Donna Lewis Mackenzie is the CEO and Co-Founder of Bright Impact. For the past four years Ms. Mackenzie has served as Executive Director of StarterStudio, a business incubator and accelerator program for technology startups. Ms. Mackenzie has been involved in numerous startups guiding them through idea stage, to initial angel investment, to venture capital series investments. Ms. Mackenzie has been involved in more than $90M in startup and early growth investments.
Ms. Mackenzie held the positions of Chief Financial Officer, Secretary and Treasurer of IZEA, Inc. (OTCBB: IZEA). She also held the position of Executive Vice President of Operations, leading the financial, operational and customer service areas. In May 2011, she and the founder of IZEA jointly achieved a management buyout of 100% of the stock of IZEA, and subsequently took the company public through a reverse merger. Ms. Mackenzie also served on the Board of Directors of IZEA from May 2011 through September 2012. Ms. Mackenzie was previously the Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer from March 2003 to June 2007 of Channel Intelligence, Inc., a provider of technology to companies to enable customers to buy their products online, subsequently acquired by Google. From 2001 to 2003 she served as Chief Financial Officer of Cytura Corporation, which was sold to Mobius Management System (NASDAQ: MOBI). From 1999 to 2001, Ms. Mackenzie led early stage web-based and content management solution start-ups with their business strategy and planning. From 1995 to 1999, she served as Director, Principal and Founder in management consulting firms focused on process improvement and re-engineering service for private and public companies, including Fortune 100 companies. Ms. Mackenzie also brings transactional expertise in mergers and acquisitions, equity offerings and bank financings.
Ms. Mackenzie holds a B.B.A. degree in accounting from the University of Alaska, Anchorage and is a licensed Certified Public Accountant in the State of Florida. Ms. Mackenzie has previously served as a member at large of Council for the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) and as President of the Central Florida Chapter of Financial Executives Institute (FEI). Ms. Mackenzie has been a board member or advisor to organizations including Friends of the Library Orange County, WMFE 90.7, University of Central Florida Venture Lab and The Howard Phillips Center for Women and Children.