Growing a Business In Arizona
Who got funding this year? And Why?
Hosted by TIE-AZ, the local chapter of an international organization that mentors startups.
MICHAEL D. HOOL
Managing Partner, Hool Law Group
Moderator
Michael Hool works with select companies as an advisor, legal counsel and periodically serves in executive and board capacities. Michael’s practice is focused primarily on corporate and commercial representation, securities, finance and venture capital, mergers and acquisitions, corporate governance matters, and all aspects of counseling emerging companies. He represents both issuing companies and investors in a large variety of financing transactions. Michael also has broad merger and acquisition experience, ranging from very large transactions such as the acquisition and financing of an NHL hockey franchise, several roll-up acquisitions combined with a public offering of the acquirer, the sale of health care systems, consolidation of large franchise operations, to acquisition and sale of a variety of closely-held and emerging enterprises. Michael has assisted clients in structuring many different types of venture relationships, including: (i) a joint venture of seven health care systems; (ii) creating an intellectual property consortium whose members included the U.S. Army, universities and fortune 500 companies; and (iii) creating manufacturing and research joint ventures between U.S. companies and those in Mexico and India. Michael has lectured and authored papers on a broad variety of topics and is active as an investor in several emerging companies.
Anil Jain
Slipstream Labs
Anil is an entrepreneur who has dedicated his energies towards to the development of numerous innovative startups over the last twelve years. His experience spans new product development, strategic planning, business model innovation, investment strategy, marketing and business development. He is a founder and Managing Partner at Slipstream Labs, a venture development firm that serves to cultivate new ideas and accelerate the development of promising entrepreneurial startups. Anil is also the founder of a new product company based in Bangalore and Phoenix that is currently in stealthmode. He serves as an advisor to HyLo, Flypaper Studio and Atheneum Learning among others, and sits on the Board of Directors of Buildproof, Inc. Anil is a founding Board member of TiE Arizona and has served twice as its President. Anil is an engineer by training and obtained two master’s degrees at M.I.T. prior to moving to Arizona.
Gavin McDermott
HyLo, VP Business Development, Co-Founder
Gavin is an entrepreneur with a background in product and business development. His past experiences have involved him in the various facets of new ventures; from identifying and forming strategic relationships to new product development and financial modeling. His current venture, HyLo, focuses on connecting businesses to mobile consumers through a real-time, geo-targeted advertising platform. Gavin is also currently serving as the Executive Director for TiE Arizona, the state chapter of the world’s largest entrepreneurial organization. He has a degree in Finance from Creighton University and prior to HyLo he founded and co-developed an Arizona-based 2nd Generation Biorefinery development group.
William J. Miller
Serial Entrepreneur and Angel Investor
Bill Miller was the founder and CEO of AutoXray from its beginning in 1994 to its sale in 2004. AutoXray pioneered low cost diagnostic scan tools for automobile computers. The company’s products were selected Popular Mechanics Editor’s choice 6 out of 7 years, and were featured in the Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Many of the PC Magazines as well as CNN and Motor Trend television. During that time Mr. Miller was selected as an Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year, and the company received the Spirit of Enterprise Award from the WP Carey School of Business at ASU. Prior to AutoXray Mr. Miller worked in the semiconductor industry and in Europe in the lift truck industry. He holds a Computer Engineering Degree from the University of Arizona.
Mr. Miller is an active angel investor in select companies, and selectively provides consulting to emerging companies.
