CEO FORUM – 12.16.15 HCARS

(left) Brad Lehrman (mid) Paul Wagner (right) Kieran Folliard

Paul Wagner speaking to the 75+ second-stage CEOs

Sponsor Mark Ethen of Northeast Bank

Accessing Capital to Grow Your Company:
Resources for Second-Stage Businesses

Brad Lehrman is a co-founder of MOJO Minnesota and a former venture capitalist fund manager. He is an “entrepreneurial venture attorney,” focusing on business law, securities law and finance strategy for private emerging technology growth companies. Previous experience allows Mr. Lehrman to leverage his unique business and legal perspectives to counsel and advocate for clients. He counsels a broad array of companies who offer software, medical devices, biotech and health sciences, telecommunications, publishing, semiconductor technology and information technology. As an insightful businessman who just happens to be an attorney, he knows how to assemble the right team to help businesses develop and grow.

A native of Ireland, Kieran Folliard began his US career over 15 years ago with a string of restaurants and bars in the Twin Cities area. In 2011, he sold his food and drink empire and launched an Irish whiskey dubbed 2 Gingers (in honor of his red-headed mother and aunt). A year later, the company was purchased by Beam, the distilled spirits giant. He remains a coast-to-coast ambassador for the fast-growing brand. His latest venture is the Food Building, where Folliard has brought together a collection of talented and quality-oriented artisanal food producers in a brewery-like setting.

After joining the sales department of Minnesota Wire in 1985, Paul Wagner is now the chairman and CEO of the company. He has expanded the company’s market to include medical, defense, industrial, and commercial sectors and has provided strategic direction to help the business evolve into a high technology development house, primarily through federal research and development grants. He developed Minnesota Wire’s subsidiary Minnesota Med-Equip, as a joint venture with Primordial, and was a founding member of Minnesota’s Manufacturers Alliance and Leaders Alliance. Mr. Wagner holds a bachelor’s degree in business from the University of Saint Thomas.