Meet the Mechanics
In our vernacular, “Chief Mechanics” are the seasoned executives who divide their time between the portfolio companies to lend senior level assistance to the respective management teams. “Associate Mechanics” are domain experts within our community who may assist companies on a case by case basis, either on a consulting basis or as advisors, but are not partners-in-full of Venture Mechanics.
The Chief Mechanics
Ron Wiener, Chief Mechanic 
Ron is a serial entrepreneur and angel investor with twenty five years of operating experience in early-stage high technology companies. He was founder and CEO of five investor-backed companies since 1988 (Earth Class Mail, SnapNames, PrintBid, Distribution Sciences, Azure Technology) and participated as an investor and board member in five others, not including VM’s portfolio companies. Ron was featured for the entire first season of Startup Junkies cable television series, now viewable online at www.hulu.com/start-up-junkies, and is a frequent speaker and editorial contributor on entrepreneurship and in the industries in which he has specialized. Ron studied Computer Science and Electrical Engineering at Carnegie-Mellon University.
Peter Weiss, Chief Financial Mechanic 
30 years of finance and general management experience from M&A and leveraged buy-outs to more than ten years providing corporate finance and CFO services to early stage companies. In addition to working with a wide range of technology companies he has worked extensively with businesses in retail, distribution and manufacturing and holds degrees from Princeton University and Harvard Business School.
.
John Vogel, Chief Technology Mechanic – Seattle
25 years technology experience leading and managing multi-site development teams as well as hands-on contributing; 20 years as CTO launching successful products and building IP at various start-up and early stage companies including GoAhead Software, Tideworks Technology and OneCommand. John earned his PhD in Mechanical Engineering at Stanford University.
.
.
Marty Mianji, Chief Technology Mechanic – Portland
Marty is a veteran of the software industry. In the past twenty five years Marty has held executive, managerial, and technologist positions at companies such as e.piphany, WebGain, Cognos Corporation, Gupta Technologies, Ingres, and Tektronix. Marty was responsible for call center CRM products at e.piphany where he successfully integrated the Octane team into e.piphany. Marty led the development of a pioneering web portal product at Interweave which was acquired by Cognos Corporation. At Gupta Technologies Marty was one of the architects of SQLWindows, an IDE-based 4GL for building Windows applications. Marty holds bachelor degrees in Computer Science and Philosophy from Portland State University.
.
Douglas Choi, Chief Legal Mechanic
15 years experience in legal, business development and general management, mostly working with and for technology companies. Unlike most lawyers, Doug has first-hand experience as an entrepreneur and brings this to bear in providing legal services to startups. Formerly General Counsel and Secretary at Isilon Systems; Corporate Counsel at F5 Networks; Director of Business Development at ViAir (now Good Technology); Director of Legal and Business Affairs at Concur Technologies; Founder, President and CEO of Peapod Seattle; Associate at Perkins Coie. Doug holds degrees from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, the University of Michigan Law School and Le Cordon Bleu (certificate).
.
The Associate Mechanics
Mark Levy, Associate Mechanic
Mark Levy is the CEO of MaxxoMedia, a management consulting firm focused on emerging digital media services based in Seattle, WA. Mark has over 20 years of senior level experience successfully growing start-ups and innovating within the entertainment & technology industries. He has been involved in the development and launch of leading edge digital media services in the mobile, broadband, satellite, VOD and online industries. Along the way, he helped media, entertainment and technology companies generate hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue through digital creative intellectual property licensing and distribution programs.
Richard Rosen, Associate Mechanic
Richard G. Rosen is founder, President, and CEO of ROSEN, a global consultancy firm that specializes in transforming marketing and advertising campaigns into cost-effective business models. As the originator and chief architect of Convergence Marketing, he consults with recognized brand-name clients, and presents to business and academic forums throughout the world. His firm has received 28 Echo Awards, and Richard has received the Caples Organization’s Emerson Award and the first “B-to-B Marketer of the Year Award” by the International Direct Marketing Association.
Gunnar Gorder, Associate Mechanic
Gunnar uses his experience from multiple disciplines within the US Navy to support the Chief Mechanics. He graduated magna cum laude from the University of Maryland, University College with a B.S. in Management Studies and graduated with honors from St. John’s University with a Finance MBA, having written his thesis on Entrepreneurial Finance.
.
.
.
Copyright © Venture Mechanics, LLC, 2010. All Rights Reserved. No part of this website may be reproduced without the written consent of Venture Mechanics.
