Founder & Visionary at OurFundingPlanet
Greater Atlanta Area
- Current
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- Founder & Visionary at OurFundingPlanet
- Coordinator at SPEC 2009 Southeast Private Equity & Capital Conference
- Author at Learn to Be an Angel Investor.com - Free ebook and excerpts
- President at LAUNCHfn.com (Launch Funding Network)
- Managing Director at NBAI.net (Network of Business Angels and Investors)
- President at Kugarand Holdings, LLC
- Past
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- "Deal Maker" at IBM
- Education
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- University of Florida
- Emory University
- Recommended
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55 people have recommended Karen - Connections
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500+
connections
- Industry
- Venture Capital & Private Equity
- Websites
Karen Rands’s Summary
Karen, known inside IBM as "the Deal Maker", left IBM in 2001 to catch the dot.com wave of a terrific start up and began her REAL education on the venture capital formation market. Launched Kugarand Holdings in August of 2001 initially as a finder for Venture Capital firms. Kugarand Holdings evolved into a full service provider for start up and early stage companies seeking venture capital that may come in the way of debt or equity. We do this through 3 key initiatives: NBAI, a community for high net worth men and women to come together in a social environment and look at alternative investments and private equity investments to gain a greater yield; LAUNCHfn to work with companies to ensure they are seeking the right kind of capital for their stage of business; and KYRMedia to deliver necessary education products and our own angel investor training, to the marketplace for entrepreneurs and investors.
Our goals are to help 100 companies by year 2013 build assets of value that provide return to their share holders and operate efficiently and effectively in the marketplace. This will primarily will be achieved through the infrastructure built with the Launch Funding Network, Inc.(LAUNCHfn.com > karen @launchfn.com) and the establishment of chapters for the Network of Business Angels and Investors (nbai.net > karen @nbai.net). This combination has been a powerful force in the early stage investor market and is gaining momentum. Read a recent article:
http://www.launchfn.com/id281.html
A video on the main launchfn.com website shows testimonials of both investors and companies that have plugged into our events and investor relations campaigns.
ALL COMPANIES SEEKING TO PLUG INTO OUR SYSTEM NEED TO FIRST REGISTER WITH LAUNCHFN... go to www.launchfn.com and fill in the opt in box on the right hand side and then complete the Registration form to schedule an initial consultation.
Karen Rands’s Specialties:
Private Equity Investing, Micro-IPO, PIPE Funding, Funding Strategy, Angel Investing, Angel Investor, Venture Capital, Purchase Order Financing, Working Capital, Funding Strategy, Small Business Loans, Business Plans, PPM, 504, Merger/Aquisition, Real Estate, Investor Relations, Strategic Planning, Alliance and joint venture negotiation.
Karen Rands’s Experience
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Founder & Visionary
OurFundingPlanet
(Venture Capital & Private Equity industry)
January 2009 — Present (7 months)
Bringing together early stage and emerging growth companies with investors and capital sources like it has never been done before. Building upon our years of experience in the real world to remove the inefficiencies in the model by going virtual. Due to launch in Q2 2009. Join now at the website and be a part of the revolution!
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Coordinator
SPEC 2009 Southeast Private Equity & Capital Conference
(Venture Capital & Private Equity industry)
January 2008 — Present (1 year 7 months)
Southeast Private Equity Conference (SPEC) www.sePrivateEquity.org SPEC is a unique event in the southeast. It offers education for both investors and entrepreners; an expo for early stage and emerging growth companies to meet and greet the 100+ investors attending the event; and an Innovative Company Showcase for the cream of the crop of those in the expo to get a shot a presenting their opportunity to a closed room of motivated investors. Angel Investors and Venture Capital Firms from the east coast will be in attendance. Scheduled for April 14th & 15th 2009 in Atlanta. Get all info at www.sePrivateEquity.org Save $300 with early bird pricing until Feb 15th.
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Author
Learn to Be an Angel Investor.com - Free ebook and excerpts
(Venture Capital & Private Equity industry)
February 2004 — Present (5 years 6 months)
eBook series of 5 books in Volume 1, teaches real estate investors and stock market investors how to create wealth through angel investing. Get the Excerpts or Buy the whole series at www.kyrmedia.com/index.php. Also get info about angel investing at my blog www.myvirtualangelworld.com and for entrepreneurs at www.entrepreneurblogspace.com
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President
LAUNCHfn.com (Launch Funding Network)
(Privately Held; 1-10 employees; Venture Capital & Private Equity industry)
December 2003 — Present (5 years 8 months)
Companies seeking capital come to LAUNCHfn to get strategic advice and counsel regarding the appropriate sources and amounts of capital they should seek based on their stage and milestones. LAUNCHfn launches an investor relations campaign for early stage companies when they meet specific criteria with NBAI at their regularly scheduled Private Equity Investor Forum. This opens the door for introduction to other angel investor groups. Additionally, LAUNCHfn can connect companies with contract financing, working capital loans, Import trade financing, investment banking services, venture capital and acquisition financing. When a company needs "fixing" to make it fundable, LAUNCHfn will engage appropriate resources from their vast network of strategic partners.
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Managing Director
NBAI.net (Network of Business Angels and Investors)
(Privately Held; 1-10 employees; Venture Capital & Private Equity industry)
September 2001 — Present (7 years 11 months)
NBAI is a "country club" for angel investors. The Mission of the Network of Business Angels and Investors, Inc. (NBA&I) is to create an environment for high net worth individuals to learn about, evaluate, and make investments in private equity opportunities. The membership is diverse in their interests and experience. We hold private equity forums about every six weeks in Atlanta GA. For information about the next event and how to RSVP to attend as an investor or apply for consideration as company seeking capital, please go to www.launchfn.com
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President
Kugarand Holdings, LLC
(Privately Held; 1-10 employees; Venture Capital & Private Equity industry)
August 2001 — Present (8 years)
Owner and primary Idea person for Kugarand Holdings. Other initiatives managed through Kugarand Holdings...the holdings part are: Launch Funding Network, Inc, providing comprehensive suite of services for companies to ready their business and engage the investor community (www.launchfn.com); Angel Investing 101, offering education, products and services to the investor community; and RAN Realty, providing matching services and project preparation for real estate investment opportunities and investors.
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"Deal Maker"
IBM
(Public Company; 10,001 or more employees; Venture Capital & Private Equity industry)
1987 — 2001 (14 years)
Pulled together the IBM team that would provide technical, operational, and financial assistance to early stage companies and companies transitioning to the Dot.Com world. With that IBM team, they could attract Venture Capital and then turn around and grow with IBM as their strategic partner.
Karen Rands’s Education
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University of Florida
MBA , Marketing , August 1985 — May 1987
- Activities and Societies:
- MBA association officer, Turner Broadcast Competition
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Emory University
BA , Economics , August 1981 — May 1985
- Activities and Societies:
- Intramural Basketball - Captain, Champs 1986, Rugby team assistant, Little Sister PKA at Georgia Tech 1985-1986
Additional Information
Karen Rands’s Websites:
Karen Rands’s Interests:
Connecting companies with capital sources through our extensive network of lenders and investors. Building a broad community of private equity investors, syndication with other investor groups, with special interest groups for: Progressive Investing, Bridge Finance for Small Cap IPO, Short term Flips, Execs with Checks, and traditional Angel Investing.
Karen Rands’s Groups:
MIT Forum, (BDN) Board of Directors Network, NBA&I Network of Business Angels and Investors, ACBN Atlanta Christian Business Network, Association for Corporate Growth, Inventors Association of Georgia.
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On Startups - The Community For Entrepreneurs -
Overachievers Club -
Emory Alumni Association -
Private Equity and Venture Capital Group -
TopLinked.com (Open Networkers) -
Private Equity Investment Group -
Network with Gators -
The Indus Entrepreneur -
SPEC (Southeast Private Equity Conference) March 16-17, 2010, Atlanta -
Angel Investor Registry -
Idea Funding Cafe -
Twarketing: Twitter Marketing -
Venture Atlanta 2009 -
Semantic Seed -
Invention Entrepreneurs -
Entrepreneurs Meet Investors -
America's Most Promising Companies on Forbes.com -
Entrepreneur Club Online (ECO)
Karen Rands’s Honors:
Selected to Present "The Money Hunt" at many organizations over the years. Interviewed regarding angel investing and helping companies succeed in many publications. Links to these articles and press releases can be found at http://www.launchfn.com/id67.html
Karen Rands’s Contact Settings
Interested In:
- career opportunities
- consulting offers
- new ventures
- expertise requests
- business deals
- reference requests
- getting back in touch
