** Click Here to Register for the next Early-Stage VC & Angel Investor events in:
Washington, DC: July 27, 2010
Philadelphia, PA: July 29, 2010
NYC, NY: August 24, 2010
Chicago, IL: Sept 14, 2010
Pitching Across America 2010


Here are the Investor speakers from our Sold-Out Tampa Pitching Workshop, sponsored by Holland+Knight. This event was in Tampa on Tuesday, March 22, 2005.

John McCarty, Associate, Peachtree Equity Partners

John joined Peachtree as an Associate in July 2004 and is responsible for originating, executing, and monitoring principal investment opportunities for the Partnership. Prior to joining Peachtree, John was an Associate with The Breckenridge Group, an Atlanta-based middle market mergers and acquisitions advisory firm, from 2002 to 2004. From 2000 to 2002, John was an Analyst in the Mergers and Acquisitions Group with Credit Suisse First Boston and Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette in New York. From 1999 to 2000, John was an Analyst in the Mergers and Acquisitions Group with Banc of America Securities in New York. As an investment banker, John gained significant transaction execution experience across a variety of industries, completing numerous advisory and financing assignments representing over $5 billion in aggregate transaction values. A native of Atlanta, John received a B.S. in Economics from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

Tate A. Garrett, Senior VP, Advantage Capital

Mr. Garrett joined Advantage in 1999 and focuses primarily on Florida and Alabama opportunities. His responsibilities include evaluating investments, performing due diligence, structuring transactions, and monitoring portfolio companies in Florida and Alabama. He sits on the boards of several Advantage portfolio companies.

Mr. Garrett is an experienced venture capitalist, entrepreneur and business advisor. Prior to joining Advantage Capital Partners, Mr. Garrett was President of TateWen Trading Company, a wholesale manufacturer of marine canvas products. Before that he was a consultant with Gemini Consulting focusing on strategic planning, new business development and operations improvement for major telecommunications companies.

Mr. Garrett received an M.B.A. degree from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania with a concentration in entrepreneurial management, and a bachelor's degree in computer science from Yale University.

Al Rossiter, Angel Investor

Alan W. Rossiter is the founder, President and Chief Executive Officer of Enterprise North Florida Corporation in Jacksonville, Florida. Established in February 1996, Enterprise North Florida targets emerging technology companies that exhibit extraordinary potential for rapid growth and profitability. ENFC provides such companies with extensive business, technical and financial services throughout the early-stage of the company's growth. Since early 1998, Mr. Rossiter has also served as President of the North Florida Venture Capital Network, Inc. a regional organization dedicated to providing emerging companies with access to early-stage private equity investment capital. In May 2002, Mr. Rossiter led the formation of Springboard Capital, LLC, a venture capital fund targeting early-stage emerging growth companies.

Mr. Rossiter serves as a member of the Florida Community College at Jacksonville Foundation Board of Governors, a Director of the North Florida Association for Corporate Growth, and as a member of the University of North Florida Computer Sciences and Engineering Advisory Committees. Mr. Rossiter also serves as a Member of Logix3 Board of Directors.

Moderator: Louis Conti, Partner, Holland & Knight
Louis T. M. Conti assists clients in a broad range of corporate and business matters including mergers, stock and asset acquisitions and dispositions, corporate and partnership equity and debt financings, asset based financings, leveraged buy-outs, mezzanine and subordinated debt transactions, public and private equity placements, venture capital investments, corporate and partnership recapitalizations, and LLC, partnership and joint venture transactions.

Mr. Conti has served as a senior trial attorney for the Office of Chief Counsel of the Internal Revenue Service in Washington, D.C., and Philadelphia. He is a past adjunct professor of taxation at the Widener University Graduate School of Business, where he taught taxation of exempt organizations, partnerships, and S corporations.

Mr. Conti was the principal draftsman for Florida’s Limited Liability Partnership (LLP) legislation, Co-Chair of The Florida Bar’s drafting committee for the Florida Revised Uniform Partnership Act (FRUPA), the Florida Bar’s Drafting Committee for the Florida Revised Uniform Limited Partnership Act (FRULPA), and a member of the ABA Prototype LLP and LLC Act Committees. Mr. Conti served as the ABA Business Section Advisor to the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws Drafting Committee on the Uniform Limited Liability Partnership Act. Mr. Conti is currently Chairman of the ABA Task Force on Drafting Prototype Limited Liability Company Operating Agreements, past Chair of the Tax Section of The Florida Bar, past Chair of the Corporations and Securities Committee of the Business Law Section of The Florida Bar, past Chair of The Florida Bar Committee to revise Florida’s Limited Liability Company Statute, and author of the Florida Limited Liability Company Forms and Practice Manual (1st and 2nd Editions), published by Data Trace Publishing Company. Mr. Conti is on the Executive Councils of both the Business Law and Tax Law Sections of the Florida Bar. Mr. Conti has lectured and written on a wide variety of corporate, partnership and tax topics for statewide and national organizations.

Mr. Conti is the Chairman of the firm’s national Technology and Emerging Companies Practice Group and coordinator of the firm’s Canada Initiative.

After earning his B.S., with honors, in 1971 from LaSalle University, Mr. Conti completed his M.B.A., with honors, in 1972 at Drexel University, his J.D. in 1975 at Creighton University, and his LL.M. in taxation in 1981 at Temple University. He was President of the Graduate Business Students Association at Drexel, co-captain of the Creighton National Moot Court Team and President of the Moot Court Board.

Mr. Conti is listed in Best Lawyers in America (Corporate Law and Tax Law), Who’s Who in America, Who’s Who in American Law, and Who’s Who in Business and Finance. He is a graduate of Leadership Orlando and Leadership Florida, and holds the highest rating assigned by Martindale-Hubbell.