- David Friedman, Chairman
- Digvijay “Sunny” Singh, Vice Chairman
- Jeff Lapin, immediate past Chairman
- Lisa Walker, President – TCA Orange County
- Lucas Pols, President – TCA Los Angeles
- Mike Napoli, President – TCA Inland Empire and Chairman Emeritus
- Dave De Csepel, Chair – Pasadena Angels
- Elizabeth Cho-Fertikh, Managing Director – MEDA Angels
- Volker Hüther, BOG Representative – TCA Orange County
- Molly Schmidt, BOG Representative – Inland Empire
- Larry Uhl, BOG Representative – Pasadena Angels
- Dave Berkus, ACE Fund, Chairman Emeritus
- Richard Sudek, Syndication Chair, Chairman Emeritus
- Don Kasle, Treasurer, Chairman Emeritus
- John Harbison, Marketing/ACA Liaison, Chairman Emeritus
- Christopher Yang, Technology Chair
- Brian Horner, TCA Index Fund
- Laura Beken, Portfolio and Angel Syndication Network
Past BOG Chairmen:
- Luis Villalobos (1997-1999)
- Ken Deemer (2000-2001)
- Dave Berkus (2002-2003)
- Vern Yates (2004)
- John Morris (2005-2006)
- Frank Peters (2007-2008)
- Ralph Mayer (2009)
- Richard Sudek (2010)
-
Mike Napoli (2011)
-
Steve Flaim (2012)
-
Don Kasle (2013)
-
Mike Panesis (2014)
- Michael Green (2015)
- John Harbison (2016)
- Jeff Draa (2017)
- Chris Hameetman (2018)
- Grant Van Cleve (2019)
- Sergio Gurrieri (2020)
Elizabeth Cho-Fertikh, PhD is a scientist-turned-angel investor who is Cofounder & Managing Director of MEDA Angels, a healthcare-focused angel investor group based in WSH, DC, with a presence in San Francisco, Newport Beach & Honolulu. She has 25+ years of cross-functional experience in drug development, regulatory affairs, clinical trials & medical affairs for biotechs/pharma (Janssen, Macrogenics, RegenXBio, ADCT Therapeutics, Janssen) and at two startups that have advanced to the clinical stage (Enterin, VLP Therapeutics). She actively supports the innovation ecosystem by serving as a scientific/commercialization advisor to the National Cancer Institute’s Technology Transfer Office, as a reviewer of NCI SBIR grants and as an investment committee member for the Virginia Commonwealth Health System & Riverflow Growth Fund. Additionally, she serves on the advisory boards of multiple healthcare startup ventures and mentors startups, including NIH SBIR awardees and those incubating at Harvard Innovation Labs & Nucleate Bio of Baltimore, MD. Elizabeth received her BA from Johns Hopkins, her MS from Georgetown University, her PhD from Thomas Jefferson School of Medicine and completed her postdoctoral fellowship at Harvard Medical School & NIH.
Cofounder & Managing Director since 2019
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabeth-cho-fertikh-phd-8b42bb22/
Surya has been an active member, investor, and leader within Tech Coast Angels since 2009. Currently leading IT within TCA, he’s previously served as network president, and continues to mentor entrepreneurs as part of the Small Business Development Center, TechStars, and other incubator & accelerator programs. Surya has extensive fundraising and venture startup experiences from his tech ventures. Surya developed and launched one of (if not the) first mobile applications and wireless mobile internet services for smart devices in 1996. He then created educational games for Nintendo starting in 2005. He’s also led strategic business development within Blackberry, Samsung, and DTS (Xperi). Surya is currently CEO of GXB Interactive Corporation (gxbventures.com) where he is especially interested in family-oriented services and promoting online collaboration and real-world life-long learning. He also has extensive experience with international business, primarily within Russia and Argentina. Personally, Surya still enjoys maximizing time with his family while tinkering with Robotics (Arduino, Raspberry Pi), Photography, and creating things in his extensive workshop when not traveling.
Member Since 2009
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/suryajayaweera/)
Laura is an MBA and business consultant at SBDC @ UCI Beall Applied Innovation and LaunchPad, Octane. She spent her career in technology and healthcare sector, and has degrees in Psychology, in Visual Arts/Media and a Healthcare MBA. Prior to SBDC she was managing Medical Intelligence and Innovation Institute at CHOC Children’s Hospital Orange County. She was also an editor for Physicians News Network, a software engineer in the private sector, had her own startup in online video space and was a figure skating coach.
With TCA Since 2022
Linked In: linkedin.com/in/lbeken
Richard founded Nadek Computer Systems in 1982, a data networking design & consulting business. In 1999, he sold the company to SAIC before pursuing his academic career. He has been an advisor to several MBA programs, served as a reviewer for the NSF, and has judged business plan competitions in the U.S. and Europe. He has taught entrepreneurship at Chapman University, INSEAD in France, the Rotterdam School of Management in the Netherlands, UC Irvine, and the Peter Drucker & Masatoshi Ito Graduate School of Management. Richard has been an active angel investor and has screened 1,000 startup companies since 2000. He has served on the Angel Capital Association board, is Chairman Emeritus of Tech Coast Angels (TCA), and currently sits on the TCA Board of Governors. He has been an advisor to venture funds, academic centers, engineering, and high-tech firms. Richard received a B.S. in Information and Computer Sciences from UC Irvine in 1981. He earned a Ph.D. in management, an EMBA, and master’s in organizational behavior at Claremont Graduate University. His research focuses on the angel investment decision process, examining how and why angel investors choose their investments.
Member Since 2000
Linked In: linkedin.com/in/richardsudek
Past Chairman of TCA, and Managing Director of the three TCA ACE funds, Dave Berkus has a well-established track record in operations, venture investing and corporate board service, both public and private. As an entrepreneur, he has formed, managed and sold successful businesses in the entertainment and software arenas. Dave created his first company, Custom Fidelity, Inc., at the age of 15. He sold his interest in the Company to found Computerized Lodging Systems, Inc. becoming an early pioneer in the mini-computer industry. He is credited with innovation of numerous technology “firsts” and guided the computer company through a decade of growth, including two consecutive years on the Inc.500 list of America’s fastest growing companies. He was recognized for those pioneering achievements with his induction into the Hospitality (HFTP) “International Hall of Fame”– only one of forty-two people worldwide so honored over the years, Dave is current or recent Board Chairman or board member for numerous public and private technology companies. Active in a total of over forty companies, he was recognized as “Director of the Year” by the Orange County-based Forum for Corporate Directors, and “Technology Leader of the Year” by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors.
Member Since 1998, TCA-OC Hall of Fame, Chairman Emeritus, Past President TCA-OC
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daveberkus/
David Friedman is a tech-savvy marketing and operations executive with more than 30 years’ expertise in bringing to market new technology. He plays at the intersection of technology and the customer; his real love is innovation and commercializing technology to meet the needs of customers. A member of the TechCoastAngels of Orange County since 2009, he serves as President, TechCoastAngels, Orange County and is currently Vice-Chairman of the Board of Governors of TCA . He is also a senior consultant with the Small Business Development Lead Center and founder and managing partner of C-Level Partners, a business advisory which focuses on helping companies grow their top line revenue. During his career he has introduced more than $1.5 billion in new products. In his corporate career, he has helped companies build top line revenue growth and EBITDA while mentoring the next generation of business leaders. David has been executive vice president and Chief Marketing Officer for ATX Group (now Sirius Connected Car) which provides telematics and information services to automobile manufacturers. Previously, he was Vice President, Marketing and Direct Sales at Connexion by Boeing, and commercialized the first Wi-Fi services available to passengers onboard commercial airplanes. He also held executive positions with US Cellular, Covia Technologies, Ameritech Services and RCA. Friedman holds an MBA (economics) from George Washington University, a master’s degree in electrical engineering from Columbia University, and a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering (summa cum laude) from City College of New York.
Member Since 2009, and TCA-OC Hall of Fame
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/davidfriedman
John has led 14 TCA deals and invested in over 65 startups. He is also an active investor in public companies, and has realized returns from 100x – 1100x in five companies (Microsoft, Apple, Abbott Labs, Nucor and McGraw-Hill). He currently serves on the Angel Capital Association Board, and has participated on Boards of many early-stage companies — he enjoys mentoring and helping these companies succeed. Previously he co-founded Next Autoworks – a disruptive new American car company backed by investors such as Kleiner Perkins and Google Ventures. Before that he served as CEO of network security software SilentRunner Inc., and as President of Raytheon Commercial Ventures Inc. where he launched four businesses in two years leading to two successful exits and a third company which achieved $700 million in annual revenue within eight years. Earlier in his career, he was a strategy consultant and partner at Booz•Allen Hamilton where he led the firm’s Aerospace/Defense Practice, its Strategic Alliances functional practice, and opened its Los Angeles office. He has an BA cum laude from Harvard College, an MS in accounting from NYU Stern and an MBA from Harvard Business School with first year honors. He is an avid wildlife and landscape photographer, and travels extensively to remote countries around the world.
Member Since 2003, and TCA-OC Hall of Fame
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/harbison
Don Kasle is both Chairman Emeritus of the Board of Governors of TCA and Treasurer. Previously, he also spent eleven years as Senior Consultant for the SBDC (Small Business Development Center) housed at UCI Irvine Beal Applied Innovation. The SBDC’s mission is to provide free consulting to high growth, scalable, entrepreneurial companies. Don received the SBDC State Star Award for his outstanding work. He is a retired bank CEO, from three different banks. During his career, he served on over 30 Boards of Directors in the public, private and not-for profit sectors, including 7 bank boards. He is a past member of the Board of Trustees at Miami University (Ohio) and the Miami Foundation. Long active in the field of Education, he was the founding Chairman of the Institute of Certified Bankers of American Bankers Association and past Chairman of the ABA’s Stonier Graduate School of Banking. He previously taught at 10 national banking schools including Rutgers, Southern Methodist, Universities of Wisconsin, Oklahoma, and LSU. He has lectured at a number of business schools including Miami University (Ohio), Chapman, UCI, and USC. Mr. Kasle is a graduate of Miami University and the Stonier Graduate School of Banking, Rutgers University. Stonier previously honored him with Distinguished Alumni Award. He is a past President of the National Alumni Association of Miami University.
Member Since 2006, and TCA-OC Hall of Fame
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/dhkasle
Over a span of three decades, Bill conceived and developed a lucrative and rewarding company. He started from scratch and learned all about business along the way. With an incredible depth of knowledge based on his own experiences, Bill has applied his strategic planning skills and business instincts to the everyday dilemmas faced by business owners has applied in Southern California. After graduating from the University of Nevada at Las Vegas, Bill started Supreme Foodservice Sales, a foodservice sales and marketing company and soon became one of the leaders in the industry. The company handled all of the foodservice sales and marketing activities for some of the largest food manufacturers in the country, representing companies such as Nestle, Sara Lee, Del Monte, HJ Heinz, and The Lipton Tea Company. Throughout his career, Bill has served on several national industry advisory boards. Bill completed the sale of his company and went on to become more involved in his local business community. Since, he has enjoyed teaching and mentoring the founders of young companies how to grow and become successful. In 2006 Bill became an active investor with TCA and serves as the membership co-chairman and board member. He currently serves as a consultant for the SBA (Small Business Administration) and offers his expertise to start-up ventures through the UCI Small Business Development Center in Irvine.
TCA_Orange County Member Since 2006
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/billwaldo7
Digvijay “Sunny” is an investor based in Los Angeles. Sunny started his investment journey as an electrical engineer at the end of his Ph.D. at UCLA in 2013. Since then, he has been part of the creation and sale of two technology startups in the IT and medical devices fields. He now oversees the acquisition, development, and management of real-estate, startups and other investments in Southern California. An entrepreneur at heart, he is constantly looking at new business opportunities. He is also the incoming President for Tech Coast Angels in Los Angeles for 2021.
Member Since 2017
Arash plays an active role within Southern California’s startup ecosystem. He serves as an Executive Director and Portfolio Manager at Tech Coast Angels (TCA), one of the largest and most active angel groups within the United States. Along with his role of evaluating and shepherding hundreds of startup companies through TCA’s investment process, Arash also leads the Angel Syndication Network (ASN) and TCA LA Funds. Beyond his daily activity with both founders and investors, Arash has received numerous accolades and recognition for his community engagement. He has led projects to propel efficiencies within the US venture investment market at both the National Venture Capital Association (NVCA) and Angel Capital Association (ACA). He continues to explore efficient innovation and emerging entrepreneurship throughout the world. Arash has an MBA from San Diego State University, MSc in Finance from Lund University Sweden and BSc in Business Management from Babson. He is a fitness and health enthusiast, and travels the globe learning about various cultures and their practices.
Member Since 2010
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arashsani/
Brian is Managing Partner of Ladder Ventures, a seed stage venture fund based in Los Angeles, and currently serves as TCA’s LA chapter president. He is an active advisor in several of his portfolio companies, concentrating on fund raising, finance, strategy and corporate development. In addition to investing on behalf of TCA and his fund, Brian is also an adjunct faculty member at UCLA Anderson, instructing MBA courses in both Business Creation and Strategic Management. Prior to joining TCA, Brian spent 10 years in the investment banking industry in New York, most recently building and running Scotiabank’s electricity trading business. Brian majored in both Economics and Business Management at Bucknell University, and received his MBA from UCLA Anderson.
Member Since 2015
Linked In: http://linkedin.com/in/brian-horner
Mr. Lapin is currently the Chairman of the Board of Governors of TCA. He joined TCA in 2011, and served as the President of the Los Angeles Chapter from 2014 and 2015. Mr. Lapin has invested in over 30 start-up companies, and has been involved in two angel funds. Lapin started his career as an attorney and has served as CEO or President of six companies, including Atari S.A., Razorgator Interactive Group, Take-Two Interactive Software Inc. and Starwood Hotels. He has extensive experience in executive management, organizational structure, finance, corporate growth, public company management, and restructuring, as well as domain experience in a variety of industries. He currently serves as a consultant and/or Board member to several companies, and is a faculty advisor at the UCLA Anderson School of Management.
Member Since 2011
Caitlin is a partner at MooDoos Investments, a private family-owned investment fund that invests in early-stage companies throughout the US and Canada. MooDoos is industry agnostic and invests in several industries including life sciences, manufacturing, and education technology. Caitlin is an experienced angel investor and fund manager that serves as Chairman of the board of portfolio company Contract Pharmaceuticals Limited, and its sister company, Glasshouse Pharmaceuticals as well as serves on the board of Neuralace Medical and Pumpspotting Inc. In addition to her work with MooDoos, she is President of the Tech Coast Angels, San Diego Chapter. Tech Coast Angels is the largest Angel network in the US. She is also a Trustee, finance committee member and Chair of the Governance Committee for the Wege Foundation, an environmentally-focused family foundation based in Grand Rapids, Michigan, a board member of The Ecology Center, in Orange County and serves as a mentor and advisory board member for the ZIP Launchpad, the business accelerator at San Diego State University. Caitlin is passionate about fostering entrepreneurial and investor education and learning.
Member Since 2014
Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/caitlin-wege-9609a16/
Mike Napoli has been actively mentoring and investing in early-stage companies since the mid 1990’s. In 2000 he joined the Tech Coast Angels, the largest angel investor network in the U.S. He currently is the President of the Tech Coast Angels Inland Empire Network and serves on the Tech Coast Angels Board of Governors. His past work history was focused on advising large institutional investors and money managers on a variety of issues including: Asset allocation, asset class structure, portfolio construction, risk management, hedge funds and other alternative investments. In 2008 Mike founded Performing Arts LIVE, a community service that provides performing arts organizations a platform to promote their activities.
TCA-Inland Empire Member Since 2000