First working together at Wells Fargo Bank in the 1980s, Bill and Tom have recently formatted their capital-raising knowledge into a series of fast-paced training workshops. In a master class setting for serious entrepreneurs only, they reveal the practical secrets of successful partnering between entrepreneurs and their professional investors.

BILL FISHER

Bill Fisher is an accomplished bank executive and serial entrepreneur whose business building work has been featured in the New York Times and the American Banker, as well as in case studies used at the Stanford University Graduate School of Business.  In the 1980’s,  Bill managed Wells Fargo’s Silicon Valley region,  achieving a top performance ranking within the bank as he rode the early meteoric growth of the valley’s now famous entrepreneurial culture.  Promoted to Executive Vice-President,  Bill next managed Wells Fargo’s $12 billion Northern California Division, with responsibility for mass market, wealth management, and the small business market.  Witnessing first-hand the life cycle of thousands of small businesses, Bill concluded that timely access to capital was the most critical factor to their long-term success, and that too little attention was paid to learning the fundamentals of capital raising.

Founding his own first business,  GetSmart.com, in 1995,  Bill began to establish a systematic methodology for tapping the capital markets in financing early stage companies.  His blue-chip investors include Goldman Sachs, Time-Warner, and J. P. Morgan, as well as angel investors, strategic investors, and prominent Silicon Valley venture capitalists like Tom Proulx, founder of Intuit. 

THOMAS J. POWELL

Tom Powell, entrepreneur and finance executive began his career with Wells Fargo Bank when he was recruited in the 1988 for a management position in business banking for the Silicon Valley market. He was instrumental in the development and initial application of Wells Fargo’s Officer Sales Training programs, led two separate branch offices to top 5 overall rankings out of 140 offices, and in 1990 was named as one of the youngest Vice Presidents in the Company’s 140 year history.

In 1999 Mr. Powell founded and led the growth of ELP Capital, Inc, a multi-billion dollar mortgage banking company. Additionally Mr. Powell serves as the Senior Managing Director for ELP Capital’s affiliated investment company - ELP Capital Advisors, a Registered Investment Advisor for the ELP Capital Family of Funds, Institutional Investors, and wealthy individuals. Tom has placed $1 Billion + of investment grade mortgages with institutional/agency investors and has raised $100 Million + in capital through various private placement vehicles. He is a widely sought after speaker, international guest lecturer, and is an Instructor in the Office of Executive Education at Harvard University.