Speakers

• 

  H. Thomas Felix Moderator: Partner, Morrison Foerster
  

  H. Thomas Felix

  Moderator: Partner, Morrison Foerster

  Tommy Felix is a partner in the firm’s Capital Markets and Public Company Advisory & Governance practices.

  Drawing upon a wealth of experience advising public and private companies, private equity and venture capital firms, and investment banks, Tommy guides clients through complex transactional matters, including initial public offerings, debt and equity offerings, leveraged buyouts, mergers and acquisitions, SPAC transactions, and cross-border deals.

  Tommy’s deep understanding of securities law issues and transactions, coupled with his ability to navigate intricate regulatory frameworks, enables him to provide strategic and practical solutions that align with his clients’ business objectives.

  Tommy’s experience extends to advising on preferred stock issuances, private placements of debt and equity securities, public mergers and acquisitions, and innovative restructuring and liability management transactions, and spans diverse industries, including life sciences, biotechnology, gaming, industrials, healthcare, retail, technology, telecommunications, and transportation.

  Tommy is a member of The Century Club of San Diego, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting the local community and youth programs through San Diego’s annual PGA TOUR golf tournament.

• 

  Dilshat Erkin Co-Founder and Managing Partner, Halo Partners
  

  Dilshat Erkin

  Co-Founder and Managing Partner, Halo Partners

  Mr. Erkin co-founded Halo in 2025. In addition to his investing responsibilities, Mr. Erkin is responsible for the day-to-day management of the Firm. Prior to Halo, Mr. Erkin spent eleven (11) years as a senior investment professional at Clearlake, where he played a significant role in scaling the firm and leading investments in the technology, industrials and consumer sectors. Before joining Clearlake, Mr. Erkin was a member of the investment team at H.I.G. Capital, focusing on middle-market buyouts across a broad range of industries. Prior to H.I.G. Capital, Mr. Erkin worked in the Global Technology Group at Morgan Stanley, advising software and technology clients on M&A and capital markets transactions. Mr. Erkin currently serves on the board of directors of W.O. Grubb. He has previously served on the board of directors of ten (10) portfolio companies and served as a board observer on eleven (11) other investments throughout his career. Mr. Erkin holds a B.S. in Business Administration from the Walter A. Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley.

• 

  K.C. White Chief Legal Officer & Head of People, a.k.a. Brands
  

  K.C. White

  Chief Legal Officer & Head of People, a.k.a. Brands

  KC White is a.k.a. Brands’ (NYSE: AKA) Chief Legal Officer & Head of People and has served in that role since June 2023. Mr. White joined a.k.a. Brandes in June 2022 as Vice President, Head of Legal and Human Resources and served in that role until June 2023. Mr. White is a strategic leader with over 18 years of experience providing legal, operational and strategic advice to business leaders and colleagues. Prior to joining a.k.a. Brands, Mr. White served as Vice President, Legal at Viant, a publicly traded digital advertising company, from February 2022 to June 2022. Before Viant, Mr. White served as VP, Business & Legal Affairs at Ethika, a leading San Clemente-based lifestyle brand, from March 2018 to February 2022. Mr. White holds a J.D. from the Michigan State University College of Law and a B.A. in Communications from California State University, Fullerton.

• 

  Sara Brooks Co-Founder, Goldilocks
  

  Sara Brooks

  Co-Founder, Goldilocks

  Sara Brooks is the Co-Founder of Goldilocks, a brand and commercial strategy consultancy, and an investor and advisor to disruptive consumer businesses. Over her career, she has worked with more than 200 CPG brands—from pre-revenue startups to post-IPO category leaders—with a particular focus on founder-led companies across food, beverage, beauty, and wellness. She also sits on various boards across the CPG landscape.

  Prior to Goldilocks, she founded Covet PR in 2014 and grew it into a CPG industry leader and one of the fastest-growing agencies in the country. Covet was recognized by Forbes as a top-five PR agency nationwide and was acquired in 2020 by performance marketing firm Power Digital. She then served as Chief Brand Officer through 2022, helping scale the business to nearly 1,000 team members, expand into new service lines through multiple acquisitions, and ultimately complete a sale to the middle-market private equity firm Court Square.

  Today, through Goldilocks, she partners with brands to unlock revenue growth through positioning, go-to-market strategy, and launch and communications planning—helping companies build the kind of brands consumers don’t just buy, but obsess over.