Kip Kirkpatrick

Senior Partner & Co-CEO, the Vistria group

Afternoon Keynote: A Different Kind of Private Equity

Mr. Kirkpatrick has been an active investor and operator since 1996.  From 2011 to 2013, he served as the Chief Executive Officer of USFS, one of the nation’s fastest growing independent mortgage lenders. Mr. Kirkpatrick was a founding partner of Water Street Healthcare Partners, one of the most active investors in the healthcare industry. He began his career at JPMorgan Chase (then First Chicago) in 1994, was promoted to a variety of leadership positions within the bank and was ultimately asked to help establish its private equity arm, One Equity Partners, where he completed more than $3 billion of transactions. Mr. Kirkpatrick currently serves on the Board of Directors of Alacura, Supplemental Healthcare, Chiro One and Caremetx. He has also served as Chairman of the Board of PLUS Diagnostics and Precision Dynamics Corporation and as a board member of United Shore Financial Services, CareCentrix, AbilityOne Corporation, Medex Corporation, and Converge. He is a member of the Board of Trustees for Northwestern University and a Trustee of Rush University Medical Center. Mr. Kirkpatrick received a B.A. in history from Northwestern University and an M.B.A. from Northwestern University’s Kellogg Graduate School of Business.

Martin Nesbitt

Senior Partner & Co-CEO, the Vistria group

Afternoon Keynote: A Different Kind of Private Equity

From 1998 to 2012, Mr. Nesbitt served as President and CEO of TPS Parking Management, LLC (dba The Parking Spot), an owner and operator of off-airport parking facilities.  Mr. Nesbitt conceptualized and co-founded The Parking Spot with Penny Pritzker and was responsible for running all strategic and operating aspects of the Company.  Prior to launching The Parking Spot, Mr. Nesbitt was an officer of the Pritzker Realty Group, L.P. (“PRG”), the real estate group primarily responsible for Pritzker family business interests.  Prior to joining PRG, Mr. Nesbitt was an Equity Vice President and Investment Manager at LaSalle Partners with a variety of responsibilities, including investment management for regional retail properties and management and leasing for office projects and parking. Mr. Nesbitt currently serves on the Board of Directors of ForwardLine Financial, Treliant, Vanta Education and is a Trustee of the University of Phoenix. He also serves on the Board of Directors of CenterPoint Energy, Norfolk Southern Corporation and American Airlines Group.  Mr. Nesbitt is a Trustee of Chicago’s Museum of Contemporary Art and serves as Chairman of the Barack Obama Foundation. He is a former member of The University of Chicago Laboratory School Board, former Chairman of the Board of the Chicago Housing Authority and a former board member of the Chicago 2016 Olympic Committee. Mr. Nesbitt has been active in Big Brothers Big Sisters of America and has served as Chairman of the DuSable District of the Boy Scouts of America. Mr. Nesbitt was the national treasurer of President Barack Obama’s 2008 and 2012 presidential campaigns.

Francesca Cornelli

DEAN, KELLOGG SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT

Afternoon Keynote: A Different Kind of Private Equity

Francesca Cornelli is the dean of Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. She is also a professor of finance and holds the Donald P. Jacobs Chair of Finance. Previously, she was professor of finance and deputy dean at London Business School. She directed and advanced the highly regarded Private Equity Institute of London Business School, building a bridge between academia and practice by partnering with private equity leaders in London, alumni and top academics in the field.Cornelli is widely respected as an accomplished scholar and a leader in business education. Her research interests include corporate governance, private equity, privatization, bankruptcy, IPOs and innovation policy. She has published several papers in the major finance and economics journals, and she gives regular talks at major conferences and universities. She has been an editor of the Review of Financial Studies, one of the top three finance journals, and previously served on the board of editors of the Review of Economic Studies and as an associate editor at the Journal of Finance. She is a research fellow at the Center for Economic and Policy Research, and previously served as a director of the American Finance Association. Cornelli has vast international experience and has taught at some of the top schools in the world, including the Wharton School, the Fuqua School of Business at Duke University, The London School of Economics, the Indian School of Business in Hyderabad and the New Economic School in Moscow. She has also served as an independent board member of several global corporations, including financial institutions. In January 2016 she helped create and became a board member of AFFECT, a committee of the American Finance Association designed to promote the advancement of women academics in the field of finance.

Sally Pofcher

Operating Partner, L Catterton

Lunch Keynote: Unlocking Value Through Operating Partners

Sally Pofcher is an Operating Partner at L Catterton, the world’s leading consumer growth investor.  She is an active Board member on a number of portfolio businesses, advisor to a broader set of portfolio CEOs, and active in deal assessment. Sally was Chief Executive Officer of PaperSource from 2007-2015, and Chairman of the Board from 2015-2017.  Over eight years, Sally built a team that transformed the company into a design-driven brand, grew the company from 20 stores, to 120 stores by end of 2016, and delivered profitability in line with top-decile specialty retailers.  Sally led the sale process of Paper Source from Brentwood Associates to Investcorp in 2013, resulting in over 5x investor returns. Prior to Paper Source, Sally was SVP of Strategy and Business Development at Gap Inc. and a partner at McKinsey & Company.  During her years at McKinsey, Sally worked with a number of major branded companies and retailers on their growth strategies, format renewal, and operational processes.  She also spent three years at Citibank in New York and Latin America working with consumer companies. Sally has a Bachelor’s Degree from Georgetown University and an M.B.A. from Northwestern University/Kellogg Graduate School of Management. Sally has also served on the Boards of Claire’s and Pet Retail Brands (owned by Roark Capital).  Sally lives in Wilmette and has three daughters (ages 19, 17, and 7). She is a member of Young Presidents Organization.

Karin O'Connor

CLINICAL ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF INNOVATION & ENTREPRENEURSHIP, KELLOGG SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT

Lunch Keynote: Unlocking Value Through Operating Partners

Karin O’Connor has been an active investor in early- and growth-stage companies for over twenty years.  She currently serves as Clinical Assistant Professor at Kellogg, where she leads the school’s growth-stage entrepreneurship initiative and teaches its “Growth Strategy Practicum” courses.  She is also a Venture Partner at Serra Ventures, an early-stage venture capital firm headquartered in Champaign, IL, and leads the firm’s activities in the Chicago market, including recent investments in Markit Medical, Hazel Technologies, BuiltIn, and Tank Utility.  She is also active as an advisor to growth-stage companies including Aaron Equipment Company, Morey Corporation, and LumiSource LLC. From 2011 until 2014, Karin served as Managing Director of Hyde Park Angels, Chicago’s largest angel investor network.  She invested in fifteen companies with the group and served as HPA’s representative on the boards of portfolio companies FeeFighters, which was acquired by Groupon, Inc. in 2012 and Moxie Jean, which was acquired by Schoola in 2015. Karin received her BA in Finance from the University of Illinois, where she graduated magna cum laude and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa.  She earned her MBA from Kellogg, where she was an F.C. Austin Scholar and was elected to Beta Gamma Sigma.  Karin received a CFA (Chartered Financial Analyst) charter in 2007.

Jeff Cantalupo

Founder & Managing Partner, Listen Ventures

Morning Keynote: Perspectives on Trend Driven Innovation

As an entrepreneur and investor, Jeff Cantalupo has taken his passion for brand and helped entrepreneurs build theirs since founding Listen Ventures in 2010. Jeff has invested in over 20 early stage brands including consumer breakouts Calm, Raise and Angel’s Envy. He honed his craft at global ad agency, Leo Burnett, where he strategized, energized, and innovated some of the world's largest brands.  Jeff currently serves on the Board of Directors at startup brands – Factor_, Field and Farmer, Miss Grass and Codeverse. Jeff is also active in the community serving as a Board Member for Ronald McDonald House Charities Chicagoland and Northwest Indiana.

Mike Apostal

CEO, FACTOR_

Morning Keynote: Perspectives on Trend Driven Innovation

Mike Apostal is the Co-Founder, CEO, and President of the fresh-prepared meal company, Factor_ (formerly Factor 75). Mike’s diverse experiences have helped him grow Factor_ into a national leader that has also earned placement on the Inc. 5000 list of fastest growing private companies in America for three consecutive years (2017, 2018, 2019). Prior to Factor_ Mike was a Vice President at 2x Consumer Products Growth Partners (“2x Partners”), where he invested growth capital in early stage food, beverage, health, and beauty brands. Prior to 2x Partners, Mike spent time as an investment banker in the Consumer, Food, and Retail group at Houlihan Lokey where he advised food and beverage brands in mergers and acquisitions and capital raising activities. In addition, Mike has previously served as an associate intern with Hicks Equity Partners focusing on valuation of new investment opportunities and spent five-plus years in middle market commercial lending for food and beverage businesses. Mike received his B.B.A. from Marquette University with a dual concentration in Finance and Marketing and an M.B.A. from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. When not spending time with his wife, three daughters, and young son, he enjoys competing at most anything especially basketball, golf, Golden Tee, ping pong, and shuffleboard.

Linda Darragh

Clinical professor of entrepreneurial practice, Kellogg school of management

Morning Keynote: Perspectives on Trend Driven Innovation

Linda Darragh's professional and volunteer experience has focused on enhancing entrepreneurship in Chicago for three decades. Currently, Darragh is a clinical professor and oversees curricular and co-curricular activities for entrepreneurship and innovation at Kellogg. Previously, Darragh was the director of Entrepreneurship Programs at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and she also served as the Vice President of the Women's Business Development Center. Linda has been a long-time board member of the Chicagoland Entrepreneurial Center/1871 and recently received the 1871 Momentum Award for Entrepreneurial Champion 2018. She is also a co-founder and now serves on the investment committee of Impact Engine, a seed fund that supports for-profit businesses making the world a better place. Darragh received a Master's degree from the University of Toronto, and a Bachelor's degree from Queen's University.

Samara Mejia Hernandez

Founding Partner, Chingona Ventures 

The Mighty Middle Vs. The Coasts: Beyond Traditional Venture Ecosystems

Samara is Founding Partner of a institutionally-backed seed stage fund, Chingona Ventures, focusing on investing in technology and technology-enabled companies all over the U.S. Prior to this she was an early stage investor at MATH Venture Partners, an early-stage venture fund investing in technology start-ups with differentiated approaches to customer acquisition. In this capacity, she lead new investment review, diligence and execution. Prior to venture capital, Samara worked at Goldman Sachs, where she was continually ranked top 5 in selling financial products, providing market insights, advising on portfolio construction, and consulting on business practices. She started her career in the Fixed Income, Currency and Commodity (FICC) group where she lead multiple technology enhancing projects across global exchanges. Samara is actively involved in the Chicago tech community and passionate about helping underrepresented groups get into STEM education, venture capital and entrepreneurship. She co-founded the Latinx Founders Collective organization to bring together Latinx founders, investors, and community leaders to support the entrepreneurial ecosystem. Samara is an active member of Latinx VCs, a San-Francisco based group of experienced venture investors coming together to connect, engage, and foster the Latinx VC ecosystem. Samara earned an Industrial and Operations Engineering degree from the University of Michigan and a master’s degree in Business Administration from Northwestern University. She lives in Chicago with her husband Ben Hernandez (Kellogg ’13) and her one-year old son, Santi (future alum 2046). 

Rashmi Gopinath

Managing Director, B Capital

The Mighty Middle Vs. The Coasts: Beyond Traditional Venture Ecosystems

Rashmi Gopinath is a General Partner at B Capital leading enterprise investments globally. Previously, she was a Managing Director at M12, Microsoft's Venture Fund where she led enterprise investments globally in cloud infrastructure, cybersecurity, data & analytics, devops, and AI/ML. Prior to this, she was an Investment Director at Intel Capital focused on similar sectors. Rashmi has led over 21 investments with 10 exits including IPOs and acquisitions. She also held operating roles leading business development and marketing for high growth startups. Rashmi comes from a strong product and technical background having previously built products and taken them to market for Oracle and GE Healthcare. Rashmi has an MBA from Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University and a Bachelor of Engineering from University of Mumbai in India. 

Jim Dugan

Managing Partner & co-founder, OCA ventures

What’s Next: Trends & Economic Outlook in Venture Capital

Jim Dugan is the Chief Executive Officer, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of OCA Ventures. Prior to co-founding OCA Ventures in 2001, Jim oversaw the OCA Ventures Pledge Fund which made direct venture capital investments for the O’Connor Partners Investment Office. Jim has current board responsibilities for EdMap, SumRidge Partners, Campus Explorer, Impossible Objects, BigStep, Falcon Insurance Group and Solovis. In addition, Jim serves on the boards of the Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT) as Trustee, Illinois Tech Association (ITA), the Chicagoland Entrepreneurial Center (CEC), 1871, and NU Wave. Jim has over 25 years of corporate finance, capital markets, and venture capital investment experience. Prior to forming OCA Ventures, Jim traded derivatives at the Chicago Board of Trade and worked in corporate finance with Continental Bank. While at Continental Bank, Jim participated in the structured financing of companies ranging in capital size from $10 million to several billion dollars and in the formation of a $150 million subsidiary to fund mezzanine debt and equity financings. Jim received a BA in Economics from the University of Rochester and earned his MBA (MM) from the JL Kellogg Graduate School of Management. In addition to his responsibilities at OCA Ventures, Jim is a founding member of the Illinois Venture Capital Association (IVCA), where he formerly served five years as Treasurer, Director and member of the Executive Committee and was the 2013 Fellows Medal recipient. Prior to serving as Treasurer, Jim was the Chairman of the Legislative Committee for the IVCA, in which capacity he helped establish HB 3212 as Illinois law. Jim is also a charter member of Tie Network Chicago and Co-Founder/Treasurer of www.SmartBet.org. In his free time, Jim serves as a Regional Ambassador for the United States Olympic and Paralympic Foundation, and coaches travel girls lacrosse in the suburbs of Chicago.

Kevin Willer

Partner, Chicago Ventures   

What's Next: Trends & Economic Outlook in Venture Capital

Kevin is a General Partner at Chicago Ventures, a seed-stage venture capital fund where he is overseeing all aspects of CV including fund management, deal sourcing and investments, and working directly with portfolio companies.  He joined the fund in June 2013. From 2011 to 2013, Kevin was the Founding CEO of 1871, one of the top ranked incubators in the world serving hundreds of startups building their early-stage businesses located at Chicago’s famed Merchandise Mart.  Since Kevin helped launch 1871 in May 2012, the center has welcomed thousands of visitors to events and curated hundreds of workshops and office hours with mentors for entrepreneurs. In 2019, UBI ranked 1871 as the #1 Private Incubator in the world.  During Kevin’s time as CEO, high-profile visitors included former British Prime Minister David Cameron, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, former Twitter CEO Dick Costolo, AOL Founder Steve Case, Sun Microsystems co-founder Scott McNealy, and YouTube co-founder Steve Chen - shining a spotlight on Chicago’s growing tech startup community nationally and globally.  During this time, Kevin was also a Venture Partner at Pritzker Group Venture Capital, overseeing their early-stage Seed Investments. Previously, Kevin co-founded the Google Chicago office in late 2000.  In his over 10 years with Google, Kevin helped grow this office to more than 400 professionals and led relationships with some of Google’s largest marketing partners based in the Midwest.  Google has over 2,000 employees in Chicago today across 2 offices. Before Google, Kevin held business development positions at CMGI, an early internet incubator, and USRobotics, the pioneer in modem technology. Kevin is actively involved in several civic and charitable organizations.  He was named to Crain’s 2011 “40 Under 40” list as well as Crain’s 2012 Tech 50 list.  He is on the Board of Trustees of the Illinois Institute of Technology and of Loyola University Chicago.  He is a member of The Commercial Club of Chicago and Chairman of the Technology Membership Committee of The Economic Club of Chicago.  He currently serves on the boards of NorthShore University HealthSystem, the BigShoulders Fund, ChooseChicago, mHub, The Resurrection Project, the Future Founders Foundation, the CEC/1871, the Chicago Fire Foundation,and the inaugural Chicago Development Council for USA Soccer.  In 2011, he served on the steering committee for Mayor Emanuel’s Plan for Economic Growth and Jobs and currently is a member of the Mayor’s technology council, ChicagoNEXT. Previously, he was a Director of The Economic Club of Chicago and a Trustee of his alma mater, Loyola Academy. Kevin earned his MBA from the University of Chicago Booth Graduate School of Business (’10) where he previously served on the Executive Advisory Board for the Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship.  He earned a Bachelor’s degree from Boston College (’96) and studied at the London School of Economics.  Kevin, his wife Victoria, and their children, Jacqueline, Max and Lizzie, reside in Winnetka.

Matthew Yale

managing partner, Head of Regulatory Affairs, Tusk Ventures

Private Markets Under the Microscope: Regulation and Policy

Matthew is the Managing Partner at Tusk Ventures and the head of regulatory affairs. Tusk Ventures is one part venture capital firm, and one part political strategy firm that deploys both capital and political expertise to help start-ups break through regulatory barriers and operate at full speed. Matthew serves as the day-to-day lead on client service, regulatory engagement, and strategic counsel across the firm’s portfolio. Additionally, Matthew is the architect of a number of the firm’s high-stakes corporate and civic-facing campaigns as well as activist defense situations. Matthew was the matchmaker for the Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) acquisition of Whole Foods, as well as the quarterback of the successful consumer product defense of Lumber Liquidators (NYSE: LL) in 2016. Previously, Matthew was the senior vice president of global communications and public affairs at Laureate Education, Inc. (NASDAQ: LAUR). Before joining Laureate, Matthew served as deputy chief of staff for U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan. In this capacity, he was a senior advisor to the Secretary on policy and strategic planning and was the Department lead on a number of critical inter-agency initiatives, such as the H1N1 flu response. Before joining the Obama Administration, Matthew worked at Ariel Investments. As Ariel’s vice president of public affairs, he directed the firm’s civic, governmental, and political affairs. Prior to his work at Ariel, Matthew was an analyst for the Chicago-based investment banking firm Billow Butler & Company. Matthew earned his B.A. in Political Science from Northwestern University and his MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. He lives in Miami with his wife and two children.

Lindsey Simon

Founder & CEO, Simon Compliance

Private Markets Under the Microscope: Regulation and Policy

Lindsey Simon is the Founder and CEO of Simon Compliance, a boutique firm she started in 2010 to help investment advisers comply with the ever-changing laws and regulations in the securities industry.  Simon Compliance serves more than 75 clients, partnering with private equity funds, real estate funds, hedge funds, and venture capital funds to ensure a culture of compliance. Providing personalized service was Lindsey’s mission after working years in the legal and financial fields and recognizing the need for a firm such as Simon Compliance. With more than 20 years of experience as a securities professional, Lindsey has been featured in several industry publications, including The Wall Street Journal, Crain’s Chicago Business and Bloomberg Business Week.  She served as a Senior Attorney with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission in the Division of Enforcement and as General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer at Carpe Diem Capital Management, a Chicago-based hedge fund.  Lindsey was an Associate in the litigation department of the Chicago office of Winston & Strawn and also served as a law clerk for the Honorable William J. Bauer of the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals. She received her B.A., cum laude, from Emory University, and her J.D. from Northwestern University School of Law, where she was Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology. 

Meghan Otis

Co-Founder & Partner, Lightspring capital partners

What's Next: Trends & Economic Outlook in Private Equity

Meghan is a co-founder and Partner with Lightspring Capital Partners, a majority women-led and owned private investment firm focused on control-equity and mezzanine investments in the greater Midwest. Prior to launching Lightspring, Meghan was a Partner with Waveland Investments, a private investment firm focused on equity buyouts and growth investments.  Since 2000, Meghan has been actively involved in investing in and overseeing investments in a variety of industries including consumer products, manufacturing and distribution. Prior to Waveland, Meghan held professional roles with Goldman Sachs and Jones Lang LaSalle. Meghan earned an MBA from Harvard Business School and BA in Mathematics from Northwestern University.  She is a member of the Young Presidents’ Organization (YPO) and the Private Equity Women Investor Network.

Tim Lawler

Partner, Waud Capital

Creating Value Outside of Capital

Tim Lawler serves as Partner and Head of Human Capital at Waud Capital Partners, a growth-oriented middle market private equity firm with approximately $3B AUM. Waud Capital is based in downtown Chicago and focuses on partnering with exceptional management teams to build sector-leading companies within two industry verticals – Healthcare Services and Business and Technology Services. Tim leads Waud Capital’s Human Capital activities and manages a dedicated human capital advisory and executive search team. His team focuses on identifying leading executives in Waud Capital’s target niches and is responsible for building out management teams in new and existing platforms, as well as providing strategic human capital support to portfolio companies. Tim also leads key elements of talent management within the firm. Prior to joining Waud Capital, Tim founded T4 Capital Talent. Previously, he worked as Managing Director and Head of Talent Management for Highland Capital Management. Tim holds a B.B.A. from the University of Wisconsin in Milwaukee and an M.B.A. from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.

Stacey Dion

Managing Director & Head of Global Government Affairs, the Carlyle group

Private Markets Under the Microscope: Regulation and Policy

Stacey Dion serves as Managing Director and Head of Global Government Affairs. She is based in Washington, D.C. Ms. Dion leads Carlyle’s global government relations and public policy functions, collaborating with Carlyle senior executives and investment professionals to shape Carlyle’s global legislative and regulatory activities. Ms. Dion joined Carlyle in 2017 as a Managing Director, focusing on U.S. government regulatory and legislative matters. Prior to joining Carlyle, Ms. Dion served as Vice President of Corporate Public Policy for The Boeing Company, where she was responsible for developing and implementing the government relations strategy and tactics on corporate issues including tax, benefits, financial services, corporate governance, energy, environment, workforce training and education. In her career in government, Ms. Dion was Policy Advisor and Counsel in the Office of the Republican Leader, where she served as lead Republican staff for negotiating and drafting the Economic Stimulus Act of 2008 on behalf of the House Republican Leader Boehner. Prior to that, she served as Tax and Pension Policy Advisor in the Office of the Majority Leader and was responsible for drafting the Pension Protection Act of 2006 and managing the Tax Increase Prevention and Reconciliation Act of 2005. From 2002-2003, Ms. Dion worked in the Employee Benefits Security Administration in the United States Department of Labor, where she developed final regulations, rulings and advisory opinions on ERISA.  Ms. Dion began her career in a DC law firm. Ms. Dion earned her B.A. from Merrimack College and J.D. from The Catholic University of America.

Ben Dickson

Managing Director, American Securities

What's Next: Trends & Economic Outlook in Private Equity

Ben Dickson joined American Securities in 2011 and is a Managing Director. He is currently Chairman of the Board of NAPA, as well as a Director of Air Methods, Aspen Dental, and Emerald Performance Materials. Prior to joining American Securities, Ben worked at Active Interest Media as its director of corporate development and was responsible for designing and leading the company’s growth strategy. He has also worked as an investment professional with the private equity firms GTCR Golder Rauner and Wind Point Partners, and as a management consultant with McKinsey & Company. While in business school, Ben founded, built, and sold a technology company that assisted publishers with building their internet traffic. Ben received a BS in Accounting and Finance from Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business and an MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management.

BETSY Ziegler

CEO, 1871

What's Next: Trends & Economic Outlook in Venture Capital

Elizabeth “Betsy” Ziegler is the first female CEO of 1871, now the Number 1 ranked university affiliated -tech incubator in the world. Previous to 1871, Betsy was the Chief Innovation Officer at the Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University, responsible for portfolio innovation as well as integrating technology into the Kellogg educational experience. From 2011 through September 2015, she served as associate dean of degree programs and dean of students. Prior to Kellogg, she served as a principal in McKinsey & Company’s Chicago office where she led the firm’s Life Insurance Operations and Technology practice and co-led its Financial Institutions Operations and Technology practice. Ziegler holds an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School and received a B.A. in economics from The Ohio State University, where she graduated with distinction. She is a member of Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, and the Museum of Science and Industry Boards of Directors and an advisor and investor in many young technology companies.

Pam Hendrickson

COO & Vice Chairman, Strategic Initiatives, the Riverside Company

Private Markets Under the Microscope: Regulation and Policy

Pam joined Riverside in 2006 and serves as COO and Vice Chairman, Strategic Initiatives. Prior to joining Riverside, she served for 22 years at JP Morgan Chase in senior roles in Real Estate and the Private Bank including as Managing Director, Global Head, Lending and Liquidity Products; Managing Director, Chief Operating Officer, U.S. Private Bank. She is Currently a member of the Board of the American Investment Council; Past Chairman of the Board of the Association for Corporate Growth and has been a member of the board of the Small Business Investor Alliance. She is also a member of the advisory board of the Kenan Institute for Ethics at Duke University and a Trustee of the National Humanities Center. Pam earned an MBA, Finance and Marketing from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University; and a BA, Public Policy and History from Duke University.

Harisha Haigh

Managing Director, Northwestern university

The Value of Fostering a Diverse & Inclusive Firm

Ms. Haigh manages the Private Investments and Real Assets portfolios for Northwestern University’s $11 billion endowment. Ms. Haigh is responsible for all aspects of these portfolios, including venture capital, buyouts, real estate, and natural resources investments. Prior to joining Northwestern University in 2005, Ms. Haigh was a Principal at PPM America Capital Partners, LLC, the U.S. private equity manager for Prudential plc and Jackson National Life Insurance Company. She also worked in London for Silverfleet, a PPM affiliate, focusing on European middle market buyout transactions. She began her career in the investment banking department of ABN AMRO, concentrating on mergers and acquisitions of small and middle market companies. Ms. Haigh received a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Washington University in St. Louis and an MBA from Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management. Ms. Haigh is a CFA charterholder.

Suzanne Yoon

Founder & Managing Partner, Kinzie Capital Partners    

The Future of Private Equity Firm Models

Suzanne Yoon is the Founder and Managing Partner of Kinzie Capital Partners, a private equity firm focused on making control investments in lower middle market companies with up to $15mm of EBITDA. Prior to Kinzie, Ms. Yoon was a Managing Director of Versa Capital Management, a private equity firm where she led transaction development throughout North America. Prior to Versa, Ms. Yoon was a Senior Vice President of CIT Group, co-founded LaSalle Bank/ABN AMRO's Corporate Restructuring Group, and held positions in distressed loan portfolio management and advisory at LaSalle Bank and Ernst & Young's Corporate Finance Group, respectively. Ms. Yoon currently serves as an Executive Committee Board Trustee and Chair of the Investment Committee for the National Philanthropic Trust, a donor-advised fund managing approximately $8 billion in assets.  She is also a member of the Board of Directors of HFS Chicago Scholars, the Council of Korean Americans and steering committee member of PEWIN (Private Equity Women’s Investor Network) and WAVE (Women’s Association of Venture and Equity).  Ms. Yoon is an Executive Scholar from Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management and received a Bachelors in Economics from the University of Iowa.

Greg Jones

co-founder & Partner, The Edgewater Funds

What's Next: Trends & Economic Outlook in Private Equity

Greg is the co-founder and partner in the $2.4 billion (in committed capital) Chicago based Edgewater Private Equity Funds and serves on the portfolio company boards of Brilliance Technology, American Piping Products, Haystax, Industrial Services Solutions, Salter Labs, US Logistics, Unitech Aerospace, Confluent Health, Family Home Health and Testing Services Solutions. Prior to joining Edgewater, Greg has held CEO and senior management positions with three companies. Greg co-founded uBid.com, a leading online auction marketplace, and became its CEO and Chairman. In four years, he built the company’s revenues to $500 million and had a successful IPO. The company was subsequently sold for nearly $500 million. Prior to uBid.com, Greg was at APAC Teleservices, Inc., becoming Senior Vice President. During his tenure, APAC increased revenues from $100 million to $276 million and completed a highly successful IPO. Prior to APAC, he was President and COO of the Reliable Corporation of Chicago, a $200 million dollar revenue direct marketing business which was sold to Boise Cascade. Philanthropically, Greg served as Past Chairman of the Board of the ($2+ billion in revenue) NorthShore University HealthSystem. He serves on the boards of Accelerate Institute, Chicago Botanic Garden, Lyric Opera of Chicago and Miami University (Business School Board). Greg is a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago, the Chicago Commonwealth Club and the Economic Club. He has received the State of Michigan Leadership Award, the 1999 Ernst & Young and the KPMG Entrepreneur of the Year awards. He was inducted into the University of Illinois-Chicago’s Entrepreneur Hall of Fame and is an Entrepreneurial Fellow at Miami University, Ohio. He is also a past Chicago Chapter Chairman of the Young Presidents’ Organization and is currently a member of YPO Gold and is Chicago City Chair for Chief Executives Organization. Greg earned a B.S. in marketing from Miami University (Ohio) and has an MBA in marketing and finance from the Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University.

Peter Carroll

Operating Partner, Jump Capital

Creating Value Outside of Capital

Pete Carroll is an Operating Partner at Jump Capital, a venture capital firm based in Chicago.  He has operated, advised, and held board roles at a number of Jump’s portfolio companies including deep engagements in executive roles (CEO and CFO).  His general management and strategic finance engagements at these technology companies have crossed industry sectors as well as varying company stages including start-up/ Series A and B and all the way through exits.  In his career he has held operating partner roles across venture capital and private equity and has a background rooted in financial and commercial strategy as well as corporate development / M&A. He received a bachelor’s of science in mathematics and management from Purdue University, and an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.

Walter Florence

managing Partner, Frontenac

The Value of Fostering a Diverse & Inclusive Firm

Walter Florence is a Managing Partner at Frontenac. He shares responsibility for management of the firm and focuses on investments in the consumer, food and business services.  He is a director of Salient CRGT, Schlotterbeck & Foss, Spice Chain Corporation, and Whitebridge Pet Products. Walter’s prior investments and directorships include Alfalfa’s, Aspire Media, F+W Media, H-E Parts, Health Valley Foods, Mercer Foods LLC, Sigma Corporation, SI International, and Wenner Bread Products. Walter is a former Chairman and current Board Member of the Illinois Venture Capital and Private Equity Association (IVCA), and recipient of the 2018 Fellows Medal for outstanding contributions to the private equity profession and the IVCA. Walter joined Frontenac in 1995 from Bear, Stearns & Co. Inc, where he worked in investment banking. A Pittsburgh native, Walter graduated cum laude from Dartmouth College and received an MBA with distinction from the J.L. Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.

John Hennegan

Partner, Shore Capital Partners

Creating Value Outside of Capital

John is a co-founder of Shore Capital Partners, a microcap private equity firm focused on partnering with companies that have $1-10 million of EBITDA. John is primarily responsible for the sourcing and evaluation of healthcare investment opportunities and operating executives. Additionally, John serves as Chairman and maintains lead responsibility for the Florida Autism Center, Behavioral Innovations, BrightView, and Southern Orthodontic Partners investments where he actively works with management to identify and implement new growth initiatives. He is a Director for Golden Bear Physical Therapy and was a past Director of ClearPath Diagnostics, Fast Pace Urgent Care, and The Stepping Stones Group. Prior to founding Shore, John worked at Henry Crown & Company, the private investing firm for the Crown family of Chicago. While at Henry Crown, John completed the acquisition of Formax (now Provisur Technologies) and worked with management to identify and pursue multiple add-on acquisitions. Prior to joining Henry Crown, John worked in Citigroup's investment banking division in New York and Chicago providing merger and strategic advisory services for companies across a diverse set of industries. John earned his M.B.A. with Distinction from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University where he was an Austin Scholar and received a B.S. with Honors from the University of Illinois.

Alpa Patel

Partner, Kirkland & Ellis

Private Markets Under the Microscope: Regulation and Policy

Alpa Patel is a partner in the Investment Funds Regulatory Solutions Group of Kirkland & Ellis in Chicago. Prior to joining Kirkland, she served as Branch Chief of the Private Funds Branch of the Investment Adviser Regulation Office in the SEC’s Division of Investment Management in Washington, D.C. At Kirkland, Ms. Patel’s practice focuses on counseling U.S. and non-U.S. investment advisers regarding the complex regulatory framework in which they operate. As a former regulator, she is able to provide insightful and practical guidance to clients grappling with issues related to the structure, management, and operations of their advisory business. She provides counsel to all types of investment advisers, including advisers registered with the SEC or state securities authorities, unregistered advisers, exempt reporting advisers, and family offices, regarding the establishment, marketing, operations of the funds and products they offer, such as separately-managed accounts, private equity funds, hedge funds, real estate funds, venture capital funds, and co-investment vehicles. Ms. Patel also routinely counsels clients through SEC examinations and enforcement actions. While at the SEC, Ms. Patel helped develop various rule proposals under the Advisers Act and provided technical assistance on the interpretation and application of the Advisers Act rules to all types of registered investment advisers. As head of the Private Funds Branch in the Division of Investment Management, she was a key adviser on all private fund-related projects and priorities across the SEC. She regularly consulted with the Office of Compliance Inspections and Examination (OCIE) and the Division of Enforcement on interpretive matters regarding the application of the securities laws to private fund advisers, as well as market practices in the private equity and hedge fund industries. She also represented the SEC on various interagency projects with the Department of Treasury, the Federal Reserve Board, and others regarding policy matters that had implications on asset managers and the private fund industry in particular. Ms. Patel is a frequent speaker on regulatory issues related to the asset management industry.

Joydeep Bhattacharyya

General Partner, Canaan Ventures

The Mighty Middle Vs. The Coasts: Beyond Traditional Venture Ecosystems

Joydeep Bhattacharyya joined Canaan in 2016 and leads investments in security and mobile-first platforms within Canaan’s Enterprise and Cloud practice. Prior to Canaan, Joydeep was an investor with Shasta Ventures where he also led investments in the Enterprise/Cloud space. His experience in SaaS is rooted in the founding days of Microsoft Office 365 and Microsoft Skype for Business (formerly Lync Online), where he ran R&D, IT Operations and Customer Support teams. When at Microsoft he was awarded two US patents. Joydeep led Canaan’s investments in Leanplum, MindTickle, PerimeterX and Countable and sits on the boards of Beckon, Countable, Leandplum, MindTickle and PerimeterX. His previous investments include Skycure (acquired by Symantec in 2017), Neumob (acquired by Cloudfare in 2017) and Ascend.io. Joydeep received a M.B.A. from the Kellogg School of Management, where he was a CRTI fellow, and a B.E. degree in Computer Science and Engineering from Jadavpur University.

Sonia Nagar

Partner, Pritzker Group venture capital

What’s Next: Trends & Economic Outlook in Venture Capital

Sonia joined Pritzker Group Venture Capital in 2016. She is responsible for sourcing, diligence and oversight for the firm’s investments in consumer and emerging technologies. Most recently, Sonia was vice president of product and head of mobile apps for RetailMeNot (NASDAQ: SALE), responsible for cross-platform strategy and leading an app redesign that earned a 2015 People’s Voice Webby Award for Best Shopping App. Sonia joined RetailMeNot in 2014 following its acquisition of Pickie, the venture-backed mobile shopping start-up she co-founded in 2011. Prior to Pickie, Sonia was a senior associate for Booz & Company leading post-merger integration and growth strategy projects for digital media and retail clients. Previously she worked in product management, investment banking, and engineering roles with Amazon, Goldman Sachs and General Motors. Sonia is on the board of directors of Interior Define, Wander Beauty and Sittercity, was on the board of directors of Curiosity.com (exited), and led Pritzker Group’s investments in Maisonette, Repurpose, Rael, Radswan and Cameo. Sonia holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering, magna cum laude, from the University of Michigan and an MBA from Harvard Business School.

David Badler

Partner, Susquehanna Growth Equity

Creating Value Outside of Capital

David Badler is a Director with Susquehanna Growth Equity. He leads Portfolio Value Creation where he partners with founders and their teams to accelerate growth. Portfolio Value Creation proactively collaborates with portfolio leadership teams on their terms on key strategic, go-to-market, talent-related, and operational topics. He is also responsible for SGE-sponsored community building and events. Before SGE, David was the COO of SAP’s industry-specific, finance, and supply-chain software sales organizations, with functional responsibility for operations, marketing, enablement, and strategic topics. Prior, he was a Principal at the Boston Consulting Group working on a variety of growth strategy, pricing, sales force effectiveness, and operational excellence projects. He started his career founding MarchingOrder.com in 1999; a cloud company focused on making graduation ceremonies better for everyone. David graduated with an M.B.A. from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University with distinction where he was Siebel Scholar. He also has a B.S. in Economics from The Wharton School and a B.S. in Computer Science from the University of Pennsylvania.

Denny Chandler

Managing Director, Akoya Capital

The Future of Private Equity Firm Models

Denny Chandler has a 40-year track record of leading consumer products businesses successfully to realize their full potential. His experience spans globally and includes executive leadership roles at large public companies earlier in his career before transitioning his focus to private equity. He has had extensive experience with turnarounds, restructurings, strategic realignments, and M&A. Denny joined Akoya Capital Partners in 2014 as Consumer Products Sector Leader. Prior to joining Akoya Denny led privately held Identity Group Holdings through a financial restructuring and successful turnaround as its CEO and member of the Board of Directors. Prior experience includes a successful fifteen-year career at ACCO Brands, a business unit of Fortune Brands. As President and Chief Operating Officer from 2004 through 2008, he was a key member of the executive team that successfully led the spin-off of ACCO from Fortune Brands, ACCO’s merger with General Binding Co. and its ultimate transition to a NYSE publicly listed company. Before ACCO Brands, Denny held several executive level positions including Division President at Bell + Howell, VP Brand Marketing for Walt Disney Consumer Products and VP & General Manager at Wilson Sporting Goods. Denny earned an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University and a degree in marketing from Indiana University. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of Akoya’s portfolio company Indigo Signworks and, prior to exit, had served on the boards of privately- owned Identity Group, Fiber Mark and SED International.

Jana Kovich

Associate, Latham & Watkins

The Mighty Middle Vs. The Coasts: Beyond Traditional Venture Ecosystems

Jana Kovich is a corporate associate in the Chicago office of Latham & Watkins where she is a member of the Emerging Companies Practice. Jana represents startups, venture capital firms, and family offices across a broad range of industries. She advises on early-stage formation and strategy, venture capital financing, board composition and investor relations, transaction structuring and negotiation, mergers and acquisitions, and day-to-day corporate governance. Jana’s transactional work involving emerging company investments includes regularly advising venture capital firms and other investors, including GreatPoint Ventures, Drive Capital, DNS Capital, Sapphire Ventures, and Pritzker Family Business Interests. Her representative work with mature and early-stage companies includes, Rivian Automotive, Root Insurance, Monolith Materials, Inc., Homie Technology, OmniSci, Raise Marketplace, Envoy Global, Calysta, Inteliquent, and GoNanny. Jana is active in the Chicago startup community, teaching venture capital finance to female founders of tech startups in partnership with WiSTEM and 1871. She also currently serves as a member of the firm’s Recruiting Committee.