Small Business Capital Formation Advisory Committee Member Biographies

Team Member	Biography
	Marcia Dawood, Chair Venture Partner, Mindshift Capital Charlotte, NC Marcia is a Venture Partner at Mindshift Capital, a women-run venture firm focused on post-seed investing in early-stage women-led companies. Marcia is also Chair of the Board of the Angel Capital Association, a professional society for angel investors in the U.S. and globally. She is the Chair of the Growing Women’s Capital group, which works to build syndication and collaboration among investors focused on women-led companies.
	Rose Standifer, Vice Chair Partner, Foley Hoag LLP Denver, CO Rose is partner at Foley Hoag LLP and has represented emerging companies and investors in private and public offerings for over 20 years. She works with clients in the clean energy, climate, life sciences and technology sectors, focusing on company formations, venture capital financings, technology licenses, and mergers and acquisitions. She has also acted as corporate governance counsel for nonprofit foundations and volunteers for business plan and entrepreneurship programs.
	Bart Dillashaw, Secretary Partner, Michael Best & Friedrich, LLP Lincoln, NE Bart is a Partner at Michael Best & Friedrich, LLP where he focuses on venture financing and merger transactions. Previously, he founded a boutique corporate and commercial law practice that represented investors and emerging growth companies. He is actively engaged in the angel and venture capital community in Nebraska, where he is the former President and a current Board Member of the Nebraska Angels and serves on the Board of Advisors of the Entrepreneurship Clinic at the University of Nebraska College of Law.
	Herbert Drayton III, Assistant Secretary Founder and Managing Partner, HI Mark Capital Charleston, SC Herbert is Founder and Managing Partner of HI Mark Capital, an aggregate fund that is committed to investing in early-stage BIPOC and women founders in the Southeastern United States, with an industry focus on technology, manufacturing and logistics. Herbert is also a Palmetto Venture Fellow with Venture Carolina, which works to bridge the funding gap between entrepreneurs and investors. Herbert is a veteran of the US Air Force and Marine Corps Reserve.
	Wemimo Abbey Co-Founder and Co-CEO, Esusu Los Angeles, CA Wemimo is Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Esusu, a financial technology company that enables households to use their on-time rent payments to build credit. Wemimo and his Co-Founder have led Esusu through several rounds of capital raising. Prior to Esusu, Wemimo founded Clean Water for Everyone, a global venture aimed at providing access to clean water, and a data analytics company.
	Robert Bolen* National Ombudsman and Assistant Administrator for Regulatory Enforcement, SBA Washington, DC Robert is the National Ombudsman and Assistant Administrator for Regulatory Enforcement, Small Business Administration. His office resolves concerns of uneven or excessive regulatory enforcement by federal agencies. Robert is the inventor of Button Helper, a dressing aid for individuals of different physical and intellectual abilities. His invention is standard-issue by the Defense Health Agency and Veterans Health Administration and is in the permanent collections of the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum and National Museum of Health and Medicine. Robert previously served Georgetown University as an Expert on Call, as well as the Summer Launch Incubator as a Mentor.
	George Cook Co-Founder and CEO, Honeycomb Credit Pittsburgh, PA George is Co-Founder and CEO of Honeycomb Credit, a registered funding portal that uses Regulation Crowdfunding to provide access to equity and debt financing to independent small businesses. Since 2018, Honeycomb has deployed more than $17 million to nearly 300 businesses in 30 states. George is a sixth-generation community banker and his family has been operating a bank in rural Appalachia for more than 130 years. Prior to co-founding Honeycomb, George worked at TransUnion and ZestAI where he supported the development of credit algorithms and machine learning tools to improve access to credit.
	Vincent Cordero Technology Venture Investor & former C-Suite Media Executive Chicago, IL Vincent is University of Chicago Polsky Center Senior Advisor & Entrepreneur-In-Residence, and former DAPRA Senior Commercialization Advisor. A seasoned venture investor and former senior executive, Vincent has invested across biotechnology, space technology, AI, and media. Previously, he served as Mucho Mas Media Co-CEO, HBO Latin America COO, FOX Sports EVP & GM, and Univision VP & GM.
	Erica Duignan Minnihan Founder and General Partner, Reign Ventures New York, NY Erica is Founder and General Partner of Reign Ventures, a seed-stage venture capital firm that invests in consumer technology and business software startups with inclusive teams. Erica has been investing in and advising early-stage companies for nearly two decades, following 8 years as an investment banker with Citigroup and Credit Suisse. Prior to launching Reign, she founded two startups: Mamatini, a wellness beverage brand for new mothers; and 1000 Angels, a digital investment platform for individuals.
	Diego Mariscal Founder, CEO, and Chief Disabled Officer, 2Gether-International Washington, DC Diego is Founder, CEO, and Chief Disabled Officer of 2Gether-International, an accelerator supporting entrepreneurs with disabilities. Since launching the first cohort in 2019, more than 70 startups have participated. His work has included collaborations with the U.S. Department of State, and corporate companies, including Comcast, NBC, Universal and Google. In 2017, Diego became the first entrepreneur with a disability from the U.S. delegation to participate in the Global Entrepreneurship Summit.
	Claire McHenry* Deputy Director – Securities Bureau, Nebraska Department of Banking and Finance;  Lincoln, NE Claire is the Deputy Director – Securities Bureau with the Nebraska Department of Banking and Finance, where she administers the Securities Act of Nebraska through the Bureau’s examination, registration, and investigation and enforcement programs.  She has over twenty years of state securities regulation experience and is an active member of the North American Securities Administrators Association (NASAA).  She is also the NASAA Corporation Finance Section Co-Chair and served as NASAA President for the 2023-2024 term.  She is a member of the inaugural Board of Directors for the NASAA Investor Protection and Education Foundation.
	Jennifer Newton Founder and Managing Attorney, StartSmart Counsel   Miami, FL Jennifer is the Founder and Managing Attorney at StartSmart Counsel, a firm providing legal counsel, risk management, and compliance solutions to startups, venture capital firms, founders, and small- to medium-sized businesses. Jennifer is also an adjunct law professor at Fordham Law and is the founder of the National Association of Black Compliance and Risk Management Professionals, Inc.
	Laura Niklason Founder, President, and CEO, Humacyte Durham, NC Laura is Founder, President, and CEO of Humacyte, a Nasdaq-listed company working on the development and manufacturing of off-the-shelf, universally implantable, bioengineered human tissues. A physician scientist in regenerative medicine, Laura is also a member of the National Academies of Engineering and Medicine, and serves on the advisory board of Trestle Biotherapeutics. Laura has held several positions at universities and is currently Adjunct Professor of Anesthesiology & Biomedical Engineering at Yale University.
	Davyeon Ross Co-Founder and President, DDSports/ShotTracker Overland Park, KS Davyeon is Co-Founder and President of DDSports/ShotTracker, a sensors-based tech company that provides in-depth analytics to help improve athletes’ performance. He has led ShotTracker in raising multiple rounds of financing. Previously, Davyeon founded and later sold Digital Sports Ventures. He is an active angel investor, board member and advisor in the Kansas startup community, and a Henry Crown Fellow at the Aspen Institute.
	Jasmin Sethi Founder and CEO, Sethi Clarity Advisers Philadelphia, PA Jasmin is Founder and CEO of Sethi Clarity Advisers, a boutique consulting firm that advises clients, from large companies to early-stage startups, on business and legal challenges stemming from financial regulation. Actively engaged in the startup community, Jasmin also serves as a business mentor at the Founder Institute. Previously, Jasmin was Founder and CEO of BuildUp Capital, Vice President of Legal and Compliance at BlackRock, and Special Counsel in the Division of Trading and Markets at the SEC.
	Aren Sharifi Attorney, Kutak Rock LLP Denver, CO Aren is an attorney at Kutak Rock, a national law firm that represents business and governmental clients across several service offerings.  Aren advises clients of all sizes, from small businesses to large companies, on corporate law matters.  His practice focuses on M&A, corporate governance, and commercial real estate.
	Marc Oorloff Sharma* Assistant Director and Chief Counsel of the Office of the Investor Advocate, U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission Washington, DC Marc is Assistant Director and Chief Counsel of the SEC’s Office of the Investor Advocate and leads that Office’s Legal and Policy team. Prior to joining the Office of the Investor Advocate, Marc served in several other SEC roles, including in the Division of Investment Management and the Office of the General Counsel. Before joining the SEC, Marc worked in private law practice where he counseled small businesses on corporate and transactional matters.
	Joe Sheirer* Senior Vice President for Corporate Financing and Advertising Regulation, FINRA Woodbridge, NJ  Joe is Senior Vice President, overseeing the Corporate Financing & Advertising Regulation teams at FINRA, a not-for-profit self-regulatory organization that regulates member brokerage firms and securities markets. Prior to his current role, Joe held various leadership roles within FINRA, including serving as the strategic advisor to the Member Supervision Firm Examination Program and serving as Director and Counsel to the Membership Application Program. Joe’s experience also includes prior roles in FINRA’s Continuing Education and Qualifications & Registration programs.
	Wendy Stevens Retired Partner, Forvis Mazars, LLP New York, NY Wendy is a retired Partner and former National Director of Professional Relations for Forvis Mazars, LLP, a public accounting firm. She also serves on the Center for Audit Quality’s Smaller Firm Task Force and is a Member of the International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board (IAASB). Prior to these roles, Wendy was a partner at a large multinational public accounting firm and a member of the Standing Advisory Group of the US Public Company Accounting Standards Board.

*Committee members include the SEC’s Advocate for Small Business Capital Formation (currently vacant), an observer appointed by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), and three non-voting members appointed by each of the SEC’s Investor Advocate, the Small Business Administration (SBA), and the North American Securities Administrators Association (NASAA).