Rustic Canyon

Tom Unterman founded Rustic Canyon in 1999 after a long career as a corporate executive and prior to that, a corporate lawyer. He continues to serve as managing partner. From 1992 though 1999, he held several executive positions at the Times Mirror Company, most recently as its Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. Prior to joining Times Mirror, Tom was a partner of the law firm of Morrison & Foerster LLP, which he joined after serving as a partner of Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP. He earned his bachelor's degree from Princeton University before receiving his law degree from the University of Chicago. Tom currently serves on the boards of the California Community Foundation, The Los Angeles Museum of Contemporary Art, The Public Library of Science, Heal the Bay and Pacific Community Ventures.

An experienced venture investor, John Babcock has been a partner at Rustic Canyon Partners since the firm's formation in 1999. John Babcock brings over 15 years of technology industry experience to both the firm and our portfolio companies. He focuses on investment opportunities in clean technology, technology-enabled services, outsourcing and advanced construction materials. Before the founding of Rustic Canyon, John was general manager of online real estate at the Los Angeles Times. Previously, John founded the Delta Group, a technology consulting firm. Intel, Compaq Computer and Home Savings of America are among the companies that he has advised. John began his career as a software programmer.

John received his B.A. from Duke University and his M.B.A. from the Anderson School at UCLA.

Michael Kim joined Rustic Canyon from Accelerator Venture Partners, a San Francisco-based partnership investing in early-stage technology companies (including two companies that went public: Evolve Software and Shopping.com). Formerly an investment banker, Michael was with Morgan Stanley's Technology Merger & Acquisitions Group in Menlo Park. While there, he was directly involved with 27 announced transactions worth over $77 billion. Prior to joining Morgan Stanley, Michael was an associate at The Chase Manhattan Bank in New York City and also worked at IBM in Armonk, NY. He graduated with honors from Cornell University, received an M.S. from Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service and received an M.B.A. from the Wharton School of Business.

Michael serves on the board of Lead21, an organization that enables entrepreneurs to advocate free market public policy, and was formerly on the board of the Pacific Research Institute, a San Francisco-based think tank that champions freedom, opportunity, and personal responsibility for all individuals by advancing free market policy solutions. He is a Trustee of the Asian Art Museum Foundation, and the former Chairman of the Advisory Board of the Symphonix League of the San Francisco Symphony. In March 2004, Michael was appointed by the Mayor of San Francisco as a Trustee of the San Francisco Employee Retirement System, a $16 billion pension fund. He served as the President of the board for fiscal year 2007, and is currently the Chairman of the Investment Committee.

Renee LaBran helped form Rustic Canyon in 1999, following 15 years of strategy consulting and hands-on operating experience. Renee investment focus has been on software, digital media and business and consumer services. Renee leads Rustic Canyon's participation in RC/Fontis Partners, a later-stage fund investing in businesses targeting growing ethnic markets. Prior to Rustic Canyon, Renee held a variety of executive positions with the Los Angeles Times/Times Mirror in the areas of digital media, advertising, investments and strategic planning. During her tenure, she managed revenues in excess of $300 million and oversaw more than 200 employees. She was also a co-founder and served as Chief Executive Officer of CareerPath.com (now CareerBuilder), and a co-founder and board member of Classified Ventures. Prior to Times Mirror, Renee was a management consultant with the Monitor Company in the United States and Europe and managed its Los Angeles office.

Renee graduated Phi Beta Kappa with a bachelor's degree in economics from the University of California at Berkeley, and earned an M.B.A. with honors from the Harvard Business School. Renee's non-profit activities include the La Canada Flintridge Educational Foundation, and Hathaway - Sycamores, a child and family services agency. She is also a member of the Women's Leadership Board at Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government, and an advisor to the Women's Student Association at Harvard Business School.

Mark Menell has been a partner at Rustic Canyon since the firm's inception in 1999. At Rustic Canyon his primary areas of investment focus have been consumer internet, digital media, information services and communications. Mark contributes almost 20 years of strategic, financial advisory and investment experience with a focus on companies in the technology, media and telecommunications sectors. Formerly an investment banker, he was most recently co-head of Morgan Stanley's Technology Merger & Acquisitions Group, based in Menlo Park. During Mark's tenure, Morgan Stanley was recognized as the leading technology M&A advisor for three consecutive years. While there, he was responsible for advising on more than 50 completed transactions valued in excess of $150 billion involving clients such as Excite@Home, Hewlett-Packard, Microsoft, Netscape, USWeb/CKS and VeriSign. Prior to 1996, Mark was in Morgan Stanley's media and telecommunications M&A practice, advising clients such as Times Mirror, AT&T, Softbank and Time Warner. Before his tenure at Morgan Stanley, he was an investment banker at Salomon Brothers. Mark graduated magna cum laude with a B.A. in economics from the University of Pennsylvania. He also earned a B.S. in finance magna cum laude and an M.B.A. from the Wharton School of Business. Mark currently the Assistant Treasurer and serves on the Board of Directors of Jewish Family and Children's Services of San Francisco, the Peninsula, Marin and Sonoma Counties.

Nate's style as a venture investor is shaped by experience as an repeat entrepreneur and strategic consultant. Before joining Rustic Canyon, Nate managed investments and advisory work for Professor Clayton Christensen at the Harvard Business School. Previously, Nate co-founded an Internet infrastructure company and helped launch two other early web companies. Nate began his career with the Boston Consulting Group as a consultant to technology firms on new product development and business strategy.

Nate received his M.B.A. from the Harvard Business School and holds two degrees (M.S.E. and B.S.E.) from The University of Michigan College of Engineering, where he was an Entrepreneurial Fellow in the Engineering Global Leadership Honors Program.

Shoa-Kai Liu joined the Rustic Canyon team with 25 years of diverse technical and management experience in telecommunication networks and services, data and optical networking, and semiconductors. Most recently, Shoa-Kai served as the Director of Network Technology Development at MCI, where he and his team evaluated emerging telecommunication technology. After he joined MCI in 1982, he spent 22 years focused on networking technology development and deployment for networks that today provide the backbone of the Internet. He played a central role in MCI's strategic network planning, large system integration, services and products rollout on a global scale. Shoa-Kai is also a proven entrepreneur. From 1998 to 1999, he was the co-founder and Vice President of Market Development at Avanex, where he helped the company grew into one of the largest optical component suppliers worldwide. Prior to MCI, his experiences also included working in various government projects such as the OTH Radar System, the SDI, the NASA Space Telescope ground data network system and the USAF Consolidated Space Operation Center Communication System Modernization, while he worked at SAI, Inc., CSC and the Aerospace Corporation.

Since he joined Rustic Canyon team, Shoa-Kai has played a vital role to facilitate and support RCP's portfolio companies to engage their product launch into AsiaPac markets as well as to establish manufactures in China. With his understanding of Chinese culture and well connected to the Chinese carriers, major ISP players, telecommunication system providers and consumer electronic manufacturers, Shoa-Kai is the RCP subject matter of expert in doing business in great China.

Shoa-Kai graduated from Northern Illinois University with an M.S.C.S., earned an M.S.E.E., majored in Communication at George Washington University, and earned an M.B.A. with an International Management track from the University of Dallas. He served as the MCI Fellow of the Technology Leadership Council from 1993 to 1995 and has chaired various industry conference committees and been a frequent speaker at OFC, Supercom, WOCC, SATEC, APOC, and METS conferences. Shoa-Kai is active with the Chinese Institute of Engineer Association and Photonic Society of Chinese-Americans. He has been awarded four patents.

Lee is a Managing Director for US Renewables Group ("USRG"), which manages two private equity funds with over $575 million in capital investing in renewable energy and biofuels projects. USRG was initially formed with the participation of Rustic Canyon Partners, a venture capital fund where Lee was also a partner. He has over 20 years of operating experience in both established and early-stage technology-based companies, many in energy related fields. Prior to joining Rustic Canyon Partners, he was the founding director of a $60 million joint U.S. and Israeli government fund investing in joint ventures to commercialize energy, information and healthcare technologies. Lee also served as the White House Director for International Science and Technology Programs from 1995-1997. From 1986 to 1992, Lee held various senior management positions with Energy Conversion Devices, Inc.

Lee received his law degree from Washington University School of Law, a MS degree from Northwestern University and a BA from St. Lawrence University.

Jon Staenberg has worked with venture-backed technology companies for 20 years in several capacities: as founder, manager and venture capitalist. As an entrepreneur he has established two companies, served on the senior management team of several early-stage organizations and provided venture capital funding to more than 100 start-ups. He is one of the most experienced venture capitalists in the Pacific Northwest, having raised three funds totaling over $30 million. Early in his career, Jon established several marketing groups at Microsoft where he worked from 1988 through 1994. He then joined the senior management team of Virtual i-O, a venture-backed startup, as Vice President of Sales and Marketing. Pursuing his passion for helping to establish and grow great companies, he has spent the last ten years raising and deploying venture capital with a focus on Silicon Valley and Seattle-based startups. In 2003, Jon joined Rustic Canyon. Jon currently serves on the advisory boards of New Vine Logistics, Vista Broadband, Prime Advantage, Efficient Frontier and uReach.com. He graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Stanford University, where he received his B.S., M.A. and M.B.A.

Neal Hansch brings over a decade of experience in venture capital, technology operations and investment banking. Before joining Rustic Canyon, Neal worked in the Corporate Development group at Macromedia, where he was responsible for executing worldwide M&A transactions and strategic equity investments. Prior to Macromedia, Neal was at Technology Crossover Ventures, where he focused on investments in the software, networking infrastructure and e-commerce industries. He has also worked in Product Marketing at webMethods (Nasdaq: WEBM), a leading enterprise application integration company, and co-founded a start-up that provides popular software extensions for Web development tools. Neal began his career as a financial analyst in the Software Group at Robertson Stephens, where he worked with clients such as BEA, BroadVision, HNC, Hyperion, Informatica and Intuit. Neal received his M.B.A. with distinction from the UCLA Anderson School of Management, where he was a Deutschman Venture Fellow. He also received bachelor degrees in Economics and Psychology from Duke University.

David Travers brings technology, media, and national security experience to Rustic Canyon. Prior to joining Rustic Canyon in 2005, David worked at eBay, where he focused on the growth of their sports, toys, collectibles, and media marketplaces. Previously, David worked at The Walt Disney Company, where his duties included evaluating technology and new media venture investment opportunities for Disney as well as helping lead the launch of Disney's credit card business. David also worked at the White House as the Executive Assistant to the National Security Advisor, where he was awarded the Secretary of Defense's Award for Outstanding Public Service. David currently serves as Vice Chairman of the Board of LA's BEST Friends.

David received his B.A. from Stanford University and his M.B.A. from Harvard Business School.

Paul joined Rustic Canyon Partners in 2003 and serves as its Chief Financial Officer. Immediately prior to joining Rustic Canyon, Paul was President, North America of Meridian VAT Reclaim, Inc. From 1995 to 2000, Paul was Chief Financial Officer of Merrill Lynch Global Emerging Markets Partners, L.P., a $400 million private equity fund. Before this, Paul was Treasurer of Merrill Lynch's Europe/Middle East Region based in London and Director, Bank Relations for Merrill Lynch's Corporate Treasury based in New York. Paul began his career in commercial banking in New York with European American Bank and the Irving Trust Company. Paul earned his A.B. from Boston College and M.B.A. from New York University. Paul is also a member of the CFO Task Force of the National Venture Capital Association and the PECFOA.

Michael Song helped form Rustic Canyon in 1999. Michael offers a wealth of hands-on business development, technology and M&A experience. Previously, he was director of corporate investments with Times Mirror, overseeing its venture capital portfolio. Prior to his tenure at Times Mirror, Michael was a consultant with the Los Angeles office of the Boston Consulting Group, where he focused on online financial services, convergence issues, high technology and aerospace. Before joining the Boston Consulting Group, he was an investment banking associate in the emerging markets group at Lehman Brothers. Michael earned an M.B.A. with distinction from the Wharton School of Business and he received his bachelor's degree magna cum laude in international relations from Brown University. Michael is Treasurer/Board member of the Korean-American Coalition, Treasurer/Board member of Upward Bound House, and is on the Board of the Santa Monica Symphony Association. He also serves on the Finance Advisory Committee for Phillips Exeter Academy and on the Advisory Committee for Diversity for Brown University.