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FOA - Entrepreneurship in the Family Office.pdf - Summitas

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EntrEprEnEurship<br />

<strong>in</strong> thE <strong>Family</strong> OFFicE<br />

A white paper by:<br />

Gabriel Bald<strong>in</strong>ucci, manag<strong>in</strong>g Director, palm Ventures llc<br />

Angelo J. Robles, Founder & CEO, <strong>Family</strong> <strong>Office</strong> Association


Back to Basics<br />

The <strong>Family</strong> <strong>Office</strong> Association<br />

def<strong>in</strong>es an SFO as follows: “A<br />

s<strong>in</strong>gle family office (SFO) is a<br />

private company of dedicated<br />

professionals exclusively<br />

devoted to <strong>the</strong> <strong>in</strong>vestment,<br />

legacy, and personal needs<br />

of one wealthy family.” The<br />

focus is on ‘<strong>in</strong>vest<strong>in</strong>g,’ which<br />

we take for granted as <strong>the</strong><br />

core bus<strong>in</strong>ess of a s<strong>in</strong>gle<br />

family office (SFO). We can<br />

<strong>in</strong>vest passively or actively,<br />

but ei<strong>the</strong>r strategy amounts<br />

to simply provid<strong>in</strong>g capital<br />

to enterprises. The o<strong>the</strong>r<br />

phrase that is often used<br />

when discuss<strong>in</strong>g SFO’s is<br />

‘wealth preservation.’ Many<br />

families have worked hard,<br />

possibly over more than one<br />

generation, to build <strong>the</strong>ir asset<br />

base and at some po<strong>in</strong>t <strong>the</strong><br />

focus often shifts to preserv<strong>in</strong>g<br />

wealth and manag<strong>in</strong>g risks. An<br />

analogous m<strong>in</strong>dset <strong>in</strong> sports<br />

is when a favored and lead<strong>in</strong>g<br />

team shifts <strong>the</strong>ir th<strong>in</strong>k<strong>in</strong>g<br />

from try<strong>in</strong>g to score and w<strong>in</strong>,<br />

to try<strong>in</strong>g not to lose. They<br />

become conservative, pass<strong>in</strong>g<br />

and scor<strong>in</strong>g less, and <strong>the</strong>y<br />

sometimes end up los<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong>ir<br />

lead, and <strong>the</strong> game.<br />

<strong>Family</strong><strong>Office</strong>Association.com<br />

<strong>Entrepreneurship</strong> <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Family</strong> <strong>Office</strong><br />

Many SFO’s that are<br />

focused on preserv<strong>in</strong>g<br />

wealth have forgotten<br />

how to create wealth,<br />

which <strong>the</strong> younger<br />

generations <strong>the</strong>n never<br />

get to learn.<br />

As a result, we hear <strong>the</strong> all too familiar<br />

stories of generations who are ill-prepared to<br />

provide for <strong>the</strong>mselves or contribute to <strong>the</strong><br />

family’s assets. While preserv<strong>in</strong>g wealth is<br />

important, many families built <strong>the</strong>ir orig<strong>in</strong>al<br />

wealth not by ‘<strong>in</strong>vest<strong>in</strong>g,’ but by <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r<br />

seem<strong>in</strong>gly forgotten method: actually creat<strong>in</strong>g<br />

new operat<strong>in</strong>g companies. To go back to <strong>the</strong><br />

sports analogy, <strong>the</strong>y played ‘offense.’ While<br />

aggressive <strong>in</strong>vest<strong>in</strong>g can also be a way to play<br />

offense, entrepreneurship takes it one step<br />

fur<strong>the</strong>r. While <strong>the</strong>re are many SFO’s that are<br />

derived from, and still <strong>in</strong>tertw<strong>in</strong>ed with, a<br />

successful operat<strong>in</strong>g company, even most of


Back to Basics<br />

ChapterS<br />

4 | How it Works<br />

7 | Returns<br />

10 | Risk<br />

12 | Non Monetary Benefits<br />

14 | It’s Not for Everyone<br />

16 | How to Get Started<br />

18 | Conclusion<br />

19 | About <strong>the</strong> Authors<br />

20 | About<br />

<strong>Family</strong> <strong>Office</strong> Association<br />

21 | Disclaimer<br />

<strong>Family</strong><strong>Office</strong>Association.com<br />

<strong>Entrepreneurship</strong> <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Family</strong> <strong>Office</strong><br />

<strong>the</strong>se would struggle to replicate that success<br />

aga<strong>in</strong>. This is because <strong>the</strong>y are typically not<br />

structured for ongo<strong>in</strong>g entrepreneurship.<br />

This paper will exam<strong>in</strong>e a new type of SFO<br />

that is <strong>in</strong>dependent from any company and<br />

designed to create multiple new operat<strong>in</strong>g<br />

companies on an ongo<strong>in</strong>g basis. Sir Richard<br />

Branson, founder of <strong>the</strong> global Virg<strong>in</strong><br />

group, creates dozens of companies and<br />

realizes billions of dollars <strong>in</strong> exits from what<br />

is essentially his SFO. He and a m<strong>in</strong>ority<br />

of o<strong>the</strong>rs are <strong>in</strong>troduc<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>to <strong>the</strong> SFO<br />

entrepreneurial talent and <strong>in</strong>itiatives that can<br />

not only generate significant new branches<br />

of f<strong>in</strong>ancial wealth, but that can also have<br />

surpris<strong>in</strong>g non-f<strong>in</strong>ancial benefits for <strong>the</strong> family<br />

members beh<strong>in</strong>d <strong>the</strong> office. This paper will<br />

expla<strong>in</strong> how entrepreneurship works <strong>in</strong> an<br />

SFO, how risk and returns differ from early<br />

stage <strong>in</strong>vest<strong>in</strong>g, what <strong>the</strong> non-monetary<br />

benefits are, who should consider do<strong>in</strong>g it,<br />

and how to get started.


Ongo<strong>in</strong>g entrepreneurship (aka an<br />

<strong>in</strong>cubator) is structured to create multiple<br />

new companies and several organizations<br />

have established methods and roles for this<br />

type of <strong>in</strong>itiative. At its core is an <strong>in</strong>ternal<br />

Project Leader, who can go by several<br />

titles.<br />

How it works


<strong>Entrepreneurship</strong> <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Family</strong> <strong>Office</strong><br />

This person forms <strong>the</strong> new strategies and for each strategy, creates a<br />

bus<strong>in</strong>ess plan. The Project Leader can be supplemented by assistants,<br />

analysts, and additional project leaders as needed. Management<br />

with <strong>in</strong>dustry experience is <strong>the</strong>n recruited to ref<strong>in</strong>e <strong>the</strong> bus<strong>in</strong>ess<br />

plan and to beg<strong>in</strong> develop<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong> company with <strong>the</strong> <strong>in</strong>ternal team.<br />

Given <strong>the</strong>ir <strong>in</strong>dustry expertise, management is sometimes brought<br />

<strong>in</strong> even earlier to help create <strong>the</strong> <strong>in</strong>itial plan. Most of <strong>the</strong> time,<br />

management works on an equity only basis, which keeps <strong>in</strong>cubator<br />

costs low prior to <strong>the</strong> launch of <strong>the</strong> new company. That said, if <strong>the</strong><br />

upfront work for <strong>the</strong> project is extensive or an executive is tough<br />

to recruit, he or she will sometimes receive a reta<strong>in</strong>er or deferred<br />

compensation. As a benchmark for this overall process, a good<br />

Project Leader should be able to launch 2-3 companies per year<br />

with one support person.<br />

The new company creation process is primarily comprised of six<br />

stages. The process beg<strong>in</strong>s with <strong>the</strong> Concept Phase, when <strong>the</strong><br />

bus<strong>in</strong>ess plan is created and evaluated. Next is <strong>the</strong> Development<br />

Phase, dur<strong>in</strong>g which <strong>the</strong> management team and key partnerships<br />

are put <strong>in</strong> place, <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g any co-<strong>in</strong>vestors. Management that is<br />

recruited early <strong>in</strong> this phase will typically assist <strong>in</strong> br<strong>in</strong>g<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r<br />

management, partners, etc. In <strong>the</strong> company Formation Phase, <strong>the</strong><br />

legal entity is created and <strong>the</strong> <strong>in</strong>ternal team takes <strong>the</strong>ir roles on<br />

<strong>the</strong> Board of Directors. The <strong>in</strong>ternal team starts with all <strong>the</strong> board<br />

seats, and gives <strong>the</strong>m away as needed for key partnerships, co<strong>in</strong>vestors,<br />

etc. The Launch Phase is next, when <strong>the</strong> company opens<br />

for bus<strong>in</strong>ess. Dur<strong>in</strong>g this time <strong>the</strong> <strong>in</strong>ternal team and management<br />

work side by side to monitor customer feedback and early results<br />

so <strong>the</strong>y can make any important changes. Once <strong>the</strong> new company<br />

is stable and successful on a small scale, <strong>the</strong> management team<br />

drives <strong>the</strong> Growth Phase with <strong>the</strong> <strong>in</strong>ternal team provid<strong>in</strong>g guidance<br />

and oversight, and potentially sourc<strong>in</strong>g valuable partnerships,<br />

additional f<strong>in</strong>anc<strong>in</strong>g, or M&A candidates. F<strong>in</strong>ally, <strong>the</strong> <strong>in</strong>ternal team<br />

works with management to identify and structure a successful sale<br />

or public offer<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> Exit Phase. The goal is for <strong>the</strong> completion<br />

of this cycle to provide capital that will fund ano<strong>the</strong>r generation of<br />

companies, potentially with a larger and stronger <strong>in</strong>ternal team.<br />

A common question is, “How can one person, or even a few people,<br />

manage 2-3 company launches per year?” The answer is twofold.<br />

First, <strong>the</strong> team gets leverage by partner<strong>in</strong>g with <strong>in</strong>dustry veterans<br />

for each project. Second, <strong>the</strong> projects are <strong>in</strong> different stages of<br />

development at different po<strong>in</strong>ts <strong>in</strong> time. Manag<strong>in</strong>g a steady project<br />

pipel<strong>in</strong>e is an important part of <strong>the</strong> leadership role. At any po<strong>in</strong>t <strong>in</strong><br />

time, a good project pipel<strong>in</strong>e should have several projects <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />

Concept Phase, one or two <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> Development Phase, and one<br />

company <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> Launch Phase. The Development and Launch<br />

<strong>Family</strong><strong>Office</strong>Association.com<br />

How it works


<strong>Entrepreneurship</strong> <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Family</strong> <strong>Office</strong><br />

Phases are <strong>the</strong> most time consum<strong>in</strong>g. In addition to <strong>the</strong>se projects,<br />

as <strong>the</strong> operation matures <strong>the</strong>re will be more and more projects <strong>in</strong><br />

<strong>the</strong> Growth Phase that may need emergency help at various times.<br />

As <strong>the</strong> portfolio becomes larger, additional team members can be<br />

added as needed.<br />

Ano<strong>the</strong>r important topic <strong>in</strong> this model is f<strong>in</strong>anc<strong>in</strong>g. An SFO can<br />

choose at what po<strong>in</strong>t, and to what degree, co-<strong>in</strong>vestors are <strong>in</strong>cluded<br />

<strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> projects. On one end of <strong>the</strong> spectrum, <strong>the</strong> SFO can put <strong>in</strong><br />

enough seed capital to prepare a company for a Series A round and<br />

<strong>the</strong>n raise that capital externally. On <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r extreme, an SFO<br />

can ma<strong>in</strong>ta<strong>in</strong> 100% ownership and fund <strong>the</strong> company <strong>in</strong>ternally all<br />

<strong>the</strong> way through to exit. In between <strong>the</strong>se extremes are options to<br />

<strong>in</strong>vite some outside <strong>in</strong>vestment and ma<strong>in</strong>ta<strong>in</strong> your pro-rata share<br />

<strong>in</strong> subsequent rounds. The decisions can be based on <strong>the</strong> capital<br />

requirements of a company, <strong>the</strong> company’s attractiveness relative<br />

to o<strong>the</strong>r <strong>in</strong>ternal projects, and <strong>the</strong> valuation <strong>the</strong> company is gett<strong>in</strong>g<br />

<strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> market for that round.<br />

In addition to <strong>the</strong> operational aspects described above, an SFO with<br />

a startup program has <strong>the</strong> opportunity to build a name <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> startup<br />

space, which has significant benefits. A strong brand makes it easy<br />

to attract <strong>the</strong> best partners, management, co-<strong>in</strong>vestors, and team<br />

members. High visibility also means easier press for your companies<br />

when <strong>the</strong>y launch, which translates <strong>in</strong>to a lower cost of acquisition<br />

for your startup companies. To be sure, no one has executed on this<br />

part better than Richard Branson, and it has contributed greatly to<br />

<strong>the</strong> success of his operation. The good news is that <strong>in</strong>cubators are<br />

still rare enough that a well-funded one can get <strong>the</strong> attention of <strong>the</strong><br />

entrepreneur and venture community fairly quickly.<br />

<strong>Family</strong><strong>Office</strong>Association.com<br />

How it works


<strong>Entrepreneurship</strong> can generate great<br />

returns and has <strong>the</strong> potential to<br />

create entirely new branches of family<br />

wealth. Many people th<strong>in</strong>k <strong>the</strong>y can get<br />

exposure to potentially high returns and<br />

entrepreneurship through <strong>in</strong>vestment<br />

options such as a venture fund of<br />

funds, <strong>in</strong>vest<strong>in</strong>g directly <strong>in</strong> a venture<br />

fund, or <strong>in</strong>vest<strong>in</strong>g directly <strong>in</strong> companies<br />

<strong>in</strong>dependently or with an angel group.<br />

returns


<strong>Entrepreneurship</strong> <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Family</strong> <strong>Office</strong><br />

While <strong>the</strong>se options can also be attractive, <strong>the</strong>y all represent various<br />

degrees of separation from what is ultimately creat<strong>in</strong>g value, which<br />

are <strong>the</strong> enterprises receiv<strong>in</strong>g capital. The far<strong>the</strong>r from <strong>the</strong> value<br />

creation we go, <strong>the</strong> more people <strong>the</strong>re are along <strong>the</strong> way to take<br />

a piece.<br />

Conversely, as you move closer to <strong>the</strong> <strong>in</strong>itial value creation <strong>in</strong> a<br />

company, returns can <strong>in</strong>crease. For example, several studies show<br />

that a well diversified portfolio of direct angel <strong>in</strong>vestments is<br />

expected to earn 27%. 1 Few families take advantage of <strong>the</strong> returns<br />

from angel <strong>in</strong>vest<strong>in</strong>g as it is often misunderstood, time <strong>in</strong>tensive<br />

and difficult to do directly, and few choices exist to <strong>in</strong>vest <strong>in</strong>directly.<br />

This is chang<strong>in</strong>g however as new seed stage <strong>in</strong>vestment managers<br />

are develop<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>novative strategies to achieve diversified returns<br />

of over 30% while provid<strong>in</strong>g access to early stage companies for<br />

larger <strong>in</strong>vestors (a topic for ano<strong>the</strong>r paper).<br />

While <strong>the</strong>se returns are attractive, <strong>the</strong>y can be even higher when<br />

you cont<strong>in</strong>ue to move closer to <strong>the</strong> source of value creation and<br />

actually found <strong>the</strong> enterprise <strong>in</strong>ternally. To illustrate, by <strong>the</strong> time<br />

angel <strong>in</strong>vestors purchase equity <strong>in</strong> a pre-revenue company, <strong>the</strong><br />

typical pre-money valuation is between $1 and $2 million. 2 An<br />

<strong>in</strong>vestment of $100k <strong>in</strong> a company with a $1.5 million pre-money<br />

valuation will result <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> SFO receiv<strong>in</strong>g 6.25% ownership <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />

company (.1m/1.5m+.1m). Startup companies will typically raise<br />

enough to give away only 30-35% <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir first round of f<strong>in</strong>anc<strong>in</strong>g.<br />

However, many of <strong>the</strong>se companies (not only <strong>in</strong>ternet) will have<br />

spent less than $100k to get to this po<strong>in</strong>t. Their $100k has earned<br />

<strong>the</strong>m 65-70%, while yours will earn you 6.25%. You would have to<br />

<strong>in</strong>vest $100k <strong>in</strong> ten more companies to achieve <strong>the</strong> same level of<br />

ownership as <strong>the</strong> founders, risk<strong>in</strong>g 10x more capital.<br />

What is <strong>the</strong> entrepreneurs’ response to this? Their response<br />

(correctly) is that <strong>the</strong>ir capital and time went <strong>in</strong> when this was just<br />

an idea- <strong>the</strong>ir idea, and when no one was sure it would work. Your<br />

capital goes <strong>in</strong> when th<strong>in</strong>gs are much fur<strong>the</strong>r along - <strong>the</strong>re may be<br />

a product developed, a great team, and maybe some customers<br />

or revenue. In o<strong>the</strong>r words, <strong>the</strong> founders reduced risk and created<br />

value with <strong>the</strong>ir work and creative <strong>in</strong>sight. (They will also spend<br />

<strong>the</strong> next four years build<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong> company, but <strong>the</strong> market shows<br />

that management can be brought <strong>in</strong> for <strong>the</strong> same salary and much<br />

less equity once a company has fund<strong>in</strong>g, which implies <strong>the</strong> bulk of<br />

founder’s equity is due to founder status).<br />

1 Robert Wiltbank, “Returns to Angel Investors <strong>in</strong> Groups”, Kauffman Foundation, November 2007, Right<br />

Side Capital Management, LLC, “Historical Returns <strong>in</strong> Angel Markets”, 2010<br />

2 Payne, Bill, “Valuation of Pre-Revenue Angel Deals”, October, 2010<br />

<strong>Family</strong><strong>Office</strong>Association.com<br />

returns


<strong>Entrepreneurship</strong> <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Family</strong> <strong>Office</strong><br />

Even with direct angel <strong>in</strong>vest<strong>in</strong>g an <strong>in</strong>vestment manager is still only<br />

select<strong>in</strong>g from options that he or she can source and vet – a limited<br />

universe, or menu. Investors network to f<strong>in</strong>d <strong>the</strong> next Google and<br />

<strong>the</strong>n <strong>the</strong>y fight to <strong>in</strong>vest <strong>in</strong> companies like Gilt and Quora at huge<br />

valuations. In <strong>the</strong> Branson model, <strong>the</strong> <strong>in</strong>vestment managers have<br />

a different skill set – <strong>the</strong>y are <strong>the</strong> entrepreneurs. You do have to<br />

search to f<strong>in</strong>d good entrepreneurs, but once you f<strong>in</strong>d <strong>the</strong>m, <strong>the</strong>y can<br />

create multiple companies. This is not new - venture capitalists have<br />

been hir<strong>in</strong>g entrepreneurs for a long time to create new companies<br />

<strong>in</strong>-house, <strong>the</strong> way General Catalyst did with Kayak.com, <strong>the</strong> way<br />

Betaworks does with many of its new companies, or <strong>the</strong> way Virg<strong>in</strong><br />

does. These players are essentially vertically <strong>in</strong>tegrat<strong>in</strong>g to create<br />

<strong>the</strong>ir own deal flow. In this model, <strong>the</strong> focus changes from see<strong>in</strong>g<br />

good deals, to solv<strong>in</strong>g big problems. The goal is no longer f<strong>in</strong>d<strong>in</strong>g<br />

<strong>the</strong> right <strong>in</strong>vestment, but f<strong>in</strong>d<strong>in</strong>g a better solution to a consumer<br />

frustration. The constra<strong>in</strong>t is no longer <strong>the</strong> current option set of<br />

deals, but <strong>the</strong> limits of imag<strong>in</strong>ation and creativity.<br />

The ability to generate creative <strong>in</strong>sights (comb<strong>in</strong>ed with hard work)<br />

is why some entrepreneurs are able to achieve multiple successful<br />

exits and outperform <strong>the</strong> average success rate of startups. 3 Good<br />

entrepreneurs beat <strong>the</strong> odds, and venture capitalists back <strong>the</strong>m<br />

repeatedly because <strong>the</strong>y know it. The development of <strong>the</strong>se<br />

The goal is no longer f<strong>in</strong>d<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong> right<br />

<strong>in</strong>vestment, but f<strong>in</strong>d<strong>in</strong>g a better solution to<br />

a consumer frustration.<br />

<strong>in</strong>sights can also be learned and <strong>in</strong>stitutionalized. Richard Branson’s<br />

team actually has a successful process for creat<strong>in</strong>g new companies<br />

– one that can be taught and replicated. If someone <strong>in</strong>ternally can<br />

generate <strong>the</strong>se <strong>in</strong>sights and do <strong>the</strong> <strong>in</strong>itial work that creates value,<br />

<strong>the</strong> SFO can start off as a majority shareholder of new companies<br />

at a fraction of <strong>the</strong> cost angel <strong>in</strong>vestors would pay, result<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> much<br />

higher returns.<br />

With <strong>the</strong> right people and <strong>the</strong> right methods, a $100k <strong>in</strong>vestment<br />

could earn far higher returns start<strong>in</strong>g companies than it could with<br />

venture or angel <strong>in</strong>vest<strong>in</strong>g, and with lower risk.<br />

3 R Gompers, Paul A., Kovner, Anna, Lerner, Josh and Scharfste<strong>in</strong>, David S., Skill vs. Luck <strong>in</strong> <strong>Entrepreneurship</strong><br />

and Venture Capital: Evidence from Serial Entrepreneurs, July 2006<br />

<strong>Family</strong><strong>Office</strong>Association.com<br />

returns


<strong>Entrepreneurship</strong> is still relatively risky, and<br />

thus <strong>the</strong> budget for it should be part of an<br />

allocation to alternative assets. However,<br />

SFO’s have several advantages that make<br />

<strong>the</strong>m a natural place to start companies<br />

with reduced risk relative to an isolated<br />

startup.<br />

risk


One of <strong>the</strong> major risks a startup can face is whe<strong>the</strong>r or not it will<br />

receive fund<strong>in</strong>g. In <strong>the</strong> earliest stages, <strong>the</strong> capital markets are still<br />

very <strong>in</strong>efficient and success can be determ<strong>in</strong>ed by who gets fund<strong>in</strong>g.<br />

One study puts <strong>the</strong> number of startups receiv<strong>in</strong>g angel fund<strong>in</strong>g at<br />

14% 4 , while ano<strong>the</strong>r puts it at only 3% 5 . To make matters worse,<br />

of those that do receive angel <strong>in</strong>vestment, only a fraction of <strong>the</strong>m<br />

ever receive venture fund<strong>in</strong>g later on. As an SFO start<strong>in</strong>g companies,<br />

your ‘fund<strong>in</strong>g risk’ is <strong>in</strong>herently lower (or nonexistent), s<strong>in</strong>ce part of<br />

your role is to allocate capital to promis<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>vestments <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> first<br />

place. The danger is that you become less careful when vett<strong>in</strong>g your<br />

own projects, but you can mitigate that risk by always <strong>in</strong>vit<strong>in</strong>g o<strong>the</strong>r<br />

discipl<strong>in</strong>ed early stage <strong>in</strong>vestors <strong>in</strong>to your deals, as we discussed<br />

earlier. Fur<strong>the</strong>rmore, you would have been vett<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong> bus<strong>in</strong>ess all<br />

along, from <strong>the</strong> concept through to development and fundrais<strong>in</strong>g<br />

– <strong>the</strong>re is no better <strong>in</strong>sight or due diligence than conceiv<strong>in</strong>g and<br />

build<strong>in</strong>g a company <strong>in</strong>-house.<br />

Ano<strong>the</strong>r risk mitigator with SFO’s is that <strong>the</strong>y typically have extensive<br />

Rolodexes and networks, which <strong>the</strong>y can leverage to create <strong>in</strong>itial<br />

partnerships and recruit quality management and directors for new<br />

companies. We mentioned above how this natural advantage can<br />

be fur<strong>the</strong>r developed to create a strong brand for <strong>the</strong> office, lead<strong>in</strong>g<br />

to more press and a lower cost of customer acquisition.<br />

Lastly, SFO’s don’t have fund lifecycle or tim<strong>in</strong>g issues, which means<br />

<strong>the</strong>y can take <strong>the</strong>ir time develop<strong>in</strong>g a company <strong>the</strong> right way, and<br />

without unnecessary distractions.<br />

4 Jeffrey Sohl, “The Angel Investor Market In 2007: Mixed Signs of Growth”, Center for Venture Research,<br />

April 1, 2008<br />

5 http://angelsoft.net/a/venture-valuation<br />

<strong>Entrepreneurship</strong> <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Family</strong> <strong>Office</strong><br />

<strong>Family</strong><strong>Office</strong>Association.com<br />

risks


As we move from fund<strong>in</strong>g entrepreneurs’<br />

creations to hav<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong>m create new ones<br />

for us, our m<strong>in</strong>dset shifts. As an <strong>in</strong>vestor, <strong>the</strong><br />

focus is mostly on f<strong>in</strong>ancial returns.<br />

non Monetary Benefits


<strong>Entrepreneurship</strong> <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Family</strong> <strong>Office</strong><br />

When we are founders and owners creat<strong>in</strong>g someth<strong>in</strong>g, <strong>the</strong> focus<br />

broadens to <strong>in</strong>clude <strong>the</strong> organizational cultures we build, <strong>the</strong><br />

employees and o<strong>the</strong>r stakeholders with whom we work, and <strong>the</strong><br />

legacies our companies leave beh<strong>in</strong>d. The result<strong>in</strong>g benefits of this<br />

role and mental shift are many.<br />

First, entrepreneurship preserves an alignment of wealth with value<br />

creation. Over time, <strong>the</strong> concept of wealth may become separated<br />

from <strong>the</strong> creation of goods and services that generates wealth. This<br />

is especially important for younger generations who may never<br />

have had a front row seat while a bus<strong>in</strong>ess was conceived and built.<br />

By watch<strong>in</strong>g an <strong>in</strong>ternal team solve market problems, younger<br />

generations are rem<strong>in</strong>ded of where wealth ultimately comes from<br />

and are forced to focus on problems bigger than <strong>the</strong>mselves. These<br />

activities can be important role model<strong>in</strong>g and tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g, and s<strong>in</strong>ce<br />

<strong>the</strong> work is creative and fun, it can also be a catalyst for gett<strong>in</strong>g<br />

younger generations <strong>in</strong>volved.<br />

The family also has an opportunity to focus on its values as it<br />

decides which problems to focus on with new ventures. Build<strong>in</strong>g<br />

someth<strong>in</strong>g that makes <strong>the</strong> world better can create a streng<strong>the</strong>ned<br />

sense of purpose and direction for <strong>the</strong> family, and a more significant<br />

legacy to leave society. Many families achieve <strong>the</strong>se goals through<br />

philanthropy, but for profit companies present avenues to address<br />

issues like obesity, poor education, or pollution <strong>in</strong> ways that a<br />

families’ philanthropic efforts may not. Companies like M<strong>in</strong>uteCl<strong>in</strong>ic<br />

and ZocDoc are improv<strong>in</strong>g healthcare access, while ZipCar has <strong>the</strong><br />

potential to take millions of cars off of <strong>the</strong> road. Richard Branson’s<br />

bus<strong>in</strong>esses always take <strong>the</strong> position of “consumer champion.” For<br />

example, he has created a company that allows parents to freeze<br />

umbilical stem cells for <strong>the</strong>ir children’s’ future healthcare, and his<br />

o<strong>the</strong>r recent venture, Virg<strong>in</strong> Galactic, aims to one day make space<br />

travel widely accessible.<br />

F<strong>in</strong>ally, for many people, <strong>the</strong> creative challenges, impact, and sense<br />

of achievement that come with entrepreneurship can be addictive<br />

and fun.<br />

<strong>Family</strong><strong>Office</strong>Association.com<br />

non Monetary Benefits


Some people do not enjoy entrepreneurship,<br />

while o<strong>the</strong>r personalities, like Richard<br />

Branson, have a passion for develop<strong>in</strong>g new<br />

companies <strong>in</strong> this manner. What seems to<br />

drive <strong>the</strong> <strong>in</strong>terested group is <strong>the</strong> creation<br />

of products and services that have impact<br />

– <strong>the</strong> <strong>in</strong>novation.<br />

it’s not for everyone


<strong>Entrepreneurship</strong> <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Family</strong> <strong>Office</strong><br />

Often times <strong>the</strong> additional wealth generation doesn’t seem to be<br />

<strong>the</strong> primary driver, though f<strong>in</strong>ancial benefit is surely a contributor.<br />

The f<strong>in</strong>ancial value is almost more a measure of how much impact<br />

<strong>the</strong> <strong>in</strong>dividual has had – did you create a billion dollar company?<br />

How many millions of people are you serv<strong>in</strong>g and how have you<br />

made <strong>the</strong>ir lives better? While typically address<strong>in</strong>g less critical<br />

issues than philanthropy, some of <strong>the</strong> impact and legacy mentality<br />

has clearly spilled over. Sir Richard calls <strong>the</strong> philosophy, “bus<strong>in</strong>ess<br />

as a force for good”. For many people though, different outlets for<br />

creativity and achievement will lead <strong>the</strong>m to places o<strong>the</strong>r than<br />

entrepreneurship.<br />

Ano<strong>the</strong>r detractor is that entrepreneurship <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> SFO requires time<br />

and/or people to execute <strong>the</strong> <strong>in</strong>itiative. If <strong>the</strong>re is no one from <strong>the</strong><br />

family who has <strong>the</strong> <strong>in</strong>terest and skill to drive <strong>the</strong> process, a quality<br />

person must be brought <strong>in</strong>. In most cases this is <strong>the</strong> best route,<br />

allow<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong> family to participate at different levels. The $100k we<br />

noted above to start some companies is actually higher when an<br />

additional person’s salary is spread over a few startups per year.<br />

It is much easier and less expensive (<strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> short term anyway) to<br />

write checks to funds. However, if <strong>the</strong> project leader is good, <strong>the</strong>y<br />

should more than pay for <strong>the</strong>mselves, and that should be true of<br />

any <strong>in</strong>vestment manager brought <strong>in</strong>to an SFO.<br />

If a family is not ready, or <strong>in</strong>terested, to create this k<strong>in</strong>d of <strong>in</strong>itiative<br />

<strong>in</strong>-house, <strong>the</strong>re is ano<strong>the</strong>r option that yields at least some of <strong>the</strong><br />

benefits of entrepreneurship. If you can f<strong>in</strong>d an SFO that already<br />

has an active company <strong>in</strong>cubation program, you can co-<strong>in</strong>vest<br />

with <strong>the</strong>m. While you may be <strong>in</strong>vest<strong>in</strong>g slightly later <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> value<br />

creation process, you will still be able to participate <strong>in</strong> new company<br />

opportunities where someone else has created <strong>the</strong> <strong>in</strong>frastructure<br />

to mitigate risk. Work<strong>in</strong>g with SFO’s that focus on develop<strong>in</strong>g<br />

<strong>in</strong>vestment opportunities can also provide access to later stage or<br />

distressed deals as well (a topic for ano<strong>the</strong>r paper).<br />

<strong>Family</strong><strong>Office</strong>Association.com<br />

it’s not for everyone


If you th<strong>in</strong>k that entrepreneurship could<br />

be an excit<strong>in</strong>g addition to your SFO, you<br />

would first need to determ<strong>in</strong>e who will lead<br />

<strong>the</strong> <strong>in</strong>itiative and how much capital you<br />

will allocate to it. If you have someone<br />

<strong>in</strong>ternally with <strong>the</strong> right experience and<br />

<strong>in</strong>terest it would be natural to beg<strong>in</strong> with<br />

him or her. However, many SFO’s don’t<br />

have this skill set <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> family or on <strong>the</strong><br />

team and <strong>the</strong>y would need to recruit<br />

someone new.<br />

The profile for this person should be a<br />

serial entrepreneur, venture capitalist, or<br />

corporate development executive.<br />

How to Get started


<strong>Entrepreneurship</strong> <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Family</strong> <strong>Office</strong><br />

They should be able to develop a strategy, hire <strong>the</strong> right managers to<br />

execute on it, and help <strong>the</strong>m to do so. Try to f<strong>in</strong>d someone who has<br />

experience <strong>in</strong> different <strong>in</strong>dustries, versus someone who has only built<br />

technology companies (unless you only want to focus on a specific<br />

area, like IT or healthcare). There is actually significant opportunity<br />

<strong>in</strong> consumer services and products because <strong>the</strong>se areas do not have<br />

a robust venture capital community to serve <strong>the</strong>m. This is primarily<br />

because traditional consumer bus<strong>in</strong>esses often require more capital<br />

than technology companies and may not adhere to fund lifecycles.<br />

We already know that SFO’s don’t have to worry about fund tim<strong>in</strong>g,<br />

and higher capital requirements (if <strong>the</strong>re is an appetite) can often<br />

result <strong>in</strong> lower relative risk due to lower <strong>in</strong>novation and competition<br />

from new entrants <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong>se markets. This is ano<strong>the</strong>r reason that<br />

Richard Branson does well <strong>in</strong> traditional consumer services.<br />

In addition to <strong>the</strong> standard background with high quality schools<br />

and organizations, this person should be able to speak to several<br />

bus<strong>in</strong>esses that <strong>the</strong>y conceived. The right person should have<br />

multiple concepts ready to discuss that utilize different bus<strong>in</strong>ess<br />

models (e.g. subscription) and partnerships to alter <strong>the</strong> value cha<strong>in</strong><br />

<strong>in</strong> a specific <strong>in</strong>dustry. Make sure you like <strong>the</strong> projects <strong>in</strong> his or her<br />

pipel<strong>in</strong>e and evaluate if <strong>the</strong>re is enough overlap <strong>in</strong> your mutual<br />

<strong>in</strong>terests. This discussion will also impact capital requirements and<br />

you should be on <strong>the</strong> same page with respect to <strong>the</strong> resources be<strong>in</strong>g<br />

allocated to <strong>the</strong> <strong>in</strong>itiative. Obviously, personality fit is important and<br />

even <strong>in</strong>stitutional entrepreneurs will be very different from typical<br />

<strong>in</strong>vestment managers. They are typically positive m<strong>in</strong>ded, driven,<br />

creative, and autonomous. They should be considered partners<br />

(versus employees), especially <strong>the</strong> really good ones.<br />

With respect to compensation, <strong>the</strong> good news is that this person<br />

doesn’t have to cost a fortune. Because <strong>the</strong>y are entrepreneurial,<br />

equity <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir new projects will be a large part of <strong>the</strong> package.<br />

You should be able to br<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> a great person for what you would<br />

pay an <strong>in</strong>vestment professional - $300-$500k <strong>in</strong> cash, plus equity.<br />

The amount of equity will vary based on <strong>the</strong>ir experience, but a<br />

good start<strong>in</strong>g place for discussion is <strong>the</strong> standard 20% that you see<br />

with most alternative asset managers. For a quality person, <strong>the</strong><br />

<strong>in</strong>vestment will be well worth it.<br />

You can f<strong>in</strong>d candidates for this role several ways: First, try recruiters<br />

who specialize <strong>in</strong> venture capital, corporate development, or<br />

startups. You can also contact <strong>the</strong> career management centers<br />

at <strong>the</strong> lead<strong>in</strong>g bus<strong>in</strong>ess schools s<strong>in</strong>ce <strong>the</strong>y stay <strong>in</strong> contact with<br />

alumni as well as current students. F<strong>in</strong>ally, you can network <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />

startup community’s numerous events and groups to meet serial<br />

entrepreneurs.<br />

<strong>Family</strong><strong>Office</strong>Association.com<br />

How to Get started


<strong>Family</strong><strong>Office</strong>Association.com<br />

Conclusion<br />

<strong>Entrepreneurship</strong> <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Family</strong> <strong>Office</strong><br />

<strong>Entrepreneurship</strong> is an activity that is often left out of <strong>the</strong> SFO asset<br />

allocation as people tend to focus on preserv<strong>in</strong>g wealth, versus creat<strong>in</strong>g<br />

it. Ironically, this is how many families orig<strong>in</strong>ally built <strong>the</strong>ir wealth, and<br />

while it has been forgotten, subsequent generations are left ill-prepared to<br />

contribute to family asset growth. Richard Branson and o<strong>the</strong>r families are<br />

demonstrat<strong>in</strong>g that go<strong>in</strong>g beyond <strong>in</strong>vest<strong>in</strong>g to develop<strong>in</strong>g new companies<br />

can not only generate attractive f<strong>in</strong>ancial returns, it can also be personally<br />

reward<strong>in</strong>g and have significant benefits for <strong>the</strong> family and its members.<br />

SFO’s have natural advantages as creators of companies, and with <strong>the</strong><br />

right <strong>in</strong>dividuals and <strong>the</strong> right methods, a family can leave <strong>the</strong>mselves,<br />

and <strong>the</strong> world, better off.


<strong>Family</strong><strong>Office</strong>Association.com<br />

About <strong>the</strong> Authors<br />

<strong>Entrepreneurship</strong> <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Family</strong> <strong>Office</strong><br />

GABRIEL BALDINUCCI<br />

Gabriel Bald<strong>in</strong>ucci started his first company out of high school <strong>in</strong> 1988, a<br />

local pizza cha<strong>in</strong> he sold six years later. He <strong>the</strong>n earned an AB cum laude<br />

<strong>in</strong> Economics at Duke University and an MBA from <strong>the</strong> Stanford Graduate<br />

School of Bus<strong>in</strong>ess. Gabriel spent two years advis<strong>in</strong>g family offices at<br />

Goldman Sachs before leav<strong>in</strong>g to return to more entrepreneurial ventures.<br />

He teamed up with Sir Richard Branson <strong>in</strong> late 2004 and spent five years as a<br />

Vice President and Project Leader for <strong>the</strong> Virg<strong>in</strong> Group’s new ventures arm.<br />

Gabriel is currently a Manag<strong>in</strong>g Director at Palm Ventures <strong>in</strong> Greenwich,<br />

CT. He lives <strong>in</strong> Greenwich with his wife Ann (also an entrepreneur) and<br />

<strong>the</strong>ir Jack Russell, Milton. Gabriel may be contacted at: 305-804-8674 -<br />

gbald<strong>in</strong>ucci@palmventures.com<br />

ANGELO J. ROBLES<br />

Angelo J. Robles is <strong>the</strong> Founder and Chief Executive <strong>Office</strong>r of <strong>the</strong> <strong>Family</strong><br />

<strong>Office</strong> Association. Mr. Robles has been <strong>in</strong> f<strong>in</strong>ancial services for over twenty<br />

years. He started <strong>the</strong> executive benefits division for Arthur J. Gallager &<br />

Co. where he was a director and served <strong>in</strong> similar senior roles at Metlife/<br />

New England F<strong>in</strong>ancial and UBS. He is <strong>the</strong> founder and past President<br />

of <strong>the</strong> New England chapter of <strong>the</strong> Hedge Fund Association, and was an<br />

Internet pioneer <strong>in</strong> retirement plann<strong>in</strong>g for Fortune 1000 executives with<br />

401KRollover.com and IRARollovers.com, both of which he founded.<br />

Angelo has written several books and numerous <strong>in</strong>dependently published<br />

articles. Angelo is <strong>the</strong> author of <strong>the</strong> white paper, “Creat<strong>in</strong>g a S<strong>in</strong>gle <strong>Family</strong><br />

<strong>Office</strong> for Wealth Creation and <strong>Family</strong> Legacy Susta<strong>in</strong>ability,” and co-author<br />

of “The Lawsuit Lottery and Protect<strong>in</strong>g Assets,” “Wealth Preservation &<br />

Asset Protection,” “Offshore Trusts,” and “Structured Solutions: What<br />

<strong>Family</strong> <strong>Office</strong>s Need to Know” and “<strong>Entrepreneurship</strong> <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Family</strong><br />

<strong>Office</strong>.”<br />

Angelo is a contributor for quotes on <strong>the</strong> benefits of creat<strong>in</strong>g a successful<br />

s<strong>in</strong>gle family office for families of wealth for Bloomberg Radio & TV,<br />

Thompson Reuters, Cable Vision CT News, Luxury Institute, Institutional<br />

Investor, Registered Rep, Investment News, Greenwich Times, Account<strong>in</strong>g<br />

Today, Web CPA, Account<strong>in</strong>g Cross<strong>in</strong>g, EurekaHedge, HFM Week, Dubai<br />

International F<strong>in</strong>ancial Centre, IAI Review - Editrice Le Fonti Publish<strong>in</strong>g<br />

House and o<strong>the</strong>r newspapers, websites, magaz<strong>in</strong>es and journals.


<strong>Family</strong><strong>Office</strong>Association.com<br />

<strong>Entrepreneurship</strong> <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Family</strong> <strong>Office</strong><br />

About <strong>the</strong> <strong>Family</strong> <strong>Office</strong> Association<br />

The <strong>Family</strong> <strong>Office</strong> Association (<strong>FOA</strong>) is a global membership organization<br />

exclusive to s<strong>in</strong>gle family offices and families of wealth. We are based<br />

<strong>in</strong> Greenwich, Connecticut but have members from all over <strong>the</strong> United<br />

States and around <strong>the</strong> world. Our membership realizes <strong>the</strong> value of<br />

com<strong>in</strong>g toge<strong>the</strong>r <strong>in</strong> a confidential sett<strong>in</strong>g to share ideas and compare<br />

notes. The <strong>Family</strong> <strong>Office</strong> Association seeks to provide <strong>the</strong> comb<strong>in</strong>ation of<br />

privacy and openness where relationships of trust can grow. The <strong>Family</strong><br />

<strong>Office</strong> Association was started by <strong>the</strong> entreaty and with <strong>the</strong> guidance of<br />

a handful of s<strong>in</strong>gle-family offices <strong>in</strong> Greenwich, Connecticut, who wished<br />

to have a regular and safe place to meet o<strong>the</strong>rs with s<strong>in</strong>gle family offices<br />

and share ideas. True to that spirit, <strong>FOA</strong> is <strong>the</strong> trusted and respected<br />

source that family offices and families of wealth can turn to for peer<br />

network<strong>in</strong>g, expert resources, and fresh perspectives on how to ma<strong>in</strong>ta<strong>in</strong><br />

vigorous multi-generational wealth. <strong>FOA</strong> is <strong>the</strong> advocate of <strong>the</strong> concept of<br />

establish<strong>in</strong>g and susta<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g a s<strong>in</strong>gle family office devoted to <strong>the</strong>:<br />

• Preservation of family wealth<br />

• The foster<strong>in</strong>g of Stewardship <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> next generation, and<br />

• The expansion of family philanthropic Legacy<br />

<strong>FOA</strong> endeavors to f<strong>in</strong>d <strong>the</strong> best experts and notables <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> family office<br />

<strong>in</strong>dustry to educate <strong>the</strong> membership at our Spr<strong>in</strong>g, Summer and Fall<br />

Summits; monthly breakfast roundtables, and member led peer-to-peer<br />

sessions. <strong>FOA</strong> has hosted such legends at our roundtables and summits<br />

as John Paulson, Mike Milken, Bill Ackman, David E<strong>in</strong>horn, Izzy Englander,<br />

Nassim Taleb, Daniel Loeb, Paul S<strong>in</strong>ger, Richard Perry and Marc Lasry.


<strong>Family</strong><strong>Office</strong>Association.com<br />

Disclaimer<br />

The <strong>Family</strong> <strong>Office</strong> Association (<strong>FOA</strong>) is an aff<strong>in</strong>ity group dedicated primarily<br />

to <strong>the</strong> <strong>in</strong>terests of S<strong>in</strong>gle <strong>Family</strong> <strong>Office</strong>s. <strong>FOA</strong> is <strong>in</strong>tended to provide members<br />

with educational <strong>in</strong>formation and a forum <strong>in</strong> which to exchange <strong>in</strong>formation<br />

of mutual <strong>in</strong>terest. <strong>FOA</strong> does not participate <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> offer, sale or distribution<br />

of any securities nor does it provide <strong>in</strong>vestment advice. Fur<strong>the</strong>r, <strong>FOA</strong> does<br />

not provide tax, legal or f<strong>in</strong>ancial advice. Materials distributed by <strong>FOA</strong> are<br />

provided for <strong>in</strong>formational purposes only and shall not be construed to be<br />

a recommendation to buy or sell securities or a recommendation to reta<strong>in</strong><br />

<strong>the</strong> services of any <strong>in</strong>vestment adviser or o<strong>the</strong>r professional adviser. The<br />

identification or list<strong>in</strong>g of products, services, l<strong>in</strong>ks or o<strong>the</strong>r <strong>in</strong>formation does<br />

not constitute or imply any warranty, endorsement, guaranty, sponsorship,<br />

affiliation or recommendation by <strong>FOA</strong>. Any <strong>in</strong>vestment decisions you<br />

may make on <strong>the</strong> basis of any <strong>in</strong>formation provided by <strong>FOA</strong> is your sole<br />

responsibility. The <strong>FOA</strong> logo and all related product and service names,<br />

designs, and slogans are <strong>the</strong> trademarks or service marks of <strong>Family</strong> <strong>Office</strong><br />

Association. All o<strong>the</strong>r product and service marks on materials provided by<br />

<strong>FOA</strong> are <strong>the</strong> trademarks of <strong>the</strong>ir respective owners. All of <strong>the</strong> <strong>in</strong>tellectual<br />

property rights of <strong>FOA</strong> or its contributors rema<strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> property of <strong>FOA</strong> or<br />

such contributor, as <strong>the</strong> case may be, such rights may be protected by<br />

United States and <strong>in</strong>ternational laws and none of such rights are transferred<br />

to you as a result of such material appear<strong>in</strong>g on <strong>the</strong> <strong>FOA</strong> web site. The<br />

<strong>in</strong>formation presented by <strong>FOA</strong> has been obta<strong>in</strong>ed by <strong>FOA</strong> from sources it<br />

believes are reliable. However, <strong>FOA</strong> does not guarantee <strong>the</strong> accuracy or<br />

completeness of any such <strong>in</strong>formation. All of such <strong>in</strong>formation has been<br />

prepared and provided solely for general <strong>in</strong>formational purposes and is<br />

not <strong>in</strong>tended as user specific advice.<br />

Copyright 2010 Gabriel Bald<strong>in</strong>ucci and Angelo J. Robles<br />

<strong>Entrepreneurship</strong> <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Family</strong> <strong>Office</strong>


To learn more about <strong>FOA</strong> contact:<br />

Angelo J. Robles of <strong>Family</strong> <strong>Office</strong> Association<br />

203-570-2898 . angelo@familyofficeassociation.com<br />

Joseph Reilly of <strong>Family</strong> <strong>Office</strong> Association<br />

203-987-7316 . joe@familyofficeassociation.com<br />

<strong>Family</strong> <strong>Office</strong> Association<br />

500 West Putnam Avenue, Suite 400<br />

Greenwich, Connecticut 06830<br />

www. familyofficeassociation.com

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