Venture Fund Member Profile
|
 |
 |
Texas Women Ventures (TWV) started investing in 2005 with a simple goal: to help women-owned businesses reach their full potential. The fund focuses on companies in the Southwest with an established track record who are achieving $10 - $100 million in annual revenue. TWV offers innovative capital solutions that allow the business owner(s) to maintain majority ownership and control over running the company. But TWV is about much more than money; TWV was founded by successful women who have experience building careers and companies and now want to help other women build value. TWV’s portfolio advisory board becomes a team of trusted advisors that provide advice, networking opportunities and valuable connections. TWV creates a true partnership so the company can seize on opportunities and achieve a new level of excellence.
 |
Whitney Johns Martin
Co-founder & Managing Director
Texas Women Ventures |
Whitney Johns Martin is Co-Founder, Co-Chairwoman and Managing Director of Texas Women Ventures, a Dallas, Texas based family of investment funds dedicated to investing in women led and managed businesses in Texas and across the Greater Southwestern United States.
From TWV’s inception, Whitney has been instrumental in the evolution of the concept of the firm, its mission and its funds. From 2005 through 2010, Whitney served as the firm’s Managing Member and the sole manager of the initial funds. Her areas of responsibility included fundraising, marketing, business development, investment analysis, portfolio management, legal and risk management, financial reporting, investor relations and firm and fund administration. In growing TWV, Whitney has brought together a seasoned management team to manage TWV and its funds. Whitney currently serves as a member of TWV’s Investment Committee and is a Charter Investor in each of TWV’s funds.
In 2008, Whitney received recognition as one of the “Most Influential Women in Business in Dallas” in the inaugural award selection by the Dallas Business Journal. Whitney received the SBA’s 1998 Southeastern Advocate of the Year award; received a Presidential appointment as a delegate to the 1995 White House Conference on Small Business; and testified before the U.S. Senate on several occasions on the topic of access to capital for women. She was a U.S. finalist for the Woman Entrepreneur of the World award presented for the small business category at the 1996 FCEM World Congress in Los Angeles and was recognized in 2001 as the Distinguished Graduate from the University of Tennessee’s College of Law.
In 1998, Whitney created the first Small Business Investment Company (SBIC) to focus on women-led companies, the first in the 40-year history the program. She built a world-class Board of Directors including leaders like the founder and owner of the Build a Bear® retail stores and President and CEO of National Financial®, Fidelity’s clearing subsidiary. That fund and its co-investor partners invested over $50 million in women-led companies. Additionally, the fund was a source of pride for its investors, which included institutional investors Bank of America, Bank One and Wachovia, for its ground-breaking success in changing the landscape of the investment world. The fund earned distinction as the SBIC “Portfolio Company of the Year” and in 2000 was recognized during a ceremony with the U.S. Senate by the Milken Institute as a national “Best Practice” for access to growth capital for women.
Following the management of a 1998 vintage-year SBIC fund, Whitney helped form the concept of TWV as an evolution of how to tap into the market of investment in women-led businesses and how to do it profitably. TWV has not only been successful in delivering on the promise to invest in women-led companies (100% of the dollars going to the target market) but has, to date, been successful financially for its investors. In spite of fundraising during difficult venture capital markets, the TWV funds have secured investments from several prominent institutional investors, along with over 50 individual investors that bring talent and expertise to TWV and who serve on TWV’s Portfolio Advisory Board. In 2006, its first full year of investing, TWV was recognized by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation as a promising practice for supplying patient capital to women entrepreneurs.
Whitney received her BS in Business Administration with highest honors from the University of Tennessee (emphasis accounting and economics) and graduated with honors from the University of Tennessee’s College of Law. She has lectured as a guest instructor at University of Tennessee’s College of Law, University of Tennessee’s MBA program, Vanderbilt’s Owen School of Business (MBA), and the University of Tennessee’s undergraduate business school. Whitney resides in Irving, Texas with her husband Charles Martin.
Representative Investments
 |
Rolland Safe & Lock Company provides security solutions to residential and commercial customers as well as training to organizations and industry associations. The company has built a worldwide reputation as a leader in the design, innovation, distribution and implementation of customized security solutions. |
 |
J.O.Y. Foods Inc. is a manufacturer and marketer of scratch-like, restaurant quality pizza products to the foodservice industry. Its customers include school districts, the military, restaurants and other foodservice outlets. |
 |
Warrior Group provides construction services for public and private sector clients across the United States, with a focus on applying innovative construction methods and finding creative solutions to challenging construction projects. - Successful exit 2009 |
 |
Karlee is a manufacturer and integrator providing integrated enclosures, sheet metal fabrication, precision machining, cabling, electromechanical assembly and process coating to a customer base of primarily Fortune 500 companies in the medical, semi-conductor, telecommunications, commercial, nuclear and defense industries. - Successful exit 2011 |
============================================
About FundingPost
For over Twelve Years FundingPost has worked with thousands
of Angel and Venture Capital Investors. We believe that it is
important to reach investors in every medium possible -
both online and offline. We have been directly responsible for
tons of success stories and Millions and Millions of dollars raised.
We look forward to introducing your company to the leading Venture and Angel Investors nationwide.
============================================
|
| Venture Fund Member Profile |
|
Bookmark to del.icio.us
Tweet this Profile
