|
Albert H. Pleus, Co-Founder,
Chairman, and CEO
|
|
Home ● Businesses ●
Management
● Resources
● Contact
Private
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Mr. Pleus
has more than 20 years of investment banking, investing, and business
operations experience. He is
co-founder and Chairman of ABR, LLC, an agricultural bioscience company;
co-founder and manager of GramCast, LLC, an internet software development
company; co-founder and Vice Chairman of Interchange Network Holdings, LLC,
an Asia-Pacific-based telecommunications holding company; and founder,
Chairman and CEO until 2006 of a21, Inc., a digital image distribution
company. He started his career
at Morgan Stanley, and during the last 10 years has focused on investment
banking as well as principal investment roles. He is president of Whitney Holdings, Inc., which
provides financial, strategic consulting, and advisory services to
developing businesses.
Mr. Pleus
earned SB and SM degrees from MIT, and an MBA degree from Stanford
University.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
William J. Ritger, Co-Founder,
Director, and Chief Investment Officer
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Mr. Ritger
has more than 25 years of professional equity research experience. He is manager of Seaside 88
Advisors, LLC, which is the general partner for an investment partnership;
the founder and managing member of Seaside Analytics, LLC; and was
previously president of The Research Works, Inc., an equity research
boutique he founded and managed from 1992 through 2008. Mr. Ritger was earlier a senior
research analyst in the emerging growth sector at Dillon Read & Co.,
Inc.; and Dean Witter Reynolds, Inc.
He had research experience earlier in his career at Kidder Peabody
& Co., Inc.; Argus Research Corporation; and Standard & Poor’s
Corporation. Mr. Ritger’s
extensive money management experience includes his participation in scores
of PIPEs during the past six years.
He is also the co-founder and a managing member of Small Business
Members of America, LLC, a web-based provider of savings for small
businesses and their employees; Seaside Capital Advisors, LLC, a financial
services advisory firm; and GramCast, LLC, a software development company.
Mr. Ritger graduated from
Duke University with a BA (Economics) in 1971, and from Columbia Graduate
School of Business Administration with an MBA (Finance) in 1973.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Gregg Yamanaka, Chief Operating
Officer
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Mr. Yamanaka has 30
years of legal, banking and business experience in Hawaii. He is the
founder of the LearningBiz Group, specializing in business planning,
executive coaching, training, process improvement and technology
solutions. He also served as the General Counsel and then Managing
Officer for First Nationwide Bank in Hawaii. Mr. Yamanaka also was
Senior Vice President at HonFed Bank and President of Resco, Inc., the
holding company for: Prudential Locations Real Estate, Wells Fargo Mortgage
and Locations Property Management in Hawaii. He was later recruited
as President of MC&A Inc, growing it to sales of $45+million, becoming
one of North America’s largest destination management companies.
Active in community
affairs, he has served on the Boards of the Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii,
the Aloha United Way, the Good Beginnings Alliance, Young Presidents
Organization, Hawaii Executive Conference, Child & Family Service, the
Honolulu Symphony, Family Service America, the Hawaii Real Estate
Commission, the Hawaii Community Development Authority and the University
of Hawaii’s ‘Ahahui Koa Anuenue. He is also Chair of the State’s
Workforce Development Council; and has chaired other educational, charitable
and small business task forces.
A graduate of Punahou School, Mr. Yamanaka earned his BA from
Stanford University and his JD from Hastings College of the Law, University
of California.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Michael T. Pfeffer, Advisor and
Affiliate
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Mr. Pfeffer,
through Kolohala Ventures, is an advisor and affiliate. He co-founded Kolohala Ventures, a
Hawaii-based group of venture capital funds in 2006, with assets and
committed capital in excess of $30 million. From 2001 through 2005, Mr. Pfeffer served as President
and CEO of Persis Corporation, a Hawaii-based private equity firm with
venture, media, and real estate holdings throughout the western US. Prior to Persis, he co-founded
Pinpoint Venture Group, LLC, a Seattle-based venture firm, in 1997. He also co-founded AllRecipes.com,
which was acquired by Readers Digest for approximately $66 million in
2005. In addition, Mr. Pfeffer
has served the Hawaii community as a trustee for The Nature Conservancy
Hawaii, Honolulu Symphony, and Chaminade University, among others.
Mr. Pfeffer
holds three degrees in Anthropology: a BA from the University of California
at Santa Barbara in 1991, an MA from the University of Hawaii in 1995, and
an MA from the University of Washington in 1997.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Robert J. Robinson, Advisor and
Affiliate
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Dr.
Robinson, through Kolohala Investors, is an advisor and affiliate. He co-founded Kolohala
Ventures, a Hawaii based group of venture capital funds in 2006, with
assets and committed capital in excess of $30 million. Dr. Robinson is a national thought
leader on early-stage investing and is the founder of Hawaii's premier
angel investor network, the HawaiI Angels. He is the
co-author of Angel Investing: Matching Startup Funds with Startup
Companies, published in 2000.
Dr. Robinson spent 10 years on the faculty of Harvard Business
School, and was recruited in 2002 to the University of Hawaii, where he
serves as the Barry and Virginia Weinman Distinguished Professor of
Entrepreneurship and E-Business.
Dr. Robinson
earned a B.Commerce in 1983, a BA in 1984, and MA in 1987 in Industrial and
Organizational Psychology from the University of Cape Town, South Africa;
and a PhD. From Stanford University in 1991.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Chenoa Farnsworth, Affiliate
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Ms. Farnsworth,
through her stake in Kolohala Ventures, is an affiliate. She co-founded Kolohala Ventures, a
Hawaii-based group of venture capital funds, in 2006, with assets and
committed capital in excess of $30 million, and she is currently the
Executive Director of the Hawaii Angels. Ms. Farnsworth has more than 10 years of experience in
strategic planning for small businesses in Hawaii as an independent
consultant. She has reviewed
hundreds of business plans and helped her start-up clients raise over $30
million in financing. Prior to
her consulting practice, Ms. Farnsworth spent five years in health and
legislative affairs for the Hawaii state Senate and the American Nurses
Association. She has also
served the Hawaii community as a director of the Hawaii Women’s Business
Center and as a volunteer coach and judge for the Wayne Brown Institute and
University of Hawaii business plan competition.
Ms.
Farnsworth earned a BA in political science from the University of
California at Santa Cruz in 1992 and an Executive MBA from the University
of Hawaii in 2000.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|