Bridge Angel Investors are a group of passionate and committed investors who collaborate to fund local innovation. We qualify, fund, mentor and leverage our networks on behalf of our portfolio companies to provide a win-win opportunity for all.
Bridge Angel Investors (BAI) or BRIDGE was founded in 2017 to bring together resources, innovation, and dollars to growing enterprises (hence the acronym BRIDGE) in the Sarasota-Bradenton Area. We are an ever growing group of investor members in Sarasota with a focus on investing in early-stage companies based in Florida typically in syndication with other Florida-based angel investor groups. However, we broaden our reach throughout the US through trusted member and partner referrals. BRIDGE has joined forces with the Adi Dassler International Family Office (ADIFO) to invest in the leAD Sports & Health Tech Partners, the leading global sports and health tech investment ecosystem, inspired by Adi Dassler (founder of Adidas). Adi Dassler’s grandsons (Horst Bente and Klaus Bente) created leAD Sports, LTD (“leAD”) which consists of a group of shareholders dedicated to the acceleration of sports, health and fitness technologies for the benefit of entrepreneurs, clients of ADIFO, and ADIDAS. Bridge’s direct investment in leAD will facilitate access to a global network of investment opportunities.
Managing Team
Our Managing Team includes our Executive Director Kim Miele, three specialists and five board member/investors.
Executive Director
Kim Miele
Kim Miele is a lifelong connector. Bringing together people and ideas is her passion, whether through her myriad of roles as past Executive Director of the Gulf Coast CEO Forum, the planning of large-scale events for Harvard Medical School, or as a consultant for Startfast Venture Accelerator. She is a results-oriented, high-energy leader with experience developing and managing strategic partnerships, communications strategy, community relations initiatives, conferences, and special events. In her personal time, Kim is dedicated to putting her gift of connection to good use by serving the Sarasota/Bradenton communities.
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Due Diligence Director
Business Administrator
Analyst
Wendi Chapman, Board Member/Investor
● Chair, Sarasota 01 Tiger 21
● Past Executive Director BRIDGE Angel Investors
● Director of Operations Brenn Foundation
● Vice President of Admin/Finance, General Counsel for Omeza, LLC
Paul Harder, Board Member/Investor
● CEO, Owner, Founder with three successful exits in three different verticals.
● To Ford Motor Company after an 11-year CAGAR of over 20% in the automotive parts business.
● To Cott a public beverage company after an EBITDA growth from $28 to $84 million in four years.
·● PE with a software startup providing both a SAS option and full-service option to Healthcare Providers.
● Currently serving on private company boards and as advisor, mentor, coach and investor to both startups and fully operating companies.
Linda Jellison, Board Member/Investor
● Currently serving on Private Boards
● Founder/President/CEO LTC Engineering Associates
● Former Executive Director ManTech Real Time Systems Laboratory (MRSL)
● Thirty five years in the Scientific and Technical Engineering fields
Chip Moll, Board Member/Investor
● Vice President, Corporate Development with MTD Products.
● Founded in 1932, MTD Products is a leader in outdoor power equipment headquartered near Cleveland, Ohio.
● Our engineering expertise and state-of-the-art facilities around the world fuel MTD’s reputation for innovation and award-winning products
Peter Offringa, Board Member/Investor
● Technology leader specializing in building large-scale software infrastructure for major Internet companies
● Prior CTO/VP Engineering roles at CBS Interactive, CNET, Comcast, Zoosk, Boatsetter
● Currently serving in advisory board roles for local start-ups.
● Active blogger about software company investing.
Rachel West, Board Member/Investor
● Co-Founder, InfoAlliance LLC
● Previous President, Boatsetter, technology and data-driven on-demand boating
● Digital, Cloud, Big Data Transformation Strategy Advisor, Dell Technologies
● Head of Data Management, Financial Service Practices, EMC Consulting
Member Investors
Members of Bridge Angel Investors are a group of committed investors who help pick and fund portfolio companies, provide mentoring and leverage their networks to help portfolio companies be successful.
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Jessica Archibald
● General Partner and member of the Investment Committee at Top Tier Capital Partners (TTCP). Co-lead of the Funds team, participating extensively in the capital formation efforts of the firm.
● Prior to joining TTCP, she was part of the investment team at Care Capital LLC, a venture capital firm specializing in biotechnology and she spent five years at Salomon Smith Barney.
● Holds a B.A. in mathematics and economics from Connecticut College.and an M.B.A. from New York University’s Stern School of Business. She also is a member of the Connecticut College Board of Trustees
● Competitive rower and previously a Varsity Crew member at Connecticut College, a member of the New York Athletic Club, where she was a nine-time national champion and currently rows with the Sarasota Country Rowing Club where she’s won several national and world championships.
Kumar Buvanendaran
● True entrepreneur to the core with a passion is to take start-up prospects and turn them into powerhouse corporations.
● Spent the last 30 years building an ever-growing portfolio showcasing his passion, transforming small businesses into diverse industries such as architecture/engineering, technology, and business consulting.
● Grew a $2 million Architecture & Engineering company into $75 million in less than 15 years and exited -- turned a Technology firm that had a negative profit and increased it by 1,500% in 5 years and exited.
● Built an intentional and sustainable operations embodying an inclusive work culture to optimize performance.
● His Motto: “Success is no accident.”
Will Cirioli
● Currently Commercial Real Estate Investor
● Founded Rent Siesta Now Vacation Rentals exited 2021
● Senior Executive with ExxonMobil. 36 year career. Last position Global Technology VP.
● University of Florida Foundation Board Member
Ben Curren
● Entrepreneur and product leader who is passionate about using my technical skills to build great businesses, products and agile engineering teams.
● Founder and CEO of Green Bits, fastest growing POS / inventory / compliance system for the legal cannabis industry; processing over 3B / year GMV; bootstrap / self-funded for 3 years; raised over 18M from top tier investors (Tiger Global)
● Founder and CTO of Outright.com; raised $11M from top tier Angels and VC (Sequoia, Marc Andreessen, Ben Horowitz, FirstRound Capital, Shasta Ventures, Softech VC); growing the company to 12 engineers / 35 employees; acquiring over 800,000 small business customers
Martin Curran
● Retired senior executive with 42 years of experience growing businesses, often guiding disruptive technology development and commercialization.
● Background in multiple functions including finance, manufacturing, product line management and general management.
● Successfully ran and grew three businesses and worked as Innovation Officer responsible for identifying and incubating new businesses.
Patrick Del Medico
● 30+ years of documented success in sales, marketing, training, product development and performance management
● Executive leadership roles both nationally and internationally
● Strategic business planning for large Fortune 500 Companies ranging from Proctor & Gamble, Stryker Corporation and Baxter Healthcare to start-up entities to family-owned businesses.
● Executive Partner | COO for Florida Region, Shepherd Insurance
● Currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Gulf Coast CEO Forum as well as USF Risk Management & Insurance Industry Board and on the Advisory Board for Cardinal Mooney High School
William Dolan
● Growth-focused CEO with a record of transformative business, product, and technology leadership at diverse fintech and financial services companies
● Entrepreneurial executive who is an investor/advisor in promising fintech startups
● Proven ability to build/reinvent products and services that remove friction, create opportunity, and open markets
● Strategic and data-focused, with a history of creating and commercializing products, raising capital, guiding M&As, and accelerating growth
● Currently, as President of TAPP Engine, he is leading sales, fundraising, business development, and the banking division of an embedded finance solutions provider in the WealthTech and digital banking space
Sean Dotson
● Automation and robotics executive with 30 years of experience scaling engineering-driven businesses, leading M&A, and advising industrial innovators.
● Founder and former CEO of RND Automation, where he bootstrapped and scaled the company to $25M+, executed multiple acquisitions, and led a successful private equity exit. Remained on as CTO of the parent organization for 2 years.
● Advisor to PE/VC-backed industrial firms and OEMs; specializes in business development, engineering management, and operational turnarounds.
● Fractional CxO, board member, and investor with a track record of driving growth in automation, robotic, and packaging startups.
● Currently COO of Suncoast Venture Studio, investing in, and creating new AI enabled businesses in Fintech, Healthcare and Advanced Manufacturing in the greater Sarasota region.
William Foster
● Retired; Wells Fargo Securities 2016 as Senior VP of Investments
● During his tenure Wells Fargo acquired Wachovia, merged in Prudential Securities, and acquired Foster Brothers and Webber Co.
● As an active investor, owns various public stocks, privately held companies and operates four real-estate LLC’s that invest in commercial buildings in Northwest Ohio and Sarasota Florida.
● Currently serves on multiple boards in many different capacities (Chair, Committee Chair, Managing Member, Committee Member, Advisory)
Paul Galioto
● Entrepreneur, Financial and Business Advisor
● Began his career as an Entrepreneur by starting Zeller Electric of Buffalo, a distributor of industrial automation equipment. Zeller was named to the INC Magazine 500 Fastest Growing Companies in 1995.
● In 2007, he sold his stake in Zeller and co-founded PortoVino, where he served as a financial and strategic advisor, as well as a mentor.
● Founder and CEO of Wise Old Man Business Consultants, specializing in strategic growth and acquisitions for privately owned small to mid-sized companies.
Weston Ginn
● Independent investor with GinnTech Capital. With over a decade of experience managing personal capital across multiple market cycles, he focuses on identifying structural technology shifts early, with an emphasis on infrastructure-layer opportunities.
● He has made early investments in notable companies and protocols including Tesla, Ethereum, and Chainlink.
● Today, Weston invests at the pre-seed and seed stage, with a focus on AI infrastructure, applications, and decentralized technologies. He sources opportunities through global founder communities and maintains an active presence in the Florida startup ecosystem.
● Weston is a Venture Institute Fellow and is based between Sarasota, Florida and Singapore
Justin Hertz
● Born and raised in Sarasota, FL
● Co-Founder, Owner and Operator of Liquid Bottles LLC
● Investor in Loaded Cannon Distillery in Lakewood Ranch
Melanie Hudson
● 25+ years of leadership experience guiding global technology operations, strategy, and commercial excellence.
● Served in various senior executive roles leading Lexmark through transformation from a F500 public company to privately held, and then to acquisition by Xerox. As a key member of the executive team, worked through the due diligence process and advised on commercial integration strategies.
● Most recently served as Chief Commercial Officer of Lexmark, a $2B+ global technology solutions company, with full P&L responsibility for worldwide sales, marketing, professional services, and customer operations, leading a globally dispersed team of 1800.
● Experience in sales, marketing, operations, product management, OEM, supply chain, managed services, and general management across the United States, Canada and Europe, Middle East & Africa, and Asia Pacific.
● MBA/Harvard AMP/Board Member/Chair
Allen Johnson
● Member and Sponsor of Atlanta Technology Angels 2012-2016
● Charter member of NBAI, an Atlanta based Angel Group formed in 1995
● Founding Partner of the Adi Dassler Family Office, Director of Wealth Manager, Investment Advisor Representative Appolon Wealth
James Keefe
● Broad executive experience across industries as diverse as biotechnology, investment management, academia, non-profit, as well as entertainment/media
● Ability to help entrepreneurs, business owners, and investors capture the power of strategic innovation driven by unique insights to push forward new ideas across a range of sectors
● International exposure (lived and traveled to over 86 countries) highlighted the importance of relationships and truly connecting with individuals, maintaining a curiosity and dream for something unique and different to help others in their journey.
Gigi Kuster
● For nearly 25 years, Gigi Kuster has called Sarasota home, embracing its islands, its water, its architecture, and the vibrant lifestyle that defines it. Born and raised in France with a dual degree in business and art history, she brings a thoughtful blend of strategy, creativity, and global perspective to real estate.
● Gigi’s journey with her husband David began in Berlin, where their first son Austin was born, before they settled on Siesta Key in 2003 and welcomed their second son, Timothe.
● A dedicated local specialist, Gigi understands that lifestyle is what draws people to Sarasota, whether raising a family or escaping for the winter. She listens closely, matches clients with homes that genuinely fit their way of living, and guides sellers in presenting their property with intention and warmth.
● As a trusted Coldwell Banker Global Luxury Specialist, she offers elevated service, deep market knowledge, and worldwide connections through the CBRGL network.
Phillip Lanham
● Phillip is responsible for the leadership of Gulf Coast Community Foundation (Gulf Coast) as president and CEO, overseeing organizational strategy and programs, operations and investments.
● Phillip has been leading Gulf Coast since 2023, working with the Board of Directors and staff to advance it's three priority areas, mental health, affordable, housing, and green space and water quality.
● He also serves on the boards of the Florida Chamber Foundation, Economic Development Corporation of Sarasota County, and Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce.
● With more than 25 years of philanthropic leadership experience, Phillip has built a reputation as an accomplished executive leader with a strong track record of delivering results driven strategies.
● At the University of Cincinnati, Phillip earned his bachelor’s and MBA degrees and began his career in higher education advancement. He spent more than a decade there, contributing to transformational philanthropic growth for the university.
David Leland
● “A technology innovator, I continually canvass the market for opportunities to fill in the white space.
● My niche? Creating solutions that help companies become more efficient, compliant, and safe. While hidden from the customer, these foundational areas are vital to an organization’s survival and growth.
● A twice-over entrepreneur, I’ve been blessed to launch, grow, and exit two successful tech start-ups that have filled these needs. With teamwork, grit, and divine help, we’ve wildly exceeded customer expectations and made a positive impact along the way.”
Hugh MacArthur
● MacArthur is a senior partner and chairman of Bain’s Global Private Equity Practice. He helped found the practice over 30 years ago, and works with private equity funds and alternative asset managers of all descriptions, including LPs.
● Hugh has advised funds in every geography, and has worked on hundreds of assignments across deals, firm strategy, operations and organization.
● Hugh is also the host of Bain & Company’s Dry Powder: The Private Equity Podcast, in which he interviews leading experts on the trends and opportunities that will redefine the private equity industry.
● Hugh is the creator of Bain’s annual Private Equity Report. He is the author of the book “Lessons from Private Equity Any Company Can Use,” and he currently writes a LinkedIn blog on private markets topics called Private Thoughts from my Desk.
David Moll
● Managing Director of InField Capital. Early Stage venture capital focused on Clean Technologies for the Transportation Industry, with a focus on Future Powertrain technologies.
● Vice President, Business Development of DataPlay, Inc.
● Director, National Account Management of MatchLogic
Niall Phelan
● Originally from Dublin, Ireland, began a career in consumer goods with Red Bull in the late 1990’s.
● Subsequently worked for Nestle and Molson Coors in board level positions across multiple international geographies, creating a specialization in business turnaround and accelerated growth.
● Following a second senior level role in Red Bull, also led the international growth for Brewdog, which was world’s fastest growing craft beer brand.
● Founded Rye River Brewing, leading the business to be the world's most decorated independent craft brewery.
● Since 2017, he has focused his time on business start-ups whilst also consulting independently on business turnaround and growth.
● Built a small property portfolio over the last 20 years, developing passion for property and real estate and developed his own real estate business, Oasis Group, with his business partner.
Travis Priest
● Entrepreneur in Residence at Vocap Investment Partners
● Serial entrepreneur with 3 successful SaaS startup exits
● Consults with Angel through Series B funded SaaS startups; board member; advisor
Chuck Ripepi
● Chuck Ripepi is a seasoned executive and Board Member at Garland Industries, Inc., bringing 38 years of dedicated leadership to the organization.
● Starting his career as a CPA in public accounting, he first encountered Garland as an outside consultant and was inspired to join the team full-time by their unique philosophy of placing the customer at the absolute top of the organizational chart.
● His strategic financial oversight led to his promotion to Chief Financial Officer in 2003 and his appointment to the Board of Directors in 2017. Throughout his tenure, Chuck has been instrumental in Garland’s growth into a $2 billion enterprise and one of the country’s top 100% employee-owned ESOPs.
● Today, he helps guide the premier manufacturer of high-performance roofing and building envelope solutions across its 33 operating companies, which includes jobsite and surface protection leader ICON Protection.
CJ Ripepi
● CJ Ripepi is an entrepreneur interested in applied AI, software systems, and business strategy.
● He enjoys understanding how technology, operations, and product decisions fit together, and is especially interested in practical applications of emerging tools that solve real problems.
Alexander Ronzino
● A multi-entity founder with two exits and a background in Private Equity, Real Estate, Healthcare, and Technology - Alexander has served in the C-Suite in multiple capacities ranging from startups to firms as large as 3B.
● Co-Founder of Rework Capital which actively invests as well as provides management consultings services (Fractional CFO, Capital Strategy) to help those firms scale and achieve unicorn status
● Finance/MBA and Six Sigma Black Belt
Elizabeth Stamoulis
● Leads the firm's Intellectual Property Practice
● Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce, Legal Counsel to the Board of Directors
● Ivy League Young Alumni Club, Dartmouth Representative
● Florida Trend’s Legal Elite, Up and Comer
● Best Lawyers in America: Ones to Watch, 2024
● Florida Super Lawyers, Rising Stars, 2017-2023
Peter Teuber
● Peter has decades of experience as an executive in large and small pharmaceutical companies (Hoffmann-La Roche, The Medicines Company, Orphan Therapeutics) with a passion for leading teams to develop specialty pharmaceuticals for patients in need.
● Founder and President of Orphan Therapeutics LLC, a privately held drug development company.
● Orphan Therapeutics licensed terlipressin to Mallinckrodt (now Keenova) which markets Terlivaz® for a rare complication of liver disease following its FDA approval in 2022.
● Longboat Key full-time resident since 2021.
● Angel investor in life science and tech companies.
Curt Ware
● Seasoned Professional Real Estate Agent, Investor, and Developer with over 12 years of experience in Sarasota
● Background in entrepreneurship, marketing, and sales, he has successfully founded The Ware Group.
● Deeply passionate about giving back and actively donates to charities and special causes that support humanity.
Aaron Weikle
● Chief Executive Officer of ArganoMS3. Founded in 2009 MS3 provides high quality services to US Government agencies. MS3 helps the government transform business into a new era of enterprise using efficient computing and cost reductions through Open Source programs. We have supported a number of the largest government organizations over the past 7 years including entities like DISA, USCENTCOM and DoS.
● Senior SOA Lead and subject matter expert
● Senior Software Engineer and Applications Programmer
Rob Weiss
● My wife Joyce and I moved to Sarasota in 2015, after long stints in NY/CT and Toronto
● In my 21 years as a Wealth Manager and Financial Planner for individuals, families, and businesses throughout the U.S.
● Was involved in Institutional Bond Markets for over 20 years with several Canadian securities dealers in Toronto and NY.
● Involved in community service and various non-profits with an emphasis on mentoring young people.
Trace Woodbury
● Technology executive and entrepreneur with over 25 years of experience supporting the U.S. Federal Government and leading high-growth technology organizations across AI infrastructure, cybersecurity, manufacturing, and transportation.
● Currently, Chief Executive Office and President of Universal Edge Technologies (UET), bringing to market a next-generation Edge Compute Platform powered by immersion cooling technology. This platform delivers mission-ready AI compute capabilities for defense, enterprise, and edge applications and recently generated a $99.7 million award from the U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM).
● Prior to UET, co-founded RidgeIT Cyber and scaled the company to serve the federal sector and commercial clients in more than 150 countries across six continents. The firm became a global cybersecurity integrator, building partner ecosystems among leading enterprise platforms such as CrowdStrike, Microsoft, Okta,Qualys, and Zscaler.
● Mr. Woodbury has also consulted for multiple AI cybersecurity startups in transitioning from stealth mode to commercialization and, ultimately, successful exits, helping bridge the gap between technical innovation and scalable go-to-market execution.
Houry Youssoufian
● Financial and accounting professional with over 25 years of relevant experience.
● Began her career as a biology researcher at MIT, contributing to the publication of several scientific articles in prestigious peer-reviewed journals.
● Later she, earned an MBA and became a CPA while working for an international public accounting firm.
● Focused on delivering strategic plans for growth and alliances while implementing operational efficiency for privately held, venture capital funded or publicly traded companies: I also have global experience leading finance departments of publicly held companies in the life sciences and medical devices industries.
● Experience in financial leadership roles, including internal and external financial reporting: implementation of accounting financial and operational systems: developing and implementing policies and procedures to improve systems and efficiencies: managing global shared services as well as developing and monitoring financial performance.
Todd Zimmerman
● Former Owner and CEO with a strong record of driving growth in manufacturing businesses.
● Negotiated and executed a successful exit with private equity in 2021.
·● Currently spending time mentoring young entrepreneurs and managing family investments.
Michael DeMassa
- Graduated from MIT and began my career as a Lab Technician at Robert Mondavi Winery in Napa.
- Moved to Sarasota with my wife in 2001.
- Founded Forza Wealth Management, an SEC Registered Investment Adviser, in 2015.
- Focused on financial planning and investment management for families with over $1 million in portfolio assets.
- Enjoys family time, local fun runs, and races.
- Founder, Forza Wealth Management an SEC Registered Investment Adviser (2015-present)
- Bachelor of Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), 1997
- CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ (CFP®), 2003
- Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA), 2006
- Accredited Estate Planner® (AEP®), 2024
- Senior Portfolio Manager, Northern Trust (2008–2015)
New Bridge Angel
- Growth focused go to market technology executive. Have led 5 different companies to successful exits including both acquisitions and IPO’s which resulted in over $5 Billion return to shareholders.
- Leader of sales teams that built and created category leadership with each exit.
- Ability to transform and impact results by leading a disciplined sales process which has resulted in extremely high year over year growth both in the enterprise and mid market.
- Developed young sales professionals as well as managers that have gone on to have great success in technology space.
- Named to The Top 100 Global Sales Leaders 2020 by The Modern Sale.
New Bridge Angel
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