firm creating novel cryopreservation solutions for medical research applications. He has been directly involved in many entrepreneurial led companies across multiple sectors from seed and venture stage to exit/IPO.

Ronald Hall

President & CEO
Bridgewater Interiors, LLC

Ron Hall is President and Chief Executive Officer at Bridgewater Interiors, LLC. Bridgewater is an automotive interiors manufacturing firm, specializing in just-in-time assembly, sequencing, and delivery of seating systems. It employs more than 2,200 people at four facilities in the U.S. Ron has been with the company in various roles of increasing responsibility since 2007, succeeding his father, company founder Ron Hall, Sr., in 2015.

A lawyer by training, Ron spent the first several years of his civilian career as a Detroit-based associate attorney in the corporate finance practice group at the Dykema law firm. He earned his Juris Doctor degree at the University of Michigan Law School, where he was a Darrow Scholar, received the Book Award for excellence in Administrative Law, and served as an associate editor on the Michigan Journal of International Law.

Ron holds a Bachelor of Science degree in International Political Economy from the United States Military Academy at West Point, NY, and served several years on active duty as a field artillery officer in the US Army. He attained the rank of captain and, among other awards, was decorated for meritorious service in the Persian Gulf War.

Rick Hampson

President
Old National Bank

Rick Hampson is a hands-on Business Leader with over 26 years of commercial banking experience in large corporate syndicated banking and middle market banking at Old National Bank, Citizens Bank, PNC Bank, Comerica Bank and Brown Brothers Harriman & Company.

Proven experience managing a commercial banking portfolio of corporate clients, guiding strategic market direction and overseeing P&L. Accomplished business development professional, skilled in asset-based lending, finance, middle market, lines of credit, and commercial lending.

Throughout my career I have developed additional experience in investment banking and managing M&A advisory efforts. I am an active community leader and current Board Member for organizations including Gleaners Community Food Bank, Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Metro Detroit and Detroit Regional Chamber. M.B.A. from Columbia University Business School in Finance & International Business and B.S. from Boston College in Finance.

John Henderson

CEO
AEL-Span, LLC

John is CEO of AEL-Span LLC, which provides strategic supply chain solutions for the logistics requirements of a diverse base of multinational and regional companies. As a senior executive with strong sales and leadership skills, he offers a unique blend of executive acumen, business management experience and entrepreneurial vision. He has over 35 years of business management experience and has held senior management and board-level positions in banking, venture capital management, manufacturing and contract logistics.

Ramzi Hermiz

Board Director & CEO, Carlex Glass America, LLC
Operating Partner, Atlas Holdings

Patrick Hines

Founder & CEO
Functional Fluidics

Dr. Hines is a pediatric critical care physician and scientist who is internationally recognized for his efforts to develop and validate a gold standard for the assessment of red blood cell health in clinical practice, work that grew out of patient care challenges he experienced as a pediatric intensivist. 

In 2014, Dr. Hines founded Functional Fluidics, a Michigan-based biotech company spun out of the Wayne State School of Medicine, developing red blood cell health diagnostic platforms that are currently being used by the majority of pharmaceutical companies developing red blood cell-modifying therapies, including Novartis, Novo Nordisk, Forma, Agios, Global Blood Therapeutics, and Takeda, and entities developing curative therapies such as Graphite Bio (gene editing) and National institutes of Health (stem cell transplantation).   Functional Fluidics diagnostic testing has also been adopted by medical centers in Michigan, Florida, Mississippi, Washington, D.C, Maryland, and Virginia.

Dr. Hines will be leading an A round to fund the expansion of Functional Fluidics diagnostic testing throughout the United States. In recognition of his work, Dr. Hines was selected as an Aspen Health Innovation Fellow within the Aspen Global Leadership Network, chosen as a Crain’s Healthcare Hero, and received the Crain’s Detroit Business 40 Under 40 award. He completed both his fellowship in critical care medicine and pediatrics residency at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. He received his M.D. degree and Ph.D. in Pharmacology from the UNC-Chapel Hill, and Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from Hampton University.  

Ed Holinski

Chair
Vistage

Ed has led several businesses to rapid growth, developed and advised leaders, and helped companies transform to meet market changes. He now advises leaders on creatively addressing challenges in the midst of complexity and uncertainty.

Jennifer Janus

President
Pophouse

Jennifer Janus is the President of Pophouse. Pophouse is a Detroit-based commercial interior design studio focused on strategic, unconventional and human-centric design. As President, Jennifer is focused on the strategic growth of Pophouse as well as developing a team that is actively innovating in the design industry. Creating a culture that fosters diversity of thought and experience as well as purposeful and fearless work is one of Jennifer’s top areas of focus. In addition to her role at Pophouse, Jennifer serves on the board of the American Society of Employers, actively participates in the Center for Positive Organizations at the University of Michigan Ross School of business and is a member of Vistage.

Ken Johnson

Founder / CEO
Spring Arbor Group

Ken Johnson is the Co-founder and CEO of the private equity firm, Spring Arbor Group. Ken is a visionary entrepreneur with a long track record of founding successful companies. Ken's businesses have spanned a number of diverse industries. He founded his first business in the Toy & Game industry, that company has operated continually for over 40 years. He has built and sold several other businesses, including a hedge fund and a telecommunications firm.

Kathleen Kasperek

Senior Vice President
Wells Fargo

Thomas Kessel

Managing Director and Middle Market Team Leader
RainStar Capital Group LLC

Tom Kessel is the head of the Middle Market advisory practice at RainStar Capital Group. Our national practice assists small and medium sized businesses in accessing the senior and mezzanine capital solutions necessary to support their business enterprises.

Slade Kobran

Managing Partner
Chief Outsiders

Slade is Chief Outsiders’ Managing Partner focused exclusively on the Private Equity sector. Based in the Greater NYC area, he works closely with Private Equity Operating Partners and other value creators to quickly identify and engage the Chief Outsiders resources best suited to meet the needs of investors and portfolio company management alike. Slade is actively engaged in the Private Equity community through groups such as ACG and PEI, and has worked with dozens of PE firms and their portfolio companies over the last five years.

Lee M. Koury

Managing Partner
Smart Business Network Inc.

Lee is managing partner of Smart Business Network Inc., a national events, media and marketing company founded in 1989, primarily responsible for expanding the company’s Aspire deal-making conference throughout the U.S. He plays a key role in establishing corporate policies and developing long-term strategy and growth plans. Previously, he founded and chaired the Growth Group at national law firm Arter & Hadden LLP (now Tucker, Ellis & West), which focused on working with middle-market and high-growth technology companies. 

Tracy Larsen

Partner, M&A Practice Leader
Honigman

Tracy Larsen is a corporate partner and leader of Honigman’s M&A practice. Having one of the most active transactional practices in the Midwest, Tracy represents clients in a wide array of mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, recapitalization, restructuring and corporate finance transactions. He has led hundreds of M&A transactions, both domestic and international, involving tens of billions of dollars in trade value.

Philip L'Esperance

COO
Ascension Group International

With over 25 years of experience in the industrial space, Phil specializes in spearheading operations-focused initiatives that help organizations improve their business. He is responsible for managing relationships and new pursuits with an emphasis on operations performance improvement, planning, and lean process opportunities. Phil has extensive experience in multiple industries including automotive, industrial, food processing, and medical device manufacturing. Phil is the COO of Ascension Group International, a technology-led management consulting and private equity firm.

Renee Mendelssohn

Senior Wealth Advisor
Waldron Private Wealth

Renee’s expertise excels in providing advisory services for high-net worth and ultra-high-net worth individuals and families. She collaborates with our planning and investment teams to develop customized and comprehensive strategies for her clients, with a focus on trust and estate planning, income tax planning, succession planning for business owners, and family governance for multi-generational families. Renee has more than 20 years of experience in the financial services industry. Prior to joining Waldron, she was Vice President and Trust and Wealth Advisor with Comerica Bank, and prior Vice President for Citigroup Trust, both where she focused on financial planning and investment management for ultra-high net worth individuals and families. Additionally, Renee was admitted to the Michigan Bar Association in 2004 and maintains her current status as an attorney.  She resides in Flat Rock, Michigan, with her special-needs grandson of whom she is Guardian for, along with her four small dogs.  She is an active member in promoting various Women’s organizations, autism charities and animal advocate.  She enjoys travel, great food, the theatre, sporting events, and spending time with family. 

Fred Minturn

Group Chairman
MSX International

Fred Minturn is Group Chairman at MSX International. Under his leadership, the company has achieved double-digit growth year on year. Previously, he served as MSX’s President and CEO, as well as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

For 40 years, Fred has focused on developing global solutions for OEMs and continues to do so today. He serves on the Board of Directors for MSX, The Detroit Athletic Club, Automotive Hall of Fame, The Children’s Foundation, The HELM at the Boll Life Center and Business Leaders for Michigan. He was selected for Staffing Industry Analyst’s Staffing 100 as one of the most influential people in the industry. Additionally, Fred was recognized as a Supply and Demand Chain Executive. He has been named Crain’s Detroit Business CFO of the Year and has recently become a finalist for the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year.

David Mitchell

Managing Partner
TRP Capital Partners

Dave Mitchell has spent 22 years at TRP Capital Partners where he serves as Managing Partner. TRP makes investments in growth-oriented businesses in the transportation sector and is currently investing out of its sixth fund. The firm capitalizes on strategic relationships, commercial synergies, and the transportation expertise of its partners to support existing management teams while giving them autonomy to run their businesses. Prior to TRP, Dave spent 11 years in consulting in the areas of distribution, supply chain, manufacturing and technology.

Robi Mitra

Managing Director
Sturbridge Capital

Robi joined Sturbridge Capital in November of 2020 as a Managing Director leading the firm’s business development and fundraising activities. Robi participates on the Investment Committee and helps source and evaluate new transactions.

Prior to joining Sturbridge, Robi spent five years in operational roles with Bollinger Motors as Finance Director and K&A Resource Group as Chairman & CEO. Prior to his role as an operator and entrepreneur, Robi advised on or participated in more than 75 transactions during his 26 years of family office, private equity, investment banking, and capital markets experience.

In his spare time, Robi is an active board member and advisory board member to the Tri-Community Coalition and the Einstein Educational Ecosystem. Robi received his Master Business Administration, with a concentration in Finance from Wayne State University and earned a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from the University of Michigan.

Eric Nahat

Advisor & Director of Investments
Synergy Capital Solutions (Hightower)

Eric holds dual roles working on implementation of client investment portfolios and managing client financial planning and asset-management relationships. As Director of Investments, Eric leads Synergy’s Investment Committee and consults on portfolios with a focus on economic analysis and security selection.

Previously, Eric worked for J.P. Morgan Private Bank where he assisted with high-net-worth families and institutions to monitor investment portfolios, model wealth projections, and provide investment solutions for their clients. He holds the Series 7, 63 and 65 licenses as well as Life, Health, and Variable Annuities Insurance licenses. He has a master's degree in business administration from the University of Michigan, where he also earned a bachelor's degree in economics.

Eric lives in Ann Arbor, Michigan with his wife Ellen, two daughters and Portuguese water dog. He enjoys being involved in the community and is a member of the New Day NEXT Leadership Council, a group helping to improve the lives of Michigan cancer patients and their families. Eric also mentors University of Michigan students and spends his free time traveling the world, tasting the newest local cuisine, and playing various sports, most notably hockey and golf.

Mitchel Nakken

Senior Managing Director, Co-Head of Consulting
Palm Tree LLC

Mitchel Nakken co-leads Palm Tree consulting service lines, which gives perspectives on financial data that enable buyers and sellers to make more informed decisions, minimize business disruption, visualize opportunities, and drive value creation. Mr. Nakken helped establish Palm Tree financial consulting service lines and has extensive post-close integration experience and has helped ease business transitions to new ownership by establishing continuity, improving information flow, and augmenting key implementation work streams for both private equity and corporate clients.

Erin Pawlowski

Member
Dickinson Wright, PLLC

Ms. Pawlowski is a corporate attorney with experience in matters spanning a broad array of complex transactions and business issues. She works with companies in a variety of industries, including retail, apparel, consumer products, software, and banking and finance, among others. Ms. Pawlowski is passionate about providing excellent client service, finding creative and nimble solutions for her clients, and delivering advice in a succinct, actionable manner. Ms. Pawlowski previously litigated complex, high-stakes business cases for a large, private law firm.  She also previously served as in-house counsel for Carhartt, Inc., where she managed a broad range of legal matters, including corporate transactions, regulatory and compliance issues, intellectual property portfolio management and anti-counterfeiting initiatives, litigation matters, and legal process innovation, among others. 

Rich Pennock

President
Technology Resource Group

Rich is a human capital leader focused on driving innovation and business results through talent management and supply chain strategies. He is a 25 year veteran of the staffing industry.

During his industry tenure, Rich has been responsible for establishing customer-centric approaches to Operations Management across multiple Talent Solutions. This has included managing teams of recruiters and account managers challenged with driving growth while identifying and creating customized workforce solutions to meet talent demands.

When he is not supporting the team at Technology Resource Group, he can be found giving back to the Detroit start-up community by mentoring Mobility entrepreneurs.

Dan Poortenga

Vice President
National Christian Foundation - Michigan

Dan Poortenga is VP at the National Christian Foundation (Michigan) where he encourages biblical generosity and coordinates DAF gifts, including (complex) gifts of interests in businesses and real estate. Since 1982 NCF has received roughly 3,000 complex gifts with a value of over $5B. Overall, givers at NCF have granted more than $17B to 90,000 charities.

Mykolas Rambus

CEO
Hush

Passionate leader with a focus on big data, SaaS, FinTech, and media. Global business experience with track record in P&L growth, business development, operations management, information technology, complex project management, and data protection and privacy. Highly experienced, media-savvy brand builder. Quoted regularly by CNN, WSJ, the New York Times, CNBC, the FT, Reuters and the BBC.

Chris Rizik

CEO
Renaissance Venture Capital

Chris Rizik is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Renaissance Venture Capital (www.renvcf.com), a first-of-its-kind fund of funds formed by a consortium of Fortune 1000 and major private corporations. Renaissance works to attract capital to Midwest-based startups, and to strategically connect venture capital funds and start-up companies with major corporations looking for innovation. Chris is also the founder and publisher of SoulTracks.com, America’s most popular soul music online magazine.

Sean Roberts

Managing Partner
HighGrove Companies

Sean Roberts is the Managing Partner of HighGrove Companies, a private investment firm focused on acquisitions of consumer products, consumer services, and business services companies in the lower middle market. Since founding HighGrove in 2019, HighGrove has closed 5 acquisitions through 4 separate portfolio companies. Sean is an active board member of each company, providing strategic direction to execute growth initiatives. Prior to founding HighGrove, Sean was a Partner at Huron Capital.

Callie Root

Associate Attorney
Dickinson Wright

Callie M. Root is an associate with Dickinson Wright’s Corporate group, practicing out of the Troy office. She concentrates her practice on mergers and acquisitions, corporate governance and transactional tax matters.

Prior to joining Dickinson Wright, Callie was an associate with a large international law firm, focusing her practice on corporate matters.

Dominick Schiano

President and Co-Founding Partner
Evergreen Capital Partners LLC

Mr. Schiano is the President and co-founding Partner of Evergreen Capital Partners LLC. Evergreen has been engaged by The Gores Group as a Senior Advisor in the industrial sector, by TowerBrook Capital Partners where Mr. Schiano was a member of the Management Advisory Board and by DLJ Merchant Banking Partners, the Private equity arm of Credit Suisse where held the position of Vice Chairman – Global Industrial Partners. Prior to forming Evergreen, Mr. Schiano served as a Managing Director and member of the Investment Committee of Questor Partner Funds.

Previously, Mr. Schiano served in various senior operating, finance and M&A roles at Textron Inc., TRW Inc. ( now ZF), Wickes Companies Inc., and it’s predecessor, Gulf+Western Industries Inc. Mr. Schiano began his career at Emerson Electric Company Inc. He is a six-sigma champion Dom has served on over 30 local government, sponsor owned, joint venture, and public company boards

Dan Shanahan

Director
Mason Wells

As a Director of Mason Wells Buyout Funds, Mr. Shanahan is primarily responsible for supporting the investment activities of those funds. In this capacity, Mr. Shanahan is responsible for initiating investment opportunities, conducting due diligence, negotiating debt financings, serving on the Board of Directors of portfolio companies, and working with portfolio company management teams.

Before joining Mason Wells in 2018, Mr. Shanahan worked as an Investment Banking Associate in Robert W. Baird’s Industrial Group, where he focused on middle-market M&A advisory engagements.

Mr. Shanahan received a Bachelor of Business Administration degree with Distinction in Finance from the University of Wisconsin – Madison.

Pete Thomas

Chair
Vistage Michigan

Pete facilitates peer groups of C-level leaders who are committed to professional and personal growth and the success and well-being of each other. At monthly peer group meetings, Vistage members offer agenda-free advice — and challenge each other to take courageous, thoughtful steps. Vistage members become better leaders and make better decisions.

Sam Valenti III

Chairman & CEO
Valenti Capital, LLC | World Capital Partners

Sam is chairman of the board of TriMas Corp., a NYSE $1 billion manufacturer of highly engineered precision products for industry. He is also lead director of the board of American Axle Corp., a $7 billion company. He is the former president of Masco Capital Corp., and a 40-year veteran of the company.

Stephane Vedie

CEO
LUXIT Group

Stephane is the CEO of LUXIT Group, a global lighting supplier to the Automotive Industry.

He has 25 years experience in the automotive industry working for global corporations in Europe and North America. Prior to joining LUXIT Group, Mr. Vedie was the North American CEO at Magneti Marelli (now Marelli) and the Global CEO at Varroc Lighting Systems (now Plastic Omnium Lighting).

He joined New Water Capital in September 2021, a PE firm located in Boca Raton Florida, to lead their automotive platform. LUXIT Group was created with the acquisition of 5 different privately owned companies. Mr. Vedie holds dual Masters Degrees, one in Purchasing from University of Grenoble (France,) and the other in Business Administration from the Graduate School of Business in Amiens (France). He is also a Non-Executive Director and a Board Member at Seeing Machines (LSE: SEE).

Monica Wheat

Managing Director
Techstars Detroit

Ecosystem Builder, Strategist, Investor and Venture Catalyst

24+ years professional experience in Digital Strategy, Venture Development, Program Management and Competitive Intelligence roles for multinationals (Fortune 10 Companies), regional leads, non-profits, tech accelerators and start-ups (joint partnerships to VC coaching, evaluation & positioning). I build brands and infrastructures and I love what I do!

Specialties:

• Business Growth
• Digital Product Management & Development
• Innovation Partnerships
• New Venture Creation
• Startup Ecosystem Development
• Website & Media Analytics
• Social Media Marketing
• Connected Car / Mobility Solutions
• Global Market Intelligence
• Client Management
• Digital Marketing

Doron York

Chairman / CEO
CitySide Ventures

Daniel Zinser

Senior Vice President
Old National Bank

Dan is a Corporate Banking Senior Vice President at Old National Bank. He is responsible for helping lead Old National Bank’s growth effort in Southeast Michigan. Daniel has more than 15 years of commercial banking experience including credit, portfolio management, middle market, and large corporate lending. He has an M.B.A and a BS in Finance from University of Detroit Mercy.