Mike Brennan

About Mike Brennan

From a young age I have pursued an instinctive natural entrepreneurial passion. I have started and participated as an owner, partner and hands on operator in numerous successful business entities - along with a couple of \"learning experiences\".My companies and experience include industries ranging from manufacturing, distribution, retail, real estate development, restaurants and more. Throughout my career I have appreciated the challenges and rewards that come with business ownership. So far my primary role was as a founding partner and former CEO of Envirobrite (Energy Planning Associates)- a manufacturer of energy efficient lighting products - for 25 years. Currently I am incubating Vividlux, a start up outdoor lighting company, with a pair of young entrepreneurs. I am also a very active early stage investor and managing partner of The Emprise Group, a small fund focused on Seed stage investments.I believe in work life balance. I enjoy spending my time with my wife Gina, my daughter Christina and my son Michael at my home in Florida. I also enjoy traveling, golfing and skiing. I am an avid sports fan and I am a die hard fan of the Chicago Cubs, UCF Knights and the Chicago Bears.

Experience

1. Managing Partner

   The Emprise Group

   Sep 2018 — Present · Orlando, FL, US

   Emprise Group is a private investment firm and Angel syndicate focused on Early-Stage businesses in need of capital to grow. We have invested our own capital in more than forty companies across multiple industries. We believe highly scalable growth is driven by technology, true market innovation and supportive capital.We focus on very early-stage companies who have proven their concept and clearly demonstrated tremendous growth potential. We back experienced highly cohesive teams of domestic companies throughout the U.S. To date we have focused on Seed, Seed + or Series A Rounds of funding.We source deals alongside top angel investors, early-stage funds, and venture capital firms. We prefer deals with multiple participant diligence. We are highly active, and we look at multiple pitch decks daily. We typically co-invest with other Angels through Special Purpose Vehicles (SPV’s). We enjoy working with other angel investors who also conduct a vigorous and selective vetting process. We are open to all types of structures including Debt, Equity and SAFE notes. We do prefer opportunities offering Pro Rata rights.Our investment thesis continues to evolve and since we are not a fund, we can consider a variety of investment structures. If you are currently looking for early-stage funding or you’re a lead investor looking for additional investor capital, please reach out or send a pitch deck to m•••@theemprisegroup.com

Education

• University of Central Florida

  Bachelor of Science (B.S.), Marketing

  1990 — 1993

Skills

• Energy
• New Business Development
• Energy Conservation
• Electricians
• Solar Energy
• Strategic Planning
• Energy Efficiency
• Product Development
• Sustainable Energy
• Lighting Design
• Lighting Control
• Contract Negotiation
• Alternative Energy
• Renewable Energy
• Sales Management
• Energy Audits
• Energy Management
• Manufacturing
• Lighting