General Partners

Mr. Walker is a co-founder and managing member of the General Partner, as well as NewGate Business Solutions, a company that provides M&A and strategic solutions throughout Florida.  After serving as Senior Vice President of Sheraton Worldwide, he decided to build his own hotel and restaurant company which soon became one of Central Florida’s largest privately held corporations. In total Mr. Walker’s company owned 84 restaurants and pubs, 12 hotels and many real estate holdings, employing nearly 3,000 people. Over the course of Mr. Walker’s hotel career he opened and managed numerous properties from Hawaii to Toronto to New York City. Mr. Walker’s achievements in the hotel business were celebrated by his peers when he received the prestigious worldwide award of “Hotelier of the Year”. In 2000 he co-founded NewGate Business Solutions. Mr. Walker also serves the community in volunteer and board positions. These include: Past Chair of the Valencia College Foundation, Past President the Board of Directors for Junior Achievement of Central Florida, Chairman of the Wellness Committee of the Winter Park YMCA and Board of Directors for the Boy Scout Council of Central Florida.  Also past positions he has held in the Community include: President of the Central Florida Hotel Association, Board of Directors of the Florida Hospital Foundation, Founding Board of Directors of the Walt Disney Cancer Institute, President of Toast Masters, President of the American Young Actors of Central Florida, Chairman of the American Hotel Association Marketing Committee and, Mayor of the Olympic Village, 1998 Olympics.

Mr. Alvarez is a co-founder and managing member of the General Partner, as well as NewGate Business Solutions, a company that provides M&A and strategic solutions throughout Florida. Prior to NewGate, he co-founded Demetree Central Constructors Corporation (DCC), and under his leadership, grew the company to become one of Florida's largest privately held construction services firms, managing over $100 million in aggregate contracts statewide. In 1995, Mr. Alvarez sold his interest in Demetree Central Constructors Corporation Company to pursue his desire to help others succeed in life through business opportunities. That pursuit led him to envision and found NewGate Ventures in 1997. In 2000 with his good friend and fellow entrepreneur Larry Walker, they co-founded NewGate Business Solutions.  Mr. Alvarez's passion about people and community are evidenced in his current and previous involvement with organizations such as Community Foundation of Central Florida, Boys and Girls Club of Central Florida, and the Economic Development Commission Mid Florida to name a few. In 1995, he was honored with the "Small Business Person of the Year" finalist award. Past community involvement: Economic Development Commission Mid-Florida Board Member, Greater Orlando Chamber of Commerce Board Member, Community Foundation of Central Florida Board of Directors, Boys Town of Central Florida Advisory Board, South Seminole Rotary Club, Boys and Girls Club of Central FL Board of Trustees, Orlando Science Center Board of Trustees, Heart of Florida United Way Board of Directors, Community Foundation of Central Florida Board of Directors, University of Central Florida Foundation Board of Trustees, and Seminole County Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors.  Mr. Alvarez is a Florida Real Estate Broker; he also held licenses as a Mortgage Broker and a Certified General Contractor. Mr. Alvarez holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering from the University of South Florida, and has completed the Harvard Business School’s Owner/President Management Program (OPM).

Through the General Partner’s acquisition of Atlantic Coast Settlements in 2010 Griffin became a managing member with the firm to oversee all leveraged transactions, manage investment risk and execute hedge strategies. Griffin has had a lifetime of diverse experiences since graduating from Florida State University in the spring of 1988 with a Bachelor of Science in Economics and a minor in Business weighted in Hospitality Administration. Initially after graduating Griffin worked at “Spanish Park” which was his family’s restaurant in Tampa, Florida. After Economic shifts in the metro Tampa area in the early 1990s, Griffin spent two years at E. & J. Gallo Winery where he led restaurant sales for downtown Tampa and Polk County. The entrepreneurial urge captivated Griffin, which drove him to open “The Irish Pub” in Ybor City (Tampa’s Historic District). After three years Griffin divested his interest with the company to return to the beverage industry with a start-up microbrewery called “Herr Damm Beer Company” as CMO where he governed all sales, marketing and promotions for the company. Griffin was then recruited to become the Director of Operations to launch another start-up company, “Millennium Spring Water”, when they secured the copyright name Millennium as it pertained to the beverage industry. Griffin directed all operations and grew the Millennium brand throughout the Southeast through strategic partnerships with NASCAR. Millennium sponsored 50 cars in the series. After traveling the NASCAR circuit with Millennium, Griffin decided to settle down in Central Florida and entered the burgeoning Life Settlement Industry. Griffin took a position as Executive Vice President with The Medical Escrow Society/Assignable Life Assets to negotiate and administer settlements of life insurance policies. Over the next 5 years Griffin was successful in growing the company into the industry leader. With the experience and knowledge he gained and a blessing of his previous partner Griffin launched his own Life Settlement Company, Atlantic Coast Settlements, where he served as President and CEO. Within the first year after he founded the company, Griffin generated over $5 Million in revenue, netting $1.5 Million in profits. This vigorous company is still thriving within the General Partner with Griffin at the helm. Griffin, never too far from the restaurant industry, is also an owner of Tijuana Flats as a franchise partner, in Tallahassee, Florida, and provides his counsel and support to many other industry endeavors from start-up to succession planning as a Partner with the firm. With Griffin’s risk management and restaurant experience and position in the financial markets, he is an invaluable resource to the General Partner.

Michael has extensive entrepreneurial and Angel Capital investment success as well as key brand management experience.  He brings over 18 years of qualitative business analytics to his current position as managing member of the General Partner and Executive Director of Village Cultivator’s Business Incubator. In his current role Michael executes institutional investment syndications for venture capital transactions and specializes in capital markets for early stage seed and angel investments.  Prior to joining NewGate Michael founded and was CEO of Village Cultivators Capital Corporation, where he refined and placed into use a proprietary Business Plan Analytics application capable of measuring the success of early stage start-up offerings. Michael also founded AIM-Angel Investment Members, an angel investment group comprised of Central Florida accredited investors.  Village Cultivators was acquired by the General Partner and AIM was merged with Winter Park Angel Membership Group LLC a NewGate Subsidiary in 2010. Previously, Michael was the General Manager of the Central Florida Region of TBA Global, co-owned by Robert Geddes, JHW Greentree Capital an affiliate of Whitney & Co., LLC, of Stamford, CT, and Irving Azoff of Ticketmaster Entertainment (now Live Nation Entertainment). TBA Global was one of the world's leading brand marketers and producers of connective and experiential marketing.  Previously Michael was the Southeast Regional General Manager of The Design Group, a national design and live event production company. Michael was also instrumental in the successful turnaround of the Central Florida office of ME Productions, another live event production company headquartered in Florida.  Other positions Michael has held include Vice President & General Manager for DBD Brazilian Network, where he spearheaded mid-market acquisitions.  Michael was a Board Member and Treasurer of the Brazilian American Chamber of Commerce, one of the largest bi-national chambers of commerce and Florida's leading organization linking U.S.-Brazil business. Michael was the Director of Sales for the then brand new concept in entertainment, IMAX Theaters for Muvico and was CEO of TOMIKEDDIES Inc, a multi-million dollar multi-national company which he founded.  Previously, Michael worked as an Investment Analyst / Stock Broker for Baraban Securities Inc. and later as a Registered Representative & Financial Analyst with First Investors Corporation, both Wall Street Investment Firms. Michael was the Senior Business & Marketing Analysts for DUSK Corporate Analysts and was a Presidential Honor Guard and Member of the United State Marine Corps “Silent Drill Team” in Washington DC. Michael received his Bachelor Degree of Business Administration - Finance at The George Washington University - School of Business. Michael remains a member of the Independent Business Consultants Associations, and is a regular contributor and keynote speaker to trade and association publications.