Investments

Investor, Board Member

Hydro Flask, saving the world from lukewarm, is the leading manufacturer of vacuum insulated water bottles. Acquired by Helen of Troy in 2016. (NASDAQ: HELE)

Founder, CEO, Board Member

Founded by Crouthamel in 1988, the leading Affiliate and Search Marketing firm. Crouthamel served as President and CEO until the sale to DoubleClick, Inc. in 2004.

Investor, Board Member

Alliance Advisors is an independent firm specializing in Shareholder Advisory, Engagement, Compensation, Governance & Sustainability through our global network.

Founder, Investor, CEO, Board Member

Leff founded Laredo, a leader in the Illinois distributed gaming market with operating metrics that were 2.7x the average establishment in the state.   Leff scaled Laredo to over 60 locations before selling to the largest distributed gaming company in the US.   

Founder, Investor, CEO, Board Member

Founded by Warms, Participate Systems was the premier provider of online community software and services to the Global 2000 market. Acquired by Outstart in 2004, now part of IBM with Kenexa acquisition.

Founder, Investor, Executive Chairman, Board Member

Founded by Crouthamel through an acquisition and run by industry experts and veterans to assist brands to reap the scale of online sales but also support and not cannibalize their other channels. With deep skills in direct-selling (via .com’s) and through marketplaces (Amazon and other marketplaces). Portfolio companies and people with expertise in retail, online media, logistics, inventory management, and technology.

Founder, CEO, Investor, Board Member

Founded by Warms, BuzzTracker algorithmically surfaced top news via blog activity (pre-Twitter/FB). Acquired by Yahoo! in 2007, where Warms subsequently ran Yahoo! News, Tech, and Education. (NASDAQ: YHOO)

Investor, Advisor

Rush Street Gaming is a leading regional casino developer and operator.   Leff led the front-of-house design and development for several of Rush Street's properties, including Rivers Casino in Des Plaines.

Investor, Board Member, Publisher

RealClearPolitics, a trusted non-partisan media hub, curates top coverage on critical issues for officials, leaders, and citizens. Exited investment in 2007.

Founder, CEO, Investor, Board Member

Leff founded Stir Crazy, a private equity backed Asian casual dining concept that expanded to 9 different markets before selling to Walnut Capital in 2006.   Stir Crazy was awarded the Hot Concept of the Year award by Nations Restaurant News in 1998.

Founder, CEO, Investor, Board Member

Warms founded Participate Learning, enabling educators to discover, curate, and collaborate on resources via an asynchronous collaboration platform. Acquired by VIF International (now Participate) in 2016.

Investor, Board Member

Search Advertising Intelligence Platform Services Company.

Investor, Board Member

We Don't Build Them Like They Used To. Revology® Cars is officially licensed by Ford Motor Company and Shelby American to build new reproduction 1965-1968 Mustang and Shelby GT automobiles with an OEM manufacturing approach. Revology doesn't restore and modify existing old cars; it builds vintage Ford Mustangs from the ground up with entirely new bodies and then fits them with modern running gear.

Investor, Board Member

More Than Gourmet is a leading innovator of made-from-scratch classic French stocks and sauces sold nationally through retail, foodservice and industrial channels.   Leff worked closely with the management team to grow sales by over 150% and significantly increase profitability during his tenure.   

Investor, Board Member

For student-athletes, Honest Game stands out as the only educational software that automates real-time academic eligibility tracking for college sports across all five divisions.