Over a decade ago, Mr. Finkel gathered his colleagues in the Chicago financial community to taste unique craft beer for an annual tradition known as “Novemberfest.” He is now pioneering the effort to place naturally sourced flavor at the forefront of craft brewing. As a refugee of the corporate world, his career spans 25 years of providing capital and support to growing companies. Mr. Finkel founded Prism Capital, a Chicago-based private investment firm, overseeing a total of 40 portfolio companies with $190 million under management. He is also a founder and former Chairman of the Illinois Venture Capital Association. Mr. Finkel has funded the development of the not-for-profit Center for Nutritional Literacy (in formation), served on the Junior Achievement Board of Chicago, and is active on the Governing Board for the Bulletin for the Atomic Scientists. Mr. Finkel is the author of “The Masters of Private Equity and Venture Capital” (McGraw Hill Business Books), which showcases lessons learned by 10 of the country’s most notable venture capital and private equity investors. Mr. Finkel earned a BA from The Johns Hopkins University, and an MBA from Harvard Business School.
