Richard Smith is Professor of Financial Management at the Peter F. Ducker Graduate School of Management, Claremont Graduate University, where he teaches courses on new venture finance, and strategic risk management. He also is Director of the Venture Finance Institute at Claremont. Professor Smith has served on several boards that are responsible for investing on behalf of pension funds and university endorsements, and has consulted extensively for venture capitalists, business angels, entrepreneurs, and government, on matters involving investment, valuation, financial contracting, securities litigation, and antitrust.

Janet Kiholm Smith is the Von Tobel Professor of Economics at Claremont McKenna College, where she teaches course on the economics of strategy and industrial organization. She currently serves on the College’s investment committee and consults on matters related to working capital management, the economics of contracts, and antitrust. She is the author of numerous journal articles, including publications in Journal of Legal Studies, Journal of Finance, Journal of Corporate Finance, Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis, Journal of Law and Economics, and Journal of Law, Economics and Organization.