Michael Lavin
Investment Committee Member at National 4
Michael Lavin
Investment Committee Member at National 4
Greater Chicago Area
Overview
Work Experience
Managing Partner
2017 - Current
I run the investing and fund management activities of Germin8 Ventures, which is a multi-stage venture capital firm investing in transformative Food & AgTech with strong strategic backing. Our goal is to combine unique domain expertise with best-in-class investment approaches to support the most capable teams and technologies shaping the Agrifood sector in ways that have major positiv consequence on food security, population health, as well as the prosperity of producers and their local communities.
Germin8 Ventures is a venture capital firm actively investing with domain expertise and strategic backing in foodtech and agtech.
Investment Committee Member
2024
4-H welcomes young people of all beliefs and backgrounds, empowering them with skills to lead for a lifetime.
Raised $6,015,000.00 from Spectrum and Google.org.
Mentor and Collaborator
2017 - 2020
Mentor
2018 - 2020
Techstars is an accelerator that provides pre-seed investment and mentoring for various early stage startups.
Raised $108,919,999.00 from SVB Financial Group and Foundry Group.
Associate Board Member - Good Food Accelerator
2018 - 2019
Good Food Catalyst is a distributor of produced food.
Mentor
2017 - 2019
1871 is a not-for-profit community that helps digital designers, engineers, and entrepreneurs build their startups and share ideas.
Raised $2,500,000.00.
Investment Banking Associate
2012 - 2017
Served as an investment banker at Chicago-based Mesirow Financial, successfully executing numerous M&A, capital raising and restructuring transactions across a variety of sectors, including food & agriculture, industrial technology, aerospace & defense, packaging and industrials for clientele ranging from boutique family- and founder-owned companies to the Fortune 500. In addition to primary investment banking responsibilities, I also served on Mesirow’s three person corporate development team and advised the board of directors on matters related to acquisitions, investments and divestitures, as well as other corporate strategy initiatives and personal investing by board members.
Associate, Mesirow Financial Consulting
2011 - 2012
- Advised Fortune 500, leading legal and government clientele - Corporate Turnaround & Financial Restructuring - Litigation, Forensics, Investigative & Intelligence Services - Management Consulting
Mesirow is an independent, employee-owned financial services firm.
Restructuring & Turnaround Advisory Intern
2011 - 2011
Management Consulting Engagement - Led a team from the University of Illinois in a four-month project to develop an algorithm-based tool for Alvarez & Marsal to prospect potential clientele likely to face distress in six to eighteen months in the future.
Alvarez & Marsal Healthcare Ventures is a consultant company with operational excellence is the heartbeat of growth for every company.
Corporate Finance and Risk Management Intern
2009 - 2009
- Developed manual and policies for risk management best practices and protocols - Structured and negotiated equipment financings - Applied data analytics in the development of hedging strategies and formation of synthetic hedges - Investigated injury events and created preventative measures - Financial analysis
OSI Group is a premier supplier of custom value-added food products to the foodservice and retail food brands.
Accounting/Operations Intern
2008 - 2008
- Food manufacturing and production spanning multiple operations throughout the value chain - Lean manufacturing practices - Data analytics and quality control - R&D and product development - Supply chain logistics - Accounting
OSI Group is a premier supplier of custom value-added food products to the foodservice and retail food brands.