John Millar
Private Equity investor and service provider to Angel Investors. Specialize in early-stage companies in technology, clean-tech, and luxury consumer goods. Successful track record of early stage investments and exits.
| Headline: | Innocent Bystander |
| Work status: | Employed Full-Time |
| Industries: | Cleantech, Computing, Financial, Food and Drink, Internet, Lifestyle, Retail, Sports |
| Skills: | Business, Entrepreneurship, Investment |
| Groups: | 2011 UC Berkeley Business Plan Competition, 2012 UC Berkeley Startup Competition, UC Berkeley Business Plan Competition 2009-2010, [INACTIVE] UC Berkeley Business Plan Competition 2008-2009 |
| Interested in: | Advising startups, Consulting opportunities, Employment opportunities, Finding business partners, Finding experts, Finding hot stories, Getting press, Helping friends, Helping members of my groups, Investing in projects, Joining a startup, Meeting new people, Mentoring, Offering Expertise, Partnering with other groups, Professional opportunities, Providing services to startups, Supporting my investments, Trading services |
| Schools: | California State University System - California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, University of California System - Berkeley, University of Florida |
WORK EXPERIENCE
| Employer: | UC Berkeley |
| Position: | Advisor/Guest Lecturer for MBA295-A Entrepreneurship class |
| Time period: | December 1999 - Present |
| Employer: | J.G. Millar + Associates, San Francisco, CA |
| Position: | Founder and Managing Principal |
| Time period: | December 1998 - Present |
| Description: | Boutique consulting firm specializing in private equity investments and portfolio management Identify targeted investment opportunities, structure private equity placements, and provide senior level management consulting and investment oversight upon deal completion. Cross-disciplinary expertise with an emphasis on early stage Internet technologies and luxury brand development.
Selected engagements: Golden State Capital Fund • Provide strategic guidance, due-diligence, deal structure, and investment analysis to early-stage, geographically strategic investment fund. Hormel Investments, LP • Structured and managed multiple early and growth stage private equity transactions on behalf of a family owned and operated private investment group OluKai, Inc. • Identified unique opportunity in the luxury footwear industry segment, negotiated and structured Series A private equity investment on behalf of existing clients • Served as a member of the Board of Directors through the first three years of operations to ensure effective execution against milestones and achieve profitability without the need for additional equity financing; current valuation implies in excess of a 10x return on equity ASM Precision, Inc. • Secured financing and structured corporate entity for specialized manufacturing firm. • Serve as a member of the Board of Directors and provide strategic guidance to company management Budda Amplification • Recapitalized the company through $1.5MM Series A private equity investment secured from existing company financers, and took on operation role to ensure successful turnaround • Achieved milestones and positioned the company for sale; liquidated the investment for a positive return on equity (Deal terms under non-disclosure.) Hub360.com, Inc. • Re-directed corporate strategy for early-stage B2B e-commerce platform and secured Series A and Series A-1 equity investments in excess of $2MM • Served as Board member and interim COO to ensure effective execution against investor defined milestones. Scharffen Berger Chocolate Maker, Inc. • Established team and directed all efforts for due diligence, valuation, deal negotiation, and deal terms of $4MM Series B private equity investment in early-stage boutique chocolate maker • Served as an advisor to the Board of Directors to help guide the company through growth stages, subsequent debt financing, and acquisition. Achieved in excess of 8x return on equity investment NoRTEC • Engaged by state funded agency to identify and develop early stage businesses with the potential to make a significant economic contribution. Coordinated investment opportunities through select Venture Capital Funds • Developed and implemented detailed economic development program designed to establish an ongoing process for rural businesses to gain access to equity investment opportunities |
| Employer: | Budda Amplification, San Francisco, CA |
| Position: | CEO |
| Time period: | December 2002 - November 2007 |
| Description: | Specialty consumer products manufacturer
Brought in by funders to spearhead a company re-capitalization effort and was subsequently promoted to CEO and member of the Board of Directors to lead turnaround efforts this boutique, investor-backed, branded manufacturing company providing high-performance audio amplifiers and sound accessories. Business Development and Sales • Implemented a strategic organizational restructuring to drive revenue growth from less than $300 k annually to approximately $1 MM in and achieved positive quarterly cash flow • Streamlined production process, negotiated supplier contracts, and launched a dedicated production facility. Maintained gross product profit margins of over 45% in conjunction with improvements in product quality • Designed and executed on a channel development initiative that expanded the dealer base by over 300% and established relationships with national chain retailers. Business Strategy and Operations • Initiated corporate and product branding project to identify and target vital consumer market segments, solidify corporate identity, focus marketing activities, and increase brand competitiveness – including PR, artist relations, national print, and radio advertising • Simplified and improved the product design process to dramatically reduce the time-to-market for new products. Reduced development time from over 1 year to less than 6 months from concept to first customer shipment Financial Oversight • Negotiated the terms of a $1.5MM equity and debt restructuring project that combined the assets of Budda Amplification Inc., Budda Partnership Inc., and Budda Holdings Inc. into a single corporate entity with offices in California and Maryland • Restructured major supplier contracts with Dunlop Manufacturing, Inc., Mojo Musical Supply, Masterworks Electronics, Keystone Electronics, and Eminence Speakers to refinance outstanding debt and to provide for ongoing operations • Created one-year and five-year forward looking financial projections, associated budgets, and financing activities, directly tied to company strategy and managed the organization to achieve short/long-term milestones |
| Employer: | jSpan.com, San Francisco, CA |
| Position: | CEO and Co-Founder |
| Time period: | December 1998 - November 1999 |
| Description: | Application Service Provider targeting service professionals
Conceived and co-founded a vertical market Application Service Provider that delivered an online office platform for professional service organizations. Identified a unique market opportunity in legal and medical service organizations, identified core business and technical requirements, and recruited a capable management team. Business Development and Sales • Secured strategic partnerships with IBM and SUN Microsystems to host and deliver beta deployment of jSpan online service • Established initial customer relationships to demonstrate beta product offering and validate initial market assumptions • Built network of supporting professional service organizations including Wilson, Sonsini, Goodrich, & Rosatti; PriceWaterhouse Coopers, and the CAL Business Incubator Business Strategy and Operations • Identified unique market opportunity to provide vertical market ASP platform to legal and independent medical professionals • Licensed core technology platform and select applications to demonstrate beta product offering and acquire preliminary customer accounts Financial Oversight • Developed and validated subscription based revenue model and built short -term financial projections • Successfully raised SEED investment in excess of $350k from private equity investors and led fundraising process targeting Series A investment |
| Employer: | Advanced Digital Information Corporation, Redmond, WA |
| Position: | Director of Business Development |
| Time period: | December 1991 - November 1997 |
| Description: | Growth-stage provider of enterprise wide data management solutions
Expanded business for a growth-stage manufacturer of automated data management and mass storage products by working directly with Fortune 500 customers, building strategic relationships with large technology companies, managing a corporate sales force, and establishing new markets through national distribution. Business Development and Sales • Established strategic relationships between ADIC and Microsoft, Intel, Silicon Graphics, SUN Microsystems, and Hewlett-Packard, incorporating private label and branded solutions • Engaged Senior Management at Fortune 500 companies including Bank of America, Chevron, Pacific Bell, and Wells Fargo to secure extensive corporate deployment of ADIC solutions • Coordinated entrance into the UNIX marketplace through National Distributors and strategic partnerships by identifying and building strategic relationships throughout the distribution network • Worked with senior management to secure Initial Public Offering through corporate acquisition |
EDUCATION
| University: | University of Florida |
| Degree: | Composite Materials Research and Aerodynamics, BSc |
| University: | University of California System - Berkeley |
| Degree: | Entrepreneurship and Management of Technology, MBA |
| University: | California State University System - California State Polytechnic University, Pomona |
| Degree: | Numerical Simulation, Visualization, and Software Development, MSc |
John is Following (4)
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The Bernal Hill Group
The Bernal Hill Group provides advisory services to start-ups in the following sectors: consumer internet, medical devices, operations, and financial services.
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Opinno, Open Innovation
Opinno is a business accelerator based in Madrid, Boston and San Francisco. We bridge technologies from seed to series A funding, providing the following services: Business plan definition, IP protection, CEO sourcing, and VC roadshows
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Generize
An online micro-finance network that works with local communities to develop and fund sustainable energy projects to meet climate action targets.
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Empritec Business Group, Investment Angel Capital Group
We are a network of angel investors' capital. We generate links to technology-based projects that have a global impact. Those who need the investment from $ 50,000 to U.S. $ 1.2 million