Akira Hirai - Managing Director

Phoenix, AZ

With 20 years of experience in entrepreneurship, management, business planning, financial analysis, software engineering, operations, and decision analysis, Akira has the breadth and depth of experience needed to quickly understand entrepreneurs' businesses and craft the most suitable solutions.

Before founding Cayenne Consulting in early 2001, Akira started two Internet companies in Silicon Valley. Previously, Akira held various management positions in New York at Salomon Brothers, most recently as Vice President in Fixed Income Derivatives Trading, focusing on new business development and risk management. He has also worked as a senior financial risk management consultant to the financial services industry; software engineer; advertising sales manager for the popular Let's Go travel guide series; general manager of an advertising and graphic design agency; and engineering intern at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center.

Akira is a regular guest speaker on the topics of business planning, financial forecasting, and capital formation at the Phoenix chapter of the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation's FastTrac entrepreneur training program and at various programs affiliated with Arizona State University (ASU). He also mentors companies preparing to present before the Arizona Angels and the Arizona Venture Capital Conference (AVCC). Akira has also served on the Board of Directors for ITASA (Information Technology Association of Southern Arizona). He was named Entrepreneur of the Week in October 2000 by vCapital.com.

Akira earned his BA in Engineering Sciences from Harvard University.

Devin Berger, MBA - Principal Consultant

Boston, MA

Devin has over 15 years experience in marketing and senior management of emerging growth companies, startups, and global consumer products companies. She was the President of Apollo Eye Gear (performance sunglasses endorsed by Ken Griffey Jr.), CEO of Le Coq Sportif in Paris, France (athletic footwear and apparel), and President of a startup apparel company. She was also the VP of Marketing and Sales for a telecommunications company that provided wireless phone services for low income families in Tanzania, Africa. Previously, she was the Director of International Marketing for Converse, where she managed the $200 million basketball category and doubled the sales and profits of the worldwide business. Earlier, Devin was the Director of Marketing and Communications for a billion-dollar commercial real estate development project and a Senior Tax Policy Consultant for Price Waterhouse.

Devin earned her MBA from Harvard University and her BA in Economics from George Washington University.

David Blumberg, MBA - Principal Consultant

Florida

David is a serial entrepreneur, an active angel investor, and is Co-Founder of the Winter Park Angels as well as its founding Executive Director. Through the years, he has started, acquired, built up, and sold multiple businesses both to private and public companies and in a wide variety of industries. He has strong skills in business development, efficiencies, growth strategies, market positioning/repositioning, and finance.

David’s first real test was when he took the reins of his family’s 30-year old Minneapolis-based audio visual business. Under his leadership, and within three years, the company’s annual sales grew nearly threefold, its net income tenfold, its locations from 3 to 22, and its workforce from 150 to 450. In 1996, he negotiated the successful sale of the company to an NYSE listed firm for six times the value it was appraised for just several years earlier.

After working for the acquiring firm for a year as VP of Operations, he decided to move back into business ownership and with his wife as partner, he bought a prominent 30 year old multi-store jewelry business. Within 18 months, the business saw its annual sales double and its net income triple. They were then approached by a large national jewelry chain and the business was sold in 2000 for double what they had acquired it for 18 months prior.

Since then he has earned his MBA (with a 4.0 GPA), his commercial helicopters license, and started three successful companies, all in different industries. In 2006, after investing in a number of early-stage ventures on his own, he formed the Winter Park Angels, a group of 45 community leaders whose mission is to promote entrepreneurship in Central Florida.

Ryan Chester - Principal Consultant

Phoenix, AZ

Ryan offers over twelve years of experience in management consulting, entrepreneurship, creating executable growth strategies, and financial analysis. He has hands-on experience in running start-up companies and in managing new strategic initiatives within established organizations.

Before joining Cayenne Consulting, he spent five years advising start-ups and early stage companies. He prepared dozens of business and financial plans, created and implemented new internal business channels, facilitated international negotiations, migrated operations offshore, and formed strategic partnerships. He began his career at Synaptix Impulse, a telecommunications/broadband industry consulting firm later acquired by Paladyne Corp., where he developed and grew xDSL channels for their largest client, U.S. West Communications.

Ryan has worked with clients across a range of industries including Internet and e-commerce, media and entertainment (music, film, and publishing), consumer products and services, industrial software, healthcare, medi-spas, fitness equipment, internet retail, web services (SaaS), modeling/promotion, IT management, manufacturing, medical devices, marketing services, real estate foreclosure assistance, travel and hospitality, rental property management software, and health food vending.

Ryan earned his BS in Business Marketing at University of Phoenix.

Ken Ducey, Jr. - Principal Consultant

Ridgefield, CT

Ken has over 20 years of experience working within the financial industry both as an entrepreneur seeking funding, and as a decision maker with venture capital firms seeking to deploy their capital. Ken understands what investors are seeking, and has developed multiple presentations to provide the information in a format that exploits the valuable assets of a growing company.

Ken has been sought after as a consultant for many startup companies in a diverse set of industries, from defense contractors, to technology, manufacturing and medical device companies. Ken engages with the company to not only put together a plan, but to identify potential investors. Ken’s vast experience with growing companies assists owners to develop a strategy that will drive the company to success.

Ken has been a founder of multiple companies, and recently a President/CFO of a publicly traded firm with over $70 million in annual revenue in the Homeland Security Industry. Ken understands the differences in managing investors in a publicly traded firm, and how to present information and strategies accordingly.

Every business Ken has been involved with utilized Mergers & Acquisitions, for both growth and exit strategies. Ken started Fairfield Capital at the request of his clients based on his success of buying and selling companies with revenue less than $75 million in revenue. Ken has represented companies in manufacturing, agribusiness, and oil industries.

Ken has developed business plans and ran business development teams in a variety of industries including Technology, Homeland Security, Internet, Manufacturing, Telecommunications, and Outsourcing. Ken has raised over $18 million from a variety of funding sources including angel investors, venture capital, private equity, PIPE transactions, and hedge funds.

Tom Dykstra, MBA, CFPIM - Principal Consultant

Phoenix, AZ

Tom has over thirty years of business experience in strategy development, software design, engineering management, sales, marketing, channel creation, consulting, business modeling, decision analysis, capital acquisition, and new venture start-ups.

He is the co-founder of two ERP software companies: Effective Management Systems (ERP for discrete manufacturers) and EMS Solutions (ERP for automatic merchandising companies). Effective Management Systems appeared on the Inc 500 twice (28 and 37), acquired venture funding, and was taken public.

Before founding Effective Management Systems, he was with the Data Systems Division of AO Smith Corporation, a Fortune 500 diversified manufacturer. He was responsible for all financial and HR systems used by the corporation and the service bureau customers. He also founded the firm's small business computer line of business and the IT consulting practice.

He currently serves on the board of directors of Synergex International, a software firm.

As an adjunct faculty member at Grand Canyon University and Arizona State University, he has taught graduate and undergraduate courses in strategy, supply chain / operations management, project management, information systems, statistics, business modeling, and decision analysis.

Tom has an MBA from the University of Chicago and a BA in Mathematics from Hope College. He is also a Certified Fellow of the American Production and Inventory Control Society.

Julie Fletcher, MBA - Principal Consultant

Phoenix, AZ

Julie offers over 20 years of experience in business management and training. Her specialties include new business formation, business planning, business development, small business management, organizational development, operations planning, human resources, and insurance.

Prior to joining Cayenne, Julie founded Lanick Corporation, a small business consulting and coaching company. Previously, she co-founded and operated a successful small business development firm for eight years. This company expanded into the Arizona market quickly and within the first five years in business opened six offices statewide. During these years, Julie was recognized as a market leader in the construction licensing and surety bond industry, taught business law seminars, trained and led her team to reach their objectives year after year, consulted and coached hundreds of small business owners one-on-one, and assisted in setting up over 4,000 new Arizona businesses.

As an entrepreneur, Julie understands your reason for doing what you do. Her philosophy to success is simple: "you must be willing to learn and commit to follow-through! So many people dream, so few act." Through training and assistance, she guides you through a transformational process that opens doors to new opportunities and allows you to not only see your success, but actually experience it.

Julie earned her MBA with a concentration in Human Resources from the Keller Graduate School of Management, and holds a BS in business operations from DeVry University.

Jenifer Grant, MBA - Principal Consultant

New York, NY

Jenifer has been involved with finance, strategy, and marketing in a wide variety of roles and industries for over 15 years. In addition to third-party clients, she developed plans and implemented strategies for internal new businesses within IT and investment banking during the corporate phase of her career. Jenifer’s clients range from start-up through high middle market companies in fields including IT, software, green tech / renewable energy, telecom services, wireless, financial services, Internet/e-commerce, media/entertainment, healthcare products and wellness, consumer and industrial products, retail, mining and commodities, energy and tourism.

Prior to working as an independent consultant, Jenifer structured and managed transactions in global merchant banking and derivatives, and held strategic planning and management positions within investment banking and IT functions at Bankers Trust Company. Earlier, she worked in credit corporate finance at Manufacturers Hanover and portfolio strategy, equity and fixed income research at Kidder Peabody.

Jenifer has an MBA in Finance from Wharton and a BA in Economics from Columbia.

Norton Greenfeld, Ph.D. - Principal Consultant

Boston, MA

Norton brings decades of experience in the information technology industry as an entrepreneur, as well as in the fields of product development, strategic market research, research and development, and management consulting. Norton has advised numerous startups as co-founder of a virtual incubator, where he assisted entrepreneurs in refining concepts and creating investment materials, evaluated deal flow, and provided technology perspective, including patent applications. He has also advised dozens of industry leaders including 3M, Amdahl, BankBoston, Cigna, DEC, Great Plains Software, Hewlett-Packard, IBM, NCR, Novell, NTT, Open Software Foundation, SAP, Sun, Sybase, Unisys, Xerox, and Ziff-Davis.

He has served as an industry analyst and columnist, contributing to PC Week, Computerworld, and Unix Review. Norton also holds several patents, and teaches management and entrepreneurship at Babson College in Wellesley, MA.

Norton earned his Ph.D. and MS in Engineering Science (Computer Science), and a BS in Mathematics, all from the California Institute of Technology.

Charles Kickham, MBA - Principal Consultant

New York, NY

Charles brings 17 years of experience in finance, strategic partnership development, organizational restructuring, real estate development, and small business development to Cayenne Consulting. Charles' experience extends from Wall Street to small internet start-ups, delivering large-company fiscal and operational discipline to emerging companies whose structures are most fragile in their early years. Operating both in the trenches as an entrepreneur and on the outside as an investor/advisor, Charles understands the needs and demands of both. Such experience lends well to start-ups, not only in their quest for capital but also in their need for sound judgment in getting their business off the ground. This includes organizational management, process and technology roadmaps, revenue and cash flow projections, financial models and forecasts, legal and capital structures, advisory board and ramp-up strategies, technology development, and team building.

Charles' core financial strength blends operational efficiency with a mandate to always improve on existing structures and best practices. Such strengths were evident at TD Waterhouse where Charles, originally brought on board to help turn around global treasury operations, rose to provide leadership for one of its most profitable and critical business units, directing strategic/operational planning, forecasting, budgeting, firm funding, cash management, and risk management initiatives, with ultimate responsibility over the firm's cash maximization. Charles employs such tactics in the start-up environment where the early years of launching are some of the most critical.

Charles has been, and continues to be, a founding member of multiple internet start-ups and prior to joining Cayenne, operated as a managing partner in two real estate development firms.

Charles holds MBA degrees from both New York University's Stern School of Business and the London School of Economics, and is a mentor both at NYU's Berkley School of Entrepreneurial Studies, and with entrepreneurial programs involving inner-city New York City high school students.

Roy Kosuge - Principal Consultant

Los Angeles, CA

Roy has 10 years of experience building businesses in the intersection of media and communication technology. He specializes in new business development and change management, with a pragmatic approach of identifying big ideas and translating them into tactical successes. His practice spans across strategy, business planning, M&A, partnerships, product management, and operations and finance support for start-up and corporate clients, ranging across cable, wireless, online, interactive, music and video industries.

Before becoming a consultant, Roy was Vice President of International Strategy and Operations for Faith Inc., a Japanese mobile services provider with subsidiaries located in the U.S., France, Brazil and China. He was an advisor to the Founder and COO of Faith, leading critical strategic initiatives including M&A activities and new business development, including an assignment as COO of Voce Wireless, a subsidiary focused on premium wireless services. Prior to Faith Inc., he served as Director of Business Development at Universal Music Group, where he negotiated various content licensing and distribution deals across online and mobile platforms, as well evaluating the impact of new technologies and business models to the core business. Kosuge began his career as a strategy analyst at AT&T Broadband, where he supported product marketing and channel strategy efforts for High Speed Data.

Roy earned his B.A. in Psychology at Harvard University.

Charles Krakoff, MBA - Principal Consultant

Boston, MA

Charles brings over 20 years of experience in financial and strategic consulting, private equity, investment banking, privatization, market research and investment and trade strategy. His industry expertise includes internet/e-commerce, media, telecommunications, agribusiness, security services, industrial parks and energy. He has been an executive in and fund-raiser for several start-up companies, and has worked with over 20 other established and start-up businesses to develop business and revenue models, prepare business plans and investment memorandums, conduct valuations, carry out due diligence, and raise debt and equity finance.

Much of Charles’s career has focused on emerging markets in Asia, Africa, Eastern Europe and the Middle East. Before joining Cayenne Consulting he worked for a $150-million Africa-focused private equity fund, managed a financial consulting and advisory unit for Standard Corporate & Merchant Bank in Johannesburg, and worked for six years as a senior associate with Abt Associates, a leading U.S. research and consulting firm. He has also worked for the World Bank as an advisor to national governments on business and investment climate issues, and has advised numerous U.S., European and South African corporations on cross-border investments and market entry and expansion strategies.

Charles earned his MBA in finance and international business from Columbia University and his BA in Anthropology from Reed College. He is fluent in French.

Van Lanier - Principal Consultant

Washington DC

Van is a turnaround specialist who helps business owners revive their companies when they become unprofitable. Since 1977, Van has devoted his professional career to small business turnarounds. Clients retain him either as a Turnaround Consultant who comes to their business, or as a Turnaround Coach who provides guidance via the internet.

Van has practiced independently for most of his career. He was National Director of Turnaround Consulting for KPMG BayMark, but returned to private practice after several years.

Van is a Certified Management Consultant and a life-long practitioner of turning things around. He earned his M.B.A. with highest honors before personal computers made the math easy. Van is a long-time member of the Turnaround Management Association, the Institute of Management Consultants, and the Superior Business Firm Roundtable.

In addition to his consulting practice, Van has earned his stripes as a entrepreneur. In 1974, he asked the city of Fernandina Beach, Florida to award him its cable television franchise. It did. Thirty years later, a technology company he founded was named Innovation of the Year by Frost & Sullivan. Van has owned seven other small companies, five of which he started from scratch. He enjoyed success with most, but took it in the gut from one.

Van serves as a director and advisor to corporations, government agencies, and non-profit organizations. He writes and speaks on business turnaround issues for the World Bank and other organizations.

Jimmy Lewin - Principal Consultant

Phoenix, AZ

Jim's background includes over 35 years in international, commercial and investment banking, and nearly a decade as the principal shareholder and CEO of a rapidly growing manufacturing and distribution business in California. Today, Jim splits his time between working with early stage technology entrepreneurs including National Science Foundation grantees and advising and consulting entrepreneurs on matters related to business planning, as well as capital markets and funding strategies.

During his 20 years at Security Pacific Bank, Jim served in a number of senior management positions in the U.S. and internationally. Applicable assignments included responsibility for the funding of all of the institution’s subsidiaries and affiliates domiciled outside of the U.S., general management of two overseas affiliates and general management of the bank’s California staff departments.

For two years, he served as President, Director and CEO of Guardian Bancorporation, Los Angeles, California. Jim has extensive senior management and Board of Director experience. He is a graduate of the University of Cincinnati where he earned a B.A. in Political Science.

Malcolm McLelland, Ph.D. - Principal Consultant

Chicago, IL

Malcolm has over 24 years experience in financial modeling and econometric analysis gained in public accounting, commercial lending, and academic institutions. He has been engaged in such matters by firms in the manufacturing, processing, technology, real estate, and financial services industries, as well as by financial institutions and their regulatory agencies. His financial models have been used in financial planning and performance measurement, development of corporate governance and management control systems, merger and acquisition analysis and structuring, negotiating private debt and equity placements, capital (re)structuring and reorganization, business valuation, and commercial damages litigation consulting.

Malcolm's academic research focuses on how accounting information is used in equity markets, how managers make optimal financial reporting decisions, and how professional labor markets in accounting, finance, and information systems work. His research has been published in Review of Accounting & Finance and Managerial Finance, and he has written a number of monographs and articles included in professional publications and periodicals. Malcolm has taught a wide range of courses including financial accounting and analysis, managerial accounting and decision-making, corporate governance, asset pricing theory and business valuation at Michigan State University, University of Illinois at Chicago, Purdue University, and most recently at Indiana University.

Malcolm was graduated from Indiana University with a B.S. in 1981, and from Michigan State University with a Ph.D. in 1999.

Sara Moren, MBA - Principal Consultant

San Francisco, CA

Sara brings over ten years of experience in strategy and product development, management consulting, and financial analysis to Cayenne Consulting. She has worked with Fortune 500 and start-up companies domestically and internationally, and has extensive hands-on experience managing cross-functional teams comprised of marketing, business development, engineering, customer support, design, research, and third party vendors. Her industry experience includes online communities, consumer services, wireless technology, and health care.

Prior to joining Cayenne Consulting, she managed six product launches for companies including Match.com and Classmates Online, and advised numerous start-ups with their strategic plans, promotional efforts, and financial projections. Sara also has management consulting experience and was an investment banker, working on three international billion dollar mergers and a medical device venture capital fund.

Sara has an MBA from the Wharton School and a BA in Mathematics from Columbia University.

Rick O'Hara, MBA - Principal Consultant

Austin, TX

With over twenty years of experience in management, management consulting, strategic and business planning, financial modeling and analysis, and launching new ventures, Rick has the broad-based experience to quickly comprehend the nuances of your business and create winning solutions that get results.

Rick served as CFO for several startups in multiple industries, including Paramount Digital Entertainment (a division of Paramount Television), Carter Aviation Technologies, and Trinity Thermal Systems. While Director of Business Planning at The Becker Group of Companies, he oversaw development of business plans and financial models for four technology startups, and participated in the merger and IPO of a software firm and hardware manufacturer. As Marketing Manager at Teledyne Analytical Instruments, he managed the launch of four new product lines.

As a management consultant, he has developed business plans, financial models, engineering models, proposals, and white papers used to successfully raise millions of dollars. While still a student at the University of Southern California’s MBA program, where he majored in Entrepreneurial Studies, he founded a software firm that developed and published the first business graphics software for microcomputers. Rick received his undergraduate degree from Cornell University.

George Papaioannou, MBA - Principal Consultant

Princeton, NJ (Serving Philadelphia and New York)

George Papaioannou has 15 years of experience in developing, analyzing, evaluating and executing business models, from an investment as well as an operational perspective.

George worked on Wall Street for a total of eight years, analyzing investment opportunities and positioning them with institutional investors. As a research analyst for Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette, he covered the media & entertainment sector. While at DLJ, George played a central role in more than two dozen public offerings and M&A transactions worth a total of over $3 billion. As product manager for Thomas Weisel Partners, George oversaw all aspects of the equity research department's daily product output. He collaborated with the firm's research analysts to develop thematic investment ideas and position them with appropriate investors. George was a member of TWP's Research Review Committee, which reviewed and approved stock rating changes.

As a management consultant for IBM Global Services, George specialized in the development and execution of Internet strategies for Global 2000 media companies. At online music retailer CDNOW, he formulated a strategy and business model for selling digital downloads. Most recently, George was director of business development for Clique Communications, a provider of Web-based video communication technologies. At Clique, he was responsible for developing commercial applications for the technologies, finding new business opportunities and forging strategic partnerships.

George serves as a Mentor for the Eugene M. Lang Center for Entrepreneurship at Columbia University. He earned his BA from Cornell University and his MBA from Columbia Business School.

Dennis Pape, Ph.D. - Principal Consultant

Florida

Dennis brings over twenty five years of experience with high technology companies, from research scientist to manager to start-up founder to entrepreneur, corporate, and investor advisor. His primary expertise is in advising and directing new venture business, technology, and product development. He has strong technical, communication, organizational, and business skills with technical expertise in optics, photonics, optical networks, acoustics, electronics, communications, and medical devices.

Dennis has authored or co-authored business plans and investor presentations that have resulted in over $200M in institutional venture capital funding. He has hands-on experience as both a CEO and CTO during a new venture’s formative stage. He was a key player in a number of corporate technology spin-outs while he was at Milcom Technologies, a venture capital backed corporate spin-out firm.

Prior to joining Milcom, Dennis founded and was President of Photonic Systems Incorporated (PSI) in Melbourne, Florida. His firm specialized in the development of optical information processing technology products for both government and commercial customers. He secured seed venture capital funding for the firm and was responsible for the firm's technical leadership position in its field, which resulted in the award of over $7 Million of government R&D contracts, which he managed. Before founding PSI, Dennis worked as a Group Leader at Harris Corporation and as a Member of the Technical Staff at Texas Instruments. Dennis is an Entrepreneur-in-Residence at the University of Central Florida Technology Incubator. He is a member of AUTM, IEEE, SPIE, and OSA. He is the coeditor of a book, the author of 3 book chapters and some 50 publications, and was the organizer of numerous national and international conferences in the field of optical information processing.

Dennis earned an AB in Physics from Cornell University and a Ph.D. in Physics from Duke University.

Harry Phillips, J.D. - Principal Consultant

Phoenix, AZ

Prior to joining Cayenne, Harry developed business plans, financial models and investor presentations as part of a team of leveraged buyout specialists at a $1.2 billion private equity fund. He played a central role in over 20 deals that involved raising equity and debt financing from Wall Street and institutional sources totaling $9.5 billion, and helped create a portfolio of companies whose aggregate annual sales exceeded $10 billion. His experience includes developing revenue and operating models, part profitability analyses and enterprise-wide IT projects that integrated sales, volume, and cost data for strategic planning use. He worked closely with CEOs and CFOs of Fortune 500 companies, and played a significant role in managing a $4 billion a year, publicly traded auto parts manufacturer.

Previously, Harry has been involved with investor relations, business development, marketing, finance, and operations in a broad range of positions and industries for over 20 years. In addition to his work for a top accounting firm and Wall Street investment banks, he held a key operating and financial role at a regional painting and wallcovering contractor with $10 million in annual revenue. He has worked closely with companies spanning the start-up through high middle market stages in sectors including financial services, healthcare, real estate, consumer products, automotive, construction, high tech, industrial products, telecommunications, retail, and energy.

Harry has a J.D. from Pace University School of Law and a B.A. from Harvard University.

Jim Pinyan, MBA - Principal Consultant

Los Angeles, CA

Jim brings over 25 years of general management, marketing, business development, and program management experience to Cayenne Consulting. He has hands on experience running start up companies and working with boards and investors on strategic planning and corporate development, as well as implementing operating plans. Prior to joining Cayenne, Jim was an operations consultant for a solar engineering company where he developed a new business plan focusing on strategic sourcing partnerships and customer diversification. He was the President and co-founder of Valutrax, a system integrator of wireless solutions for improving asset utilization of large defense contractors. He has held COO and VP of Sales and Marketing positions with Lightcross and InLight, two high-tech start-ups where he was responsible for quickly assessing the companies and establishing and implementing a new business direction.

Jim's public company experience includes key management positions at Raychem Corporation and Tyco Electronics in the areas of domestic and international marketing and engineering program management. He has successfully led joint venture projects and delivered rapid growth products in multiple business categories. He has operational experience with both in-house and outsourced manufacturing models. Jim began his career as an engineer with Bell Labs and has compiled 10 patents while working as an engineer and technical manager.

Jim earned a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from North Carolina State University, an M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Stanford University, and an M.B.A. from Pepperdine University.

Scott Pollov - Principal Consultant

North Carolina

Scott brings over 14 years of experience in planning, developing, financing, marketing, and managing entrepreneurial and real estate based ventures, both as a principal and as a consultant. He has managed several hundred strategic consulting engagements for companies in nearly every industry and stage of development. Before joining Cayenne, Scott was the co-founder and managing partner of BizPlanIt, a management consulting and capital advisory firm that assisted clients through the process of creating, financing, growing, and sustaining their business. Scott focused on pre-financing transaction preparation and positioning services, including market and competitive research, business planning services, strategic and growth planning, financial analysis and projections, investor presentation materials, recommendations on value enhancement, presentation coaching, advisory board membership, and the identification and development of strategic, marketing, and technology partners.

Scott has focused extensively on serving companies in the real estate development and finance industries, including master planned community, residential, and commercial developers; multifamily and commercial property investment companies; real estate private equity funds; and commercial and residential mortgage brokers/lenders. Scott has been active as a principal in a real estate investment firm, as well as in the funding of private money and commercial mortgage transactions.

Earlier, Scott worked at at McGladrey & Pullen, a national public accounting firm, where he specialized in financial statement audits for middle market manufacturing, distribution, and medical services companies. Scott holds a B.S. in Accounting and Entrepreneurship from the University of Arizona, and is an inductee in the University's Berger Entrepreneurship Program Hall of Fame for his role in developing BizPlanIt.

Paul Sereiko, MBA - Principal Consultant

Boston, MA

Paul has over 25 years of experience in technology, marketing, business development, and business planning across companies ranging in size from startups to global multi-nationals. He has personally raised nearly $20M for ventures that he has either founded or operated as the CEO, and has been associated with an additional $30M in funding for other enterprises including one NASDAQ public offering.

Paul has developed, launched, and marketed over 20 technology products in his career ranging from the world's first notebook computer, the NEC UltraLite, to the world's first wireless indoor location system, the PinPoint 3D-iD LPS. Over the last decade he has become an industry expert in the emerging standardized wireless sensor networking market … the so called Internet of things. Within this sector Paul has helped co-found one not-for-profit development consortium, and assumed leadership roles in organizations creating global standards for sensor networking.

Paul graduated from the University of Illinois' Computer Engineering program and received his MBA at Northwestern University's Kellogg school with concentrations in marketing and investment finance.

Hal Siegel, Ph.D. - Principal Consultant

Phoenix, AZ

Hal is the founder of Siegel Consultancy, providing strategic and tactical expertise to life science companies, helping them meet FDA requirements from pre-clinical studies through the regulatory submission process and into the post-approval marketplace. He has delivered scientific, clinical and regulatory compliance assistance as well as submission preparation and management services to life science client companies developing drugs, therapeutic biologics, combination products, traditional devices, and in vitro diagnostic products.

Hal previously provided strategic and tactical management consulting services to a start up software company making knowledge management and collaboration tools for regulated life science companies, as well as Sun Microsystem’s Global Life Science group, working with sales, marketing, business development, legal, and professional services groups.

His degrees are from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and SUNY Buffalo (Ph.D., Biochemical Pharmacology).

Rick Tifone, MBA - Principal Consultant

Pittsburgh, PA

Rick brings over 25 years of executive management, marketing, sales, and consulting experience to Cayenne Consulting. He has hands-on experience running startup companies and working with CEOs on strategic planning, performance improvement, and process improvement. In addition to working on business plans, Rick works with the CEOs of B2B companies to help them start, grow, or save their business. He has been working with companies involved with software development, IT services, real estate brokerage, commercial and residential real estate, executive recruiting, medical equipment, construction, manufacturing, and government sourcing.

As founder and CEO of Danet, Inc., a consulting and systems integration company providing solutions for the telecommunications industry, Rick managed the profitable growth of the company from one employee to over one hundred. He was recognized by the Pittsburgh Technology Council as the CEO of the fastest growing company in the $10M to $25M range. During his nine years at Danet, Rick guided the company through dramatic telecommunications market changes and a transition from a software company to a systems integration and consulting company. Rick conducted business throughout the U.S. and Canada, South America, Europe, and the Middle East.

Rick's previous public company experience includes positions at General Dynamics, Alcoa, Wang Laboratories, and Tandem Computers. Rick has also operated a residential real estate investment company. He brings a unique perspective from being both a professionally trained business coach and an experienced business leader who has started and grown successful businesses.

Rick's formal education includes a Bachelors Degree in Computer Science from the State University of New York at Potsdam and an MBA from the University of Pittsburgh’s Katz School of Business.

Adam Trueblood - Principal Consultant

Los Angeles, CA

Adam has broad experience in new ventures and investor relations. His employment experience includes the positions of VP of Investor Relations at W2 Energy Development Corporation, CFO at Santa Cruz Guitar Company, and Senior Manager at The Charles Schwab Corporation, where he was responsible for project planning in the Schwab Technology Group. In addition to investor relations, Adam has developed expertise in joint ventures and licensing arrangements, both domestic and international.

Since 1999 Adam has worked as a professional writer, accepting assignments such as business plans, PPMs, reports, and other projects. Adam has prepared successful business plans and investment proposals for a long list of clients in industries such as renewable energy, real estate development, high technology, ports, music production, film production, transportation, and investment services.

Adam graduated from Stanford University with degrees in English and Economics, and later received an MBA from U.C. Berkeley. His interests include Romance languages and guitar.

Arlene Zeichner, MBA - Principal Consultant

Beverly Hills, CA

Arlene specializes in advising entertainment and technology companies exploring or already engaged in the convergence of media and technology. She has more than 25 years of experience in entertainment, new business models, market analysis and emerging technologies. She most recently managed film and television content alliances for Intel. Arlene also has deep expertise in cable TV and mobile delivery platforms. With her experience in content production, business development, and technology enablement, she offers a unique and valuable perspective on video content exploitation via multiple platforms to multiple devices. Her consulting clients span the spectrum of media players, including production, distribution and financing entities: studios, cable channels, production and post-production companies, VCs, Internet ventures, advertising agencies, and consumer electronics companies. Arlene has helped senior executives develop strategies for entering new markets, craft long-term strategies and retool existing ones to respond to market shifts. She has written marketing plans, financial and investor-oriented business plans, and evaluated media-investment opportunities for VCs.

Before joining Cayenne, Arlene managed film and television content alliances for Intel. Previously, she was Vice President of Programming and Business Development at Columbia TriStar Interactive (now Sony Pictures Digital Entertainment) where she developed and executed the plan for the studio's entry into the online business, including advertiser-supported original content, online games based on studio properties, and promotional sites for the studio's shows, films and videos.

Arlene earned a BA from New York University, a MA from Yale University, and an MBA from Columbia University.

Principal Consultant, MBA

Tel Aviv, Israel and New York, NY

Our Tel Aviv-based consultant has over fourteen years of experience in the financial services sector, and has functioned in a variety of leadership roles. Most recently, he served as a founding executive of a VC-backed P2P financial company, where he was instrumental in strategy, business development, operations, and capital raising.

Prior to this, he was a portfolio manager for a major international asset management company in New York, where he oversaw $3 billion of institutional equity in the financial sector, which included banks, thrifts, fiduciaries, credit card, and diversified financial companies. During his tenure, his investments performed in the top quartile relative to his peers. In addition, he served as a research analyst (sell-side) at a Tier-1 investment bank, where he followed the large- cap commercial banking space and frequently interacted with company management, institutional investors and sales traders. Previously, he worked in the financial services group of a Tier-1 investment bank, where he executed M&A transactions and public and private financings for commercial banks, S&Ls, home equity lenders, mortgage REITs and real estate related companies. Additionally, he performed regulatory compliance at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, with a specialization in credit risk and capital adequacy.

He earned an MBA in Finance from Columbia Business School, and B.A. in Economics from Yeshiva University.

Principal Consultant, MBA

San Francisco, CA - Bay Area

Our San Francisco consultant has over twenty years of experience as a management consultant. He specializes in working with San Francisco Bay Area / Silicon Valley companies seeking venture capital. He is the author of numerous business plans leading to successful multi-million dollar investments. His plans have been used to raise capital, to solve critical business problems, and to persuade investors, boards, and senior management to take action. His plans are effective because they are based upon thorough qualitative and quantitative analysis, yet are able to communicate complex ideas in a simple straightforward manner.

He has client experience in high tech, green tech / alternative energy, commercial real estate, construction materials, financial services, biotech, aerospace, manufacturing, hospitality, and service industries.

He earned his MBA from Harvard University and his BA in Biochemistry from Brown University.

Jan Knight, MA - Market Research Specialist

Tucson, AZ

Jan delivers both marketing and advertising experience to her role as our market research specialist. Her focus is on providing customized business intelligence and secondary market research. Her work has helped to shape business plans, marketing strategies, and new business development for a diverse set of clients. Jan has access to professional subscriber-only databases that provide authoritative data, nationally and internationally.

Previously, Jan spent a number of years working as a client liaison for two successful Advertising/Marketing Agencies. She also worked as a Purchasing/Manufacturing Manager for an international educational publisher. Jan also speaks to business groups and writes occasional columns on advanced online search strategies and market research related topics.

Currently she is an advisor and business plan judge for the University of Arizona's McGuire Entrepreneurship program and acts as advisor and guest speaker for the Microbusiness Advancement Center. She currently serves on the Greater Tucson Chapter of National Association of Women Business Owners, and is an active member of Association of Independent Information Professionals.

Jan earned her M.A. in Information Resources & Library Science from the University of Arizona, and her B.A. from the University of California, Berkeley.