Cal Simmons
Mr. Simmons is a highly successful business executive, venture capitalist, long time angel investor, and business author. He is co-founder and manager of the Dinner Club, eMedia Club, and Washington Dinner Club, early stage venture funds that leverage the capital, expertise, and relationships of angel investors to identify, invest in and grow promising young technology companies. Mr. Simmons has recently become Chairman of Five Star Alliance, an online travel agency promoting luxury hotels worldwide. Also, recently, he co-founded and served as managing partner of ASAP Ventures. Previously, he founded Cal Simmons Travel, which he grew to become one of the top 100 agencies in the country. In l997, after 22 years as its President, he sold the agency to publicly traded Navigant, the second largest travel company in America.
In 2001, Mr. Simmons co-authored with John May the highly acclaimed early stage investment book, Every Business Needs an Angel (Random House/Crown Business.)
Mr. Simmons has extensive experience in the world of private equity, both managing funds and as an angel investor. He has personally invested in some 30 early stage companies, serving on their numerous boards of directors. He is a current member and past Chairman of the Washington area chapter of the Young Presidents Organization (YPO). A nationally ranked tennis player and active supporter of area charities, he and his wife, Sally, reside in Alexandria, VA with their son and two daughters.
Mr. Simmons was recently appointed by Mark Warner, the Governor of Virginia, to serve a six year term as a member of the State Tourism Commission.
Paul Coughlin
Mr. Coughlin is a senior partner in the firm of Grisanti, Galef & Goldress (GGG), a nationally recognized turnaround management firm of seasoned general managers, all experts in improving corporate performance.
Since joining GGG, Mr. Coughlin has served as a senior officer or advisor to a number of companies in various sectors ranging from computer software to heavy manufacturing. Within the last three years, he has served as a financial advisor to the Oneida Indian Tribe of Wisconsin, as a member of the CRO team for a bankrupt textile company, as President and CEO of two professional services companies in the fuel handling and power generation markets, and as the financial advisor to a corrugated box company. He serves on a number of corporate boards, as well as on the advisory boards of three private equity funds.
Mr. Coughlin is best known for his successful turnaround of Eastmet Corporation, its Eastern Stainless Steel Division and Industrial Products Group. As President and Chief Executive Officer, he was able to successfully redirect the corporation out of Chapter 11 proceedings into a viable and growing organization.
Mr. Coughlin served earlier as General Counsel and Vice President - Washington Affairs for Union Pacific Corporation, a multi-billion dollar diversified holding company. He also served as special consultant to the Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs, and as a staff member of the Secretary of State's Commission on Security and Economic Assistance. Mr. Coughlin holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics from Georgetown University, a law degree from Columbia University Law School, and has completed the Harvard Business School's Advanced Management Program.
Rob Voeks
Mr. Voeks serves as a Managing Director at Private Advisors, a $1.7 billion alternative asset firm that invests in private equity limited partnerships and hedge funds. He serves on the private equity investment committee and is responsible for the partnership investment selection process, partnership negotiations, monitoring, and risk management decisions. Mr. Voeks also evaluates direct equity investments as part of Private Advisors' co-investment program. He has direct responsibility for the Small Company Buyout Fund, a $175 million fund-of-funds, as well as the Small Company Buyout Fund II. Mr. Voeks currently serves on the LP advisory boards for Angelo Gordon PE II and Thompson Street Capital.
Prior to working with Private Advisors, Mr. Voeks was Vice President with Matrix Capital, a boutique investment bank based in Richmond, Virginia. As Vice President he was responsible for creating valuation models and identification of potential strategic and financial buyers for client companies. Additional experience includes 10 years as a computer engineer, where he designed and coded air traffic control systems for the FAA, communication software for financial systems, and various biomedical applications.
Mr. Voeks has a B.S. in Computer Engineering from Lehigh University, holds a Masters in Business Administration from The College of William and Mary and earned a Ph.D. in Finance from The University of Georgia.
Tony Graziano
Mr. Graziano has been a corporate lawyer for more than thirty years and was the chief legal officer of various public and private companies for more than twenty years. In the last fifteen years he has successfully negotiated over fifty merger, acquisition and financing transactions involving both public and private companies. He is an investor in and serves as chief legal officer of a number of privately owned companies that have interests in custom manufacturing of health and beauty aids, golf courses, technology and Internet companies, and real estate.
Mr. Graziano received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from Holy Cross College and a Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of Virginia School of Law where he was on the Editorial Board of the Virginia Law Review and a member of the Order of the Coif.
