John G. Gustafson, CFA - Prior to founding Ideation Ventures in 2005, John Gustafson spent nearly a dozen years with two Midwestern-based venture capital funds focused on early and growth stage companies.  His portfolio companies spanned a wide range of industries, including software, manufacturing, financial services, distribution, and telecommunications.  In addition to originating deal flow, coordinating due diligence and serving on the boards of portfolio companies, John's role often included tackling Acting CFO/COO roles and assisting with subsequent financing rounds for portfolio companies.  His experience with portfolio company exits includes initial public offerings, mergers with publicly-traded entities, and acquisitions by public and private entities. In addition to earning the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation, John is a graduate of the Kellogg Graduate School at Northwestern University (MBA in Management and Strategy) and the University of Nebraska - Lincoln (BS in Accounting).  He serves as a director on the boards of Invest Nebraska Corporation and the Midlands Venture Forum.

Michele D. Frost - Prior to joining the firm in October 2008, Michele was previously involved with many aspects of corporate and non-profit operations. This included community relations roles as well as bookkeeping responsibilities for early stage companies. Michele earned a BA degree in English from Southern Methodist University.

Strategic Advisors - To assemble the requisite knowledge to serve a broad spectrum of privately-held companies, we leverage a pool of strategic advisors who work on specific projects based on their areas of expertise.  This pool of talent provides the flexibility to serve a wide range of client needs, from biotechnology and technology start-ups to acquisitions of later stage, cash flow positive companies.

Those interested in joining our team can submit their resumes to info@ideationventures.com.