Leading Equity Expert David Drake at MaiTai Maui Kitesurfing week with top 100 Venture Capitalists

MAUI, Hawaii - May 21, 2014 - PRLog -- David Drake, Founder and Chairman of LDJ Capital and The Soho Loft, was in Maui, Hawaii for an event guaranteed to be the perfect blend of work and play, making both one and the same.As one of New York’s leading equity experts, David attended  the  recently concluded  MaiTai Global’s kitesurfing event with 100 top Venture Capitalists.

Bill Tai, an angel investor, VC and kitesurfing expert with friend Susi Mai, a professional kiteboarder, started the MaiTai Global organization as a platform to promote and address environmental concerns, especially on ocean conservation and related ecosystems. The kite camps at MaiTai Global are designed for entrepreneurs, innovators as well as athletes.

David’s participation in the MaiTai Global kitesurfing is  a refreshing breather amidst his very busy schedule. His participation also fully echoes the view of many other leading Venture Capitalists which is “to the truly engaged, work and play are one and the same," giving this group of elite entrepreneurs the opportunity to ride the wind and the waves, surfing across the water. David and his fellow venture capitalists fully savoured and enjoyed being pulled against the wind by their large kites while they ride the waves of Maui. Kiteboarding, the sport for risk takers, brought together venture capitalists and entrepreneurs in Maui, now a much sought-after destination and meeting point for some of the brightest entrepreneurial minds in the world. “Being in Maui for this event is my pleasure. I  believe that any opportunity to work and indulge in meaningful recreation together with VCs is one to be enjoyed fully,” says David.

The challenge in Hawaii is finding technology companies as they build out the incubator and accelerator industry. Today,  more and more technology is coming from this market. Presently, The Soho Loft is focusing work in Hawaii by partnering with the Hawaii State Regulators to help technology firms grow. An alliance has also been formed between Hawaii VC Association  with leading family offices in Asia for the West meets East fall conference  to look at realty and technology investments combined with EB5 programs. The Soho Loft is also a part of the Hawaii International Film Festival and the Hawaii Fashion Week.

Nick Bicanic and Arben Kryeziu, founders of Mbloom Ventures LLC, the first startup incubator and technology fund in Hawaii, together with Hawaii VC Association and the Hawaii State Regulators,  organized the star-studded gala event called MaiTai 2014 Maui Tech Night on 15 May 2014 at the Maui Country Club in Paia for the kitesurfing VCs. The Tech Night is a kick-off event to the Maui Startup Weekend held May 16-18, 2014.  The event  is part of  MaiTai Global’s Extreme Tech Challenge - an international competition search  for emerging tech entrepreneurs.

An investors’ pitch was held during the night. Five firms from the promising list of local startups pitched, with the chance to raise up to $500,000 seed investment money.  The investors’ pitch was judged by Padma Rao, Silicon Valley marketing guru that held leadership roles with Zynga, Netflix, Gap and Sephora as well as advisory roles with various venture capital funds; Reichart Von Wolfsheild, the creator of over 120 consumer products for Disney, Apple, Mattel, Microsoft, Bally and Boeing;  Jamie Dinkelacker, the Maui-based Director of Engineering and co-founder of Google’s Niantic Labs and member of the University of Hawaii Maui College Advisory Board; Christine Herron, Silicon Valley investor and entrepreneur, and the current Director of Intel Capital and Venture Advisor at 500 Startups; as well as Loic Le Meur, a venture partner at Wellington Ventures and Seesmic’s founder and CEO.

Vantage Sports, a local sports technology startup, won the pitching competition. The prize will enable Vantage Sports to raise the $500,000 from registered CrowdAlliance investors. Moreover, Vantage will get due diligence, advisory and network benefits of platform membership, specialist professional services which are beyond the bootstrapped budgets of lean startups. Brett McDonald, Vantage Sports Founder and CEO, says, “It was an amazing experience to pitch at Maui Tech Night. Connecting the growing tech community of Hawaii with such an elite group of investors, founders and influencers benefits both groups.”

Arben Kryeziu, co-founder and general partner of Mbloom, commented “Maui Tech Night was a showcase of Maui’s inner entrepreneurial spirit. My sincere thanks and aloha go to all who contributed and attended – you made it one of the great milestones for our common vision. Congratulations to Brett, and Vantage Sports, who stepped up to the plate and convinced the panel that his idea deserves investor’s backing.”

Bill Tai said, "Mbloom is the principal catalyst in creating depth in the community of technology focused entrepreneurs on Maui and across Hawaii. The quality of participants, attendees and companies present at Maui Tech night was fantastic."

About David Drake: David Drake is an innovator, equity expert and highly accomplished individual. He is also the owner of LDJ Capital, a family office which has a $10 million mandate with a Hawaii state-regulated tech seed fund and with a history as a Limited partner and General partner in VC funds and private equity funds.

About The Soho Loft  (www.thesoholoft.com)

The Soho Loft - The Voice of Capital Formation - is a global financial media company with three divisions in Corporate Communications, Publishing, and Expos & Conferences.

As The Voice of Capital Formation, The Soho Loft Media Group  is your global communications partner for your equity and investment strategies.

For inquiries, contact press@thesoholoft.com or call 212.845.9652

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