Entrepreneurial Finance
J. Chris Leach is professor of finance and former division chair of finance at the Leeds School of Business, University of Colorado at Boulder. He received a finance Ph.D. from Cornell University, and taught at the Wharton School, Carnegie Mellon and the Indian School of Business. His teaching experience includes courses for undergraduates, MBAs and executives. He has been recognized as Graduate Professor of the Year and has received an award for MBA Teaching Excellence. His research on a variety of topics has been published in THE REVIEW OF FINANCIAL STUDIES, THE JOURNAL OF BUSINESS and THE JOURNAL OF FINANCIAL AND QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS, among others. Leach's business background includes various startups dating back to late junior high in the 1970's. More recently, he was the chairman of a New Mexico startup, and, as an investor and advisor, participated in a late 1990's Silicon Valley startup that subsequently was merged into a public company. His consulting activities include business plan advising, valuation and deal structure for early stage and small businesses.Ronald W. Melicher is professor of finance and chair of the finance division at the Leeds School of Business at the University of Colorado at Boulder. He holds undergraduate, MBA, and DBA degrees from Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri. He has been the recipient of several distinguished teaching awards and was designated as a university-wide President's Teaching Scholar. Melicher also has held the William H. Baughn Distinguished Scholar faculty position. He teaches entrepreneurial finance topics and venture valuation methods to undergraduate and MBA students, and teaches in executive MBA and executive education programs. He has assisted development-stage ventures in formalizing their business plans and has been involved in valuing early-stage firms. Melicher's service to the finance profession includes having served as vice president-program and president of the Financial Management Association. He has published articles in the JOURNAL OF FINANCE, JOURNAL OF FINANCIAL AND QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS, and FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT.