Columbia University - Columbia Business School

Columbia  -  SIPA

Columbia University in the City of New York

The Taft School

Executive  -  Board Member  -  Private Equity Investor  -  Innovator

Washington, District of Columbia, United States

Sunamp

Chairman

Publishing articles about the nexus of manufacturing innovation, finance, and operations.

Forbes

Contributor

The Center for Innovation Commercialization LLC., "CICL", works with Fortune 500 Companies, global telecoms, integrators, technology consulting firms, in identifying, and introducing specifically targeted very innovative technology solutions that solve problems, extend the capabilities of existing capabilities and help companies enter new markets, generate new revenues and margin.

CICL has carefully curated an Innovation Bank of 300 cutting edge innovative capabilities. CICL identifies and vets a continuous stream of disruptive and innovative technologies (15-20 per week) enabling better engagement with customers, satisfy priorities, help freshen existing products, enter new markets, protect, grow market shares, without incurring substantially higher R&D costs.

CICL - The Center For Innovation Commercialization LLC

Advisory Board Member

The Committee was established by the SEC Small Business Advocate Act of 2016, and is designed to provide a formal mechanism for the Commission to receive advice and recommendations on Commission rules, regulations and policy matters relating to small businesses, including smaller public companies.

U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission

Small Business Capital Formation Advisory Committee Member

Founded in 2001, Alta Max, LLC provides a wide range of services, specialty packaging products and security seals, primarily for the aerospace / defense, munitions and pyrotechnics industries.  The company also provides a wide range of industrial supplies and other products to the utilities, oil and gas, agribusiness, transportation, and consumer products sectors. Alta Max is a certified Hubzone and Service Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB). Clients include the US Department of Defense, Tier 1 defense prime contractors and Fortune 500 companies.

Oversee business development, accounting, quality control, DOD /SBA compliance and manufacturing.
-  Successfully restructured manufacturing division and facilities, increasing productivity by 15%.
-  Leading efforts to adopt new technologies and systems and expand operations and sales throughout the Gulf States.
-  Expanded strategic relationships with key aerospace / defense prime contractors, resulting in Alta Max being designated as a “Preferred Supplier.”

Alta Max Llc

President

The Frontier Conference / New Frontier Innovation, Inc. (“NFI”) is focused on supporting industrial emerging technology companies, through investment or strategic support, from concept/intellectual property stage to commercialization for industrial sectors,  including energy, utilities, manufacturing, aerospace, transportation, and renewables.

-  Oversee strategic efforts to develop an eco-system to foster increased technology-driven economic development and investment in emerging industrial technology companies.
-  Conceived and organized The Frontier Conference (<a href="http://www.thefrontier.co">www.thefrontier.co</a>), an annual innovation in industrials conference focused on fostering increased collaboration and dialogue across industrials sub-sectors and eco-system stakeholders, including major industrial companies, venture capital investors, universities, research parks and emerging technology companies.
-  Over 300 executives from the energy, water management, renewables, transportation, manufacturing, utilities and education/commercialization sectors attended since the first conference in 2017.

The Frontier Conference

Founder

Software company that uses artificial intelligence (AI) to make it easy for average business users to do advanced reporting and analytics without learning any new skills.

Quarrio

Georgetown Entrepreneurship Initiative encourages entrepreneurial thinking and activity, conveys valuable lessons learned from current and past entrepreneurial people and organizations, and establishes new ventures.

Georgetown University's McDonough School of Business

Entrepreneur-in-Residence (EIR)

Based in Kansas City, SEV was one of the first manufacturers of zero emissions commercial vehicles (Class 5 & 6) in the United States. Over 800 of SEV’s Newton truck have been sold to large fleet operators, including FedEx, Frito-Lay, Coca Cola, Staples, and the DOD.
-  Provided management and strategic leadership for Potomac’s investments in energy/renewables and emerging technology companies. Potomac and its LPs are the majority stakeholder of SEV.
-  Oversaw operations and led restructuring efforts for SEV. Developed and executed reorganization plan to reduce debt and re-position Smith for roll up of companies in the commercial electric vehicle sector.

Potomac Energy Fund, L.P

Operating Partner / Interim Chief Executive Officer of Smith Electric Vehicles, Inc. (SEV)

Founded in 2015, we are a limited liability company located in Covington, LA, and are focused on technology that improves efficiency and provides cost savings within the oil and natural gas industry.  The company develops and manufactures non-intrusive products that reduce methane emissions into the atmosphere from gas pipelines.

Louisiana Technical Instruments

ENERGYx, a joint program with the Southeast Louisiana Energy Initiative and The Idea Village, is a 12-week accelerator program for a cohort of 3-5 early stage, Louisiana-based, companies operating in the oil and gas industry.  

ENERGYx seeks to identify and support disruptive technologies in the energy sector.  Our cohort members are key examples of the necessary innovation that will dynamically enhance the industrials and energy.

The ENERGYx is keenly focused on "enabling"​ its participant companies and supporting them through access to top energy sector companies, executives and investors. Moreover, given the Louisiana's longstanding role as a leader in the industrials sector, ENERGYx is committed to building out the early stage eco-system for companies in the oil and gas, power generation / transmission, clean energy and other related sectors. 

ENERGYx's key goals are as follows:
1) Focusing on the build out of Gulf Coast and Louisiana’s energy infrastructure to optimally support the sector’s participants and other industrials;

2) Focusing on technology transfer / job creation for Louisiana through support of small / medium-sized companies;

3) Sourcing and developing new ideas and technologies that can have a real impact on the energy sector, whether financially or operationally (e.g. safety);

4) The commitment to empower new, future leaders in our sector and region; and 

5) The creation of our own “new idea” screener / conduit for energy companies, as most operators don’t have the time or resources to evaluate every new concept or idea and support burgeoning entrepreneurs.

The Idea Village

Entrepreneur-in-Residence / ENERGYx Accelerator

VL Group is a premier technology and services provider for music streaming, and digital media applications. The companies proprietary technology significantly enhances end-user experience and ROI for customers.

- Appointed by largest investor.
- Sourced interim CEO to execute repositioning of the business.
- Established five-member board of directors and corporate objectives for new board members.

VL Group

Board Member

IDEAx is a 12-week accelerator program for up to 10 New Orleans founders focused on creating scalable and fundable businesses. Central to the program is a curated network of business experts available to participating founders. Press release here:
<a href="http://www.nola.com/business/index.ssf/2014/08/idea_village_names_the_chief_e.html#incart_related_stories">http://www.nola.com/business/index.ssf/2014/08/idea_village_names_the_chief_e.html#incart_related_stories</a>

With management team, executed successful acquisition and turnaround of passenger / cargo airline in a very difficult economic environment. Clients include professional sports teams and corporate clients. Revenues +$40MM. 

- Led acquisition and restructuring of distressed asset in aviation sector. 

- Served as Chairman of Swift Air and oversaw operations and expansion strategy for 100 person staff from 2011 to 2013. 

- Swift Air was successfully restructured and sold in 2013.

Swift Air

Chairman & Majority Shareholder

Midas Medici is a green IT company that supplies mid-sized and select enterprises and institutions with leading-edge IT solutions in the fields of virtualization, cloud computing and data management, as well as working with utilities and other institutions to transform the electric grid through digital technologies.

- Led merger process between StraTech (fka Consonus) / Midas Medici, which resulted in US public listing.

- Advised and managed Special Committee which facilitated $52MM sale of StraTech (fka Consonus) to Oakhill Partners in 2011, allowing Midas Medici to restructure balance sheet and distribute special dividend to shareholders.

- Oversaw CFO’s completion of SEC filings and investors documentation from 2010 - 2012.

- Assisted in acquisition and corporate development of CIMCORP. CIMCORP specializes in data center services with an emphasis on complex solutions that enable Brazilian companies to virtualize and implement cloud-based systems.
- Board Committee Memberships:
- Merger Special Committee Chair (2010 -2012)
- Asset Sale Special Committee Chair  (2010)
- Audit Committee (2010 - 2013)
- Compensation Committee Member (2010-2013)

Midas Medici Group Holdings, Inc. (OTCBB: MMED)

Board Director

Celeritas Management is a portfolio management company that provides financial and operational resources to sports, entertainment, and lifestyle businesses to produce growth and profitability.  The company is focused on making synergistic acquisitions and leveraging its access and affiliation to its financial sponsor, Palladium Equity.

- Member of active board the developed corporate strategy for company, which owned and operated ANC Sports Enterprises, LLC and related media assets.

- Supported CFO in due diligence of proposed acquisitions.

Celeritas Management

Advisory Board

School website:
<a href="http://www.taftschool.org">http://www.taftschool.org</a>

Trustee

Hank L. Torbert served as a Managing Director of Avondale Ventures, LLC. He led investment selection and analysis, transaction structuring, investor relations and portfolio management and monitoring.  Mr. Torbert sourced, structured and invested or founded six small / middle market companies since 2006.

- Supervised and structured investment selection and analysis, transaction structuring, investor relations, and portfolio management and monitoring.  

- Evaluated investment opportunities and advised a variety of business enterprises throughout the Northeast and mid-Atlantic states, Ohio, North and South Carolina, Florida, Texas, and California.

Avondale Ventures, LLC

Managing Partner and Founder

As a founding director and investor in 2005, Mr. Torbert has played an integral role in the launch, strategic direction and IPO of Mood Media, (fka Fluid Music Canada). Mr. Torbert served as the Audit Committee Chair and monitored the financial management on behalf of the board. In addition, he worked with management to acquire Trusonic, a La Jolla, California-based music services business. This acquisition enhanced Mood Media's growth story and positioned the company for its 2008 initial public offering on the Toronto Stock Exchange ("TSX").

- Founding Board member and Investor. 

- Led strategic initiatives to expand company from inception.

- Oversaw CFO and all financial management and processes 

- Led acquisition of Trusonic, Inc. and AudioLunchbox, in-store music services company, which enabled Mood Media to list on TSX.

- Advised and supported management team with US and Canadian IPO processes, resulting in a $100MM IPO valuation and liquidity for investors.

- Board Committee Memberships:
- Special Committee Chair for acquisition of Trusonic and Initial Public Offering (2007 – 2008)
- Audit Committee Chair (2005 -2008)

Mood Media (TSX: MM)

Broadcast Capital was founded in the late 1980s as a joint partnership between CBS, NBC and ABC and the National Association of Broadcasters to invest in and support diversity efforts in television and radio broadcasting sectors. The company was founded as a Small Business Investment Company ("SBIC"). 

-   Mr. Torbert managed the firm’s operations and managed and monitored three portfolio companies in broadcasting industry.  Sourced and structured media and telecommunications transactions for investment consideration.  Cultivated investor relationships with fund of funds and state and corporate pension funds. In addition, managed firm’s SBIC compliance and all other administrative matters. 

-   Managed and oversaw firm’s prior investments in On Top Communications, Stop 26 Riverbend and Latin Entertainment Network.

-   Managed portfolio investment in Hispanic radio network and station group owner.  Developed roll up strategy to position the company as ninth largest Hispanic focused operator in the United States through joint ventures with Latin American content providers and acquisition of three other Hispanic focused radio groups.

-   Expanded firm’s nexus and focus to encompass telecommunications, digital media, and content/programming, outdoor advertising and publishing.

-   Lobbied on behalf of small and medium sized broadcasters for access to capital and for “Digital Must Carry” legislation, which was passed in 2007.

Broadcast Capital, Inc.

COO and EVP

- Vice President, Financial Sponsor Group Middle Market Banking

Co-developed Capital Development Group with Managing Director to focus on sourcing and financing private equity investment opportunities for financial sponsors investing in the middle market and to provide additional strategic advisory services to middle market banking clients across US markets.  Focused on a diverse range of sectors, including media, healthcare, and consumer products and telecommunications companies.

-  Managed client focused execution team, including junior vice president, associate and analysts.
-  Provided capital markets execution and business development expertise to JPMorgan middle market banking clients seeking private equity – including, equity, mezzanine, and debt financings.
-  Developed network of small and middle market deal capital sources across United States.
-   Closed three transactions, including advising private equity client on restructuring and $11MM capital infusion into telecommunications equipment company.


-     Senior Associate, Equity Capital Markets Group
-  Co-developed media equity capital markets franchise with Senior Managing Director and Vice President.  Built strong working relationships with salespeople, traders, research analysts with across several media and telecommunication industries; strategic planning and networking with managers specifically.  
-  Completed over $100 billion of transactions in cable, broadcasting, marketing services telecommunications and financial institutions business sectors.  
-  Developed equity markets and execution expertise in the media and telecom sector. 

-     Associate, Real Estate Investment Banking Group
-  Performed comprehensive mergers and acquisitions analysis for real estate clients, including REITs and multinational developers.

Hank Torbert