Successor entity to Ninth Space, a brand and operational consultant, incubator and fundless private equity sponsor focused exclusively on the branded B-to-C market, drawing on my substantial background in health and wellness, hospitality, restaurants, luxury goods, specialty retail, apparel, jewelry and footwear, and geographic immersion in the United States, Europe, the CIS, the Gulf and parts of Asia. My consulting expertise is broad - C-Suite, operations, and sales best practices, planning and executing for scale, turnaround management/planning, full financial review/management, real estate site location/lease negotiation, M&A transaction advisory/structuring/negotiation, and sustainability of operations.My private equity efforts target smaller and emerging cap opportunities primarily in the food & beverage outlet spaces, health & wellness, and specialty retail and e-commerce, including self-incubated concepts. I will only invest in businesses where CSR is a priority and not a term of trade and will work to create and fund social missions within the portfolio companies. Investment criteria include an in-depth understanding of unit economics, lease lives, acquisition multiple, and scalability, both domestically and abroad through owned, licensed, and franchised strategies.Key activities include: * Currently incubating, from inception through launch, a highly-differentiated specialty "bricks and clicks concept" in the men's grooming arena;* Current Board Member and Chairman at MidAmeriCanna LLC;* Current Board Member and Senior Adviser at HomeField;* Former Advisor to the Malaysian sovereign wealth fund on its hospitality and leisure interests;* Former Advisor to two growth private equity firms sourcing and assessing opportunities and portfolio company value capture;* Formulated turnaround and growth plans for two multi-unit, multi-state restaurant businesses.

Start-up CBO & COO for relaunch of Field & Stream. Led purchase of media business and related IP, including transaction valuation, negotiation and closing. Led integration of media business and branded retail business. Oversaw construction of new integrated website (July 2023 launch), including strategy planning for a new ecommerce marketplace. Actively participated in all pending licenses, DTR approaches and contemplated joint ventures from strategy and legal perspective. Built company's first integrated budget from scratch for 2024 and instilled financial metrics and KPI's across relevant business activities. Transitioned responsibilities to three new full-time employees. Never intended for full-time work.

Nic + Zoe is a leading branded women's knitwear and more resource in the better-priced category with distribution through major department and specialty stores nationally as well as through its own retail and e-commerce sites.

Tone It Up is one of the country’s leading women’s fitness and wellness communities, operating through digital and wholesale channels. Working with the Founders, private equity sponsors, and senior management team, I was responsible for reimagining, designing, executing, and monitoring an enhanced and integrated omnichannel distribution strategy, hiring new senior management and mid-level teams, and coalescing them into a seamless team, igniting the product innovation pipeline, strengthening supply chain capabilities and resiliency, overseeing financial health, and positioning the company, culturally and operationally, for significant future growth. Some key achievements in this role include:* Assumed CEO position mid-Pandemic and grew sales in 2020 40% over April 2020 forecast and projected 2021 run rate 70%+ over 2020 actual sales. * Championed complex deadline-driven projects, including complete packaging redesign; 3PL RFP, selection and migration for omnichannel inventory and distribution; revamp of App, including UX/UI redesign, competitive assessment, eCommerce strategy, and customer journey mapping; white space assessment for community growth, new customer conversion, and reduced attrition in the changed pandemic-populated home fitness market.* Slashed EBITDA loss by more than 50% despite unique pandemic challenges - iOS 14.5 disruption, retailer reset delays, and enormous supply chain constraints.* With sales team and shareholders, modified and grew wholesale sales in partners, doors, and dollars, as well as reimagined e-commerce and consumer marketing strategies. Laid foundation for distribution in Canada, Europe, and China.

I served as a Senior Operating Partner to TCP, a mid-market focused branded consumer private equity fund. Assisted with transaction origination, development and analysis, and portfolio company monitoring, one of which was Tone It Up, to which I transitioned and served as full-time CEO until the end of 2021.

I was a consultant to DRH, a 100% owned subsidiary of Khazanah focused exclusively on the Sovereign Funds investments in the tourism and hospitality arenas. Project-related functions include operations, turnaround management, business and strategic planning, human resource planning, brand-building and financial analysis and returns. Activities at both Board and property levels. Assignment coming to close in 2013.

During my time with Starwood Capital Group, I wore multiple simultaneous hats: President Director General of Groupe du Louvre (a holding company for Champagne Taittinger, Baccarat Crystal, Concorde Hotel Group, Louvre Hotels and Annick Goutal perfumes; President of Starwood Capital Group (EMEA); and, Managing Director of Starwood Capital Group Global.My primary responsibilities revolved around principal investments, growth strategies, and operational excellence in several consumer-branded verticals: Hospitality, Leisure (gyms and health clubs), and Luxury Goods, including home goods (Baccarat), fragrance (Annick Goutal), and champagne (Taittinger). Some key achievements in these roles include:* Structured, negotiated, and led the process for the successful exit from Champagne Taittinger achieving a record-high sales price, a Euro 200+ million capital gain, and an IRR of ~ 200% after less than one year of ownership;* Developed the consumer, wholesale, and product strategy by which Annick Goutal's sales grew 100%+ in a challenging macro-environment, ultimately resulting in the sale of the company for 14x Starwood Capital's original investment and an IRR of 60%+.* Successfully initiated, led, and negotiated full management and incentive contracts for a $900 million Baccarat Hotel and Residences project in Dubai. Focused on transaction and relationship origination, deal and portfolio company management, and strategy and fund-raising in Europe and the Gulf nations.

I had global responsibilities for the retail and apparel practices, both on the Merger and Acquisitions advisory and capital markets sides, and reporting to the Vice-Chairman. I joined DKW post-acquisition by Dresdner Bank. Post Allianz's subsequent acquisition of DKW, a change of strategy was implemented to push commercial banking products through the investment bank which changed the nature, challenges, and the fulfillment of my role.

One of the first five employees to staff Montgomery's NYC office. Responsibilities included ALL consumer branded and retail clients on East Coast and internationally. I joined Montgomery for the culture and private partnership structure, both of which changed immutably 45 days after I joined when NationsBank acquired Montgomery. Built an 8 figure revenue business in the first year. NationsBank's strategy was contrary to the high value, high touch Montgomery culture and I decided that the altered demands on the treatment of both clients and my team were incompatible with my values and comfort level.

Formerly Bessemer Partners. One of three principals. Completed three transactions: (1 and 2) in the disposable medical products areas. Bought and merged two bi-coastal companies with complementary product lines and integrated and streamlined management, operations and rationalized downstream staffs. Fully negotiated financing documents, created investment thesis and was a member of the Board of Directors. Companies sold to Tyco International for a 54% IRR. (3) Multi-lateral, highly complex investment in DirecTV's Latin America startup through a joint venture with one of DirecTV's original partners. Also, did detailed diligence on potential, ultimately not closed, transactions in the refrigerated shipping business as well as several IP-based retail transactions. Left Bessemer to return to branded consumer roots.