Our Company

James S. Gladney

Founder & Managing Partner

jgladney@libertycapitalpartners.com

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James S. Gladney founded Liberty Capital Partners in 1994. He is an experienced CEO, Wealth Manager, public and private equity investor, and venture capitalist who has spent the past 30 years starting, building and buying a broad array of over 50 companies domestically and internationally. His industry experience includes Wealth Management, business services, distribution, real estate & construction, software, franchising, manufacturing and media. He has served for 15 years as the CEO of operating companies and 15 years as the Managing Partner of investment firms. Jim has served on the Boards of Directors of over 25 companies and chaired numerous boards, audit committees, compensation committees and executive committees. He was a member of the National Association of Corporate Directors.

Jim served as the Founder, Chairman & CEO of Liberty Wealth Advisors from 2012 – 2022. Liberty Wealth Advisors is now a Prime Capital Investment Advisors Company headquartered in Overland Park, KS.

Jim also served as the Managing Partner of Park Avenue Equity Partners, a NYC-based growth private equity firm specializing in investing in middle market companies.

Jim was Chairman and CEO of Boston based All Seasons Services, Inc., a leading provider of vending, dining and office refreshment services with over 2000 employees. He grew the business from $80 million in revenue to over $200 million executing a successful consolidation strategy and then sold the company, generating a sevenfold return for investors.

Jim was Chairman and CEO of Federal Investment Co., Inc. in Providence, RI. Under his leadership, the diversified real estate development company grew to become New England’s largest homebuilder, winning the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Blue Chip Enterprise Award.

Jim has served as an investor and board member of numerous successful companies conducting business domestically and internationally and recently served as Chairman of the boards of RentBits and Remotely, two Denver based technology companies. Merrill Lynch and Ernst & Young has named Jim a nominee for the Entrepreneur of the Year Award on three separate occasions. Jim was selected by the Boston Business Journal for its inaugural “40 Under 40” designation which recognizes the accomplishments of the best and brightest business people under the age of 40.

James S. Gladney earned his B.S. in Finance from the University of Rhode Island.

Connor S. Gladney

Connor Gladney is an Associate at Liberty Capital Partners. He supports the Managing Partner in all facets of the business, including budgeting and forecasting, analysis of investment opportunities, strategic planning, communication with key stakeholders, portfolio management, and marketing and public relations.

Connor graduated from Baruch College in Manhattan with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business and Corporate Communications.

Connor is a professional musician who has toured nationally while performing with the Indie Folk band Skout.

James L. Truslow V

General Counsel

401-523-5296

jtruslow@libertycapitalpartners.com

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Jim Truslow has been practicing law in New England since 1987 with significant experience in corporate governance, finance, private equity, venture capital, mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, business litigation, employment law issues, contracts, licensing, franchising law, and real estate. Throughout his 30 year career, Mr. Truslow has also represented and worked on many of the business ventures initiated and operated by Mr. Gladney, both as a representative of premiere law firms and as in-house counsel to Mr. Gladney’s companies.

Mr. Truslow began his corporate and real estate legal practice with Partridge, Snow & Hahn in Providence, Rhode Island. In 1990, Mr. Truslow became the Vice President and General Counsel of Federal Investment Co., Inc., reporting to Mr. Gladney and managing this real estate development company’s land acquisitions, subdivision and environmental permitting approvals, and closings in addition to its general corporate and legal affairs. In 1996, Mr. Truslow joined Nadeau & Simmons to continue his real estate development and business law practice in Rhode Island and Massachusetts, and in this capacity he represented All Seasons Services, Inc., one of Mr. Gladney’s companies, in many of its corporate acquisitions.

From 2001 through 2007, Mr. Truslow served as Vice President and General Counsel of All Seasons Services, Inc., overseeing all of the food service company’s legal affairs from its corporate headquarters in Boston, Massachusetts, including acquisitions, debt and equity financings, and the conversion of the company’s operating model to franchised route sales. Following the sale of the company, Mr. Truslow continued to provide legal counsel to the new owner.

Throughout his career, Mr. Truslow has donated a significant amount of his time to developing affordable housing in Rhode Island, and currently serves as legal counsel to Family Housing Development Corporation in Providence on a pro bono basis.

Mr. Truslow graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a B.A. degree in Economics, and from the University of Texas Law School. Mr. Truslow is married and has two children. He enjoys skiing and sailing, and is a coach in the East Greenwich Soccer Association youth recreational league.

R. Robert Popeo (Chairman 1994-2023)

Chairman, Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo P.C.

Bob served as our Chairman from our founding in 1994 through his passing in 2023. His vision, experience and advice on matters both professional and personal proved invaluable to our firm. His integrity, passion for serving others, and accomplishments over a 60 year career are legendary and his influence on our firm is everlasting.

Bob was the Chairman of Mintz Levin and a member of the firm’s Policy Committee, and he practiced from the firm’s Boston office. He practiced in the Litigation Section, and previously served as its Chairman.

Bob’s distinguished legal career in the public and private sector spanned four decades. He always placed a premium on not only representing his clients to the best of his considerable abilities, but also devoting his singular energy to civic causes. After his early days as a law clerk to a federal judge, he became a Special Assistant Attorney General and was appointed as a United States Commissioner (later known as United States Magistrate Judge). Bob was also an instructor at Boston University School of Law, and a guest lecturer at various law schools. Later, he assumed the role as Chairman of Mintz Levin and earned a reputation as one of the nation’s premier trial attorneys. He was recognized by the National Law Journal as one of the country’s top 100 lawyers for nine consecutive years, was featured in The American Lawyer as one of the country’s “heavy hitters,” and was continually listed in The Best Lawyers in America. Bob was also named a “Senior Statesman” in Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business. Every year since 2004, he was recognized as a Massachusetts Super Lawyer, in a listing published as a special supplement to Boston Magazine.

In civic as well as legal matters, preparation and commitment were Bob’s trademark. As part of his commitment to the community, he served on the boards of the National Conference of Christians and Jews, Massachusetts Mental Health Research Corporation, Catholic Charitable Bureau, Glover Memorial Hospital, the American Cancer Society, and the United Way of Massachusetts Bay. He was also a member of the Board of Overseers of Northeastern University, a member of the Board of Advisors of Birmingham Business School, a Trustee of Boston College, a Trustee of Newton Country Day School, a member of the Executive Committee of the Massachusetts Business Roundtable, and  chair of the 2003 “Presidents at Pops” benefit concert.

Bob was chairman of the task force of the Boston Bar Association that worked with leaders of the Bar, justices of the various courts, and the business community to formulate a plan to reform the Massachusetts court system, a plan that was enacted into law. He was a Vice President of the Association and served on the Bar Council.

Bob’s stature in the field of legal services rests in no small part on the diligent preparation and ingenious strategy for which he is renowned, and on his sound business advice. He represented major corporations and their CEOs, and well-known political and media figures throughout the country. He lectured widely in the law and continued his studies to remain abreast of the latest legal developments, while finding time for the civic service he pursues so ardently.

Bob was admitted to practice in Massachusetts and the District of Columbia and was a member of the American, Massachusetts, District of Columbia, and Boston Bar Associations, as well as the Practising Law Institute. He was also a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers. He received his A.B. from Northeastern University (1958) and his J.D. from Boston College Law School (1961).

Chuck Huebner

President and CEO, Syng

Craig Smith

Chief Revenue Officer, ANGI

As the Chief Revenue Officer at Angi (NASDAQ:ANGI), Craig drives expansion strategies, manages the sales force, and unlocks new revenue streams to fuel top line growth. Craig’s focus lies in accelerating performance, expanding the value to ANGI’s service professional network and cultivating customer-centric business solutions.

Robert O. Wray, Jr.

CEO, Blue Star Service Solutions, Inc.

Admiral Robert O. Wray is a two star Rear Admiral (ret.) in the US Navy.

In 2013, Rob founded Blue Star Service Solutions, Inc., a company that offers technology and services to help aging veterans to maintain their quality of life. He is the CEO of Blue Star, which is based in Bethesda, MD.

Upon transitioning from active‐duty Navy in 1986, Rob worked as a civilian nuclear engineer on Navy submarines in Portsmouth NH and Charleston SC. He then left the nuclear power industry, moved to Rhode Island, and began a varied entrepreneurial career spanning 20 years. His positions included: President of a real‐estate development and construction company, CEO of a circuit‐board manufacturing company, owner of a consulting firm providing services to banks, partner and general manager of a resort hotel, and owner of a diesel‐engine services company.

In the late 1990s, in an effort to capitalize on the growing move toward electrical deregulation, Wray developed and patented a device which improved the use of electricity for medium‐sized commercial and industrial users. He and partners formed a company, Powergy, to manufacture and sell the product. As electrical deregulation subsided with little real change to the energy markets, Powergy shifted to focus on web‐based energy controls through a spinoff called Energy‐Online (EOL). In early 2002, Wray sold Powergy and Energy‐Online, and went to work for EOL’s acquirer, Pace Global Energy Services. Pace was later acquired by Siemens. From Siemans, Rob was mobilized to Iraq duty. Returning from Baghdad in November 2004, he became the Division Manager for the 300‐person Newport division of Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC). For three years he led a turnaround of that division, and expanded into new products and markets.

He left SAIC when brought back onto active duty as a Navy admiral.In 2004, he returned to temporary active duty to support the transition of sovereignty back to the Iraqi government. Working as a Navy Captain on an interagency team reporting to Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld and Secretary of State Colin Powell, Rob specialized in security for the contractors involved in the reconstruction of Iraq. He spent several months at the Pentagon working this issue, and then several more on‐scene in Baghdad. There he founded and was the first chief of operations for the first‐ ever operations center coordinating contractor, military, non‐governmental operations in reconstruction.

In 2007, he was promoted to Rear Admiral and in early 2008 returned to full‐time Navy active duty. His first flag position was as Deputy Commander, Military Sealift Command, in Washington DC. Military Sealift Command operates approximately 180 ships for the Navy and Department of Defense, providing combat logistics force capabilities, special missions, pre‐positioning of DoD supplies worldwide, and strategic sealift. MSC has approximately 10,000 employees around the world, and operates as a $3B+ working capital fund.

After three years at MSC, in October 2010 he was promoted to Rear Admiral (upper half) (O‐8, or two‐ stars). He was assigned as Vice Commander of Naval Forces Europe and Africa, US Sixth Fleet, in Naples Italy. After only six months in this position, he was assigned as President, Navy Board of Inspection and Survey (INSURV), Norfolk Virginia, in March 2011. INSURV was established by Congress in 1882 and is tasked with inspecting the ships, submarines, and carriers of the Navy, and reporting on their readiness to the Secretary of the Navy and Congress. In late 2013, Rob retired from the Navy.

Rob graduated from the US Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland in May 1979, with a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering. In 2010 he received a Masters Degree in Leadership from the MacDonough School of Business at Georgetown University in Washington. He has written a book on leadership and lectures on the topic before academic, commercial, and military audiences.

Dennis E. Pemberton, Jr.

Founder, Chief Executive Officer, Global Asset Alternatives, LLC

As the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Global Asset Alternatives, LLC (“GAA”), Dennis is responsible for creating and implementing the vision of GAA and identifying and executing investment strategies.  Prior to founding GAA, Dennis served as Managing Director – Capital Markets of Shoptaw & Garrard, LLC, a boutique investment management firm, where he oversaw research, portfolio management and capital raising activities.  Prior thereto, Dennis was affiliated with Security Capital Group, Inc. (SCG), a global investment and research organization.  There he held several positions of increasing responsibility including:  Vice President of an SCG affiliate, where he identified, analyzed and structured global investment opportunities; Associate, Security Capital Markets Group where he participated in raising in excess of $3 billion of public and private equity for SCG affiliates; and assistant to the Vice Chairman where he analyzed and participated in several merger and acquisition transactions.  Dennis has also worked for CIGNA Investment Management as an asset manager, responsible for a $300 million multifamily portfolio.  Additionally, he has held positions at Lehman Brothers and the Prudential Realty Group.

Dennis has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration from Morehouse College, having graduated with honors; an Executive Certificate in Real Estate Development from Massachusetts Institute of Technology; and an MBA from Harvard Business School.

Andrew Hodgkin

Private Investor & Attorney, Hodgkin Law

For nearly thirty years, Andrew Hodgkin has been practicing law in New England, advising clients on a wide range of public, private and nonprofit matters.

Previously, Mr. Hodgkin served as Chief of Staff for Rhode Island Governor, Donald L. Carcieri. In that capacity, he had primary responsibility for advancing the Governor’s agenda, which is focused on economic revitalization, education, renewable energy and good government.

Mr. Hodgkin’s private practice of law includes a concentration on federal and state government regulation, particularly with respect to the financial services industry.

Before opening his own firm in 2007, Andy also served from 2003 through August of 2007 as the Governor’s Chief Legal Counsel. In that capacity, Andy advised the Governor on legislation, litigation, judicial appointments and other major matters affecting state government. Prior to his public service, Andy was a partner for over ten years in the Banking, Finance and Corporate practice groups of the Boston law firm of Brown Rudnick LLP, where he co-founded the Providence office.

In addition to his federal and state bank regulatory practice, Andy represented the Rhode Island State Investment Commission and was counsel to the State as receiver for failed financial institutions during the banking crisis of the early 1990s.Before joining Brown Rudnick, Mr. Hodgkin served as Senior Vice President and General Counsel to a federal savings bank in Providence, Rhode Island, and its mortgage subsidiary in Seattle, Washington. The bank also acquired banking operations in North Carolina, Washington and California during Mr. Hodgkin’s tenure.

OTHER INFORMATION

– Bryant University – Adjunct Professor – Law of Financial Institutions
– Director and Vice Chair – The Providence Plan (a city-state partnership)
– Rhode Island Bar Association – Dorothy Lohman Community Service Award of 2000
– Leadership Rhode Island – 1992 Class
– Securitization: Asset-Backed and Mortgage-Backed Securities (Lexis/Nexis) – Contributing Author
– Volunteer Center of Rhode Island, former President of the Board
– YearUp, Student Mentor
– Served on various Barrington town committees, including Tax Review and Land Use Planning

Mr. Hodgkin is the father of two children, Mark and Leanda, and has been married to his wife, Virginia, for 29 years. They reside in Barrington, Rhode Island.

Kenneth Mabbs

Managing Partner, Liberty Capital Ventures

Ken is a Managing Partner and a founder of Liberty Capital Ventures. He serves on the Board of Directors of Knoa Software and OnePIN, and until their exits, served on the boards of E Ink and ISOPur. Prior to its IPO, Ken was an observer to the board of A123 Systems.

Prior to co-founding FA Technology Ventures, Ken served as Director of Investment Banking and Director of Merchant Banking from 1991-2000 at Gleacher and Company, a publicly traded investment banking firm focused on emerging technology companies. Ken led the transformation of Gleacher’s corporate investment banking practice from a regional generalist approach to a nationwide information technology and energy technology focused practice. Investment banking revenues grew from $7.8 million to $32.8 million and equity underwriting volumes of lead or co-lead transactions increased from $24 million to over $2 billion. The Merchant Banking activity consisted of the venture capital investing of the FATV I Portfolio, which invested over $17 million and resulted in realizations of over $77 million. Ken also worked on strategy, due diligence and investment negotiations in Mechanical Technology and its follow-on investments in Plug Power (where he was a co-founder), Beacon Power and Satcon as well as FATV I investments in iRobot and META Group. Prior to working at Gleacher, Ken was a senior investment banker at Bear Stearns and Company, Inc., in New York and in Boston where for eight years he focused on emerging technology companies.

Ken has served as a Judge and Mentor to the annual MIT Enterprise Forum’s Ignite Business Plan Contest for energy technology companies since its inception (now The Cleantech Open). Along with a select group of leading energy technology executives and scientists, he addressed the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Science regarding investing in energy technology and accelerating the emergence of the hydrogen economy in the United States. In 2012, Ken testified before the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship on the topic of Energy Storage in the new digital economy.

Ken has a BA from Denison University and an MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.

Gregory Hulecki

Managing Partner, Liberty Capital Ventures

Greg is a Managing Partner and founder of Liberty Capital Ventures. He serves on the Board of Directors of Auterra and, until their exit, served on the Boards of Autotask, BinOptics, Softricity, Concentrix and IP MobileNet. He is also a Board observer at CreditSights.

Greg has an extensive history in private equity investing investment experience across every stage of the venture capital life cycle most recently with FA Technology Ventures. Greg was a Managing Director and founder of Seacoast Capital (1994-2000), a $100 million growth equity fund. Prior to founding Seacoast, Greg managed the investment portfolio of Signal Capital, a Sam Zell backed fund that invested in a wide variety of assets and distressed securities. Greg and his team rationalized the Signal portfolio, deciding which assets to sell and which to support, and maximized the value of the portfolio. After successfully advancing the Signal Capital portfolio, Mr. Zell became the lead investor in Seacoast.

Prior to Signal Capital, Greg worked as a principal at Capital Growth Partners, a middle market private equity firm focused on providing growth equity, and Venture Founders, an early stage technology venture capital firm where he was involved with successful investments in Vicor (NASDAQ: VICR) and MatrixOne (which went public and was subsequently acquired by Dassault Systems in 2006). He started his career as an engineer and manager on the factory floor of General Motors, followed by Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC), where he helped design state of the art manufacturing systems to rapidly scale mass production of VAX computers.

Greg has been actively involved in recruiting and screening entrepreneurs for Springboard Enterprises, a national not-for-profit organization dedicated to accelerating women’s access to the venture capital markets. In addition, he has worked with mentors from the MIT Venture Mentoring Service, comprised of successful entrepreneurs and investors who assist technologies and startups in spinning out of the University. Greg has a Bachelor of Electrical Engineering degree from General Motors Institute (now Kettering University) and an MBA from Harvard Business School.

Tim Moynihan

Founder, Investor, and Operating Executive

Tim Moynihan is a technology startup founder, investor, advisor, board member and operating executive with over 25 years’ experience in the digital media, online advertising, SaaS, and AdTech, MarTech startup industries. His experience includes founding, scaling and advising early stage technology companies from seed stage to profitability and successful exit. Tim has held management and executive positions at technology companies that include Google, RentBits, and Bixy. He serves on the board of directors for technology start-ups that include Shopventory, a mobile payments and business intelligence SaaS platform and IWT, Inc, a SaaS based enterprise communications platform.

Tim has served on numerous non-profit boards and currently serves on the board of directors for Catholic Charities in the Archdiocese of Denver where he chairs the Development Committee and serves as member of the Compensation Committee.

Tim graduated from Colby College with a BA in History and earned his MBA from the University of San Francisco, School of Management with concentrations in Entrepreneurship and Marketing. He lives in Denver, Colorado with his wife Elizabeth and their four children.