Thomas Nastas

Current

• Member, Investment Committee at Softline Venture Partners
• Independent Director, Member, Board of Directors at Suntyco, Russian investment of Tata (Mumbai, India) & EBRD
• Co-Founder & Member, Board of Directors at BPOcom (Moscow, Russia)

• Member, Global Advisory Committee at Larta Institute (Los Angeles, California)
• Member, Board of Directors at Association of Independent Directors, Moscow, Russia
• Independent Director, Board of Directors at Sotsgorbank, Moscow, Russia
• President & Founder at Innovative Ventures Inc

see less...

4 more...

Past

• Chief Investment Officer & Senior Advisor in Venture Capital at Russian Venture Company, IFC, The World Bank, Canada Dev, Bank, The EU, Financiere St. Dominique
• VC Investor, Member, Board of Directors at MRCI, Sakhalin, Russia & Seattle, WA
• VC Investor, Member, Board of Directors at Frank's Ice Cream, Magadan, Russia

• VC Investor, Member, Board of Directors at Flexoprint, Volgograd, Russia
• VC Investor, Fund Representative to Board of Directors at Applied Intelligent Systems Inc. (AISI), Ann Arbor, MIchigan
• VC Investor & Fund Representative in Board of Directors, Manage Venture Capital Investment Portfolio at Lada Bread & Rolti (Russia) Neogen, Gateway, Personal Bibliographic Systems, Face Technologies (USA)

see less...

3 more...

Education

• Michigan State University, BA & MBA

Recommended

7 people have recommended Thomas

Connections

500+ connections

Industry

Venture Capital & Private Equity

Websites

• My Company

Thomas Nastas’s Summary

Entrepreneur/Founder, Innovative Ventures Inc. (IVI), Lansing, MI, & Moscow, Russia. Created IVI to invest venture capital (VC) $ into US technology companies. Marketed IVI’s entry into Canada, Europe, Africa & the CIS; established relationships, access markets, raised $ to finance the start-up & mgt of int’l cash flow & VC funds. Managed the P&L, led int’l bus dev thru sales & execution

Early career: Product dev engineer, Ford Motor Company: Manager of product planning & mkt dev at Multifastner Corp., & Donnelly Mirrors (auto suppliers): Mgt consultant to AMF, Lear Sigler, Votrax Speech Synthesis, Sinteris Magnetics, Chinese Computer Comm., Recomtex & four others

Contact me at Tom@IVIpe.com

Thomas Nastas’s Specialties:

International venture capital and private equity, international business development, member, Board of Directors in international & Russian companies

Thomas Nastas’s Experience

• Member, Investment Committee

  Softline Venture Partners

  (Venture Capital & Private Equity industry)

  August 2009 — Present (4 months)

  Member of Softline Venture Partners 'Expert Council,' an investment committee that reviews transactions for venture capital investment

• Independent Director, Member, Board of Directors

  Suntyco, Russian investment of Tata (Mumbai, India) & EBRD

  (Food & Beverages industry)

  August 2009 — Present (4 months)

  Elected as Independent Director, Member, Board of Directors, of Suntyco, the Cyprus holding, Russian investment of Tata Group, Mumbai, India and the European Bank for Reconstruction & Development (EBRD), London

• Co-Founder & Member, Board of Directors

  BPOcom (Moscow, Russia)

  (Financial Services industry)

  July 2009 — Present (5 months)

• Member, Global Advisory Committee

  Larta Institute (Los Angeles, California)

  (Non-Profit; Venture Capital & Private Equity industry)

  July 2009 — Present (5 months)

• Member, Board of Directors

  Association of Independent Directors, Moscow, Russia

  (Non-Profit Organization Management industry)

  June 2008 — Present (1 year 6 months)

  Elected to Board of Directors, 26 June 2008. Mission of Independent Directors Association is to raise efficiency of the Russian enterprises in corporate gov., transparency, best practices and protection of minority shareholders.

• Independent Director, Board of Directors

  Sotsgorbank, Moscow, Russia

  (Banking industry)

  July 2007 — Present (2 years 5 months)

  Elected as 1st foreign independent director in July 2007, re-elected February 2008 & May 2008.
  
  Director responsibilities:
  
  1.) Serve on the Board of Directors, lead/participate in discussions and proposals submitted by management, review and approve corporate initiatives and the budget to execute.
  
  2.) Execute international corporate governance procedures into the Bank and ensure compliance to transparency.
  
  3.) Promote the Bank to international investors and international capital markets, assist Bank management in raising debt and equity capital from Russian and international investors, presentation documents, introductions and negotiations.
  
  4.) Participate in the Bank’s audit and risk management committee, which provides oversight to our financial and risk management business practices
  
  5.) Introduce Bank management to international marketing practices to build market share for its financial products in Russia
  
  Accomplishments:
  
  Closed $10 million, 10 year loan with US lender World Business Capital & OPIC guarantee. Raised 500 million ruble bond, MICEX

• President & Founder

  Innovative Ventures Inc

  (Venture Capital & Private Equity industry)

  July 1986 — Present (23 years 5 months)

  Since 1986 the business of Innovative Ventures Inc. (IVI) is venture capital, and we provide financial institutions with advisory services to invest in international & emerging market venture capital (VC).
  
  We develop markets and entrepreneurs since the emerging countries lack the quality and quantity of companies for VC. Our CIS High Technology Partnership Initiative™ molds technology into viable companies through cross-border partnerships, and IVI’s Russian Technology Investment Forum™ introduces early stage Russian technology enterprises to international strategic and venture capital investors.
  
  IVI's 1st fund was the $4 million Michigan Product Development Fund, established in 1986. Transacted early stage technology investments; computer motherboards, machine vision, software & microprocessor instrumentation, managed investees through exit.
  
  Results include:
  
  1.) $700,000 investment returned $500,000 in cash in1st year + $12,000,000 in capital gains when ESI (ESIO: NASDAQ) acquired Applied Intelligent Systems Inc.,(machine vision) at $65/share; liquidated ESI stock at $120/share. See confirmation on results from Jim Anderson, CEO of AISI
  
  2.) $700,000 invested in Neogen (animal husbandry, veterinarian & biotechnologies) yielded valuation increase from $10MM to $22MM w/IPO (NEOG: NASDAQ) in 15 months; total shareholder value created = $440,000,000
  
  3.) $200,000 yielded $135,000 in cash dividends as Personal Bibliographic Software grew in sales from $250,000 to $3MM. Acquired by Thompson (NYSE: TRI & NASDAQ: TRIN)
  
  4.) Raised US$21MM in follow-on financing with GM & IBM investing as strategic partners in investees
  
  Beginning in 1990 to now, IVI created, managed and/or advised international funds; raise $, source/structure & mgt deals. 100+ SMEs financed in Africa, Canada, Europe & Russia with total capitalization in excess of $500 million. International VC funds are listed in the next section.
  
  Learn about us at www.IVIpe.com

• Chief Investment Officer & Senior Advisor in Venture Capital

  Russian Venture Company, IFC, The World Bank, Canada Dev, Bank, The EU, Financiere St. Dominique

  (Venture Capital & Private Equity industry)

  May 1991 — 2009 (18 years )

  Served as senior advisor, managing director and/or chief investment officer to international institutional investors & development finance institutions in international & emerging market VC.
  
  Accomplishments:
  
  1.) C$100MM Venture Lending Fund, Canadian Development Bank
  
  2.) $200MM IFC Africa Enterprise Fund
  
  3.) $10MM EU financed Technology Performance Financing Scheme
  
  4.) Financière St. Dominique. Establish royalty structures, early stage technology VC.
  
  5.) $5MM World Bank E. Africa ‘Fund of Funds.’ Invested in the funds of Uganda Dev Corp., (Uganda) & Impres (Kenya & Tanzania).
  
  6.) $30MM IFC South Africa Fund. Created fund, invested in Capital Partners.
  
  7.) $30MM HP Russia LP. Managed staff of 9 in Volgograd, Samara & Saratov. Restructured two investees, created holding with $3MM. Invested $600k in Russian printing SME company Flexoprint.
  
  8.) $440MM Russia Fund. Managed staff of 8 in Vladivostok, Khabarovsk & Sakhalin. Executed re-start, post-1998 crisis. Restructured $1.2MM loan portfolio, no loss income/principal.
  
  Debt/equity investments include:
  
  •MRCI
  •Nesina
  •Antarius-Service
  •SuyuzTehnoTrans
  •Implants
  •Rakurs-S
  •Air-Service
  •Davdov
  •Soloveb
  •Konkom-Invest
  •Chernykh
  •Contact Plus
  •Vostochnoye
  •Negotiated/transacted lending relationships w/Russian banks Primsots, Regio, MDM Dalnevostochnij & Vnesnortgbank
  
  9.) Senior Advisor, Gov’t of France on French seed fund for Russia
  
  10.) Senior Advisor, Govt’s of Slovakia, Kazakhstan, Latvia & World Bank; created R&D & VC funds.
  
  11.) Senior Advisor, Russian Venture Company, the Russian Government's $1 billion fund-of-fund. RVC invests up to 49% of the capitalization in newly created Russian early stage VC technology funds. The objective of the RVC is to create an early stage VC technology industry in Russia.

• VC Investor, Member, Board of Directors

  MRCI, Sakhalin, Russia & Seattle, WA

  (Fishery industry)

  October 1998 — October 1999 (1 year 1 month)

  Inherited growth stage investee, $8.5MM invested by Russia Investment Fund. Major Accomplishments: Quarterly reporting. Structured $1.5MM follow-on investment. Management buyout of equity from Fund

• VC Investor, Member, Board of Directors

  Frank's Ice Cream, Magadan, Russia

  (Consumer Goods industry)

  October 1998 — October 1999 (1 year 1 month)

  Inherited early stage $250,000 deal from Russia Investment Fund. Major Accomplishments: Monthly reporting. Stopped further financing due to non-performance of Investee

• VC Investor, Member, Board of Directors

  Flexoprint, Volgograd, Russia

  (Printing industry)

  September 1997 — October 1998 (1 year 2 months)

  Major Accomplishments: Sourced/structured $600k investment. Monthly reporting. Executed int’l corporate governance procedures. Arbitrator in mgt team dispute; replaced General Director with Finance Director. Sales growth to $9 million

• VC Investor, Fund Representative to Board of Directors

  Applied Intelligent Systems Inc. (AISI), Ann Arbor, MIchigan

  (Computer Hardware industry)

  January 1987 — November 1989 (2 years 11 months)

  Major Accomplishments: Monthly reporting. Scale up the mgt team, separated bus dev., mkting & sales function from President to VP. $700,000 investment returned $500,000 in cash in1st year + $12,000,000 in capital gains when ESI (ESIO: NASDAQ) acquired Applied Intelligent Systems Inc.,(machine vision) at $65/share; liquidated ESI stock at $120/share

• VC Investor & Fund Representative in Board of Directors, Manage Venture Capital Investment Portfolio

  Lada Bread & Rolti (Russia) Neogen, Gateway, Personal Bibliographic Systems, Face Technologies (USA)

  (Computer Software industry)

  July 1986 — November 1989 (3 years 5 months)

  Accomplishents:
  
  1.) Lada Xleb, Samara, Russia: Implemented quarterly reporting
  
  2.) Rolti, Samara, Russia: Located & engaged UK industry expert to open new markets & expand business
  
  3.) Saratov Wallpaper, Saratov, Russia: Implemented quarterly reporting
  
  4.) Neogen Corp, Lansing, MI: Monthly reporting. $700,000 invested in Neogen (animal husbandry, veterinarian & biotechnologies) yielded valuation increase from $10MM to $22MM w/IPO (NEOG: NASDAQ) in 15 months; total shareholder value created = $440,000,000
  
  5.) Gateway Systems, Okemos MI: Monthly reporting. Co-led follow-on financing. Cash returns of $300k & sale of royalty investment
  
  6.) Personal Bibliographic Systems Inc., (PBS) Ann Arbor, MI: Scale up mgt. team & strategy to exploit opts in the search business. $200,000 yielded $135,000 in cash dividends as Personal Bibliographic Software grew in sales from $250,000 to $3MM. Acquired by Thompson (NYSE: TRI & NASDAQ: TRIN)
  
  7.) Face Technologies, Southfield MI: Monthly reporting. Liquidated investee due to non-performance. Asset sale generated $50k

Thomas Nastas’s Education

• Michigan State University, BA & MBA

  MBA from Michigan State University , Marketing

  Activities and Societies:

  Community Dev., to develop future leaders.
  
  1.) From 2002-2009, Prof., Marketing, American Institute of Business & Economics, Moscow; MBA program, teach 'VC, Marketing & Sales Mgt.' Co-led case competition of 10 Russian MBA schools.
  2.) From 2001-current, Advisor, Pericles, Moscow. Tutor Russians for admission to MBA programs, assist in preparation of essays & interviews. Successes? 100+ students enrolled in London School of Economics, Chicago, Duke, Harvard, MIT, Stanford, Wharton, INSEAD

Additional Information

Thomas Nastas’s Websites:

• My Company

Thomas Nastas’s Interests:

Emerging markets, venture capital, technology and innovation.

Thomas Nastas’s Groups:

Softbank VC

•    World Bank Group (IBRD, IDA, IFC, MIGA, ICSID)
•    Pericles
•    Venture Capital Syndicate
•    Private Equity and Venture Capital Group
•    Private Equity Investment Group
•    Global Private Equity & Venture Capital
•    Private Equity Networking
•    International Finance Corporation (IFC) Alumni
•    Russian connection
•    Bank and Finance Professionals of Russia & CIS
•    Venture Capital Research - VC Research
•    Venture Capital & Private Equity Resume Book
•    Professional Keynote Speakers - by Jorge Olson
•    Private Equity in Russia
•    TIECON MIDWEST 2009
•    International Tax Planning and Risk Mitigation Professionals
•    European Entrepreneurship & Innovation @ Silicon Valley
•    AltAssets
•    Advanced Cavitation Institute for Alternative Energy, Nanotechnology...
•    Independent Board Members of Russia
•    Larta Institute
•    Global Academic Innovation Network (GAIN)
•    Emerging Markets Investment Professionals Network
•    Hedge Fund & Private Equity Jobs & Careers - www.TheAlternativeAvenue.com
•    The Global Investor Leadership Team
•    Emerging Markets Private Banking
•    Emerging Markets Private Equity
•    The Board of Directors

Thomas Nastas’s Honors:

Publications, download-www.IVIpe.com

1.) 'Connect Globally for an Innovative Economy,' Moscow Times, 26 March 2009

2.) 'How a Russian FedEx Could Save the Economy,’ The Moscow Times, 19 February 2009

3.) 'The GoForward Plan to Scaling-Up Innovation,’ Harvard Business Review
•Latin American edition, September 2008
•Hungarian edition, Oct., 2007
•Russian edition, June 2007

4.) ‘Scaling Up Innovation,’ Russian Investment Review, April/May 2006

5.) ‘Scaling Up Innovation, the Path to Prosperity,’ Alternative Assets

6.) ‘Comment on Innovation,’ Nairobi Daily News, May 2007

7.) ‘Russia, Oil, VC & Tech,’ Russia Investment Review, 2006

8.) ‘The Bus Development Story in Russia,’ Hart E&P, Dec. 2005

10.) ‘New Directions in European Private Equity,’ European VC Journal, Feb. 1992

11.) ‘Balancing Risk/Return, Limit Risk w/o Slashing Returns,’ Asian VC Journal, Dec. 1991; US VC Journal, November 1991; UK VC Journal, June 1991; Canadian VC Journal, Dec. 1990

Thomas Nastas’s Contact Settings

Interested In:

• career opportunities
• consulting offers
• new ventures
• job inquiries
• expertise requests
• business deals
• reference requests
• getting back in touch