Services
 Dennis Cagan's primary activities include active company management as a C-level interim executive, working with entrepreneurs and management, starting and operating early-stage high technology companies. He divides his time between evaluating investments and directly investing and mentoring/consulting.
Interim Executive Assignments
Through Caganco Incorporated, Dennis Cagan has taken a number of interim or temporary C-level Executive assignments.
- Since 1987 Dennis, usually as a member of a firmÕs board of directors, has been called on in emergencies or opportunities to step into active senior management as a C-level executive.
- Past interim positions include: CEO, COO, President, and Senior Vice President of Sales, Marketing, Business Development, Strategy (CSO), and even Human Resources.
- These assignments have lasted for as little as ninety days (Message Media CEO, transitioning to CSO), and for as long as four years (Century Computer Marketing, SVP Sales & Marketing). At the end of the assignment Dennis remained on the board.
- Examples of situations requiring DennisÕ assignments have included substantial insolvency and eminent bankruptcy (TWL Corporation: TWLO.OB), a desire to sell a profitable company for substantially more than the current market (Century Computer Marketing), the necessity of integrating several acquisitions into a public company (StarPress), an underperforming President and the desire to relocate the company and integrate two acquisitions (Message Media), the desire for the company to enter new and larger markets (Design1), and the need to rapidly scale a newly formed company after a large capital infusion (Software.com).
- Summary of Qualifications:
- Charismatic, decisive, motivating, creative, strategic, innovative, consensus-building, and broadly experienced.
- Proven ability to build and motivate strong management teams, grow or turn-around companies, and increase revenue and profit.
- Exceptionally creative in crafting strategy, solutions and business development opportunities.
- Well traveled with a deep, broad knowledge of business practices. Able to quickly gather pertinent information, get to the heart of the matter, and implement a solution.
- Decisive decision making ability, tempered with a practical and down to earth perspective.
- Experienced and practiced in a wide variety in business types, able to effectively transfer knowledge across business models and categories. Extensive experience in public and private company management, public, investor and customer relations, fostering an enabling and motivating work environment, repairing old or implementing new techniques and technologies, and business turnaround.
- Willing to make fast, tough decisions. Oriented to building long-term enterprise value.
Mentoring and Consulting
Caganco Incorporated
Through Caganco Incorporated, Dennis Cagan mentors and consults with entrepreneurs who are forming and running early-stage high technology companies.
- When Dennis begins a mentoring or consulting relationship he will frequently become a member of the Board of Directors. Often he will actually form the Board by recruiting additional preeminent members of the business and technology communities who can add substantial value.
- Dennis may provide his client company with seed capital in addition to his professional guidance. He will also usually guide the company in the formation of an appropriate corporate infrastructure and the relationships necessary to launch and build a successful technology business. He assists in arranging for necessary facilities and physical/IT infrastructure.
- Dennis will guide and assist the company with raising additional capital at the appropriate time, and from appropriate sources – venture capital firms, angel investors, strategic partners, etc.
- Dennis is known world-wide as an important connection for any high-tech start-up located on the California Central Coast. He provides world-class management assistance, strategic guidance, and valuable contacts for entrepreneurs.
- Dennis may be compensated with equity, with retainers, or some combination of the two.
Investing
Santa Barbara Technology Group - SBTG no longer makes new investments
 A private investment firm engaged primarily in working with and acquiring equity from early-stage technology companies in the Santa Barbara - California Central Coast area.
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