DAVID LINIADO

David co-founded and leads the overall growth for 19Y Advisors. David leverages 30 years as a serial entrepreneur, investor, and corporate executive across Mobility, Technology, Marketing Services and Media. Prior to founding 19Y, David joined Cox Automotive in 2013 where he led New Ventures. During this period, David developed several ventures including Flexdrive, that was sold to Lyft in 2020, investments that included board roles at Getaround, Ridecell and Vinli, along with the acquisition of Ridekleen. This work led to the development of the Cox Automotive Mobility division. David took his first company, Student Advantage, public in 1999 on the NASDAQ and subsequently led several ventures from inception to exit. David lives in Atlanta, GA with his family and enjoys competing in endurance sports, having completed several full ironman competitions.

TOBY BLUE

Toby co-founded and leads the operations for 19Y Advisors. Toby has 20 plus years’ experience managing companies, and their P&L’s in the fields of Technology, Marketing, Advertising, and Entertainment Industries. An entrepreneurial tech and advertising veteran, Toby brings fundraising, finance, management, branding, marketing, and results-oriented operations experience to 19Y Advisors. Toby co-founded Petrol Advertising in 2003 and led operational growth to over 100 employees. In 2011, Toby became will.i.am’s COO, striking partnerships with global brands like Adidas, Coca-Cola, Levis, Apple and Intel, and providing the business expertise to get will’s tech startup i.am+ off the ground. At i.am+ Toby helped lead capital raises of tens of millions and was chiefly responsible for their most successful product, Buttons earphones. Toby joined 19York in 2019 and became a founding partner at 19Y Advisors in 2020.

MARTIN LAUBER

Martin co-founded and supports the overall strategy for 19Y Advisors. As a founder of 19York and 19Y Advisors, Martin has 30 years’ experience as a creative development specialist, business strategist and investor/advisor/board member. Clients and partners have included, Disney, Levi's, Dockers, Taco Bell, eBay, PayPal, PG&E, Panda Express, Mazda, AAA, UbiSoft, Wells Fargo, Mercedes Benz, Red Herring, Fox Sports, and Microsoft. To his marketing transformation experience, Martin has added Investment and M&A experience in marketing services, communications technology, ecommerce marketplaces, fin-tech, remote/digital education, consumer products, mobility and alternative energy. Martin has multiple exits, including the sale of pioneering digital marketing firm, Swirl to Japanese conglomerate, Dentsu in 2017, and Corporate Development experience as New Ventures Lead for Cox Mobility In 2018. Martin is a Board Advisor to several private companies including, ePropelled, LegionM, WheelWell and StudySync. Martin is a member of the Board of Directors of Volta, the nation’s largest EV Charging/Digital Out of Home network.

Shelly Bennecke

Shelly brings 20+ years of experience across automotive, sustainability, entertainment and life sciences to 19Y clients and partners. As Managing Partner at Laguna Ventures LLC (LVL), Shelly has invested in and supported tech entrepreneurs in the Health, Entertainment, Environment, and Transportation sectors. Prior to LVL, Shelly had leadership responsibility in the transportation division at Cox Enterprises driving growth for leading consumer brands, AutoTrader and KBB. Through her experience in the public sector with FEMA and Homeland Security, as well as various Board seats with Laguna Beach Environmental Sustainability, Global Wellbeing Institute and California Plant Based Alliance, Shelly brings a unique ability to create partnerships and drive change. Shelly is an alumna of University of Oxford Saïd Business School, participant of HBS Strategy and Execution program and is enrolled in Stanford’s Entrepreneurs, Innovation and Genetics program.

Laurence Franklin

Laurence brings 35+ years establishing internationally renowned businesses and developing leading global brands. He specializes in developing and executing strategic growth plans along with coaching executive teams. Laurence joined Tumi Inc. in 1985, establishing its premium positioning and overseeing revenue growth from $5.0M to approximately $50.0M. He then went on to join Coach, doubling sales to $500M+ and developing the company as a global lifestyle brand. Laurence held executive positions with Unilever as the EVP and GM of the Elizabeth Arden division. In 2000 he returned to Tumi Inc., guiding the company through two PE transactions in 2002 and 2004, and continued as CEO through 2009 and Board member through 2011 with global sales now in excess of $350.0M. Soon after, Laurence joined Frette as CEO to oversee a turnaround, departing in 2014 to serve as an advisor to high potential brands. Current and past Board memberships include Rosetta Stone, Travelpro, Buster + Punch, and Fender Musical Instruments. Once nationally ranked in the top 10 in squash racquets, he still enjoys the occasional game with his children. He resides in Malibu, California and Milan, Italy.

ALAN DOWDELL

Alan Dowdell is an international business leader specializing in technology-focused growth. At 19Y, Alan leads the energy and transportation practice helping companies craft strategic plans, create and analyze financial models, and execute business development strategic alliances. Alan joined 19Y in June 2020 from ChargePoint where he was VP of Business Development and Strategic Partnerships. Prior to ChargePoint, Alan was VP/GM of ThermoFisher’s Life Science Mass Spectrometry business unit. For 20 years at Corning Inc., Alan help build and lead optical fiber, laser technologies, life science, pharmaceutical and LCD glass businesses. Alan received an MBA from MIT Sloan as a Sloan Fellow, a BS in electrical engineering from Louisiana Tech, and served 8 years in the US Navy as a nuclear trained submarine officer. Alan's life experience includes living in 13 US states, the UK for 4 years and Shanghai China for 10 years. He is based in Silicon Valley and enjoys spending time with his wife and three kids, traveling, photography, driving his EV, and practicing Chinese.

Steve Yankovich

Steve is a technology innovator, product visionary, advisor, investor, board member and venture executive. At 19Y, Steve leads the digital experience, e-commerce and marketplace efforts for clients and related venture projects. Starting as a CPU logic designer in the early days of Silicon Valley, Steve has spent over 38 years’ operating as a software leader, founder/CEO, CTO and product executive in Consumer, Mobile and Enterprise solutions, most recently at Adobe, eBay and Magento (Adobe). In 2009, Steve built the mobile business for all the eBay businesses worldwide (eBay, PayPal, StubHub), establishing eBay by 2012 as the world’s largest mobile e-comm player with $15B in sales volume, and himself as a top 10 m-commerce chief by Internet Retailer. Steve and his eBay team pioneered the first commercial uses of such technologies as image recognition, augmented reality, 3D printing, mobile location services, personalization, companion shopping on mobile devices based on television, predictive analytics and the frictionless user interactions that have become the expected today.

Jessie Buck

Jessie leads operations at 19Y Advisors and focuses on guiding projects to success. Having held positions in Retail, Executive Services, and Finance, she is able to tailor her skills to meet the needs of various groups. Most recently, Jessie worked for a women’s leadership development company, where she developed and implemented the company’s first membership program for high potential, Fortune 500, female executives, focusing on the development areas of leadership, life, and legacy. Jessie is currently taking classes at Pennsylvania State University for Organizational Leadership and Development.

JAMES SMITH

James supports client engagements at 19Y Advisors by leveraging his experience as an investment banker, corporate strategist, and family office advisor. Most recently, James worked in Strategy and Business Development at LexisNexis Risk Solutions where he supported annual strategic planning, evaluation of joint ventures, acquisition targets, due diligence, financial model preparation, and business case analysis. He has been involved in buy and sell-side acquisitions, divestitures, venture capital investments, turnaround situations, and strategic analysis for both private and public corporations, family offices, institutional investors, and start-ups.

Garrett Heaberlin

Garrett brings 25+ years of media, marketing, and business development expertise to 19Y and our partner clients. Using his gift of listening to clients, Garrett has led dozens of sales and marketing departments; executed campaigns for b2b companies and retail operations; and most recently works with Habitat for Humanity International as their Corporate Development Officer, managing a $10M+ portfolio. Garrett has a deep expertise around sustainability, impact investing, and Sustainable Development Goals through his experience with Habitat as well as many other personal passions. He has also delivered successful PR and social media growth for clients ranging from national and regional personalities, to lifestyle brands, and technology clients. Garrett resides in Atlanta with his wife and three daughters.

MIKE GOEFFT

Mike leads the marketing practice at 19Y with a focus on new venture brand creation, strategy and integrated communications for early stage to enterprise ventures. Over his 35+ year career, Mike has worked with B2C and B2B brands such as American Express, Chevron, Clorox, Intel, The North Face, Sprint, Unilever, Xerox and start-ups like Freshdesk, HTC, Perfect Day, Sticky.io, and Layla Sleep.  Mike advises 19Y clients in brand strategy, brand identity, customer insights, advertising and integrated marketing, seasoned with experience gained at global agencies like Young & Rubicam San Francisco, Ogilvy London, JWT Sydney and Deutsch Los Angeles. Most recently, Mike was Managing Director at DDW, a leading West Coast branding consultancy and a member of the 19 York network of companies. Mike’s work has been honored with multiple industry awards including the Effies, Clios, the American Advertising Federation and The One Club. 

TIM COXON

Tim supports 19Y Advisors’ venture formations and related corporate development affairs. Tim is an experienced corporate finance and securities law attorney focusing on venture capital fund formation, early-stage company financings, mergers and acquisitions, and related areas of corporate and securities law. Recently, Tim served as general counsel to a boutique investment bank in San Francisco, where he managed the legal and regulatory aspects of the firm’s cannabis industry transactions. Previously, he advised dozens of venture capital firms on fund and management-level structuring and portfolio company investment transactions and has advised private companies in M&A transactions valued at more than $1.5 billion.

JEFF NEMY

Jeff supports 19Y Advisors’ financial modeling, financial venture building and related client services. Jeff is a seasoned financial executive with 40 years of experience in Marketing Services, Telecommunication, Broadcasting, and Management Consulting. He has served as the CFO for some of the largest advertising agencies on the West Coast. Jeff has been directly involved on both the buy and sell side of several M&A deals, and most recently, led the effort to sell the largest healthcare-focused ad agency on the West Coast at a substantial multiple.