ACG SF/NY/SV: Digital Transformation After M&A

As the founder and CEO of Making Sense, Cesar Donofrio is a business builder, entrepreneur and investor who innovates and evolves the technical capabilities and customer experiences of global healthcare, FinTech, and AgTech companies. Early in his career he saw the opportunity to meld software development with user experience while supporting clients like the World Bank and international videogames. Today, Making Sense serves middle-market companies and clients like Dell, Microsoft, H-E-B, Valero, USAA, Crossbank, and AMD.

UX Design Thinking is critical to technology development and implementation. Good UX design reduces the learning curve for users, supports greater adoption, increases productivity, generates greater engagement and accelerates the success of digital transformation initiatives.  At Making Sense UX Design Thinking is coupled with development throughout the implementation process to validate decisions, and ensure that it can be done smoothly, on budget, and on time.  

In 2006, DOnofrio founded Making Sense Ventures to test emerging technologies and develop novel solutions for improving customer service, satisfaction, and loyalty. As a result, Donofrio launched two successful technology products, an easy-to-use landing page platform that was acquired by a Silicon Valley company, and Doppler, an email marketing platform that ranks among the top five in LATAM.

Since co-founding Making Sense in 2006, the company has grown from a handful of people in Argentina to a mid-sized company based in the U.S., Argentina and Mexico serving global clients. He is married with two children, and lives in Palo Alto, California.

Gerson is Co-Founder of Ceiba Capital Partners, LLC, an investment firm focused on the tech-enablement and digital adaptation of lower middle-market companies.  Over the course of his decades-long experience across principal investing, operations, and consulting, he has developed a strategic understanding of how technology and innovation can drive equity value creation. 

His first formal foray into technology was as a Management Information Systems intern for Sony Pictures Entertainment, and then as a manager with SBC Communications in the Network Operations Group. He has served on numerous private company boards and has worked with management teams to build their companies by leveraging technology and innovation to great success.  Most recently, as a Partner at Corinthian Capital he was responsible for sourcing investments, executing transactions, and portfolio management often being called in to leverage his domain expertise on technology related portfolio company initiatives.  He was also a board member of ProV International, a provider of technology consulting, advisory, and implementation services.

Gerson lives in New York City with his wife and their daughter.  He is Chairman of the Board of the New America Alliance and serves on the Northeast Advisory Board of the Hispanic Scholarship Fund. He has completed coursework at the Universität Bayreuth in Germany and Fundação Getulio Vargas in Brazil. Gerson was named a Chancellor’s Scholar at the University of California, Berkeley (B.A. 1998). He is a graduate of the Lauder Institute (M.A. 2005) and The Wharton School (M.B.A. 2005) of the University of Pennsylvania. 

Paul has helped improve the performance and growth of businesses across multiple industry segments - as CEO, investor, and consultant.  

Paul has been CEO of five companies, driving record sales and high value course corrections in both growth and turnaround situations. He is experienced in high tech systems and software, digital health, healthcare IT, healthcare services, clean technology (water & air treatment), security services and agricultural services. As a senior manager at Bain & Company, he advised mid-cap and large corporations on strategic growth and cost reduction initiatives, and led due diligence teams for venture capital clients. 

Paul has worked for TA Associates and Fremont Ventures, effectively sourcing high return deals and providing in-depth strategic assistance to portfolio companies during an historically severe downturn. He has successfully executed more than 20 transactions, either as CEO or as investor.  He is currently a Board Director for LightRiver Technologies, AsthmaBrain, HealthBrain and Aperitas.  Paul holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and a Bachelor of Science degree from Pomona College. He is married and has four children.

is a Founder of Outfront Solutions, where she works closely with executive teams to develop branding and marketing strategies that position companies for growth, acquisition and increased valuation. 

An outsourced CMO and accomplished marketing executive, business launch, and turnaround expert, Nicole is a Silicon Valley veteran who, along with her business partner Jeanine Moss, has participated in over 50 company launches - including four of her own. She guides companies through all phases of their lifecycles, from fundraising, to growth stage, M&As and IPOs 

Nicole has served as branding and marketing strategist for industry leaders such as Steve Jobs, Eric Schmidt and Carly Fiorina and created positioning, messaging, and created go-to-market strategies for middle-market and Fortune 500 companies including Apple, HP and Accenture. She has advised and marketed funds and incubators including Andra Capital, Earlybird Venture Capital and How Women Invest. Nicole bridges Silicon Valley with the world, bringing fast-growth companies like Trendyol.com EyeEm, Peak Games, NDS Cognitive Labs, and Making Sense to market globally.