Spark Ventures

Board of Directors

Board of Directors

The Board of Directors provides broad oversight of the financial and organizational health of Spark Ventures. Specifically, the Board is involved in fundraising, setting policy, hiring staff and ensuring continued alignment with Spark’s mission. The Board meets several times each year and works closely with the Executive Director to accomplish these goals.

Scott Barbeau, VP/Treasurer

Scott Barbeau is co-founder of Spark Ventures and has served on the board since its inception. He attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison where he received a Bachelors Degree in Business Administration. He spent the first 15 years of his professional career working at Lucent Technologies, Parson Group, and Hyperion Solutions in sales and management roles. He has been actively involved with Mercy Home, Chicago for Boys & Girls, FFHM Orphanage, and Songs of Love Foundation. He is currently employed as a professional musician.

David Goldstein

David was born and raised in New York. He attended college in Washington, D.C. and law school in Chicago, where he currently lives. He has worked in the Cook County Public Defender’s Office (Juvenile Division) and currently is a real estate attorney. He specializes in representing developers of affordable housing. David served as a board member of Open Hand Chicago (previously Vital Bridges) and as their Board President for more than three years. He has traveled to New Zealand, Brazil and throughout Asia and Western Europe. In August 2008 David traveled to Zambia with one of Spark’s Transformation Trips.

Robert Hon

Rob was born and raised in Evansville, Indiana. He graduated from the University of Southern Indiana with a BS in Business Administration and later attended the Universidad Autonama de Guadalajara, Mexico, where he studied language and international relations. He currently serves as a Vice President for Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC, and lives in Wilmette, Illinois with his wife, Stephanie. His passion for animals has led to volunteer work and support of the Humane Society and Animal Protection organizations of his home state and Kentucky. He enjoys biking and hiking—especially with his labradors.

Richard Johnson, President

Richard Johnson is co-founder of Spark Ventures and has served on the board since its inception. He was born and spent his early childhood in Japan and California, prior to moving to northern Illinois. Rich attended Trinity International University and Divinity School in Deerfield, Illinois, receiving a BA in Communication and an MA in Faith & Culture. He has worked as a marketing/communications manager and consultant, a program director for several churches, and has spent the last seven years on the staff of North Park University. Rich has been involved with various charities including Kids Club and Breakthrough Urban Ministries in Chicago, and FFHM working with orphans in Mexico.

Daniel Marcus

Daniel Marcus is co-founder of Spark Ventures and has served on the board since its inception. He was born in Santiago, Chile and immigrated to the United States at the age of 8 years old with his parents and two brothers. Dan attended the University of Wisconsin, Madison where he received a BA in Economics. He has worked in finance most of his career. He worked at Bear Stearns and currently is an Investment Advisor at Marcus Capital, LLC. Dan has been involved with various charities including 10 years as a Child Life Specialist at Children’s Memorial Hospital, Chicago and two years at The Night Ministry, working to serve homeless and runaway youth.

Nancy O’Leary

Nancy was born and raised in Chicago. She attended Bradley Universitywhere she received a BS in Psychology. Nancy has worked in finance and accounting throughout her career. She has spent the last 17 years in the venture capital industry, and currently is the CFO of JK&B Capital, a $ 1 billion venture capital firm located in Chicago. Nancy has been involved with various charities, including over 14 years as a volunteer at Children’sMemorial Hospital. Nancy has traveled to Zambia in 2008 and 2009 with Spark’s Transformation Trips.

Tasha Seitz

Tasha Seitz joined the board of Spark Ventures in 2009 after traveling to Zambia to see the positive impact of Spark’s partnership with Hope Ministries and meet the child that she sponsors at the Hope Community School. She is a partner with JK&B Capital, a Chicago-based venture capital firm with over $1 billion under management, where she invests in early stage software companies. Tasha has a bachelors degree in psychology from Wellesley College and a masters in business administration from Stanford University.

Tiffany Staman

Tiffany was born and raised in Rockford, Illinois. She has a Master’s degree in Global Leadership from Fuller Seminary, Pasadena, California, has held a variety of church leadership positions, and speaks to large and small groups on personal and spiritual growth. Tiffany has volunteered with the AIDS Network, World Vision and the Rockford Rescue Mission and has traveled to Mexico, France and the Dominican Republic to serve there as well. She is the co-founder of Breathing Space, an organization creating retreat experiences that help participants connect with God and bring hope and transformation to the world. She currently resides in Roscoe, Illinois with her three children and husband Cam, with whom she enjoys going out for dinner and a movie.

Gary Vlk

Gary is co-founder and Executive Vice President of the full service event agency, One Smooth Stone, Inc. After graduating from Columbia College with a BA in Communications, he quickly entered the event production industry producing meetings, events and entertainment programs in the US, Europe and Asia. Gary has always been local to Chicago and resides in Naperville, IL with his wife Anne and two boys. He has been a volunteer board member for the Village of Downers Grove Economic Development Corporation since 2000 and currently chairs the marketing committee. Gary traveled to Zambia with his family on the 2009 Transformation Trip. He loves to cycle and has maintained his skill as a keyboardist to participate in his church’s worship band.

Stacy Wells

Stacy recently moved to Chicago from Indiana has 24 years of Commercial Banking Experience and is currently a Vice President, Relationship Manager at Wells Fargo, specializing in providing credit and other financial services to Not for Profit Acute Care Hospitals. She received her Bachelors in Finance & Business Economics from Indiana University and her MBA from Butler University. Stacy has served on the Boards of the Wellness Community, the Villages, and participated in various Community Leadership programs and volunteer opportunities with several not for profit agencies, including United Way of Central Indiana and the American Heart Association. She also currently serves on the Board of St. Francis Health Network.

Brian Wu

Brian Wu was born in Poughkeepsie, New York and grew up in Maryland prior to attending Wheaton College in Illinois. He spent a significant amount of time living overseas, both in China, where he was an English Teacher, and in Kenya, where he worked for a church and a non-profit organization. He has studied and written on spiritual formation and international economic development. Brian is currently the General Manager of College Park Athletic Club in Deerfield, Illinois and he enjoys all kinds of sports and music. He and his wife, Alison, live in Chicago.

Princess Kasune Zulu

Princess (her given name) Zulu was born and raised in Zambia where she lost both of her parents to AIDS by the age of 15. She was left to care for her three younger siblings, and she herself tested positive for HIV in 1997. Princess moved to the United States in 2005 to work with organizations promoting HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention. She often travels back to Zambia to help with humanitarian efforts in her home country. Princess currently lives with her husband and two daughters in Chicago, where she serves as a national spokesperson and speaker for World Vision on the global AIDS pandemic.