Information
Management
Board

Tony Thomas – Partner
Tony Thomas is a partner with Syncom Venture Partners, a venture capital firm based in Silver Spring, Md., that has approximately $450 million in capital under management. Syncom Venture Partners invests in early-stage media and communications companies primarily in underserved markets. During the past 30 years Syncom Venture Partners has generated significant returns through investments in firms like BET, Radio One, Z Spanish Radio, TV One and Iridium Satellite. Tony serves as the Director for a number of Syncom’s portfolio companies, including Maya Entertainment, Heatwave Interactive, Simmons Lathan Media Group and now Voyages North America. Before joining Syncom, Tony served as an Investment Analyst for the Southern California Edison Retirement Plan. While he was at Southern California Edison, Tony was primarily responsible for directing the investment of a $150 million private equity portfolio and a $500 million international equity allocation. Tony completed Wells Fargo Bank's Loan Officer Development Program and was a Credit Analyst in the Los Angeles Regional Commercial Banking Office of Wells Fargo. Tony holds a master’s degree from Penn State University and received a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Loma Linda University.
Syncom Website: click here


Stanley Smith – Partner
Stan Smith is a Principal with Syncom Venture Partners and currently serves as a director for a several of Syncom’s portfolio companies, including Heatwave Interactive and Voyage North America. Before joining Syncom, Stan served as a Director of Corporate Development for Yahoo!'s Search Marketing Group, where he was responsible for co-leading the strategic corporate development efforts for Yahoo!’s advertiser and publisher marketplaces. He also served as Director of Mergers and Acquisitions for Overture Inc.

Before that Stan worked for Vivendi Universal as Director of Strategic Business Development for Universal Music Group’s eLabs and Manager of Corporate Development for Universal Corporate. His broad experience at Vivendi extended across film, television (production and cable), music, theme parks, interactive gaming and concerts. Stan started his professional career working in investment banking for Paine Webber and Merrill Lynch after graduating from Dartmouth College with a bachelor’s degree in history.
Syncom Website: click here


Bill La Macchia Jr. – Partner
Since 2001, Bill La Macchia, Jr. has been serving as Chief Operating Officer of La Macchia Enterprises and The Mark Travel Corporation, but the travel business has always been in his blood. Bill's grandfather Edmund La Macchia started a travel agency in 1931 in Kenosha, Wis., that was dedicated to helping Italian families immigrate to the United States and get established in America. As a child Bill helped out in the family agency, stamping brochures and learning about the business from the ground floor up. In 1974 Bill's father, Bill La Macchia, formed a travel company of his own, Funway Holidays, which is today known as Funjet Vacations and is the flagship brand for The Mark Travel Corporation. Bill has made his own mark in the tourism industry, with senior management positions at leading Las Vegas hoteliers, an airline, and recently returns to La Macchia Enterprises and The Mark Travel Corporation.
Mark Travel Website: click here


Lee deBoer – Partner
Founder and Managing Partner of Propeller Partners, LLC, Lee deBoer is a media veteran with broad experience in television, cable and new media with a unique focus on developing new products and brands. From 1976 to 1995 Lee served at Time-Warner's Home Box Office, where he was one of the principal architects of the company's expansion and growth. Lee was responsible for the development and launch of Cinemax, Comedy Central, HBO Multiplex, HBO Ole, HBO Hungary and HBO Asia. He was Executive Vice President of HBO, President of HBO International and President of Time-Warner International Broadcasting before he established Media Futures, a multimedia consultancy, in 1995.

In 1997 Lee was recruited to be the CEO of New Century Network, the venture established by the nine largest newspaper companies to build a national network on the Internet. He also served as CEO of Automatic Media, an Internet media and software company. In 2003 Lee co-founded Propeller Partners LLC, a boutique strategic advisory services firm serving a wide range of media and entertainment companies. From 2005 to 2007 Lee served as Chairman of the Board of Life Balance Media. He currently serves as Chairman of the Americas for the Digital Rights Group, an international television distribution company headquartered in the United Kingdom. In addition, Lee is a director of Stockgroup Information Systems, Inc., and Priva Technologies


Ana Mims – Partner
Born in Havana, Ana Mollinedo Mims is a seasoned corporate executive with expertise in numerous industries, including pharmaceuticals and health care, hospitality and travel, telecommunications, cement, manufacturing, agrichemical, media and retail. She has worked for Fortune 500 and FTSE companies for almost 25 years at a senior level and has built a solid track record of working with CEOs, boards and executive teams to increase market share using innovative strategies, build strategic partnerships and alliances, develop e-commerce strategies and increase emerging market presence. Ana has worked with Monsanto, Eli Lilly, CEMEX, Starwood Hotels & Resorts and Cable & Wireless.

Ana is currently Managing Director for The Hunting Ridge Group, a corporate communication consulting firm based in the United States and London. She has appeared on the Today show and has been widely quoted and featured in esteemed publications, including The Wall Street Journal, Crain’s New York Business, Fortune, Profiles in Diversity Journal, Diversity, Inc., Catalina magazine, Workforce magazine, Latina Style magazine and Black Enterprise magazine. Ana holds two bachelor’s degrees from Barry University as well as a master’s degree in finance from Nova Southeastern University. Ana is a published author and sits on several philanthropic boards.

 

Michael McNabb – Chairman/CEO
Michael McNabb has a demonstrated record of achievement as an entrepreneur, senior executive in a corporate environment and as a senior partner in a management-consulting firm. His experience includes managing the turnaround of TVSN, the Australian home shopping channel; the restructuring of the Asian operations of Bacardi Martini, the international premium spirits company; and the development of China’s leading management-consulting resource. In addition to his management experience, Michael has been actively involved in a number of venture and early stage investments as a founder or director. A graduate of Stanford University, he speaks Mandarin Chinese and Tagalog.


John Pasmore - President
John Pasmore has been creating content across platforms and managing media enterprises for more than a decade. Before joining Voyage, John served as the Managing Director of The Run Group, an experiential marketing agency based in New York, creating custom on and off-line activations for an array of marketing objectives serving clients such as Anheuser Busch, Scion and Cingular/AT&T. From 1995 to 2004, John partnered with Russell Simmons of Def Jam Records to create Oneworld Media Inc. and served as President of the Company. The company published Oneworld magazine, which garnered awards for its art direction and groundbreaking content, and secured a lucrative co-production partnership with Hearst Magazines.

John created and served as Executive in Charge of Production for Russell Simmons Oneworld Music Beat, a television series that was co-produced with Warner Brothers Television, and serves as Executive Producer of nContrast, a weekly entertainment program that currently airs in more than 15 million homes. John, 44, is married with one child. He studied business administration at the State University of New York and attended Columbia University’s School of General Studies with a focus in English.

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