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About Collective

About Us

The idea was born out of frustration at the inefficient and haphazard way our team went about getting outsourced agency work done. It occurred to Brian that having a curated roster of quality talent in the different functional areas of a business would solve a real problem many entrepreneurs were having. When Brian mentioned the idea to his business partner Raj, he was intrigued. “We already had grown a strong list of vendors and built meaningful relationships with them over the last few years.” Raj continued, “Why not put them all together and work like a full service agency?” In addition, they had started investing in a few of the companies that came to their Manhattan or Ft. Lauderdale offices of their Creative Digital Agency, DB Collective. So it was a natural, organic progression of things they were already doing. In addition, DB Collective had been providing enterprise level software, mobile application development, and creative services for companies like The United Nations, AT&T, The NHL, Forbes, Memorial Hospital, and many more small to large businesses.
“Our partners & vendors could assist with their specific expertise, while growing their own portfolio and experience with high level clientele.” When it comes to startups, they must have 5 things. “A solution to a problem, knowledge, experience, courage and financing. All 5 make the perfect grouping to execute the dream. But, if a few of those variables are missing, there is help from the Startup Collective. Collective Ventures can be a talented, connected and financially secure co-founder.” They have since invested in 13 companies and continue to get 20-30 pitches each week. With plans to create Collective Ventures locations in Hollywood, Pembroke Pines, Del Ray, West Palm Beach, Tampa and Orlando before leaving to other states, they believe they will have amazing impact in the nurturing and growth of the startup culture in Florida.

The Founders

Brian Jacob: Entrepreneur / Builder / Creative / Investor / Dreamer. He is the founder of Collective Ventures, cofounder & CEO at DB Collective, Inc. 

With almost 2 decades of experience in Information Technology and Software Development. Brian Jacob has managed revenue generating client-oriented software development projects and products in Healthcare, Automotive, Legal, Construction, and Government industries. He attended Rutgers University studying to be a doctor. His business passion pushed him to focus on Psychology & Computer Science, which has uniquely positioned him to help figure out and execute the dreams of others. He has also honed his skills in Advertising & Marketing, firmly believing that emotion leads to action, and tries to help create emotionally driven concepts that help companies connect better with their audience. 

In 2008 he founded DB Collective with his close friend Dhiraj Thareja. As Co-CEO’s they have spearheaded tremendous growth, and have worked for clients such as The United Nations, AT&T, The NHL, Forbes, Mercedes Benz, Memorial Hospital as well as many small to medium sized businesses. He then pushed to create a collaborative business ecosystem called Collective Ventures in 2016. Collective Ventures is a free co-working community, a cafe, a business center with 16 business resources, and a Startup Venture Firm. Through Collective Ventures he plans to invest in 100 local startups in each of the cities a Collective Ventures exists.

Dhiraj Thareja is an American born entrepreneur, engineer, and investor. He is the founder of Collective Ventures, cofounder & CEO at DB Collective, Inc.   

Born in New Jersey, Thareja taught himself computer programming at the age of 12. He attended Rutgers University & NJIT studying Computer Science and Economics. After his school years, he has held many different positions in the technology field at Forbes, Mercedes Benz, Jobs on Publishing, & National Hockey League. He spent his early years rotating through positions which would help him learn all aspects of a full product life cycle leading up to the marketing & scaling phases. In 2008 Thareja moved to South Florida to setup operations with his close friend Brian Jacob. They setup and operated a few healthcare based software & service based companies.  

He then cofounded DB Collective Inc, a creative & technology firm were he leads Product Architecture. Through his leadership DB Collective Inc now operates from 3 different locations globally (New York City, Ft Lauderdale FL, & India) and has 72 consultants. DB Collective's client roster consists of United Nations, Memorial Health Care System, AT&T, Trimble Inc, Scholastic Publishing, Choice Airways, Bira91 Beverages, and many more. He most recently co-founded Collective Ventures, an Innovation & Business building Center. Collective Ventures is a platform built to bridge the gap in the current business landscape offering a startup incubator and coworking space located in the heart of Ft. Lauderdale, FL.

The Partners

Barbara Periera is the Chief Creative Officer of DB Collective, and put her spin on the entire design and vibe of Collective Ventures.

As a Graphic Designer for over 15 years, her work can be found on billboards, publications around the globe, and packaging in Whole Foods, Home Depot Bed Bath & Beyond, and more.

Alex Mathai solves problems. Whether it’s for his consulting clients or for new ventures in his portfolio.

Alex has an MBA from Booth School of business, and has worked and consulted for companies in many industries, ranging from start-up to Fortune 100 in size, I have seen what works and what doesn't when it comes to turning vision into reality.

Brijesh Mannat is the VP of Products at Siemens Healthcare.

His Business and Healthcare experience obtaine at the University of Miami has helped him become a value add to the healthcare investments and projects CV often gets pitched. He is traveling the world, and bring the global experience to our city.

Martin Butler is a global entrpreneur with an Airline, a Shipping Firm, Real Estate, Banking, and Telecom under his stewardship.

His family is well known for their influence in pioneering the growth of the Bahamas. His Grandfather was a previous Governer well liked by the Queen of England. His Global knowledge will help all entrepreneurs.

Devand Sukhdeo has been recognized in employment law-management and litigation-labor and employment in the 2017 edition of Best Lawyers in America, one of the oldest and most respected peer-review publications in the legal profession. His 27 year legal career has spawned many entrepreneurial efforts. He gradated from New York University, and Columbia Law School.

Mark Henry, MBA, PMP is an IT professional with over 20 years of experience. Mark has worked as both a project manager & business analyst specializing in projects on process improvement, system automation, and system optimization. Mark’s worked in the following industries in his career, workers compensation, managed care, transportation and human capital management. His current role is that of a business analyst at Ultimate Software as part of the UTE team.

Carissa Rosario is an entrepreneur, actress, and renown cover model. She earned her bachelors in Nutrition and Exercise Science from Florida State University. She began a career in Spanish television. She has had roles in movies, commercials and videos. She's been on the cover of 20 magazines, such as Vogue, FHM, and Maxim. Carissa's nonprofit, The Aly-mo Foundation, partnered with New York Yankees to help bring attention to pediatric brain cancer.

James Anderson is a retired linebacker whose 10 year NFL career was spent with the Carolina Panthers and others. James donates his time with the Driving Force Group, and The James Anderson Foundation.

He was selected by Bloomberg as one of the most 100 influential athletes. James is a proud member of the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. James received both his Bachelor of Arts and his Masters of Education from Virginia Tech.

Are you the next to join our Partnership?

Are you the next to join our Partnership?

Are you the next to join our Partnership?

Are you the next to join our Partnership?

The Team

Aaron Eapen has taken the helm of day to day Management and Operations of Collective Ventures.

His HR background gives him great interpersonal and team building skills, and his love of accounting has helped him keep all things on track.

Rachael Markovic has been the face of the space.

Often seen helping customers understand what Collective Ventures is, her work spans so much more. Project Management for Brian & DB Collective, Operations for Collective Ventures & Cafe Collective, and Marketing & Photography for many of the events held at CV.

Alicia Brickey has created a great Members Enviornment for our entire team.

She lends her talents to Event Planning, Marketing, Operations for Collective Ventures, and managing aspects of the Cafe. In addition she provides Project Management for Dhiraj & DB Collective. .
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Natalia Rastad is a space amabassador.

Natalia loves loves humor, and making people laugh. When she’s not working she spends time at community events and studying psychology. She hopes to bring behavioral health to the public school systems, and future Collective Ventures locations.

Priscilla Grier is a space amabassador.

When she’s not working, traveling or blogging, you can find her at a concert or trying a new vegan spot. In addition to her extensive social media and marketing experience, Priscilla is a freelance makeup artist. She holds a BA in marketing from the University of Miami.

Jessica Hatcher is the Manager at Cafe Colletive. She is responsible for the heartbeat of our Cafe. Her culinary experience has helped shape the drinks and food enjoyed here.

Meet Kristell, our newest Barista. She's been serving up Java for over 5 years. While her go to drink is a classic café con leche, her new favorite is the Crème Brûlée Latte. She loves her gig as a a barista because she gets to interact with so many amazing people and loves seeing all the awesome drink creations they come up with.

Meet Emelio. He's a Political Science major with Law aspirations, and an amazing dancer, whos been dancing since he was 6 years old. He makes amazing coffee, and looks forward to becoming the friendly face you see when you come by the cafe.

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