Jeff Barnes, Chairman

As a nuclear trained mechanic and scuba diver on a US Navy Submarine, Jeff Barnes traveled the world underwater at extreme depths, running a nuclear power plant and sleeping with torpedoes while learning invaluable skills. His innate leadership ability and understanding of complex systems allowed him to run the largest division on his submarine and take charge of the ship’s quality control program.

After an honorable discharge from the Navy, Jeff took his expertise and experience to Corporate America, helping clients grow their businesses as a risk management consultant and helping entrepreneurs develop strategic partnerships with Fortune 500 companies. Jeff spearheaded international projects as an Innovation and technology director bringing new technology and ideas to the global marketplace.

In 2018 Jeff took over the CEO role at Angel Investors Network to help more entrepreneurs bring their products, services, and technology to the market as an advisor, mentor, coach, and venture fund manager. As an entrepreneur, two-time best-selling author, and CEO, Jeff enjoys helping business owners’ structure, systemize, and optimize their operations allowing them to scale quickly. As the manager of the Angels & Heroes Venture Growth Fund, he finds opportunities for his investors to make great returns by investing in the next generation of private companies.

Jeff earned his Leadership MBA in 2011 from the University of Washington and now mentors young professionals and entrepreneurs alike. During his free time, he sits on the board of Lifeschool, a nonprofit helping kids gain life-skills they don’t learn in school, as well as a great deal of time coaching his two boys’ sports teams, enjoying the outdoors and traveling.

Jamie Bunten, Chief Compliance Officer (CCO)

Jamie has been a business owner and trainer for more than two decades. During that time, he also served in various mission-critical roles within the US Army Special Forces. In both capacities, he has trained thousands of individuals around the world, and briefed high ranking military and government officials from numerous countries. He was a keynote speaker for the National Guard Bureau for their re-integration program for returning soldiers.

After Jamie completed his dual degrees, he continued to work in the law on a part time basis, focusing on civil rights and Constitutional law issues, specifically involving DOJ regulations regarding the National Firearms Act. The NFA is an extremely convoluted and dangerous area, but he is known for his experience and ability to decipher and translate this area of the law. On all of the cases he worked un with the firm, they prevailed 8 for 8. Jamie also spent several years at Netflix overseeing teams in Customer Service at the Salt Lake call center. During that time, he created and launched the centralized support plan for the Netflix call centers and PBO’s, standardizing the way customer and technical support was conducted. Luckily, Audra recognized that his talents were being underutilized at Netflix and recruited him to join PBC where he has been until this merger between the two companies.

Jamie handles all backend operational responsibilities for AIN. From HR oversight to Company SOP’s and policy implementation, to contracting and accounting oversight Jamie “Hammers” out solutions and issues for the company to ensure that the round pegs are in the round holes and everything is running smoothly for the company and the clients.

Brandon Bishop

Brandon has been curious & involved with computers before the internet. He learned early on that he could make them ‘talk’ and that he was really good at it. That curiosity and schooling has helped him gain the knowledge and experience he needed to begin developing blockchain technologies. He attended MIT, Oxford, Princeton & many other online Master’s courses in blockchain engineering and development. He has now applied that schooling to the Hyperledger Fabric and building utility blockchains. Brandon enjoys gardening, reading, photography & his 18-month-old son Briggs.

Nancy Mayer, Advisory Services 

Nancy Mayer is a profit strategist and business builder who has built several businesses and has helped many of others to become a “Top 500 fastest growing company”. One of the greatest skills she brings to AIN is the ability to build high-performing teams and Advisory Boards. Most of all Nancy offers our clients “Unconventional Experiences” which creates more innovation, collaboration, and profits.

She has developed thought leadership around 3 key factors for tripling revenues and doubling productivity; Think Differently, Plan Strategically and Do It Faster.

She is a recognized international speaker, author of The Advisory Board Playbook and is known for 3 cutting-edge foundations; Visual Thinking (canvases, mapping,..), Design Thinking (Prototyping and validating business ideas), and Gamification (using game design and thinking to make work engaging and fun).

Unconventional Experience; From managing rock stars and earning Gold and Platinum records sales, to re-branding and building one of the largest music conferences in the world, from helping the longest running motorcycle charity to double their donations to designing and marketing award-winning sports and motorsports accessories, from coaching software development teams for Canada’s largest financial media company to lead strategy consultant for Canada’s investment bank (BDC) and coach for leading Social entrepreneurs. She has also taught Entrepreneurship at top Canadian business schools and Advanced Motorcycle training to the US Marines.

Nancy is passionate about making the workplace more fun and bringing out the best in people. Happy, engaged people are more productive.

She is as active in her personal life as her business life and loves adventure and “calculated risks” like extreme skiing, motorcycles. She recently moved to the Salt Lake City area from Toronto and married her high school ski buddy.