Our Team
David Forsee founded Brookside Capital in 2006 to bring his extensive knowledge in the areas of business development in agriculture and renewable energy to local and regional companies. Since 2006, David has added several analysts and consultants to join the team. Brookside carefully chooses analysts to fit each consulting project and exceed customer expectations.
David A. Forsee - President
David A. Forsee is the president and founder of Brookside Capital, LLC. Forsee’s role in agriculture development has included advising and evaluating companies as diverse as regional agricultural equipment dealerships and wheat straw fiber plants for particleboard production.
Forsee was founder, CEO and Chairman of MachineryLink, Inc. from its initial incorporation in 2000 until April 2006. MachineryLink’s Innovation™ Equipment programs provide farmers the latest, most efficient equipment through a shared leasing network. Under his direction, the Company grew to the largest fleet of agricultural equipment in North America, serving farmer customers in 31 states and Canada. The venture backed company is a leader in innovative logistics and in outstanding service to demanding customers.
Mr. Forsee also served as an executive with Child Health Corporation and Baxter Healthcare. Responsibilities included venture investing, new business development and national account sales.
He has a MBA from Harvard Business School and a BA from the University of Missouri; he is a CPA. Forsee is currently an Executive Board Member of the 107 year old American Royal, the nation’s largest annual agricultural festival. He also serves on the board of the Enterprise Center of Johnson County, the only business incubator in the Kansas City area, and is a founding member of the MidAmerica Angels investment group. He was an Executive in Residence at University of Missouri, and is a past Executive Board Member and current elder of his local 3000-member church. He served as a board member of the New Uses Council, a national university and governmental group evaluating and developing new technology in the plant sciences area. He coaches 4th grade boys basketball and helps coach 7th grade boys baseball.
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Michael Farmer - Advisor
Farmer is a founder, investor and board member of CAP CO2, LLC, a new venture that seeks to be a leader in energy production and efficiency solutions that have lower impacts to the environment. Farmer leads the company’s efforts to define technological and management based solutions to extend domestic energy production and reduce greenhouse gases. In late 2009, the company received word that they were awarded a DOE Phase I grant for $3.45 million for its large-scale industrial carbon capture and storage projects.
In 2003- 2004, Farmer led the strategic development of the $540 Million Kansas Economic Growth Act (KEGA), as the Vice President of Strategy and Policy for Kansas Technology Enterprise Corporation (KTEC). The Kansas Economic Growth Act created such visionary initiatives as the Kansas Bioscience Authority (KBA), and the Kansas Angel Investor Tax credit.
Subsequent to this formation of the Kansas economic development initiative, Michael has provided advanced energy advisor services to Midwest Research Institute (MRI), Kansas State University and the Kansas City Area Development Council (KCADC). These efforts have resulted in the creation of the Kansas Bioscience Authority’ Center of Innovation program, as well as KCADC Advanced Energy strategic plan that leverages the ‘engineering and architectural services’ cluster in the region.
Farmer received a MBA with honors from RPI, Rensselear Polytechnic Institute, with a focus on innovation strategy, new product development and technological entrepreneurship. Farmer graduated from Kansas State University with a bachelor's degree in marketing, and has worked at the senior manager and vice president level for firms in Washington, D.C., and San Francisco. Michael currently serves on U.S. Senator Pat Roberts Science and Technology Advisory Board’s Energy Subcommittee, and the John O. Farmer Oil Board of Directors.
Shari Coulter Ford - International Advisor
Ford has been a corporate executive and an entrepreneur in her 25-year career, with a focus on innovation creation and commercialization. She has expertise in international business development, structuring joint ventures, acquisitions and strategic partnerships and effectively managing the resulting business integrations and ongoing relationships.
Ford moved to Kansas City six years ago after spending the previous 10 years in New York City. While in Kansas City, Ford has focused on entrepreneurial activities including consulting projects with the Kauffman Foundation and providing consulting services to early stage companies.
In New York, Ford was President and CEO of New York Technology Accelerators LLC, a unique for-profit, public/private venture establishing a network of five University-based development centers for early stage technology companies in New York City. The initiative was led by the New York City Investment Fund (founded by Henry Kravis), City University of New York and several prominent venture capital firms.
Prior to the Accelerator, Ford spent 13 years with PR Newswire, a division of London-based United Business Media (FTSE 100). PRN is the world leader in the electronic distribution of breaking news releases and information. Ford held several executive and senior management positions at PR Newswire. Her last role was President of PR Newswire International, an aggressive start-up business unit of PRN formed in 1997. Within two years, she established offices in London, Paris, Frankfurt, Sao Paulo and Hong Kong. She identified and led the acquisition and integration of two European companies which provided strategic foundations for PRN. Through organic growth and acquisitions, the international group grew to 250 staff within the first two years.
Ford has a bachelor of journalism degree from the University of Missouri-Columbia (BJ ’83) and is a graduate of the Wharton Management program at the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania (WMP ’93).
Julie P. Houts - Analyst
Julie P. Houts is currently a consultant with Brookside Capital LLC. For over three years, Houts has provided analytical services in the areas of acquisitions and start-up ventures. Her work includes closing the purchase of a manufacturing company, managing the due diligence process for a potential international acquisition in agriculture and developing financial models for start-up ventures in bioenergy.
Prior to working with Brookside, Houts served as a Director of Operations for Kansas City House of Hope. At House of Hope, Julie managed finances, set-up operations and worked with the state of Kansas to obtain licensing. She also has experience in grant-writing and fundraising development. Houts has additional non-profit experience with financial analysis and marketing. Prior to working in the non-profit sector, Houts worked for Deloitte & Touche as a consultant. There, Houts worked to develop Offering Memorandums, aid in business valuations and analyze financials of mid-cap companies.
Houts obtained an MBA in finance from the University of Kansas in 2006. She graduated Summa Cum Laude from the University of Missouri with a Bachelor in Journalism – Advertising in 1999.
Andrea V. Morris - Analyst
Andrea V. Morris is a consultant to Brookside Capital LLC. She brings extensive knowledge in corporate finance to Brookside clients. Prior to becoming a consultant, Morris was a Senior Manger in Finance at Sprint. In that role, she managed a team and led financial analysis and business case support for $90M investment focused on shifting customers to lower cost channels, expanding self-serve capabilities and generating incremental sales. At Sprint, Morris was a member of the Finance Management Development Program which provided an elite group of finance managers with the training and development required for various corporate finance roles.
Morris graduated Magna Cum Laude with her Bachelors of Business Administration with a Finance emphasis at the University of Iowa in 1999. She earned her MBA in finance from the University of Kansas in 2006.