Lawrence Pensack Email & Phone Number

Cambridge, Ma, Us

Contract CFO and/or COO for companies in diverse industries. I provide financial, operational, administrative, and strategic planning services and insights to companies in transition.

Dover, Delaware, Us

OpenExO is a high profile holding company founded by Salim Ismail, best-selling author, Founding Executive Director of Singularity University, and XPRIZE Foundation Board Member. The company is expanding its investments, global network of consultants, and initiatives with cities and countries globally. I joined OpenExO, Inc. shortly after it was incorporated as the full-time CFO reporting directly to Ismail with responsibility for all financial and administrative functions across all related entities.As a key member of the executive team and governing council, I was involved with major strategic and financial decisions. I oversaw and monitored all financial activity including cashflow, foreign exchange transactions, and budgeting and forecasting of OpenExO's Spanish subsidiary, its related company ExO Works, Inc., and new core initiatives. I maintained all financial systems, procedures, and administrative controls for this fully remote company with employees and consultants operating around the world. I also coordinated our outsourced bookkeeping service as well as multiple accounting firms for tax and reporting.I researched and established compliant financial policies, procedures, and reporting for integrating our newly developed crypto-currency token (EXOS) into vendor, sales and equity transactions.I also collaborated with our general counsel and outside attorneys to develop legal agreements governing entity relationships, corporate restructuring, inter-company agreements, vendor agreements, and employee/HR documentation. I had full responsibility for implementing the stock option plan for sister company ExO Works, Inc.

CFO and COO for early stage high-end design firm. Established all financial, administrative, and legal systems and documentation, including client and contractor agreements. Refined strategic focus, developed streamlined bidding and budgeting processes, and managed and forecast cash flow.

Silicon Valley, Ca, Us

I joined best-selling author, business strategist, and Founding Executive Director of Singularity University Salim Ismail’s high profile start-up with a mandate to bring structure, order, and control to this consulting business focused on exponential technology and its resultant disruption. The company developed a 10-week engagement offering called the “ExO Sprint” which helped our Global 100 clients respond to, anticipate, and profit from exponential technologies.I was a key member of the executive team, involved with major strategic and financial decisions. I worked closely with both the operations and consulting teams to develop and refine the firm’s client offerings and negotiate strategic partner agreements.I established and maintained all financial systems, procedures, and administrative controls for this fully remote company with employees and consultants operating around the world. I managed all HR and administrative functions, including benefits, insurance, HR policies, and the myriad details of running a successful business. In collaboration with our attorney, I developed all legal agreements for clients, sales reps, and consultants in order to manage the team of independent experts and protect the firm’s IP. I negotiated all contracts, created and implemented a stock option plan, and converted the company from an LLC to a corporation. I also spearheaded the establishment of a new corporate entity in Spain to manage our European employees, navigating the foreign and US regulations for a US-based company operating overseas.

Mobile Monitor Technologies (MMT) designed and manufactured the world’s first portable displays for iPhone, iPad, Macbook, PC, and Android smartphones and tablets. MMT’s second-generation products were unveiled at CES Las Vegas to critical acclaim, winning Laptop’s “Best of CES 2012”. MMT was covered by Forbes, Fast Company, The Wall Street Journal, Engadget, CNET, ZDNet and was chosen by Macworld as Day 1 Standout at MacWorld/iWorld 2013. Since its founding in 2009, MMT’s Field Monitor Pro sold to over 3,500 firms through distribution partners PC Connection, MacConnection, More Direct, and Amazon.I was a President and Co-Founder of the company, with full responsibility for all operations, financial, administrative, and strategic functions. Raised $1.5 million in debt and equity to fund business. Primary point of contact with outside investors. Established and implemented systems to handle warehousing and shipping, insurance, distribution, legal, and administrative functions. Managed all legal and production issues, FCC product testing and all of the other details involved with overseas manufacturing of an electronic product.

Harmony Digital Media Consortium exclusively represented the National Parent Teacher Association and The Boys & Girls Clubs of America for digital entertainment channels. In addition to conceiving, developing, and managing fundraising models leveraging the organizations’ 10MM active members, Harmony signed Hewlett-Packard as its technology partner. Under Harmony’s direction, online “family friendly” movie channels were introduced to America’s families, offering safe destinations for children. In addition, Harmony launched the nation’s largest family movie night in partnership with The Walt Disney Company, DreamWorks Animation, and the Motion Picture Association of America. With over 3,700 schools simultaneously screening to an estimated audience of 1.5MM children and parents in school auditoriums across the US, it was the only event of its kind.As President, I was responsible for all operations, financel, administration, investor relations, and strategy. I developed and managed a stored value gift card program as a fundraising platform for our non-profit partners. I managed all gift card operations, building the online gift card sales functionality, with full responsibility for card design, production and distribution to over 20,000 retailers. I worked closely with our attorney to file patent and trademark applications, and create the legal terms for the gift cards and websites.I negotiated long-term contracts and managed relationships on behalf of our non-profit partners with key media partners including Hewlett-Packard, The Walt Disney Company, DreamWorks Animation, and key suppliers and retailers such as Domino’s Pizza, Best Buy, and Walgreens.

Worcester, Massachusetts, Us

I was the full-time CFO reporting to the president of the oldest accredited graduate level acupuncture school in the US. My responsibilities included all finances, payroll, human resources, accounting, financial aid, and student tuition. I was instrumental in professionalizing all finance and operations functions to improve efficiency, management reporting, control, and accountability, ultimately restoring confidence in the Finance Department. I supervised and worked closely with the school’s outside auditors. I managed a major move from an old, outdated facility to a modern school, including identifying the new building, negotiating a 15-year lease on the 24,000 sq ft facility, and managing the full build-out and move.I had full P&L oversight and responsibility for all of the school’s major departments. I helped generate significant savings in annual costs by instituting annual budget and control process with monthly updates to the Board of Trustees. I was involved with a major NIH research grant, restoring accountability and control for all of NESA's grants. I worked closely with peer members of Harvard Medical School’s Osher Institute to manage the school’s research strategy, and was a co-author of a published research paper for grants management.

Stratos was a start-up firm specializing in marketing and sales of long-term care insurance products and services. I managed all start-up activities including establishment of accounting system, development of legal agreements, and lease negotiations. I led all financial and operating aspects in support of a successful $2MM round of financing from GE Capital and General & Cologne Re (a Warren Buffett company). I managed the funding process start-to-finish, including investor presentations, deal documentation, due diligence, and investor communications. I was responsible for raising an additional $1.5MM non-dilutive financing through a successful jobs development grant from the state. I negotiated the $5MM strategic acquisition of an agency brokerage.

Boston, Ma, Us

Olive Jar Studios, Inc. was an award winning film production company with studios in Los Angeles and Boston creating content for theme parks (The Walt Disney Company, Universal Studios), television commercials (Levi Strauss & Co., Samsung Electronics, The Coca-Cola Company), network design packages (NBC, MTV, Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network), music videos (Grandmaster Flash, Sean Lennon), and television shows (Cartoon Network’s “Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law”, George Meyer’s “Bang!” for Fox Network). Olive Jar was acquired by Red Sky Interactive, an Omnicom Group Inc. company (NYSE-OMC). As co-owner and President, I managed all financial, administrative, personnel, and marketing functions, with full P&L responsibility. Introduced and implemented financial discipline, analysis, and accountability to the firm, and grew the business ten-fold from annual revenues of approximately $500k to revenues in excess of $5MM.

Ba, Economics

Mba, Small Business, Marketing, Strategic Management, Finance