Making A Difference In
MIAMI
Investing $250k - $4 million in early stage startups
We've been living and breathing the entrepreneurial life for years and now we want to help others make their dreams come true. Our passion is creating opportunities and developing value. We believe in simple philosophy of recognizing entrepreneurial teams with leading technologies and ideas, investing and partnering with those teams, and making a dent in the universe.
Our active investment philosophy
Active investing is a strategy involving the acquisition of investments and then taking a highly involved role in the management and operation of them. They rely on hundreds of strategic methods – including fundamental analysis, technical analysis and macroeconomic analysis – with the goal of determining profitable future investment trends.
At z9 Capital we believe that Venture Capital can, and should, have a positive impact on the way we live and connect with each other every day – we call this Passionate Venture Capital. It’s a simple philosophy but it’s one that inspires each and every investment decision we make. We choose to invest in and partner with entrepreneurial teams with “first generation” technologies or business ideas that we believe have the potential to contribute to a sustainable future.
Our passion is creating opportunities and developing value.
We’ve been living and breathing the entrepreneurial life for years and now we want to help others make their dreams come true. Our passion is for creating opportunities and developing value. We believe in a simple philosophy of recognizing entrepreneurial teams with leading technologies and ideas, investing and partnering with those teams, and making a dent in the universe.
Investment parameters
- Expansion capital versus large investments in technology or intellectual property development
- Relatively modest capital requirements over life of investment
- Uncomplicated capital structure
- Attractive pre-money valuations
- Ability to achieve target IRR with exit value below $75 million
- 3-5 year exit horizon
Recognizing boundless opportunities
- Retail
- E-Commerce B2B and B2C
- Information Technology
- Proven Business Model
- Bootstrap Mentality
- Technology-Enabled Operating Companies
“First, put your best people at the helm and give them plenty of resources to make it happen. Second, encourage it with much fanfare from the top. Third, get off their backs and give them the freedom to make their own decisions.”
JACK WELCH WINNING
Meet the founder & managing partner
Benzion Aboud was born to build things…
Successful businesses, profitable partnerships, game-changing technology. Aboud’s latest endeavor is z9 Capital, which will ultimately enable Benzion to leverage his 20 years of experience and do what he does best: grow businesses.
A team defined by excellence
A powerful team of leadership & experience
Joe Randazza
Partner, Chief Investment & Strategic Officer
Joe Randazza has joined Z9 Capital as a Partner and Chief Investment & Strategic Officer. For the last 35 years, Joe has been an inventor/entrepreneur engaging in various new business strategies based on identifying emerging market opportunities or replacement technologies…
Joe Randazza
Leadership & Experience
Joe Randazza has joined Z9 Capital as Director, Strategic Planning. For the last 35 years, Joe has been an inventor/entrepreneur engaging in various new business strategies based on identifying emerging market opportunities or replacement technologies. He brings to Z9 Capital a seasoned background in capital formation, investor relations, corporate governance, deal diligence and the vetting of potential investments.
Ivan Rodriguez
Partner, VP Business Development
Ivan “Pudge” Rodriguez is a Partner, Vice President, Business Development of z9 Capital. Mr. Rodriguez is a retired Major League Baseball (MLB) player who played at the competitive professional level for more than 24 years and who statistically is considered the greatest defensive catcher in MLB history. On the field …
Ivan Rodriguez
Partner, VP Business Development
Ivan “Pudge” Rodriguez is a Partner, Vice President, Business Development of z9 Capital. Mr. Rodriguez is a retired Major League Baseball (MLB) player who played at the competitive professional level for more than 24 years and who statistically is considered the greatest defensive catcher in MLB history. On the field, Mr. Rodriguez was the recipient of numerous achievements and awards, including, MLB’s all-time games leader as catcher, 7 time silver slugger winner, 2003 World Series champion (Florida Marlins), 2003 NLCS MVP, 1999 AL MVP, 14 time All-Star, Texas Sports Hall of Fame, Texas Rangers Hall of Fame and Latino Hall of Fame. After Mr. Rodriguez’s retirement from baseball, his love for the game endured and to this day he continues to be involved in the sport through his involvement as the Special Assistant to the General Manager of the Texas Rangers, coaching of various major and minor league ballplayers as well as his work as a sports analyst for Fox Sports South West. Off the field, Mr. Rodriguez has and continues to be a well-versed businessman taking on a wide range of investments both domestically and abroad. Pudge also enjoys donating and giving his time to many different communities and non-profit organizations because giving back is a virtue he holds close.
Nandy Serrano
Partner, Business Development Officer
Nandy Serrano has over 18 years of experience in the financial services industry. Prior to joining z9 Capital, Mr. Serrano was a representative for a large insurance company, a financial advisor affiliated with a wealth management company, and an independent advisor…
Nandy Serrano
Leadership & Experience
Nandy Serrano has over 18 years of experience in the financial services industry. Prior to joining z9 Capital, Mr. Serrano was a representative for a large insurance company, a financial advisor affiliated with a wealth management company, and an independent advisor with a well-known broker-dealer. Mr. Serrano is registered to offer investment products and appointed to offer Life Insurance and Annuities in Florida. Nandy currently holds his Series 6, 7, 24, 63 & 65 securities registration, and has earned the Certified Fund Specialist (CFS), Life Underwriter Training Council Fellow (LUTCF), Chartered Advisor for Senior Living (CASL), and Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC) designations.In addition to the passion Mr. Serrano exhibits daily in his professional life, he also firmly believes in giving back to the community. Since 2000, Nandy has been involved with the Seminole Boosters, helping his Alma Mater provide assistance to student athletes. Additionally, Nandy is currently supporting the South Florida community through his active involvement with organizations such as Big Brothers Big Sisters, Susan G. Komen, Make-A-Wish Foundation, Davie Ranch Foundation and the American Cancer Society – all causes near and dear to his heart.Always having a love for sports, Mr. Serrano played collegiate baseball at his alma mater, Florida State University, and thereafter continued in professional sports as a member of the Anaheim Angels organization. Mr. Serrano also participated in the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain as a part of the Puerto Rican Olympic baseball team. As a member of the same team, he won a Silver Medal in the 1991 Pan American games in Cuba.Fluent in both English and Spanish, Mr. Serrano passionately serves both the American and Hispanic communities with ease. He has enjoyed the South Florida lifestyle since 1993 and his greatest achievements to date are his two girls, Sydney and Savannah.
David Bookman
Chief Financial Officer
David Bookman has joined z9 Capital as Chief Financial Officer. Mr. Bookman has over thirty years of experience in accounting, financing, due diligence, consulting, human resources and administration. Mr. Bookman spent thirteen years in public accounting before leaving for private industry.
David Bookman
Chief Financial Officer
David Bookman has joined z9 Capital as Chief Financial Officer. Mr. Bookman has over thirty (30) years of experience in accounting, financing, due diligence, consulting, human resources and administration. Mr. Bookman spent thirteen (13) years in public accounting before leaving for private industry.
He was instrumental in bringing a private real estate investment trust public on the New York Stock Exchange. Mr. Bookman has served as Chief Financial Officer for several privately held real estate developers where he was responsible for overseeing all accounting activities, including budgeting, quarterly management reporting, maintaining and updating cash flow projections, and preparing waterfall analyses and tax returns for over eighty (80) ownership entities. Additionally, Mr. Bookman developed banking relationships and was charged with securing construction financing as well as permanent debt financing. Mr. Bookman possesses a broad based range of experience and will provide timely and accurate financial reporting on behalf of the Sponsor, the General Partner and the Services Company. Mr. Bookman received his BBA in Public Accounting from Pace University in Pleasantville, NY.
Advisory Board
James Flynn
Mr. Flynn spent 27 years with SBC Communications (currently AT&T). The last 13 years of his tenure, he managed P&L units with Cingular Wireless and was President of SBC-Switzerland. Mr. Flynn was Vice President of National Distribution and later Vice President and General Manager of…
James Flynn
Leadership & experience
Mr. Flynn spent 27 years with SBC Communications (currently AT&T). The last 13 years of his tenure, he managed P&L units with Cingular Wireless and was President of SBC-Switzerland. Mr. Flynn was Vice President of National Distribution and later Vice President and General Manager of the Northeast Region for Cingular Wireless Philadelphia. After taking early retirement in 2005, Mr. Flynn spent 1 year as Senior Vice President of Sales for Vonage and 5 years as Executive Vice President-Strategic Alliances for Saveology.com. Mr. Flynn is currently President of Flynn Enterprises, a telecommunications consulting group.
Malie Conway
Ms. Malie Conway is a Partner, Portfolio Manager, and Head of Global Credit at Rogge Global Partners PLC in London, UK. She is involved with the Credit Team and has been with the firm for ten years. Ms. Conway has been with the industry for 22 years. Prior to joining the firm in 1998, she was a…
Malie Conway
Portfolio manager
Ms. Malie Conway is a Partner, Portfolio Manager, and Head of Global Credit at Rogge Global Partners PLC in London, UK. She is involved with the Credit Team and has been with the firm for ten years. Ms. Conway has been with the industry for 22 years. Prior to joining the firm in 1998, she was a Senior Portfolio Management Team member at Rothschild Asset Management, directly responsible for US and short term mandates. Ms. Conway was a Portfolio Manager at JP Morgan, responsible for global, US, and short term mandates. She was also a Trading assistant at W.I.Carr Ltd. Ms. Conway gained a B.A. Hons in Finance and Marketing from Southbank University, England.
Lewis E. Farsedakis
Lewis E. Farsedakis is a polymathic individual with accomplishments in a wide variety of fields. Mr. Farsedakis owns a diversified family of brands marketed in over thirty countries around the globe. He manages his portfolio companies by drawing on his experience…
Lewis E. Farsedakis
A polymathic individual with accomplishments in a wide variety of fields
David Gray
Mr. Gray discovered the path to e-publishing while still a law student in Chicago. Frustrated by the unwieldy and dense subject matter — and the voluminous amount of paper materials he had to sift through — he founded The Numina Group Corporation in 1990 to produce the first…
David Gray
Leadership & experience
Mr. Gray discovered the path to e-publishing while still a law student in Chicago. Frustrated by the unwieldy and dense subject matter — and the voluminous amount of paper materials he had to sift through — he founded The Numina Group Corporation in 1990 to produce the first software study aides for law students, Casebriefs. In 1996, Casebriefs was sold to the legal publishing division of Thomson Reuters.
Through this experience, Mr. Gray gained deep insight into the educational publishing industry. In 1997 and with a good reputation among the publishing industry, Gray then established WizeUp.com to convert the $6.5 billion college textbook market from printed products to entirely digital content with sales and delivery via the web. WizeUp.com became the world’s largest developer and distributor of electronic college textbooks. WizeUp.com was eventually sold to a strategic publishing company in 2005.In 2006, and as the web was moving more toward an advertising and sponsorship model, Gray had the opportunity to repurchase his original company, Casebriefs, back from Thomson Reuters which he quickly did. Gray entirely converted the B to C business model to a B to B model, and Casebriefs became a free site and app opportunity completely supported by advertiser and sponsorship revenues. Today, Casebriefs.com is the most widely used site for US legal education worldwide. Sponsors and advertisers include more than 65 legal education institutions, the nation’s largest test prep companies, industry technology companies, and large content database companies such as Bloomberg.Gray has been an Adjunct Professor and is currently an Executive Education Professor, and an Entrepreneur in Residence in the Graduate School of Business at Florida Atlantic University. Gray is a panelist and speaker at numerous industry conferences.
Ira H. Friedman
With over 30 years of local media experience, Mr. Friedman has been directly involved in more than $1billion dollars of local media transactions. He helped found, grow, lead and sell 2 private media companies over a 15 year period to 2 different large publically traded media companies…
Ira H. Friedman
Founder IYC Network, President DMI Services, Inc.
With over 30 years of local media experience, Mr. Friedman has been directly involved in more than $1billion dollars of local media transactions. He helped found, grow, lead and sell 2 private media companies over a 15 year period to 2 different large publically traded media companies (Monster, Omnicom). Some of the client companies Mr. Friedman worked with during those periods included IBM, Verizon Wireless, Goodyear and BMW. Mr. Friedman worked at both the first Cellular operation in America, the Baltimore-Washington Cellular Partnership and also help to create, found and launch the first Internet based print media exchange, ADEXchange/MediaPassage. He continues to be a visionary leader founding IYC Networks the Internet’s leading “matchmaker” between online directories and home services.