Founded in 2003, Zapis Capital Group is a closely held corporation that makes equity investments in people with passion and expertise to lead their business to success.

Zapis Capital Group is looking to invest in companies that have existing management in place that will be able to continue on after the investment is made. Zapis Capital Group will also fund experienced entrepreneurs that have a plan to either startup or acquire and grow a business.

The principals of the Zapis Capital take an active role in their portfolio companies. We provide resources, advice, contacts and more than 100 years of business management, sales, marketing, finance and development experience.

Whether it is a start-up, a turnaround or a mature business looking for a boost, Zapis Capital enjoys the challenges of each scenario.

Lee Zapis is a principal in Zapis Capital Group, which he founded in 2003. Lee provides strategic counsel for the companies that Zapis Capital invests in, working closely with them to develop sound growth strategies. He is literally a hands-on investor, having manned a booth at a trade show to get a better feel for a particular company’s marketing approach. Lee is known for his selective approach to making an investment: it must show promise of growth and the working relationship must be a functional blend of shared vision and communication. He is in daily communication with companies to determine their viability as a new investment opportunity. Lee currently sits on the boards of Onosys and Sonicbids, two companies in Zapis Capital’s portfolio. Zapis Capital also has current investments in Cleveland Heart Labs, COMS Interactive and Listener Driven Radio, among others.

Prior to founding Zapis Capitol, Lee spent 25 years as a successful radio executive. During his time in the broadcast industry, Lee was president of Zapis Communications, a closely-held corporation that owned and operated radio stations in Cleveland, Akron and Youngstown, Ohio, as well as Atlanta and Boston. Under Lee’s guidance, the stations received numerous national broadcast awards, including: Billboard Magazine's Black Radio Station of the Year; Program Director of the Year; Music Director of the Year and Air Personality of the Year. Zapis Communications stations were also nominated eight times for the Marconi award, the highest honor given by the National Association of Broadcasters.

Music remains a passion in Lee’s life and in his spare time he collects custom guitars. He also practices the repertoire of renowned gypsy jazz guitarist Django Reinhardt, after whom he named his dog. When scheduling permits, Lee and his wife enjoy traveling to exotic destinations around the world.

Rich is the CFO for Zapis Capital Group and also serves in that capacity for many of its portfolio companies including Symphony Publishing, ONOSYS and Listener Driven Radio.

Prior to joining Zapis, Rich was a 25-year veteran of the public accounting field spending all of those years with Cohen & Company. At Cohen & Company, Rich held a number of positions included Partner in Charge of the firm’s tax department and, ultimately, as the firm’s Managing Partner. Rich’s duties at the firm ranged from responsibility for technical tax matters in a variety of disciplines and industries to management and strategic planning for the entire firm.

Rich is very active in the community and, especially, with educational initiatives. He currently serves as a member of the Board of Regents at Beaumont High School. In addition, he is Chairman of its Finance Committee as well as serving on the Executive and Endowment Investment Committees. Previously, Rich served as a member of the Saint Ignatius Board of Regents and as chairman of its Finance Committee as well as President of the school’s Alumni Executive Council. Rich also served at John Carroll University as a member of its Business Advisory Council and Accounting Advisory Board.

Rich serves at the Church of the Gesu as the President of its Endowment Board. Previously he served in a number of capacities including as the Chairman of the Parish Finance Council.

Not surprisingly, Rich graduated from Gesu School (1970), Saint Ignatius High School (1974) and John Carroll University (1978).

Rich has been married for 29 years to his wife, Marylou. They live in Pepper Pike. They have three adult children (Rick, Bill and Karen).

Xenophon “Xen” Zapis’ has lived the American dream. Zapis’ parents instilled in him a desire to succeed and the work ethic needed to achieve success. Early in his life he exhibited the leadership skills that would fuel his success. He was a president of Boys Town and president of his senior class at John Hay High School. After receiving an honorable discharge from the Army in 1947 Zapis returned to Cleveland where he enrolled in Fenn College where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration. Soon after graduating from Fenn College Zapis began his radio career by producing and hosting a Greek radio program. He continued to host and produce the Greek radio program while attending Cleveland Marshall School of Law.

After graduating from law school and while building his law practice Zapis continued to host the Greek radio program. In 1963 Zapis and three partners put WZAK on the air, the second FM station to go on the air in Cleveland. The station’s format featured various nationality programs including Zapis’ Greek radio program.

By 1980 Zapis had bought out two of his partners to become the majority owner of WZAK. Later that year his daughter Maria and son Lee joined him at the station. The following year the trio changed the format of WZAK to urban contemporary. That began a slow rise to the top of the radio ratings in Cleveland. Zapis Communications also owned and operated radio stations in Atlanta, Boston, Akron and Youngstown. Zapis also has been a successful real estate developer.

Throughout his career in Zapis has served on various boards including the Ohio Association of Broadcasters and the American Contemporary Music Center Development Corporation. He is also a past president of the Apartment and Home Owners Association and the Exchange Club. He was awarded the Ellis Island Medal of Honor in 2003 and was inducted into the Cleveland Association of Broadcaster’s Hall of Fame.

Xen and Lula Zapis established the Zapis Family Charitable Foundation in 1999 to support various charitable organizations in Northeast Ohio.