Investorideas.com has created a “Think Tank” comprised of some of the industry’s best to provide insight into current and future trends in their areas of expertise

Neil Budde – Media

Neil Budde 

Neil Budde joined DailyMe.com, a media and technology company specializing in personalization, after nearly 30 years of print and online news experience. He was founding editor and publisher of The Wall Street Journal Online and later vice president and editor in chief at Yahoo! News, Finance and Sports. His career began as an editor and/or reporter at The Richmond Times-Dispatch, The Louisville Courier-Journal, and USA Today. Budde earned a bachelor痴 degree in journalism from Western Kentucky University and an MBA from the University of Louisville. He sits on the boards of the Online News Association, the News Literacy Project and the First Amendment Coalition.

Neil Berlant – Water

Neil Berlant 

Fund Manager of the PFW Water Fund – Since 1968, Neil has been continuously involved in the investment banking industry, either as a principal, officer, or founder of several firms. He has supervised and initiated the publication of numerous investment research reports on the water industry and conducted conferences directed towards top corporate management, the investment community, and venture capitalists. He has been a speaker at conferences on topics ranging from financing, to business and investment opportunities in the water industry. In addition, he has consulted to Fortune 500 companies and participated in negotiations concerning mergers, acquisitions, and venture capital investments. He is quoted frequently in newspapers including the Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Investor’s Business Daily, and many others.

Neal Dikeman- Cleantech

Neal Dikeman 

Neal Dikeman is one of the founding partners of Jane Capital Partners LLC, an energy and technology merchant bank whose clients have included the technology arms of multinational energy companies. He is Chairman of Carbonflow, his fourth startup, and the third he has helped launch cross-border. He previously cofounded SC Power Systems, Inc. and its successor Zenergy Power plc (AIM:ZEN) in superconductor technology, helped launch WaiterPad POS Systems, Inc. in wireless hospitality POS solutions, and led the spin-out of Fideris, Inc. in fuel cell test & measurement. He has served as a director of several technology companies, edits the Cleantech Blog, named one of the 50 Best Business Blogs by London Times, and chairs Cleantech.org. He previously served as Director of Business Development for Globalgate, the parent company of Yellowpages.com, and as an associate at private equity fund manager Doyle & Boissiere. Before entering private equity, he began his career in energy investment banking at Bankers Trust, and has a B.A. from Texas A&M University.

Karl Miller- Energy

Karl Miller 

Mr. Miller is a globally recognized energy executive and institutional investor with a balance of both financial and energy sector expertise. Mr. Miller began his career on Wall Street during the 1980s and has an extensive background in banking, commodities trading and risk management.

Mr. Miller is acclaimed for multiple ground breaking market calls and investments, including the U.K switching from a net gas exporter to a net gas importer in 2000, called the California energy crisis in 2001,called the Ethanol and Bio diesel boom and bust in 2007, called the renewable energy boom and bust cycle underway in 2008, and most recently called the revival of natural gas in the United States in 2009.

Mr. Miller has a long history in the global energy business and has held a variety of executive management positions both within the United States, Europe and Asia. Mr. Miller has bid on over $25 billion in energy related assets during his career.

Mr. Miller has built, restructured and managed energy businesses for major public energy companies on several continents, including PG&E Corporation, Electricite de France, El Paso Energy, Enron Corporation and JPMorgan Chase.

Mr. Miller holds an MBA in Finance from the Kenan-Flagler Business School at The University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. Mr. Miller also holds a B.A. in Accounting from Catholic University located in Washington DC.

J. Peter Lynch – Solar

J. Peter Lynch 

Mr. Lynch has worked, for 33 years as a Wall Street security analyst, an investment banker and a private investor in small emerging technology companies. He has been actively involved in following developments in the renewable energy sector since 1977 and is regarded as an expert in this field. During this time he assisted a number of renewable energy companies with private placements and public offerings in the 1980’s, 1990’s and 2000’s and has raised over $600MM for renewable energy companies in the areas of: Photovoltaics, Solar Thermal, Wind and Biomass.

He was the contributing editor for 17 years to the Photovoltaic Insider Report, the first publication in Photovoltaics (PV) that was directed at industrial subscribers, such as major energy companies, utilities and governments around the world.

Jonathan B. Smith

Jonathan B. Smith 

Jonathan B. Smith is a President & CFO at Wave Dispersion Technologies, Inc.
(“WDT”), The Global Leader in Maritime Homeland Port Security Barrier & Buoy Protection Systems. He is responsible for all of WDT痴 finance, marketing and government affairs activities. He has been actively involved in the Homeland Security field for over 10 years and has extensive security international security experience.

Prior to joining WDT, he worked at several investment banking firms including JP Morgan & Co., Deutsche Bank, and accounting firm Arthur Andersen, LLP. While working in the investment banking field, he was actively involved in various strategic planning, treasury and financing roles.

He is an expert in Internet marketing strategy and is a recognized expert on the subject. He has utilized these skills to market WDT’s products on a global basis. He is also the editor of the Maritime Homeland Security and Force Protection Blog. In addition, he has used his Internet skills to give back to the community, raising over $500,000 online for deserving charities, since 2002.

He is a graduate of Michigan State University (Homeland Security Certificate Program), Wesleyan University (BA Social Studies), and the University of Hartford (MS Accounting).

Mitchell Manoff- Investment Banking/Finance

Mitchell Manoff 

Mitchell Manoff is the co-founder of Corinthian Partners LLC a 13 year old New York based Investment Banking/Asset Management firm. Prior to founding Corinthian he spent 14 years at Lehman Brothers.

The sectors that he focuses on in the corporate finance devision are alternative energy and digital media. Recently he helped arrange financing for 2 of Ontario, Canada’s largest wind farm, over 225 mega watts. Among his internet successes were Edgetrade and Vault, sold to strategic and financial investors respectively. He also is in charge of the firm’s wealth management division, which services family offices, institutional and high net worth customers.

Mr Manoff co-manages the firm’s partnerships with The Hatchery, a New York based venture collaborator and SecondMarket a platform for the buying and selling of illiquid assets. Currently he is focusing on matching successful management teams with corporate spinnoffs and turnaround opportunities.

He also teaches Venture Financing at Baruch in New York where he received his MBA. He has a B.S. in B.A. from Boston University.