2024 Dealmakers of the Year Honorees
Presented By: Nationwide Children's Hospital
Brett Buchanan
CEO
Pathfinder Product Labs
Product management consultant
- Pathfinder Labs was sold to ESOP Test Double last year.
Luke Buchanan
Founder and CEO
Redi Health
Developer of a health management platform designed to empower patients to take control of and contribute to their health journey.
- Secured $14M Series B in February 2024, bringing total funding to $19.1M since 2021.
Brian Graham
CEO
Will Zell
Co-Founder & Executive Chairman
AssetWatch
Developer of end-to-end condition monitoring sensors and software solutions designed to prevent unplanned downtime for global manufacturers.
- The company raised $40 million of Series B venture funding in a deal led by Wellington Management on July 12, 2024, representing a sizeable increase in company valuation during very challenging times for raising capital.
- All Series A Institutional Investors participated in this round along with Touchdown Ventures and their partners. The funds will be used for scaling of the business and ongoing innovation, enabling the company to continually offer new value to its customers.
Joe Henderson
Senior Vice President
Advantage Capital
A $4B+ impact investment manager investing nationwide, investing in Ohio businesses across stages for a decade and currently have $60MM invested in the state
- Joe Henderson was part of Advantage Capital’s investment in Athens-baed Global Cooling Inc. that attracted national attention for boosting global distribution of COVID-19 vaccines.
- Advantage invested both equity and sub debt and has exited fully just this past quarter after the Company’s sale to BioLife Solutions.
- The investment also created ~284 FTEs during its lifecycle.
- In addition, Joe has been a part of Advantage’s 14 investments in the state, including Mirac LLC (Lynchburg), B&L Transport (Milersburg) , Schilling Inc (Galion),and Ohio Heat Transfer (St Clairsville and Fairfield).
Catherine Lang-Cline
Founder, CEO, Entrepreneur, Artist
Portfolio Creative
The founder and CEO of Portfolio Creative, Catherine Lang-Cline is a highly accomplished CEO, entrepreneur, and C-Suite executive who brings an innovative vision and design thinking to various sectors, including consumer products and services, financial services, and technology.
- Stafford Technology acquired creative staffing firm Portfolio Creative. Both firms are headquartered in Columbus, Ohio.
- Portfolio Creative is an award-winning recruiting, search, and staffing company that partners with clients to find that talented person for digital, marketing, and creative teams.
Greg Lehman
Founder & COO
Watershed Distillery
Operator of an alcohol distillery company intended to make exceptional spirits.
- The company was acquired by Marussia Beverages USA for an undisclosed amount on July 31, 2023.
- The acquisition allows Marussia Beverages USA to grow their footprint in Central Ohio and throughout the country.
David Richards
CEO
Clarametyx Biosciences
Developer of immune-facilitated biologic therapies designed to fight life-threatening infections.
- Raised $33 million of Series A venture funding in a deal led by Ohio Innovation Fund on January 5, 2024.
Nationwide Children's Hospital, JobsOhio Growth Capital, and Rev1 Ventures also participated in the round.