2008 Speakers

Donna M. Baxter
Web Mistress-Tech Diva

        Donna M. Baxter, CEO / WebMistress of www.SoulPittMedia.com, a graphic design company and The Soul Pitt, Pittsburgh’s premier Minority community web site. The Soul Pitt is a successful niche web site receiving over 450k views per month, focusing primarily on the African-American community in Pittsburgh and voted 2007 and 2008 Best Local Community Site in the East. Donna is also part of the “2 Tech Divas” team which offers Digital Coaching and Laptop Workshops™ such as “Blogging for Beginners” to entrepreneurs. Donna is a native of Johnstown, PA and has earned a Master’s degree in Education and Instructional Technology.

Roger Byford
Vocollect

        Since 1987, Vocollect, Inc. has delivered proven performance improvements in productivity, accuracy, cost reduction and job satisfaction for mobile employees. Through a premier global network of resellers and supply chain performance experts, hundreds of thousands of people on six continents use Vocollect Voice to improve work every day. Vocollect is headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pa., U.S.A., and supports its clients and resellers through offices in Europe, the Americas and Asia. Today, Vocollect has over 400 employees and sales over $110 million.

Sabah Dabby
Restek Corporation

        Sabah Dabby is a founding member of the Susquehanna Investment Network, an Angel Investment Group in Lewisburg, PA. He currently holds equity investments in 5 start up/small companies.


        Sabah currently serves as a member of the Leadership Team at Restek Corporation. Restek was recipient of the R&D 100 Award in 2004, Best Places to Work in Pennsylvania in 2006, and the Wall Street Journal Award in 2007.


        Restek is transitioning to 100% ESOP by year end 2008. In conjunction with this transaction, Sabah served as an advisor/negotiator for P. Silvis, founder of Restek.


        Sabah is a chemical engineer by training and holds a Ph.D. from Cornell University.

Claire Devereux Thompson
The British Agent, Sterling Advertising

        Claire is the founder of Sterling Advertising. Her strength is making advertising work as an integral part of an overall marketing plan, including new media.
        Claire graduated from the College of Communication; University of the Arts, London, but this big city girl has fallen deeply in love with Pittsburgh’s neighborhoods. Claire has worked in radio, TV, internet and print advertising in three countries and five cities.
        Claire is the Vice President of Communication for the Media Association of Pittsburgh (MAP). Claire was also awarded the Best Account Executive 2007, and has served on the Board of the Business Marketing Association.

David Dietrich
V.P. Family Business Advisor, Family Business Center, NexTier Bank

        David Dietrich is a principal at the Family Business Center @ NexTier Bank, based in Western Pennsylvania. Founded in 2002, The Family Business Center helps family businesses thrive through each generation. The Center and its team has the expertise to craft and implement solutions that provide harmony within the business and the family that sustains it, with a special emphasis on growth and succession planning. David understands what owning and managing a family business center is all about, having grown up working in a business that his father, uncle and grandfather operated for 84 years. Based in Beaver County, Dietrich’s Plumbing and Heating was a very successful small family business -- until David’s father passed away suddenly -- and there was no succession plan. David’s mother and uncle sold the business, and David learned firsthand about the importance of succession planning for a family business. David had great respect for his family’s business but his interest was elsewhere, specifically in the international business market. He obtained his PhD in international business and, over the past twenty years, has helped US-based companies conduct business on an international basis, with a specific focus on setting up new distribution channels or manufacturing relationships. His recent trips for customers have taken him to China, India, Russia, Siberia, and Brazil, among other countries. David has experience helping companies leverage resources at both the state and federal levels available to facilitate international commerce. He is an expert at advising companies considering foreign trade on the “do’s and don’ts” of doing business in many different countries. In addition to his work with family businesses, David serves as a consultant to the State of Pennsylvania and for several global development agencies in Washington DC for both e-commerce and economic development work. He is an adjunct professor at both Point Park University and Robert Morris University.

Greg DiMedio
President, CSG Interactive, LLC

        Greg DiMedio has dedicated his career to improving the way people and businesses interact and communicate over the Web. As president and founder of CSG Interactive, Greg specializes in bringing professional Web marketing programs and solid Web design talent to his clients.
        With more than 14 years of experience and an MA in Rhetoric and Linguistics, Greg is able to analyze and understand how users use search engines to find client websites. His company specializes in SEO, Pay-Per-Click Campaigns, Web analytics, and lead generation campaigns. Greg has provided solutions for clients like GlaxoSmithKline, McDonald’s, H.J. Heinz, and CMU.

Michelle R. Donovan
Referral Marketing, Trainer and Coach
www.pinnacletrainingservices.com

        Michelle is known as The Referability Expert! She works with businesses that want to enhance the referrals they receive and give to others. She teaches a comprehensive and systematic approach to generating more referral business. Visit her website at www.pinnacletrainingservices.com

Randy Eager
Executive in Residence, Innovation Works

        Randy has more than 25 years of successful start-up and product commercialization experience. He is currently an Executive in Residence at Innovation Works. He is a Co-founder of DeisgnAdvance, a CMU spin-off. While CEO, he took the company from vision to raising $6 million, building a team, and producing revenue, in less than 2 years. Prior to DeisgnAdvance, Randy was a Licensing Officer at CMU, where he licensed technology to industry and worked with CMU faculty to spin companies out of the university. Randy has an engineering degree from Michigan State and an MBA from University of Pittsburgh's Katz School.

Mike Fox
Strassburger McKenna Gutnick & Gefsky

        Michael D. Fox is a shareholder with the Pittsburgh office of Strassburger McKenna Gutnick & Gefsky, where he concentrates his practice in business law. He joined the firm in 2008 in the combination with Gefsky and Lehman, P.C. Mr. Fox's broad practice expertise and deep experience include business development and venture financing; mergers, acquisitions, dispositions and joint ventures; business workouts; technology development, licensing and commercialization; products and service distribution and franchising; and international, computer and corporate law. His clients include middle market and early-stage technology, manufacturing and service businesses, investment funds, entrepreneurs and investors.

Arnold Gefsky
Strassburger McKenna Gutnick & Gefsky

        Mr. Gefsky is a shareholder in the law firm Strassburger McKenna Gutnick & Gefsky. His expertise lies in the areas of commercial finance, exempt securities transactions, corporate development and venture capital. He serves on the boards of several emerging and established corporations and has served in leadership positions in many professional, business and civic organizations. Mr. Gefsky holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Economics from the University of Pittsburgh, a Juris Doctor Degree from Duquesne University School of Law and is admitted to practice in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the Federal District for Western Pennsylvania and before the Supreme Court of the United States.

James Harter
President, Sigma Pi Consulting

        Mr. Harter is president of Sigma Pi Consulting, LLC, a consulting company providing assistance to small businesses to implement structure and training to help them grow from a founder centric company to a professionally managed company and in the process improve financial performance. Mr. Harter has worked with over 50 clients in businesses from hospitality to steel fabrication. Mr. Harter either founded or cofounded five companies and was a key player in several others. Mr. Harter holds a BS in Computer Science and an Executive MBA from the University of Pittsburgh. He is a published author and lecturer.

Stacy Heinricher
Account Executive, Pittsburgh Business Times

• Raised in Pittsburgh, PA.
• Degree from University of Arizona in Communications.
• Worked in New York City, Connecticut and Dallas, TX in Advertising sales and marketing.
• Have worked in Pittsburgh for 21 years at local TV stations; WPXI-TV, WTAE, WQED and KDKA/WPCW-TV – all selling advertising or managing underwriting efforts.
• Currently selling advertising for Pittsburgh Business Times.
• Category sales allow me to focus on Commercial Real Estate, Manufacturing, Residential Real Estate, Economic Development and Advertising Agencies.
• Have two children, Kate 17 and Andrew 18 and husband Bill. We reside in Squirrel Hill.

John Holt
President, RC Holsinger Associates, P.C.

        John has been president of RC Holsinger Associates, P.C. since 1998, growing the Firm from twelve to 50 employees in Wexford, Bridgeville, and Hawaii. His major responsibilities include cultivating and assuring quality service to clients.
        John is an owner of BookSmarts in Cranberry Township. BookSmarts provides Franchise Opportunities for bookeeping, payroll, and tax services.
        He also is a funding board member of Blackburn Study Center, Noth Hills Christian Homeschoolers, and Greater Pittsburgh Christian Classical Education Conference.
        In his spare time, John serves on the board of Coalition for Chirstian Outreach and his church.

Sherri Hewitt-Laird
President, Caring Mission Home Care, LP

        Sherri Hewitt-Laird, President and owner of Caring Mission Home Care, L.P a company designed to provide in-home services for seniors and the disabled. Through Ms. Hewitt-Lairds persistence, Caring Mission Home Care developed into a thriving organization servicing five counties in Southwestern Pennsylvania, with four service locations. In April 2005 Ms. Hewitt-Laird founded Caring Network, Inc., a non-profit organization designed to assist low income families, without prescription coverage. The Caring Network's Prescription Assistance Program has reached out to 800+ residents in Washington County, saving residents more than $1.2 million dollars over the past two yeas in medication cost.

Cynthia Ianarelli
CEO & Founder, Landslide Technologies, Inc.

        Dr. Cindy Iannarelli is recognized for her scholarly initiatives on entrepreneurial leadership, and also is acclaimed for her work as a family business authority. As founder of the Bernelli Foundation she developed online courses for children and adults and now leads Study Tours to northern Italy six months of the year. The medieval village that her family founded 1000 years ago, how hosts the Bernelli Education Centre to provide "learning adventures" to meet local entrepreneurs and spread economic understanding across cultures. Dr. Iannarelli is currently finishing her latest book, ITALIAN FLOW, Passion, Patience, and Pursuits.

Razi Imam
CEO & Founder, Landslide Technologies, Inc.

        Razi is responsible for the vision, strategy and growth of the company. Razi has over 18 years of global marketing, business development and sales management experience in the high-tech arena. He has successfully launched and re-launched companies by defining their product and market strategies, repositioning them in the face of economic downturn, defining new product categories, and establishing them as the leader in their space.
        In addition to his marketing experience, he has over 10 years of sales and sales management experience where he adopted leading selling processes such as Solution Selling, Conceptual Selling, Power Base Selling and Strategic Selling. He has worked with experts like Geoffrey Moore, Michael Gerber and Al Ries who helped formulate the foundation for his experience in launching and developing high-tech companies.
        Razi has hired, trained and implemented a global direct sales force, developed a global channel for distribution, and formed strategic partnerships with the leading system integrators to provide support and service. He has also overseen all aspects of marketing from strategic planning to corporate relations, public relations and promotions. He has worked for Wang Labs, IRIS Technologies, Display Systems, CoManage, and Cramer Corporation.
        Razi has a Bachelors degrees in Physics, Mathematics and Statistics from Karachi University and an MBA from Indiana University of Pennsylvania.

Rebecca Lamperski
Senior Director of Sales, Comcast Spotlight

        Rebecca Lamperski joined the Comcast Spotlight sales management team in 1999, and has guided local sales efforts for the past 9 years. She is responsible for sales direction in the Pittsburgh, Wheeling, Youngstown and Johnstown/Altoona/State College Markets. In 2007, Rebecca was nominated and accepted as one of 45 Nationwide participants in Comcast’s Executive Leadership Forum Program – the elite leadership development program at Comcast.
        Rebecca was named Toastmaster of the Year in 2006/2007 by the District 13 Toastmasters organization, and she is 2007-2008 President Elect of the National Speakers Association of Pittsburgh. Rebecca was named Best Media Professional by the Pittsburgh Radio and Television Club in 2003 and 2004. Also in 2004, Rebecca was a nominee for the Comcast Cable Circle of Success Team Award.
        Ms. Lamperski is a self-professed guerilla marketer who possesses a flair for the creative, and is results-based in her approach to sales and marketing. Prior to joining Comcast Spotlight, Ms. Lamperski served as Corporate Manager of New Business Development for Comcast Cable Communication’s advertising division. She earned her MBA from St. Joseph’s University in Philadelphia and graduated Summa Cum Laude with a BS in Finance from Indiana University of Pennsylvania.

Steve Lippock
President, HarvestGold

        Steve has over 20 years of sales and sales management experience. In 2003, Steve started HarvestGold. HarvestGold is a sales consulting firm focusing on sales planning and operations, and is a certified implementation and application development partner for Salesforce.com. In a consulting capacity, Steve has held interim executive roles to build or re-tool sales organizations in a variety of industries. Prior to HarvestGold, Steve ran industry leading sales efforts for companies such as OneCoast, ServiceWare, and Delphi Information Systems (formerly Redshaw). At ServiceWare, Steve established the company's first direct sales effort and helped grow sales from $3M to $15M in three years. Steve has had articles published in both local and national publications on subjects relating to sales planning and sales operations. Steve received his undergraduate degree in Economics from the University of Pittsburgh.

Angel Marschik
CL Fund

        Angel Marschik, Vice President and Senior Loan Officer at the CL Fund, has over 27 years of experience in her field. Prior to joining the CL Fund in 2003 she worked in positions of progressing responsibility at several banks in the Pittsburgh market including National City and Mellon Bank. Angel is responsible for originating business loans for the CL Fund and its subsidiaries ranging in size from $35k to $4 million. Angel is the 2006 recipient of the SBA Champion Award.

Dr. Mary McKinney
Director, Duquesne University SBDC
www.duq.edu/sbdc

        Mary T. McKinney, Ph.D., Director of the Duquesne University Chrysler Corp. Small Business Development Center and an adjunct professor in the Duquesne University School of Business, leads the Center in providing assistance to businesses in improving communications, marketing, sales, management and business planning. She also serves as Director of the Center for International Regulatory Assistance, a national center specializing in CE Mark training and oversees a grant from the European Commission to provide training on CE mark throughout the United States. Dr. McKinney formerly worked for H.B. Maynard & Co., Inc., a major productivity management consulting company.
        As SBDC Director, her responsibilities include: overall management, fundraising, new program development, supervising management consulting and development of training, and building a strong relationship with the Pittsburgh community and the surrounding areas as well as within the University. The SBDC employs 8 full time and 20-22 part time employees, consults with 900 clients and trains 1,600 small business owners annually.
        Dr. McKinney earned her PhD. and MPIA from the University of Pittsburgh and a BA in Economics from Goucher College.

Ron Morris
Director of Entrepreneurial Studies

        Since 2002, Ron Morris has served as the Director of the Entrepreneurial Studies Program (ESP) at Duquesne University. The ESP presently offers a major in entrepreneurship and, in only its sixth year of existence, is already highly regarded in the Middle States region.
        Ron also currently hosts “The American Entrepreneur” radio show, a business-oriented talk show heard Saturday mornings from 9 to 12:30 on AM Newstalk 1360. Since its debut in 1999, the show’s audience has grown from just “a handful”, to more than 25,000 business owners and entrepreneurial wanna-be’s. Ron is what is known as a “Serial Entrepreneur”, having started or co-started nearly a dozen separate enterprises since 1972. Today, Morris has ownership stakes in a half-dozen start-ups; but remains true to his philosophy of “invest and then watch”, as opposed to taking an active involvement.

Alexander "Nick" Nichols
President & Pittsburgh Regiona; Minority Purchasing Council

        Alexander “Nick” Nichols is the President & CEO of The Pittsburgh Regional Minority Purchasing Council (PRMPC), a position that he has held since March 2001. The mission of PRMPC is to create and develop business opportunities for minority businesses. The council is comprised of government agencies, corporate members and minority businesses.
        During his career, Nick has worked for General Electric, Rockwell International and ALCOA. He also started his own firm Computer Friend, an IT Firm located on the Northside of Pittsburgh.
        He holds a BS in Mathematics from SC State University and a MA from Webster University.

Abu Noaman
CEO, Elliance, Inc.

        Abu Noaman, CEO, founded his e-marketing software and services company, Elliance, Inc., in 1993. Without a dime from venture capitalists, he catapulted Elliance to the national scene for e-marketing services. The company’s five-year sales growth rate of 213 percent landed Elliance on Inc. Magazine’s list of the fastest growing companies located in America’s inner cities.
        His firm contributes a new SEM Infographic each week to Search Engine Land’s Search Illustrated column. In addition, Abu has written about search tactics and strategies for Inc., Bank Marketing, Visibility, Dynamic Business and other publications.
        Abu attended Cornell University on a full scholarship and graduated with a B.S. in Computer Science. He earn his M.B.A. from Carnegie Mellon University.

Mel Pirchesky
Principal, Eagle Ventures

        Having likely raised much more equity from angel investors than anyone else in the Pittsburgh region, Mel Pirchesky, President of Eagle Ventures, is a long-time Pittsburgh entrepreneur. He has raised over $55 million of equity for more than 30 deals, all of which came from only high net worth individuals located mostly in the Pittsburgh region.
        Mel also delivers high impact coaching to entrepreneurs by helping them to dramatically improve how they articulate their company’s value proposition.
        Mel has forty years of experience in deal evaluation and structuring. He also is a strong promoter of entrepreneurism and the Boy Scouts.

Joanne Quinn-Smith
CEO Dreamweaver Marketing Associates

        Joanne Quinn-Smith is the CEO of Dreamweaver Marketing Associates. Keeping on the cutting edge is crucial to effective marketing. Joanne is the host of a weekly pod cast called Techno Granny which airs each Monday at 7am on Talkshoe. The pod cast helps entrepreneurs learn how to navigate today’s technology. She is also the host of three other pod casts including Positively Pittsburgh Live, The Monday Morning Marketeer, and Professionals with Impact. All pod casts are hosted and archived on www.TalkShoe.com. Current projects include: Web 2.0 Guerilla Branding Training™ and the launch of PositivelyPittsburghLiveMagazine.com, a multi media resource for and about Pittsburgh.

Neal Rabogliatti
Sr. E-Stratagy Consultant, Catalyst Connection

        Neal Rabogliatti is the senior e-strategy consultant for Catalyst Connection in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania. Neal has over 12 years of Internet development and marketing experience specializing in developing strategies for search engine optimization and conversion in the B2B and manufacturing industry. Some of his clients include: PPG, Erie Insurance, and the University of Arkansas. He lectures on optimization nationally and is a member of SEMPO, Search Engine Marketing Professional Organization. As a faculty member of eBizITPA, he has developed an SEO Training course and teaches optimization nationally to MEP (Manufacturing Extension Partner) Centers across the country.

David Radin
MegabyteMinute

        A seasoned veteran of both the technology industry and media industry, David has been involved with radio for three decades. His long running Connected column has been published weekly in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and in other publications. His Internet Insider radio show created the mold for other technology radio shows, and his nationally syndicated MegabyteMinute is ready to re-launch on over 400 radio stations.
        David has served as Keynote Speaker and as Conference Chair for several of the largest international technology and business conferences; and his list of partners and clients reads like a who’s who of technology industry leaders.
        His latest project, Just Between Friends, uses social networking concepts to help groups communicate with members and normal people manage their own social and community relationships.
        David earned his MBA from Duke University and his BS from Yale University.

Tom Reda
The Small Business Network

        Also known as the "networking guy", Tom is the owner and driving force behind TSBN-The Small Business Network, Pittsburgh's most unique networking group. TSBN works with hundreds of clients in its seven chapters in developing relationships with other professionals, while helping them take their business to the next level. Tom has been featured in the Post Gazette, The Pittsburgh Business Times and numerous publications throughout western Pennsylvania. He conducts networking seminars for businesses and Chambers of Commerce, and for 3 years hosted a popular weekly radio show on 1550 AM The Edge, called Business in the Fast Lane. He is passionate about providing new and exciting ways of inspiring people to build their business through TSBN's unique In-the-Game Networking™ System. Although he has not written any books, Tom has read Deanna’s and Michelle’s and highly recommends them. You can reach him at www.tsbn.org

Brent Rondon
Manager of International Programs for the Global Business Program
Mexico USAID Ties Project

        Brent G. Rondon is currently the Manager of International Programs for the Global Business Program at the Duquesne University Chrysler Corporation Small Business Development Center (SBDC). His work is in the area of export promotion for Pittsburgh-area companies who want to sell their products overseas. He offers one-to-one international trade consulting, international market research, and export seminars with emphasis in long-term export planning and strategies. In addition, he has done work in Germany, France, Holland and Belgium as part of the CITRA – Center for International Regulatory Assistance providing CE Mark information to U.S. companies, as well as being a conference presenter in Monterrey, Mexico, Brazil and Peru. He manages the Global Trade Institute in Pittsburgh. Among his success stories are that five of his clients have won the “exporter of the year” award. Brent also teaches International Business and Business in Latin America at the undergraduate level at Duquesne University.

Jack Roseman
Director, Roseman Institute

        Jack Roseman, Director of the Roseman Institute, was a chaired Professor of Entrepreneurship of Carnegie Mellon University. Previously, he founded three companies and was President of On-Line Systems, an American Stock Exchange company eventually sold to Sprint He has been a director/advisor for many organizations. Besides having been a columnist for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Jack co-authored Outrageous Optimism: Wisdom for the Entrepreneurial Journey, a well-received book on his philosophy of business and life in general. A serial entrepreneur, Jack has been described as a warm, insightful and often amusing guide to the realities of running your own business.

Gary Rosensteel
Principal, NuCoPro, LLC

        Gary Rosensteel is the principal of NuCoPro, which provides strategic advisory services to a diverse array of startup companies. Additionally, he founded and serves as Executive Director of Help Startups, a non-profit organization responsible for the most comprehensive entrepreneurs’ web support portal, www.helpstartups.com.
        Gary has been involved in entrepreneurial activities since the early 1990’s; founding three companies, holding executive positions in another four and providing consulting services to numerous others. Prior to this he created large-scale software applications for Fortune 100 corporations in Pittsburgh and Los Angeles.

Diane Sandstrom
Consulting Manager

        Diane Sandstrom works as Consulting Manager for Duquesne University’s Small Business Development Center (SBDC) in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. In this capacity she supervises a staff of professional business consultants providing individualized consulting services to existing and start-up business clients. Services to clients include education and assistance in the business and strategic planning process, market research, and financial analysis. Duquesne University’s SBDC offers general management consulting, environmental consulting, global business consulting, and training workshops to business clients in the southwestern Pennsylvania region. Diane is a graduate of West Virginia University and completed her graduate studies at California University of Pennsylvania. She has many years of business management experience in both the public and private sectors and has taught business management and research courses at various higher education institutions.

Deanna Tucci Schmitt
Executive Director, BNI Western Pennsylvania

        Deanna Tucci Schmitt is the Executive Director for BNI- Business Network International Western Pennsylvania. BNI is a 23-year-old business referral organization with over 100,000 members located all over the world. For over 10 years Deanna, her husband Bob, and her team of directors have been teaching business people how to network and grow their business by referral. Deanna is a contributing author in Masters of Networking and Masters of Sales. She also co-hosts a semi-monthly TalkShoe Segment called Networking on the Chin. Piper the dog, Cessna and Beech the cats let Deanna and Bob live with them in Peters Township.

Paul Silvis
Restek

        Paul started Restek Corporation in a small business incubator in central Pennsylvania on October 15, 1985. In two decades, Restek has grown into an international business in gas and liquid chromatography columns and supplies, with representation in more than 75 countries, with numerous business and community service awards, and earning Paul admiration and imitation among local, national, and international businesses. Recognitions of Paul™ and Restek™ accomplishments include Inc. magazine's 500 fastest growing companies (1992 & 1993), top 50 of Pennsylvania™ Best Companies to Work For (2000, 2001, & 2006), and national recognition in 2007 by the Wall Street Journal as one of the Top 15 Workplaces. Today, Restek has sales over $50 million and a staff of over 280 employees.

Ron Sofranko
Founder of S&S Group

        Ronald A. Sofranko, currently Principal/Founder of S&S Group, LLC a consulting firm that specializes in strategic business planning, finance, real estate and franchising for all types of retail type businesses with a specialty in the Hospitality business. He also consults with clients on Family business planning and is affiliated with Citizens National Bank Family Business Center.
        Mr. Sofranko has raised over 24 Million Dollars in private equity , debt as well as leasing and bank financing over the past 19 years.         From 2001 until early 2005 Ron was the founder and owner of Magoo’s Bar & Bistro an upscale casual chef driven restaurant located in the North Hills of Pittsburgh. Sales growth at Magoo’s topped double digits for years 2003 and 2004.
The company was sold early in 2005.

Nancy Stampahar
Organizational Development Consultant^TM

        Nancy Stampahar is an organizational development consultant, trainer, keynote speaker and the author of peace, love and lemonade: a recipe to make your life sweeter. She earned her degree in human resource management from Robert Morris University and created her own business Silver Lining Solutions®. Nancy has held employment positions that helped develop her diverse business skills in human resources, operations management, organizational development, sales, service and training in various parts of the country. Backed by over a decade of leadership and training experience in more than 20 different performance improvement methods, Nancy improved performances in the academic, business services, healthcare, non-profit, manufacturing, retail and travel and tourism industries.

Carrie Teetzel
Director of Education Programs, Center for eBusiness & Advanced IT

        eBizITPA, a technology-based economic development organization, strives to increase the level of awareness, adoption and advancement of information technology solutions throughout PA. eBizITPA provides a variety of educational resources and grant programs to assist with technology development within PA companies.

Robert Vernick
Vice President, Small Business Banking, Dollar Bank

        Robert (Bob) A. Vernick has been with Dollar Bank for a total of four years in both the Bank’s commercial real estate team and the small business banking department. Bob is currently the Sales Manager for the Pittsburgh region of Dollar Bank and his duties include working with small business clientele as they seek to establish, maintain and / or grow their business. Before becoming Sales Manager, Bob represented the small business department in the Butler, Richland, East Liberty, Allegheny Center, Braddock and McKeesport areas. He also worked closely with Dollar Bank’s community development department seeking opportunities to assist in economic development projects in the Pittsburgh area. Prior to joining Dollar Bank, Bob worked for a local community bank for 10 ½ years, the Community Development Corporation of Butler County, and NexTier Bank (formerly Citizens National Bank of Evans City). Bob graduated from Butler Area Senior High School in 1984 and Clarion University of PA in 1988. Bob completed the Masters of Business Administration program at Geneva College in July of 2005 and was inducted as a member of the Delta Mu Delta international honor society. Bob resides in Butler with his wife, Sharon and two sons, Bobby and Timmy.

Debbie Wojcik
Director, Government Agency Coordinator Officer (GACO)

        Deborah Wojcik has worked with the Government Agency Coordination Office (GACO) of California University of Pennsylvania since 1985. She is the Director of the program which operates three offices located at California University of PA, Slippery Rock University and in Pittsburgh. GACO is a Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC) which provides services to businesses interested in pursuing federal, state and local contract and subcontracting.

Past Speakers

Melissa Aird
Business Consultant, Duquesne University SBDC
www.duq.edu/sbdc

Melissa Aird is a business consultant at the Duquesne University Chrysler Corporation Small Business Development Center (SBDC) located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Duquesne’s SBDC offers management consulting, environmental consulting, global business consulting, and training workshops at little or no cost to business clients in southwestern Pennsylvania. As a consultant, Melissa assists start-up and existing businesses in the areas of general management, marketing, business planning, and loan proposal preparation. Prior to joining the SBDC, Melissa handled marketing affairs for a private-sector technology company and was a business coach for disabled entrepreneurs. Melissa completed both her undergraduate and graduate studies at Duquesne University.

Chris Allison
www.chrisallison.biz

In 2002, Chris was honored at Entrepreneur of the Year by the Pittsburgh Venture Capital Association. He was named CEO Communicator of the Year by the Public Relations Society of America in 2001. The previous year's recipient of that the PRSA Award was Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill. Chris teaches entrepreneurship at Allegheny College in Meadville, PA, as well as at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, PA. He also runs the Entrepreneurial Leadership Forum at the Don Jones Center for Entrepreneurship at CMU's Tepper School of Business. In addition to teaching, Chris writes a column for Pittsburgh Quarterly called "You'll Manage." He is a member of the Board of Directors of Timesys Corporation and Chemdaq Corporate.

David Althoff Jr.
Energy Policy and Technology Deployment - PADEP

David’s current responsibilities include providing assistance to energy and environmental technology enterprises within PA. David and his staff help companies evaluate technologies and opportunities to expand alternative energy deployment in PA. David and his staff provide key involvement in DEP’s AFIG, PEDA and Energy Harvest Grant programs from proposal consultation through grant management. David has worked at PADEP for 15 years and been a two-time winner of PADEP’s Individual Award for Excellence and received a DEP Certificate of Achievement in 2002. David is a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh.

Melanie L. Ansell
Eductation Instructor, St. Vincent College

Melanie L Ansell has 30+ years experience in commercial lending and bank management. Through her involvement with a family-owned business, Melanie has learned to analyze the business request from "both sides" of the banker's desk, lending with compassion and a true understanding of the many stages of small business ownership. As a life long resident of Westmoreland County, she attended Westmoreland County Community and St. Vincent Colleges, where she now acts as a continuing education instructor and speaker. She focuses her lessons on proper business planning, what to expect during the loan process and the challenges of being self employed.

Melanie Bard
Director of Information Strategies, i-Squared
www.i-Squared.us

Melanie Bard is the Director of Information Strategies for i-Squared. Her role is to identify potential areas of growth and to seek out companies who are interested in increasing their efficiency by adopting new ways of capturing and sharing information. Melanie has over 15 years of experience in Sales and Sales Management primarily in the Pittsburgh market. Prior to working at i-Squared Melanie was responsible for new business development in highly regulated industries.

Daniel Bates
Strategic Relations Manager, University of Pittsburgh's Office of Technology Management

Daniel Bates, an award-winning journalist and editor, is Strategic Relations Manager in the University of Pittsburgh's Office of Technology Management. The office facilitates the commercialization of innovations from University faculty, staff and students. Dan oversees marketing, faculty education, outreach and other strategic relations efforts there. Dan joined Pitt in 2002, after 18 years in the media as a writer and editor in Pittsburgh and Boston. Prior to Pitt, Dan served almost eight years as editor of SBN Magazine, whose mission was to motivate, educate and inspire entrepreneurially minded senior executives. Previously, he was a reporter for the Pittsburgh Business Times.

Cathy Brennan
President, A Cappella Marketing
www.acappellamktg.com

Prior to joining Cohera, Dr. Clower specialized in commercializing early-stage technologies through her leadership position in the University of Pittsburgh’s Office of Enterprise Development. She was instrumental in the early formation of Cohera dating back to 2003 and led the development of Cohera from its ideation to its successful seed financing. In addition to her work with Cohera, Dr. Clower was involved in the incubation and start-up of four additional biotechnology spin-outs. Dr. Clower is a neuroscientist and chemist with over fifteen years of research experience in both industrial and academic environments. After obtaining her PhD in Neuroscience from Emory University, she received a Human Frontier Long-Term Fellowship Award, which funded her neuroscience research performed at the Institute of Cognitive Science in Lyon, France.

Dottie Clower
Vice President of Business Development and Operations, Cohera Medical, Inc.
www.coheramed.com

Prior to joining Cohera, Dr. Clower specialized in commercializing early-stage technologies through her leadership position in the University of Pittsburgh’s Office of Enterprise Development. She was instrumental in the early formation of Cohera dating back to 2003 and led the development of Cohera from its ideation to its successful seed financing. In addition to her work with Cohera, Dr. Clower was involved in the incubation and start-up of four additional biotechnology spin-outs. Dr. Clower is a neuroscientist and chemist with over fifteen years of research experience in both industrial and academic environments. After obtaining her PhD in Neuroscience from Emory University, she received a Human Frontier Long-Term Fellowship Award, which funded her neuroscience research performed at the Institute of Cognitive Science in Lyon, France.

Frank Demmler
Director of Entrepreneurial Services, Innovations Works
www.innovationworks.org

Frank Demmler is Innovation Works' Director of Entrepreneurial Services, the internal group that guides portfolio companies' efforts to commercialize and market new technologies and generally provides business assistance to promising start-up companies. Mr. Demmler has more than 20 years experience teaching and advising both entrepreneurs and investors. Throughout his 20-year career, Mr. Demmler has worked with nearly 2,000 entrepreneurial efforts, leading to the formation of roughly 400 companies. These companies have gone on to create more than 10,000 jobs and raise more than $500 million dollars of investment capital. Before coming to Innovation Works, Mr. Demmler served as Associate Teaching Professor of Entrepreneurship at the Donald H. Jones Center for Entrepreneurship at Carnegie Mellon University, where he continues to lecture.

Gerald DiFrango
Vice President - Finance, SMC Business Councils

Gerald W. DiFrango, CPA, is the Vice President - Finance for SMC Business Councils located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. SMC is a 3,000-member trade association of small businesses. Jerry is a graduate of Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and holds a B.S. in Business Administration with a major in Accounting. After graduating from Duquesne University, Mr. DiFrango began his career with the accounting firm Price Waterhouse and subsequently moving on to a steel refractory company, national envelope manufacturer, importer, and real estate developer.

Lisa Edmonds
www.alleghenycounty.us/mwdbe/

Lisa Edmonds, a Pittsburgh native, is the Deputy Director of Allegheny County’s Department of Minority, Women and Disadvantaged Business Enterprise. Lisa provides assistance to minority and women businesses through her involvement with organizations like the Southwestern Pennsylvania Engineering Outreach (SPEO) and the M/W/DBE Governmental Committee. She encourages career development by mentoring for Career Literacy for African American Youth (CLAAY).

Previously, Lisa was a Project Engineer for URS Construction Services and served as an M/W/DBE Procurement Specialist for the City of Pittsburgh’s Office of Minority and Women Business Enterprise. Lisa earned her B.S. in Electrical Engineering at Hampton University in Virginia.

William M. Elliot, Jr.
Vice President, Manager, Dollar Bank

Bill joined Dollar Bank in 1989 and has been the Manager of the Small Business Banking Department for the last fifteen years. Dollar Bank is a $5.3 billion full service bank with more than 50 offices in the Pittsburgh and Cleveland markets. With more than twenty years of banking experience, Bill oversees Dollar Bank's lending activity to small businesses in both markets. Prior to joining Dollar Bank, Bill worked in a financial institution in Atlanta, Georgia. He received his BSBA from Slippery Rock University and his MBA from Robert Morris University.

Chester G. Fisher
Consultant, Innovation Works

Chet began his career at Perkin-Elmer, Fortune 500 analytical instrument manufacturer as an engineer designing plasma emission and plasma mass spectrometers. He then moved into marketing becoming Director of worldwide marketing, then became General Manager of a division with $60 million in global sales and a 20 percent annual growth rate. In 1993, Chet returned to Pittsburgh to become President of a local robotics company, a spin out from Carnegie Mellon University. Chet then started his own company, Analytix, designing and producing portable analyzers for chemical warfare agents and toxic industrial chemicals. In 1998, Analytix was sold successfully to a NASDAQ-traded supplier company. Subsequent to the sale of Analytix, Chet partnered with Tom Canfield to form a two-man investment banking company to coach, mentor and raise money for early stage technology companies located in Western Pennsylvania.

Thomas J. Fitzpatrick
Director of Small Group Marketing and New Sales, Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield

Mr. Fitzpatrick is a graduate of the University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Human Resources. Mr. Fitzpatrick has 13 years experience in the insurance industry. Ten years specializing in insurance sales to large national group customers as well as Taft-Hartley trusts, county governments, school districts, and many local commercial accounts. Tom spent two years managing Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield's distribution channel (insurance brokers & producers), as the Director of Producer Affairs. In this role, Tom created and maintained Highmark's relationship with over 175 General Agencies and 3,200 individual producers. Tom was responsible for the compensation (commission and incentive), compliance, and training of the distribution channel.

Steve Fleck
www.clearcount.com

Steven Fleck is the Chief Technology Officer and Co-Founder of ClearCount, where he is responsible for product development, intellectual property, and regulatory affairs. Steven previously worked for Boehringer Laboratories, a medical device manufacturing firm in Philadelphia, in product development where he was responsible for several new products from concept to commercial release. Locally, he has served as a marketing and strategy consultant for CardiacAssist, Inc. Steve has an MBA from Carnegie Mellon University and a degree in Applied Physics and Bioengineering from Cornell University.

 

Jim Fox
www.foxspizza.com

Fox’s Pizza Den was founded in 1971 in Pitcairn, PA. Since that time, we have expanded into 32 states with over 300 locations. In 2006, Fox's Pizza Dens served over 10 million pizzas and 9 million sandwiches. Fox’s Pizza Den Inc. has been very instrumental in helping hundreds of want-to-be entrepreneurs to successfully achieve their entrepreneurial dreams. In 1986, we opened Fox's Pizza Distribution Inc. to distribute consistent quality food products to our franchises. The corporate offices of Fox's Pizza Den Inc. and Fox's Pizza Distribution Inc. are located in a 36,000 square foot warehouse in Murrysville, PA.

Paul Furiga
www.wordwritepr.com

Paul Furiga is President of WordWrite Communications LLC. WordWrite storytellers employ PR to share the great, untold stories of clients through a proprietary process built on the timeless power of stories to entertain, inform and motivate. Clients include ButlerMemorial Hospital, Kings Family Restaurants, Koppers Inc., MEDRAD Inc. and Precision Therapeutics. While a vice president at Ketchum Public Relations, Paul worked with clients including Alcoa, Firestone and PNC. He also spent two decades in journalism in Cincinnati, Cleveland, Pittsburgh and Washington, D.C. While Paul was editor of the Pittsburgh Business Times, it was named best weekly in Pennsylvania.

Arnold Gefsky
Chairman, Gefsky and Lehman, P.C.

Mr. Gefsky is Chairman of the law firm Gefsky and Lehman, P.C. His expertise lies in the areas of commercial finance, mergers and acquisitions, exempt securities transactions, corporate development and venture capital. He represents and serves on the boards of directors of several emerging and established corporations. Mr. Gefsky is also active in and has served in various leadership positions in many professional, business and civic organizations. Mr. Gefsky holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Economics from the University of Pittsburgh, a Juris Doctor Degree from Duquesne University School of Law and is admitted to practice in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the Federal District for Western Pennsylvania and before the Supreme Court of the United States.

Ryan Giobbi
Vulnerability Analyst, CERT Coordination Center

Mr. Giobbi works on the Vulnerability Analysis Team at the CERT Coordination Center (CERT/CC) at Carnegie Mellon University. In this role, he conducts technical analysis, interactions with stakeholders, and coordination and disclosure of vulnerability information. Mr. Giobbi has written advisories, alerts, and vulnerability notes for CERT/CC and US-CERT.

Richard Goldman
Co-Owner, Mystery Lovers Bookstore
www.mysterylovers.com

Richard Goldman is the co-owner, with his wife Mary Alice Gorman, of the Mystery Lovers Bookshop in Oakmont, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1990, Mystery Lovers is the third largest mystery bookstore in the US and has become a center for author events, book clubs and readers of mystery with a national reputation. Before founding the bookstore, Richard was in the software business for over twenty years specializing in financial accounting and securities processing applications. He has three grown children who read when they have time and lives in Shadyside.

David Harel
Managing Director, Pennsylvania Growth Fund
www.pagrowthfund.com

David Harel began his career as an officer in the Israeli military where he served in several leadership positions. In 2005, David founded Reticle Partners, Pittsburgh's first executive buyout fund. Upon the merge of Reticle and the Pennsylvanian Growth Fund on 2006 David became the Managing Director of the PGF III. In his role in the PGF he leads of the opportunity identification and assessment for the fund. David serves on the board of Columbia Northwest, Inc. and is a graduate of Carnegie Mellon's Tepper Business School and Haifa University in Israel.

Jeremy Hettman
Director of Creative Sales and Services, Sonarus Corporation
www.sonarus.com

Jeremy Hettman is currently the Director of Creative Sales and Services for multimedia production leader Sonarus Corporation. In his position, Jeremy works with the transfer, authoring, editing, mixing, and mastering of audio/video media for replication and duplication in different formats for customers in the high-quality segment of the commercial printing, corporate software manufacturing, major music label, financial, entertainment, and aerospace industries. In his capacity, he manages the multimedia marketing product from conception to fulfillment of a finished product. Jeremy is a 2002 graduate of Indiana University of Pennsylvania where he earned his B.S. Degree in Communications-Media with a minor in English Concentration on Film and Photography.

Michael Hills
Vice President/General Manager for the Pittsburgh, Wheeling, Youngstown and Cleveland markets of Comcast Spotlight
www.comcastspotlight.com

        Mr. Hills has been in the television advertising sales industry for over 19 years. He has been with Comcast Spotlight for the past 7 years and initially served as General Sales Manager before moving into the Vice President/General Manager position in March of 2005. He is responsible for the Pittsburgh, Wheeling, Youngstown/Cleveland, Johnstown/Altoona/State College markets of Comcast Spotlight including approximately 170 employees.
        Prior to Comcast Spotlight, he served in sales and sales management for 12 years at Sinclair Communications, Inc. Michael received the first-ever Cable Advertising Sales Management Award at the Cabletelevision Advertising Bureau’s (CAB) annual conference in 2002. He also has been recognized as Best Sales Manager by the Pittsburgh Radio and Television Club in 2002, 2003, 2004 and Best Overall Professional – Television in 2005. Michael is currently the President of the Media Association of Pittsburgh (or MAP) and is leading the transition of that organization from the roots of the PRTC to the media resource that MAP intends to become. Mr. Hills earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management from St. Vincent College in Greensburg. He and his wife Michele were married in 2002 and reside in the City of Pittsburgh.

Holly Maurer-Klein
www.hmkassociates.com

Holly has worked in human resource field for twenty years.
She is a graduate of Penn State with a Bachelor's in Foreign Service and International Politics!
She has staffed and run a consulting business locally for fourteen years.
HMK Associates are "HR Medics", recruiting technical and management professionals and diagnosing and fixing hr problems
In May 2001, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania named her one of Pennsylvania's Best 50 Women in Business.
Hobbies are digging in her garden and digging into her ancestry.

Patty Horvatich
Vice President, Business Investment, Pittsburgh Regional Alliance
www.pittsburghregion.org

Patty is responsible for managing projects that facilitate business investment and job creation in the Pittsburgh Region. As such, she identifies specific client requirements and the resources to meet them, and forms and manages teams of economic development professionals, property owners, real estate brokers and others to advance client projects. Patty graduated from the University of Oklahoma's Economic Development Institute, a comprehensive, three-session program accredited by the International Economic Development Council (IEDC). She completed the basic Pennsylvania Economic Development Course, and graduated from the Institute for Organization Management, a four-year, continuing education program presented by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. She is the treasurer for the Western Pennsylvania Small Business Network and serves as one of the judges for the annual Small Business Awards. Patty is a member of IEDC, CoreNet Global, Industrial Asset Management Council, the Pennsylvania Economic Development Association and the Northeastern Economic Developers Association.

Patty Horvatich
Vice President, Business Investment, Pittsburgh Regional Alliance
www.pittsburghregion.org

Patty is responsible for managing projects that facilitate business investment and job creation in the Pittsburgh Region. As such, she identifies specific client requirements and the resources to meet them, and forms and manages teams of economic development professionals, property owners, real estate brokers and others to advance client projects. Patty graduated from the University of Oklahoma's Economic Development Institute, a comprehensive, three-session program accredited by the International Economic Development Council (IEDC). She completed the basic Pennsylvania Economic Development Course, and graduated from the Institute for Organization Management, a four-year, continuing education program presented by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. She is the treasurer for the Western Pennsylvania Small Business Network and serves as one of the judges for the annual Small Business Awards. Patty is a member of IEDC, CoreNet Global, Industrial Asset Management Council, the Pennsylvania Economic Development Association and the Northeastern Economic Developers Association.

Daniel K. Jenkins
Wealth Management Advisor, Jenkins Financial

Dan runs Jenkins Financial, a wealth management and benefits firm located in Mt. Lebanon, focused on small to mid size businesses. Services of the firm include asset management, Group benefits, 401k design, executive benefits, as well as financial and estate planning for business owners. Dan has 17 years of experience in the industry. He is a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh with degrees in Business and Communications. He is a member of the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors, Society for Financial Planning, and Association of Advanced Life underwriters. His firm has achieved Top of the Table recognition within his industry for the highest levels of new business production. Dan also is a Board member for Big Brothers/Big Sisters and is a member of the Board for the University of Pittsburgh Alumni Association. Dan lives in Mt. Lebanon with his wife, Amy, and four children.

Mary Beth Jenkins
COO, UPMC Health Plan and Work Partners

Mary Beth Jenkins is chief operating officer for UPMC Health Plan and Work Partners. In addition to her direct responsibilities for Member Services, Claims, Enrollment, Premium Billing, and Configuration, Ms. Jenkins is responsible for continuous quality improvement to drive operational excellence throughout UPMC Health Plan. Ms. Jenkins has a BA in Communications from Slippery Rock University and an MBA from Duquesne University. She is a board member for the March of Dimes, a member of the Executive Women's Council, International Customer Management Institute (ICMI), the American College of Health Care Executives, and the American Association of Healthcare Administrative Management (AAHAM).

Tom Jones
Co-Founder, Managing Partner, BlueTree Capital Group
www.bluetreecapital.com

Tom is currently a managing partner and co-founder of BlueTree Capital Group, LLC. Over the past 4 years, BlueTree has invested in 12 early-stage companies. Tom serves on the board of a number of these early-stage companies. Prior to forming BlueTree, Tom spent 14 years researching companies for corporate acquisition, equity positions, and strategic partnerships. Tom's startup experience includes the founding of Mainlink Communication, Inc. in 1985. He started his career as a software programmer at Management Sciences America. Tom received his BS in Computer Science at the University of West Florida and an MBA from the University of Pittsburgh.

James Jordan
Chief Investment Officer, Pittsburgh Life Sciences Greenhouse
www.plsg.com

James Jordan is an accomplished Fortune 20-level executive and a recognized expert in market development and formation of startup businesses. Mr. Jordan currently serves as Chief Investment Officer at the Pittsburgh Life Sciences Greenhouse. Previously, he served as Senior Vice President of Marketing & Business Development at a $3.5 billion division of McKesson Corporation, and prior to that was Vice President, U.S. Marketing at Johnson & Johnson. Mr. Jordan has participated in three start-ups and has consulted with numerous companies including Medtronic, Frost & Sullivan, Circuit City, Philip Morris, Northrop Grumman, Schwartz Pharmaceutical, and Otsuka Pharmaceutical. He sits on several Boards of Directors and is an Adjunct Associate Professor at the University of Richmond.

Tom Joseph
CEO, Bookminders

Tom Joseph is the founder and CEO of Bookminders, a premiere provider of outsourced accounting and information management services. Bookminders has been frequently listed as one of Pittsburgh's fastest growing private companies and nationally recognized for its innovative employment model. Bookminders now has an operation in Philadelphia and plans to expand into other mid-Atlantic markets. In 2004, Bookminders was named Company of the Year by the American Society of Women Accountants for its commitment to work/life balance. Tom has a Mechanical Engineering degree from Carnegie-Mellon University and worked in the field of factory automation prior to founding Bookminders.

Michael Kolbrener
CEO, Kolbrener USA

Michael Kolbrener is CEO of Kolbrener USA. He started his first firm in 1994, and expanded it to a multi-million dollar agency. By 2002, he had sold it and started Kolbrener, Inc., where he oversees operations, new business development and international relations. Mike also directs the creative aspects of the firm and orchestrates the firm's international relations efforts. Mike is a 1983 graduate of the University of Michigan, and launched his career in the design department of HBM Creamer in Boston. In addition to his two Pittsburgh companies, he has successfully managed marketing communications for companies such as American Eagle Outfitters, NASDAQ, The Smithsonian, America Online and Deloitte and Touche.

Patty Kreamer
President, Kreamer Connect
www.ByeByeClutter.com

Professional Organizer Patty Kreamer is the President of Kreamer Connect, a Pittsburgh-based company that works nationally with individual and corporate clients to become more productive and perform better while at the same time simplifying their work and lives. She does this through her books, customized programs and keynotes as well as through her consulting and organizing services. Patty served as President of the National Association of Professional Organizers - Pittsburgh chapter and The National Speakers Association - Pittsburgh chapter in 2006-2007. Among other honors, Patty was named the Woman of the Year for the Women's Business Network in May 2007.

Tom Kubilius
President, Bright Innovation
www.bright-innovation.com

Tom Kubilius is President of Bright Innovation, a product research and design firm that has performed work with medical devices, culinary products, personal electronics and classroom training as a product. Before Bright Innovation, Tom did product design for Alcoa, worked for the Pittsburgh Tissue Engineering Initiative managing research funding and entrepreneurial programs. Prior to PTEI, he spent time as a consultant for Accenture and Intelligroup, as well as a year at WABC radio in New York. Tom is a graduate of Carnegie Mellon's Master of Product Development program, as well as holds a Master's degree in Industrial Engineering from Pitt.

Bruce Lane
Manager, Microsoft Dynamics Division of R.L. Nelson & Associates
www.rlninc.com

Bruce's primary responsibility is the management of the Microsoft Dynamics Division of R.L. Nelson & Associates. Before joining R.L. Nelson & Associates, Bruce was a consultant with Weston Enterprises and prior to Weston was a principal with the Pittsburgh firm McCrory & McDowell and managed its consulting division, Computer Resources. Before joining Computer Resources, Bruce was an audit manager working primarily with construction contractors. Bruce received his undergraduate degree from Duquesne University. He is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Pennsylvania Institute of Certified Public Accountants.

Cynthia Laurash
Business Consultant, Duquesne University Chrysler Corporation
www.duq.edu/sbdc

Cynthia Laurash is a business consultant with the Duquesne University Chrysler Corporation Small Business Development Center. For the last fifteen years, she has assisted start-up and existing businesses in areas of general management, marketing, business planning, and loan proposal preparation. In addition to working with small business clients, Ms. Laurash supervises the research program at the SBDC including resources, staffing, and online services. She’s developed curriculum for training programs, and writes many of the SBDC’s educational materials. Previous work experience includes private consulting for companies, public and nonprofit organizations, and nine years experience as a municipal planning director. She serves on the Business Loan Review Committee for the Urban Redevelopment Authority, Business Development Center and has served on the board of several nonprofit organizations. She holds a Master’s degree in Business Administration from Willamette University in Salem, Oregon.

Larry Lewis
Founder, President, Total Development
www.totaldevelopment.com

Larry Lewis is the founder and president of Total Development, one of the regions top resources for entrepreneurs, business owners and professional service providers seeking to grow. His practical, street-smart approach to sales and client development has helped many of the Pittsburgh-area's best business people sell more with greater control and less effort. Known for his success as a consultant and entrepreneur, he is a highly sought after speaker who brings humor, insight and real-world advice to his audiences. For more information regarding Larry Lewis or Total Development's Client Builder Program, send an email to LTLewis@totaldevelopment.com or contact Larry at (724) 538-3755.

Marc S. Malandro, Ph.D.
Associate Vice Chancellor, Technology Management and Commercialization

Marc S. Malandro, Ph.D. serves as the Associate Vice Chancellor for Technology Management and Commercialization and oversees the technology commercialization and licensing activities of both the Office of Technology Management (OTM) and the Office of Enterprise Development (OED) at the University of Pittsburgh. He is also an Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Department of Medicine and Co-Director of the Catalyst Program, part of the Clinical and Translation Science Institute. He has been with the University since 2004 where he previously served in the roles of Technology Licensing Manager and subsequently Director of the OTM. Prior to joining the University, Dr. Malandro co-founded Sagres Discovery, a systems biology company focused on the understanding of the molecular basis of cancer, where he served as Vice President of Technology and Strategic Alliances. His responsibilities included managing company intellectual property, technology licensing and overseeing scientific collaborations. Prior to Sagres, he served as Director of Genomics and Applications Development at Celera Agricultural Genomics, a division of Celera Genomics and Director of Research at PE Agricultural Genomics, a division of Applied Biosystems. At Celera and Applied Biosystems, Dr. Malandro was responsible for the licensing, development and implementation of high throughput analysis technologies. Dr. Malandro received his Ph.D. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from the University of Florida, College of Medicine and completed his postdoctoral fellowship in the Department of Human Molecular Genetics at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio.

Craig S. Markovitz
NextStage Capital Venture Partner, CEO Blue Belt Technologies, Inc.
www.nextstagecapital.com

Craig S. Markovitz, NextStage Capital Venture Partner, has spent the past 15+ years working with hundreds of companies in the areas of technology commercialization, early stage fund raising, business plan development and technology licensing. He is an active speaker, advisor and guest lecturer discussing topics such as: technology transfer, business start up/financing strategies, and other entrepreneurial topics. Craig is also co-founder and CEO of Blue Belt Technologies, Inc. in Pittsburgh, a medical technology company developing innovative computer assisted surgical tools for the medical field. He has an MBA from DePaul University and a BA from Washington and Jefferson College.

Angel Marschik
Vice President of Lending, CL Fund

Angel Marschik, Vice President of Lending at the CL Fund, has over 26 years of experience in her field. Prior to joining the CL Fund in 2003 she worked in positions of progressing responsibility at several banks in the Pittsburgh market including National City and Mellon Bank. Angel is responsible for originating business loans from within the CL Fund and its subsidiaries ranging in size from $35k to $4 million. Angel is the 2006 recipient of the SBA Champion Award.

Shea Murtaugh
President, Hoffman Murtaugh Advertising Inc.

Shea Murtaugh is the President of Hoffmann Murtaugh Advertising Inc. Established in 2004, Hoffmann Murtaugh Advertising is an agency that focuses on the media buying of Broadcast TV, Cable, Radio and Print. Clients include: Don Allen Auto City, King's Jewelry, Gateway Clipper and Duquesne University. Shea has been working in the media industry for over 13 years with prior experience in selling radio and print in the Pittsburgh market. Shea is a 94 graduate of Duquesne University with a B.A in Advertising. During her years at Duquesne she also was a performer with the Duquesne University Tamburitzans.

Gayle Nuppnau
Representative, PA Dept. of General Services, Bureau of Minority and Women Business Opportunities
www.dgs.state.pa.us

Gayle Nuppnau is the Western Region Representative, for the PA Dept. of General Services, Bureau of Minority and Women Business Opportunities. She is responsible for educating businesses on the contracting policies and procedures for doing business with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Prior to her current position, she managed a Procurement Technical Assistance Center for 11 years. In this position she provided businesses with marketing and technical assistance related to government contracting.

Brian J. Ortman
Venture Support Services, LLC.

Brian Ortman brings clients the benefits of over 20 years of experience as an accountant and management consultant to small and mid-size companies. Mr. Ortman's career has encompassed financial, strategic and business leadership within a variety of industries. Through Venture Support Services, LLC, an affiliate of Pittsburgh-based law firm Gefsky & Leman, PC, Mr. Ortman advises business clients and assists them with the operation and control of their accounting systems. In addition, Mr. Ortman oversees the financial and administrative operations of the Gefsky & Lehman firm and provides financial analysis to the firm's litigation department. Mr. Ortman earned his Master's of Business Administration from Robert Morris University and his Bachelor's of Science in Accounting from Valparaiso University outside of Chicago. His career has included corporate financial and operational management, business development, and public accounting. Prior positions held include Chief Financial Officer, Director of Finance, Controller, and Senior Accountant at a regional CPA firm. Mr. Ortman resides in Hampton Township with his wife and two children.

DeWitt Peart
Executive Vice President, Economic Development, Pittsburgh Regional Alliance
www.pittsburghregion.org

Dewitt Peart oversees the operations of the Pittsburgh Regional Alliance (PRA), an affiliate of the Allegheny Conference on Community Development, applying his public and private sector experience to effectively market the Pittsburgh region worldwide. He also works to ensure that the PRA represents a true economic development partnership among the 10 counties of southwestern Pennsylvania. In 2002, Peart began his advocacy career as the Executive Director of the Regional Development Consortium. The former Senior Vice President of Government Affairs for the Greater Pittsburgh Chamber of Commerce - also an affiliate of the Allegheny Conference - Peart has more than 20 years experience in commercial real estate development having worked previously for national real estate companies and at one point operating as principal in a brownfields redevelopment consultancy firm. He is actively involved in the National Association of Industrial and Office Properties (NAIOP) serving on their Environment & Infrastructure Committee and Green Task Force.

Eve D. Peterson
Executive Director, Professional Referral Exchange
www.prorefx.com

Eve Peterson is Executive Director of Professional Referral Exchange, an organization presently expanding nationally that teaches entrepreneurs and sales people how to expand their business opportunities. She has perfected a "consultative" model of networking that integrates the power of group dynamics, personal development, financial acumen, and a disciplined focus on how to assist businesses in achieving their marketing goals. Prior to founding Professional Referral Exchange in 1991, she was an Assistant Vice President with a major bank in California granting loans and advising businesses. In 1984, Eve received an "Outstanding Performance" award for her sales and management abilities. Upon being promoted into the Personnel Department, she directed the training for 7,000 employees. In 1985 she began her consulting business, using her Human Resources background to assist small businesses with hiring the right person for the job and implementing employee procedures to enhance company growth and profitability.

Mel Pirchesky
President, Eagle Ventures

Having likely raised much more equity from angel investors than anyone else in the Pittsburgh region, Mel Pirchesky, President of Eagle Ventures, delivers high impact coaching to help them dramatically improve how they articulate their company's value proposition. As an entrepreneur, Mel has raised over $50 million of equity for more than 30 deals, all of which came from high net worth individuals located almost entirely in the Pittsburgh region. This past year, Mel raised $6 million for a medical device startup, believed to be the largest single private equity raise for a startup in our Region solely from high net worth individuals. Mel has forty years of experience in deal evaluation and structuring and has been a CEO or board member in a variety of industries.

Taylor Pratt
Search Analyst, LunaMetrics
www.lunametrics.com

Taylor Pratt is a Search Analyst for LunaMetrics, a Pittsburgh Internet consulting firm. LunaMetrics works to increase traffic to websites and convert more of that traffic into business. Mr. Pratt's primary focus at LunaMetrics is Search Engine Optimization. He is on the Search Engine Marketing Professionals Organization Marketing Committee. Mr. Pratt is a 2006 Grove City College graduate.

Brian Reese
Co-Founder, Partner, CFE Group
www.cfe-group.com

Brian has a broad financial background which includes various financial, operational, and project management roles at UPMC. As Vice President of operations at TSTS, Inc. Brian led the company through double digit growth and record profits. He couples innovative techniques and outside-the-box thinking with an extensive MIS and systems background to produce measurable operational efficiencies that translates into real cost savings and value added services. Brian has a BA degree in Finance and Marketing from Clarion University and received his Masters in MIS and Accounting from the Katz Graduate School of Business at the University of Pittsburgh.

Andrew Remes
Assistant Director, Office of Enterprise Development
www.oed.pitt.edu

Andrew Remes, Ph.D., is Assistant Director of the Office of Enterprise Development (OED). Andrew co-founded Remes Biomedical (RB) which worked with leading edge pharmaceutical and tissue engineering companies developing computerized image analysis methods for examining the interaction of biomaterials with tissue and in the development of wound care products. RB won the Glasgow John Logie Baird award for Innovation in 1999 and two United Kingdom millennium product awards. Andrew moved to the U.S. to join TissueInformatics. Subsequently, he became Assistant Director of the OED. In this role, Andrew reviews hundreds of technologies developed by university scientists. His primary responsibility is as business development liaison to biopharmaceutical industry partners. Andrew holds a BSc in Immunology from Glasgow University, and a PhD in Bioengineering from Liverpool University. In 2006, one of Andrew's papers was honored by the publisher Elsevier and an International scientific committee as being one of the best 25 papers to be published in the Journal "Biomaterials" in the last 25 years.

Jack Roseman
Director, Roseman Institute
rosemanj@rosemaninstitute.com

Jack Roseman, Director of the Roseman Institute, was a chaired Professor of Entrepreneurship of Carnegie Mellon University. Previously, he founded three companies and was President of On-Line Systems, an American Stock Exchange company eventually sold to Sprint He has been a director/advisor for many organizations. Besides having been a columnist for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Jack co-authored Outrageous Optimism: Wisdom for the Entrepreneurial Journey, a well-received book on his philosophy of business and life in general. A serial entrepreneur, Jack has been described as a warm, insightful and often amusing guide to the realities of running your own business.

Diane Sandstrom
Consulting Manager, Duquesne University SBDC

Diane Sandstrom is Consulting Manager at the Duquesne University Chrysler Corporation Small Business Development Center (SBDC) located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. In this capacity, she supervises a staff of professional business consultants providing individualized consulting services to existing and start-up business clients. Duquesne University's SBDC offers management consulting, environmental consulting, global business consulting, and training workshops at little or no cost to business clients in the southwestern Pennsylvania region. Diane completed undergraduate studies at West Virginia University and graduate studies at California University of Pennsylvania. She has over 27 years of business management experience in both the public and private sector.

Edward G. Scherer
Partner, Audit and Assurance Group, HR&R
www.hrrcpa.com

Edward G. Scherer joined HR&R in October of 1991 and is currently a Partner in the Audit and Assurance Group. Prior to joining the team at HR&R, Ed worked at a multi-national, closely held steel manufacturer in the Controllers office. Ed currently concentrates his practice in accounting and auditing for family-owned and closely held businesses as well as management consulting and business advisory services. Ed's industry specialties include manufacturing and technology. Ed is a graduate of Allegheny College with a Bachelor's Degree in Economics and is a member of the AICPA, PICPA and currently serves as the Treasurer of the Pittsburgh Chapter of the American Marketing Association.

Anne Flynn Schlicht
Assistant Director, Center for Women's Entrepreneurship, Chatham University
www.chatham.edu/ccwe

Anne Flynn Schlicht joined the Center for Women's Entrepreneurship at Chatham University as Assistant Director in September 2006. The Center is dedicated to the vision of economic empowerment and personal growth for women at all stages of the business cycle. Anne brings a wealth of international experience in entrepreneurship as a professor and business consultant to the Center. For six years Anne worked at the Center for Entrepreneurship Studies at the University of Limerick, Ireland and on international projects such as the European Network of Entrepreneurial and Innovative Training and Support (EINET). In January 2005 Anne was chosen as the second "Rooney International Visiting Scholar" which facilitated her move to the US.

Alan W. Seadler, Ph.D.
Associate Academic Vice President for Research, Duquesne University
www.duq.edu

Dr. Alan Seadler is the Associate Academic Vice President for research at Duquesne University. In addition, Dr. Seadler holds the Edward V. Fritzky Chair in Biotechnology Leadership and is director for the Center for Biotechnology. Dr. Seadler's career includes both academic and industrial bio-medicine as well as entrepreneurship. He has held senior management positions with diverse organizations including Ciba-Corning, Fisher Scientific, BDS, and Visible Genetics. Dr. Seadler was COO of Cellomics Inc., a drug discovery company, and CEO of Crystalplex a start-up nanotechnology company. Alan has a BA and a Ph.D. in Biology from Case Western Reserve University

Lawrence J. Sipos, CPA, JD
Shareholder, Director, Tax Services at Alpern Rosenthal

Mr. Sipos is a shareholder and the Director of Tax Services at Alpern Rosenthal, a large regional Pittsburgh based Certified Public Accounting firm. He received a law degree from the University of Pittsburgh in 1983 and an accounting degree from Duquesne University in 1980. He focuses on taxation, business consulting, and accounting for middle market business entities; he also has extensive experience in litigation support matters. Mr. Sipos has developed a comprehensive expertise in pension valuations for equitable distribution. He has worked closely with counsel on a variety of economic damages, insurance defense claims, and loss of income cases. He has authored several articles, including one on taxation issues related to divorce and several on pension valuation related matters. He has also lectured before various organizations, including state and county bar associations and has appeared on local radio programs to discuss a variety of tax topics.

Steve Smith
www.plusconsulting.com

Polyxena C. Speros
Business Development Strategist, Campos Inc.
www.campos.com

Polly Speros provides action-oriented business development strategy for Campos Inc and its clients. She works closely with clients at the beginning of a project, where she helps to identify their research objectives within the context of their business needs, and then again at the end, where she is involved in developing a strategy for deploying the qualitative and/or quantitative data to their business. Polly's 12 years of experience in marketing and business development includes cross-functional expertise in sales management, communications, and project management in a variety of business sectors. Polly completed her BA in Economics and is pursing an MBA in Planning and Strategy. Contact Polly at psperos@campos.com

Robbin Steif
CEO, LunaMetrics
www.lunametrics.com

Robbin Steif is CEO of LunaMetrics, a Pittsburgh Internet consulting firm. Steif and her team work to increase traffic to websites and convert more of that traffic into business. They have a strong emphasis on testing and web analytics. (LunaMetrics is the only Google Analytics Authorized Consultant in W. PA.) Steif, a serial entrepreneur, has spent 23 years in direct response and technology marketing. She is on the board of the Web Analytics Association, in charge of Marketing. Steif is a PA Best 50 Women in Business, and is a graduate of Harvard College and the Harvard Business School.

D. Lansing Taylor, Ph.D.
Co-Founder, President, CEO, Cellumen, Inc.
www.cellumen.com

D. Lansing Taylor, Ph.D., is the Co-founder, President & CEO of Cellumen, Inc., a Pittsburgh, PA company providing collaborative drug discovery programs using multiplexed High Content Screening (HCS) as well as offering proprietary reagents for both contracted and customers' in-house HCS programs. Dr. Taylor previously served as the Chairman, and former President & CEO of Cellomics, Inc., a comp