MILWAUKEE – Local angel investor and former retail executive, Jeff Rusinow, will keynote gener8tor’s Premiere Night event October 21, as five startup companies present their businesses to over 400 attendees.The event will feature companies that have completed gener8tor’s Milwaukee 2014 accelerator program, which provides funding, mentorship, and training for high-tech entrepreneurs. The program culminates with a Premiere Night event where each entrepreneur pitches their company to an audience of potential investors.
Jeff Rusinow has been an active member of the early-stage venture capital community in the Midwest for over the past 15 years, when he founded Milwaukee's first angel network, Silicon Pastures. He earlier spent 22 years in retail management, holding senior executive positions at Macy's, Gimbel's, Hudson Bay Company and, most recently, Kohl's Department Stores, where he served as an Executive Vice President until leaving corporate mainstream in 2000.
Jeff has been on the Board of Directors of a number of private and public companies, as well as non-profits, over the past several years. As an angel investor, he has invested in over 30 startups, and has had 6 successful exits. He has been the Chairman and lead investor in two startups that have been acquired by Fortune 500 companies. He is a Founding Donor of BrightStar Foundation and is on the Investment Committee of the Wisconsin Super Angel Fund.
“Jeff has been a critical supporter of gener8tor through his mentorship, investment and cheerleading support. We’re thrilled to have him keynote our firth Premiere Night,” said Troy Vosseller, gener8tor Co-Founder.
The companies to be featured at the Premiere Night event: