Michael Costa

Background

About Michael Costa

I am a Senior-Level finance professional with deep experience in media, digital transformations, M&A and governance with a proven track record as a Strategic Advisor, Board Member and Start-Up Investor/Mentor. With 25 years of investment banking leadership, I have served as a Financial Advisor to multiple board of directors in the technology, media and telecommunications industries and successfully directed the mergers, acquisitions and corporate restructurings for globally recognized businesses on transformative transactions totaling in excess of $300B. During a nearly 10-year tenure as a key independent director for Scripps Networks Interactive, I fostered corporate strategies toward the achievement of significant milestones for this publicly traded lifestyle media company with leading brands HGTV, the Food Network and the Travel Channel. From the spin off from its legacy newspaper parent to its acquisition by Discovery 10 years later, I oversaw the creation in excess of $6B in value. Over the last three years I have sourced, cultivated and mentored over 50 startups in the digital media, SaaS, gaming and entertainment sectors resulting in several investments with an average capital raise of $1.5mm and a pre-money valuation of $8mm. I am quite active in the NYC Metro area ecosystem for entrepreneurs as a member with New York Angels, a lecturer in SUNY Purchase's Entrepreneurship in the Arts MA program, an Innovation Fellow at The Eugene Lang Entrepreneurship Center at Columbia Business School and an aiLeadership Council Member with r4 Technologies.