Our Advisors
Jack Bader
President – NetEffects Inc.
Jack Bader has always been an entrepreneur. Jack initially focused his career on niche segments that showcased his technical creativity. Years before IBM introduced their PC; he pioneered the creation of PC based accounting systems that powered his small business clients to significant growth. In 1979, Jack founded his first IT consulting company. In the early 80’s, partnering with AT&T, he formed the first local IT consulting company to specialize in the emerging UNIX market, which after substantial growth he sold in the mid 90’s. He went on to form NetEffects in 1995. Working with Fortune 500 firms throughout the United States and various foreign countries, NetEffects provides a broad spectrum of niche consulting skills. NetEffects has grown to be one of the largest privately held IT consulting firms in the St. Louis region. His most recently created company is XperienceLab, a consultancy focused on user-centered and measurable digital solutions in the web/mobile space.
Jack is an instrument rated private pilot and has been involved with the X PRIZE Foundation since 1998 and as a Trustee since 2005. In 2002 he served as Assistant Flight Director for Erik Lindberg’s 75th anniversary flight across the Atlantic. For the 2004 Ansari X PRIZE, he was the Director of Infrastructure, responsible for all Internet and Webcast technical areas.
Jack earned a BS in Computer Science from the University of Pennsylvania in 1974, graduating in the first class to receive this newly created degree.
Brad Bishop
Chief Investment Officer – The Staenberg Group
Brad Bishop serves as Chief Investment Officer of the Staenberg Group where is advises the founder of the firm, his family, and family foundation on both liquid and private investments. Brad has more than three decades’ experience in the financial services industry – the prior twenty of those years dealing directly with high net worth individuals and their families. Most recently, he was a partner at Matter Family Office where he maintains a consulting relationship and is a member of their investment committee. Prior to 2011 he served as Director of Family Office Investments at the Commerce Trust Company, where he managed in excess of $1.4 billion of client assets. Earlier in his career, he helped establish the Trust Company at TIAA, managing endowment and planned giving assets and leading the investment division of its Wealth Management segment.
Brad carries his professionalism and leadership through to his community service. Currently he serves on the Investment Committee of Forest Park Forever and is on the Friends Board of St. Louis Public Radio/KWMU. He is a past Board Chair for the Animal Protective Association of Missouri, and a past Board Chair of the St. Louis Center for Hearing and Speech. Brad is an avid reader and enjoys running and cycling.
Mark Burkhart
Former CEO – Cassidy Turley
Mark Burkhart, a native St. Louisan, is a nationally recognized leader and expert in commercial real estate.
He spent his entire 38-year career — 25 years as CEO — leading Cassidy Turley from a small St. Louis firm to one of the nation’s largest full-service commercial real estate firms with offices in virtually all major markets in the United States. Under Mark’s leadership, Cassidy Turley served many of the nation’s Fortune 500 companies and largest institutional owners of commercial real estate. Cassidy Turley is now part of Cushman & Wakefield.
Mark is now managing principal of Burkhill Real Estate, LLC, a national real estate investment firm, acquiring commercial real estate properties and providing asset management of office, highly industrial, and retail projects. He provides real estate advisory services through MEB Ventures, LLC, to corporate and charitable entities, developing and implementing strategic plans for their current and future real estate acquisitions.
Committed to serving the community for many years, Mark currently serves on numerous boards throughout the St. Louis area including the Greater St. Louis Area Council-Boy Scouts of America, The United Way of Greater St. Louis, Variety Club—The Children’s Charity.
He also serves on the Chancellor’s Counsel for University of Missouri-St. Louis and the Strategic Development Board of the Trulaske School ofBusiness for University of Missouri-Columbia.
Charles Wainman Burson
Former Executive Vice President – Monsanto
Charles Wainman Burson was a legal counsel and Chief of Staff to the Vice President of the United States under Al Gore. He assumed the position of legal counsel from Kumiki Gibson in February 1997 after serving almost a decade as Tennessee Attorney General. In 1999 Charles Burson became Gore’s Chief of Staff, replacing Ron Klain who resigned in August of that year.
Before joining the White House, Charles Burson held a variety of public and private roles. From 1970 until 1988, he worked in private practice as a lawyer. He briefly flirted with active politics in 1978 when he lost a race to Republican Ed Williams for the East Memphis seat in the Tennessee House of Representatives. In 1988 he was appointed the Tennessee Attorney General. In this capacity, Burson served on a number of public legal bodies. He was a member of the Tennessee Board of Law Examiners, of the Tennessee Code Commission and of the Commission on the Future of the Judicial System. Burson also represented the state several times before the Supreme Court of the United States. One notable case he argued was Burson v. Freeman, which established a state’s ability to regulate election advertising on voting day.
After his time in the White House, Burson served as Executive Vice President and General Counsel to the global agribusiness corporation, Monsanto. He presently resides in St. Louis, Missouri and teaches at the Washington University School of Law.
Todd Siwak
Chief Executive Officer – Ferrara Candy Company
Todd Siwak is the Chief Executive Officer of Ferrara Candy Company, an affiliate of Ferrero Group, one of the largest global confectionery business.
Todd oversees the strategic direction of the Chicago-based $2 billion dollar confectionery company. With more than 4,000 employees in nearly 20 offices and facilities across North America, Ferrara is the third-largest confections company in the country, the No. 1 player in seasonal non-chocolate and the No. 2 player in non-chocolate confections. In 2018, Ferrara and Ferrero completed the acquisition of the U.S. Nestlé confection business, positioning the company for its next phase of dynamic growth.
Under his leadership, Ferrara has experienced significant branded revenue and profit growth due in large to organizational restructuring, product revitalizations and the elimination of operational inefficiencies. The company remains one of the fastest growing in the category and, in 2018, is on pace to outgrow the category 2.5X.
Prior to joining Ferrara, Todd was an operating partner at L Catterton, the largest consumer goods-focused private equity group in the world. During his tenure he worked across multiple portfolio companies to optimize business performance, resulting in numerous successful outcomes. Prior to L Catterton, he was the President and Co-Founder of TRG Accessories, a multi-million dollar luggage, travel gear and accessories company with notable consumer brands including Swiss Army, Timberland and Callaway Golf. Driven by his expertise in business insights, sales, marketing and innovation, the company grew to be a 150 million dollar-plus global business in four years and, in 2002, Todd was named Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year.
Early in his career Todd was a practicing Mergers and Acquisition attorney, and made the transition to the consumer packaged goods sector where he held positions in the areas of distribution, operations, sales, marketing and acquisitions.
Todd is a passionate supporter and advocate of community betterment, and has served on numerous nonprofit boards that focus on revitalizing and enriching local communities. He also serves on several for-profit consumer packaged goods company and private equity boards.
A native of Missouri, he holds a J.D. from St. Louis University School of Law and a B.S. in economics from the University of Missouri-Columbia.
John Virant
Principal – Eidelman Virant Capital
John Virant is a principal at Eidelman Virant Capital, where he focuses on portfolio management and strategic development. Concurrently, he serves as President of leading independent music label Rounder Records, a position he has held for fourteen years. Prior to that he was Rounder’s General Counsel and has been with the company since graduating from law school in 1992. During his tenure at Rounder, John has cultivated and worked with music artists such as 26-time actor/author/musician Steve Martin, and legendary rock group Rush.
John has served on the board of the New York Chapter of NARAS (Grammy Awards) and Folk Alliance International. He has been active in GreenLight Fund, a venture capital firm for non-profit organizations.
John is a graduate of St. Louis Priory School, New York University, and Harvard Law School. John lives with his wife and teenage daughter in Clayton. In his free time, he enjoys listening to music and running.