Michael Lapat is the President, General Counsel and a founder of TURN KEY HEDGE FUNDS, INC. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Hedge Fund Association, a non profit association representing the Hedge Fund Industry. In 1998, Mr. Lapat was a co-founder of a successful hedge fund which from August 1998 through September 2000 grew its assets from $500,000 to $60,000,000; and during which time had an average annual return of 78.53%. At that fund, he was responsible for document preparation, investor relations, fund administration, and legal and compliance matters, as well as other back office matters. Mr. Lapat was responsible for the initial launch of the domestic hedge fund as well as its transition to a master feeder fund structure with onshore and offshore feeder fund components. In September 2000, he left that position and formed Turn Key Hedge Funds, Inc. where he developed the concept of the Turn Key Hedge Fund.
In November 2003, he and partners from the futures industry launched a futures and spot currency hedge fund.
He is an attorney admitted to the practice of law in the states of Illinois in 1976, Florida in 1994, and New York in 2000; as well as U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois in 1980, U.S. Court of Appeals, 7th Circuit in 1984, U.S. District Court, Western District of Michigan, Southern Division, in 1992, U.S. Court of Federal Claims in 1994, U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Michigan in 1998, U.S. District Court Southern District of Florida in 1998. He is a graduate of University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana, Illinois, where he received a B.A. Degree in 1972; and, a graduate of the John Marshall Law School where he received a J.D. degree in 1976. While at the fund he was an officer and compliance director of an Illinois Investment Advisor and an Illinois Investment Advisor representative.
He successfully completed the NASD Series 3, Series 7 and Series 65 Examinations, is a member of the NFA and an "Associated Person" of a Registered Commodity Pool Operator and a Guaranteed Introducing Broker to Man Financial. Mr. Lapat is also the recipient of the American Civil Liberties Union Recognition Award for Litigation and Support of Civil Rights awarded in 1985.
Ainsley Fuller is the Director of Technology for Turn Key Hedge Funds, Inc. and a founder. He joins Turn Key Hedge Funds, Inc. from his own successful computer consulting firm, Clearwater Services, Inc.
Mr. Fuller is Microsoft Certified and well versed with Microsoft networking solutions and business applications. He has been providing and implementing technology solutions as well as consulting services to a wide variety of business and organizations since 1994. He is equally experienced in network analysis, design, administration, and security. He is well versed in a wide variety of hardware & software configurations and the deployment of these technologies.
Turn Key Hedge Funds, Inc. and its clients have benefited from his knowledge and experience in computer networking and business applications. Technology makes the process of starting a Hedge Fund easier. Mr. Fuller is available to promptly assist hedge fund managers and their computer traders in dealing with all their technology needs. He is available to perform a system analysis of their existing hardware and software configurations as well as to provide technology risk management consulting to improve and maintain trading technology.
Linda McDonald entered the financial industry and joined Turn Key Hedge Funds, Inc. in 2002. She was initially employed in the company's fund launch section. In that section Ms. McDonald was individually responsible for entity formations, state securities filings for Private Investment Companies, federal "Form D" filings, internal investor and fund document preparation and filing, fund investor relations, as well as coordination of monthly reporting. In January 2004, Ms. McDonald directed "Fund Administration," managing the company's fund administration clients. In that capacity she was responsible for supervising, managing and directing launch activities, entity formation, document preparation, Commodity Pool Operator Registration activities, Investment Advisor registration activities, as well as administrative client fund investor relations. Presently, Ms. McDonald manages Commodity Pool Operator (CPO) registration, Commodity Trading Advisor (CTA) registration, Investment Advisor registration (RIA) and IRA custody and rollover approvals, in addition to other duties described herein. Ms McDonald has completed Ethics and Anti-Money Laundering training.
Leonard K. Finkelstein is the Director of Fund Accounting with Turn Key Hedge Funds, Inc. In his capacity as the Director of Fund Accounting he is responsible for supervising the preparation of client and investor financial reports. Mr. Finkelstein also directs financial compliance for the company's financial affiliates and supervises other company-sponsored projects and joint ventures.
Mr. Finkelstein has been practicing accounting for the majority of his career, with a focus in the securities and commodities industry. Additionally, he has experience in the public accounting sector, for a short time working with a second-tier international Certified Public Accounting firm. His duties there included auditing brokers/dealers or futures commission merchants located in the Wall Street area.
Upon graduation from Hofstra University, Mr. Finkelstein was the lead accountant for a futures commission merchant and had the responsibilities of filing daily internal as well as required monthly reports with the CFTC. He has been a licensed NASD Series 27 Financial and Operation Principal.
Prior to joining Turn Key Hedge Funds, Inc., Mr. Finkelstein worked for a transportation/logistics company where he was supervisor of the Accounting/Human Resources Departments. Mr. Finkelstein also spent three years running the accounting department of a commercial real estate manager and developer.
Mr. Finkelstein is a graduate of Hofstra University, Hempstead, New York where he received a B.B.A. in Accounting.
Louis Lapat is a staff video producer/director for the production division of Turn Key Hedge Funds, Inc. Louis will produce, direct and edit promotional videos for fund web pages, offering materials, and promotional pieces. Louis is currently teaching Final Cut Pro Editing at the New York Film Academy. During 2006, Louis was an Adjunct Professor of "Media Workshop: Documentary" at Marymount College, New York. While at Marymount College, he was a Media Lab Manager which included managing the Mac G5 Final Cut Pro editing lab and mini-dv camera equipment.
Louis has extensive film crew experience. His credits include: "Assata" - Gaffer/Production Coordinator - Directed by Fred Baker; "The Squid and the Whale" - 3rd Prop Person, a Peter Newman Film. As an Editor (all in Final Cut Pro) Louis worked on Xavier Promotional Video for A&E, "Homecoming Soccer" Video; "Ying Ling" - Splitpillow Challenge Filmmaking Competition, "4 Young Trees" - Roatan Films. Louis was engaged as Grip/Electric/Camera Assistant on the following projects: "Fairies" - Speak Productions - Key Grip; The Verve Pipe Music Video - Key West Productions - Grip/Electric; "The Handbook To Casual Stalking" -Northwestern University. Production "Reservations" - Northwestern University. Production - Dolly Grip; "Reality" - Northwestern Univ. Production - Grip/Electric; "Crack Kildare" - Jeremy Brunges - Dolly Grip; "7 Digits" - RadioRidge Productions - 2nd Assistant Cameraman. As a Set Production Assistant: VH1 Rock The House, VH1; "Bad Meat" - Chill-O-Vision - Set PA Corporate Video - Bucktown Pictures ; Spec Spot - Bucktown Pictures; "I was a Mathlete until I Met Margo Harris" - Flapper Girl Pictures. Louis was Featured Filmmaker on GENART.COM: http://www.genart.org/film.link.htm?itemid=1535.
Louis created, produced, and directed an award-winning film, "Depression." Its awards include DVD distribution on 'Journal of Short Film', official selection in 10 film festivals, featured on Plum TV, 'Eye For Sound' Contest Winner, and featured on several websites streaming short films online at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vy5qXm9NS3E
His other films include, "Project Rhythm," a Short Promotional Video DV; "The Week", a feature-length documentary in progress; "Who is Warren?" short fiction DV; "Enter The Jonas" a short fiction DV; as well as a number of Columbia University and Northwestern University films/exercises.
His publications include "Evo-Cad," Computer Aided Design using an evolutionary algorithm. (Publication online at http://helen.cs-i.brandeis.edu/pr/buildable/evocad/Lous_Instructions.html) and "mpMe!," Master's Thesis for Northwestern University, music recommendation software. (Publication online at http://www.iuiconf.org/02pdf/2002-003-0059.pdf)
Louis Lapat was awarded a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Computer Science from BRANDEIS UNIVERSITY, Waltham, Massachusetts; a Master's Degree in Computer Science from NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY, Evanston, Illinois; and Master's Degree in Film-making from COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY, New York, New York.
Adam Mirkin is a staff video producer/director for the production division of TURN KEY HEDGE FUNDS, INC. Adam will produce, direct and edit promotional videos for fund web pages, offering materials and promotional pieces. Adam's experiences include the management of art and photography projects for Orlando publications as well creating trademarks for various businesses. Adam was awarded a Bachelor of Fine Arts at the University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida, where he studied marketing as well as art, photography, film, and computer graphics.
Adam studied art at the Chicago Art Institute and furthered his study in film at the New York Film Academy. Mr. Mirkin additionally studied art in Europe, where he attended Urbino University, Urbino, Italy and Bergamo University, Bergamo, Italy.
Stasia Fuller is the Senior Web Page Designer for the Marketing division of Turn Key Hedge Funds, Inc. In 2002 she joined Clearwater Services, a computer software service provider as a web designer and marketing specialist. At Clearwater she gained extensive experience in web page design and in the marketing of websites for various industries ever since. She continues to provide consulting to Clearwater. In 2007, Stasia Fuller joined Turn Key Hedge Funds, Inc. as a web page designer. Stasia Fuller is responsible for registration of domain names, setup of web hosting accounts, creation of email addresses, development of compliant password-protected web pages and creative web design. Stasia Fuller is also responsible for uploading of the monthly performance reports on hedge fund websites.
Stasia Fuller attended University of Tennessee, Knoxville and Florida Atlantic University, Ft. Lauderdale.
Howard J. Kaplan, CPA: Turn Key Hedge Funds, Inc. has formed a strategic alliance with the accounting and consulting firm, Kaplan & Company (K&CO), based in Northbrook, Illinois (a suburb of Chicago), to provide independent auditing services to clients of Turn Key Hedge Funds, Inc. Mr. Kaplan is the Managing Partner of K&CO. Turn Key Hedge Funds, Inc. has formed this ongoing strategic relationship with K&CO to provide start-up consulting services, accounting services, auditing services, tax consultation and preparation services to private investment partnerships and offshore funds. Mr. Kaplan has been providing accounting and tax services to private partnerships since 1971. Prior to joining K&CO, he worked for one of the "Big Five" accounting firms where, in addition to providing auditing and tax services, he was involved in SEC matters and the preparation of SEC filings on behalf of firm clients. Mr. Kaplan is a graduate of Washington University (St. Louis, Missouri) with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. He is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and also holds memberships in the tax section, consulting services section, personal financial planning and information technology sections of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. He is also a member of the Illinois Society of Certified Public Accountants where he has served on various committees. Mr. Kaplan has testified as an expert witness in Federal and State court on various matters. He has taught courses to other accountants for the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. Mr. Kaplan has spoken before various groups on income tax and investment planning matters.
Maurice Berkower, CPA: Turn Key Hedge Funds, Inc. has formed a strategic alliance with the accounting and consulting firm Acquavella, Chiarelli, Shuster, Berkower & Co., LLP, (ACSB).
Maurice Berkower is an audit partner at ACSB and a managing director of Rankin Berkower (Cayman) LTD (RB) and the leader of their financial services practice groups. ACSB and RB provide start-up consulting services, accounting services, auditing services, tax consultation, and preparation services to nearly 125 private investment partnerships and offshore funds. These services include maintenance of partners' capital accounts on an economic and tax basis and net asset value computations. Mr. Berkower has been providing accounting and accounting services to investment partnerships, offshore funds, securities broker-dealers, and private investment companies since 1975.
Mr. Berkower is a graduate of Brooklyn College with a BS in, Accounting and a graduate of Baruch College with a MBA in Taxation. He serves on the New York State Society Stock Brokerage Accounting and Investment Management committees. He is also a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the New Jersey State Society of Certified Public Accountants, as well as other non-profit, and charitable organizations.
Mr. Berkower has contributed accounting and consulting articles to the CPA Journal, various community and local newspapers, as well as presented various educational and informational seminars and programs to other accountants, bankers, attorneys, hedge fund managers and industry professionals.
