Principal

About the Principal

Douglas “Las” Wengell is an American executive, entrepreneur, partner and investor. Las most recently raised equity and debt to launch a Web-based healthcare distribution and social network company, with underwriters including three CEOs and two twenty-five-year companies, Gardener’s Supply Company and Seventh Generation. After furloughing the venture due to the adverse economy, he consolidated his professional efforts under Kriyom Ventures and set off to travel the emerging markets of Asia and South America in search of leading companies and problem-solving technologies.

Las has experience in custom e-commerce and Web 2.0 development, operations and logistics, marketing and sales, finance and venture capital. He is also the publisher of The Hunter Press, which has won two distinguished book awards; a subject expert on integrative medicine; and the founder of the Association for Integrity in Medicine.

Growing up close to the University of California–Berkeley, Las was strongly influenced by the human potential movement, Silicon Valley technology and West Coast creativity. He combined these interests and life-long personal development with an academic background in rhetoric, psychology and business. The result is an inspiring style of leadership and communication, complemented by rigorous quantitative and “probabilistic decision analysis,” embraced by leaders such as Lawrence Summers and Robert Rubin, and honed as a consultant and student of business. His broad platform of soft and hard skills enable him to perform tasks across a wide spectrum—from new venture conception and execution to active management and growth-oriented leadership.

Las’s broad interests include environmental economics and finance, human motivation and culture, science and technology and globalization. His online publication, One World Insight, chronicles these and other topical issues.

Las earned a MBA from Goizueta Business School at Emory and a BA (magna cum laude) in rhetoric and philosophy from Rutgers. He has completed graduate coursework and practicums in clinical health psychology. In his spare time, he is a private pilot and Latin dancer.