From Success to Significance: Preparing for a Liquidity Event and Building a Lasting Legacy

Mark has been delivering solutions to clients since the early 1980s, by combining sensor technologies and wireless connectivity with other technologies for mobile data communications and tracking of assets and personnel to Green Energy. Mark has been involved in the ASIS International community for over 20 years. He served on the board of directors for several years at the Long Island New York chapter of ASIS International, holding positions from Treasurer to Vice Chair and Chairman. He is currently on the ASIS International Foundation Board of Trustees, and previously, on the Awards Committee of ASIS International. Overall, Mark Eklund has been a successful entrepreneur and leader in the security and technology industries for several decades, and his contributions to the field continue to have a significant impact on both public and private sectors.

Andrew Sherman is a Partner and Co-Chair of the Venture Capital and Emerging Growth Practice firm wide and is based in the Washington, D.C. office of Brown Rudnick.

He is the author of 26 books on business growth, capital formation and the leveraging of intellectual property, including his twenty-second (22nd) book, Harvesting Intangible Assets, Uncover Hidden Revenue in Your Company’s Intellectual Property, (Harper Collins) which was published in October of 2011. His latest book is The Crisis of Disengagement was published early 2017. Other recent titles include the best-selling Mergers and Acquisitions from A to Z, third edition was published by AMACOM in 2010. He is also the author of the 2nd edition of the Due Diligence Strategies and Tactics, which was published in the Spring of 2010. His twenty-third book Essays on Governance, was published June of 2012 and in 2013, he was named by NACD as one of the Top 100 Leaders in Governance. In 2014, he was included in the global IAM 300, recognizing the world’s thought leaders in managing intangible assets.

He has appeared as a guest and a commentator on all of the major television networks as well as CNBC’s “Power Lunch,” CNN’s “Day Watch,” CNNfn’s “For Entrepreneurs Only,” USA Network’s “First Business,” and Bloomberg’s “Small Business Weekly.” He has appeared on numerous regional and local television broadcasts as well as national and local radio interviews for National Public Radio (NPR), Business News Network (BNN), Bloomberg Radio, AP Radio Network, Voice of America, Talk America Radio Network and the USA Radio Network, as a resource on capital formation, entrepreneurship and technology development.

He has served as a top-rated Adjunct Professor in the Masters of Business Administration (MBA) programs at the University of Maryland for 31 years and at Georgetown University for 20 years in both the business school and the law school where he teaches courses on business growth strategy.

He has served as General Counsel to the Entrepreneurs’ Organization (YEO) since 1987. In 2003, Fortune magazine named him one of the Top Ten Minds in Entrepreneurship and in February of 2006, Inc. magazine named him one of the all-time champions and supporters of entrepreneurship and business growth.

Mr. Tien Wong is a tech investor, entrepreneur, and CEO. He is Chairman & CEO of Opus8, Inc., a private investment and advisory firm investing in exceptional life science and tech enabled services companies, as well as specializing in raising capital for promising tech companies and alternative investment fund managers.

He is Founder of CONNECTpreneur, a global community of 25,000+ founders, investors, CEOs, and business leaders. CONNECTpreneur organizes the world’s largest monthly virtual investor pitch events as well as in-person Forums with upwards of 500 attendees, featuring VIP guests, speakers, exciting presenting companies, and the best CXO to CXO networking on the East Coast. Since 2012, over 1200 companies have presented, half of whom have received funding from investors from the CONNECTpreneur investor network.

Mr. Wong is also a Venture Partner in IronGate Capital Advisors, a VC and Fund of Funds manager investing in dual use technologies; Investment Advisory Board member of Virginia Venture Partners; and Chairman of Lumious, an ed tech company which provides learning & development services to Fortune 500 customers.

Mr. Wong was appointed by Governor Martin O'Malley to the 9-person Maryland Venture Fund Authority which oversees $84 million in VC allocations; he serves on the Boards of Directors of the Austin Venture Association, Association for Enterprise Growth (Chair), Frederick Innovative Technology Corp., Inc. (FITCI), and Junior Achievement, as well as on the Council of Advisors for the Washington Institute for Business, Government, & Society and the Entrepreneurship Advisory Council of The Universities at Shady Grove. He is a Mentor at the Mach37 Cybersecurity Accelerator and Conscious Venture Labs.