Jonathan Goldman, Founder and CEO of Genesis Capital, an independent investment and merchant banking firm based in Atlanta, stopped by to speak to students in the BHP Lyceum course last week. Goldman started Genesis Capital in 2003 with a group of fellow investment bankers he had worked with at Robertson Stephens, where he served as a managing director, heading their Healthcare Group and working with leading technology solution and service providers.
Goldman hadn’t planned on starting his own company, but after working for multiple firms that went through a series of mergers, and getting lost in the shuffle, he decided it was time to start his own independent firm. He started signing clients and bringing on partners in the new endeavor, and Genesis Capital was born in record time. “Things happen for a reason. You just need to look,” he said. “I started my firm out of necessity, resourcefulness, and because I saw a pattern in the industry that wasn’t sustainable in the long-term.”
Goldman said he loves what he does because he has a passion for helping clients execute their strategies and encouraging them to pursue their visions for their own futures. He made some decisions early on to make his company a different kind of firm. Whereas most investment banking firms focus on one type of client, Genesis Capital works with a variety of clients, from family-owned businesses to public corporations. “We focus on need, not size,” he said. They also offer a variety of services. He thinks this strategy has been crucial to their growth and that being an independent firm has been a huge asset given the current financial issues facing many of the larger firms.
Creating their own path was important to Goldman and he cautioned the students not to let others put them in a box and to work hard for what they want. “Think about how you want to approach the marketplace and define your image. Give the best you have to everything you do and the best will come back to you.”
This is also a motto he adheres to in his personal life, demonstrated in his philanthropic commitments. Goldman serves as a director on several boards, including Children’s Healthcare, Children’s Healthcare Foundation, The Paradies Shops Inc., and the Atlanta Charity Clays. “Philanthropy is important to me,” he said. “The more you give, the more you get back. It also gives me perspective and fulfills my soul.”