contributors

With more than a decade of diverse design experience, Jonathan Mayer and his team at the Innovation Companies meet and exceed, client expectations. Drawing from a background in the music and fashion industries, advertising agencies and design studios, we have the unique ability to create sophisticated, original concepts that exemplify innovation. Serving a wide a variety of clients, including Microsoft, the NHL, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, UC Irvine, and many discerning individuals, the Innovation Companies always strive to make a statement.

Our full-service design studio provides unique solutions for traditional branding, marketing and packaging, with your goals in mind. With a clean, straightforward, less-is-more perspective to high-end, intricate looks with unexpected materials, we develop truly distinctive products that make a statement about the message you are sending.

Keely Ng, a seasoned marketing and branding professional, works with organizations to develop and execute powerful marketing communications that build brands, improve sales, and enhance consumer awareness of an organization and its products. With over a decade of experience in sales and marketing, Keely brings a keen understanding of the sales and marketing processes of consumer products, technology, and business service organizations. She brings to her clients a fresh perspective and an expertise in brand strategy, copywriting, marketing and sales communications, website development, and online and offline marketing strategy.

Keely began her career in the digital music space as an account manager for Vivendi Universal’s digital music properties. It was here that she managed the development and execution of multi-million dollar advertising campaigns for such organizations as Clairol, Volkswagen, M&M Mars, and Microsoft.

In search of training in the traditional consumer products space, she went on to manage a sales territory for Group Danone’s biscuit division, LU Cookies, where she worked to increase sales, improve brand awareness, and build the market penetration the brand. Keely then went on to lead the sales and marketing efforts for one of the largest baby furniture brands in the United States, Million Dollar Baby, where she positioned the company for a $40+ million increase in annual sales over the next 3 years. In a move to hone her skills in the business to business space, Keely moved into the benefits consulting arena where she acted as the head of Sales and Marketing for Precept. Following a transition out of the corporate arena, she now operates as an independent marketing consultant.

Keely’s educational background includes a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from Union College in Schenectady, New York. She is a committed volunteer to many charitable organizations including the Junior League of Orange County and Mariners Church.

Eric Nicoll, founder of Azure Pacific Event Management, is a Southern California native whose career in special events began 17 years ago. While attending the University of Southern California, Eric volunteered at The Make-A-Wish Foundation's annual gala. During the planning stages of the event Eric's passion for special events was discovered. An exciting career soon followed where Eric worked for two National non-profits as Director of Special Events. Eric then experienced the corporate side of meeting and event planning and served as Vice President of Sales & Marketing for one of Orange County's top event design and production firms. From there, Eric was offered the opportunity to launch the Newport Beach office of one of Los Angeles' premiere catering companies. Two years later, with the support of industry colleagues and clients, Eric fulfilled his dream of owning his own firm. In May of 2004, Azure Pacific Event Management was launched. With a commitment to create and execute cutting edge events and meetings on a global scale, Eric brings his expertise in sales and marketing, design, management, logistics and operations to every event.

David Young concentrates in the representation of emerging growth companies and the venture capital firms, strategic investors and investment banks that finance these companies. In addition to providing strategic counseling, his practice encompasses venture capital financings, public offerings, mergers and acquisitions, equity compensation matters, SEC reporting and disclosure, intellectual property licensing, complex corporate partnering transactions and corporate governance. He represents both public companies and private venturebacked companies in the technology, life sciences and media/entertainment sectors and also frequently represents venture capital firms and other investors in financings and underwriters in public offerings. Over his career, Mr. Young has practiced for a considerable period of time in each of San Diego, Los Angeles, Palo Alto and Seattle and is able to leverage his familiarity and contacts in these various markets to the benefit of his clients.

Mr. Young has represented issuers and underwriters in IPOs and other public offerings of companies such as Aastrom Biosciences, Inc. (ASTM), Corixa Corporation (CRXA), GeoCities (acquired by YHOO), JDA Software Group, Inc. (JDAS), Onvia.com, Inc. (ONVI) and Pericom Semiconductor Corporation (PSEM). Managing underwriters Mr. Young has represented in these offerings include Goldman, Sachs & Co. and Credit Suisse First Boston.

Mr. Young’s venture capital financing experience includes representation of companies and investors in well over 100 financings, constituting over $1 billion in aggregate proceeds. The lead investors in these financings have included a diverse set of funds such as Alpine Capital, Arrowpath Venture Partners, BankAmerica Ventures, Clearstone Venture Partners, CMEA Ventures, Constellation Ventures, DFJ Frontier Fund, Draper Fisher Jurvetson, Financial Technology Ventures, Foundation Capital, Hambro-Grantham, Hummer Winblad Venture Partners, Intermedia Partners, Internet Capital Group, Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, Mobius Venture Capital, Mohr Davidow Ventures, Odyssey Venture Partners, Pacific Horizon Ventures, Palomar Ventures, Polaris Ventures, Rustic Canyon Ventures, Sciens Capital Partners, Shelter Capital, Shepherd Ventures, Smart Technology Ventures, Spectrum Equity and Zone Ventures.

These venture capital financings have also involved a number of strategic investors, such as Babcock & Brown, Corixa Corporation, Dow Chemical, eBay Inc., Intel Corporation, J&J Development Corporation, Mailboxes Etc. USA, Inc., NewsAmerica Corporation, Siemens Corporation, Synopsys Inc., Vignette Corporation and Warner Music Group Inc.

Mr. Young’s mergers and acquisitions experience includes the representation of numerous companies in sell-side transactions, constituting successful liquidity events for his clients. In addition, Mr. Young has represented acquirors such as Accrue Software, Inc. (ACRU), Applied Wave Research, Inc., Corixa Corporation (CRXA), Deluxe Laboratories, Inc., HearMe (HEAR), JDA Software Group, Inc. (JDAS), QAD Inc. (QAD), QUALCOMM Incorporated (QCOM) and Yahoo! Inc.

(YHOO). Notable recent acquisition transactions include the representation of Casden Baseball LLC in connection with its bid to purchase Los Angeles Dodgers Baseball, Inc. and QUALCOMM Incorporated in its $600 million acquisition of Flarion Technologies, Inc.

Mr. Young’s licensing and corporate partnering experience includes the representation of companies in significant transactions and joint ventures with parties such as AOL Time Warner, eBay Inc., FOX Digital, the National Hockey League, Sprint Corporation and Synopsys Inc., as well as license agreements with various universities, research organizations, pharmaceutical companies and other entities.

Nick Hobson has experience in a wide range of corporate and finance transactions including venture capital financing, debt financing, international joint ventures, cross-border mergers and acquisitions, post-transaction integration and general corporate matters. He has represented clients in such diverse fields as technology, media, financial services, life sciences, telecommunications and hospitality.

Mr. Hobson’s venture capital financing experience includes representation of both investors and companies in various stages of their lifecycle. Investors in these financings have included funds such as Domain Associates, Mayfield Fund, D.E. Shaw & Co. and Crosscut Ventures, as well as several strategic investors. With respect to debt finance, Mr. Hobson represents both borrowers and lenders in a variety of domestic and international commercial lending transactions, including syndicated and single lender loans, and cash flow and asset-based credit facilities.

Mr. Hobson has represented companies in a variety of international transactions, such as joint ventures with foreign investors, including sovereign wealth funds, and sell-side transactions involving foreign purchasers. His international background and experience are particularly valuable for clients in these types of transactions.

Mr. Hobson also advises corporate clients and their boards of directors with respect to corporate governance, corporate finance and various other related matters.