FULCRUM GROUP TEAM
IT'S OUR PLEASURE TO MEET YOU
LIZ CURTIS, CEO
Liz is a Bay Area native, where she attended both college and law school. After earning her JD and passing the bar exam, Liz found herself on the fast-track in corporate litigation. While stimulating, Liz knew that the law did not have her heart. In her spare time, she began dabbling in her true love: entertaining.
After making the decision to leave the law in 2013, Liz turned her blog Table + Teaspoon into a catering, events, and design firm. In doing so, Liz realized the need for a curated nationwide event rental business model. In 2016, Liz relaunched T&T as an e-commerce table setting rental delivery service, with shipping nationwide beginning in 2017. In the wake of the pandemic, Liz identified the need to scale quickly in order to service the rise of at-home parties and sought out Michael’s advice. The two saw an opportunity for growth and innovation in the events industry, and opted to merge, with Liz taking over as CEO of the brands in May.
EDUCATION
UC Berkeley, History and Political Science, BA
UC Hastings College of the Law, JD
PHILANTHROPY
Court Appointed Special Advocate for Abused and Neglected Foster Youth, SFCASA; Chairwoman, ArtPoint Board of Directors for Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco; Board Member, Symphonix San Francisco Symphony; Chairwoman, Opening Night of the San Francisco Symphony Afterparty; Committee Member, SFMOMA Modern Ball, Junior League of San Francisco
MICHAEL SERAMIN, CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD
Michael has extensive knowledge of the events industry and a passionate desire to creatively innovate the way events companies are operated and managed. In 2012, Michael acquired Serazuki Enterprises, DBA Abbey Party Rents San Francisco. From 2012 to 2019, Michael grew the company from twenty-eight employees to seventy full-time and fifty part-time employees. Under his leadership, revenue increased over 200%. This growth was due to Michael’s vision to bring creative solutions to the Northern California event rental market by introducing new product offerings and services to the space, including the acquisition of One True Love Vintage.
In May of 2020, during the midst of a worldwide pandemic, Michael hired forward-thinking Liz Curtis to be the CEO of his portfolio of brands, which they renamed Fulcrum Group. Home to Abbey Party Rents, Table + Teaspoon, One True Love Vintage, and a collection of exclusive wedding venues, Fulcrum Group’s business model was designed as an elevated one stop shop for all things events. Michael’s role is now Chairman of the Board for Fulcrum Group, a position that allows him to provide leadership to the group’s officers and executives.
EDUCATION
Sonoma State University, Sociology, BA
PHILANTHROPY
Business & Finance Committee Member, Schools of the Sacred Heart San Francisco; Golf Classic Committee Member, On Lok, Inc.
KATHY NEWBY, DIRECTOR OF SALES
Kathy is a career event professional. She started in 1986 managing and executing trade shows and then quickly moved to the production and rental side of special events. Her expertise is in venue transformation, logistics, and creating a seamless full-service event experience. Kathy’s comfortable style and broad range of event knowledge are well suited for both social and corporate clientele. Kathy’s accomplishments range from celebrity weddings and professional sports events to cultural celebrations and non-profit gala benefits including: Oprah Winfrey, Kanye West, Barry Bonds, Courteney Cox, Jonathan Newhouse, Penny Pritzker, 49ers, NFL, Stanford University, and Ronald Reagan Library.
EVENT INDUSTRY LEADERSHIP
Chapter President and Regional VP, International Special Events Society; Advisory Board, Student Event Planners Association; Advisory Board, Special Events Magazine; National Director of Professional Development, Wedding International Professionals Association
PROFESSIONAL AWARDS
Mettle Attitude Award – ILEA; Heart and Soul Award for Outstanding ILEANCC Chapter Leadership; Member of the Year - ILEA; President’s Award - NACE; ILEA Esprit Award – Best Event Volunteer Collaboration; Smart Women in Meetings Award Winner as a “Stellar Performer”; American Rental Association – Dynamic Women in Rental
MARA TZIZIK-SWANSON, DIRECTOR OF VENUES
Mara brings experience and expertise in venue management to the Fulcrum Group. Formerly a senior sales manager with the Presidio Trust, Mara has a breadth of knowledge surrounding venue sales, operations, and event production. Mara's extensive social and corporate event planning experience includes events ranging from 10-3,000 attendees with venue clients including Nancy Pelosi, Amy Klobuchar, James Suckling, Salesforce, and the National Park Service.
Mara has devoted her career to bringing people together in celebration, creating authentic spaces for clients to design their ideal event. Raised on the East Coast, Mara has wholeheartedly embraced Northern California as her home. When she's not at work, Mara is a passionate outdoor adventurer. She spends her time kayaking, hiking, and biking with her trusted sidekick rescue dog, Bernie.
EDUCATION
University of Massachusetts Lowell, Sociology
UC Davis, MBA (Expected 2022)
EVENT INDUSTRY MEMBERSHIP
The International Live Events Association, ILEA
San Francisco Unique Venue Alliance, SFUVA
PHILANTHROPY
Troop Leader, Girls Scouts of the USA; Volunteer Historian, International Institute of Lowell; Living Center Volunteer, Lowell Transitional Living Center; and Rotary International
JAMES NEWBY, DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS
James brings over 24 years of events operations experience to the Fulcrum team. A master of assessing overall company performance and implementing industry-changing ideas, he is a true Renaissance Man.
James oversees Fulcrum Group’s tenting, event rentals, and lighting departments, as well as maintaining daily interactions with the sales team to answer questions, offer expertise, and find mechanisms to create anything the client desires. James’ ability to lead, recruit, train, motivate, and empower his warehouse staff is unparalleled in the industry.
JOSE RODRIGUEZ, DIRECTOR OF ADMINISTRATION
Jose has nearly a decade at Fulcrum Group as a powerful leader. At any given time, Jose is responsible for the logistics of ten trucks and five dozen employees, in addition to Human Resources, Payroll, and IT for the company.
Jose shines brightest when tasked with finding fast and effective solutions to the myriad issues that arise both at Fulcrum’s headquarters and during events. Prior to Fulcrum Group, Jose was a Senior Manager for Cinemark, and participated in the opening of its new theaters. Jose also gained hospitality experience in the restaurant industry. Jose has lived in three countries and speaks fluent Spanish.