Kerem Durdag
FOUNDER AND MANAGING PARTNER
Kerem Durdag, as executive leader of people and companies bringing out the best of their talents and aspirations, taking into consideration all stakeholders (he is a massive fan of B Corp and conscious capitalism) having over 25 years of experience directing world-class teams. Currently he is President and Chief Operating Officer of GWI (www.gwi.net), a leading ISP/telco in Maine. Previously he served as the Entrepreneur-In-Residence for the Maine Technology Institute. He was the CEO of a start-up (in the sensors market) leading it to growth and eventual acquisition by a public company. Another start-up he led (medical device and advanced materials) was sold in 2016 to a global Chinese company after he failed to sustain the growth trajectory. He has also been the CTO of a large US subsidiary of a public German semiconductor and optical media company and prior was the leader of the engineering department of an electronics company which went public. With an inherent strong bias towards action, Kerem also serves on several Boards and is a member of the Maine angel investing community.
Burak Sezen
PARTNER, MEMBER OF GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE
Burak Sezen is co-founder and partner at 6ixth Event Capital as well as founder at Sager Solutions where he invests in, consults and advises startups at different stages in their life cycles.
Burak has extensive experience in technology with a focus on product development. He started his career as a management consultant working for Fortune 500 companies. He then worked for a local healthcare startup with a successful exit. Following this experience, Burak co-founded, grew and successfully exited two data/analytics companies in the healthcare space.
Burak has a deep interest in helping new entrepreneurs realize their vision and potential while creating new opportunities for the local economy and strengthening the entrepreneurial ecosystem.
Burak has a Chemical Engineering degree from Bogazici University, Turkey and an MBA from the University of Southern Maine.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/burak-sezen-1b28763/
Wendy Blackwell-Moore
PARTNER, MEMBER OF GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE
Wendy is the founder and principal owner of Pine Pitch Consulting, a business focused on helping businesses act as a force for good in the world by implementing strategies that care for and empower workers, engage communities, sustain and rebuild the environment, and honor customers. She spent 17 years with TD Bank in various leadership roles spanning strategy, analytics, service delivery, and retail management. Born and raised in Maine, Wendy is passionate about supporting the local economy and leveraging her years of business experience to facilitate the long-term success of Maine entrepreneurs, especially those within the BIPOC community. She holds a BA from Saint Joseph’s College and is a graduate of The Next Economy MBA program focused on regenerative business practices and social enterprises. Wendy lives in Portland, Maine with her wife Liz and two inspiring children, Cecelia and Jude.
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/wendyblackwell-moore
Helen Sterling Coburn
PARTNER, MEMBER OF GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE
Helen is a corporate and securities attorney at Bernstein Shur, where she co-chairs the firm’s private capital group. In that role, she counsels start-up companies raising investment capital and also represents investors deploying funds.* Helen is committed to supporting companies that embrace conscious business principles (whether as benefit corporations or otherwise) and helping Maine build a diverse entrepreneurial ecosystem. Helen is also on the Board of Directors of Startup Maine, Inc., as well as the advisory board of several Maine-based enterprises. She was actively involved with the Boston College Immigration and Asylum Project during law school, and worked as a corporate immigration paralegal in San Francisco, CA prior to law school. She holds a BA from Dartmouth College and a JD from Boston College Law School. She lives in Cumberland, Maine with her husband and an energetic toddler.
*Helen is not serving as counsel to the Indus Fund or its investment committee.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/helen-sterling-coburn
Ben Willauer
PARTNER, MEMBER OF GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE
Ben has extensive background in business development, portfolio management, and leadership training. Currently he is assisting with the incubation of a variety of Impact investment projects in aquaculture, fisheries restoration and clean technology. Most recently Ben served as the Chief Development Officer for Whole Oceans, a $180mm land-based aquaculture development in Bucksport, Maine. After working with many Outward Bound schools for over ten years, he held several positions within the financial services industry, recently as the General Partner of Willauer Prosky and Willauer Asset Management, a governance-based, institutional hedge fund. Mr. Willauer is a founding trustee and was instrumental in the formation of the Hurricane Island Foundation and the Center for Science and Leadership on Hurricane Island – regarded as a groundbreaking educational campus with a focus on developing the scientific leaders of tomorrow. Additionally, Mr. Willauer has served on a variety of committees as a Trustee of the Maine Chapter of The Nature Conservancy. Mr. Willauer received a B.A. in Expeditionary Learning from the Gallatin School of Individualized Study at New York University and is a graduate of the Sea Education Association.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-willauer/