John M. Gerber
John is the Founder and Principal of Gerber Growth. He brings to bear his extensive professional expertise as an executive manager, corporate attorney and business builder on a job that links with his other key passion - enhancing the economic development of the Greater Philadelphia region through support of entrepreneurs and growing businesses.
John has served in key management roles with early stage and growth-oriented companies. He has been part of the founding management team for a $100 Million private equity fund. John also served as Project Director for the City of Philadelphia’s Commerce Department on an economic development planning exercise initiated by Mayor Street, a unique leadership opportunity that enabled him to take his personal experience with entrepreneurism and business growth and apply it to a critical regional dialogue.
More specifically, John’s professional background includes the following:
Resources Global Professionals – Director of a new business line (legal services) in the Philadelphia and Princeton markets for a NASDAQ listed consulting firm. In John’s first year, he assisted in shaping the service set to be delivered to clients, recruited dozens of senior level attorneys to join the firm, and grew revenues by selling primarily to legal departments of Fortune 1000 companies.
MeridianTelesis – COO/EVP and General Counsel of a co-location company located at the Science Center’s Port of Technology in Philadelphia. John served as member of executive management from the company’s development stage through emergence as a profitable single facility, through a national expansion and contraction, and a successful sale to a national provider, with highest-level involvement in all business and legal aspects of company operations, transactions, planning, and affairs. When the company was in start-up and growth modes, John had responsibility for establishing and implementing the company’s corporate, administrative and human resources systems and policies, and for managing a series of private placement offerings and investor relations. John also created and implemented company operational policies and administrative processes, including accompanying form documentation, checklists and contracts. As General Counsel, he structured, drafted and reviewed legal documentation for, and shared in the negotiation and integration of, all company transactions, contracts and proposals, such as acquisitions (ranging from under $1 million to over $55 million), facility management arrangements, real estate development and service partnerships, affiliation transactions and financing opportunities.
The Fossicker Fund – Principal of a $100 Million investment fund, focused on, among other things, control/buyout investments in distressed companies (and post-closing management) in the business services, technology, and communications/Internet spaces. As a principal, John participated in the organization and development of the Fund and analyzed the marketplace for private equity investments in distressed companies, developed the investment criteria for the Fund and structured and negotiated the financial and governance relationships between management and the Fund’s financial partner and among Fund principals. He also sourced, reviewed and performed due diligence on Fund investment opportunities and structured and negotiated transaction terms for investment opportunities and prepared documentation for proposal to the Fund and presentation to target companies.
Premier Concepts, Inc. – Member of Board of Directors, including Chair of the Board and member of the Audit Committee, of a publicly-held retailer of high-end reproduction jewelry through a national chain of 36 stores under the name “Impostors”. As Chair of the Board of Directors, John guided a merger transaction with a dot-com start-up in order to create synergies between the on-line and bricks and mortar marketplaces and to facilitate raising capital by repositioning the company in the equity market.
Blank Rome Comisky and McCauley; Cohen Shapiro Polisher Shiekman and Cohen – Corporate attorney at Philadelphia-based law firms. In his 9 years as a private attorney (including a short stint as a sole practitioner), John structured, drafted and negotiated documentation for a broad range of transactions, such as acquisitions and mergers, loans and commercial financings, and equity investments. He also counseled clients in developing, structuring and completing various business deals, such as shareholder and partnership arrangements, employment agreements, incentive compensation and non-competition plans, and advised clients generally in all aspects of their businesses, such as entity organization, capitalization, equity raises, corporate finance, legal compliance, employment matters and corporate governance. John also evaluated and structured his clients’ strategic relationships, such as mergers, acquisitions, partnerships and joint ventures, and structured transactions, relationships and operations among clients and third parties, such as financing arrangements, debt and equity investments, management and consulting agreements and services and distribution agreements.
City of Philadelphia, Department of Commerce - Consultant/Project Director, Philadelphia’s Economic Development Summit and Blueprint. In this role, John developed and managed with the Director of Commerce the strategic planning process for Philadelphia’s economic development, including acting as Commerce Department liaison to a broad network of community and business leaders, interacting with senior government officials, gathering and analyzing information, organizing a several hundred person conference (the Economic Development Summit) and producing a strategic plan draft (the foundation for the Economic Development Blueprint).
Community Involvement
The Enterprise Center, Philadelphia, PA, Member of Board of Directors, since 2006
Greene Towne School, Philadelphia, PA, Member of Board of Directors, 2003-2005
Philadelphia Area Accelerated Manufacturing Education, Inc. (PhAME), Philadelphia, PA, Member of Work Group and Curriculum Development Team, 1997-1998
Ogontz Avenue Revitalization Corporation, Philadelphia, PA, Member of Board of Directors, 1994-1997
Education
University of Wisconsin School of Law, Madison, WI, Juris Doctor, Cum Laude, 1990
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, Bachelor of Arts, History, 1987
John is the Founder and Principal of Gerber Growth. He brings to bear his extensive professional expertise as an executive manager, corporate attorney and business builder on a job that links with his other key passion - enhancing the economic development of the Greater Philadelphia region through support of entrepreneurs and growing businesses.
John has served in key management roles with early stage and growth-oriented companies. He has been part of the founding management team for a $100 Million private equity fund. John also served as Project Director for the City of Philadelphia’s Commerce Department on an economic development planning exercise initiated by Mayor Street, a unique leadership opportunity that enabled him to take his personal experience with entrepreneurism and business growth and apply it to a critical regional dialogue.
More specifically, John’s professional background includes the following:
Resources Global Professionals – Director of a new business line (legal services) in the Philadelphia and Princeton markets for a NASDAQ listed consulting firm. In John’s first year, he assisted in shaping the service set to be delivered to clients, recruited dozens of senior level attorneys to join the firm, and grew revenues by selling primarily to legal departments of Fortune 1000 companies.
MeridianTelesis – COO/EVP and General Counsel of a co-location company located at the Science Center’s Port of Technology in Philadelphia. John served as member of executive management from the company’s development stage through emergence as a profitable single facility, through a national expansion and contraction, and a successful sale to a national provider, with highest-level involvement in all business and legal aspects of company operations, transactions, planning, and affairs. When the company was in start-up and growth modes, John had responsibility for establishing and implementing the company’s corporate, administrative and human resources systems and policies, and for managing a series of private placement offerings and investor relations. John also created and implemented company operational policies and administrative processes, including accompanying form documentation, checklists and contracts. As General Counsel, he structured, drafted and reviewed legal documentation for, and shared in the negotiation and integration of, all company transactions, contracts and proposals, such as acquisitions (ranging from under $1 million to over $55 million), facility management arrangements, real estate development and service partnerships, affiliation transactions and financing opportunities.
The Fossicker Fund – Principal of a $100 Million investment fund, focused on, among other things, control/buyout investments in distressed companies (and post-closing management) in the business services, technology, and communications/Internet spaces. As a principal, John participated in the organization and development of the Fund and analyzed the marketplace for private equity investments in distressed companies, developed the investment criteria for the Fund and structured and negotiated the financial and governance relationships between management and the Fund’s financial partner and among Fund principals. He also sourced, reviewed and performed due diligence on Fund investment opportunities and structured and negotiated transaction terms for investment opportunities and prepared documentation for proposal to the Fund and presentation to target companies.
Premier Concepts, Inc. – Member of Board of Directors, including Chair of the Board and member of the Audit Committee, of a publicly-held retailer of high-end reproduction jewelry through a national chain of 36 stores under the name “Impostors”. As Chair of the Board of Directors, John guided a merger transaction with a dot-com start-up in order to create synergies between the on-line and bricks and mortar marketplaces and to facilitate raising capital by repositioning the company in the equity market.
Blank Rome Comisky and McCauley; Cohen Shapiro Polisher Shiekman and Cohen – Corporate attorney at Philadelphia-based law firms. In his 9 years as a private attorney (including a short stint as a sole practitioner), John structured, drafted and negotiated documentation for a broad range of transactions, such as acquisitions and mergers, loans and commercial financings, and equity investments. He also counseled clients in developing, structuring and completing various business deals, such as shareholder and partnership arrangements, employment agreements, incentive compensation and non-competition plans, and advised clients generally in all aspects of their businesses, such as entity organization, capitalization, equity raises, corporate finance, legal compliance, employment matters and corporate governance. John also evaluated and structured his clients’ strategic relationships, such as mergers, acquisitions, partnerships and joint ventures, and structured transactions, relationships and operations among clients and third parties, such as financing arrangements, debt and equity investments, management and consulting agreements and services and distribution agreements.
City of Philadelphia, Department of Commerce - Consultant/Project Director, Philadelphia’s Economic Development Summit and Blueprint. In this role, John developed and managed with the Director of Commerce the strategic planning process for Philadelphia’s economic development, including acting as Commerce Department liaison to a broad network of community and business leaders, interacting with senior government officials, gathering and analyzing information, organizing a several hundred person conference (the Economic Development Summit) and producing a strategic plan draft (the foundation for the Economic Development Blueprint).
Community Involvement
The Enterprise Center, Philadelphia, PA, Member of Board of Directors, since 2006
Greene Towne School, Philadelphia, PA, Member of Board of Directors, 2003-2005
Philadelphia Area Accelerated Manufacturing Education, Inc. (PhAME), Philadelphia, PA, Member of Work Group and Curriculum Development Team, 1997-1998
Ogontz Avenue Revitalization Corporation, Philadelphia, PA, Member of Board of Directors, 1994-1997
Education
University of Wisconsin School of Law, Madison, WI, Juris Doctor, Cum Laude, 1990
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, Bachelor of Arts, History, 1987
