William Chang
Mr. Chang is the Chairman of Westlake International Group. Westlake is a privately held, diversified investment company with operations in the United States, China, Japan and India. Its investments span private and public equities, including venture capital, professional sports, media and entertainment, emerging technologies, life sciences and real estate. He serves as the Co-Owner and General Partner of D.C. United. He is also the principal owner of the San Francisco Giants Baseball Club, and the Chairman of the Executive Committee of U.S.A. Rugby, the national governing board for the sport of rugby. He is also the Creator of the Million Dollar Arm, a reality television show searching for major league caliber baseball players and was the subject of a Disney feature film. He is also the Chairman of Apex Entertainment. Mr. Chang’s associations and affiliations include: the Asian Business League (Founding Chairman); California International Relations Foundation (Director); Chinese American Association of Commerce (Founder); City Club of San Francisco (Founding Governor); Harvard University (Asia Center and Committee on University Resources); and World President’s Organization. Mr. Chang has a bachelor’s degree in Economics from Harvard College, Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Lindsay Gardner
Mr. Lindsay Gardner is a 25-year veteran of the international television industry with significant experience in distribution, digital media, marketing, production and investing. He is a Senior Advisor at Oaktree Capital Management, the Los Angeles-based buyout firm with $80 billion under management, where Lindsay pursues technology, media and telecom acquisitions. He is Strategic Advisor to the CEO of Miramax, the film and television studio, where Lindsay was the architect and lead negotiator of Miramax's recent $100 million+ deal with Netflix. Lindsay has co-founded three new media companies: Porto Media (technology to transfer a movie to a memory card in 18 seconds), China-based multi-platform Reach Media, and Channel Islands, which is selling targeted advertising systems to cable operators. Until mid-2007, Lindsay was President of Affiliate Sales and Marketing for Fox Cable Networks, where he built Fox's cable network portfolio from a handful of small channels into one of the industry's largest and most diverse, launching more than a dozen channels, including three that surpassed 20 million subscribers in their first year of operation. At Fox, he was the architect of aground-breaking deal with China’s government and media ministries for the launch of Star TV's Xing Kong, the only Western-owned channel legally aired in China's cable homes. Prior to Fox, Lindsay held positions at Cox Communications and Viewer's Choice. At Cox, he led investment initiatives in and launched new cable channels in Europe, Latin America, the United States and Australia. He led the first cable modem trial ever, launching high-speed Internet service to 50 Cox San Diego customers in November 1993. He has been named to the “CableFAX 100” list of most influential industry executives seven times and has been inducted into the Cable Pioneers. Lindsay earned his undergraduate degree from Brandeis University and an MBA from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School.
Bob Gower
Mr. Bob G. Gower, former president and CEO of Carbon Nanotechnologies Inc., has more than 40 years of experience in the chemical industry, 30 of which were in operational and managerial roles for such companies as Atlantic Richfield, ARCO Chemical, and Lyondell Petrochemical Company. Gower became president of Lyondell when it was formed in 1985 and led its transformation from an unprofitable company to one recognized as one of the 100 best manufacturing companies in the world when heretired in late 1996. Together with Dr. Richard Smalley, Dr. Gower founded Carbon Nanotechnologies, Inc. (CNI) in 2000 developing fullerene carbon nanotubes for multiple applications. CNI was acquired by Unidymin 2007. Dr. Gower founded Ensysce Biosciences Inc. in early 2008 for the specific focus of using carbon nanotubes in therapeutic areas. Mr. Gower received his PhD from the University of Minnesota.
Michael Kotlarz
Mr. Michael Kotlarz is a dynamic fund manager and team leader with an innate ability to identify companies that adeptly combine sound capital discipline with innovative growth. Mr. Kotlarz is a highly accomplished Portfolio Manager and Equity Research expert with a track record of success in creating unique and profitable investment philosophies and strategies that have led to exponential and sustainable growth. He is a recognized thought leader in portfolio construction and active share practices and tools. Mr. Kotlarz served as the Lead Portfolio Manager for OppenheimerFunds' Domestic Large Cap Growth fund. Prior to Oppenheimer, Mr. Kotlarz served as the Managing Director of Equity Research at Ark Asset Management, focused on Technologyand Telecom. Prior to Ark, Mr. Kotlarz worked as an Equity Research Analyst and Associate at Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette and NatWest Securities Corp. Mr. Kotlarz has extensive experience in the industry. Mr. Kotlarz is a renowned industry author and speaker featured in major industry publications. He received his B.S. from Cornell University.
Kevin McFarlane
Mr. Kevin McFarlane is a current Managing Director at Deloitte Corporate Finance LLC. His experience includes advising both public and private entities on a variety of strategic and financing initiatives with particular emphasis on mergers and acquisitions, divestitures, and the raising of equity, hybrid-equity and debt capital from both the public and private markets. He has served as a lead advisor for companies across a broad spectrum of industries including, aerospace and defense, hospitality and leisure, paper and forest products, consumer products, retail, media, software, telecommunications, technology, transportation, and general industrial manufacturing. He has completed cross-border transactions in Canada, Mexico, France and the United Kingdom. Prior to joining Deloitte Corporate Finance, Kevin spent over eight years with Goldman, Sachs & Co., most recently as a senior execution banker covering the Western U.S. He is a graduate with honors of Harvard College in 1991 and the Stanford Graduate School of Business in 1997.