VC Client Success Stories Featured at
WPI Venture Forum

WALTHAM, MA — Attorney Shannon Zollo was a featured panelist at the WPI Venture Forum's April program at the Worcester Polytechnic Institute. The topic was: Transition, Exit & the Future. Invited by Zollo to share their stories were clients Mario Ricciardelli, founder of StudentCity.com, and Blair Heavey, CEO of My Perfect Gig. The two presented case studies on how they grew and then successfully exited their online companies, having transformed them into multi-million dollar, global corporations.

StudentCity.com - An online student travel booking website, StudentCity.com was founded by Mario Ricciardelli. Currently president and CEO of TUI Student Travel, Ricciardelli completed the sale of StudentCity.com to TUI Travel plc in July 2004. His vision was to consolidate the highly fragmented student travel industry, and 13 acquisitions and $50 million later, he created one of the world's largest student travel providers. Annual revenue for 2008 was close to $200 million, serving more than 300,000 students.

My Perfect Gig - Founded in October 2007 to simplify and significantly improve the experience in matching candidates to their next “perfect gig,” My Perfect Gig is a members-only, private career network for engineering professionals. President and CEO Blair Heavy is a seasoned executive with 20 years of experience in building and leading innovative high-growth technology companies.

Attorney Zollo advises venture-backed emerging growth companies, private equity and venture capital firms and their portfolio companies, and small to middle-market private and public technology, life sciences, manufacturing, and professional services companies. He is co-founder of the Exit Planning Exchange (XPX), which is a unique professional organization that provides networking, collaboration and educational opportunities for professional advisors focused on preparing business owners for the successful exit of their businesses.

Morse, Barnes-Brown Pendleton, PC, focuses exclusively on the core legal services that businesses need to succeed. The law firm assists businesses of all sizes — from start-ups to Fortune 1000 companies — in the areas of business law, technology and intellectual property, employment and immigration and taxation.

Morse, Barnes-Brown Pendleton, PC
Reservoir Place
1601 Trapelo Road, Suite 205
Waltham, MA 02451
781-622-5930
mbbp.com