The Moxie Awards
Best Angel or Seed Investor
We are pleased to announce the following outstanding individuals as our finalists for The Moxie Awards' Best Angel or Seed Investor award.
Brian Hand
Co-Founder & Chairman - Timelines, Member - FireStarter Fund
Brian brings over 20 years of entrepreneurship and venture capital experience to Timelines. Prior to founding Timelines, Brian founded ShopLocal (formerly known as SalesHound) in 1999. ShopLocal helps advertisers use the Web to promote local, in-store sales and deals. ShopLocal was acquired by Gannett, Tribune and Knight Ridder in 2004. ShopLocal is now the leader in multi-channel marketing and advertising services and provides innovative media solutions to nearly all major US retailers, including Target, Sears, Best Buy, CVS and Home Depot.
Prior to founding ShopLocal, Brian spent 16 years in the venture capital and investment banking industry with First Analysis Corporation. As Vice Chairman of the firm for the last three years, he was responsible for co-managing day-to-day activities of the company's investment research, investment banking and venture capital activities. He was also responsible for identifying, investing in and managing portfolio companies as part of the firm's $500 million family of venture capital funds.
Brian received his BS and MS degrees in mechanical engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and an MBA from the JL Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University.
Guy Turner
Partner - Hyde Park Venture Parners
Guy has three years of venture capital and strategy experience in the greater Chicago area. He joins HPVP from Boston Consulting Group where he focused on corporate strategy across a variety of industries. Guy has also been an Associate and then actively investing Member of Hyde Park Angels since 2009. Focused on technology enabled business services and software-as-a-service, Guy is a Director of HPVP’s first investment, InContext Solutions. Guy spent his early career as a mechanical engineer with Raytheon and General Electric. He holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Cornell University, magna cum laude, and an MBA with High Honors from Chicago Booth. Guy is also a Siebel Scholar.
Kevin Willer
President & CEO - Chicagoland Entrepreneurial Center
Kevin leads the CEC's efforts to identify and enable high potential entrepreneurs to build the next generation of high-growth companies in the Chicago area.
Prior to the CEC, Kevin co-founded the Google Chicago office in late 2000. In his 10+ years with Google, Kevin helped grow this office to more than 400 professionals. In his initial business development role, he created partnerships with large marketers and agencies including Dell, United Airlines, Sears, State Farm, Omnicom, and Publicis. From 2005-2011, Kevin led the Telecom Industry practice where his teams managed the Google marketing partnerships with several of the largest telecommunications corporations including AT&T, Sprint, and Motorola. In his additional Head of Office role, Kevin led the civic development efforts for Google's Chicago office. Kevin formed partnerships with various stakeholders include city and state governments, universities, non-profits, industry associations and entrepreneurial organizations. Previous to Google, Kevin held sales and business development positions at CMGI, an early internet incubator, and US Robotics, the pioneer in modem technology started in Chicago.
Kevin is actively involved in several civic and charitable organizations. He is a Director of The Economic Club of Chicago and is a Trustee of his alma mater, Loyola Academy High School. He is a member of the 2010 Class of Emerging Leaders at the Chicago Council on Global Affairs and serves on Mayor Richard M. Daley's Council of Technology Advisors Advisers. Kevin also serves on the boards of Children's Memorial Hospital, WHITIA, World Sport Chicago, Urban Students Empowered, the Illinois Technology Association, and the Chicago Architecture Foundation.
Kevin earned his MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, has a Bachelor's degree from Boston College, and studied at the London School of Economics.
Steve Farsht
COO - Tap.Me
Steve is the Chief Operating Officer of Tap.Me, sits on several advisory boards, volunteers at Excelerate Labs, and invests in startups. Previously, Steve was a General Partner with Norwest Equity Partners. Over his 9 years with the firm, Steve invested $280 million of equity in 13 management buyouts and growth capital investments across a variety of industries. His platform companies completed 9 add-on acquisitions. Steve served on 8 boards and led sales of several companies to strategic and financial buyers. Steve also ran one of the firm’s portfolio companies where he conceptualized, developed and commercialized Probate Finder OnDemand, the first and only automated estate location and claim filing solution. This SaaS product was offered initially to the healthcare vertical. He also developed and launched MyWayForward.com, the first online resource designed specifically for people who are dealing with the death of a loved one.
Stuart Larkins
Managing Director - I2A Fund
Stuart Larkins is an Internet entrepreneur and digital marketing expert with more than twelve years of experience leading Internet companies and start-up organizations. Stuart is a Managing Director of the I2A Fund, a seed stage venture capital fund, where he is leading all aspects of I2A including fund management, deal sourcing and investments, and working with portfolio companies. He represents I2A in the board of TapMe, Simple Relevance, and DealsGoRound.
