Founding Partners
October 5, 2013
Rick has experience leveraging technology to meet objectives of commercial, non-profit and government enterprises in domestic and international environments. He has a track record of translating business strategy and opportunities into transformational technology innovations.
Rick is currently the head of technology for Caruso Affiliated, a southern California real estate company known for its innovative approach to retail, office, hospitality, and luxury residential property. Rick’s prior professional experience includes leading a software business unit for a Silicon Valley-based tech company, heading up technology for The Brookings Institution in Washington, and acting as the global head of technology for the Sydney-based Westfield Group.
March 12, 2014
Ramgopal Rao is a serial entrepreneur with 25 years of experience in the ophthalmic pharmaceutical and device industry. Currently he is Chief Executive Officer of 2C Tech Corporation, Inc., an emerging medical device company that is developing a novel nanotechnology application for preservation of vision for patients with macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy. He was Chief Operating Officer and Director of Vitreoretinal Technologies, Inc., a venture funded ophthalmic pharmaceutical company that developed a drug for diabetic retinopathy. Mr. Rao co-developed an innovative corneal implant device for presbyopia and licensed the technology to (venture funded) Acufocus, Inc. Prior to that Mr. […]
March 12, 2014
Mark’s passions are to unify high capacity families around a significant common purpose and elevate their positive social impact, as well as highlight creative ways to invest in a family’s next generation. Since 2008, Mark has been a family office executive for KNET, a consortium enterprise that serves as the family office for Steeve Kay, a software entrepreneur in Orange County, CA. Mark was Executive Director of Kay Family Foundation from 2010-2013, and is currently Vice President, Strategic Relations. In addition, he is Principal of Next Generation Strategies, an independent, conflict-free philanthropic advisory firm. NGS serves client goals to: 1) […]
March 12, 2014
Megan is an award-winning graphic designer and writer, specializing in marketing communications. Since 2002, she has grown and run Sublime Designs Media LLC. As the President of Sublime, she works with companies to create branding, marketing, and social media strategies so they can grow and expand into new markets. Over the course of her career, she has helped clients develop marketing strategies for print and online media, including advertising, branding, social media outreach, public relations, and more. As the daughter of a diplomat, Megan lived in Chile, Spain, El Salvador, and Germany. This international experience has shaped her aesthetic, giving […]
March 12, 2014
Chris is co-founder of the Community Vitalization Council (CiViC 180) which helps communities improve their economic vitality by developing small businesses. CiViC 180 creates and manages programs to retain businesses, develop entrepreneurship and increase global business connections. It supports these with state of the art viral marketing and works with communities to develop sustainable funding streams to support the programs. From 2009 to 2012, Chris was Vice President at the Irvine Chamber of Commerce where he handled economic development and tourism promotion activities for the City of Irvine. He initiated an award winning international business program that featured webinars, training […]
March 12, 2014
Pamela Lawrence (MD) Horowitz has been an Orange County resident since moving with her family from New York City in 1982. Most of her career has been in the health care arena. As a Clinical Professor of Medicine on the UC Irvine faculty at the School of Medicine, she practiced and taught clinical Internal Medicine to both medical students and medical residents. Having retired from UCI, she is currently a volunteer physician and member of the Board of Directors of the Laguna Beach Community Clinic. In 2005 Pam and her husband Andy, became founding members of a new chapter of […]
March 12, 2014
Andrew Horowitz is a twenty-year telecommunications entrepreneur and founder of Office Telephone Management (OTM), a voice and date shared-service provider to tenants of multi-tenant office buildings in Southern California that he started in 1983 and sold in 1995. Mr. Horowitz has since pursued an assortment of domestic and international telecommunications consulting engagements, mentoring activities, and investment opportunities involving local telecom and other startup companies. He joined the Orange County chapter of the Tech Coast Angels in 2000 and is invested in more than 25 angel startups. Mr. Horowitz is also a member of Investors Circle. From 2002 2007, he served […]
March 12, 2014
Mojdeh’s multicultural upbringing shaped her character to become a change agent, resourceful leader, problem solver, business mentor, and philanthropist. During her career she has assumed senior executive roles for highly competitive international high tech companies in Asia, Europe, and the US. She has a passion for adventure, innovation, selfless leaders, and connecting ideas and resources to make amazing things happen. Mojdeh has been inspired by TED talks for many years and has engaged in organizing TEDx events to spread great ideas and create a new dynamism in her current community of Orange Count