From mentorship to funding and everything in between, our dynamic team of entrepreneurial advisors partner with founders to grow their start-ups into market-leading businesses.
Our Team
- Fatih OzmenCo-FounderFatih OzmenCo-Founder
Fatih Ozmen was born and raised in Turkey, yet this dynamic entrepreneur has come to embody the American dream. Today, Fatih is the owner and CEO of Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC), one of America’s fastest growing private companies with a reputation for rapid, innovative and agile technology solutions. Fatih joined SNC in 1981 with a broad engineering background culminating with a M.S. degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Nevada, Reno. With a strong vision for the future of SNC, Fatih Ozmen and his wife Eren Ozmen acquired the company in 1994 and set their plans in motion to expand and grow. With the Ozmens at the helm, SNC has grown from a small company of 20 employees, to a full-service systems integrator with over 3,000 personnel in 34 locations worldwide.
Awards
World's Top 10 Most Innovative Companies in Space, Fast CompanyAmerica's Fastest-Growing Private Companies, Inc.Tier 1 Superior Supplier for U.S. Air ForceAerospace Company of the YearAviation Entrepreneurs of the YearLiving Legends of AviationEllis Island Medal of HonorTop 10 Most Influential Turkish-Americans, TurkOfAmericaDistinguished Business of the YearFamily Owned Business Award -- Nevada Business MagazineHonorary Doctorate of Science -- University of Nevada, Reno (2016) - Eren OzmenCo-FounderEren OzmenCo-Founder
Eren Ozmen came to the United States from Turkey to pursue higher education in the United States. She arrived with limited English skills and scant finances. With a strong vision of the future, Eren and her husband Fatih Ozmen acquired Sierra Nevada Corporation in 1994. As a direct result of their strategic planning efforts, they proceeded to successfully acquire 19 additional electronics firms. SNC now operates in many diverse fields including Human Space Flight, Nanotechnology, Cyber, Net-Centric Operations, Microsatellites, Energy, and Telemedicine. With the Ozmen’s at helm, SNC has grown into the Top Woman-Owned Federal Contractor in the United States.
Awards
World's Top 10 Most Innovative Companies in Space, Fast CompanyAmerica's Fastest-Growing Private Companies, Inc.Tier 1 Superior Supplier for U.S. Air ForceAerospace Company of the YearTop Women-Owned U.S. Government ContractorFastest Growing Women-Owned Company in North AmericaAviation Entrepreneurs of the YearLiving Legends of AviationMost Influential Turkish-American Woman, No. 2 TurkOfAmericaTop 10 Most Influential Turkish Americans, TurkOfAmericaTop Woman-Owned Firm for excellence in using innovative information technology solutionsWomen Role Model of the YearDistinguished Business of the YearFamily Owned Business Award -- Nevada Business MagazineHonorary Doctorate of Science -- University of Nevada, Reno (2016) - Kerem OzmenPrincipalKerem OzmenPrincipal
Kerem Ozmen has deep experience across a wide range of sectors, including telemedicine, mechanical engineering, information technologies, program management, and business development. With this broad expertise, he is an opportunistic investor who is open to investing in a range of industries in both for-profit and social impact sectors.
As Principal and Managing Director of Ozmen Ventures, Kerem is always on the lookout for the next great idea in the Northern Nevada region that will make an impact on the world. Ozmen Ventures is an exciting component of the revitalization of Reno, and Kerem is proud to be part of that story.
Kerem’s role as Junior Partner with Kairos Society Ventures is an embodiment of his dedication to companies that problem solve society’s most urgent needs and are committed to social missions. Support spans from giving a stage for founders to share their venture with the world with the Kairos 50 to funding breakout companies directly through the Kairos Fund.
Kerem is a graduate of the University of Nevada, Reno, where he majored in business management.
- Chris HowardAdvsiorChris HowardAdvsior
Chris Howard is the Director of the Ozmen Center for Entrepreneurship and is also a faculty member, overseeing Entrepreneurship academic curriculum at the University of Nevada, Reno. Over the past 37 years as a corporate principal or venture capital partner, Chris has bought, sold, and/or invested in 28 companies. He is the current CEO and Principal of NorthStar Investors, specializing in the provision of operational guidance and devising technical, financial and economic strategies. In addition to his focus on funding and growing start-up companies, Chris was formerly a CFO/COO of two publicly reporting companies, and a consultant with two national CPA firms.
- Stuart FeuginAdvisorStuart FeuginAdvisor
Stuart Feigin is a Chairman and Principal at NorthStar Investors Inc. At the age of 31, Stuart was the fifth employee of Oracle Corporation, where he was one of the original product designers and programmers, and managed a diverse set of business management functions through the company’s founding stages. Prior to that, Stuart also served as a Programmer at Trilogy Systems, Amdahl Corporation, USC Information Sciences Institute, and UCLA. He was the Founding Limited Partner of Nevada Ventures, LLC. Stuart has also been a Limited Partner of venture capital and private equity funds of Goldman Sachs Mezzanine Partners II, the Entrepreneur’s Growth Fund, Goldman Sachs Private Equity Partners, the Goldman Sachs Exchange Fund, the Deutsche Bank Exchange Fund, and BT Alex Brown Private Equity Fund I L.P.
- Tanya MccafferyAdvisorTanya MccafferyAdvisor
Tanya Mccaffery is the President of The CFO Group Inc., an outsourced chief financial officer consulting firm, and is a Certified Public Accountant in the state of Nevada. Prior to 2002, Tanya was a Senior Auditor with Grant Thornton, an international accounting and auditing firm. Tanya also currently serves as Interim Chief Financial Officer and Principal Accountant of Specialty Trust Inc.
- Greg MosierAdvisorGreg MosierAdvisor
Greg Mosier is the current Dean of the Business School at the University of Nevada, Reno. Dean Mosier's responsibilities have included leadership and administrative responsibilities for 55 tenured and tenure track faculty, total of approximately 130 instructors and staff and approximately 2300 students at the undergraduate and graduate levels. He has also led College strategic planning with initiatives in student success, sustainability (including economic development and entrepreneurship) and global and international studies.
Community Connections
Ozmen Center for Entrepreneurship
Developing entrepreneurial capacities and fostering the creation of ideas and new enterprise among students and faculty of the University of Nevada, Reno and members of the Northern Nevada community.