OUR LEADERSHIP
Meet the people guiding Wake Angel Network.
Wake Angel Network is led by a group of investors, founders, operators, and business leaders committed to supporting Wake Forest-connected entrepreneurs and building a strong early-stage investment community.
Board of Directors
Bill D'Alessandro
Board Member
Bill D'Alessandro is a serial entrepreneur who has spent 15+ years founding, acquiring, and selling consumer brands. He founded Elements Brands (a roll up of 8 DTC CPG brands) before going all-in on his flagship brand, Natural Dog Company, which he sold to Morgan Stanley Capital Partners in 2025. He hosts the Acquisitions Anonymous podcast and has published over 500 episodes about buying, selling, and operating small businesses. Bill also invests in and advises founders through his Wild Blue Ventures holding company. Prior to his entrepreneurial endeavors, Bill began his career in investment banking and private equity.
Alex Smereczniak
Board Member
Alex Smereczniak is a Wake Forest University graduate with a BS in Finance and the cofounder and CEO of Franzy. His entrepreneurial path began on campus with Wake Wash, the laundry business he worked for, bought at age 19, and later sold.
After working as a financial services consultant at EY, Alex cofounded 2ULaundry and LaundroLab, combining a technology-enabled laundry delivery service with a laundromat franchise business. The companies raised $33 million in venture capital and grew to more than 100 franchise territories sold.
Today, Alex is building Franzy to help aspiring entrepreneurs discover, evaluate, and finance franchise businesses, along with FranzyOS, an AI operating platform for multi-unit franchise owners. Based in Charlotte, he also advises and invests in early-stage businesses and shares lessons from entrepreneurship through The Exit Plan podcast.
Claude Bragg
Board Member
Claude Bragg is co-founder and CEO of UpNext, the verified network for college athletics, where 300+ programs, 50+ certified agencies, and thousands of athletes operate across football and basketball. He and co-founder Cody Cater built the company from a transfer portal tool into the data and relationship infrastructure underneath athlete mobility, NIL, and recruiting.
Claude is a fourth-generation Wake Forest graduate, class of 2024, with a BA in philosophy and a minor in entrepreneurship. He and Cody both played football for the Demon Deacons and were members of the 2024 Startup Lab cohort at the Center for Entrepreneurship. They started UpNext as undergraduates.
Ethan Radtke
Board Member
Ethan is a strategy and marketing executive with experience scaling digital consumer, e-commerce, and media businesses within Red Ventures, a founder-led portfolio company known for brands including Bankrate, Lonely Planet, The Points Guy, Healthline, Uswitch, and Zoopla. Throughout his career, Ethan has held management and executive growth and marketing leadership roles across the U.S. and Europe. His background includes direct M&A experience, having led diligence and integration workstreams on multiple $1 billion+ acquisitions as well as founding and launching a new international business unit from the ground up.
Ethan's expertise spans strategy, growth and monetization, brand partnerships, team development, and translating strategic vision into shipped consumer products. He holds a B.S. in Business and Enterprise Management with a minor in Religious Studies from Wake Forest University and lives in Charlotte, NC with his wife and two children.
Leah Wyrick Smith
Board Member
Leah Wyrick Smith is the Founder & CEO of Three Strands Recovery Wear, a women’s healthcare company redefining the standard of care in breast & cardiac surgery recovery through innovative post-surgical garments and patient-centered education. She founded the company in 2018 during her freshman year at Wake Forest University after witnessing her mother’s difficult recovery following a mastectomy and multiple revision surgeries after a breast cancer diagnosis. What began as a deeply personal mission to improve recovery for women quickly evolved into a nationally recognized healthcare innovation company built entirely from the ground up.
Since launching Three Strands, Leah has become a recognized voice in the post-surgical recovery space, working closely with surgeons, operating room and clinical teams, and hospital supply chain leaders to help integrate better recovery solutions into healthcare systems nationwide. Under her leadership, the company has earned three patents for its flagship product, the Resilience Bra — an innovative post-surgical bra intentionally designed to improve comfort, functionality, and dignity during recovery.
Leah created Three Strands and the Resilience Bra to challenge the status quo and help shift the culture around breast & cardiac surgery recovery — advocating for a future where women no longer settle for outdated recovery solutions during one of the most vulnerable times in their lives. As a young founder who built her company 100% bootstrapped, Leah is passionate about combining innovation, advocacy, and education to improve women’s healthcare while empowering the next generation of entrepreneurs to build mission-driven businesses that create meaningful change.
Kate Reece
Co-Executive Director
Kate founded and owns Reece Bottling and Canning, which she started in 2021 to bridge the gap in specialized manufacturing and packaging support for small- to mid-size wineries and breweries across North Carolina and into Southern Virginia. Her professional background includes a transformative tenure as the Executive Director at the Wake Forest Center for Private Business. In this founding leadership role, she orchestrated significant growth in membership numbers and scaled the organization's influence throughout the state.
Kate holds both her BS and MBA from Wake Forest University, and you'll often find her cheering on the Deacons with her family in Winston-Salem.
Clay Johnson
Co-Executive Director
Clay serves as Managing Partner of Riley Capital, where he invests in early-stage companies emerging from universities and academic medical centers across the Carolinas. After college, Clay joined ClubUp as its first employee and served as Director of Operations. Backed primarily by Wake Forest alumni, ClubUp developed customer relationship management software for golf clubs, grew rapidly, and was ultimately acquired by Troon Golf, generating a strong return for its investors. Clay co-founded and was a general partner with WSPR Fund, a Winston-Salem-based angel network that has grown to more than 80 members. He managed the organization's operations during its first several years, overseeing a period in which the fund completed 15 investments.
Clay earned a BA from Wofford College and an MBA from Wake Forest University.
Board of Advisors
Wake Angel Network’s Board of Advisors provides strategic perspective, industry experience, and guidance as the network grows.
Don is Chairman and CEO of Flow Companies, Inc. Under Don's leadership, Flow Companies, Inc. now operates over 40 automobile franchises in North Carolina and Virginia.
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Don is currently Chairman of the Board of Directors of Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center and is former Chair of the Board of Trustees of Wake Forest University as well as former Chair of the Board of the Business School of Wake Forest University. He is also a member of the Board of the Institute of Advanced Studies in Culture and the McIntire School of Business at the University of Virginia.
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He serves as the Chair of the Winston-Salem Alliance and is on the Board of the Piedmont Triad Partnership. He is past Chair of Winston-Salem Business, Inc., and was a previous member of the Board of Trustees of the UNC School of the Arts. He currently serves as a member of the North Carolina Governor's Economic Council and the Governor's Commission on Public Schools.
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Don received his BS degree from the University of Virginia and MBA from Wake Forest University.
Dave is currently a Senior Advisory Partner with Kelso & Company. He has been with Kelso & Company, a private equity firm, since 1987. Kelso has invested $13 billion in 135 companies and is currently investing from its eleventh fund. Prior to Kelso, Dave was an Associate Director of Mergers and Acquisitions with Arthur Young & Company.
Dave is currently a director of Augusta Sportswear Group. He has previously served on the boards of other Kelso portfolio companies, including BWAY, DS Waters, Endo Pharmaceuticals, KAR Auction Services, Nivel, Renfro, TransDigm, and Unilab.
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He is currently a Trustee of Wake Forest University and is a member of the Wake Forest University School of Business Board of Visitors. Dave is also a Founding Partner of the HV3 Foundation, established by golfer Harold Varner.
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Dave received his BA degree from Western Maryland College and MBA degree from Wake Forest University.
Todd currently serves as a Partner with FCA Venture Partners, an early-stage healthcare-focused venture capital fund. He has spent over 20 years in various leadership roles with early-stage healthcare companies, including founding and serving as CEO of HealthTech Corp. a cardiovascular services company that merged with MedCath Inc., where Todd served on the leadership team through the company going public and later being sold to KKR and Welsh Carson. Todd later co-founded and served as Managing Partner of KeraNetics, a life sciences company that spun out of the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine.
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Most recently, Todd served on the leadership team and sat on the Cabinet of Wake Forest University, helping to start up and oversee various entrepreneurial initiatives for the University, including Summer Immersion, Online Immersion, the Center for Private Business and the School for Professional Studies.
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Todd received a BA from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and an MBA from Wake Forest University.
Jim is Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Grove Investments. Prior to founding Grove, Jim was the President of Vinik Family Office. Jim is a member of the Board of Trustees of Wake Forest University. He holds a B.A. in Politics and International Affairs from Wake Forest University, summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa. He also received M.A. degrees in History and Religious Studies from University of Oxford, where he studied as a Rhodes Scholar.
Hannah spends her days balancing motherhood with active involvement in her family's enterprises. A third-generation leader, Hannah is engaged across several ventures, including direct-selling leader Amway, the NBA's Orlando Magic, RDV Corporation, Baton Collective, and OA Private Capital. Within her family office, she holds a range of governance positions and plays a central role in shaping meaningful experiences and structures that strengthen connection, support individual flourishing, and contribute to the long-term health of both the DeVos family and its businesses. Hannah brings the insights and experience gained within her family to her practice, COW (Connecting Our Worlds), where she serves rising-generation members of enterprise-owning families through executive coaching, facilitation, curated gatherings, and speaking. Hannah graduated summa cum laude from Wake Forest University with a bachelor's degree in communication and entrepreneurship. She and her husband, Blake — whom she met at Wake Forest — established a scholarship for first-generation students interested in pursuing entrepreneurial paths. Hannah remains deeply engaged with the university, serving on the Wake Forest Board of Trustees as the Young Alumni Trustee.
Serena is an artist and textile designer based in Sausalito, California. With an education in both Psychology and Fine Art, Serena has spent the past 20 years developing her imprint as a painter and designer — first as Chief Creative Officer of Serena & Lily, the home and lifestyle brand she launched 15 years ago, and now at the helm of her namesake brand.
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Serena's rallying belief is in the power of art to transform an environment into an experience. This can take the form of an energetic painting or a striking pattern that defines and enlivens a space. Her background in both mediums allows her to toggle between the two as she explores the themes of rhythm and form. With pattern, her focus is on creating harmony through repetition, shape, and placement. With painting, she creates impact through layering and composition. Each art form sharpens the other by means of opposition — both equally representative of her aesthetic fingerprint.
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She and her two young children reside in Sausalito, CA, close to her sun-filled studio on the waterfront.
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Serena graduated from Wake Forest with a BA degree.
Joe Alala, III is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Capitala Group, a private investment firm providing both private equity and private credit capital to small businesses. Since its founding in 1998, the firm has invested and managed over $3.2 billion of capital into small businesses.
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Mr. Alala founded Capitala Group and at the age of twenty-eight was the youngest founder of a Small Business Investment Company (SBIC) debenture fund at that time. Mr. Alala oversees a team of experienced investment professionals and as head of the Investment Committee, he approves all capital commitments. His involvement continues after investment as he takes on Advisory Board responsibilities at several of Capitala's portfolio companies.
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Outside of Capitala, Mr. Alala is a member of the U.S. Supreme Court Bar and an owner in DK Wine Group, LLC. He serves on the Advisory Board of BC Partners Credit and on the Board of Governors for Wake Forest School of Law and the Wake Forest Charlotte Executive Board of Advisors. He is also a regular guest lecturer on the financial industry at universities, including Wake Forest University and Clemson University, where he speaks annually with students and shares insights from his more than 25 years of experience in private markets. He is also a Trustee of the Princeton Track & Field Team and received the Larry Ellis Award from Princeton University in recognition of his support of student-athletes and coaches over the last 30 years. Mr. Alala was inducted into the Smart Business Dealmakers Hall of Fame as an inaugural member. He has been a member of the Young Presidents Organization since 2000 and is a member of the Small Business Investor Alliance. He also serves as Social Chair of the Et Amicorum Book Club.
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Mr. Alala attended Episcopal High School and holds an AB in economics with a minor in politics from Princeton University. He also earned a Juris Doctorate Degree and a Master of Business Administration from Wake Forest University. He has his Series 79 and Series 82 licenses at Capitala Securities, LLC.
Eric Eubank is co-founder and Managing Partner of Pamlico Capital, a middle-market private equity firm based in Charlotte, NC. Over three decades at Pamlico, Eubank led or co-led investments in numerous growth-oriented companies in the communications, technology, and business services industries. He currently serves on the board of directors of several Pamlico portfolio companies, including T2 Systems, VRI, and Becker’s School Supplies. Earlier in his career, he worked in the communications investment banking group at First Union Securities. Eubank remains actively involved in his community, serving on the boards of The Good Fellows Club and The Fletcher School in Charlotte.
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Eubank graduated from Wake Forest University with a BA in Economics and remained connected to the University, serving as a member of the Board of Trustees and the School of Business Board of Visitors.
John Vann is the co-founder and Managing Partner of The Differentiators, L.L.C., a real estate investment and development company based in Winston-Salem, NC. Vann has led numerous award-winning historic renovation and adaptive reuse projects that have helped transform downtown Winston-Salem, including the transformation of several historic R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company warehouses into a vibrant mixed-use community in the Innovation Quarter. Vann currently serves on the board of visitors of the Wake Forest University School of Business and has previously served on several local non-profit boards. Earlier in his career, he worked in operations and management for the Sara Lee Corporation.
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Vann graduated from Wake Forest University with a BA degree and an MBA degree from the Wake Forest University School of Business.
Ed Balogh is managing director of investments with Wells Fargo Advisors in Winston-Salem, NC. Balogh serves as a member of the Board of Trustees of Wake Forest University and is a past chair of the Board of Visitors of the Wake Forest University School of Business. He has previously served on several non-profit boards, including the Winston-Salem Alliance and the Forsyth County YMCA. Earlier in his career, Balogh worked for the R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company.
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Balogh received a BS in Economics from Wake Forest University.
A 40+ years experienced C-suite international finance and banking executive with a proven track record in dealing with companies, multinational entities, family offices, private equity firms, government, and UHNW individuals.
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Has started two operations from scratch, managed teams of 60+ persons, closed merger and acquisitions, debt issuance, syndicated credit facilities, and bond issuance transactions and directed two private banking operations with over US$ 10 billion in client's assets.
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Member of the Board of Trustees, Wake Forrest University. Previously Executive Chairman of the Board, Bordier Bank (TCI), Head of the Latin America Wealth Management for Deutsche Bank in Geneva, Switzerland, CEO of Credit Suisse Mexico Private Banking and Managing Director Bank of America Investment Bank, Mexico, plus 15 years at Citibank.
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Currently he is co-founder and CFO of two biopharma companies, developing a portfolio of molecules for humans and animals. Â Â
Student Interns
Wake Forest students will have opportunities to gain practical exposure to entrepreneurship, early-stage investing, company evaluation, and the broader venture ecosystem through internships with Wake Angel Network. Meet our inaugural intern cohort.
Samantha Foster
Class of 2027 · Bachelor of Arts in Psychology; Minors in Marketing Communications and Entrepreneurship
Samantha is an undergraduate student at Wake Forest University majoring in Psychology, with minors in Entrepreneurship and Marketing Communications. Originally from the Bay Area, Samantha has gained experience in startup environments, most recently as a Sales and Marketing Intern at SNAP Wellness, where she supported business development, sales outreach, and marketing initiatives. She previously interned with Nori, where she focused on content and digital marketing for a consumer brand. Through these experiences and her studies at Wake Forest, Samantha has developed a strong interest in entrepreneurship, consumer behavior, and the strategy behind building and scaling businesses.
Aidan Oliss
Class of 2027 · Bachelor of Arts in Politics and International Affairs; Minors in Entrepreneurship and Global Trade & Commerce Studies
Aidan Oliss is a senior at Wake Forest University from Strongsville, Ohio, majoring in Politics and International Affairs with minors in Entrepreneurship and Global Trade and Commerce Studies. He is the founder and president of the Wake Forest Entrepreneurship Club, where he organizes workshops, speaker events, pitch competitions, and build nights for student founders. He has also built several ventures and technology projects, including VitalU, a student wellness platform focused on making wearable technology more accessible to college students through work with Garmin Health and Google/Fitbit tools, and Venture Radar, a startup intelligence tool that matches companies with investor theses. He previously pitched a startup through Wake Forest’s Deacon SpringBoard program.
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Aidan has also worked on the Faculty Accelerator at Wake Forest, helping build a platform for faculty entrepreneurship programming. As an intern with the Wake Angel Network, he supports company screening, investment research, and due diligence. He is especially interested in early-stage technology companies, artificial intelligence, and how new products go from an idea to something people actually use.