StartUP FIU
About the author: Admin
Throughout a twenty year career in acquisitions and divestitures, Terence Bentley has managed or closed over 40 transactions, ranging from VC investments to individual transactions up to $3 billion, for Automatic Data Processing, Lucent Technologies, Siemens USA and others. These transactions included applications services, network software, fiber optics, network equipment, LAN switching systems, semiconductors, aerospace components, and manufacturing technology. He has served as VP Marketing for a fiber optic LAN startup, and is currently involved in several emerging technology energy startups. Currently, he serves as a Mentor for StartupQuest, and has led teams to Business Plan wins in these events. He’s considered hundreds of business plans during his career.
Bentley is active in the technology corporate development community, having co-founded the New Jersey chapter of the Association for Corporate Growth and served on the Boards of ACG’s New York and New Jersey chapters. He has delivered seminars on Corporate Development to diverse audiences, including the MBA programs at NYU-Stern and Wharton. Terence has served on industry panels and participated in numerous speaking engagements. He has been published in Corporate Dealmaker and M&A magazine, and is a twenty-year member of the IEEE. In 1998, he became a co-founder, investor, and board member of Starlight Resources, a successful energy company sold in 2006 to a private equity investor.
Prior to entering corporate development, he developed a practical understanding of corporate operations as a product manager, delivering more than 30 products to market in local and wide area networks, and cable television network systems. Terence holds a MBA in strategy and finance from the Carroll School of Management at Boston College.
Jonathan is a SVP for Merrill Lynch’s Global Wealth Management. He successfully runs an international division, successfully integrated the US Trust purchase to Bank of America, is viewed as the “go to” person for tough projects and designed executive performance management processes for increased sales and operational efficiencies leading to significant cost reduction and increased sales. His previous leadership positions include senior manager at Actrade Financial and director of operations for The Township of Cherry Hill, New Jersey.
Jonathan served as an intern in the Senate Judiciary Committee for Arlen Spector and went on to serve in President Clinton’s White House as an intern. Currently, he serves on various non-profit boards.
Areas of Expertise: Executive Management, Strategic and Financial Analysis, Sales and Marketing, Operations and Project Management
Erin A. Martin is a Registered Patent Attorney with the United States Patent and Trademark Office and a licensed attorney with the Florida Bar. Erin is an associate attorney with the Concept Law Group, P.A. and an Executive Board Member of the Intellectual Property Law Association of Florida (I.P.L.A.F). Erin assists clients in the prosecution and litigation of Copyrights, Patents, and Trademarks. Erin has prosecuted patent applications in several major areas, including medical devices, safety devices, building construction, alternative-power devices, mechanical devices, computer networking, clothing, and many more.
Areas of Expertise: Intellectual Property, Biomedical Sciences
Jackie is Managing Director of Bell Rock Capital, LLC., leading the firm’s research and portfolio strategy group and is frequently accessed as a resource by the national media, including CNBC, Bloomberg television and radio, The Wall Street Journal, Business Week and various other printed media. Our mission is to deliver returns consistent with client goals.
Prior to joining Bell Rock Capital, Ms. Reeves was Managing Director at Ryan Beck & Co., leading the financial institutions research effort. She was responsible for a research team with more than a hundred companies under coverage with market capitalizations ranging from $20 million to $30 billion. Her coverage universe has included regional commercial banks across the entire country, trust companies, and Florida community banks and thrifts. Jackie performs extensive financial modeling and analysis including five to seven year earnings projections, discounted cash flow and valuation analysis.
Areas of Expertise: Financial Modeling and Projections, Research and Analysis, Strategic Planning, Pitch Coaching and Mastery
As Partner for Broad and Cassel, Matthew represents privately and publicly held companies in connection with partnerships, joint ventures, mergers and acquisitions, contract negotiation, employment-related matters, executive compensation (including equity incentives), private and public offerings of securities, securities law compliance, corporate governance, business formation and entity selection.
Matthew is well versed in the preparation and negotiation of a wide range of agreements including partnership agreements, shareholder agreements, supply and distribution agreements, employment agreements, registration statements, prospectuses, commercial leases and license agreements. In addition, Matthew works with senior executives, and acts as primary outside counsel, for clients in a broad range of industries.
Areas of Expertise: Business Formation and Ownership Issues, Equity and Debt Financing, Contract Negotiation and Drafting
Currently Vice President, Private Banker at J.P. Morgan Private Bank, Monica works with High Net Worth individuals, families, and private foundations, providing creative solutions for optimizing their balance sheet through financial planning, trusts and wealth transfer strategies, private banking and investments.
As a former Investment Analyst for Lydian Wealth Management (Sabadell Bank), Monica generated customized investment mandates while overseeing the implementation of investment strategies in client portfolios and ongoing portfolio re-balancing.
Areas of Expertise: Business Development and Strategic Planning, Risk Assessment, Portfolio Management, Capital Markets
Geno Valdes, President and CEO of Sunburst Farms, has led the company through its growth and development as the largest integrated fresh cut flower grower and importer in the U.S. He helped to develop a valuable and respected brand that demanded a premium in the highly fragmented market, and is responsible for a marketing strategy that helped the company achieve double digit sales growth and its eventual sale to Dole Food company in 1998.
Areas of Expertise: Strategic Planning Development, Business Development, Sales and Marketing, Cost Reduction and Process Mapping
CEO and Co-founder of Forte Interactive. Mr. Williams started Forte Interactive in 1999 as a web-based software development firm. Through his leadership Forte has evolved into a leading provider of robust SaaS solutions for the Nonprofit and Endurance Sports markets.
As the founder of Rocket Scientists, Mr. Williams grew this start up from a part-time business to a successful IT Services company until it was sold in 2000.