Mr. Matthesen is a serial entrepreneur and CEO of Related Concepts. He has a broad background of real-world experience in software, technology, consumer products, and hospitality. He has worked in many different countries and cultures across the USA, Europe and Asia.

As part of the startup teams at Sybase and Commerce One, he held numerous positions, including CIO, VP of Asia Sales, and various roles in marketing and Engineering. Since then, he served as COO at an internet advertising company, CEO at a software anti-piracy company, COO at a biotech software company, and is currently on the board of numerous companies, including Shanghai and Montevideo. He is an active angel investor as well as a former venture partner at a SF-based VC, and has been involved with biotech, shipping containers and consumer product companies.

Current projects include launching US divisions of technology companies from Mexico, Germany, Israel and Uruguay.

A coach at UC Berkeley Haas School of Business, he has mentored two teams (2010 and 2012) to win best in category in the annual Business Plan Competition.

John holds a BA in biopsychology and linguistics from the University of Colorado, Boulder. He also has certifications in Telecommunications Management from San Francisco State University and Telecommunications Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley. He served as an adjunct professor of e-Commerce at Carnegie-Mellon university West Coast campus and is on the Advisory Board of Directors at Diablo Valley College.

www.relatedconcepts.com