MANAGING DIRECTOR
LAURA KAUER RODRIGUEZ - SOM '11
Managing Director, MEMBER OF THE GENERAL PARTNER
Laura IS PASSIONATE ABOUT HELPING YOUNG companies GROW and FOCUSES ON drivING innovation across sectors through investment and advisory. Previously, she advised venture-backed companies on business planning and growth strategies in New York. Laura honed her professional finance and strategy acumen during her career as an investment banker at Barclays, executing ~$20 billion in M&A and corporate finance transactions, and as a management consultant with Accenture, advising the U.S. Federal Government on strategic planning. Laura holds an MBA from the Yale School of Management and BS Engineering from the University of Pennsylvania.
CHAIR, BOARD OF MANAGERS
Andie Sehl - SOM '81
CHAIR, BOARD OF MANAGERS, MEMBER OF THE GENERAL PARTNER
Andie is an experienced management consultant in strategy development and change management. She has led projects for major global corporations at The Empower Group and SPA/Oliver Wyman Consulting, and is currently a consultant, interim staff or investor with several start-ups. For SOMAA, she has held several leadership positions.
CHAIR, INVESTMENT COMMITTEE
NANCY ALEXANDER - YC ’79 / SOM ‘84
Chair, INVESTMENT COMMITTEE, MEMBER OF THE GENERAL PARTNER
NANCY IS AN ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT CONSULTANT, TEAM AND EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP COACH, MASTER FACILITATOR, AND PRINCIPAL OF LUMENANCE CONSULTING LLC. SHE BEGAN HER CAREER IN MARKETING, STRATEGIC PLANNING, AND NEW PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT WITH PROCTER & GAMBLE, AMERICAN EXPRESS, AND BANK OF AMERICA BEFORE BECOMING AN ENTREPRENEUR AND ANGEL INVESTOR. SHE IS ALSO A GOLDEN SEEDS PARTNER. NANCY LIVES IN NEW HAVEN.
INVESTMENT COMMITTEE
Charisse Conanan Johnson - YC '02
INVESTMENT COMMITTEE, MEMBER OF THE GENERAL PARTNER
Charisse is a wealth expert, entrepreneur, investor, and strategist with over 15 years of financial services experience. Charisse is currently a Director at Next Street, a merchant bank focused on small-to-medium businesses, where leads the Chicago market’s portfolio of client engage-ments. Charisse also writes and speaks on financial wellness through the Charisse Says platform, and you can follow her @CharisseSays. Charisse is a chartered financial analyst charterholder and a CFA Institute member.
MEMBERS OF THE BOARD OF MANAGERS
Nels Friets - YC '83
Board of Managers, INVESTMENT COMMITTEE, MEMBER OF THE GENERAL PARTNER
Nels started as a strategy consultant (SPA, SRI), and, moving into finance, became Managing Director of Citi-group Global Markets and SVP of the securities market of the Singapore Exchange. He has long been active in the development of Singapore’s capital markets, and served on the investment committees for a university and a government agency. He is an advisor, director, and angel investor.
Tom Halsey - SOM '81
Treasurer, Board of Managers, MEMBER OF THE GENERAL PARTNER
Tom spent his career in corporate finance. He has been Financial Manager (CFO) of Exxon Chemical Belgium/ ME/Africa in Brussels, Treasurer of Exxon Capital Corporation and ExxonMobil’s Manager for the Capital Markets Division of the Treasurer's Department. Tom chaired the SOM Alumni Fund for 7 years and served as the 1981 Class Agent for 35.
Kirk Fansher - SOM '98
Board of Managers, MEMBER OF THE GENERAL PARTNER
Kirk is a serial entrepreneur with extensive start-up leadership experience. He was CFO for a private equity firm and has held C-level positions in finance, strategy and operations. He is a retired Air Force Reserve Colonel, a former member of the SOMAA Board and currently a delegate to AYA.
Jay Readey - YC '94, YLS/SOM '04
BOARD OF MANAGERS EX-OFFICIO, MEMBER OF THE GENERAL PARTNER
Jay is an experienced social entrepreneur with private sector legal experience in corporate and real estate law, and nonprofit experience running a public interest civil rights and community development firm. Jay was elected to the inaugural 2015 class of Presidential Leadership Scholars. He has served on the SOMAA Board.
OTHER MEMBERS OF THE GENERAL PARTNER
Phil Bernstein - YC ’79 / ARCH ‘83
MEMBER OF THE GENERAL PARTNER
Phil is an architect, educator and technologist. Currently a faculty member at the Yale School of Architecture, he was formerly an executive at Autodesk where he led a long-term strategy team responsible for setting direction for digital technology in the building industry. Prior to Autodesk Phil was a principal at Pelli/Clarke/Pelli Architects where he managed many of the firm’s most complex commissions. Phil is a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects and a Senior Fellow of the Design Futures Council. He lives in New Haven.
Reid Buckley - YC '83, SOM '89
MEMBER OF THE GENERAL PARTNER
Reid has been a pioneer in the renewable power industry and has deep expertise in the development, financing and operation of renewable power projects. He is a founder and owner of Orion Energy Group LLC and Orion Renewable Energy Group LLC. Reid is a member of the Yale School of Engineering & Applied Science Leadership Council.
THerese Esperdy - SOM '89
MEMBER OF THE GENERAL PARTNER
Therese spent 26 years in investment banking in a variety of leadership roles, most re-cently as the Global Chairman of the Financial Institutions Group at JP Morgan, and previously as the head of Investment Banking for Asia Pacific and the head of Global Debt Capital Markets. She is a Director of National Grid Plc.
ROB QUARTEL - SOM '78
MEMBER OF THE GENERAL PARTNER
ROB IS A TECHNOLOGIST AND PUBLIC POLICY EXPERT WITH A LONG RECORD OF LEADERSHIP, ENTREPRENEUR-SHIP AND INVESTMENT IN COMMERCIAL, PUBLIC, AND NOT-FOR-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS. HE IS CURRENTLY FOUNDER, CHAIRMAN AND CEO OF NTELX, INC. HE IS ACTIVELY ENGAGED IN THE YALE, RICE AND MID-ATLANTIC STARTUP COMMUNITIES - formerly ON THE board of SOMAA and currently serving the Center for Innovative Technology, Virginia
Scott Wharton - SOM '95
MEMBER OF THE GENERAL PARTNER
Scott is a thrice successful entrepreneur in the Communications industry with 2 IPOs VocalTec (CALL) and BroadSoft (BSFT) as VP of Marketing and an acquisition of Vidtel (founder/CEO). Scott is currently the GM of the Logitech Video Collaboration Group as well as an active angel investor, advisor and board member.
Patrice Wolfe - SOM '89
CHAIR, HR COMMITTEE, MEMBER OF THE GENERAL PARTNER
Patrice is President of Health Data and Management Systems (HDMS), an analytics/business intelligence company that serves several health care markets. She has over 20 years of experience developing and implementing innovative technology solutions in health care. Patrice is a member of the SOMAA Board, where she chairs the Marketing and Outreach Committee and serves on the Executive Committee.