"Why Invest In Florida" Panel

Event Details

When:

January 24, 2019 5:30 PM - 8 PM EST

Where:

Location Name

University Club of Tampa

Location Address

201 North Franklin Street
Tampa, FL 33602
United States

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Overview

Body

Why Invest in Florida?

Please join us on Thursday, January 24th as we discover Why Florida? Our panelists will share their experiences in investing in businesses based here in our state and local market:

What makes us unique from other states and MSA's
What is the business climate forecast
How does our labor force compare to other markets
What we can do to attract even more investment capital

The University Club Tampa
5:30-8:00 pm
55/members; 80/non-members

Speakers

Ken Hooten

Concentric Equity Partners

Partner

Ken is a Partner with Concentric Equity Partners and responsible for the firm’s activities. Ken founded the firm in 2003 and is responsible for the overall performance of Concentric Equity Partners I, L.P.. Prior to founding Concentric, Ken was affiliated with ServiceMaster in a variety of capacities. He founded ServiceMaster Ventures, led M&A and Corporate Development, and served as the President and Founder of ServiceMaster Home Services Center, a joint venture between ServiceMaster and Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers. Ken has been active on the boards of both public and private service companies. He received a B.S. from the University of Illinois and an M.B.A. from The Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. Ken currently resides in Hinsdale, IL with his wife Janet, and their four children.

Will Weatherford

Weatherford Capital

Managing Partner

Will is Managing Partner of Weatherford Capital, and primarily responsible for deal sourcing, investor relations, and providing strategic guidance to our portfolio companies.

Will was the 84th Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives, serving from 2012-2014, which at that time, made him the youngest Speaker of the House in America. His tenure in the Florida Legislature was from 2006-2014 before being termed out of office. Will serves on the boards of several companies including TECO Energy, Emera Technologies, Kitson & Partners, Payit, and MBF Healthcare Partners. Previously, Will served as a Board Director at Florida Traditions Bank, and Sunshine Bancorp Inc. (NASDAQ:SBPC).

Will’s public service continues through his community engagement with non for profit organizations like the Florida Council of 100, Metropolitan Ministries, the Florida Chamber of Commerce, and the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition. He also served as a Rodel Fellow at the Aspen Institute.

Will earned his B.S. degree in International Business from Jacksonville University’s Davis College of Business. He and his wife, Courtney, reside in Wesley Chapel, Florida with their four children.

Will Dowden

KLH Capital

Partner

As a partner at KLH, Will is involved in all functions of the firm including originating, structuring, and executing new investments as well as portfolio management. During his tenure at KLH, he has participated in over 35 transactions, including platform investments, add-on acquisitions, and refinancing’s. He serves on the board of directors for all KLH portfolio companies and is directly responsible for overseeing Ground Works Solutions, MS Industrial, Victory Tailgate, and Apogee Translite. Additionally, he is a member of the KLH Investment Committee, oversees investor relations for the firm, and is the main contact for the firm’s limited partners.

Will, who grew up in Lexington, Kentucky, graduated from the University of Virginia’s McIntire School of Commerce with a Bachelor of Science degree in Commerce and minored in aerospace engineering. Prior to joining KLH, he spent time with Rothschild Investment Banking’s mergers and acquisitions group in New York. He serves on the board of the Association for Corporate Growth Tampa Bay Chapter and is active on the membership and Emerging Professionals steering committees.

Will enjoys spending time with his wife and family who share his interests in golf, soccer, sporting clays, and boating.

Penny Parks (Moderator)

Links Financial

President

Spanning a professional career of more than 30 years, Penny Parks has worked for premier firms in the financial services industry. Her areas of focus have been arranging over $2 Billion in corporate debt financings, real estate and corporate problem loan resolution and restructuring, business acquisitions and numerous interim financial leadership roles.

Now in its twelfth year, Links Financial, the company that Penny founded, arranges and restructures debt for middle market companies, arranges financings for real estate projects and sells family-owned businesses. As President of Links Financial, she identifies the most appropriate and creative financing structure, provides referrals to well-suited funding sources and advocates for her clients throughout the process.

Ms. Parks earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics and Business, graduating cum laude from Wake Forest University, and a Masters of Business Administration with a Finance concentration, graduating with the Highest Honors, from the University of Tampa. Prior to founding Links Financial, her banking career included senior positions with Bank of America, Northern Trust and the Royal Bank of Canada’s US subsidiary.

Hosted by: ACG

Chapter

Tampa Bay