Themes: Business Plan Components - Financials

Scott Bernstein is President of Centre Environmental Partners, a private equity firm focused on acquiring companies operating in the environmental services sector. He is also the Managing Partner of Bedford Capital, a broad-based investment and advisory firm with interests in the entertainment, leisure and real estate industries.

Bernstein has been a successful CEO and senior executive of some well known companies, including Six Flags Entertainment, Trilegiant Corp. (formerly, Cendant's Membership and Consumer Services division), and Time Warner Enterprises. He spent the early part of his career as a mergers and acquisition lawyer with Paul, Weiss, Rifkind Wharton and Garrison, one of the top law firms in the country, where he represented public and private companies in their acquisition, divestiture and financing activities.

During this interview, he shares many experiences from his professional background - many specific to his tenure within the Six Flags Entertainment Corporation. He also shares his thoughts on entrepreneurship, business planning, risk, work-life balanace and leadership.

Scott Bernstein received his undergraduate degree from Cornell University. He has also received a degree in law from Fordham University.

Alison Gerlach is a successful entrepreneur and business executive with expertise in and passion for building businesses. After doing extensive research in optimizing the business start-up process, Gerlach went on to build businesses in industries including technology, entertainment services, consumer packaged goods, and professional services. Prior to her entrepreneurial endeavors, she was a strategic management consultant and an overseas investment banker.

In addition to building and growing her current venture, "Allie's Edibles", Gerlach spends a great deal of her time teaching, consulting to both start-up and large corporations, and giving lectures to both business and academic audiences on optimizing the business start-up process.

Alison Gerlach earned a BA in economics from Cornell University and an MBA from MIT's Sloan School of Management.

Kevin McGovern is the Chairman and CEO of McGovern Capital LLC, which provides Intellectual Property Rights Strategy, and originates, structures and implements capital formation, joint ventures and business alliances. In addition, he is also the principal of McGovern & Associates, which specializes in corporate law and intellectual property strategy with an emphasis on emerging businesses, mergers and acquisitions, securities, patent enforcement, corporate and partnership joint ventures, capital formation and R&D financing.

Kevin McGovern received his undergraduate degree from Cornell University and his law degree from St. John's University School of Law. He has also studied at the London School of Economics and Political Science.

Jeff Parker has an extensive history of success in both entrepreneurship and financial services that he brings to the table as founder and CEO of CCBN. He is also the founder and managing director of Private Equity Investments, a venture capital firm focusing on start-up and early stage companies. As the creator and CEO of several successful financial service companies over the past fifteen years, Jeff brings an operating perspective to the companies in which he invests, as well as a wealth of financial expertise and an extended network of domestic and international business contacts.

In 1980, Jeff founded Technical Data Corporation which he subsequently sold in 1986 to Canadian publishing giant Thomson Corporation. In 1982, he became Chairman and CEO of Business Research Corporation, and in 1983 founded First Call Corporation. Under his leadership, Thomson Financial Services (TFS), as the group is now known, became a major provider of proprietary financial information to the investment and corporate communities. TFS currently serves over 75,000 institutional clients worldwide, and has annual revenues in excess of $750 million.

Prior to his association with TFS, Jeff served as Vice President and Senior Fixed Income Portfolio Manager at Fidelity Investments in Boston. He has also held management positions at Smith, Barney, Loeb Rhoads, and A.G. Becker.

Jeff is a graduate of Cornell University from which he received a Bachelor of Engineering degree in 1965, a Master of Engineering in 1966 and a Master of Business degree in 1970.

Dave was a Principal at R.E. Pinard & Co., Inc., which focused on Management Consulting and sell-side transaction service for small businesses. He subseqently left to become CEO of one of his client companies, Annalee Mobilitee Dolls, Inc.

Prior to joining R. E. Pinard, Dave was co-founder and President of a start-up company providing specialized value added manufacturing services to the worldwide appliance industry. Dave has also held several executive positions with a Fortune 500 electrical/electronic components' company including VP/General Manager of an entrepreneurial high tech fiber optic division, VP of North American sales and marketing and Director of the company's European operations.

Dave received a B.S. from Cornell University and an MBA from the University of Colorado in Organizational Development. He also attended Columbia University's six-month Executive Development Program in Organizational Dynamics.

Brian Qualey is the Branch Manager of Elmira Small Business Administration (SBA) Office.

Brian Qualey is a graduate of Elmira College.

Richard Saltz is the founder of Business Innovative Strategies International. His consulting company provides custom-tailored financial management, interim CFO, public relations and marketing management services to its clients who consist of emerging and middle market companies. He is also CFO for the Westport YMCA in Connecticut.

Richard Saltz has a B.S. and an M.B.A. from Cornell University. Richard currently serves as an Advisory Council member to Cornell's Entrepreneurship and Personal Enterprise Program.

Dan Simpkins founded Hillcrest Labs in 2001 with a team of experienced technical and business professionals to create a revolution in entertainment.

Prior to founding Hillcrest, Simpkins was vice president and general manager of the SALIX Switching Division of Tellabs, Inc., which was established in 2000 when he sold Voice over IP leader SALIX Technologies to Tellabs for $300 million. Simpkins founded SALIX in 1990 and continued as president and CEO through the sale.

Dan Simpkins received undergraduate and Master's degrees in engineering from Cornell University.

Anita P. Stephens is a General Partner of Opportunity Capital Partners ("OCP"), a private equity firm that provides equity capital to later stage companies for acquisition and expansion as well as early stage companies with leading edge technologies. The fund's investments are primarily in the areas of communications, information technology and healthcare, with a particular focus on businesses that are owned or managed by minority and women entrepreneurs.

Ms. Stephens joined OCP in December 1996. Prior to joining OCP, Ms. Stephens served as President of Renaissance Capital Corporation, a Small Business Investment Company in Atlanta, Georgia. Her career has also included management positions at Manufacturers Hanover Trust, Benton & Bowles, and Prudential Insurance Company.

Ms. Stephens currently serves on the board of several of the fund's portfolio companies. She is also a member of the board of directors of Pacific Community Ventures, a member of the Cornell University Entrepreneurial Advisory Council and the President's Council of Cornell Women. Ms. Stephens has an undergraduate degree in economics from Cornell University and an Executive MBA at Golden Gate University.

Deborah Streeter is the Bruce F. Failing, Senior Professor of Personal Enterprise in the Department of Applied Economics and Management at Cornell University.

Entrepreneurship and small business management are the focus of Streeter's research, teaching, and outreach programs. She is part of the university-wide Entrepreneurship@Cornell Program, which offers courses in entrepreneurship in almost all of Cornell's schools and colleges. Her research interests include the role of entrepreneurship and small business in economic development, with a particular focus on the effectiveness of business training and planning for start-ups.

Streeter has developed eClips, a database of digital video interviews, with entrepreneurs across the country. The in-depth interviews are digitized, cut into clips by topic, and are used in a multimedia format to teach entrepreneurship and small business management. The entrepreneurs she interviewed range from early start-ups to established companies and from high-tech Internet companies to manufacturing and service firms.

Streeter is also involved in helping to train start-up businesses in New York State. As part of the Entrepreneurial Education and Outreach Program, she is currently involved in a variety of programs aimed at helping New York entrepreneurs make informed choices about entrepreneurial ventures.

Deborah Streeter received her undergraduate degree from the University of Connecticut and her Master's and PhD from the University of Wisconsin, Madison.

Jacob Wright is a successful entrepreneur in many realms of the hospitality industry. A serial entrepreneur who started his first business at age 18, Wright has founded and led successful businesses in the action sports, website development, real estate development, restaurant and hotel industries. He is co-founder and president of Action Companies Group, which develops, manages and owns restaurant and hotel properties. From his base in Syracuse, N.Y., Wright leads a team of 200 associates who are now focused on building leadership in the limited-service hotel segment.