Our Team

The Fund is managed by three General Partners and two Special Limited Partners. This combined team possesses a wealth of investment and business experience, including many years of experience in the areas of venture capital, private equity, entrepreneurial management and investment banking. Members of the team have built highly successful private and public companies and have invested in and advised numerous successful private growth companies. In addition, each member of the management team brings to BPV an extensive network of venture capital and industry contacts across the Fund's industry focus areas of health care, communications, technology, business services, financial services, and consumer.

The members of the investment team are described below.

Richard J. Brandewie, Managing Partner. Prior to co-founding Ballast Point Ventures in 2001, Mr. Brandewie was Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer from 1992 to 2000 of Quality Distribution, Inc. (QDI) and its predecessor firm, MTL Inc., a South Atlantic Venture Funds portfolio company.

Mr. Brandewie was a General Partner with South Atlantic Venture Funds I and II from 1985 to 1992, where he helped develop South Atlantic's successful regional investment focus and participated in numerous venture capital investments across a diverse group of industries, with a particular emphasis on the health care industry.

Prior to joining South Atlantic, Mr. Brandewie was a General Partner with MBW Venture Partners and Michigan Investment Fund and a Vice President and Investment Officer with Doan Resources from 1980 to 1985. MBW, MIF and Doan were three commonly managed funds with approximately $115 million under management that invested primarily in early-stage technology companies.

He graduated from Bowling Green State University in 1977 with a bachelor's degree, and from the University of Michigan Graduate School of Business in 1980 with an MBA.

Drew A. Graham, Managing Partner. Prior to co-founding Ballast Point Ventures in 2001, Mr. Graham spent six years at South Atlantic Venture Funds. Mr. Graham joined South Atlantic in 1995 and was both a Principal and General Partner in South Atlantic Ventures Fund IV. He has participated in numerous venture capital investments across several industries, including communications, software, health care and business services.

Mr. Graham began his private equity career with the Merchant Banking Division of Morgan Stanley & Co., Inc. in New York from 1989 to 1991.

He graduated from Princeton University in 1989 with a bachelor's degree, magna cum laude, and from the Harvard Graduate School of Business Administration in 1995 with an MBA, with Distinction.

Paul C. Johan, Partner. Prior to co-founding Ballast Point Ventures in 2001, Mr. Johan spent four years in the Investment Banking Department of Raymond James. From 1999 to 2001, Mr. Johan served as Vice President of the firm's Telecommunications Group. Mr. Johan was the senior banker responsible for the Telecommunications equipment practice, focused on optical equipment, wireline and wireless broadband equipment and cable equipment. Additionally, Mr. Johan had primary responsibility for executing Merger and Acquisition transactions for the Telecommunications Group. Prior to joining the Telecommunications Group, he was a member of the Mergers and Acquisitions Group within the Investment Banking Department of Raymond James.

Prior to joining Raymond James, Mr. Johan was an investment banker with both Wachovia Securities and Hunter Capital. At Hunter Capital, Mr. Johan was a founder of the firm's Atlanta office and responsible for its Merger and Acquisition activities. Mr. Johan graduated from Emory University in 1988 and the Darden Graduate School of Business at the University of Virginia in 1994.

Matthew C. Rice, Vice President. Prior to re-joining Ballast Point in 2008, Mr. Rice was an Associate in the Strategic Alliances group at the Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research. Mr. Rice worked as an Associate at Ballast Point from 2004-2006 and as an Analyst in the Health Care Group within the Investment Banking Department of Raymond James from 2002-2004.

Mr. Rice graduated from the University of Virginia in 2002 with bachelor's degree in Commerce and from the Harvard Graduate School of Business Administration in 2008 with an MBA.

Joshua B. Kantor, Associate. Prior to joining Ballast Point Ventures, Mr. Kantor served as a Senior Analyst with Hyde Park Capital Partners where he supported mergers and acquisitions and private capital raising efforts. Mr. Kantor graduated as a University Valedictorian from North Carolina State University where he received a B.S. degree in Business Management with a concentration in Finance.

Benjamin Bukhar, Senior Analyst. Prior to joining Ballast Point Ventures, Mr. Bukhar served as a Senior Analyst with Robert W. Baird & Co. Investment Banking where he provided analytical support on equity offerings, mergers and acquisitions and other financial advisory services. Mr. Bukhar graduated with a bachelor of Science in Accounting and a Master of Accounting in Taxation from the Fisher School of Accounting at the University of Florida.

Carol Bear, Director of Administration. Prior to joining Ballast Point Ventures in 2005, Ms. Bear spent fourteen years in the retail sector. She held various positions with Home Depot over her eleven year tenure there, including Product Merchandise Manager for the Southeast Division, Administrative Analyst to the President of the Southeast Division and Executive Assistant to the Senior Vice President of Finance. Following her tenure with Home Depot, Ms. Bear spent three years with Liberty Hardware (a Masco company), initially as National Field Service Director and later as Senior Director of Sales and Marketing.

Venture Partners

Donald W. Burton. Mr. Burton is a Special Limited Partner of Ballast Point Ventures and Partner of the Fund’s General Partner. Mr. Burton is the founder and Managing General Partner of the four South Atlantic Venture Funds.

Mr. Burton began his investment career in 1970 as a Securities Analyst at Fidelity Management & Research Company in Boston. He joined Fidelity's venture capital subsidiary, Fidelity Venture Associates, in 1973. In 1975 he became a General Partner of Fidelity Ventures Limited, which made venture capital investments in small, rapidly growing, privately owned companies throughout the United States.

In 1995-2000, Mr. Burton was a Director of the National Venture Capital Association and has also served as a Trustee of The Heritage Group of Mutual Funds. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of 26 Merrill Lynch-sponsored mutual funds.

Mr. Burton graduated from Yale University in 1966 with a bachelor's degree and from the Harvard Graduate School of Business Administration with an MBA in 1971. He served as a Naval Officer from 1966 to 1969.

O. Gene Gabbard. Mr. Gabbard is a Special Limited Partner of Ballast Point Ventures and a Partner of the General Partner. Mr. Gabbard has been a Managing Director of South Atlantic Private Equity Partners IV and a Special Limited Partner of South Atlantic Venture Funds I, II and III.

From 1990 to 1993, Mr. Gabbard was Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of MCI Communications Corporation. He served as Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Telecom*USA, and in various executive positions of its predecessor, SouthernNet, Inc., from 1983 to 1990, when Telecom*USA, the fourth largest U.S.-based long distance company, was acquired by MCI for $1.2 billion. Prior to forming SouthernNet, Inc., Mr. Gabbard was a founder and President of Digital Communications Corporation (now Hughes Network Systems), a manufacturer of telecommunications hardware, in 1971. In 1978, Mr. Gabbard merged Digital Communications Corporation with Microwave Associates, Inc. to form M/A-Com, Inc. for which he served as a Vice President until founding SouthernNet in 1983.

Mr. Gabbard is a director of several public and private companies and also serves on the Board of Trustees of Mercer University.

Mr. Gabbard graduated from the University of Kentucky in 1961 with a bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering and received his master's in Electrical Engineering from the University of Pennsylvania in 1965. He served as a Lieutenant in the U.S. Army Signal Corps from 1961 to 1963.