Laurence Hayward

Laurence K. Hayward founded VentureLab to help early-stage companies gain access to the resources they need to grow such as capital, quality people and strategic partners. He is also a Managing Partner for Rainmaker Securities LLC, a FINRA broker-dealer. He previously served as a Managing Partner at SCIUS Capital Group, where he completed more than a dozen private placements (primarily seed and venture capital equity offerings) in areas ranging from water purification to nano-structured materials. He is also a Co-Founder of Cornerstone Angels, a private network of angel investors. Previously, he has held leadership positions as the Chicago Office Managing Partner for Jesup & Lamont Securities, President of entrepreneurial start-up Vcapital, and Global Marketing Director of Arthur Andersen, where he led the firm’s practice serving small and mid-sized businesses. Mr. Hayward earned a BS Psychology & MBA from the University of Illinois in Champaign/Urbana, graduating a year early. He serves on the CEC Client Advisory Board and Entrepreneur-in-Residence Program of the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce assisting local entrepreneurs. He also serves on the Advisory Boards of several Chicago-area companies. Mr. Hayward is an active member of the Angel Capital Association and Cleantech Venture Network, an environmentally focused investor network. He also volunteers his time as a guest lecturer, panelist, and business plan judge for the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, DePaul University’s MBA program and his alma mater. He holds a Series 7 license.