Bascom Ventures Team

Bio: Greg is a highly accomplished executive with experience in corporate leadership, business development, startups, M&A, strategic planning, and more. He has spent much of his career growing business in the electrical products, packaging, and chemical industries. Throughout, he has been buying, selling, and combining companies to fit strategic goals. Previously, Greg served as President and CEO of 2D2C, developing safer energy-saving products. Greg was also VP Corporate Development and Acting Division President for a high-tech subsidiary at Woodhead Industries and Director Corporate Development for Tenneco. Greg has a BS in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Wisconsin (’86) and an MBA from the Fuqua School of Business, Duke University.

Bio: Erik has worked with both traditional venture investors and corporate venture teams during his career. He has deep experience evaluating opportunities, structuring investments and advising management on value creation. Previously, he helped build the strategy and make investments for the PGA TOUR’s corporate ventures group. Erik began his career with Deloitte Consulting where he focused on corporate strategy and M&A engagements. He holds a BA from the University of Texas at Austin where he graduated Phi Beta Kappa and with High Honors. He has an MBA in Finance from Kellogg.

Bio: Keaton has spent his career focused on high-level teamwork. A proud Wisconsin Basketball alumnus, he started his career playing professional basketball in Europe. He played for and led teams in competitions across Europe, including stops in Germany, Spain, Latvia and Italy. When he returned from overseas, his career focus shifted to the entrepreneurial ecosystem. He has worked with both institutional and corporate venture teams and completed and MBA with a focus on entrepreneurship. He holds a BS in kinesiology from UW-Madison and an MBA from the Nicholas Center for Corporate Finance and Investment Banking from the Wisconsin School of Business.

Bio: Prior to joining AVG, Jordan worked in consumer and commercial lending with New Hampshire based firms. A Massachusetts native, Jordan graduated with honors from Plymouth State University with a Bachelor of Science in Business Management with a focus in business law.

Bio: Prior to joining AVG, Jenna was an Investor Service Representative at Putnam Investments, where she provided customer support to both clients and brokers. Jenna is a graduate of Merrimack College, Girard School of Business, where she studied Business Administration with a dual major in Management and Marketing.

Bio: Brett is a proud Badger that spent his undergrad immersed in the startup ecosystem helping early stage founders in New York City, Madison, and Paris. He spent part of his undergrad working on the business design team at Human Ventures, based in NYC, developing a new venture for a Fortune 100 company, while working alongside the Entrepreneur in Residence. While at UW, he was an associate at gBeta, where he prepared pre-seed companies for equity rounds. Following gBeta, Brett pivoted to venture investing at Capital Innovators, where he built experience with deal sourcing and diligence. He holds a BBA in Entrepreneurship and Information Systems from the UW-Madison School of Business and plans to have Jonathan Taylor on his football fantasy team for the foreseeable future.

Bio: Tim has held executive positions with several technology and healthcare focused companies. Prior to Forecast3D and SenseLabs, Tim managed ISV channel companies for Intel in the IoT, HPC, healthcare and genomics areas as Global Alliance Manager. Tim also grew a $300M business for Sony’s B2B IT sales organization as their National Sales Manager and had previous roles with GE Healthcare and HP. Tim is a member of the Technology Council of Southern California and is active in the Boys and Girls Club. Tim received his BSEE from University of Wisconsin and an MBA from Graziadio School of Business, Pepperdine. Tim resides in San Diego with his wife Cindy and his two children, Michael and Amanda. Tim enjoys golf, traveling, skiing, camping and college/professional sports outside of work.

Bio: Nidhi is an entrepreneur who co-founded cloud configuration management startup qwikLABS. The company was acquired by Google and remains the exclusive platform used by AWS customers and partners worldwide to create and deploy on-demand lab environments in the cloud. Nidhi most recently led Product, Strategy, Marketing and Finance at data integration company Tamr. Previously, she worked at McKinsey & Company, focusing on Big Data and Cloud Strategy. She is also a recipient of an early career achievement award from UW-Madison. Nidhi holds a PhD in Computer Science from Wisconsin and holds six US patents.

Bio: Karen A. Monfre is the Managing Director of Wipfli Corporate Finance Advisors, LLC, a corporate finance entity that works with clients in the active pursuit of business acquisitions and sales. Her time is spent exclusively working with clients on buying or selling their business, due diligence, quality of earnings analysis, and M&A related litigation support. She is a Committee Chair and Board Member of the Wisconsin Foundation & Alumni Association, the Treasurer and Board Member of the Women’s Fund of Greater Green Bay Community Foundation, and a Board Member and past Treasurer of the UW-Madison Alumni Club of Brown County. Karen received her BBA from UW-Madison with a double major in Accounting and Computer Information Systems.

Bio: Dave has over 20 years of experience in pharmaceutical research and development. He is currently a Senior Director in Translational Medicine at Janssen Research & Development, the pharmaceutical research division of Johnson & Johnson. In his role at Janssen, he is involved in both clinical and preclinical testing of novel treatments for metabolic diseases and in reviewing potential opportunities for in-licensing and partnering. He was a key member of the team that developed canagliflozin (Invokana®), the first SGLT2 inhibitor approved by the FDA for the treatment in type 2 diabetes. Dave has authored nearly 50 peer-reviewed journal articles and over 100 conference presentations. Dave has a BS in engineering from University of Wisconsin and MS and PhD degrees in engineering from the California Institute of Technology.

Bio: Joe currently serves as Partner and Chief Investment Officer of Studio VC, a New York City based early stage Venture Capital firm. Prior to joining Studio VC, Joe helped build Samsung Electronic’s Venture Capital team in New York City as part of the Global Innovation Center. While at Samsung, Joe performed all aspects of deal sourcing, diligence and negotiation, with a focus on early and growth stage software and services investments. During his tenure at Samsung, Joe’s initial investments realized two exits, Automated Insights sold to Vista Equity backed STATS Inc. and LoopPay was sold to Samsung Electronics to create the technical backbone for Samsung Pay. In 2009, Joe joined Bain Capital Ventures Investments in Boston, Massachusetts. While at Bain Capital, Joe worked on both early-stage and growth-equity investments in a variety of industries, including business services, consumer technology, marketing services, eCommerce and digital media. He also worked closely with numerous portfolio companies on strategic planning, business development and company exits. Earlier in his career, Joe worked in the Mergers & Acquisitions group at Merrill Lynch in New York, where he advised clients across diverse industries on a variety of strategic and financial transactions. Joe received his BBA from University of Wisconsin and an MBA from Harvard Business School, where his studies concentrated on investments, innovation and entrepreneurship.

Bio: Joe currently serves as Partner and Chief Investment Officer of Studio VC, a New York City based early stage Venture Capital firm. Prior to joining Studio VC, Joe helped build Samsung Electronic’s Venture Capital team in New York City as part of the Global Innovation Center. While at Samsung, Joe performed all aspects of deal sourcing, diligence and negotiation, with a focus on early and growth stage software and services investments. During his tenure at Samsung, Joe’s initial investments realized two exits, Automated Insights sold to Vista Equity backed STATS Inc. and LoopPay was sold to Samsung Electronics to create the technical backbone for Samsung Pay. In 2009, Joe joined Bain Capital Ventures Investments in Boston, Massachusetts. While at Bain Capital, Joe worked on both early-stage and growth-equity investments in a variety of industries, including business services, consumer technology, marketing services, eCommerce and digital media. He also worked closely with numerous portfolio companies on strategic planning, business development and company exits. Earlier in his career, Joe worked in the Mergers & Acquisitions group at Merrill Lynch in New York, where he advised clients across diverse industries on a variety of strategic and financial transactions. Joe received his BBA from University of Wisconsin and an MBA from Harvard Business School, where his studies concentrated on investments, innovation and entrepreneurship.

Bio: Eliot works on acquisitions at Angelo, Gordon & Co., a $27 billion alternative investment manager. He has been directly responsible for, or overseen, in excess of $2 billion of assets and currently manages a portfolio of 11 deals with six different joint venture partners. In addition, he is an investor and involved with fintech, big data, CRM, and consumer finance technology companies. Eliot received BBA degrees in Entrepreneurship and Real Estate from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He also received MBA and MRED (Master of Real Estate Development) degrees from the University of Southern California.

Bio: For the last 15 years, Gretchen has held the title and responsibilities of CEO at Séura, a company recognized by the world’s largest hotel brands and leading custom integration specialists as the premier provider of design-centric technology products. She also serves as an advisor, mentor, and ambassador on the International Board of Directors for the Network of Executive Women in Hospitality (NEWH). Prior to starting her company, Gretchen was employed by Kimberly-Clark Corporation in various market research and product development roles. She graduated with a BA from the University of Wisconsin – Madison, and participated on the UW Spirit Squad as a cheerleader for the Badger football and basketball teams. During her time at the UW she met and married her college sweetheart – Bucky Badger.

Bio: Bryan has 16+ years of executive leadership experience in early and growth stage tech businesses. As CEO, he led GradeBeam.com to industry leader in B2B Construction Communication Network—and then a successful exit (acq. by Textura), followed by an IPO and acquisition by Oracle of the integrated company. Bryan now aids companies in developing growth strategies in C-level, consulting, board member, and advisor roles. He is Chief Operations & Revenue Officer at Arrow Payments and CEO of ROI Magnet Strategic Advisors. He graduated from UW (’97)—starting four years for the Badgers, as well as playing in the NFL for the Carolina Panthers and Indianapolis Colts.

Bio: Sara has been a private investor for over twenty years. As a former Vice President and Director of Toronto Dominion Bank and TD Securities in New York, she specialized in Real Estate Construction Finance, Health Care Finance, Debt Restructuring, and Institutional Equity Sales. Balancing out the intensity of finance and investing, Sara has been a student and practitioner of yoga for over 20 years, taught for 13 years, and in 2003 became certified to apply yogic tools and technology to working with those living with life-threatening diseases. Sara graduated with a BBA in Finance from UW Madison.

Bio: Jaal is currently the Grainger Professor of Sustainable Energy and the Chairman of the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Wisconsin. He has been recognized as a Fellow of both the Society of Automotive Engineers and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers for his contributions. Jaal has published widely in this field. He has served as Director of the Wisconsin Small Engine Consortium and is currently the Director of the Direct-injection Research Consortium. Jaal received a PhD from Princeton.

Bio: Scott is a partner at the law firm of Williams Mullen on their Corporate and Securities team and serves as a strategic advisor to boards and C-suite executives. He also represents issuers and underwriters in initial and secondary public securities offerings, as well as private placements of debt and equity securities. Previously, Scott was a partner at LeClair Ryan in a similar role. In 2015, he was named Richmond’s Lawyer of the Year for Securities Regulation by Best Lawyers. Scott earned his JD degree from Wisconsin and a BBA degree in Management from the College of William & Mary.

Bio: Steve has deep experience growing cross-functional teams to deliver world-class design and digital transformation services for some of world’s most successful companies. As the Managing Director of North American Strategic Accounts for Fjord, Accenture’s Design & Innovation studio, Steve is driving key growth initiatives with major clients. Previously, Steve was the Managing Director of R/GA San Francisco and opened their Los Angeles office. He previously led the SF Studio and global headquarters for Frog Design and held several key digital leadership roles with the Publicis Groupe/Leo Burnett in Chicago. Steve has an MBA from Michigan and a BBA from Wisconsin.

Bio: Chris is Managing Director of ORD Advisors, providing advisory, consulting, and quality assurance services. He also serves as a Director of the University of Wisconsin Foundation & Alumni Association Board, and was a founding member and Director of the University of Wisconsin Accenture Undergraduate Leadership Center Advisory Board. Previously, Chris served as President, Chief Executive, and Chairman of Coors Distributing. Chris holds a Master’s in Education, Globalization, and Educational Policy from the University of Illinois and a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance, Investments & Banking, Real Estate & Urban Land Economics from Wisconsin.

Bio: Ryan is an entrepreneur, team-builder, and business advisor. He is Managing Partner at Blue Sky Partners, a boutique advisory firm offering sales and strategy expertise in the banking, investment, and financial technology space. Previously, Ryan spent ten years at BAML in the Global Corporate and Investment Banking division in a variety of roles in Chicago, Hong Kong, Denver, and New York. Ryan received his Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance, Investments, and Banking from the University of Wisconsin.

Bio: Josh currently serves as the manager of strategic sourcing and contracting for the pharmacy supply chain at Centura Health, an integrated delivery network system of 17 hospitals and multiple clinics across Colorado and Western Kansas. In 15+ years, Josh has worked in clinical, operational, business/finance, and leadership roles across inpatient, outpatient, and managed care settings. He is interested in improving the health care delivery experience through improved efficiencies and solid business and financial decisions. Josh received his PharmD from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and has completed pharmacy residency training at the Medical University of South Carolina and the University of Colorado. He also received his MBA and Finance Certificate from Colorado State University. He enjoys racing bicycles and fly fishing.

Bio: Mike has extensive experience scaling business development and sales efforts in the technology industry. His focus includes channel sales, enterprise software sales, strategic partnerships, and architecting the global sales force. As the Vice President of Business Development for S2 Security, Mike helped grow the business over 30-fold from 2007 until present. In late 2018, S2 Security had a successful exit via a strategic acquisition by United Technologies. Mike is currently an executive at LenelS2, and is an active angel investor for early stage technology companies. His education includes a BBA from Wisconsin-Oshkosh.

Bio: For over 40 years Ric has been an executive in healthcare software, clinician provider structures and during the last 10 years as an angle investor. As a serial entrepreneur and co-founding operating partner he has help lead three different startups to successful exits with an aggregate 39X return on invested capital. For 10 years Ric has been lecturing at UCLA’s MPH program and he has co-authored two textbooks on IT in Healthcare with his focus being business/clinical intelligence, analytics and AI. He co-founded The Healthcare Summit at Jackson Hole 10 years ago which draws together 80+/- C-level healthcare executives. He earned an Economics degree from the of University of Wisconsin with graduate course work in finance at the University of North Carolina.

Bio: Rohit has over 15 years of transaction, advisory, and operational experience across all segments of healthcare, including medical device, pharmaceuticals, digital health, and payers and providers. He is currently Senior Director and head of Strategy, Business Development, and early stage innovation for a ~$900 million business unit at Baxter Healthcare, a large-cap diversified healthcare company. Previously, Rohit was a strategy consultant with Boston Consulting Group and a supply chain and ops leader at GE Healthcare. Rohit has an MBA from Harvard Business School and a BS in Industrial Engineering from University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Bio: Dave is an experienced technology executive with extensive experience in operations/supply chain, product development, manufacturing and quality assurance across multiple industries and product lines. His primary involvement has been with companies in the early stages of development. Most recently, Dave was responsible for developing and scaling the manufacturing, supply chain, quality assurance and hardware development capabilities of an early stage company. This resulted in a successful exit via acquisition. Dave is currently an active angel investor for early stage technology companies and Real Estate development projects. He holds a BSEE degree from Northeastern University.

Bio: Brandon is an MBA Candidate at the Wisconsin School of Business, studying to prepare himself for a career in venture capital. Prior to pursuing his MBA, Brandon served as the Director of Strategic Partnerships at Petrol Advertising in Los Angeles. He later founded Elevatyr, a financial services platform company for which he served as CEO. Brandon has a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Bio: Giuseppe has over 12 years of investment and operations experience across financial and consumer industries. He has worked closely with large institutional investors, deploying over $1B on their behalf, across multiple strategies in the private equity space across Europe, Asia, and North America. Earlier, he worked for Bank of America serving as project manager fostering the transformation of BoA’s internal real estate management practice. Most recently, Giuseppe held a leadership role with a start-up restaurant brand in the Midwest. Giuseppe holds an MBA from Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management and a Bachelor of Science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Bio: Kanika Jain has 8 years of research experience in the biological science field and has published several research papers, review articles, and book chapters in different peer-reviewed scientific journals. She is currently pursuing a Ph.D. from University of Wisconsin Madison. Her thesis research work involves understanding the bacterial DNA repair pathways which are linked to various human genetic disorders. Driven by her curiosity to bridge potential entrepreneurial business perspective to on-site bench lab research work, she worked as a management consultant in the WiSolve group of UW Madison, and an Administrative Assistant in the Doyenne Group for women entrepreneurs in the state of Wisconsin. She is a budding entrepreneur, currently working on her idea of developing a novel two-level evaluation system that holistically analyzes international students to be used in the admission programs at different universities.

Bio: Carlos Eduardo Julca is Counsel at Keysight Technologies, an S&P 500 company formerly owned by Hewlett-Packard. His area of practice is focused on Mergers and Acquisitions, as well as International Tax Planning and Controversy. He is currently based in the San Francisco Bay Area and is a Business Law Fellow for the American Bar Association.  Prior to his current role, he worked for the Honorable Chief Justice Myron T. Steele at the Delaware Supreme Court, and during Law School was elected President of the Latino Law Student Association.  He earned a Juris Doctor from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, a Master of Business Administration from the University of Pittsburgh, and a Bachelor of Science in Accounting and Finance from Florida State University.

Bio: Xiangyang is currently pursuing a PhD in Biophysics at UW-Madison. He is a project manager at WiSolve Consulting Group helping startups with their market research needs. Additionally, he is an active investor in East Africa focused software companies.

Bio: Connor graduated with his MBA from the University of Wisconsin in 2018 and his B.S. in Biometry and Statistics from Cornell University in 2013. Connor’s previous experience is in implementation and customer strategy for several healthcare SaaS technology companies ranging from EHR giant Epic to his current role with SonarMD, a start-up in the Gastroenterology space. Through his experience, Connor has worked directly with large healthcare providers such as Partners Healthcare and Fortune 500 companies such as FedEx, AT&T, and The Home Depot.

Bio: Brandon currently serves as the General Manager for Tradesmen International in St. Louis, the nation’s #1 construction labor consulting firm. Before this position, he was the Chief Strategy Officer for Politiscope, NFL, and NCAA Football analyst for BTN and ESPN. He also worked four years in the Financial Services Industry and four years in the National Football League. Brandon holds a B.S. in Communications from University Wisconsin-Madison and will complete his MBA from Lindenwood University in the fall of 2021.