Thought Leading Speakers
Harrison Bert
Director of Fundraising
StartEngine Crowdfunding
Harrison Bert
Director of Fundraising, StartEngine Crowdfunding
Prior to joining StartEngine, Harrison worked on JP Morgan's Leveraged Finance team, originating and syndicating over $10B in debt financing for clients. Two years ago he came over to the equity crowdfunding space, helping build out StartEngine's Fundraising Team by working with founders on deal structure and fundraising strategy. As Director of Fundraising, Harrison has helped facilitate hundreds of equity crowdfunding raises.
Mohit Bhansali
Co-Founder
EquiDeFi
Mohit Bhansali
Co-Founder, EquiDeFi
Mohit Bhansali has over 25 years of experience in the securities compliance, corporate finance and technology industry. After working at Tradescape Corp. (acquired by ETRADE Securities in 2002), he pursued a career in securities compliance, which culminated in taking on the role of a securities regulation specialist at Haynes and Boone LLP in New York to support the corporate securities practice group.
While at Haynes and Boone, Mohit provided support and consulted on numerous initial public offerings (IPOs) and alternative public offerings (APOs). He developed a system for tracking complex capitalization stacks for private and public companies which helped facilitate share exchanges in the IPO and AP process.
In 2011, Mohit co-founded Equity Stock Transfer, LLC in New York City with less than five clients and grown the company to nearly 500 private and public company issuers while maintaining nearly the same staff size. He is a firm believer in creating operating efficiencies wherever possible while maintaining the highest standards of compliance.
It is with that credo that during the 2020 pandemic, Mohit conceived of EquiDeFi – a workflow tool for all securities professionals and investors to manage any type of offering exempt from registration with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). By marrying modern software solutions to the arcane securities transaction processes, EquiDeFi was able to create transactional efficiencies and a compliance standard that has never existed before – a boon to issuers and their shareholders alike.
Mohit attended New York University and has also served as a NASDAQ registered representative and has held Series 7, 63 and 55 licenses. He holds a Java programming certification and a Blockchain Law, Regulation and Policy certificate from the University of Nicosia.
Etan Butler
Chairman
Dalmore Group
Etan Butler
Chairman, Dalmore Group
Etan Butler is Chairman of Dalmore Group, a FINRA registered national Broker Dealer Investment Bank, founded in 2005. Dalmore provides a full range of investment banking services, and specializes in assisting companies that seek to raise investment capital from individual investors through the SEC’s Regulation D, Regulation A+ and Regulation CF. Dalmore is among the most active Broker Dealers in the world for Regulation A+ offerings, having onboarded more than 175 such offerings – including some of the most successful Regulation A+ offerings in history. Mr. Butler is recognized as an innovative pioneer in the Regulation A+ industry and is an active participant in industry summits, panels, interviews and publications.
Jason Cherubini
CFO/COO
Dawn's Light Media
Jason Cherubini
CFO/COO, Dawn's Light Media
Dr. Jason Cherubini, DBA, CPA, CMA, CGMA, is an Executive-in-Residence at Loyola University Maryland, founder of Seraphim Associates International, and co-founder of Dawn's Light Movies. Cherubini earned a Doctorate in Business Administration from the University of South Florida, alongside MBA and Master of Accounting degrees from Tulane University. He holds faculty appointments in the United States and Germany and focuses his research on investor motivations into alternative investments.
Brian Christie
President
Crowdfunding Professional Association (CfPA)
Brian Christie
President, Crowdfunding Professional Association (CfPA)
Brian P. Christie is the 2024 President of the Crowdfunding Professional Association (www.cfpa.org or www.crowdfundingecosystem.com), an industry trade group and the leading voice for the Regulated Investment Crowdfunding industry. He is also the CEO of Brainsy, Inc., an innovative white label SaaS company, and Advisor at Crowdfund Holdings Innovators (CHI) which offers white glove advisory services for issuers seeking to raise funds using a Reg CF or Reg A+ securities exemption.
Andrew Dix
Founder & CEO
Crowdfund Insider
Andrew Dix
Founder & CEO, Crowdfund Insider
Andrew Dix is CEO and founder the Crowded Media Group, publisher of Crowdfund Insider, the leading news and information site covering disruptive finance including online capital formation, online lending, blockchain and other forms of Fintech. He is also the founder of DisclosureQuest, a searchable database of securities filings including Reg D, Reg A+ & Reg CF. Andrew is a vocal proponent for access to capital for small and emerging companies and the need for an innovation-driven economy. He is a member of the Cambridge Alternative Finance Leadership Advisory Board, part of the Cambridge Centre for Alternative Finance (CCAF) at the University of Cambridge Judge School of Business. Crowded Media Group has partnered with CCAF as the media partner on their Alternative Finance Benchmarking Reports. A recognized authority in the Fintech world, Andrew is a participant in the bipartisan Securities Regulation Working Group organized by the Heritage Foundation. In 2016, Andrew received the New Capital Markets Leadership Award For leadership in the development of new capital markets under the JOBS Act. He is a founding special advisor to the Association of Online Investment Platforms.
Nathaniel Dodson
Partner
Crowdfunding Lawyers
Nathaniel Dodson
Partner, Crowdfunding Lawyers
Nathaniel Dodson, Esq. is a founding partner at Crowdfunding Lawyers. He advises clients on matters related to securities, financing, real estate, opportunity zones, and M&A. Prior to his law practice, Nate was a former investment broker and advisor providing a level of knowledge and experience in investment sales, structures, and asset protection. Through leveraging his expertise in the industry along with the help from his long list of trusted connections, Nathaniel has represented over $2 Billion in real estate and business funding transactions. Mr. Dodson received his bachelor’s in economics from the University of Texas at Austin and Juris Doctorate from the University of San Diego. He is currently a member of the Nevada and Texas State Bars.
Mark Elenowitz
Managing Director
Digital Offering
Mark Elenowitz
Managing Director, Digital Offering
Mark Elenowitz is a Wall Street veteran with over 30 years’ experience. He co-founded a boutique investment bank and its online capital formation platform BANQ® (www.banq.co), both which have been instrumental in laying down the framework for Regulation A+ offerings. The methodology Mark structed is what led the first successful Reg A + IPO to list on a National Securities Exchange-the NYSE- with other Reg A+ offerings following the blazing trail. He is a noted speaker at Small Cap and Reg A events, including the SEC Small Business Forum, and has been profiled in BusinessWeek, CNBC, and several other publications. Mark also is a member of the Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation (DTCC) Private Markets Executive Advisory Board tasked with developing DTCC’s new Digital Securities Management (DSM) platform. In addition, Mark is a member of the board of directors of the Long Island Capital Alliance and the National Investment Banking Association. He is a graduate of the University of Maryland School of Business and Management with a B.S. in Finance. He holds Series 24, 62, 63, 79, 82 and 99 licenses
Iquo Essien
Founder & CEO
Crowdfund Your Dream
Iquo Essien
Founder & CEO, Crowdfund Your Dream
Iquo B. Essien is a Nigerian-American writer, director and entrepreneur who helps mission-driven diverse founders raise up to $500K to fund their businesses. She serves her clients primarily through her course and consultancy, Crowdfund Your Dream, that teaches founders how to launch a successful fundraising campaign—and market it!—in 60 days, by leaning into their founder stories, their culture factor, and the communities their businesses serve. For more info, visit: www.crowdfunddream.com
Seth Farbman
Chairman & President
VStock Transfer
Seth Farbman
Chairman & President, VStock Transfer
Seth Farbman has built a career in servicing private and public (domestic and foreign) companies. Mr. Farbman was the Co-Founder and President of Vintage Filings which he sold to PR Newswire (UBM) in 2007. In this role, Mr. Farbman serviced over 3,000 publicly traded companies to provide SEC EDGAR and financial print services related to IPOs, Proxy Statements, Annual Reports, Shareholder Meetings, etc. Mr. Farbman was a founding partner and a Co-Chairman of Vcorp Services which he sold in October 2016 to Wolters Kluwer. Mr. Farbman was also the Co-Founder and Chairman of Vcheck Global (vcheckglobal.com), a background and due diligence services company which he sold in 2021 to Sunstone Partners, a private equity firm. Mr. Farbman currently serves as the Chairman and President of Vstock Transfer, with a focus on pre IPO, Nasdaq and NYSE MKT listed issuers. He is also the founder of eSignatureGuarantee.com, an online resource for medallion signature guarantees. Prior to starting Vintage Filings, Mr. Farbman served as a securities attorney at a NY Law Firm with a concentration on securities regulation and capital markets. Mr. Farbman enjoys speaking with people about all things related to startups, marketing and Linkedin. He recently launched a Linkedin marketing for private and public companies, Share Media. Feel free to connect or follow at https://www.linkedin.com/in/sethfarbman/
Alexandria Fisher
CEO & CCO
Netcapital Securities Inc.
Alexandria Fisher
CEO & CCO, Netcapital Securities Inc.
Alexandria (Alex) Fisher is a seasoned business strategist and compliance specialist passionate about expanding founders' access to funding and investors' access to the private capital markets.
Alex is currently Head of Strategic Partnerships at Netcapital, a digital private capital markets ecosystem, and the CEO and CCO of Netcapital’s subsidiary broker-dealer, Netcapital Securities Inc., which is currently pending FINRA approval.
Alex is an advisor to startup companies, serves as a mentor at Techstars, and is a member of Global Women in Venture Capital (VC) and the Dell Women’s Entrepreneur Network (DWEN).
Previously, Alex managed various regulatory compliance programs at Fidelity Investments.
Jason Fishman
CEO & Co-Founder
Digital Niche Agency
Jason Fishman
CEO & Co-Founder, Digital Niche Agency
Jason Fishman has 10+ years experience as a “New Media Enthusiast”, who genuinely enjoys planning, activating, and managing scalable marketing strategies across the full-spectrum of verticals and goals. He is an expert in digital channels including Search Engines, Social Media Platforms, Programmatic Ad Exchanges, Influencer Networks, Email Automation, Content Marketing, and Partnerships. He has held leadership roles at all sides of the marketing table: Agency, Brand, and Vendor, which explains his ability to structure unique opportunities for DNA clients. Jason has been showcased in Panel and Individual presentations at a high volume of Tech and Marketing conferences, along with his “Test. Optimize. Scale.” Podcast. He is also committed to a number of Thought Leadership content projects for 2021/22, including the Forbes Agency Council. Jason manages a Los Angeles team with experience in all aspects of the user journey.
Danielle Godfrey
CEO
SetApart Accountancy Corp
Danielle Godfrey
CEO, SetApart Accountancy Corp
Danielle Godfrey is a certified public accountant that calls Los Angeles home. She is also the founder and President of SetApart Accountancy Corp., a CPA firm that specializes in supporting Startups looking to launch Crowdfunding campaigns. Danielle and her team have performed over 1,000 reviews and audits for issuers in the past 6 years. She has her MBA in Finance and Accounting from Regis University of Denver, CO and her master’s in accountancy in Taxation from Daniels Business College of the University of Denver. Danielle has worked at two of the four largest accounting firms in the world (Big 4), and her client based included companies in financial industry such as real estate, private equity and hedge funds as well as high net worth individuals. Her passion is to help individuals, small business owners, and corporations achieve their dreams through offering financial statements services for startups looking to launch a crowdfunding campaign, financial consulting, business consulting and tax planning. Her team has also helped business owners keep their books in order, maximize their profits and minimize tax liability.
Her passion for women led her to start Women On The Frontline (WOTF), a community where women of diverse cultures and background continually engage in fasting, prayers and working on their goals while being accountable to each other. WOTF is a 501 C (3) that supports, encourages and educates women in launching their businesses, ministries, excelling in their careers, building healthy relationships, improving their health and fitness, learning and developing better financial habits.
Danielle has written two eBooks on Victory in The Wilderness and How to Start a Business from an Accountant Viewpoint by Danielle Passy.
Danielle has lived in 3 continents and is fluent in English and French.
In her spare time, she enjoys reading, dancing and spending time with her beloved husband, Dr. Isaac Godfrey.
Topiltzin Gomez
Head of Capital Strategies
Honeycomb Credit
Topiltzin Gomez
Head of Capital Strategies, Honeycomb Credit
Topiltzin Gomez is the Head of Capital Strategies at Honeycomb Credit, a community investing platform where small businesses source investment capital from their fans, community, and a growing network of CDFIs and impact investors. With prior professional experience in technology, entrepreneurship, and community development, Topiltzin's professional passion is to create new markets that align financial success with social progress.
Topiltzin sits on the board of the Lake County Community Foundation, the Adelante Center for Entrepreneurship, and the National Coalition for Community Capital. Topiltzin is a graduate of Yale College where he studied Ethics, Politics, and Economics.
Manuj Grover
VP, Business Development & Partnerships
Public Yield Capital
Manuj Grover
VP, Business Development & Partnerships, Public Yield Capital
Manuj Grover, a seasoned expert with over 20 years of experience in market penetration and strategic partnership development, has a proven track record of driving growth and inspiring teams to achieve exceptional results. As the VP of Business Development & Partnerships at Public Yield Capital, Manuj brings his extensive knowledge and operational expertise to optimize sales processes and ensure the success of client campaigns.
Scott Hansen
Founder
Island Brands USA
Scott Hansen
Founder, Island Brands USA
Scott Hansen is a successful entrepreneur across multiple industry segments, including founder of consumer products company Island Brands USA, an Inc. 5000 fastest-growing company featured in Forbes. Scott is the strategic architect and creative force behind some of the most successful crowdfunding campaigns in history. His passion to fuel entrepreneurial projects lead to the creation of Maverick Brands, a company dedicated to a mission of helping founders drive awareness, raise capital, and build community through crowdfunding. As a founder and crowdfunding pioneer, he has developed proprietary digital marketing strategies that have positioned Maverick as a market leader for companies seeking the best outcomes for their crowdfunding campaigns. Scott is an entrepreneurial thought leader and frequent speaker at universities and conferences including The Citadel, College of Charleston, Association of Corporate Growth, and Dig South’s Technology Summit. He’s an avid sailor and motor sports enthusiast who competes in transatlantic ocean regattas and raced the Baja 1000. @scottsisland | www.islandbrandsusa.com | www.maverickbrands.us
Dr. Mona S. Jhaveri
Founder/Director
Music Beats Cancer
Dr. Mona S. Jhaveri
Founder/Director, Music Beats Cancer
Mona is the founder, executive director, and chairman of the board at Music Beats Cancer. She launched Music Beats Cancer to address the “Valley of Death,” the growing gap in funding that constrains the translation of cancer research discoveries into clinical applications.
Benji Taylor Jones
Counsel
Smith Anderson Law Firm
Benji Taylor Jones
Counsel, Smith Anderson Law Firm
Benji Taylor Jones is a corporate-securities attorney with over 25 years of practice, based in Raleigh, North Carolina. Benji has been active in the investment crowdfunding space since the adoption of the JOBS Act of 2012 – launching North Carolina’s first Regulation CF offering, the first Regulation A+ offering for a microlending real estate platform and co-authoring of NC’s intrastate crowdfunding bill. Benji continues to practice in the alternative financing and traditional exempt offering landscapes with her current law firm, Smith Anderson. Benji is an adjunct professor at Campbell Law School, where runs a pro-bono legal clinic for local startups. Read Benji’s full bio at https://www.smithlaw.com/professionals/Benji- Jones. Contact her directly at bjones@smithlaw.com or 919-673-4301
https://www.linkedin.com/in/benji-taylor-jones/
Sean Levine
Managing Director
Entoro
Sean Levine
Managing Director, Entoro
Sean Levine is Managing Director at Entoro Capital, and head of the firm's crowdfunding practice. He is an investment banker, attorney, securities analyst, entrepreneur, and consultant with a focus on regulated investment crowdfunding placements, financial publishing, and other retail investor distribution solutions. He has experience managing Regulation A exempt securities offerings, some of which have exceeded $70 million in capital raised, while facilitating investment in millions of dollars more through a number of Regulation CF offerings. Levine holds the Series 7, 63, 24, 86, and 87 securities licenses, and analyzes problems from a range of perspectives, building on his diverse background in law, capital markets, equity and commodity analysis, and financial media/investor outreach.
Chris Lustrino
Founder & CEO
KingsCrowd
Chris Lustrino
Founder & CEO, KingsCrowd
A Boston College Eagle for life, on a mission to democratize startup investing for all people at KingsCrowd, with a passion for Fintech, investing, social impact, doing well and doing good, and an avid runner, cyclist and writer.
Gene Massey
Founder
MediaShares
Gene Massey
Founder, MediaShares
Gene is a regular speaker at Wall Street conferences and is known as an Internet marketing specialist. MediaShares' methodology helps companies with online fans, customers, and affinity groups raise capital by selling their private and public shares directly to their online communities. Using its system and software in Regulation D and Regulation A+ securities offerings, both the stock issuer and its FINRA broker collect valuable data from their massive online community of shareholders.
For many years Gene directed TV commercials, receiving awards from Clio, The New York Festival, L.A. Art Directors, Worldfest, multiple Telly Awards and The Homburg. He worked personally for seven years with Ely Callaway, Chairman of Callaway Golf, creating over four hundred commercials that introduced and promoted the "Big Bertha" line of golf clubs. During the years that Gene worked with Callaway, their total sales increased from $21 million to $843 million.
Steve Masur
Partner
Raines Feldman Littrell LLP
Steve Masur
Partner, Raines Feldman Littrell LLP
Steve Masur chairs the Technology Practice Group at Raines Feldman Littrell LLP. Steve is an internationally known corporate, intellectual property and entertainment attorney with 30 years of deep experience in technology including blockchain, AI, internet, mobile, SAAS, entertainment, media, brands, and much more. He is passionate about technology’s role in helping make things better, and loves bringing big ideas to fruition. His experience runs the gamut from early stage corporate and intellectual property issues, to public, multinational, and international corporate organization, mergers and acquisitions, and regulatory matters. Steve serves on a variety of public, and private boards, and is a prolific public speaker.
Joe Merrill
Partner
Sputnik ATX VC
Joe Merrill
Partner, Sputnik ATX VC
Joe Merrill is co-founder and Partner of Sputnik ATX VC, an early-stage VC firm based in Austin, Texas that is addicted to identifying overlooked talent, funding them, training them and connecting them with opportunity. Merrill is a former U.S. diplomat and served as a political, economic and consular officer at U.S. Embassies in Bosnia, Nigeria, and South Korea as well as postings at the U.S. Department of State in Washington D.C.
After leaving the State Department, Merrill worked in corporate treasury, finance and development at Deere and Company before entering the private equity world at a Carlyle-Apollo education fund, Apollo Global. Overall, Joe has over $3 billion of transaction experience in venture investing. Merrill has also founded and exited two start-ups, Pan Am Education and Smart FundEd.
At Sputnik, Joe is rabid about helping early-stage founders aggressively grow their business. He loves to identify and simplify complex economic problems that wicked-cool start-ups can solve.
Joe holds a B.A. in East Asian Studies from University of California, Davis and an MBA in from The University of Chicago Booth School of Business. He enjoys running around Town Lake in Austin and early morning swims at Barton Springs!
Rich Myers
Founder and Managing Partner
Profile Advisors
Rich Myers
Founder and Managing Partner, Profile Advisors
Rich Myers is the Founder and Managing Partner of Profile Advisors. Rich started the firm in 2018, drawing on more than 25 years of experience in financial communications to establish a senior-led, client-first business model. He is driven by the mission of ensuring that clients receive insightful counsel, highly professional communications outputs and hands-on service at every level of the firm.
Rich brings deep experience in capital markets PR. He has consulted to some of the world’s largest buy-side and sell-side firms and worked in-house as a communications leader at Nasdaq, the Chicago Board of Trade, the U.S. Treasury Department and on Capitol Hill in Washington.
Day-to-day, Rich advises founders and C-suite executives across alternative asset management, professional trading, financial technology, and corporate sectors. In addition to providing counsel on brand building, special situations and reputation management, Rich delivers high-touch support to differentiate firms via sharpened messaging, compelling content and strategic media and public speaking engagements.
Since starting Profile, Rich has advised firms globally, including Adams Street Partners, CME Group, GTS, Tower Research, Jane Street Capital, Kelso & Company, Sputnik ATX VC, the Loan Syndications & Trading Association (LSTA), Solus Alternative Asset Management, GE Energy Financial Services and Zurich Insurance. Previous to founding Profile, he represented Citadel, Citadel Securities, AQR Capital Management, Two Sigma Investments, Credit Suisse and Jefferies.
When Rich isn’t providing counsel to Profile clients, he can be found starting his day early with a power walk, rain or shine. He much prefers sunshine.
Siva Nadarajah
Co-founder & President
JOGO Health
Siva Nadarajah
Co-founder & President, JOGO Health
Siva has over 23 years of clinical, safety, and postmarketing experience in the pharmaceutical industry. His previous venture, Semantelli, an AI-based drug safety detection, and healthcare social media analytics platform was acquired by IQVIA, the world's leading clinical research organization with over 58,000 employees and $11 billion in revenue, where he served as a General Manager for six years. Siva has two US patents.
Woodie Neiss
Co-Founder
Crowdfund Capital Advisors
Woodie Neiss
Co-Founder, Crowdfund Capital Advisors
Sherwood Neiss is a pioneering advocate for the regulatory framework enabling crowdfunding and online capital formation. Co-founder of Crowdfund Capital Advisors, Neiss played a crucial role in the legislative process leading to the enactment of the Jumpstart Our Business Startups (JOBS) Act in 2012. This landmark legislation, pivotal in democratizing access to capital for entrepreneurs and investment opportunities for the public, marks his significant contribution to the financial industry. His expertise and insights into the evolution of crowdfunding platforms and the regulatory landscape have positioned him as a leading authority in the field. Neiss's dedication to enhancing the entrepreneurial ecosystem through innovative financial pathways continues to influence the development of investment crowdfunding globally.
Joe Oltmanns
Senior Vice President
OTC Markets
Joe Oltmanns
Senior Vice President, OTC Markets
Senior Vice President, Corporate Services Joseph Oltmanns leads the Domestic Corporate Services team at OTC Markets. In this role, he educates companies on their alternatives to listing on a national exchange while reducing costs and maximizing investor engagement. Prior to OTC Markets, Joe held multiple positions at NYSE American including listing qualifications, market surveillance and new business development. Joe has an MBA from Fordham University and a BS from Villanova University.
John Panaccione
CEO
Folla Capital
John Panaccione
CEO, Folla Capital
John Panaccione, co-founder of Folla Capital, holds an array of SEC licenses, including Series 7, 24, 79, and 63. Folla Capital is an SEC-registered broker-dealer and helps entrepreneurs and small business owners raise capital. Prior to his Folla Capital venture in 2020, he co-founded and led the LogicBay Corporation, a software company, from 2003 to its 2020 acquisition by Pluribus Technologies, gaining extensive experience in small business finance and mergers and acquisitions.
In 2013, he co-founded VETtoCEO, a non-profit aiding transitioning military personnel in considering entrepreneurship. Before his entrepreneurial career, John held leadership roles in operations and sales across various corporate sizes. He served six years as a U.S. Army officer, primarily in the 82nd Airborne Division paratrooper units.
John holds a B.S. in Criminal Justice and an M.B.A. from Bryant University, focusing on Technology and Operations Management.
Karen Rands
Founder & CEO
Kugarand Capital Holdings
Karen Rands
Founder & CEO, Kugarand Capital Holdings
Karen Rands is sought after by CEOs to help them develop a capital strategy that maps to their business growth goals…and execute on that plan.
With her in-depth knowledge and long term relationships in the capital markets, she has helped companies in all stages and industries obtain capital and achieve their growth goals.
Stormer Santana
Director of Sales
Dalmore Group
Stormer Santana
Director of Sales, Dalmore Group
Stormer is the Director of Sales at Dalmore Group, one of the leading brokers dealers for Reg A+ offerings. With an extensive background in institutional asset management and crowdfunding, Stormer has helped hundreds of issuers navigate fundraising opportunities.
David Shapiro
CEO
B2i Digital
David Shapiro
CEO, B2i Digital
David has worked in finance, technology, and marketing for 30 years, including 5 global banks and 3 advertising agencies. He currently supports the National Investment Banking Association as their Chief Marketing Officer. Prior to B2i Digital, he was the Chief Marketing Officer for Maxim Group and one of the founders of their investor awareness platform, M-Vest.com. He has previously worked as head of marketing for micro-cap companies in the transportation and healthcare industries. David maintains his status as a Google Partner and Facebook Marketing Partner. He has spent the last 15+ years managing digital ad accounts that delivered billions of ad impressions across all prominent platforms. He has provided digital marketing consulting to B2C and B2B companies in a wide variety of industries including healthcare, financial services, technology, real estate, hospitality, beverage, automotive & pharmaceutical. He received a BS in Applied Economics and Business Management from Cornell University.
William Smith
Founder and President
Infinity Fuel Cell and Hydrogen, Inc.
William Smith
Founder and President, Infinity Fuel Cell and Hydrogen, Inc.
Mr. Smith is Founder and President of Infinity Fuel Cell and Hydrogen, Inc., starting the company in 2002 focused on the application of PEM technology to fuel cell and hydrogen systems. He is also a co-founder of Proton Energy Systems, acquired by hydrogen company NEL in 2017. He served as Proton’s Vice President of Business Development from company inception in 1996 until 2002 and was part of its management team taking Proton through a successful IPO on the NASDAQ as PRTN in the year 2000. In 2003, Mr. Smith launched a Crowd Funding Raise and a Series A Raise for Infinity.
Infinity programs have included fuel cell and electrolyzer efforts at NASA Glenn Research Center, Johnson Space Center, DoD fuel cell projects for the Naval Air Warfare Center in China Lake, the Naval Underwater Weapons Center, the Defense Logistics Agency, the Air Force Research Laboratory, the Missile Defense Agency and for the General Atomics’ LDUUV program with the Office of Naval Research.
The focus on most of these programs has been on lightweight, simplified fuel cells and electrolyzers. Mr. Smith also served on the FAA Energy Supply Device Aviation Rulemaking Committee (ESD ARC). The ESD ARC provided recommendations that may be used to develop appropriate airworthiness standards for energy supply device installations on transport airplanes and other types of aircraft, with a focus on hydrogen fuel cells.
Jonathan Stidd
CMO
DealMaker
Jonathan Stidd
CMO, DealMaker
With an unmatched entrepreneurial spirit, Jonathan Stidd has spent the past decade helping founders live their dreams. Beginning his career in management consulting, Jon soon found his passions took him down the path of entrepreneurship to launch his own connected device company and mentor other founders through programs like General Assembly. Throughout his journey, Jon was drawn to digital marketing as it was the nexus of his interests across growth strategy, startups, and innovation. In 2017, he co-founded Ridge Growth Agency, which quickly became the leading digital marketing agency for equity crowdfunding - helping their clients raise a collective $500M+ - which was acquired by DealMaker in 2022. As CMO of DealMaker, Jon is leading with the same passion he had in building Ridge Growth, positioning the company as the capital-raising brand of the future.
Caroline Strzalka
Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer
Overplay
Caroline Strzalka
Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer, Overplay
Caroline Strzalka is a visionary entrepreneur and media executive and the co-founder of Overplay which revolutionizing a $574 billion digital media landscape with the first frictionless platform for user-generated games. Caroline and Overplay were just featured on “Shark Tank”, and invested in by tech billionaire, Mark Cuban. Caroline built her career at some of the world’s best edutainment companies -- Sesame Workshop and Scholastic Media. She initiated and executed ground-breaking deals with the likes of Apple, Microsoft, Intel, Netflix, Hulu, Google, and many others. Caroline has worked with producers to release dozens of apps and games, many of which have won awards like the BAFTA and Webby Awards. She was formerly at Equity Capital Markets at Citibank, and the lead analyst in deals such as the Kraft, Leapfrog, and GameStop IPOs. Caroline has an MBA in Marketing and Entrepreneurial Management from The Wharton School, where she received the Joseph Wharton Fellowship, and a BA in Economics and International Relations from The University of Pennsylvania where she received the Student Award of Merit. Caroline is a Startup Leadership Fellow for the City of New York and on the Council on Foreign Relations. She is especially interested in education, the rights of women and children, alleviating poverty, and female empowerment and entrepreneurship.
