Who We Are

Dan Levin has a unique skill set of brand building by blending talent, intellectual property, media and retail for an exceptional return on investment. He has worked closely with Fortune 500 companies, high profile celebrities, private equity groups and start ups on a wide variety of initiatives. His experience includes developing, implementing and managing innovative relationships with leading retailers and manufacturers; Nordstrom, Office Depot, Macy’s, Sears, Jo~Ann Fabric & Craft Stores, Burlington Coat Factory, Alibaba/T-Mall, Lynx Grills, QVC and HSN and many others. He has also created and managed licensing programs for Céline Dion, Madonna/Hard Candy Fitness, Paris Hilton, Christopher Lowell, David Tutera the iconic retail brand Fred Segal and many others. His work has resulted in multi-Billion dollars in global retail product sales. Dan holds a B.S. from the University of Miami and a J.D. from Cleveland Marshall College of Law.

Sohayla Cude has enjoyed a twenty plus year career in the entertainment industry which has included working in legal services, human resources and production. For the past several years, she has has devoted her time to personal management, and handles for all aspects of artist management which includes day-to-day operations of touring, recordings, public relations, marketing, television productions, and special projects to maximize client exposure.  She has also managed numerous high profile celebrity retail licensing and publishing relationships. Her vast background with a variety of projects gives Sohayla a unique perspective and vision on how to enhance and grow her clients’ careers.

Meghan Mernin is an accomplished licensing and brand partnerships executive with extensive experience driving business growth across entertainment, music, sports, corporate and lifestyle brands.  She is skilled in building licensing and global consumer product programs from inception, delivering scalable strategies and leading high-performing teams to translate brand equity into impactful partnerships, driving strong consumer engagement.

Most recently, Meghan spearheaded the implementation and development of UFC’s global consumer products licensing division, joining the MMA organization in 2021. Prior to UFC, she held senior leadership roles at Equity Management Inc (EMI) and Epic Rights where she brought meaningful business and collaborations to market for brands such as AC/DC, David Bowie, John Lennon, Britney Spears, KISS, Nissan, La-Z-Boy, Timex, Mattel, Prime, Anheuser-Busch, McCormick, and many others. Meghan brings a blend of strategic, analytical and creative thinking, with deep industry relationships, and hands-on commercial experience to every project she touches.

Derrick B. Mayes is newly appointed (Venture Partner) at Bonaventure Equity, LLC. Most recent, Mayes was Vice President of WME/IMG (now Endeavor/Learfield/IMG College), where he championed a strategic advisory division for nearly a decade. Prior to that, Mr. Mayes was the Chief Executive Officer of ExecutiveAction Sports & Entertainment, serving as a strategic advisor to high profile individuals and organizations in the sports and entertainment industry, from 2007 to 2015. Mr. Mayes has over 18 years of extensive experience in strategic planning, enterprise development, and risk mitigation.  

In 2019, Mayes was appointed to the prestigious Board of Patrick Industries, Inc (PATK). In doing so, he became one of the youngest African American board members to represent an S&P 500 index corporation.  Additionally, Mayes sits as a Director of the Notre Dame Monogram Board, and has been since 2018.  A coveted leadership and diversity speaker to public companies as well as private organizations. 

Member of the Orange Bowl Hall of Fame, Indiana Football Hall of Fame, and North Central High School Hall of Fame, Mayes’ athletic talents yielded a historic college career as an All-American, All-time leading receiver, 2-timeTeam MVP, and Sr. Captain at the University of Notre Dame.  His successful collegiate tenure catapulted Mayes into the NFL as a 2nd round draft pick to the legendary Green Bay Packers. In just his rookie season, Mayes became a Super Bowl XXXI Champion.  Five years later, Mayes retired with the Seattle Seahawks; Two teams, but all under the Hall of Fame Coach Mike Holmgren.  

Derrick holds a Bachelor’s degree from University of Notre Dame, and Corporate Governance Certificate from UCLA’s Anderson School of Management.

Husband, and father of one, Mayes and his wife are founding parents of City Language Immersion Charter School in Los Angeles, California https://www.citycharterschools.org/CLIC/.

Steven Doctrow is CEO of Boogie Board Marketing, a diversified agency specializing in entertainment and brand marketing. Prior to launching his own agency, Steven was Executive Vice President of Partnerships & Alliances at Rogers & Cowan/PMK for 24 years, where he was responsible for creating and launching public relations, digital media and corporate sponsors campaigns. Steven led account teams that managed global brands, luxury goods and services, major non-profit organizations, television shows, producers/production companies and international and national award shows.

Prior to joining Rogers & Cowan, Steven was Senior Vice President at Premiere Radio Networks where he was responsible for leading promotional marketing campaigns for Fortune 500 companies from the consumer electronics, entertainment and packaged goods industries. Before this association, he was Vice President of Promotional Marketing at Chiat/Day Inc. Advertising where he created high-profile marketing campaigns for client companies in personal computer, automotive, spirits and lifestyle brands.

Steven began his career in the promotion industry at United Artists Corporation where he led advance promotion and publicity of all UA/MGM motion pictures throughout the Western United States.

Valerie Lessard-Clark is a seasoned sales executive and fashion consultant with 22+ years of experience driving growth for premium fashion brands across North America. Expert in U.S. business development, wholesale strategy, and licensing, with a strong network across top luxury and contemporary retailers. Well-connected with suppliers, sales agencies, and international designers, and known for building strategic partnerships and delivering consistent, measurable results.