We combine investment experience, business insight, and connections across regional, national, and global markets to support founders across Florida and beyond.
Our Team
Board Members
Kimberly Miele
Kim Miele has served as Executive Director of BRIDGE Angel Investors since 2022, leading significant growth and helping facilitate investments in 18 early-stage companies. Under her leadership, BRIDGE has grown its investor membership more than sixfold. She connects founders with investors by collaborating with venture capital firms, accelerators, universities, and economic development organizations.
Executive Director 
Peter Offringa
Peter Offringa is a board member, investor, and technology leader with extensive experience building large-scale software infrastructure for leading internet companies. He has held CTO and VP of Engineering roles at CBS Interactive, CNET, Comcast, Zoosk, and Boatsetter. He currently serves on the board of Sarasota Tech and advises several local startups.
Board Member/Investor
Rachel Wei West is a board member, investor, and technology executive with extensive experience leading digital transformation and data strategy. She is the co-founder of InfoAlliance LLC and has held leadership roles at Boatsetter, Dell Technologies, and EMC Consulting. Rachel is passionate about helping innovative companies grow through technology and strategic leadership.
Board Member/InvestorRachel Wei West
Paul Harder is a board member and investor with a track record of building and scaling successful businesses. As a CEO, owner, and founder, he led three companies to successful exits through acquisitions by Ford Motor Company, Cott Corporation, and a private equity firm. He now serves as advisor, mentor, and investor with startups and established companies.
Board Member/InvestorPaul Harder
Linda Jellison is a board member, investor, and engineering executive with more than 35 years of experience in scientific and technical fields. She is the founder, president, and CEO of LTC Engineering Associates and previously served as Executive Director of the ManTech Real Time Systems Laboratory. Linda also serves on private company boards.
Board Member/InvestorLinda Jellison
Chip Moll is a board member and investor with leadership experience in corporate development and industrial innovation. He serves as Vice President of Corporate Development at MTD Products, a global outdoor power equipment company founded in 1932. Chip brings experience from a company known for engineering expertise, advanced facilities, and award-winning products.
Board Member/InvestorChip Moll
Wendi Chapman is a board member, investor, attorney, and operations executive. She serves as Chair of Sarasota 01 TIGER 21 and previously served as Executive Director of BRIDGE Angel Investors. Wendi also serves as Director of Operations at the Brenn Foundation, Vice President of Admin/Finance and General Counsel for Omeza, LLC.
Wendi Chapman
Staff Members
Terry Cox, administrative professional and Deal Flow Coordinator at Bridge Angel Investors, brings extensive experience in government administration. She spent 25 years working with Maryland State Legislators and later served as Director of Scheduling for Governor Robert L. Ehrlich Jr.
Deal Flow CoordinatorTerry Cox
Kimberly Johnston is the Business Administrator at Bridge Angel Investors and a Sarasota local. She supports daily operations, member communications, events, and internal coordination while helping maintain an organized experience for members and founders across the Bridge community and its growing statewide network of partners.
Business AdministratorKimberly Johnston
Juan Davila is a Digital Marketing Specialist focused on business strategy, campaign development, and market positioning. He leads integrated marketing initiatives that align audience insight with business objectives to strengthen visibility and long-term growth. Raised in Miami, Juan graduated in Business from Ringling College of Art and Design in Sarasota, FL.
Digital Marketing SpecialistJuan Davila
Michael Preble is an investor and family office executive with experience across wealth management, private investment, and advisory services. He is Managing Member of Hestia Holdings, co-founded Lambay Irish Whiskey America, previously led Camargo Capital, and serves as a member of Bridge Angel Investors.
Due Diligence DirectorMichael Preble
Members
Jessica Archibald, investment strategy and data analytics specialist, is a General Partner and Investment Committee member at Top Tier Capital Partners, where she co-leads the Funds team. Previously, she invested at Care Capital LLC and worked at Salomon Smith Barney.
Jessica Archibald
Jeff Bray, real estate professional and owner of Oasis Group at LPT Realty in Sarasota, Florida, works across residential real estate. His experience includes residential sales and client representation with a background spanning first-time home purchases and higher-end properties throughout the Sarasota market.
Jeff Bray
Jeff Burkee, Senior Vice President at Gulfside Bank in Sarasota, is an experienced banking executive with a background in financial services and relationship management. His work centers on supporting clients and businesses while contributing to Gulfside Bank’s presence within the Sarasota community.
Jeff Burkee
Kumar Buvanendaran, entrepreneur and business leader, has spent 30 years building and transforming companies across architecture, engineering, technology, and business consulting. His work reflects a focus on business growth, operational performance, and building sustainable organizations designed to succeed across industries.
Kumar Buvanendaran
Will Ciroli, commercial real estate investor and former senior executive, spent 36 years at ExxonMobil and served as Global Technology Vice President. He founded Rent Siesta Now Vacation Rentals and exited in 2021. He also serves on the University of Florida Foundation Board.
Will Cirioli
Michael Corley is the founder of The Corley Company, established in 2010 to support CEOs and organizational leaders. A former President & COO and nonprofit Board Chair, he brings firsthand executive experience to advising leaders, facilitating critical initiatives, and supporting professional growth.
Michael Corley
Brea Dantin is a Retirement Plan Advisor at Shepherd Financial with more than 25 years of experience in retirement advisory services. A PLANADVISER Top 100 Retirement Plan Adviser, she works with plan committees and organizations to strengthen retirement programs and improve participant outcomes. LinkedIn
Brea Dantin
Martin Curran, retired senior executive and business leader, brings 42 years of experience growing businesses and commercializing new technologies. His background spans finance, manufacturing, product management, and general management. He has led multiple businesses and served as an Innovation Officer.
Martin Curran
Ben Curren, entrepreneur and product leader, specializes in building technology businesses, products, and engineering teams. He founded Green Bits and previously founded Outright.com, where he served as CTO. His experience spans product development, technical leadership, business growth, and building agile engineering organizations.
Ben Curren
Patrick Del Medico, Executive Partner and COO for Shepherd Insurance’s Florida Region, brings over 30 years of experience in sales, marketing, product development, and executive leadership. His background includes strategic business planning for Fortune 500 companies, startups, family-owned businesses, and organizations across national and international markets.
Patrick Del Medico
Michael DeMassa is the founder of Forza Wealth Management and an experienced financial planning and investment management professional. A graduate of MIT, he holds the CFP®, CFA, and AEP® designations and previously served as Senior Portfolio Manager at Northern Trust before founding Forza in 2015.
Michael DeMassa
William Dolan is an experienced fintech CEO and investor with a strong record of building and transforming financial services businesses. He serves as President of TAPP Engine and previously served as CEO of FinanceWare, following senior leadership roles at Fidelity Investments and Knight Securities.
William Dolan
Sean Dotson is CEO of Elite Robotics & Automation and a robotics executive with nearly 30 years of experience leading engineering-driven businesses. He founded and scaled RND Automation to more than $25M before a successful private equity exit. He now advises and invests in robotics and industrial technology companies.
Sean Dotson
Nabil Elsheshai, is a technology-focused equity investor with more than two decades of experience across growth, value, and core strategies. He co-leads Thrivent’s small-cap growth fund and previously co-led technology research at William Blair. His background includes research roles and operating experience at Teradata, Oracle, and Informatica.
Nabil Eisheshai
William Foster is an active investor with experience across public markets, private companies, and commercial real estate. Formerly Senior VP of Investments at Wells Fargo Securities, he now operates four real estate LLCs investing in Ohio and Florida and currently serves as board chair, managing member, and advisor.
William Foster
Tricia Fulton is a global manufacturing finance leader and former public company CFO with 17 years of executive leadership experience. She specializes in strategy, M&A, operations, financing, SEC reporting, investor relations, risk management, and governance, while serving as a trusted advisor to boards and C-suite leaders.
Tricia Fulton
Paul Galioto is an entrepreneur and financial advisor who founded Wise Old Man Business Consultants, advising privately owned companies on strategic growth and acquisitions. He previously founded Zeller Electric, recognized on the Inc. 500, and co-founded PortoVino. He has served on boards including Trek and two American Red Cross chapters.
Paul Galioto
Weston Ginn is an independent investor with GinnTech Capital focused on early-stage technology opportunities. He has over a decade of experience managing personal capital and made early investments in Tesla, Ethereum, and Chainlink. Today, he invests in AI infrastructure, applications, and decentralized technologies across markets.
Weston Ginn
Allison Gregory is Principal of Madrian Capital and Program Manager at Suncoast Venture Studio. With nearly 30 years in technology and entrepreneurship, she has led digital initiatives for major brands. She is also a certified Pilates instructor and serves on the Ringling Museum Foundation Board.
Allison Gregory
Justin Hertz is a Sarasota native and entrepreneur who co-founded Liquid Bottles LLC, where he serves as an owner and operator. He is also an investor in Loaded Cannon Distillery in Lakewood Ranch, reflecting his continued involvement in locally rooted businesses and entrepreneurial ventures across Sarasota.
Justin Hertz
Melanie Hudson is a former Chief Commercial Officer of Lexmark with more than 25 years of technology leadership. She led commercial operations for the $2B+ company across sales, marketing and customer services. Her executive experience spans North America, Europe, the Middle East and Asia Pacific.
Melanie Hudson
Allen Johnson is a founding partner of the Adi Dassler Family Office and serves as Director of Wealth Management and Investment Advisor Representative at Appolon Wealth. He is a charter member of NBAI and previously served as a member and sponsor of Atlanta Technology Angels.
Allen Johnson
James Keefe is co-founder of Bequest Asset Management, a Sarasota-based private credit firm. With 25+ years across biotechnology, investment management, academia, and entertainment, he has invested in companies from startup through exit. Having visited 92 countries, he focuses on early-stage investments and emerging innovations.
James Keefe
Gigi Kuster is a Sarasota-based Coldwell Banker Global Luxury Specialist with nearly 25 years of local experience. Born and raised in France, she combines business and art history training with deep market knowledge, helping buyers and sellers find homes that fit their lifestyle and goals.
Gigi Kuster
David Leland is a technology entrepreneur and innovator focused on building solutions that improve efficiency, compliance, and safety. A two-time founder, he has launched, grown, and successfully exited two technology startups by identifying overlooked business needs and turning them into scalable operational solutions.
Dave Leland
Winnie Lee is a board-certified surgeon at Sarasota Surgical Arts with extensive experience in general and cardiothoracic surgery. A former Chief of Thoracic Surgery, she later expanded into cosmetic surgery, combining decades of surgical expertise with a focus on aesthetics and patient wellness.
Winnie Lee
Hugh MacArthur is a senior partner and chairman of Bain’s Global Private Equity Practice, which he helped found over 30 years ago. He has advised funds worldwide on deals, strategy, operations, and organization, and created Bain’s annual Private Equity Report and hosts Dry Powder podcast.
Hugh MacArthur
David Moll is Managing Director of InField Capital, an early-stage venture capital firm investing in clean technologies for the transportation industry, with a focus on future powertrain technologies. His background also includes business development leadership at DataPlay and previous national account management experience at MatchLogic.
David Moll
Anand Pallegar is an entrepreneur and civic leader working across community, media, and technology. He founded Atlas Networks, ATLARGE, and DreamLarge, leads Sarasota Magazine as CEO, and chairs Gulf Coast Community Foundation. His work spans brand strategy, civic innovation, public spaces, storytelling, and digital transformation.
Anand Pallegar
Niall Phelan is a consumer goods executive and entrepreneur with leadership experience at Red Bull, Nestlé, Molson Coors, and BrewDog. He founded Rye River Brewing, later focusing on startups, business turnaround, and growth consulting, while also building a property portfolio and co-developing the Oasis Group.
Niall Phelan
Mark Powell is a strategic advisor, entrepreneur, and investor with experience across drone infrastructure, government services, and business growth. He advises HoverSafe, founded veteran-owned The Resolute Team, and invests through Bridge Angel Investors, helping organizations address operational challenges, secure investment, and scale sustainably with discipline.
Mark Powell
Travis Priest is a serial entrepreneur, company builder, and early-stage investor with experience across startups and FinTech. He founded URLabs and Sundrop Mobile, both acquired, holds three FinTech patents, and now leads Suncoast Venture Studio, building and launching companies while actively supporting Sarasota’s startup ecosystem.
Travis Priest
Chuck Ripepi is a seasoned executive and board member at Garland Industries, where he has spent 38 years helping guide the company’s growth. A former CPA and longtime CFO, he contributed to Garland’s expansion into a $2 billion enterprise and a leading employee-owned organization nationwide.
Chuck Ripepi
CJ Ripepi is an entrepreneur focused on applied AI, software systems, and business strategy. His interests center on how technology, operations, and product decisions work together, with particular emphasis on practical applications of emerging tools that solve real problems and create meaningful business value today.
CJ Ripepi
Alexander Ronzino is a multi-entity founder and executive with two exits and experience across private equity, real estate, healthcare, and technology. He co-founded Rework Capital, where he invests and advises companies on finance and capital strategy. He holds an MBA and Six Sigma Black Belt.
Alexander Ronzino
Brian Serino is a growth-focused technology executive with a track record of leading five companies to successful acquisitions and IPOs, generating more than $5 billion in shareholder returns. He has built category-leading sales teams, driven high-growth go-to-market strategies, and developed successful sales leaders across the technology sector.
Brian Serino
Elizabeth Stamoulis is an intellectual property and corporate attorney advising businesses and individuals on copyright, trademarks, trade secrets, contracts and transactions. A Stanford Law graduate and former Global 100 law firm attorney, she also counsels clients on internet law, licensing, mergers, acquisitions and joint ventures.
Elizabeth Stamoulis
Peter Teuber is a pharmaceutical executive and founder of Orphan Therapeutics, with decades of experience at companies including Hoffmann-La Roche and The Medicines Company. He has led specialty drug development programs, including terlipressin, and now invests in life science and technology companies.
Peter Teuber
Peter Turnbull is an information technology executive with extensive experience selling solutions to the U.S. federal government. His expertise includes federal acquisitions, data center consolidation, network architecture, and Ethernet fabrics, supported by a strong background in strategic account management, and competitive analysis.
Peter Turnbull
Curt Ware is a Sarasota real estate agent, investor, and developer with more than 12 years of experience in the local market. He founded The Ware Group, drawing on a background in entrepreneurship, marketing, and sales. He also supports charities and is motivated by causes that help others.
Curt Ware
Trace Woodbury is CEO and President of Universal Edge Technologies, where he leads the launch of next-generation edge computing infrastructure. He also co-founded RidgeIT Cyber, building it into a global cybersecurity integrator, and brings over 25 years of experience commercializing emerging technologies and scaling startups.
Trace Woodbury
Aaron Weikle is a technology executive and former CEO of Mountain State Software Solutions with extensive experience in enterprise software architecture. He has led complex technology projects for Fortune 100 companies and federal agencies including NASA, the Department of State, Department of Defense, and FAA.
Aaron Weikle
Rob Weiss is a wealth manager and financial planner with more than 20 years of experience advising individuals, families, and businesses across the U.S. He previously spent over two decades in institutional bond markets and remains active in community service, with a focus on mentoring young people.
Rob Weiss
Houry Youssoufian is a finance and accounting executive with more than 25 years of experience. She has led finance functions for life sciences and medical device companies after beginning her career as a biology researcher. Her expertise spans strategy, reporting, systems and operations.
Houry Youssoufian
Todd Zimmerman
Todd Zimmerman is a former owner and CEO with a strong record of growing manufacturing businesses. He successfully negotiated and completed a private equity exit in 2021. Today, he focuses on mentoring young entrepreneurs and managing family investments while drawing on decades of executive leadership experience.