CorpGov hosted the second LA CorpGov Forum on Sept. 18, 2026, at The Huntington Library in San Marino, California. This event brought together members of the financial community from both LA and beyond in panels focused on the finance of entertainment and media, sports, along with capital markets and shareholder activism.
Panel: Venture Capital and PE: A California Perspective on Governance
- Ryan Keating, Partner, Industry Leader, Venture Services, EisnerAmper
- Brent Granado, Partner, Sweetwater Private Equity
- Thomas Courtney, Jr., President and CEO, The Courtney Group
- Jarrett Banks, Editor-at-Large, CorpGov (Moderator)
Main Topics of Discussion:
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AI is creating a governance gap: Startups are scaling so quickly that tiny companies can have huge valuations, government contracts, and global operations before building basic financial controls or experienced boards.
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Board expertise must evolve with company complexity: Early boards need technology and market expertise, but increasingly also require cybersecurity, finance, risk, compliance, and governance experience.
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Governance should start before institutional funding: Founders should establish clean books, documentation, decision processes, cap tables, and board communication early—especially because investors expect disciplined controls once they invest.
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Avoid common structural mistakes: Panelists highlighted problematic 50/50 founder splits, undocumented equity promises, poorly structured advisory agreements, excessive upfront equity, and complicated dual-class/founder-control arrangements.
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Choose investors and board members carefully: Investors and directors become long-term partners, so founders should vet them for relevant expertise, alignment, and willingness to add value.
Speakers and Notable Attendees
- Paul Haaga, Former Chairman, Capital Research and Management Company; Chair of the Board, The Ralph M. Parsons Foundation; Board Director, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution
- Jason Alejandre, President, Founder and Creative Director, Game Mechanic Studios (GMS)
- Nicolle Brady, Managing Director, Protiviti
- David Carter, Principal, The Sports Business Group
- Travis Cloyd, Director of Digital Research Entertainment Arts Media Storytelling, California Institute of the Arts
- Thomas Courtney, Jr., President and CEO, The Courtney Group
- Dick Drobnick, Former USC Vice Provost for Globalization and IBEAR MBA Program Director, Asia Society Southern California Chairman Emeritus
- Daphna Edwards Ziman, Co-Chairman, Project Rise Partners
- Jon Feldman, Partner and Business Law Group Head, Goodmans LLP
- Joseph Fish, CEP, Managing Director, Stock Operations, Infinite Equity
- Baird Fogel, Head of Global Sports Practice, Partner, Eversheds-Sutherland
- Noah Francis, Banker, J.P. Morgan Private Bank
- Brent Granado, Partner, Sweetwater Private Equity
- Sagar Gupta, Portfolio Manager, Anson Funds
- Evan Hainey, Partner, Untitled Entertainment
- Thomas W. Hulick, CEO, Managing Partner, Strategy Asset Managers
- Rafique Jiwani, Head of GTM Value Creation, Operating Advisor, Goldman Sachs Private Equity
- ElizBeth Jones, Founder and CEO, Atomic Venus Media
- Ryan Keating, Partner, Industry Leader, Venture Services, EisnerAmper
- Ramey Layne, Partner, Capital Markets and Mergers & Acquisitions, Vinson & Elkins
- Jeff Meyer, Managing Director, Protiviti
- Pete Michelsen, Leader, Activism and Shareholder Advisory Practice, Qatalyst
- JL Pomeroy, Founder and CEO, BRIDGELINE Media
- Josh Waldron, Interim CFO, Scale AI
- Jarrett Banks, Editor-at-Large, CorpGov (Moderator)
- John Jannarone, Editor-in-Chief, CorpGov (Moderator)
More Upcoming Events:
Preliminary Agenda: 6th Palm Beach CorpGov Forum Nov 4-5 with Activism, Sports, VC
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