University of Southern California

UC Irvine

Venture Capital/Private Equity  -  Investor  -  Advisor

Portland, Oregon, United States

CREDO INVESTMENTS, LLC is focused on making growth capital investments in small to medium sized businesses in select industries, with a particular focus on Oregon-based companies.  We seek out founders and management teams with vision, drive and a game-changing business plan that requires additional outside investment in personnel, marketing/sales, equipment, inventory, etc. to achieve targeted results.  We like to think we are different because of our team's willingness to tackle challenging financing issues with a creativity and thoroughness that comes from years of solving strategic and financial problems for ourselves and a long list of clients.     Our investment can typically be a more flexible alternative to traditional institutionally-oriented private capital, as we offer equity, debt and bridge financing capabilities.  We can provide equity capital as part of a current funding round or can structure a financing  tailored specifically to a short term need.  We like to take an active role with management in refining the business plan and the investment need, we can serve as an ongoing member of the company's advisory board and through our affiliate, CREDO ADVISORS LLC, we help management teams develop their growth and financing strategy and arrange other forms of capital.  We also have a deep network of partners who will invest alongside us and can offer complementary expertise and skill sets.In addition to providing capital, our founding partners offer CEO, corporate development and corporate finance experience, successful entrepreneurial track records and broad expertise in capital raising and negotiating complex business transactions.  We can work with management teams in structuring and negotiating financing agreements, follow on funding arrangements, joint ventures, mergers, acquisitions and outside investments and other critical strategic and financial transactions.

CREDO INVESTMENTS, LLC

Founding Partner

Based in Bend, OR, FoundersPad is a venture capital fund and early-stage startup mentorship program working with the best and brightest entrepreneurs. FoundersPad delivers extensive support for our portfolio companies by matching them with a carefully curated team of expert mentors who are committed and incentivized to help them succeed. With FoundersPad you have deep access to highly qualified resources at a critical stage in your company’s life without using having to burn through precious cash.We partner with companies and their founding teams much earlier in their maturation process when most other venture funds consider an investment as “too early” for them. We utilize a deep mentoring approach that spends substantial one-on-one time strategically focusing on taking your from Initial Product Release (IPR) to Minimum Viable Repeatability (MVR). We thrive at working with companies that may have an incomplete team or systems, an immature revenue plan or struggle with a product/market fit and have the confidence and resources to help your company build a sustainable high growth business.  We are extremely selective in our investments and mentorship because we commit a considerable amount of our most precious asset: our time. For many who are successful in the mentorship program, FoundersPad will invest capital and help with future fundraising efforts. We have an extensive network to help navigate this exciting growth stage. FoundersPad has both the expertise and capital to help you succeed.

FoundersPad

Investment Committee, FoundersPad Fund

<a href="http://societynine.com">societynine.com</a>

Society Nine

Advisory Board Member

<a href="http://gardenbarpdx.com">gardenbarpdx.com</a>

Garden Bar Salad Co.

<a href="http://providorefinefoods.com">providorefinefoods.com</a>

Providore Fine Foods

<a href="http://homeschoolouterwear.com">homeschoolouterwear.com</a>

Homeschool Snowboarding

CREDO ADVISORS, LLC provides advisory and consulting services to growing early stage companies seeking assistance with developing and executing a financing strategy.  Our clients come from a variety of industries but have three things in common... a passionate, committed and visionary founder/CEO, a management team driven to succeed and a demonstrated product/market fit.  We often work in conjunction with CREDO INVESTMENTS LLC and SEVEN PEAKS VENTURES in situations where there is a capital need that fits within the investment focus of one of those firms.

CREDO ADVISORS, LLC

Owner

<a href="http://greenzebragrocery.com">greenzebragrocery.com</a>

Green Zebra Grocery

SEVEN PEAKS VENTURES is an early stage venture capital firm based in Bend, Oregon.  SEVEN PEAKS invests in passionate entrepreneurs who are building scalable businesses by disrupting large markets with innovative solutions in the data driven enterprise, digital health technologies, consumer software and cloud-based solutions. The SEVEN PEAKS investing team collaborates with the firm's Venture and Industry Partners to offer highly relevant mentoring and advice as well as deep operational expertise and a network of resources in Silicon Valley and beyond.  While the firm is Oregon-focused, SEVEN PEAKS will invest in stellar companies led by determined and driven entrepreneurs located throughout the US.

SEVEN PEAKS VENTURES

Venture Partner

<a href="http://simbaware.com">simbaware.com</a>

SIMBAWARE Inc.

Opportunity Knocks helps small businesses learn, stretch and grow by providing business leaders with the tools to think strategically, solve problems and achieve <a href="http://goals.http://opp-knocks.org/">goals.http://opp-knocks.org/</a>

Opportunity Knocks

Board Member and Facilitator

Greater Portland Inc

Board Member

Senior banker responsible for managing, mentoring and developing a team of bankers as well as directly managing client relationships with a variety of middle market companies primarily based in Oregon and Washington.  Client size ranged from $25 million to $2+ billion in sales, with a particular focus on publicly-held companies and some of the Group's most complex, credit intensive and demanding customer relationships.  Managed relationship teams and product specialists, teaming with a variety of Bank professionals to serve existing customer needs, expand client relationships and secure new business.  Particular focus on capital markets and investment banking transactions, working with industry focused specialist bankers, resulting in a demonstrated track record of significant closed investment banking and capital markets transactions, including capital raising, M&A and other financial advisory wins.

Wells Fargo Bank

Senior Vice President and Group Lead, Commercial Banking Group

Established Portland, OR-based investment baking operation for full service San Francisco-headquartered broker dealer (First Security Van Kasper) later acquired by Wells Fargo.  Responsibilities included recruiting, hiring and managing professional staff, business line planning and reporting, marketing and business development, leadership of transaction teams and execution of investment banking transactions.Successfully completed co-managed public equity offerings, capital raises, M&A Assignments and other client mandates involving public and private Pacific Northwest-based clients as well as mid-sized technology companies headquartered throughout the US.

Senior Vice President - Investment Banking

Key member of senior executive team for $100+ million revenue, privately owned, marine and industrial repair company, employing over 1000 people and serving a global customer base.  Hired into newly created position reporting directly to CEO and principal shareholder to complete a series of financing and corporate development transactions and assist with strategic planning and business analysis.  Evaluated and negotiated joint ventures and acquisitions, directly responsible for development of new business analysis and financial reporting tools and key participant with other senior executives in high level customer marketing involving multimillion dollar projects.

Cascade General, Inc.

Executive Vice President/Director of Corporate Development

Established and managed Investment Banking Department for research/institutional sales oriented broker dealer.  Responsible for entire operation of department, including recruiting, hiring and managing professional staff, business line planning and reporting, marketing and business development, leadership of transaction teams and execution of investment banking transactions.  Successfully completed co-managed public equity offerings (including IPOs), private equity placements, M&A assignments, debt restructure advisory and related assignments involving public and private Pacific Northwest-based companies.

Jensen Securities Co.

Director of Investment Banking

Initiated and developed new business line for boutique investment firm that was focused on providing fee-based financial advisory services to Pacific Northwest-based, privately owned middle market companies.  Services provided included M&A advisory, private debt and equity placements and related financial advisory work.  Responsible for all facets of operation including initial business plan formulation, marketing and new business development, supervision of project teams and execution of corporate finance assignments.

Nova Northwest Partners

Corporate Finance Partner

- 1991-1992) Senior investment banker responsible for establishing and managing business development effort focused on key target clients in the media, telecommunications, entertainment, sports and leisure time industries.  Efforts focused on a variety of investment banking transactions including M&A, debt restructuring advisory, capital raising, complex derivative structures, private equity and merchant banking transactions.  Created new business initiative to provide acquisition and financial advisory services to professional sports franchise and facility owners.(1984-1991) Responsible for originating and executing debt and mezzanine financing opportunities in connection with complex financial transactions including leveraged buyouts and financial restructurings.  Transaction experience included agented leveraged financings, direct equity investments, cross border financings and acquisitions and financial derivative structures.  Client base ranged from start ups to Fortune 500 companies as well as as LBO sponsors and their portfolio companies.

Bankers Trust Company/BT Securities Corp.

Vice President, Client Coverage Group, Corporate Finance Department

Part of a team of bankers involved in managing relationships with corporate clients in the entertainment, lodging, gaming and leisure time industries.

Jim Bednark

Jim Bednark