Guest
Former USAID Privatization Program Manager at High Score Strategies
Joining us in the Sky Lounge this week is the fascinating Mike Blake, founder of High Score Strategies. Dive into the world of business valuation and strategy consulting, and learn how Mike navigates multimillion-dollar valuation opportunities with the finesse of a recovering venture capitalist. Get a little bit nerdy as these two tech aficionados explore what it takes to make it big in the business world, how you can use gift cards to pay employees (note: you can’t!) and why the Russian mafia played a big part in Mike’s career trajectory. Don't miss this high-flying and globe-spanning episode! Mike Blake is a Founder of High Score Strategies, a business valuation and strategic advisory firm with offices near Atlanta, Georgia, and Lisbon, Portugal. Mike helps his clients achieve winning outcomes in their business valuation-related opportunities (such as buying or selling a company) and challenges (such as tax compliance or financial reporting.) With 25 years of experience in valuation advisory, venture capital, and investment banking, Mike mixes market experience and data analytics to make his clients exceptional decision-makers for their most consequential and irreversible business decisions.
Mike Blake recounts his chaotic first trip to Russia in 1993 as a 23-year-old hired to run a USAID privatization program. After missing his flight in Frankfurt, he navigated visa complications, outdated Soviet aircraft, and ultimately accepted hospitality from self-proclaimed smugglers who helped reunite him with his contact in Minsk.
Mike Blake, founder of High Score Strategies, discusses business valuation methodology, the changing landscape of patent protection, and his journey from venture capital to founding Atlanta's influential Startup Lounge networking series. He shares insights on when valuations help or hinder startup negotiations, the dramatic weakening of patent value through PTAB proceedings, and his recent relocation to Portugal.