Jim Altman

Middle Market Banking Regional Executive- PA and WVA
Huntington

As a high-energy and tenured business leader, Jim is a proven banking and financial services professional known for providing innovative and effective ideas to help companies grow, increase profitability, manage more efficiently and exceed client business objectives. He works collaboratively with all of his business partners to tailor impactful solutions to each of his clients. Jim is known for his challenger-based ideas that encourage clients to consider changing the status quo by providing options and continuous improvement strategies. Jim has over 35 years of banking experience.

Tom Bakaitus

Partner
Louis Plung & Company

Tax Partner with Louis Plung & Company. Have 35 years experience primarily in tax. Focus area is transaction analysis. Undergraduate California University of PA. Masters in Tax from Duquesne University. Prior to Louis Plung I was regional managing partner and firmwide Director of Tax with a regional firm.

Brian Baum

Managing Director
Interchange Capital Partners

Brian is the Managing Director of Interchange Capital Partners. In this role he oversees strategic initiatives of the company with a specific focus on the Family Business and Entrepreneur client segment. His focus is on helping owners think through, build and execute on a value acceleration and transition strategy for the shareholders. He believes that at its core exit planning combines the plan, concept, effort and process into a clear, simple strategy to build a business that is transferable through strong human, structural, customer, and social capital. The future of each owner, their family, and their business are addressed by exit planning through creating value today.

Brian is also the President of the Pittsburgh Exit Planning Chapter, which he helped found in 2019. The chapters mission is to give business owners a forum to get educated on true exit planning – how to build a valuable and transferable business through a proven process. He graduated from Penn State with a Bachelors in Psychology and a minor in Business. He is a Certified Exit Planning Advisor and a CFP.

Robert Berdanier

Managing Director, Business Restructuring Services
BDO

Robert is a Managing Director in BDO's Business Restructuring & Turnaround Services practice. His focus is on middle-market companies, both distressed and healthy, seeking financial financial and operational improvement through interim financial leadership and re-organization. Robert is a seasoned restructuring professional, with significant experience in the manufacturing, distributing, hotels/ hospitality and entertainment industries.

Craig Blank

Director of Investments
Woodland Management

Craig plays a key role in our co-investment due diligence efforts. He contributes a strong combination of restaurant operating experience, public market investing, mutual funds, hedge funds, private equity, venture capital, and real estate. Craig received a BSBA from Washington University in St. Louis and MBA from the Katz School of the University of Pittsburgh.

Christopher Brodman

President & CEO
Metz Lewis Brodman Must O’Keefe LLC

Chris is the president of the firm and a member of the firm’s executive committee. His practice focuses on general corporate matters and business transactions for funds and privately held middle-market companies. Chris serves as outside general counsel for many clients. His transactional practice includes M&A, early stage investments, corporate finance and commercial transactions. Chris has led in excess of 100 M&A transactions during his career. Chris has been a member of the board of directors of many privately held companies throughout his career and he has invested in early-stage and mature businesses.

Sara Clevenger

Principal
Blue River

Sara, Principal, provides strategic direction and oversight for the firm’s Acquisition Support Investment Banking Group. She also leads Blue River’s Pittsburgh office. Ms. Clevenger brings over 15 years of experience in Corporate Development, Mergers & Acquisitions, Commercial Real Estate Development, Portfolio and Transaction Management.

Since joining Blue River in 2012, Ms. Clevenger has managed successful platform and add-on acquisition strategies for Blue River’s acquisitive clients in a range of industries, across the US and into Canada. She works closely with clients to develop overall strategic direction of the growth-through-acquisition objectives. She then leads the Blue River deal team in their execution of the acquisition support initiatives. Primary industries of focus include industrial manufacturing, commercial and industrial distribution, information technology/software, marketing and fulfillment, and healthcare.

Patrick Colletti

Founder, Net Health Author, Refounder
Net Health

Patrick is a Refounder. As the President of Net Health for two decades, he and his partners led the organization from the brink of bankruptcy to a large healthcare technology company that helps caregivers heal millions of people annually while consistently being ranked locally and nationally for an award winning culture. He is an experienced board director and advisor in not-for-profit, and angel, VC, and PE backed organizations He is the recipient of the Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award, and is a frequent speaker, selective consultant, and redemptive investor.

Ron Donatelli

Pittsburgh Regional President
First National Bank

Ronald is President of the Pittsburgh Region of First National Bank. He is responsible for integrating FNB’s successful cross-functional business model and for developing small business, middle market and corporate banking opportunities in the Company’s headquarters market. Donatelli also oversees FNB's Asset-Based Lending group, which operates across the Company footprint.

Donatelli joined FNB in 2009 to lead its Asset-Based Lending division and has had oversight for various corporate banking groups within the organization, including Syndications and International Banking Services. He has more than 35 years of financial services experience, having held a range of leadership roles with asset-based lending groups at major banks in the Pittsburgh area.

A graduate of LaRoche College, Donatelli is active in the community as board chairman for Bridgeway Capital and chair of the Watson Institute/First National Bank Pro Am golf tournament committee.

Chris Farmakis

Chairman; Shareholder
Babst Calland

Chris focuses his legal practice on mergers and acquisitions, private company equity investments, recapitalizations and joint ventures, startup company formation and general representation, commercial transactions, corporate governance, and real estate matters. His practical legal approach has earned him a regional and national client base with recent deals in the manufacturing, retail, services, wireless infrastructure, IP, utility, emerging technology and food industries. He is also national acquisition counsel for numerous public and private companies and private equity-owned portfolio companies. Like his clients, Chris is an entrepreneur, having founded three businesses including Solvaire, a company leveraging AI technology to undertake large-scale due diligence and contract management projects.

Jeff Ford

Partner
Grossman Yanak & Ford LLP

Jeff has focused his career on providing accounting, auditing and consulting services to privately held companies and not-for-profit organizations. His experience includes furnishing compliance services such as audits; providing due diligence and investigation services related to business acquisitions; performing fraud investigations; developing and compiling projected and forecasted financial statements; and evaluating, selecting and implementing information systems for companies.

Sreekar Gadde

Executive Director
BlueTree Capital Group

BlueTree Capital Group is an active investor in early-stage, high-growth companies in the Pittsburgh region and around the country. We invest in companies where we can provide both capital and expertise to help accelerate their growth. As the Executive Director for BlueTree Capital Group, Sree focuses on identifying and evaluating investment opportunities, working with other investors as well as other parts of the entrepreneurship ecosystem. Specifically, we focus on leveraging our groups unique skills and experience, specifically in sales, marketing, and operations, to help companies to avoid or overcome early obstacles. Sree leverages his experience and training as an engineer and IP attorney to help portfolio companies develop and implement an IP strategy. For high-growth companies, he helps them focus the allocation of resources (both capital and time) on assets that will drive business value.

Sherri Grasak

Resident Managing Director
Aon

Sherri is responsible for the Aon operations for the Greater Pittsburgh Region. Aon Pittsburgh has 60 colleagues working to empower results for organizations on two of the most important issues facing them today: risk and people. Sherri ensures that client teams are leveraging the local and global experts of Aon to bring the very best ideas and solutions to our clients. As Resident Managing Director, Sherri oversees the delivery of client, brokering and consulting services as well as growth for Pittsburgh. Her expertise is in Data & Analytics, manufacturing and retail.

Brooks Gronlund

Vice President
Murphy McCormack Capital Advisors

Brooks Gronlund is Vice President at Murphy McCormack Capital Advisors, a middle market M&A Advisory firm located in Lewisburg, PA. Brooks leads the firm’s current expansion into the Western PA market. He previously spent 23 years in leadership positions with Fortune 500 firms, as well as 10 years as President/COO for his $130 million family business.

Stephen Gurgovits

Managing Partner
Tecum Capital

Stephen J. Gurgovits, Jr. is the Managing Partner and co-founder of Tecum Capital, a $500+ million private investment firm based in Pittsburgh, PA, which oversees pools of committed capital focused on mezzanine debt, subordinated notes, and private equity, along with a separate strategy via a multi-family office platform for control equity investments. In his current role, Mr. Gurgovits, Jr. is responsible for providing strategic, operational and investment management leadership to the funds, including its overall planning, fund raising, growth and execution of strategy. Mr. Gurgovits, Jr. previously served on the board of directors of Auburn Gear, Uncle Charley’s Sausage, Oberg Industries, Gibraltar Cable Barriers, Western Allegheny Capital and is currently on the board of directors for Primetac and the Pittsburgh Chapter of the Association of Corporate Growth (ACG).

Don Haddad

Senior Vice President
Citizens

Don is a seasoned, experienced Senior Banking Executive with a demonstrated history of new business development, customer advocating and navigating the commercial banking world for his customers and prospects. During his tenure at Citizens, National Bank of Canada and Mellon, demonstrated strong relationship and interpersonal skills, with expertise in Commercial Lending, Banking, Leadership, Relationship Building, Asset Based Lending, Credit Analysis and Leveraged Finance.

Lisa Haley

Managing Director, Middle Market Banking - Western Pennsylvania
Chase

Lisa Haley is the Market Executive for Middle Market Banking. Prior to this role, she was the Northeast Regional Executive for Treasury Services.

With over 20 years of banking experience, Lisa joined JPMorgan Chase in 2018, having managed the risk function forPNC’s Treasury Services Group. She was also the Sales Market Manager for Greater Chicago responsible for all new treasury business development and portfolio management for PNC’s Middle Market, Commercial, and Public Finance clients within the Corporate Bank.

Lisa was selected as one of the Top 15 Businesswomen in Illinois in 2017, a 2016 Fellow for Leadership Greater Chicago (LGC), and Chicago United’s 2013 Business Leaders of Color.

Lisa received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from Brown University and a Master of Business Administration from Kellogg (Northwestern University).

Jon Halpern

Co-Founder & President
Pineapple Payments

As co-founder and President of Pineapple Payments, Jon leads the execution of strategic and operational initiatives. Pineapple Payments is a payments technology company that provides business owners with value added tools to seamlessly accept credit card and ACH payments. Prior to Pineapple, Jon co-founded AthleteTrax in 2012 to provide software to sports leagues/facilities to accept payments and manage their businesses. After raising capital and driving the vision, Jon grew AthleteTrax’s customer base nationally and ultimately to its acquisition by Pineapple Payments in 2018. Jon’s passion for entrepreneurship has driven him to spend his free time helping non-profits accelerate and reach sustainability. Jon serves as partner and board member of Social Venture Partners (SVP), a growing network of individuals that link passion and purpose to share skills, time, and resources in support of innovative nonprofits in the Pittsburgh region.

Gabriela Isturiz

General Partner
The Fund XX

Gabriela (Gaby) is a serial entrepreneur, innovator, experienced CEO, and founder of two high-growth successful SaaS (Software-as-a-Service) technology companies that were ultimately sold to Fortune 500 companies. Gaby possesses a unique combination of passion, curiosity, and discipline, making her one of the few women in STEM who has led bootstrapped companies to successful exits. A native of Caracas, Venezuela, Gaby earned her MS in Information Sciences from the University of Pittsburgh and her BS in Computer Systems Engineering from the Universidad Metropolitana in Caracas.

Lawrence Keyler

Managing Partner
RSM US LLP

Larry currently serve as the Office Managing Partner for RSM's Pittsburgh office. He also serves as RSM's Global Automotive Leader. Larry was previously a tax partner in one of the Big 4 accounting firms and have held several leadership positions over his 38 year career.

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. 

Toby Kreidler

Director, Head of Pittsburgh Office
Stellex Capital Management LLC

Toby heads the Pittsburgh office. Prior to joining Stellex in 2021, Mr. Kreidler was a Principal at Calibre Group LLC, a merchant bank which provides advice and capital to manufacturing companies. Before Calibre, Mr. Kreidler was a Managing Director in the Industrial Investment Banking Group of Seaport Global. Mr. Kreidler also served as a financial advisor and negotiator at the United Steelworkers Union.

Michael Krol

Partner & Head of Wealth Advisory
Waldron Private Wealth

Michael heads Waldron’s Wealth Advisory Team, focusing on the personnel and client offering that has helped Waldron earn national recognition and accolades, including ranking #42 on Forbes list of “Top Wealth Advisors” in 2018 and the PAM Award for “Best Private Wealth Manager–Client Service–Under $5 billion” in 2016. He has been a driving force for the firm’s growth while maintaining focus on his goal of 100% client retention.

Michael has spoken at wealth management conferences and on university campuses, and is a frequent contributor to industry publications, including The Wall Street Journal, Worth Magazine, The Journal of Financial Planning® and Wealth Manager Magazine. With a background in public accounting at Ernst and Young, Michael is a licensed Continuing Education Provider for Certified Public Accountants.

Michael Matesic

President & CEO
Idea Foundry, Inc.

Michael M. Matesic, President & CEO of Idea Foundry, Inc., is a seasoned business executive experienced in working with businesses at a variety of stages. Over the last 17 years at Idea Foundry he has invested in and participated in the development of over 200 innovation based start-ups, creating jobs in the region. Previously, Mr. Matesic was Chief Executive Officer for two start-up companies and Chief Financial Officer for MetalSite, Inc., participating in the rapid growth of the company and public registration process. While at MetalSite, Mr. Matesic led the startup of the company’s subsidiary, ScrapSite.Before that he served as Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer for Anker Coal Group and its subsidiaries where he was responsible for Human Resources, Information Technology, Tax and Finance functions. During his ten years with Anker Coal, Mr. Matesic led a successful registration with the Securities and Exchange Commission, managed the company’s substantial growth, established and invested in various start-up companies and completed many acquisitions.A 1987 graduate of Duquesne University with a B.S. in Business Administration, he spent two years on the audit staff of Ernst & Young, LLP in Pittsburgh.

Kit Needham

Director, Project Olympus
Carnegie Mellon University

Kit is Director and Executive-in-Residence at Project Olympus where she provides start-up advice, business strategy planning, connections to industry experts, advisors and the business community to student, faculty and staff startups. She is a Program Leader for the National Science Foundation’s iCorps programs and an Amazon Alexa Innovation Fellow.She is a member of BlueTree Allied Angels and serves on the Screening Committee. Kit is an Advisory Board member of Chatham University's Center for Women's Entrepreneurship, and a Board member of the Pittsburgh Entrepreneurs Forum.She was a Senior Vice President at the Allegheny Conference on Community Development working on education and economic development initiatives. Prior to that, she was Chief Operating Officer of Mellon Lab which was responsible for creating revenue-producing businesses for Mellon Bank. She also provides consulting services to promote economic growth to Chambers of Commerce, individual entrepreneurs and non-profit organizations.Kit is a Board member of the Women's Center & Shelter for Domestic Violence, and an Advisory Board member for Standing Firm. She is a graduate of Leadership Pittsburgh XIX.

Randall Raifsnider

Partner
Herbein + Company, Inc.

Randall C. Raifsnider, ASA, MBA is a Partner in Herbein’s Management Advisory Services group. Randy‘s work in transactions is highly specialized and each project is unique. His experience includes many industries including food and agricultural, manufacturing, services, and entertainment. In addition to quality of earnings reports, cash flow forecasts, operational analysis, and fairness opinions, Randy also conducts business valuations. A graduate of Kutztown University, Randy also earned a Masters of Business Administration in Finance from Villanova University.

John Roppo

Principal
Roppotunity LLC

John is Principal of Roppotunity LLC providing CFO and management consulting and transaction preparedness services.  John has held the CFO position at seven companies ranging from startup to billion-dollar multinational and been involved in numerous buy- and sell-side transactions.  After graduating from the Tepper School of Business with an M.S. in Industrial Administration, he started his career at Ford Motor Company as a financial analyst.  He progressed into senior roles in the U.S., Argentina, and Brazil, and the top financial positions at Jaguar Cars North America and Lincoln Mercury.  Since leaving Ford, he has been CFO at closely held and private equity backed companies and successfully completed the sale of three companies.  John is a CFA^Ò charterholder and Certified Value Builder™.

Michael Snyder

Executive Vice President
Air Ground Xpress, Inc.

Michael Snyder is Executive Vice President and Co-owner of Air Ground Xpress, Inc. We were incorporated in 1981, providing ground transportation for the air freight industry. He has been with AGX since 1985. In that time he has been a driver, terminal manager, GM of Operations, and now EVP.

Through out his career he has worked to grow AGX's footprint in the industry. We are now one of the largest cartage companies in Pennsylvania. Along with our corporate offices in Clinton, PA, we opened terminals in Duncansville, Clarion, and Moon Twp. PA as well as Morgantown, WV and Cleveland OH. We also have a drayage operation based in Trafford, PA.

Michael is responsible for equipment acquisitions and overseeing all operational divisions.

Robert Stein

Executive Director
Institute for Entrepreneurial Excellence, University of Pittsburgh

Robert “Bob” Stein is executive director of the University of Pittsburgh’s Institute for Entrepreneurial Excellence. He leverages his contacts and experience to the benefit of IEE members. For 13 consecutive years, he’s earned the title of Microsoft’s Most Valuable Professional. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the Smeal College of Business and an MBA from the University of Pittsburgh Joseph M. Katz Graduate School of Business. He also holds a certificate in Executive Leadership from the Harvard Business School.

Adam Stern

Managing Member
HJS2 Capital LLC

Adam is a 25 year senior business executive with a diverse finance and operating background. His experience includes SME management across various industries, specialty finance, mergers & acquisitions, banking and investment fund management. Adam is currently growing a portfolio of direct business interests through direct deal sourcing and work with independent sponsor groups.

Suzy Teele

Head of Marketing & Communications
Advanced Robotics for Manufacturing (ARM)

Suzy has been an integral part of Pittsburgh's technology and start-up environment for over 20 years. She was the COO of two early stage companies, and is currently the Head of Marketing & Communications for Advanced Robotics for Manufacturing (ARM), a national public-private collaborative accelerating innovative robotic technologies and workforce development strategies for U.S. manufacturers. 

Andrew Vollmer

Managing Director
BellMark Partners, LLC

Andy is Managing Director and Co-CEO of Bellmark Partners, LLC, and head of the firm’s Cleveland office. Andy has 30 years of investment banking experience, having personally completed well over 100 M&A, special committee, and board advisory assignments. Previously, he was with KeyBanc Capital Markets, where he was head of the sponsor coverage, consumer & retail, and M&A investment banking groups.

Austin Webb

CEO and Co-founder
Fifth Season

Austin is the CEO and co-founder of Fifth Season. He co-founded the business while obtaining his MBA at Carnegie Mellon University after a successful career in investment banking, including roles with FBR Capital Markets in Washington, D.C. and New York. A native of Chapel Hill, North Carolina, Austin holds a BA in Finance from Wofford College. He currently resides in Pittsburgh.

Penny Zacharias

Partner
McGuireWoods LLP

Penny is an accomplished lawyer with over 15 years of experience representing financial institutions in a broad range of lending transactions.

Penny focuses her practice on debt financing and secured transactions, including origination of asset-based and acquisition financing, leveraged finance, mezzanine finance and other lending transactions. She also handles the structuring and documenting of large syndicated transactions. Secured lenders as well as companies in the security alarm, medical alert, and other industries with a recurring revenue model, rely on Penny’s vast experience.

Penny also advises domestic and international banking clients and investment firms in the areas of microfinance and impact investing. Notably, McGuireWoods was “Highly Commended” in Financial Times’ Accessing New Markets and Capital category for Penny’s representation of Developing World Markets in connection with the origination, placement and investment of proceeds from a first-of-its-kind off-grid, renewable and climate action note (ORCA).

Penny’s leadership roles at the firm include chairing the Pittsburgh Women’s Leadership Forum, co-chairing the firm’s Women in Private Equity & Finance initiative, and serving on the National Recruiting Committee.