About KnowledgeVision
Board of Directors
Ed Belove, Partner, Walnut Venture Associates
Ed has been an active angel investor since 1992 and has worked as a technology and business development consultant for various greenhouse and start-up companies, including Idealab and Interval Research. He has held a series of executive positions in technology and product development for Ziff Davis Interactive (responsible for Interchange Online Service), Lotus Development (Agenda, Improv, Magellan, multimedia products, etc.), Microcom (email software, intelligent modems, MNP protocol) and Data General Corporation (operating systems, networking and systems architecture). Ed has a AB in Applied Mathematics from Harvard.
Michael Kolowich, Founder and Chief Executive Officer
Michael is a pioneer in connecting people and technology. A former Lotus, Ziff-Davis and AT&T executive who was a prominent architect in the internet content revolution, he is a nationally recognized business strategist, technology executive, and Emmy-winning creative talent with WGBH-TV. Michael is a graduate of Harvard College and Harvard Business School. An avid pilot, Michael has served on the Board of Directors of Piper Aircraft and AmSafe Global Holdings, and is a Trustee of Boston's Museum of Science and of the Massachusetts Technology Leadership Council.
Charles R. Lax, Founder and Managing General Partner, GrandBanks Capital
Charley is a Co-Founder and Managing General Partner of GrandBanks Capital, focusing on investments in Internet infrastructure, software and software services, security and storage applications, mobile media, financial technologies and services, and wireless technologies and services. Charley's investment career includes investments in 43 portfolio companies, which have resulted in 33 exits thus far. His track record includes 15 companies that went public, of which 10 achieved market caps in excess of $1 billion. The combined value of exits during Charley’s venture career has been over $6.1 billion which includes the $4.3 billion purchase of GeoCities by Yahoo!. Charley was recently named one of the top 50 venture capitalists on the east coast by AlwaysOn. Charley currently serves on the boards of a number of GBC companies, including; Ember Corporation, KnowledgeVision, OutStart, SilverRail Technologies,GlassHouse Technologies, First Coverage, SendMe Mobile, VillageVines and Vela Systems.
Jeffrey P. Parker, Partner, GrandBanks Capital
Jeff has an extensive history of success as an entrepreneur, CEO and investor in financial services companies over the past 20 years. Jeff has been involved with over twenty investment transactions, companies he has either created, bought or sold with a combined value of over half a billion dollars. He brings an operating perspective to the companies in which he invests, as well as a wealth of financial expertise and an extended network of domestic and international business contacts. Jeff currently represents GrandBanks Capital on the board of directors of KnowledgeVision and as Chairman of the board of directors for First Coverage. He was named 2003 New England Entrepreneur of the Year by Ernst & Young in the Financial Services category. Jeff currently serves as an advisor to MedPanel of Boston and is a member of the board of directors of Mainstream Data and Firmex. In October 2010, Jeff was named to Inside Market Data's Hall of Fame.
Ken Strachan, General Counsel, Next Generation Vending, LLC
Ken Strachan has been an independent member of the KnowledgeVision Board of Directors since May 2010. Ken is a business lawyer and executive with extensive experience in corporate law, mergers and acquisitions, and venture and commercial finance. He currently serves as the General Counsel of Next Generation Vending, LLC, a private equity sponsored company involved in the roll up of vending industry throughout the Northeast. Previously, Ken practiced in the Corporate Department in the Boston office of Hale and Dorr LLP (now WilmerHale). Ken holds a Juris Doctor from University of Virginia School of Law and a Bachelors of Science in Foreign Service from the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University. Ken serves on the board of directors of a foundation focused on providing micro-grants to entrepreneurial social and educational programs in Central America.