Les Leff, is an investor and director of a diverse portfolio of technology, wellness, specialty, chemical, and martial arts businesses, who brings decades of professional experience to TruTag. He was co-owner and executive vice president of JWS Delavau Co, Inc. and president of Accucorp, contract manufacturers of vitamins, minerals, and over-the-counter pharmaceuticals, prior to co-leading the companies to a successful leveraged buyout in 2002. During his career, Mr. Leff has served in a variety of senior technical liaison, plant management, union negotiation, and Food and Drug Administration negotiation roles. He also has directed the design and engineering of a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility. More recently, in addition to managing his family’s investment portfolio, he has served on the board of directors of the Children’s Alliance of Hawaii. Mr. Leff earned his BS in Pharmacy from the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy at the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia.

Dr. Bartholomeusz brings more than 20 years of experience leading, building, operating, and investing in emerging technology and advanced materials companies. Prior to joining TruTag, he served as CEO and as a member of the Board of Directors for HZO, Inc., a leader in thin-film protection from liquids for electronics, overseeing the expansion and development of the company from pre-revenue to high-growth. From 2008 to 2012, Dr. Bartholomeusz served as CEO and co-founder of AQT Solar, a leading producer of thin-film solar cell renewable energy products, taking the company from seed-stage to commercialization in less than three years. Dr. Bartholomeusz has extensive experience doing business in Asia where he green-fielded multiple successful joint ventures in China and made strategic acquisitions in Asia, Europe and the US. He has over 25 granted and pending patents and sat on the Board of SunEdison Semiconductor (Nasdaq: SEMI), and is presently on the board of privately-held Cuberg. Dr. Bartholomeusz holds a Bachelor’s degree in Physics from the University of California, Santa Cruz, and an MS and PhD in Materials Engineering from the University of Virginia.

Matthew Cohen is Director of Technology at Pangaea Ventures Ltd., the world leader in advanced materials venture capital. He has been investing in startups using advanced materials to make our world better since 2012. Prior to joining Pangaea, Mr. Cohen worked in startups and established companies involved in printed electronics, medical devices, and environmental bioremediation. He performed various functions including business development, R&D, product development, customer technical support, and devising international launch strategies while gaining valuable start-up understanding. He is currently on the Investor Advisory Board of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). Mr. Cohen holds an MPhil in Micro- & Nanotechnology Enterprise from the University of Cambridge and graduated summa cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania with a BSE in Materials Science & Engineering.

Gregory S. Leong is a Partner and Investment Director at Arocrest Company based in Hong Kong. He has nearly 20 years of corporate finance and strategy experience, primarily focused on private equity investments and management in Asia. Mr. Leong was most recently with the International Finance Corporation (IFC, private sector arm of the World Bank Group) in Singapore as Principal Investment Officer, where he was involved in assessing investment opportunities in agriculture, consumer/retail, infrastructure, energy, TMT, and healthcare industries. Prior to IFC, Mr. Leong was a Managing Director with Blackstone’s Private Equity Group in Hong Kong. At Blackstone, he sourced and executed private equity investments in Greater China and Southeast Asia as well as cross border/outbound opportunities. He also assisted with fundraising for global and RMB funds and managed relationships with Asian limited partner investors. Prior to Blackstone, he was with H&Q Asia Pacific where he structured private equity investments for growth capital, take private, and leveraged buyout opportunities, and JPMorgan, Hong Kong, in Corporate Finance / M&A and Leveraged Finance. Mr. Leong holds an undergraduate business administration degree from George Washington University, a Master of International Public Policy from Johns Hopkins University, and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Chicago.

Jennifer McFarlane is a board director, CFO at both public and private companies, and an investment banker.  As a board director and CFO, Ms. McFarlane has focused on supporting tech-based companies execute on product launches and global expansion. Her experience spans a variety of industries, including medtech, clean tech, industrial biotech, and natural resources. Currently, Ms. McFarlane is a board director of BioGill, a water-tech company, and of Blue Planet Systems Corporation, a carbon sequestration company.  She also serves on the boards of two non-profits, Benetech and Pacific Institute. Jennifer recently founded Asterra Partners, which is focused on using revenue-based financing to fund technology scale up. Previously, she was CFO of several tech companies including NEXTracker (solar trackers); LanzaTech, (carbon recycling) and Zyomyx, (med-dx).  She was also CEO of Astia, an accelerator for women entrepreneurs, and an Executive Director of Southern Pacific Petroleum, an Australian public company.  Ms. McFarlane started her career as an investment banker at Salomon Brothers, now Citigroup. She is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and a C3E Ambassador, a U.S. Department of Energy appointment. Ms. McFarlane holds a Master of Business Administration from Stanford University and a LLB / BSc from the University of New South Wales, Australia.

James J. Pappas served as President and CEO of Honsador Lumber from 1978 through its sale in 2004. Mr. Pappas has 50 years of accounting, strategic planning, mergers and acquisitions, senior management, and entrepreneurial experience. He serves as a director of several private and non-profit companies. He served as President of the Financial Planning Institute. He was an Officer of Young President’s Organization (YPO) and a member of World President’s Organization (WPO). He has been a Trustee of the University of Hawaii Foundation since 2013.

Albert H. Pleus has more than 25 years of investment banking, investing, management, and business operations experience in green tech, agricultural bioscience, software, media and telecommunications, marketing services, healthcare, and other industries. He started his career at Morgan Stanley, and during the last 10 years has focused on early-stage investment banking as well as principal investment roles. Mr. Pleus is a board member, advisor, and/or principal of about a dozen companies and provides financial, strategic consulting, and advisory services to other developing businesses. In addition, he is on the board of the Variety School of Hawaii and the Exchange Club of Downtown Honolulu. He was previously a Managing Partner with V2V Associates and Bedminster Financial. Mr. Pleus earned an SB and an SM from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and a Master of Business Administration from Stanford University.