Melville, NY – July 17, 2014 – The Long Island Capital Alliance (“LICA”), the leading non-profit capital formation and business development organization serving regional companies, today announced the presenting companies and panelists for its Consumer Products Capital Forum to be held on Thursday, July 24, 2014. The capital forum is being held in an effort to facilitate raising capital to accelerate the growth of consumer products businesses on Long Island.
Six local consumer products companies will present their business plans to investors, including attendees from venture capital firms, investment banks, private equity firms, angel and other individual investors. Each of the companies LICA selected for presentation at the capital forum possesses unique consumer and brand appeal with catalysts for significant growth which will be attractive to investors.
Consumer Products Capital Forum on July 24, 2014 – Participants
Panel of Investors
The following investment professionals will participate in the investor panel at the Consumer Products Capital Forum:
Harris Berenholz, Carpe Diem Advisors LLC: Mr. Berenholz is the founder of investment management firm Carpe Diem Advisors LLC. Mr. Harris's career spans over 35 years on both the buy-side and sell-side, with significant experience in the consumer product and retail sectors. In addition to making investments in small public and private companies, Carpe Diem provides and markets investment ideas, research and analytical services primarily to independent investment managers, hedge fund managers and family offices.
Michael Felman, MSF Capital Advisors: Michael Felman is President and CEO of MSF Capital Advisors, a global multi-family office/merchant bank. His firm represents family offices and high net worth individuals in their investing activities.
Mark I. Lev, Aracle Capital: Mr. Lev is Co-Founder and Managing Director of Aracle Capital and has raised capital for emerging growth companies for over 30 years.
Steve Warsaw, Miller Tabak: Mr. Warsaw oversees the firm's investment banking efforts and has nearly 15 years of investment banking, private equity and corporate finance experience, concentrating in consumer products and retail businesses.
Presenting Companies
Admiral Tech: SpaceMaker Outdoor Flooring extends your outdoor lifestyle by creating dry living areas and useful storage zones while protecting your foundation from water damage.Digital Beverages: Digital Beverages’ revolutionary and eco-friendly product, MyFountain, is a digitally controlled beverage dispensing machine which allows users to create their own personal beverages and with one touch, dispensable at work, at home or commercially. Digital Impact Group: Digital Impact Group creates, produces and distributes digital content for all forms of media and specializes in seamlessly integrating branding and products with digital content to create “media brands.”
Flower Turbines: Flower Turbines has unique aerodynamic designs for small vertical axis wind turbines with advantages that facilitate mass production, a mass sales model and a growth model similar to solar.
Kitchen Table Bakers: Kitchen Table Bakers manufactures a line of 100% Baked Parmesan Crisps that are wheat-free, gluten-free, sugar-free and low in carbs, which have become a staple of both the specialty food and health food market.
Sprayology: Sprayology is a unique and modern health & wellness brand that develops and markets a broad range of FDA-regulated homeopathic & vitamin oral sprays.
LICA is hosting the Consumer Products Capital Forum on Thursday, July 24, 2014 from 8:00 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. at 68 South Service Road, Melville, NY. The capital forum provides an opportunity to meet capital providers, entrepreneurs, industry executives and businesses seeking capital, as well as to hear a panel of industry experts discuss financing alternatives for consumer products companies.
For more information about the event, please contact LICA today or register online.
About the Long Island Capital Alliance
Since 1984, the Long Island Capital Alliance (www.licapital.org), formerly known as Long Island Venture Group, has been promoting business growth on Long Island. LICA seeks to create a productive and business-friendly environment that will afford area businesses access to the resources necessary to compete successfully in today’s markets. LICA serves as a focal point for the exchange of ideas among new and existing business enterprises, successful entrepreneurs, investors, and service providers. Through quarterly capital forums and special meetings, LICA brings together members of the region’s business community, and has been recognized as the place to turn to when small businesses need equity, debt, or other financing, or for investors to find an attractive investment opportunity.
LICA’s mission is to encourage economic development on Long Island by facilitating capital formation for a broad range of companies in various industries, from early stage to mature, middle market, closely held and publicly-traded businesses. LICA accomplishes this primarily through education, networking, quarterly capital forums, periodic special educational meetings, and alliances with other regional organizations. LICA brings together members of the region's business community and serves as the finance arm for significant local business and organizations.
For more information on LICA and its next event, please contact LICA today or register online.
Contact:
Jordan Darrow
Darrow Associates, Inc.
(631) 367-1866
jdarrow@darrowir.com
Save the Date: Consumer Products Capital Forum on July 24, 2014
Melville, NY – May 15, 2014 – The Long Island Capital Alliance (“LICA”), the leading non-profit capital formation and business development organization serving regional companies, today announced the successful completion of its Biotech Capital Forum held on Friday, May 9, 2014. Held in collaboration with North Shore-LIJ Health System’s Feinstein Institute for Medical Research and Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, the event provided an opportunity to bring together capital providers, entrepreneurs, industry executives and businesses seeking capital, as well as to hear a panel of industry experts discuss financing alternatives for biotechnology companies on Long Island which was moderated by LICA Board Member Michael A. Lane.
Seven local biotechnology companies presented their business plans to investors, including attendees from venture capital firms, investment banks, private equity firms, angel and other individual investors. Each of the companies LICA selected for presentation at the capital forum possesses unique technologies and catalysts for significant growth which are attractive to investors.
“The Long Island Capital Alliance’s second annual Biotech Capital Forum was a resounding success on multiple fronts, and we thank North Shore-LIJ Health System’s Feinstein Institute for Medical Research and Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory for their contributions,” said Neil Kaufman, Chairman of LICA. “Over 100 attendees joined us for the three hour event. 14 follow-up dialogues with potential investors have already been reported to us by five of the presenting companies, and we are confident that many more will follow. Another benefit of the capital forum is the opportunity for networking, which in this case resulted in one of the presenting companies considering engaging a highly experienced business leader in attendance at the event for its CEO position.”
“This was my first time at a LICA event. I found the presenting companies to be involved in breakthrough research, their presentations were engaging and the presenters well prepared. These companies are definitely worthy of funding. This is a real tribute to LICA,” said Doug Jamison, a panelist and Chief Executive Officer of biotech investment fund Harris & Harris Group.
“The quality of the presenting companies was excellent, as was the quality of the discussions after the event. It is clear that Long Island will continue to be a source of major innovation for a long time to come,” said James Ryan III, a panelist with seed investor and venture capital firm Scout Ventures.
“The presentation at LICA was a great experience and I enjoyed meeting with a number of like-minded entrepreneurs,” said Pavel Osten, who presented for Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory’s Certerra, Inc.
“As an early-stage company seeking to raise capital, CirrusHealth was pleased to be part of LICA's Capital Forum. The opportunity has led to a number of high-potential follow-up conversations and was an excellent networking opportunity,” commented Thomas Thornton, who presented for Feinstein Institute for Medical Research’s CirrusHealth.
“The LICA forum gave us a great opportunity to showcase our company and network with qualified investors. The forum provides start-up companies with an invaluable source of connections, promoting fruitful partnerships,” added Isabel Aznarez, Ph.D., who presented for Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory’s ASOThera.
Biotech Capital Forum Presenting Companies
The following companies made presentations at the Long Island Capital Forum:
ASOThera: Developing new therapies for orphan diseases based on technology developed at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory and already proven by Big Pharma.
Autoimmune Therapeutics, Inc.: Developing orally-available drug candidates to treat autoimmune disease, with initial focus on rheumatoid arthritis, based on proprietary small molecule scaffolds and pharmaceutical leads that inhibit macrophage migration inhibitory factor.
Certerra, Inc.: Contract research organization specializing in central nervous system with technology based on single neuron-level monitoring of mammalian brains.
CirrusHealth: Electronic discharge system to improve doctor patient communications.
DepYMed: Joint venture between CSHL and Ohr Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: OHRP) to develop a drug for obesity, diabetes and HER2 cancer based on trodusquemine and related analogs.
Envisagenics, Inc.: Big data software solution that significantly reduces uncertainty and time to market for drugs under development.
TheraSource, LLC: Developing protein/peptide-based drugs based on MFG-E8 for inflammatory diseases, including sepsis, hemorrhagic shock, ischemia/reperfusion-induced injury, stroke, acute radiation syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis, and inflammatory bowel disease.
Biotech Capital Forum Panel of Industry Investors
The following investment professionals participated in the panel discussion at the Long Island Capital Forum:
Doug Jamison, Harris & Harris Group: Doug Jamison is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Harris & Harris Group (NASDAQ: TINY), a leading early stage biotech investment fund. He is a member of the Board of Directors of Ancora Pharmaceuticals, Inc., and a Board observer in ABS Materials, Inc., Mersana Therapeutics, Inc., Solazyme, Inc., Nextreme Thermal Solutions, Inc., and Metabolon, Inc.
James Ryan III, Scout Ventures: James Ryan is Controller at Scout Ventures, a technology seed and venture fund. In addition, he is the Founder and CEO of The IllumiFi Group, an ‘Outsourced CFO’ for entrepreneurial firms.
Joe Proto, Windham Venture Partners: Joe Proto is a founder and general partner of Windham Venture Partners, a leading life sciences technology venture capital firm. He also is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Transactis Inc., sits on the Board of Directors of BillMyParents, and is a limited partner and advisor in Metamorphic Ventures.
Steve Winick, Topspin Partners: Steve Winick is a principal of Topspin Partners, one of Long Island’s leading venture capital firms. He presently serves as a Director of Thermolift, Inc., Celmatix, Inc., Setpoint Medical, Inc., Mirimus, Inc., GenDX, Inc. and Certerra, Inc.
Next LICA Capital Forum
LICA is hosting aConsumer Products Capital Forum on Thursday, July 24, 2014 from 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. at 68 South Service Road, Melville, NY. The capital forum provides an opportunity to meet capital providers, entrepreneurs, industry executives and businesses seeking capital, as well as to hear a panel of industry experts discuss financing alternatives for consumer products companies.
About The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research
Headquartered in Manhasset, NY, The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research is home to international scientific leaders in many areas including Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, psychiatric disorders, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, sepsis, human genetics, pulmonary hypertension, leukemia, neuroimmunology, and medicinal chemistry. The Feinstein Institute, part of the North Shore-LIJ Health System, ranks in the top 6th percentile of all National Institutes of Health grants awarded to research centers. For more information, visit www.FeinsteinInstitute.org.
About Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
Founded in 1890, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) has shaped contemporary biomedical research and education with programs in cancer, neuroscience, plant biology and quantitative biology. CSHL is ranked number one in the world by Thomson Reuters for impact of its research in molecular biology and genetics. The Laboratory has been home to eight Nobel Prize winners.
Today, CSHL’s multidisciplinary scientific community is more than 600 researchers and technicians strong and its Meetings & Courses program hosts more than 12,000 scientists from around the world each year to its Long Island campus and its China center. Tens of thousands more benefit from the research, reviews, and ideas published in journals and books distributed internationally by CSHL Press. The Laboratory's education arm also includes a graduate school and programs for undergraduates as well as middle and high school students and teachers. CSHL is a private, not-for-profit institution on the north shore of Long Island. For more information, visit www.cshl.edu.
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LICA Collaborates with Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory and The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research on the Event
Melville, NY – May 1, 2014 – The Long Island Capital Alliance (“LICA”), the leading non-profit capital formation and business development organization serving regional companies, today announced the presenting companies and panelists for its Biotech Capital Forum to be held on Friday, May 9, 2014. The capital forum is being held in collaboration with North Shore-LIJ Health System’s Feinstein Institute for Medical Research and Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory in an effort to facilitate raising capital to accelerate the growth of biotech businesses on Long Island.
Seven local biotechnology companies will present their business plans to investors, including attendees from venture capital firms, investment banks, private equity firms, angel and other individual investors. Each of the companies LICA selected for presentation at the capital forum possesses unique technologies and catalysts for significant growth which will be attractive to investors.
“We are pleased to be collaborating for a second time with Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory and welcome The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research in participating in our Biotech Capital Forum,” said Neil Kaufman, Chairman of LICA. “These two world-class research institutions have developed seven very promising companies which will present at our Biotech Capital Forum. The volume and magnitude of research being conducted there continues to produce compelling growth companies, enabling LICA to present its Biotech Capital Forum for the second consecutive year, and we hope to continue to do so annually. We are also excited to have an extraordinarily accomplished investor panel provide their insight on these presenting companies and on biotech industry investment trends.”
Biotech Capital Forum on May 9, 2014 – Participants
The following investment professionals will participate in the investor panel at the Biotech Capital Forum:
Cirrus Health: Electronic discharge system to improve doctor patient communications.
LICA, in collaboration with The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research and Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, is hosting the Biotech Capital Forum on Friday, May 9, 2014 from 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. at 68 South Service Road, Melville, NY. The capital forum provides an opportunity to meet capital providers, entrepreneurs, industry executives and businesses seeking capital, as well as to hear a panel of industry experts discuss financing alternatives for bio tech companies.
For more information on LICA and its next event, please LICA today or register online.
Save the Date: Biotech Company Capital Forum May 9, 2014
in collaboration with Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory and
Feinstein Institute for Medical Research at North Shore-Long Island Jewish Medical System
Melville, NY – March 25, 2014– The Long Island Capital Alliance (“LICA”), the leading non-profit capital formation and business development organization serving regional companies, today announced the successful completion of its Technology Company Capital Forum held on March 7, 2014. The capital forum provided an opportunity bring together capital providers, entrepreneurs, industry executives and businesses seeking capital, as well as to hear a panel of industry experts discuss financing alternatives for technology companies which was moderated by LICA President Corey Massella.
Each of the companies LICA selected for presentation at the capital forum possessed unique technologies and catalysts for significant growth which will be attractive to investors. These investment opportunities include companies that offer cloud-based software-as-as-service solutions, internet applications, digital media services, online advertising, manufacturing technologies, and mobile device and healthcare IT platforms.
“Our Long Island Capital Forum delivered an impressive lineup of exciting technology growth companies,” said Neil Kaufman, Chairman of LICA. “These companies had an opportunity to present their business plans the highest number of investors we’ve had in attendance since LICA has begun this industry-focused series of capital forums, highlighted by an outstanding panel discussion among four leading technology investors. The entire LICA board is gratified that our presenters and investors were significantly interested in each other.”
“As a presenter at the Long Island Capital Alliance Technology Company Capital Forum, I experienced a professionally managed forum with an opportunity to share our early stage company with a diverse group of potential investors,” said Douglas Schmohl, CEO of FlightPartner. “With guidance from Neil Kaufman, we were able to refine our pitch and gain the interest of two capital management groups.”
“I found the companies presenting at the LICA Technology Companies Capital Forum to be very interesting with tremendous potential. A few could be IPO ready in just a few months, which would create high tech and high paying job opportunities right here on Long island,” said Steve Lichaw, an investment banker for Stern Aegis Group and a panelist at the event.
“LICA was a great experience for me. As a start-up CEO, I pitch at many Angel events, but it's not often that I have such a quality experience speaking with audience members after the event,” commented Jenna Dreher Fernandes. “Everyone was excited about my company, CareBooker, and wanted to speak about how they could help and introductions they could make. LICA proves that there is a vibrant investor hub on Long Island! I look forward to attending again in the future.”
Technology Company Capital Forum Presenting Companies
RingLead, Inc.: provides its clients with powerful, affordable, and easy-to-use data quality solutions to clean, protect and enhance their customer and prospect data, driving increased ROI in sales and marketing investments.
Carebooker: A centralized platform to find, book, and pay for all types of in-home family care services, including child care, pet care, tutoring and lessons, sports and fitness, senior care, and more.
Dashbid: Increases publisher’s video advertising revenue using proprietary, data-driven, automated ad sales algorithms.
FlightPartner: A provider of a superior central reservations platform for the business and luxury travel industry that fully automates the booking method for private jet travel and facilitates the provisioning of travel services by its suppliers to its customers.
Imcosys: Designs, builds, and markets smartphones, tablets and eReaders offering customers maximum value through open customized product platforms.
Mobile Health One, Inc: Developer of a single sign-on system for securely accessing, consolidating and communicating healthcare information among care professionals, patients and data from unconnected locations.
Technology Company Capital Forum Panel of Industry Investors:
Michael Taglich, a capital markets veteran with more than 27 years of financial industry experience. He is the Chairman and President of Taglich Brothers, Inc., a New York City and Huntington, Long Island, New York based securities and private equity firm.
Swatick Majumdar, a Managing Director of Digital Entertainment Ventures, a startup and early stage capital investment firm focused on companies that transform media and entertainment.
John Ason, a professional investor for over 16 years, specializing in early stage pre-revenue companies.
Steve Lichaw, a Managing Director in the Stern Aegis Group of Aegis Capital, which focuses on assisting private growth companies to raise capital and eventually go public. About the Long Island Capital Alliance:
Since 1984, the Long Island Capital Alliance (www.licapital.org), formerly known as Long Island Venture Group, has been promoting business growth on Long Island. LICA seeks to create a productive and business-friendly environment that will afford area businesses access to the resources necessary to compete successfully in today's markets. LICA serves as a focal point for the exchange of ideas among new and existing business enterprises, successful entrepreneurs, investors, and service providers. Through quarterly capital forums and special meetings, LICA brings together members of the region's business community, and has been recognized as the place to turn to when small businesses need equity, debt, or other financing, or for investors to find an attractive investment opportunity.
LICA’s mission is to encourage economic development on Long Island by facilitating capital formation for a broad range of companies in various industries, from early stage to mature middle market closely held and publicly-traded businesses. LICA accomplishes this primarily through education, networking, quarterly capital forums, periodic special educational meetings, and alliances with other regional organizations. LICA brings together members of the region's business community and serves as the finance arm for significant local business and organizations.
30 Years of Promoting Local Capital Formation and Business Growth; Expansion Continues with New Affiliations and Programs after Three Decades
Education Initiatives Strengthened -- LICA Endorses Proposed Legislation for New York Education Investment Tax Credit
Technology Company Capital Forum Scheduled for March 7; Upcoming Capital Forums to Cover Biotech, Consumer Products
Melville, NY – February 25, 2014– The Long Island Capital Alliance (“LICA”), the leading non-profit capital formation and business development organization serving regional companies, is celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2014. Recognized as the nation’s oldest venture capital group, in 2012 LICA undertook a transformation to extend into the investment community beyond traditional venture capitalists, which had been its primary investor constituency since its formation in 1984. Today, LICA’s reach includes private equity firms, financial advisors and high net worth individuals, as well as venture capitalists, reflecting the organizations mission to facilitate growth capital investments of over $1,000,000 in local companies. LICA’s presence and contributions to the local business landscape are more significant than ever.
“As we celebrate our 30th year as the most recognized voice for regional business funding and capital infusion, we acknowledge with gratitude the efforts of our volunteer Board of Directors and our growing number of members, partners and sponsors,” said Neil Kaufman, Chairman of LICA. “Our success and staying power honors the legacy of our founders, including the late Herman Fialkov, who established our course with a singularly focused, independent mission for funding local companies and promoting local economic development. Through our capital forums, networking events and educational endeavors, LICA has since its inception successfully aided dozens of local companies. Our results are unparalleled, as we have facilitated the funding of over $200 million of growth capital and the creation of many local jobs.”
Recent of Many LICA Success Story
In 2012, LICA held a Cyber Security Capital Forum in partnership with the Long Island Forum for Technology (“LIFT”), a LICA Sponsor, and Long Island Software & Technology Network (“LISTnet”), to showcase some of the region’s finest cyber security companies in need of private investment and other business development assistance. Among the expert panelists LICA hosted for this event were Russell M. Artzt, co-founder and former Chairman of CA Inc. (NASDAQ: CA) and an inductee of Long Island Technology Hall of Fame; Robert Brill, Founding Managing Partner of Newlight Management; James McIlree, a Wall Street equity research analyst specializing in cyber/defense technologies for nearly 20 years; and William Reinisch, a Partner at Palladin Capital Group, a leading venture capital firm. Among the presenting companies was A+ Technology and Security Solutions Inc., a surveillance systems company based in Bay Shore, NY.
A+ was started by David Antar in 1989 with a mission to take world-class customer service into the educational marketplace. Since that time, A+ has grown into a national and international provider of technology solutions to customers ranging from Fortune 500 companies nationwide to major city school districts locally and abroad, hospitals, government organizations and private corporations. To aid in this expansion, Mr. Antar presented at LICA’s Cyber Security Capital Forum.
As a result of the LICA event, an attendee introduced Mr. Antar to Westbury Partners, a Hauppauge-based private equity fund which has approximately $200 million under management. Westbury Partners invested $12 million in A+ in March 2013. Armed with this new capital infusion, A+ continues to hire staff and grow as a leader in IT, audio/visual, security and instructional technology.
LICA Capital Forums and Partnership Strategy
Throughout its 30 years of existence, LICA has evolved to meet the needs of a changing region while capitalizing on marketplace trends. LICA now presents quarterly capital forums that focus on significant local industries, while creating alliances with local professional organizations and utilizing social media to increase awareness and participation. The common denominator in LICA’s efforts remains sustainable job and wealth creation through private sector investments in growth businesses.
In recent years, LICA has pursued an aggressive strategy of forming alliances with major Long Island business organizations. This strategy leverages LICA’s legacy of facilitating financing activity on Long Island and the benefits from its position as a leading repository of information related to various forms of business financing. These alliances are intended to assist LICA in institutionalizing a united and organized effort to stimulate economic development and the creation of meaningful companies and jobs on Long Island. As a result, LICA’s highly regarded Capital Forums has seen record levels of attendees and presenting companies across a broad spectrum of industries.
In coordinating the Capital Forum series, LICA has partnered with local organizations including the Long Island Forum for Technology (“LIFT”), Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Long Island Software & Technology Network (“LISTnet”), Accelerate Long Island and Social Media Association, Inc.
Upcoming Events
LICA’s next event is its Technology Company Capital Forum on Friday, March 7, 2014 from 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. at 68 South Service Road, Melville, NY. The capital forum provides an opportunity to meet capital providers, entrepreneurs, industry executives and businesses seeking capital, as well as to hear a panel of industry experts discuss financing alternatives for technology companies. Each of the companies LICA selected for presentation at the capital forum possesses unique technologies and catalysts for significant growth which will be attractive to investors. These investment opportunities include companies that offer cloud-based software-as-as-service solutions, internet applications, digital media services, online advertising, manufacturing technologies, and mobile device and healthcare IT platforms.
After that, LICA’s next capital forum will feature Biotech companies. LICA will present this event in collaboration with Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory and the Feinstein Institute at North Shore-Long Island Jewish Medical System, both locally-based world-class institutions.
On July 29, LICA will host a capital forum for Consumer Products.
On November 7, LICA will feature healthcare companies at its final capital forum of 2014.
Educational Programs
In addition to providing access to capital and funding sources, LICA has in recent years expanded its initiatives to create an ecosystem of education, stewardship and consultation as part of its efforts to assist in the development of local emerging growth companies. To this end, LICA has strengthened its Board of Directors through the appointment of seasoned business executives, professional services providers and successful entrepreneurs.
LICA provides its presenting company management teams with presentation coaching for investment purposes, editorial review of collateral material, and recommendations for presenting company business plans and slideshows.
Among recent appointments to its Board of Directors to support its educational initiatives, LICA added
Further to its education efforts, LICA announced today that it is pleased to endorse the proposed legislation for a New York Education Investment Tax Credit. According to the “Invest in Education” campaign website (www.investined.org) which is supporting a New York Education Investment Tax Credit, the passing of this bill is intended to boost investment in New York’s public and nonpublic schools through an education investment tax credit so that every school and teacher has the resources necessary to provide the best educational opportunities for the students, families and citizens of New York State. The Investment Tax Credit legislation (Senate bill S.4099-A) passed the State Senate last year. Moving to the State Assembly, the bill (A.1826-B) has more than 100 sponsors in the 150-seat chamber. The bill is also supported by numerous labor, police and firefighter unions, an AFL-CIO affiliate, and other organizations. LICA’s Board of Directors views education as integral to future business innovation and workforce opportunities.
LICA Board of Directors
LICA and its initiatives are coordinated and managed entirely through the dedication of its exclusively volunteer Board of Directors. Board members include accomplished business executives, veteran members of the investment community, professional services providers and highly respected advisors in related professional service organizations. LICA’s Board of Directors include:
Neil Kaufman, Chairman
Partner and chairman of the corporate department at Abrams, Fensterman, Fensterman, Eisman, Formato, Ferrara & Wolf, LLP, one of Long Island’s largest full-service law firms.
Corey Massella, President
Partner at Citrin Cooperman, CEO of the firm’s SEC Solutions Group, Co-chair of the firm’s Technology Industry Practice and Transaction Advisory Service Group.
James Mattutat, Treasurer
Veteran finance department and investment management executive.
Irvin Brum, General Counsel
Senior partner at Ruskin Moscou Faltischek, where he is chairman of the firm’s Corporate & Securities Department.
Jeffrey L. Bass, Chairman Emeritus
CEO of Executive Strategies Group LLC, a strategic business advisory firm serving corporate executive management and boards of directors.
Jerry Allocca
President of CORE Interactive for over a decade, Mr. Allocca leads an award-winning team of Internet specialists and is a recognized Internet search engine marketing authority.
Argante Cappelli
Retired from Deloitte & Touche LLP with over 32 years of experience in all aspects of public accounting and business consulting.
Jordan M. Darrow
Founder and President of Darrow Associates, Long Island’s leading investor relations (IR) agency.
Sal Gervasi
Heads the New York City region for Insperity, a leading professional employee organization, and is an accomplished business leader who has helped small businesses succeed for over 25 years.
Ken Greene
Founder of Jericho Capital, which invests in public and private healthcare, Internet and B2B software companies, Mr. Greene also is a mentor at Launch Pad Long Island, a business accelerator, and LI Tech Comets, a start-up and tech incubator.
Michael Lane
With significant executive management and entrepreneurial experience, Mr. Lane’s career spans nearly 30 years in financial services.
George Likourezos
Partner at Carter, DeLuca, Farrell & Schmidt, LLP, one of the largest and most respected Intellectual Property law firms in the New York metropolitan area, and one that is nationally recognized for excellence.
Michael Violano
Member of the Audit practice at Grassi & Co., Mr. Violano focuses on accounting audits and reviews of both public and private companies ranging from start-ups to Fortune 500 Companies in the domestic and international markets.
LICA Sponsors
LICA acknowledges the following sponsors for supporting the organization with financial and in-kind contributions:
Platinum Level
Abrams, Fensterman, Fensterman, Eisman, Formato, Ferrara & Wolf, LLP
Carter, DeLuca, Farrell & Schmidt, LLP
Insperity
Long Island Forum for Technology (LIFT)
Gold Level
Citrin Cooperman
Deloitte LLP
Executive Strategies Group
MarketWired
Ruskin Moscou Faltischek, P.C.
Grassi & Co.
Suffolk County IDA
The Corridor
About the Long Island Capital Alliance:
For more information on LICA and its next event, please contact LICA today or register online at http://www.licapital.org.
Melville, NY – September 30, 2013– The Long Island Capital Alliance (“LICA”)
, the leading non-profit capital formation and business development organization serving regional companies, today announced a strengthening of its Board of Directors through the appointment of three new directors. Newly appointed Board members include Kenneth Greene, Michael Lane and George Likourezos. In addition, LICA announced that with his retirement from all business endeavors, Frank Otto, President of the Long Island Forum for Technology (“LIFT”), will be stepping down from LICA’s Board.
“We are pleased to welcome to our Board of Directors these new directors, who have significantly strengthened our capabilities and enhanced our reach into the business and financial communities. At the same time, we acknowledge the meaningful contributions of one of our retiring members,” said Neil Kaufman, Chairman of LICA. “We are grateful for Frank Otto’s commitment to and support of LICA, which, among other benefits, has resulted in the formation of a long-lasting strategic relationship with LIFT. While Frank will be vacating his LICA Board seat, we have bolstered our leadership through the addition of three individuals with impressive backgrounds and professional accomplishments. We are very pleased to add to our board George Likourezos, a leading attorney in the field of intellectual property and patent law; Michael Lane, a highly experienced business executive with a track record of operational excellence, capital raising, and enhancing stakeholder value, and Ken Greene, with over 20 years of experience in private equity, venture capital, and capital markets.
Bios of LICA’s New Board of Directors
Ken Greene is the Founder of Jericho Capital, which invests in public and private healthcare, Internet and B2B software companies. He also is Chairman of Caliber Technologies, an office supply company with a social mission of supporting the U.S. military personnel; a director of Broadlook Technologies, a search engine automation company for sales, marketing and HR professionals, and a director of RingLead, a data quality company. In addition, Mr. Greene is a mentor at Launch Pad Long Island, a business accelerator, and LI Tech Comets, a start-up and tech incubator.
Michael Lane’s career spans nearly 30 years in financial services, during which time he has held senior executive positions in firms ranging from information technology and Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) solutions at early stage venture capital-backed companies to large publicly traded enterprises. He brings to LICA strong operational, managerial, sales, marketing, and consultative expertise, from companies such as Accenture, Chase, Bottomline Technologies, Pegaystems, and Fiserv.
He was most recently the President of Transactis until March 2013. As an entrepreneur and C-suite executive at several private companies, his accomplishments include significant sales growth and market awareness campaigns, product development leadership, mergers and acquisitions, and successful capital raises totaling nearly $60 million in aggregate from leading public companies and venture capital firms. Mr. Lane earned a BA degree from UCLA and received an MBA from Columbia Business School.
George Likourezos is a partner of Carter, DeLuca, Farrell & Schmidt, LLP, one of the largest and most respected Intellectual Property law firms in the New York metropolitan area, and one that is nationally recognized for excellence.
In addition to being registered to practice before the United States Patent and Trademark Office and a member of the New York Intellectual Property Law Association, Mr. Likourezos has been published in a number of recognized trade journals. He has particular expertise in fields of technology including digital electronics, computer architecture, communication systems, speech and pattern recognition, video compression, electrical circuits and components, acoustics, MEMS, optical scanning and imaging, business methods, semiconductor devices, semiconductor manufacturing and related electromechanical arts. Mr.Likourezos earned a B.S., Electrical Engineering and M.S., Operations Management, from Polytechnic University, and a J.D. from the Jacob D. Fuchsberg Law Center of Touro College.
Save the Date: Manufacturing Companies Capital Forum to be Held in Collaboration with Long Island Forum for Technology on December 13
Melville, NY – September 25, 2013– The Long Island Capital Alliance (“LICA”), the leading non-profit capital formation and business development organization serving regional companies, today announced the successful completion of its Consumer Products Capital Forum held on September 13, 2013. The capital forum showcased local consumer products business leaders and entrepreneurs who presented their companies to investors, including attendees from venture capital firms, investment banks, private equity firms, angel and other individual investors.
The panel of investors and consumer products industry experts discussed the market potential and investment merits of each presenting company and the investment climate for the consumer products industry.
“We are extremely pleased with the turnout for our Consumer Products Capital Forum, which provided a platform for some of the region’s most exciting emerging growth lifestyle businesses spanning both products and solutions,” said Neil Kaufman, Chairman of LICA. “With a panel of seasoned industry investors, we delivered what we believe to be the highest number of investor attendees at a LICA event in several years.”
“For me it was a great experience,” noted Carlos Ramirez, CEO of Powerful Yogurt, a presenter at the Capital Forum. “I received very wise feedback and got to know people from the financial world that are interested in potential opportunities.”
Commenting on the LICA event, M. “Wazi” Wazihullah, Chief Executive Officer of presenting company LetsOrderNow.com, said, “There was a lot of intellectual capital in the room.”
“There was an impressive array of consumer-related businesses at LICA’s Capital Forum. From a prospective investor’s perspective, you could see that these companies are leveraging trends in technology and consumer behavior, putting them in a position to generate revenue growth. There seemed to be a lot of interest from the audience, and I’m sure many will be taking a closer look at these companies,” said venture capitalist and event panelist Paul Homer of Northwood Ventures.
Consumer Products Capital Forum Presenting Companies
The following presentations were given at the Capital Forum:
Sweet Amanda’s: Sweet Amanda's has developed a cutting-edge automated retail candy kiosk and will launch a national retail operation and international sales program seeking to become a leader in the emerging and fast growing automated retail industry.
The Powerful Yogurt: The Powerful Yogurt is the first high-protein Greek yogurt specifically designed for active men, offering health benefits beyond basic nutrition.
Cupcake Digital: Cupcake Digital is an emerging growth entertainment applications company that transforms children’s entertainment properties into deluxe story experiences and games infused with teaching moments.
MedCAS LLC: MedCAS LLC provides to consumers a 3D facial recognition technology that produces a reliable, fast and inexpensive diagnosis of autism and other genetic disorders affecting children.
IR Protective Devices: Life-Guard.Me, developed by IR Protective Devices, provides personal GPS tracking for people, pets, and property by providing a comprehensive GPS and cellular monitoring service in micro size.
Pillar Rock USA: Pillar Rock USA's JetRYTE effervescent (dissolvable) tablet minimizes common effects of jet lag by replenishing some of the melatonin and vital nutrients lost during flight due to dehydration.
LetsOrderNow.com: Letsordernow.com is a free office meal ordering website providing customers with convenience and rewards towards charity/free meals - financed through restaurants’ increased revenues.
Consumer Products Capital Forum Panel of Industry Investors/Experts:
The following investment professionals participated in the panel discussion at the Capital Forum:
LICA's mission is to encourage economic development on Long Island by facilitating capital formation for a broad range of companies in various industries, from early stage to mature middle market closely held and publicly-traded businesses. LICA accomplishes this primarily through education, networking, quarterly capital forums, periodic special educational meetings, and alliances with other regional organizations. LICA brings together members of the region's business community and serves as the finance arm for significant local business and organizations.
Long Island Capital Alliance Announces Participants for
Consumer Products Capital Forum
Event to be Held on September 13
Melville, NY – August 14, 2013 – The Long Island Capital Alliance (“LICA”), the leading non-profit capital formation and business development organization serving regional companies, today announced the presenting companies and panelists for its Consumer Products Capital Forum to be held on September 13, 2013. The capital forum is being held in an effort to facilitate raising capital to accelerate the growth of businesses on Long Island.
Local consumer products business leaders and entrepreneurs will present their companies to investors, including attendees from venture capital firms, investment banks, private equity firms, angel and other individual investors. Each of the companies LICA selected for presentation at the capital forum possesses catalysts for significant growth which will be attractive to investors.
“We were thrilled with the number of applicants to present at the Consumer Products Capital Forum, and the high quality of these companies. This shows the vibrancy of the consumer products segment of the Long Island economy, and we are hopeful that these companies can serve as a base for future growth,” remarked Neil Kaufman, Chairman of LICA.
A panel of investors and consumer products industry experts will assess and discuss the market potential and investment merits of each presenting company and the investment climate for the consumer products industry.
Consumer Products Capital Forum on September 13, 2013 – Participants
Richard Baum, Consumer Growth Partners: Richard Baum is a founding partner of Consumer Growth Partners. Prior to founding CGP, he spent over 15 years as one of Wall Street's leading equity research analysts covering the specialty retailing sector at Credit Suisse First Boston, Goldman Sachs and Sanford C. Bernstein. Mr. Baum has led nine initial public offerings and six secondary offerings for retailers.
Paul Homer, Northwood Ventures: Paul Homer joined Northwood, a Syosset-based venture capital and management buyout firm with a particular interest in the retail/consumer sector, in 1999, after serving as a financial analyst for a venture capital-financed retailer with over 80 stores. While there, he evaluated various capital raising alternatives for the rapidly growing firm and developed a financial reporting system. In addition to reviewing new investment opportunities, Paul serves on the board of several of Northwood’s portfolio companies.
Shamit Mehta, Susquehanna Growth Equity: Shamit Mehta joined Susquehanna Growth Equity in 2011. He is responsible for originating and evaluating investments in the software, healthcare IT, information services, and security sectors, and worked on SGE's investments in HMP Communications, MMIT, Skybox Security, and Versafe.
Peter Petrillo, Wafra Partners: Peter Petrillo is a Senior Managing Director at Wafra Partners. Mr. Petrillo has spent his entire career with middle-market companies as a private equity professional, consultant, and accountant. Prior to joining Wafra Partners, Mr. Petrillo was a partner at Claymore Partners, where he worked as a turnaround manager and strategic planner for corporate clients.
The following companies will each make a 7-minute presentation to the attendees at the Consumer Products Capital Forum:
IR Protective Devices: Life-Guard.Me developed by IR Protective Devices provides personal GPS tracking for people, pets, and property by providing a comprehensive GPS and cellular monitoring service in micro size.
LetsOrderNow.com: Letsordernow.com is a free office meal ordering website providing customers with convenience and rewards towards charity/free meals- financed through restaurants' increased revenues.
LICA will host the Consumer Products Capital Forum on September 13, 2013 from 8:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. at 68 South Service Road, Melville, NY. The capital forum provides an opportunity to meet capital providers, entrepreneurs, industry executives and businesses seeking capital, as well as to hear a panel of industry experts discuss financing alternatives for consumer products and consumer technology companies and retail oriented businesses.
Save the Date: Consumer Products Companies Capital Forum to be Held on September 13
Melville, NY – June 20, 2013 – The Long Island Capital Alliance (“LICA”), the leading non-profit capital formation and business development organization serving regional companies, today announced the successful completion of its Biotech Technology Transfer Capital Forum held on June 14, 2013. The capital forum, held in collaboration with Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (“CSHL”), showcased four scientific discoveries which can form the basis for new businesses which are based on technologies developed by CSHL scientists.
A panel of technology investors also participated in the event. The panel provided insights on the presenting scientists’ business plans and their investment potential, as well as a review of the current investment climate for technology transfer within the biotechnology sector.
Neil Kaufman, chairman of LICA, stated that, “We are extremely excited to have showcased some of the most advanced biotechnology discoveries made at CSHL which are ready for transfer to the commercial marketplace. A large number of investors and local business leaders turned out to hear about these insightful technology transfer concepts from CSHL, including the treatment of diabetes, obesity and cancer, enhanced drug development and research tools and healthcare products. CSHL is clearly shaping contemporary biomedical research and we are pleased to have been able to collaborate in bringing their technologies toward monetization in a way that is intended to create locally-based companies.”
“The LI Capital Forum meeting was well attended by a cross section of experienced, knowledgeable and interested professionals. The Q&A panel was particularly experienced and helpful to all involved,” said John Maroney, Vice President, In-House Counsel at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL). “As a global leader in biomedical research, CSHL is interested in pursuing technology transfer opportunities that will bring our scientific expertise into commercial application and our scientist entrepreneurs who participated benefitted from the interaction.”
“The forum presented a unique opportunity to connect with the investment community and we found there to be a lot of interest as we implement our strategy for commercialization as a profitable business from our present status as an advanced stage not-for-profit entity,” said Professor Lloyd Trotman, a CSHL presenter.
Professor Nicholas Tonks of CSHL commented, “I found the forum to be very helpful – it provided important insights into how best to communicate scientific breakthroughs to the business community. The feedback from the panel regarding what they viewed as important attributes of early stage companies was valuable. The opportunity to present our work and to meet members of the business community also helped to make potentially productive connections.”
“I was fascinated by all three presenters and I’m looking forward to following up to determine our role in funding their commercialization,” said Scott Livingston, President of Livingston Securities, a leading investment bank focusing on disruptive technologies and their impact on healthcare, energy, infrastructure and other leading sectors of the American and global economy.
Biotech Technology Transfer Capital Forum Presenting Companies and Technologies
A Novel Treatment for Diabetes, Obesity and Cancer: exploiting an oral dosage of a key regulator of insulin, leptin and HER2 oncogene function. (Professor Nicholas Tonks, FRS)
RapidCaP: the next generation platform to cure metastatic prostate cancer. (Professor Lloyd Trotman)
Velocin-N(TM): a new enzyme that enables faster, more sensitive and more selective detection of proteins (the miniature machines and structures of life) in mass spectrometers. (Dr. John Wilson)
Wilson Advanced Research: develops products with novel health, social and commercial benefit, spanning a wide range from consumer products to environmental clean-up, including a simple solution to eliminate the largest reservoir of bacteria--including MURSA and E. coli 0157-- from homes. (Dr. John Wilson)
Biotech Technology Transfer Capital Forum Industry Experts
The following industry investors participated in the panel discussion at the Capital Forum:
•· Gregg Blake, Founder of Brocair Partners, which provides financial and strategic advisory services to healthcare companies.
•· Larry Chaityn, Managing Director and Head of Global Health Care Banking at Kaminski Partners, a global investment bank.
•· Scott Livingston, President of Livingston Securities, an investment bank specializing in the nanotechnology and biosciences industries.
•· Steve Winick, Principal of Topspin Partners, one of Long Island's leading venture capital firms.
Founded in 1890, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) has shaped contemporary biomedical research and education with programs in cancer, neuroscience, plant biology and quantitative biology. CSHL is ranked number one in the world by Thomson Reuters for impact of its research in molecular biology and genetics. The Laboratory has been home to eight Nobel Prize winners. Today, CSHL's multidisciplinary scientific community is more than 600 researchers and technicians strong and its Meetings & Courses program hosts more than 12,000 scientists from around the world each year to its Long Island campus and its China center. Tens of thousands more benefit from the research, reviews, and ideas published in journals and books distributed internationally by CSHL Press. The Laboratory's education arm also includes a graduate school and programs for undergraduates as well as middle and high school students and teachers. CSHL is a private, not-for-profit institution on the north shore of Long Island. For more information, visit www.cshl.edu.
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