SURF PARK FINANCE PANEL
Surf Park Summit 2 Finance Panel (Teaser Version)
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PRESENTATION SUMMARY
Teaser version of the Surf Park Finance Panel at Surf Park Summit 2 on September 7, 2016. The Finance Panel was moderated by Robert Reynolds. Robert is currently Director of Consumer Sports Investment Banking at Park Lane, a leading investment bank to the professional and retail sports industries, and is Co-Founder of Surf Park Solutions. He has a 15+ year career in a variety of finance roles and has significant operational experience including as past President of Dunlop Sports Group. Also featured on the Finance Panel were Thomas Rudy, Jamie Meiselman, Chris Martin and Michael Navarro.
PANELIST BIO #1
Robert Reynolds is currently Director of Consumer Sports Investment Banking at Park Lane, a leading investment bank to the professional and retail sports industries, and is Co-Founder of Surf Park Solutions. He has a 15+ year career in a variety of finance roles and has significant operational experience including as past President of Dunlop Sports Group.
ABOUT PARK LANE
Park Lane is an investment bank founded to provide sports finance advisory services to a variety of clients in the sports industry. Our bankers supply mergers and acquisitions advisory, corporate finance, consulting, financial advisory, and restructuring to sports leagues, teams, investors, and sports-related businesses. We combine in-depth financial expertise with unparalleled access for our clients. From independent leagues to major sports leagues, from start-up companies to large sports corporations, Park Lane is a trusted sports investment bank.
ABOUT SURF PARK SOLUTIONS
Surf Park Solutions was founded on the belief that surfing is the most aspirational sport in the world and any community with access to quality surfing experiences makes them a better place to live. We are an active group in the Surf Park and entertainment space that participate in the development of surf park venues and man-made surf destinations worldwide. We bring a deep level of expertise and experience in the conceptualization, planning, design, finance, development and operation of global surf parks and surfing destinations.
PANELIST BIO #2
Michael Navarro, President of Navarro Retail Group, has nearly 30 years of experience specifically representing national retailers and Property owners throughout California. He is recognized as one of the leading Retail Brokers in the State. Michael started his brokerage career at Grubb & Ellis in Newport Beach, now named Newmark Grubb Knight Frank. He quickly rose in the ranks and achieved a Senior Vice President status. Some of his achievement include: Rookie of the Year, Top Retail Broker in the Nation and Co-founder of the Retail Tenant Services Group for Grubb & Ellis. Michael also led the Newport office of 50 brokers in “Most Transactions” several times.
After 11 years, Michael started Radius Retail Advisors, a boutique Retail Brokerage firm, which he later sold to Insignia/ESG. Insignia was the 4th largest Property and Asset Management/brokerage companies at the time. At Radius, Michael brought Best Buy to Southern California and executed 21 locations within 3 years. When Insignia merged with CBRE, Michael formed his current company, Navarro Retail Group, Inc. For 14 years, Michael has focused on Major Tenant Transactions on the buy and lease side. Michael exclusively represents Walmart Stores in parts of California and has helped them acquire and develop over 30 locations.
Michael is married and has three Children. Michael’s interests are: Longboard Surfing, Investing and Traveling.
PANELIST BIO #3
Jamie Meiselman is a return speaker to Surf Park Summit. In the 2013 Summit, he reviewed how he successfully raised over $11 million in debt/equity to build the Ron Jon Surfpark in Orlando and provided a cautionary tale on how optimism can cloud rational judgment in evaluating emerging technologies for artificial waves. Meiselman is currently a consultant for Surf Loch/Wavehouse, and is in the late stages of raising capital to build a Wavehouse facility with Surf Loch surf pool technology in his home state of New Jersey. Meiselman is also the founder of Solite Innovations, LLC a manufacturer of innovative water sports footwear.
PANELIST BIO #4
Chris Martin is a Senior VP & Partner at Main Street Business Capital. Chris started his career in commercial real estate brokerage with Colliers International (then Colliers – Seeley) in Downtown Los Angeles after he graduated from USC. In 2005, Chris transitioned to the finance side of commercial real estate, and in 2007, he left the industry and moved to equipment finance world. He has been working with Main Street Business Capital since late 2007 and focuses his business on the SMB and lower middle market companies around the country; primarily focusing on the construction and construction equipment rental sectors. Chris has a passion for charity work and has been a Co-Chairman of the Orange County chapter of the Best Day Foundation since 2011. Best Day puts on weekend surfing events for kids with special needs.
PANELIST BIO #5
Thomas Rudy is the Vice President of Sports Investment Banking at Park Lane. Rudy joined Park Lane in 2015 as Vice President and plays a key role across both sports team and sports-related business transactions. With a background in sports finance and investment, Rudy’s broad knowledge base delivers a great deal of value to Park Lane clients. Also the Founder of investment fund Capital R Investments, he has appeared as a financial expert on Deutsches Anleger Fernsehen (DAF), N-TV, and N24 in Germany, in addition to appearances on U.S. and Chinese television programs.
Rudy’s career in sports investment banking started at Citigroup in New York, where he worked as an Analyst for the firm’s Sports Advisory Group. In this role, he worked with NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL, MLS, and European football team owners to buy and sell franchises as well as finance the expansion of their enterprises. In 2008, he left Citi to start Capital R Investments, a hedge fund and venture capital firm with locations in New York, Florida, and Germany.
He is actively involved in the community through his work with the Rotary Club of Wall Street, of which he is the Co-Founder and former President, and Columbia University’s Alumni Association in Germany, on which he serves as Chairman of the Board. After his Abitur in Germany, Rudy graduated from the College and Columbia University in New York City in 2006 with a B.A. in Economics. He is FINRA Series 79 registered.
