Members Bring Decades of Experience in Entrepreneurialism and Venture Capital
ANN ARBOR, Mich., 10/01/2003 -- The Samuel Zell & Robert H. Lurie Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies, the world's leading university-based center for entrepreneurial studies, announced today the addition of three new members to its 36-member Advisory Board â€" Mitchell Mondry, Jan Garfinkle and Samuel Valenti III. These successful entrepreneurs and venture capitalists bring decades of experience to the Institute, and will provide guidance on determining its activities and future direction.
Mr. Mondry is the co-founder and vice president of M Group, a venture-capital investment company located in Birmingham, Michigan. Previously, Mondry was the vice president of stores and customer service for Highland Superstores. He hosts The Digital Hour, a monthly radio show series focusing on financing businesses, and has served as a judge for Zell Lurie's annual Pryor-Hale business plan competition.
Ms. Garfinkle is the founder of Arboretum Ventures, an Ann Arbor-based venture fund dedicated to starting and building early-stage life-sciences companies. Prior to founding Arboretum, Garfinkle worked in manufacturing management for Proctor & Gamble and held key management roles at two medical startups. She is also a member of the University of Michigan National Technology Advisory Board.
Mr. Valenti is the chairman of Valenti Capital, an investment firm in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. In addition, he is a senior managing director and general partner of Heartland Industrial Partners, president of Masco Capital Corp., and chairman of the executive committee of the Michigan Venture Capital Association. Mr. Valenti is a 20-year veteran and former chairman of the Investment Advisory Committee of the State of Michigan Retirement System.
"We are honored and excited to have Mr. Mondry, Ms. Garfinkle and Mr. Valenti join Zell Lurie's Advisory Board," said Thomas Kinnear, executive director of the Samuel Zell & Robert H. Lurie Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies. "Their expertise and perspective will be invaluable in maintaining Zell Lurie's standing as the nation's premier entrepreneurial institute, in turn helping University of Michigan students to successfully create new businesses and lead turn-around ventures."
About Samuel Zell & Robert H. Lurie Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies
The Samuel Zell & Robert H. Lurie Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies was formed in October 1999. The Institute actively engages the nation's most successful entrepreneurs and offers an outstanding faculty composed of both academic researchers and practitioners in entrepreneurship. The Institute's mission is to focus the capabilities and resources of the University of Michigan Business School to provide education, experience and opportunities in entrepreneurship; serve as a catalyst for new venture development; and contribute important research in the field of entrepreneurship. Members of the Institute's Advisory Board include Samuel Zell, Chairman of Equity Group Investments; Michael Hallman, former COO of Microsoft Corporation; and Eugene Applebaum, Founder of Arbor Drugs.
###
<< Student Start-Up Grants |
University of Michigan Press Releases |
Mondry Scholarship >>
page 5 of 14 |
|
