About Us
Board Of Directors
Svitlana Sweat
Ms. Sweat is a senior level audit and finance executive with extensive business, finance and audit experience in United States and Ukraine. She began her career in 1995 with one of largest oil and gas transportation corporations in the former Soviet Union. She came to the United States in 2000 and continued to work in the finance field for large international corporations and nation-wide accounting firms as finance, audit and compliance consultant. Currently, she manages the internal audit and Sarbanes-Oxley compliance function for Carmike Cinemas, Inc., national leading motion picture exhibitor.
Ms. Sweat has as a diverse industry experience, which includes oil and gas, manufacturing, software development and distribution, retail, health care, entertainment and publishing. She is fluent in English, Russian and Ukrainian.
Her professional credentials include an Associate Degree in Audit and Controls and a Bachelors of Science in Economics with an Accounting major. She is a member of Financial Executives International, American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, Institute of Internal Auditors, Southern Center for International Studies and Georgia Center for International Visitors, and is the President of the Columbus, GA Chapter for the Institute of Internal Auditors.
Michael Blake
Mike Blake is Director of Valuation Services of Habif, Arogeti & Wynne, the largest independent accounting firm in the southeastern U.S. and in business since 1952. Mike specializes in the valuation of emerging, privately-held companies, intellectual property, and intangible assets and leads Adams Capital’s dispute resolution practice. Mr. Blake spent 8 years in venture capital and merchant banking, including implementing defense conversion in Russia, Ukraine & Belarus, investing in high-tech ventures in Israel, and supporting the financing of small companies in the United States. Mike spent a great deal of time in Ukraine in the mid 1990’s, working on a USAID-funded project to provide business education to Ukrainian entrepreneurs. Mr. Blake speaks Russian, Ukrainian and French.
Mr. Blake is an active participant in the Georgia early-stage investment community. In addition to co-founding StartupLounge.com, Mr. Blake is a board member of the Georgia Tech/Emory TIGER program, sits on the Investment Task Force of the American-Israel Chamber of Commerce in Atlanta, is a business plan judge for the Bronner Business Institute, and last year helped mentor opportunities in ATDC’s CapVenture program.
Mr. Blake earned his BA in French & Economics from Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster, PA, earned his MBA from Georgetown University and is a CFA Charterholder.