Judge, 2010 Global Finals
LinkedIn
Laura is an experienced entrepreneur and private equity investor. She has founded three successful entities, was an early identifier of the growth in digital media and has invested for over a decade in technology-enabled business services companies. As a founding partner of StarVest, she has been active with StarVest’s investments in Connected Corporation (acquired by Iron Mountain in 2004), MessageOne (software-as-a-service company acquired by Dell Computer in 2008), Newgistics, now the leader in returns management, iCrossing (acquired by Hearst in 2010), Fieldglass (acquired by Madison Dearborn in 2010), ideel (one of the leading online members-only, off-price, private sale/event-based retailers in the U.S and #1 on the INC 500 list), Veracode (first on-demand, application security solution that provides automated application security testing through SaaS delivery model), NewComLink (a payment network platform that connects retail consumers), and Precision Demand (improves the performance of direct response television advertising).
Prior to founding StarVest, Laura was responsible for direct private equity investments at Gabelli Securities where she sourced digital media investments in Multex Systems (subsequently NASDAQ-listed and acquired by Thompson Reuters) and the first institutional round of Digital River (NASDAQ:DRIV). In the early 1990’s, Laura identified digital media as a growth area and founded Sachar Capital, which sourced Redgate Software, founded by Ted Leonsis, (merged into AOL in 1994) as an investment opportunity for its Advisory Counsel.
Laura was the Founding Chairman of the New York New Media Association Angel Investors Program, a professional nonprofit organization in which she assisted hundreds of early-stage New York area companies in accessing initial capital.
Laura has a BA from Barnard College, Columbia University, and an MBA from the Columbia University Graduate School of Business. She is a member of the Young President’s Organization (since 2003). Laura resides in Manhattan with her two daughters.