PAUL BRUNSON – EMCEE, is an entrepreneur, TV host, and one of the world’s most successful matchmakers. A former investment banker and business executive with an MBA from Georgetown University, he is the first African American matchmaker, and founder of the PCB Agency, a leading matchmaking firm that has created over 100 marriages. His best-selling book entitled: It’s Complicated (But It Doesn’t Have to Be), was optioned this year by Sony Pictures to bring both his book and Paul’s personal story to the big screen. Paul also hosts the nationally syndicated TV show Our World with Black Enterprise and serves as a contributor to Good Morning America and Nightline.

RYAN WADDINGTON is a Partner at Arsenal Venture Partners and heads their Michigan office.  In 2010, he co-founded Huron River Ventures, a leading early-stage venture firm based in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Ryan has over 18 years of experience in investing, operating and consulting roles in energy, environmental and other sectors, and has led over $100 million worth of investments in more than 25 technology companies at seed, venture and growth equity stages, while at HRV, Ziff Brothers Investments, NextEnergy and DTE Energy.  Ryan’s current and former director/observer roles include Sidecar, Ambiq Micro, Root3 Technologies, PeachWorks, Covaron Advanced Materials, Varsity News Network, and Advent Solar (acquired by Applied Materials NASDAQ: AMAT).

ADRIAN FORTINO is a Partner at the Mercury Fund, where he leads the Midwest office in Ann Arbor, MI. Prior to joining Mercury, Adrian was the Managing Director of Detroit Innovate and First Step Fund. Prior to Detroit Innovate and the First Step Fund, Adrian co-founded three software companies: ShepherdIS, Sidecar and FlockTAG. Adrian serves on the investment committee of the First Step Fund in Detroit, MI. He also teaches a venture capital class at the University of Michigan College of Engineering and is the industry lead for the University of Michigan Law School Venture Capital Fellows Program. He also leads the Community Foundation of Southeast Michigan-sponsored Entrepreneur Gives social impact program.

DARNELL JACKSON is currently a Senior Vice President with Morgan Stanley Smith Barney and Managing Partner of the Jackson Group. Prior to joining Morgan Stanley Smith Barney in March of 2009, Darnell spent over 25 years with Merrill Lynch.  Darnell has served as a national media spokesperson and has been featured on radio, in print, and television. Darnell has a degree from the University of Michigan with a concentration in Economics. He also did post graduate studies at the University of Detroit and successfully completed the Wharton School of Business Executive Training Program.

BROOKE REID is a Managing Director at Morgan Stanley and has held positions on the Institutional as well as the Retail side of the business. She has served as Head of Business Development in the Private Banking Group in Wealth Management and prior to that, ran the Short-Term Credit Products Origination and Investor Marketing effort in Global Capital Markets, helping large corporations and financial institutions raise short-term capital. Earlier in her career, Brooke covered Latin American corporate clients in the Corporate Finance and Mergers & Acquisitions group. Brooke holds a BBA in International Business with a concentration in Finance from Howard University and an MBA from Harvard Business School.

CRAIG VAUGHAN has advised on over $6 billion in transactions, including the formation of Fox Mobile Television, the acquisition of the San Diego Padres, the sale of Double Encore to WPP, and the sale of Ebyline to Izea. Mr. Vaughan began his investment banking career with Goldman Sachs in the Communications, Media and Entertainment group in New York.  Before founding Vaughan Capital Advisors and VCAP Investment Group, Craig was a Senior Executive in Business Development at Creative Artists Agency (“CAA”), the world’s leading talent agency.  Prior to joining CAA, Craig held business development and strategy roles at 21th Century Fox and Sony Pictures, and prior to business school was an analyst in commercial lending and risk management at Bank of America.