Laurence K. Hayward founded VentureLab to help early-stage companies gain access to the resources they need to grow such as capital, quality people and strategic partners. He is also a Managing Partner for Rainmaker Securities LLC, a FINRA broker-dealer. He previously served as a Managing Partner at SCIUS Capital Group, where he completed more than a dozen private placements (primarily seed and venture capital equity offerings) in areas ranging from water purification to nano-structured materials. He is also a Co-Founder of Cornerstone Angels, a private network of angel investors. Previously, he has held leadership positions as the Chicago Office Managing Partner for Jesup & Lamont Securities, President of entrepreneurial start-up Vcapital, and Global Marketing Director of Arthur Andersen, where he led the firm’s practice serving small and mid-sized businesses.

 Mr. Hayward earned a BS Psychology & MBA from the University of Illinois in Champaign/Urbana, graduating a year early. He serves on the CEC Client Advisory Board and Entrepreneur-in-Residence Program of the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce assisting local entrepreneurs. He also serves on the Advisory Boards of several Chicago-area companies. Mr. Hayward is an active member of the Angel Capital Association and Cleantech Venture Network, an environmentally focused investor network. He also volunteers his time as a guest lecturer, panelist, and business plan judge for the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, DePaul University’s MBA program and his alma mater. He holds a Series 7 license.

Check the background of this investment professional on FINRA’s BrokerCheck.

Mike McCullough has served in various financial directorship positions in businesses ranging from transit and transportation system leasing to investment banking. McCullough blends his experience as an operational leader as well as high level business strategist to create the most cohesive growth plan for the companies he assists. McCullough led the finance function at GATX Rail Corporation as the Director of Financial Planning and Analysis prior to becoming the CFO for Oryx Capital in 2006.

Mr. McCullough earned a Masters of Business Administration from Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University and Bachelors of Business Administration in Accounting from the University of Iowa. He also serves as a faculty member of the Lake Forest Graduate School of Management, where he teaches Managerial and Financial Accounting. Mr. McCullough is a licensed CPA in Illinois.

Michael Gruber has extensive experience with early-stage companies, primarily within the IT, media, and renewable energy sectors. Gruber has also founded/co-founded a number of businesses, including G4 Capital LLC, a strategic advisory group, Cornerstone Angels, a group of high net worth individuals focused on making early stage investments within the Midwest, and Opson, Inc, a sales and marketing lead generation company. Gruber serves as a Partner and Managing Director of Rainmaker Securities LLC, a business active in private placements and M&A activities for emerging growth companies. He previously served as a Managing Partner at SCIUS Capital Group. Gruber also draws on his experiences from senior roles in Taproot Ventures, blaxxun interactive, Intuit, InsWeb, and Silicon Investor. 

Mr. Gruber earned a Masters of Business Administration from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University and a Bachelors of Arts from the University of Pennsylvania. He currently serves on the Board of Advisors for AOTMP, Inc. and Factory Physics, Inc. Mr. Gruber is an active member of the Angel Capital Association and sits on a national Syndication and Collaboration sub-committee. Mr. Gruber is also a frequent speaker and panelist relating to entrepreneurship and venture capital. He holds a Series 7 & 63 license. 

Check the background of this investment professional on FINRA’s BrokerCheck.

Don Sackman has more than 30 years of financial and investment strategy practice. Sackman was a Founding Partner of Oryx Capital. During a 12 year span, Oryx Capital provided more than $80 million of private equity capital to 15 companies. Oryx’s strategy was to invest in operating companies up until 2005, at which time the investment focus changed to investing growth capital in early stage companies. While at Oryx, Mr. Sackman served on all investee company boards. During the past several years, Mr. Sackman has also had an active involvement, separate from his activities at Oryx Capital, with growth companies as an angel investor and Board member. Prior to Oryx Capital, Mr. Sackman served as a Board Member and Chief Financial Officer of a Chicago-area family-owned real estate firm. Previously, Mr. Sackman spent nine years working for Morgan Guaranty Trust Company departing as a Vice President where he held international and domestic banking roles.

Mr. Sackman received a Masters of Business Administration from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from Stanford University. He currently serves as a Trustee and Co-Treasurer of Robert College of Istanbul Turkey, a Director of Mottahedeh & Co., Inc., and is a member of the Economic Club of Chicago.