Vator - Growthink company profile

Growthink's co-founder and CEO, Jay has led Growthink's emergence as the country's largest strategic advisory and investment banking firm to emerging and middle market companies. In his 17 years of experience in corporate finance and capital formation, Jay has worked with dozens of growth and middle market companies, including clients such Porsche AG, Paramount Pictures, Infospace, Deutsche Bank and McKesson.

Jay's entrepreneurial experience was gleaned from building and selling two companies: Hyannis Ice Cream, Inc., and Least Cost Routing, Inc. At Hyannis Ice Cream, Jay built and then sold a small seasonal startup into a leading regional distributorship with over an 80% share in its market niche. At Least Cost Routing, Jay positioned the firm to profit from the Telecommunications Act of 1996, building the firm's switch and operational infrastructure.

Jay has an MBA from the Anderson School of Management at UCLA and earned a Bachelor's degree with Distinction and with Departmental Honors from Stanford University. He lives in Los Angeles with his wife and two sons.

A co-founder of Growthink, Dave has managed more than 150 client engagements across all of Growthink's practice areas, with a specialty practice and expertise in marketing.

Dave was the founder and President of Emerge Juice & Nutrition Systems, a health food manufacturing and marketing firm. Dave also launched the Marketing Services division of New York-based consulting firm PIRA Energy Group. At PIRA, Dave helped develop the original business plan for KeySpan Energy's Energy Service Division, which now has revenues exceeding $1 billion annually.

Dave also has professional management consulting, marketing consulting and market research experience with FIND/SVP, BPA International and The NPD Group.

Dave has an MBA from the Anderson School of Management at UCLA and earned his Bachelor's degree from the University of Virginia.

Jeff Jones - Managing Partner

Jeff has an extensive background in corporate finance and financial services, with an emphasis on assisting middle market companies with debt and growth financing.

During his tenure at Growthink, Jeff has led more than 250 client engagements spanning industries including healthcare, financial services, real estate, consumer products, entertainment and technology for clients including NEC Corporation, Hooters Restaurants, JVJ Pharmacy and Wilson Supply, a division of Smith International.

Previously Jeff worked at Morgan Stanley, where he assisted in the management of a $300 million individual and institutional investor asset base. Jeff also worked at Taycor where he assisted emerging and middle market companies with both debt and growth financing.

Jeff earned a Bachelor's degree in Business Economics and Accounting from the University of California, Santa Barbara.

Per Larson - Managing Partner

Per brings to Growthink a unique combination of client service, business operations, fundraising, and venture capital experience derived from his experience as a principal in three companies.

Per oversees all of Growthink’s engagements, and has performed critical advisory work for Del Monte, Scient, Sanrio and Business Objects and others.

In addition to his consultative approach and entrepreneurial experience, Per also brings an investor perspective to Growthink clients derived from his tenure with the Wolverine Venture Fund in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Per has an MBA from the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan and earned his Bachelor’s degree in Natural Resource Management from Cornell University.

Lee Muhl - Managing Partner

Lee Muhl heads Growthink's entertainment-media vertical, encompassing the making and distribution of films, television programming, games, new media content and numerous related distribution platforms, technologies and methodologies including theatrical exhibition, DVD, PPV-VOD, mobile applications, internet/IPTV, and a variety of new content modalities (digital theater conversion, advertainment, infotainment, advergaming), and related investment, banking and funding issues.

To date, Lee has overseen the successful conclusion of more than 100 Growthink engagements for funding plans and sophisticated media financial models, including film projects ranging from the production of numerous independent films and major studio productions to scores of angel and seed development fundings - overall, production funds generated are well in excess of $100MM.

Originally trained in transactional entertainment law and the representation of above-line talent, Lee worked with a number of well-known writer-director-producers in both traditional studio/network deals and in arranging non-studio financing for independent film production including such classics as Bladerunner. In 1999, Lee joined the Silicon Valley new media content contingent as an Internet-company CEO, and has since founded two innovative Los Angeles media companies. With Growthink, Lee has continued his deep involvement with film, digital media, content delivery protocols, gaming technologies and sports initiatives.

A former partner in two leading Los Angeles media law firms, Lee holds a J.D. from the UCLA School of Law where he also served as Chief Comment Editor of the UCLA Law Review, and earned his B.A. in History from UCLA. He is a current member of the California State Bar, and the Hollywood Writers Guild.