Ryan Nurnberger '06
Position: Serial entrepreneur
Lesson Learned: Work smart and be a risk taker.
Starting and running my own business is something I’ve wanted to do since I was a kid. I love the thrill of creating something from nothing and watching it grow. I set a goal to run my own business before the age of 30 and reached that goal by the tender age of 25. I started my career at an investment bank and then joined a venture capital firm.
LMU’s entrepreneurship program gave me the tools I needed to set myself up for greatness. I credit the Distinguished Entrepreneur Speaker Series put on by Professors Fred Kiesner and David Choi as a major motivator. The series brought successful entrepreneurs to campus and created the spark I needed to go after what I was passionate about. Additionally, the entrepreneurship classes at LMU were conducive to the entrepreneurial mindset. I learned how to research an industry, develop a business plan and set up a successful business venture.
I currently serves as president and founder of a diversified investment firm. I have acquired or invested in distribution, healthcare, packaging, real estate, software and manufacturing companies. I'm also the CEO of a specialty food distribution company where I'm responsible for overall strategic direction of the company, business development and operations. While I was employed with Momentum Venture Management (MVM), an early stage venture capital firm, I was involved in the execution and management of MVM portfolio companies as well as the evaluation of early-stage investment opportunities. Prior to joining Momentum, I was in the media and entertainment investment banking group at Montgomery & Co.