A SuperAngel VC Company

As founder and managing general partner of G-51, Rudy focuses on the development of all portfolio companies, syndication partnerships and deal flow. Through mentoring as well as serving on portfolio boards, he is instrumental in driving success through defining and then guiding the implementation of well-grounded business and marketing strategies. Rudy applies his expertise which includes an extensive knowledge of successful hardware and software business models, market shaping services, business growth strategies and talent sourcing. Rudy knows start-ups and what it takes to build market value.

Rudy is a native of Austin and a recognized Texas leader in the technology start-up industry. He started G-51 Capital in 1996 a few blocks from the University of Texas campus and now has served as an investor and board member for over 20 companies, selling numerous to publicly traded strategic acquirers including SAP, ADP, Prudential, and Cisco Systems among others. 

Rudy has demonstrated success in seed-stage business identification and development not only in Texas but across the country, leading to the firm’s nationally ranked return performance. He is an active leader in the venture community, including longstanding participation in NVCA and the Texas Venture Capital Association. He has led syndicated investment deals with numerous angel investors, institutional and corporate venture capital firms nationwide.

Rudy received his MBA from The University of Texas at Austin and his BBA from St. Edwards University. He currently serves as Chairman of the Board of the University of Texas Alumni Association (“Texas Exes”). Rudy also is a lifetime honorary trustee of the Dell Children’s Medical Center Foundation.

As a G-51 partner since 2000, Lauranne focuses on due diligence, defining deal structures and post-investment financial and operational controls. In addition to financial review and milestone management, she is actively involved in the process that ensures there is enough financial runway to achieve each portfolio company’s corporate goals. Lauranne utilizes her expertise in all aspects of financial management to remove operational and economic barriers for successful exits.

Lauranne is currently on the Board of Directors for ReachForce. She has served in strategic and financial roles for portfolio companies including Psionic, Fracta and Pilot Software and is an active advisor for Memeo and iTaggit.

Prior to joining G-51, she was the Chief Financial Officer for NLynx Systems, Inc. (“NLynx”), where she oversaw their growth from $1M to $30M. Her responsibilities included Accounting and Finance, Human Resources and MIS for their global operation. She was involved in the successful acquisition and integration of multiple companies. Prior to NLynx, Lauranne worked as an auditor for Wheeler and Bull and Ernst and Young.

Lauranne is active in several organizations including Habitat for Humanity and the Humane Society. Lauranne has been a CPA since 1992 with an extensive knowledge in all areas of fiscal management. She received her MBA and BBA from the University of Texas at Austin.

G-51’s Venture Partners include seasoned executives from some of the nation’s most successful technology companies. Venture Partners provide G-51’s portfolio companies with managerial, technical, and strategic support.

As a Venture Partner of G-51 since 2000, Theresa serves as a general management and strategy consultant or board member to select portfolio companies. She is instrumental in optimizing strategic goals, sales and marketing operations, channel programs, and human resources management. She is a specialist in high-growth tactical execution and works directly with CEOs and VPs of Sales to identify their top priorities to accelerate timely growth and execute their business objectives. She has worked directly with Digital Motorworks, Motion Computing, ReachForce, Augmentix and Pilot Software.

Rick joined our Venture Partner team in 2009.  He brings with him 35 years of experience in financial management and strategic guidance from two Fortune 100 technology leaders.  Most recently, Rick served as vice president of finance at networking technology leader Cisco Systems.  There he was instrumental in developing and implementing an e-culture of financial reporting across all of Cisco’s worldwide operations, while still cutting $150 million from the budget.  When he arrived in 1996 it took Cisco weeks to close its quarterly reporting books.  Today it takes under 4 hours.

Previous to Cisco, Rick served as vice president of finance for Motorola, where he had worldwide financial responsibility for the Semiconductor division.  He was also heavily involved in developing Motorola’s cellular operations in Japan, which experienced explosive growth from $300 million to over $2 billion.  In addition to his operational experience, Rick has also worked with numerous top tier venture firms from across the country.

Rick was a past board member for Transmeta Corporation (symbol: TMTA) for 6 years including the public to private transition in 2008.  He remains an active board member for Ultratech (symbol: UTEK), Liquid Computing, and Treaty Oak Bank.  Rick holds a B.S. degree in accounting and finance from the University of Arizona, an M.B.A. degree from St. Edward’s University, and is a Certified Public Accountant.

John is our most recent Venture Partner here at G51.  He joined our team in 2010.  Mr. Kinnaird is a 13-year veteran of the Dell Corporation. Starting his career on the telephones, he quickly rose through the company, holding such positions as Sales and Marketing Director for Dell Japan and Vice-President and General Manager of Dell Direct Sales. For over five years, Mr. Kinnaird was Vice President and General Manager of the Dell Preferred Accounts Division, where he oversaw the rapid growth of the Consumer/Business division from $75 million to over $2 billion in annual sales. An established entrepreneur, Mr. Kinnaird boasts a strong portfolio of thriving Austin-based companies, such as the Elements Group, a residential home services company; Mangia Pizza, a casual dining chain; and Applied Reasoning, a thriving investment firm. In addition to his entrepreneurial talents, Mr. Kinnaird is also an active board member and investor for a number of venture companies, including Barton Medical and eVapt. He earned his B.S. in Advertising from the University of Texas at Austin.

Prior to joining Dell in 1991, Mr. Smith held finance and treasury management positions with Commodore International Ltd. and EDS, and has lived and worked in the Middle East, North America, South America and Europe.

Mr. Smith earned a master’s degree in international management from the American Graduate School of International Management (Thunderbird) and a bachelor of science in business administration, economics, from the University of Florida. He is a chartered financial analyst and a member of the Austin Society of Financial Analysts. He Chairs the Board of Junior Achievement of Central Texas and is leading an initiative to build a unique experiential learning program for Austin area children.

Ms. Roizen began her career by co-founding T/Maker Company, a software publisher and developer for early personal computers, including the IBM PC and the original Macintosh. As CEO, she led the company for over a decade, raised two rounds of venture capital and ultimately consummated the successful sale of T/Maker to Deluxe Corporation.

Ms. Roizen is a past president of the Software Publishers Association and served on its board from 1987 to 1994. She represented the venture industry as a member of the Board of Directors of the National Venture Capital Association from 2003 to 2007. She has served as an Advisor to G-51 since 2007.

Mr. Burck has served on a variety of business boards including the Texas Department of Information Resources and the Texas Life, Accident, Health and Hospital Service Insurance Guaranty Association. Currently he is a board member for Adorno/Rogers Technology, Inc., and infiNET Solutions.

Mr. Burck has been involved in numerous community service organizations, including the Advisory Council of the Austin Lyric Opera, and has served as a member of the Governor’s Council on Science and Biotechnology, the Formula Advisory Committee of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board and the Advisory Council of the UT Austin College of Natural Science.

Mr. Burck graduated from the University of Texas at Austin in 1956 with a BBA degree, and also attended the South Texas School of Law in Houston.

Mr. Lunsford's association with G-51 also helps to expand the community and philanthropic activity that G-51 participates in. Mr. Lunsford is the founding partner of Austin Social Venture Partners, a venture philanthropy organization launched in March of 1999 that funds non-profit organizations which strengthen the Austin community. Mr. Lunsford also founded the Bodhi Foundation in 1998, a nonprofit incubator created to facilitate the development of partnerships, associations and other entities which relieve suffering and promote general philanthropic activity.

Mr. Lunsford graduated from the University of Texas in 1983 with a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering.