GOOSE - Key Persons
As Managing Director at GOOSE Capital,Andrew is responsible for operations, deal sourcing and screening, conducting diligence, and negotiating valuations and terms on behalf of our investors.
Job Titles:
- Investor
- Board of Directors
- Entrepreneur and Inventor
- Founder and CEO of FuelTrax and Serial Entrepreneur
Anthony George is an entrepreneur and inventor for 25 years in the fields of Automation and Control Systems Engineering and Marine Fuel Management systems. He is passionate about private school education and active in school organizations at the board level.
Throughout his career, Mr. George has experience in building successful companies such as Control Dynamics International, LP, of which he served as the founder and president. The company started out in Beaumont, Texas with one person and grew to a peak of 88 employees with offices in Houston, Dallas and Harlingen Texas. CDI maintained automation engineering practices in the lumber industry, foods industry, cement industry and the oil and gas upstream and midstream industries. The company was sold to a publicly traded engineering company in 2010.
Mr. George currently serves and the founder and president of Nautical Control Solutions, LP which owns the FuelTrax line of Marine Fuel Management products. The company holds several patents in the US, Canada, and multiple European patents. FuelTrax is the first and most advanced, end-to-end, marine fuel measuring, monitoring and reporting system on the market today. Installed on several hundred vessels worldwide, the company is growing rapidly as marine fuel management becomes mainstream.
Mr. George graduated from Lamar University with a degree in Physics and a minor in Engineering and is now a super angel investor in Houston, Texas focusing on early-stage venture capital.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Emeritus
- Founder and Chairman Emeritus of the Wine Group. Inc
Job Titles:
- Member of the Emeritus
- Angel Investor
- Board Member & First Indian - American to Take a Company Public on Nasdaq and Serial Entrepreneur
- Board of Directors
- Chairman of BioMed X, Inc
Mr. Rao was the principal investor & Chairman of Adhesys Medical Inc. which invented a game changing non-toxic, biodegradable, hemostatic wound sealant for the skin and inside the body. Adhesys was sold to a large German pharmaceutical company in 2017 for an exit that returned 8 times GOOSE's original investment in less than 2 years.
Mr. Rao is the chairman of BioMed X , Inc , and of Saviance Technologies Inc., a Healthcare IT firm with several large pharma clients.
Mr. Rao was the founder & CEO of Trex Communications Corporation. Founded in Dec 1997 and in the Satellite Communications business and later sold TrexCom to L3 in March 2000. He founded Midcom Communications in 1990, and as CEO and founder, grew the company into one of the 10 largest long distance carriers with $250 million in annual revenues, culminating in a successful $400mm IPO in July 1995. Mr. Rao also founded ASCENT, the largest trade association for the long distance & wireless industry with over 1,000 member companies and held the position of Chairman for its first 2 years.
Mr. Rao was the President of Enron North-America in 1996/1997, under his leadership he grew revenues from $300 mm in 96, to $2 bb in 1997. From 2000-03, Mr. Rao was CEO of Prime Wave Communications, a wireless tech start-up, and later from 2004 to 2007, and was the Chairman of Opelin Inc., an online data backup system and software which was sold to HP in 2007. Rao was also, Chairman of Whodini Inc. from 2011 to 2014, which developed artificial intelligence based knowledge management software and was sold to Declara in 2014.
Rao earned his BS in Mechanical Engineering from IIT Delhi, MS from Marquette University, and Diploma in Financial Management from the London School of Economics.
Rao, married to Sheela, 2 children; hobbies include golf, tennis, guitar, photography, poetry, travel and various charitable organizations.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Emeritus
- Scientist
Dr. Price is a scientist, businessman and entrepreneur, with more than 30 years in the biopharmaceutical industry. He is currently Executive Vice President of Business Development at Nascent Biotech (a clinical-stage public company developing cancer biologic drugs) and, with Dr. Fernando Larios, he has formed Biogenin, S.A.P.I. de C.V., located in Guadalajara, Mexico, which is developing and licensing new human and veterinary pharmaceuticals primarily for the Latin American market.
Job Titles:
- Investor
- Managing Director and Chairman & Head of Global Energy of Lazard
- President / Former MD, Chairman and Head of Global Energy of Lazard
Bruce Bilger is the Managing Director and Chairman & Head of Global Energy of Lazard, and serves as Co-Head of the Southwest Investment Banking region. Mr. Bilger was a partner at Vinson & Elkins, where he managed a 400-plus-attorney Energy Practice Group and Co-Head of a 175-plus-attorney corporate and transactional practice. In 2007, he received more nominations than any other lawyer in the world in Euromoney's Guide to the World's Leading Energy and Natural Resource Lawyers.
Mr. Bilger's law practice focused on domestic and international business transactions, including mergers and acquisitions, international infrastructure development projects, project finance and other corporate transactions, particularly in the energy industry. Mr. Bilger has handled some of the most notable and challenging energy industry transactions in recent years, including numerous $1 billion+ transactions
Mr. Bilger is an active lecturer and a internationally recognized author on energy, finance, and many related corporate and international topics.
Mr. Bilger is very active in the community. He is a board member with numerous charitable and civic organizations, including the Greater Houston Partnership, the Greater Houston Community Foundation, Texas Children's Hospital, Asia Society Texas Center, St. Luke's United Methodist Church, St. John's School, Dartmouth College, and the University of Virginia. With four sons (Bruce, Michael, David, and Richard), he has coached about 30 athletic teams, from Little League baseball to church league basketball to community football. He is also an active member of the River Oaks Country Club and The Coronado Club.
Mr. Bilger graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Dartmouth College in 1973. He received a Master of Business Administration and a law degree from the University of Virginia in 1977.
Job Titles:
- Investor
- CEO of Facilities Management Group ( FMG )
- Lead Partner for the Portfolia 's Active Aging
CHANTELL PRESTON is a seasoned professional with 20+ years' experience in healthcare operations and in the healthcare innovation ecosystem as an investor, advisor, and strategist. Chantell is distinguished by her ability to identify and develop sound business strategy. Throughout her career, she has helped organizations recognize their unique business advantage and position themselves as key players in the healthcare industry. Chantell's desirable entrepreneurial and executive experience earns her a seat in the board room.
Currently, as CEO of Facilities Management Group (FMG), Chantell oversees the operations of multimillion-dollar healthcare facilities throughout Texas and Nevada. In her time as CEO, Chantell has overseen organic growth and diversification of services while navigating numerous regulatory and reimbursement challenges. Under her direction, she has delivered business record revenues and EBITDA over a two-year period through focused new business and cost savings efforts. She is now spearheading major strategic shifts ensuring a top-performing organization with staying power.
In addition to her role at FMG, Chantell serves as a lead partner for the Portfolia's Active Aging and Longevity Fund, selecting and recommending investments for the fund and leading investment diligence.
Chantell has built and successfully exited several companies. Previously, as co-founder and Chief Development Officer of Mentis Neuro Health, Chantell drove the acquisition of market share from Mentis Neuro Health's competitor while attracting a group of Private Equity investors. She began her career in business development for Surgery Centers of America and has held various leadership positions related to strategic marketing, business development, and mergers/acquisitions throughout her career.
Chantell has served as a member of several private and not-for-profit Boards of Directors and as an advisor to TMCx cohorts. She has made significant business and board contributions that include developing long-term strategies, building management teams, evaluating financing alternatives, assessing M&A opportunities, and shepherding successful exits.
Chantell holds a Masters of Business Administration from Sam Houston State University and a Bachelors in Business Administration in Marketing from Texas A&M University. Chantell enjoys spending time outdoors with her three daughters and coaching the West University softball team.
Job Titles:
- Investor
- CEO of Gow Media
David Gow is the CEO of Gow Media, a large multi-platform media company, based in Houston. Gow Media's portfolio of digital content sites includes Culturemap, Sportsmap, Innovationmap and Automotivemap.com. Gow also owns a popular sports radio station in Houston, ESPN 97.5FM and SportsMap Radio, one of the country's largest national sports radio networks.
Prior to entering the media business, Gow was first CFO and ultimately the CEO of Ashford.com, a company that grew to over $50M in revenues. As CFO, Gow managed a successful IPO, raising over $75M with Goldman Sachs as the lead underwriter. As CEO, Gow grew a profitable corporate gifts business to complement the company's e-tailing business. Ashford.com was sold to GSI Commerce in 2002 and is still a leading online destination for watches.
Prior to Ashford, Gow served as Director of Corporate Strategy at Compaq Computers. Among the projects he led, Gow managed the integration of two acquisitions, Digital and Tandem Computers, for all of Compaq North America.
Prior to Compaq, Gow worked as a management consultant at McKinsey & Co. While there, he consulted for companies in diverse industries, including technology, media, retail, and energy. Gow left the firm after attaining the position of Engagement Manager.
Gow's educational background includes a MPP degree from Harvard University and a Bachelor's degree from Williams College. David has been married to his wife, Audrey, for over 30 years and together they have five children.
Job Titles:
- Investor
- Member of the Board
- Board Member & Serial Entrepreneur in Real Estate, Energy and Banking
- Board of Directors
- CEO for Klein Equities
David Klein currently serves as CEO for Klein Equities, an investment firm that specializes in real estate lending and other equity investments. He is also partner in Templar Development, a major real estate developer in Austin, Texas. In 2008, Mr.Klein founded Belgeo-Belize, an oil and gas exploration company that received a 400,000 acre exploration license in Belize. The company was sold in 2013 to Paruma Energy Ltd., an oil company based in Ireland.
In 1990, Mr.Klein founded Quest, now Newquest, a commercial real estate development company, now the seventh largest such firm in Houston. The company was sold in 2007.
Mr. Klein was a director and original major shareholder for Klein Bank, a $500,000,000 bank based in North Harris County. Klein Bank was sold to Amegy Bank in 2007.
In addition to his business ventures, Mr. Klein is a Board Member to numerous charitable endeavors, including the Boy Scouts of America and the Houston Center for Literacy, founded by Barbara Bush. Mr.Klein received his BA, BS, and MS degrees in Economics and Accounting from Rice University.
Goose Capital Board Member & Serial entrepreneur in real estate, energy and banking
David Krieger is a former senior Managing Director of Warburg Pincus, a global Private Equity firm. David led investments across the energy sector totaling over $3 billion - most of which have grown from startup into operationally successful businesses at scale. A former member of the firm's Executive Management Group, he also sat on the boards of most of these public and private portfolio companies. Prior to Warburg Pincus, David was an Analyst with McKinsey & Company. He earned a BSEcon summa cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania (1994), an MS in Industrial Engineering with high honors from the Georgia Institute of Technology (1995), and an MBA with distinction from Harvard Business School (2000).
Job Titles:
- Chief Executive Officer
- Investor
Dhaval Jadav is Chief Executive Officer of alliantgroup, America's leading consulting and management engineering firm, which helps American businesses overcome the challenges of today to prepare them for the world of the 22nd Century and beyond. Jadav co-founded the firm in 2002 to be unlike any other consultancy, with an emphasis on partnerships with clients to not only identify but also implement quantifiable solutions to their most critical concerns.
Job Titles:
- CEO
- Member of the Emeritus
- President and Chief Executive Officer of Apex Enterprise, Inc
Dr. Nancy T. Chang, Ph.D. serves as the President and Chief Executive Officer of Apex Enterprise, Inc. Dr. Chang has more than 30 years of experience in the biophermaceutical industry, successfully developing and commercializing therapeutic and diagnostic products.
Dr. Chang co-founded Tanox in 1986 to address medical needs in the areas of allergy, asthma, inflammation and diseases affecting the human immune system. In June 2003, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Xolair, the first biotech product cleared for treating those with asthma related allergies. Dr. Chang successfully grew Tanox from an idea to a substantial publicly traded company which was ultimately sold to Genetech for $919 million.
Throughout her career Dr. Chang has received numerous academic, national and international awards for her business acumen and contributions to the biopharmaceutical industry. She was inducted into the Texas Science Hall of Fame in 2001 for exemplary achievement in science and is the recipient of coveted awards such as the Associate of Women in Computing: Top 20 Houston Women in Technology, Who's Who National Registry and Houston Entrepreneur of the Year (sponsored by Ernst & Young, Inc. Magazine and Merrill Lynch).
As an Active Member in the Biopharmaceutical Industry, she has published more than 35 papers on topics ranging from monoclonal antibodies to HIV and holds seven patents. She conducted her post-doctoral research at the Roche Institute of Molecular Biology. Dr. Chang received her Doctorate in Biological Chemistry from Harvard University.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Emeritus
- Member of the Executive Boards for the Holocaust Museum Houston
- Serial Entrepreneur in High Tech Ventures
Eric Pulaski founded SmartVault Corporation in 2008 and serves as the company's CEO. He contributed heavily to the initial formation and conception of SmartVault, and continues to play a vital role in the overall product design, roadmap, and go-to-market strategy. Prior to SmartVault, Eric founded and served as CEO and Chairman of BindView Corporation. Under his management, the company successfully evolved from a privately funded software development group through a successful IPO, and the ultimate sale of the company to Symantec Corporation in 2006.
Prior to forming BindView, he served as Director of the Advanced Services Division of Network Resources, Inc. He has over 20 years of experience with custom software development and systems integration, over 15 years experience in the development of systems management and security software for distributed networks and over 5 years experience with full-lifecycle, offshore product development.
Eric is also an active member of the executive boards for the Holocaust Museum Houston, Teach for America, and the Houston Technology Center. He holds a Bachelors of Arts degree in Humanities from the University of Texas at Austin.
Job Titles:
- Investor
- CEO of Horn Solutions
Gary L Horn is the CEO of Horn Solutions with offices in Houston, Dallas/Ft. Worth and Austin. Horn Solutions provides outstanding and affordable services in accounting, finance, technology, outsourcing, human resources, office administration and supply chain. Gary has been providing the business community with solutions to accounting, finance, technology, and staffing challenges for more than three decades. In addition to running the Firm, Gary is an investor, serves on company boards, and continues to provide consulting services in the merger, acquisition, and integration spaces. Gary has advised on or participated in many mergers, acquisitions and integrations ranging from start-ups to multi-billion-dollar transactions. Horn Solutions provides full-service accounting and technology services on an outsourced basis and Gary advises on funding. Gary was an initial angel investor in Transect, Inc. which is a SaaS company in the environmental services space and currently serves on its Board. Gary previously served as a coach in youth sports, on the Boards of First Colony Little League and Sugar Land Pony League and was Vice President of the Hightower High School Booster Club.
From 1987 through 2006 Gary served as President of Horn, Wallace, Cole, and Strategic Staffing (including successor entities) which provided accounting, finance, technology, and staffing solutions throughout the country. In 2000 Gary sold Horn, Wallace, Cole, and Strategic Staffing to a Private Equity Firm as a platform company and assisted in the building of a national consulting and staffing firm. Gary participated in the acquisition of several companies and the start-up of others to build the national Firm. Prior to 1987, Gary was a CFO and Controller in the energy and financial service industries, and an experienced audit manager with a major accounting firm.
Gary graduated from Baylor University with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in accounting where he was a member of Beta Alpha Psi, and holds CPA, CGMA and CFE certifications.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Emeritus
- Vice President of Carolinas HealthCare System and Healthtech Entrepreneur
- Vice President of Therapeutic Research and Development at Carolinas HealthCare System
Dr. McLendon currently serves as the Vice President of Therapeutic Research and Development at Carolinas HealthCare System. Dr. McLendon has co-founded several medical research companies and was the founding co-director of TMCx, the largest biomedical start-up accelerator. He served as the Howard R. Hughes Provostand Professor of Chemistry for Rice University, 2010-2015.
Job Titles:
- Investor
- President of Southern Distributing, a Multi - Brand Beer and Soft Drink Distributor
Job Titles:
- Founder
- Member of the Emeritus
- Founder of Palo Alto
- Founder of Vanguard Ventures ( $500M AUM ), Professor at Stanford, Harvard, MIT and Rice University
Jack M. Gill, PhD is the founder of Palo Alto-based Vanguard Ventures, a high-tech venture capital firm managing over $500 million. Throughout his career, Dr Gill has achieved success in five different careers as a scientist, entrepreneur, corporate executive, venture capitalist, and university professor. He has 20 years of experience teaching entrepreneurship courses in science, engineering and medicine at Stanford, Harvard Medical School, MIT and Rice University.
Dr Gill founded Vanguard Ventures in 1981 which successes created over $70 billion in market value, over 25,000 jobs and returned over $1 billion to investors. Vanguard ranks among the nation's leading high-tech VC firms and has been the lead investor in over 100 medical devices, biotech, telecom and computer-internet related companies. As of 2015, all partners have retired.
Job Titles:
- Chairman
- Investor
- Board of Directors
- Chairman of the Board, Goose Capital Inc. & Former CEO Oceaneering International, Inc
- Retired
Jay Collins retired as President, Chief Executive Officer in May 2011 while continuing to serve as Director on the Board of Oceaneering International, Inc., a global oilfield provider of engineered services and products primarily to the offshore oil and gas industry, with a focus on deepwater applications. Through the use of its applied technology expertise, Oceaneering also serves the defense and aerospace industries. Oceaneering is traded on the NYSE and has more than 8000 employees working out of 68 locations in 21 countries.
Mr. Collins has held numerous positions within Oceaneering since joining them in 1993, initially serving as Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. In May 1995, he was appointed Executive Vice President Oilfield Marine Services; in November 1998, he was appointed President and Chief Operating Officer; in April 2002, he was elected to the Board of Directors; and in May 2006 was appointed Chief Executive Officer.
Mr. Collins is currently on the board of two other public companies: Murphy Oil Company and Pason Systems Inc. He is on the board of American Productivity and Quality Center. He is past Chairman of the Board of Directors for National Ocean Industries Association and CanCare of Houston.
Mr. Collins received his MBA from Harvard Graduate School of Business in 1972 and both his Bachelor of Arts degree and a Masters of Engineering degree in Chemical Engineering from Rice University in 1969. Mr. Collins has continued his affiliation with Rice University as a member of the Rice Board of Trustees and as Chairman of the Council of Overseers of the Jones Graduate School of Business.
Mr. Collins is now an active super angel investor in Houston, TX.
Job Titles:
- Chairman
- Investor
- President
- President of Flight Partners Capital
- President of Goose Capital, Inc.
Jeff Smisek is President of Flight Partners Capital, a private investment company he founded, and President of Goose Capital, Inc., where he also serves on the board of directors. He serves on the board of directors of Finch Therapeutics Group, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company (NASDAQ: FNCH), and Lantha, Inc., a privately-held chemical sensor company, and is a member of the Board of Trustees of Rice University.
Mr. Smisek was formerly the Chairman, CEO and President of United Continental Holdings, Inc., a Fortune 100 airline, and has served on numerous for-profit and non-profit boards. Prior to his twenty years in the airline business, Mr. Smisek was a partner at Vinson & Elkins LLP, a Houston based law firm. He started his career as a banker for Morgan Guaranty Trust Company of New York, now JP Morgan.
Mr. Smisek earned an A.B. from Princeton University summa cum laude 1976 and a J.D from Harvard Law School magna cum laude 1982.
President of Goose Capital, Inc. & Former CEO and Chairman of United Continental Holdings, Inc., a Fortune 100 airline, founder of Flight Partners Capital and active investor in venture capital
Mr. Compton is former Vice Chairman and Chief Revenue Officer of United Airlines. Prior to his retirement in December 2016, he spent 30 years in the airline industry leading organizations and growing revenue through network optimization, marketing initiatives, e-commerce, alliance development and pricing/revenue management strategies. Jim was a member of the executive team in 2010 to merge Continental Airlines and United Airlines.
Jim previously served as Executive Vice-president and Chief Revenue Officer of Continental Airlines. He joined the company in 1995 as director of pricing and was named a corporate officer in 1997.
John Chaney guided the growth of TeleCheck Services, Inc. as Chairman/CEO/co-Founder, the world's leading check acceptance provider. From being a small independent franchise they grew to become an international company with annual revenue of several hundred million dollars, and over 2,000 employees, 400,000 retail customers and processing more than one million check transactions daily. Mr. Chaney sold the company to a predecessor of First Data Corp. in 1992. In 1995 he was prompted group president of First Data, managing seven operating companies. He left FDC in 1999 to pursue private investment opportunities.
Mr. Chaney has a proven track record with having successfully completed more than 30 acquisitions and created more than a dozen start-up companies. He has served as CEO of Noventis, Inc which is one of the nation's leading payment networks. Noventis is processing over $3+ billion in annual volume.
Mr. Chaney has served on numerous boards and charitable organizations. He holds a BA from Principia College with majors in computer science, business administration and economics and served as an officer in the United States Air Force. Mr. Chaney resides in Houston, Texas.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board
- Member of the Emeritus
- President, CEO and Director of Pride International ( Merge With Ensco Plc in a Transaction Value at over $5B )
Mr. Raspino began his career spending 20 years in the international oil and gas exploration and production business with The Louisiana Land & Exploration Company, where he served as Chief Financial Officer and member of the Office of the Chairman. Following the merger of LL&E into Burlington Resources, Mr. Raspino served as VP Finance with Halliburton, a Fortune 100 company, and then Chief Financial Officer of Grant Prideco, the world's largest manufacturer of premium drill pipe, drill bits and engineered connections. He began his career as a CPA with Ernst & Young, serving clients in the Exploration and Production, Energy Services, Public Utilities, Real Estate and Banking industries.
Since leaving Pride International, Mr. Raspino has been an active board member, serving on such boards as the Dresser Rand Corporation and Chesapeake Energy Corporation. He currently serves as Chairman of the Board of Gulfmark Offshore, and on the board of directors of Forum Energy Technologies and The American Bureau of Shipping. He also is a board member of Houston's World Affairs Council and of the Theater Under The Stars.
Job Titles:
- CEO
- Founder
- Member of the Emeritus
Job Titles:
- Investor
- Board Member & Serial Entrepreneur in Real Estate, Technology and Energy
- Board of Directors
- Founding Partner of AIG / Lincoln
- Founding Partner of Archive Management Solutions, AIG
In 1996, he and his partner Tom Keller started Archive Management Solutions which became the dominant player int he record management industry in Poland. In 2006, Iron Mountain purchased a 20% stake in AMS and the company was re-branded as Iron Mountain Poland. Iron Mountain purchased the balance of Iron Mountain Poland in 2011. In 2014, Brian and Tom sold their shares to Iron Mountain after a 2006 50/50 joint venture with Iron Mountain to enter the Eastern European markets. At exit, the company had over 1,500 employees.
In 1997, Mr. Patterson became a founding partner of AIG/Lincoln and the Managing Partner for operations in Poland and (in 2001) Russia. AIG/Lincoln has become one of the largest property management companies in the region with 50 successful projects totaling more than 27 million square feet across Central and Eastern Europe.
In 2009, Mr. Patterson started a successful energy distribution company, Plus Energia, in Poland when the market was deregulated. The company continues to operate and grow rapidly.
In 2015, Mr. Patterson bought the balance of the shares he did not already own in the AIG operating company and rebranded the company to White Star Real Estate. He continues to develop legacy projects in partnership with AIG.
Mr. Patterson was honored in 2012 with the Central and Eastern Europe Quality Lifetime Achievement Award for his activities in the CEE real-estate industry. He is also a social entrepreneur and has started multiple foundations that level the playing field for children facing adversity.
Mr. Patterson is now an active super angel investor in Houston, TX.
Mr. Brian Patterson is the founding partner of Archive Management Solutions, AIG/Lincoln and Plus Energia.
Goose Capital Board Member & Serial entrepreneur in real estate, technology and energy
Job Titles:
- Investor
- Chairman and Chief Executive Officer at Huff International
- Member of the National Academy of Engineering
Mr. John Rossman Huff served as the Chief Executive Officer at Oceaneering International, Inc., from August 1986 to May 12, 2006 and President from 1986 to 1998. He restored profitability through the installation of a management by objectives system and a focus on improved technologies for subsea and deepwater applications. He has been the Non Executive Chairman of Oceaneering International, Inc. since August 1990 and has been its Director since 1986.
Mr. Huff currently serves as the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer at Huff International, a company that invests in international energy and technology opportunities. In addition to direct investments, Huff International provides advisory services to companies and funds.
Mr. Huff is member of the National Academy of Engineering, a past Director of Suncor Energy, Inc. He is a past member of the National Petroleum Council, past Director of the National Ocean Industries Association and International Association of Drilling Contractors and served on the U.S. Department of Transportation's National Offshore Safety Advisory Committee. He is a past Director of the American Bureau of Shipping, the U.S. Coast Guard Foundation, Law of the Sea Institute, Marine Resources Development Foundation and past Chairman of the Texas Bowl.
Mr. Huff attended Rice University and received his bachelor's degree in civil engineering from Georgia Tech University in 1968. He subsequently attended Harvard Business School's Program for Management Development in 1977. Mr. Huff is a Registered Professional Engineer in the State of Texas.
Job Titles:
- Investor
- Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Kenmont Capital Partners
- President of Cogen Technologies and Board Director at Solar City ( Acquired by Tesla )
Mr. Kendall has served as managing director and chief executive officer of Kenmont Capital Partners, a private equity firm, since October 1998. Mr. Kendall previously served as president of Cogen Technologies Capital Company, a power generation firm, and concurrently as chairman and chief executive officer of Palmetto Partners, an investment management firm, from July 1993 to October 1998.
Job Titles:
- CEO
- Investor
- Member of the Emeritus
- Founder and CEO of Middlemarch Capital Corporation
Mr. Stephen J. Shaper is the Founder and CEO of Middlemarch Capital Corporation, a boutique investment firm specializing in seed investments, serves as a Principal at Convergent Investors, a private equity VC firm with offices in Austin and Houston, and a Consultant at Think Finance Inc, a Texas based company providing technology, analytics, and marketing services to financial businesses.
Mr. Shaper has 35 years of experience in the payments industry. He served as an Executive VP of Sales of PreCash Inc. And a CEO at TeleCheck Services. Through his career, Mr. Sharper owned or managed more than 30 manufacturing, distribution and importing companies. His first success was turning around his family's failing window manufacturing business. One of his other companies turned into the largest roof truss company in the world, and another became the industry leader in check verification services. Prior to his business career, Mr. Shaper served in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
Mr. Shaper is an active gold member and a mentor of World President' Organization, a global leadership organization of chief executives. He is very active in the community. He also served a term on the Rice University Board of Governors.
Mr. Shaper received an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School and a BA in Mechanical Engineering from Rice University.
Nada Ahmed is a corporate leader turned entrepreneur, strategy and innovation expert, board member and angel investor. She has over 15 years of global corporate leadership and innovation experience within the energy, climate tech and maritime industries. She is a speaker and writer on the topics of Leadership, Innovation and Diversity and Inclusion. She serves as an advisor to many startups and serves on the board of small and medium sized companies where innovation and growth is top priority. She is also an angel investor and active within the venture capital community. Nada is the host for Braving Innovation Podcast- a podcast in the category entrepreneurship and business. The podcast brings inspiring stories, tips and strategies from leaders all around the world to help you succeed on your journey as an entrepreneur, innovation leader and investor.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Emeritus
- Co - Founder and CEO of Compaq Computer Corporation
Rod Canion was co-founder of Compaq Computer Corporation in 1982 and served as CEO for its first 10 years. Under Mr. Canion's leadership, Compaq became the fastest startup in history to reach $1 billion in revenues (fifth year) and Fortune 500 status (third year). It rose to become the largest supplier of PC systems in the world in 1994 and merged with HP in 2001 to create the largest computer company in the world.
In 1992, Mr. Canion founded Insource Technology Group and served as its chairman until September 2006. In 1999, he helped found the Houston Technology Center where he served as chairman from 2004 to 2005. He has been involved with numerous startup and early stage companies for the past 20 years. He is currently a director of Invesco, Ltd., Azevtec, Inc. and Houston Methodist Research Institute.
Mr. Canion earned an electrical engineering from the University of Houston in 1966 and a Masters in electrical engineering in 1968. He was honored as a Distinguished Alumnus in 1988. Mr. Canion was inducted into the Texas Business Hall of Fame in 2001.
Mr. Canion is now an active angel investor in Houston, TX.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Emeritus
- Serial Entrepreneur and Investor in Real Estate, Healthcare, and Technology
Terry M. Giles and Kalli O'Malley Giles make their home in Houston, Texas.
Terry was born in St. Louis, Missouri. He received his Bachelor of Arts Degree from California State University at Fullerton and his Jurist Doctorate from Pepperdine University School of Law, where there is now a "Terry M. Giles Honor Scholar". He established one of the largest and most successful criminal law firms on the West Coast, only to withdraw from the firm in 1983, disillusioned with the criminal legal system.
Starting over, he took a small dealership and built it into the fifth largest in the world. He then helped build a Canon copier distributorship into the third largest in the country and negotiated the sale of ComputerLand, Inc. a company with $2.5 billion in annual sales. He also reestablished his legal practice, but this time focused exclusively on civil trial matters and only for clients and causes that he believed in. In 2008 he was runner up for National Jury Trial Lawyer of the Year for his work in the Catholic predator priest cases in California. His career includes buying or building 35 companies in a variety of industries but today, his company, Giles Enterprises, has diversified interests in biotech, time management, European 5-Star hotels and restaurants, and financial portfolio investments. He is chairman of Landmark Worldwide Corporation, a San Francisco-based enterprise with 43 offices in 20 countries and Pacific Biomarkers, Inc., a diagnostic laboratory enterprise in Seattle. Additionally, Terry serves on the Boards of Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans (where he and Kalli also Chair the Scholarship Committee), the Pepperdine University Board of Regents, and The Giles-O'Malley Foundation.
Terry has received the Medal of Honor Alumni Award from Pepperdine University, Alumnus of the Year from Pepperdine University School of Law, the Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans Award, and the Distinguished Alumnus Award of California State University of Fullerton. He further serves as an adjunct professor of law at Pepperdine University School of Law.