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2009 Speakers (click on names to expand bio) Jay Alexander Jay Alexander has lived in Pittsburgh the majority of his life and has been a certified public accountant for more than 30 years. He concentrates on income taxation of individuals and small businesses, retirement plans for small businesses and audits of trade schools and small businesses. Jay's civic activities have included seminar presentation, past officer of North Hills Jaycees, past presi-dent of the North Hills Chamber of Commerce and past trustee of Mt. Pleasant United Presbyterian Church. He is a graduate of Kent State University with a BBA degree. He is married to Barbara, who is also a CPA, and has four children. Donna Baxter Donna M. Baxter, is the CEO / WebMistress of www.SoulPittMedia.com, a graphic design company, and of 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 was 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. Christin Bummer Christin Bummer is the founder and CEO of K9 Kingdom, an Indoor Adventure Park for Dogs. She holds a Bachelors of Science in Animal Science from Cornell University and has spent over 15 years working in the pet care industry in a wide variety of roles. After an unexpected layoff from a local boarding facility, she put her skills and background to the test. She designed and implemented a plan for K9 Kingdom which opened its doors in March of 2008. Christin lives in the North Hills with her husband Michael and their two Entlebucher Mountain Dogs, Cosmo and Brody. Lou Camerlengo As President of Five Star, Lou Camerlengo is responsible for day-to-day operations and supervises the company's management team. Over the past twelve years, Lou and Five Star CEO, Dave Colaizzi, have evolved Five Star from a regional interactive training design and development company to a full-service performance improvement consultancy with clients across the United States. Inc. Magazine ranked Five Star as a 2008 INC 5000 company. Five Star was also named one of the 2008 Top 100 Best Workplaces in Pennsylvania. Lou is the primary architect of Five Star's Star Performance™ platform. Sean Coyle Sean Coyle is President of Peak Performance Management. He has consistently demonstrated his ability to deliver as a top performer. During his tenure with the $300 million manufacturing giant Tom James Company, Sean annually finished in the top 10 percent of the company's 500-person national sales force. He worked closely with more than 400 clients annually and was responsible for building a top regional sales organization within the company. He also helped to develop and train national reps. Sean is a magna cum laude graduate of the University of Pittsburgh, with a triple major in communications, English, and studio arts. He currently resides in Upper St. Clair with his wife Susan. Ken Cuccinelli Ken Cuccinelli has over 30 years of Strategic marketing experience. He has been responsible for growing businesses as large as an international integrated energy company to as small as a 2 person consulting firm. Ken has helped Quest Fore to grow into one of the regions premier strategic marketing companies serving clients both large and small. He has a Bachelor of Chemical Engineering and MBA. Jeff Del Rossa Jeff has over 25 years of experience in sales and sales leadership. His leadership of National Accounts at Kodak earned him their highest sales honor generating $125M in incremental sales. As National Channel Manager at Oce'-USA, Jeff developed and led a team to execute a channel strategy that included over 250 principle offices that doubled USA revenues to $300M in three years. As Global Prac-tice Leader for Sales Talent Optimization at DDI, Mr. Del Rossa provides both thought leadership and strategic direction in delivering best practices for optimizing sales talent in diagnostics and development solutions to the marketplace. Recommended Reading: White Paper, Swapping Engines in Mid-Air, DDI Sales Talent Benchmark Study 2008 Dan Droz Dan oversees marketing strategy and branding efforts to ensure that all marketing materials enhance brand equity and share of mind. He has written or participated in the development of marketing plans and business strategies for more than 5,000 companies. He has lectured and consulted throughout the world. Dan is also Adjunct Associate Professor of Design Management at Carnegie Mellon University, where he directs the Design for Business Project, co-founded the Interdisciplinary Product Development Program. He has been recognized for design excellence in the U.S. and abroad, including the Designers Choice Award (I.D. Magazine), Best of U.S. from Abitare (Italy) and Daphne Design awards. Dan graduated cum laude from Harvard and has been selected as one of five outstanding design alumni of Harvard University at the 25th anniversary of Carpenter Center for the Visual Arts. Randy Eager Randy has more than 25 years of successful start-up and product commercialization experience. He is currently an Executive in Residence at Innovation Works where he works with the management teams of start-up technology companies to identify and address critical business issues. He is also a Co-founder and Director of DeisgnAdvance, a CMU spin-off. While CEO, he took the company from a vision to successfully raising over $6 million, building a team, and producing product revenue, all in less than 2 years. Prior to DeisgnAdvance, Randy was a Licensing Officer at CMU, where he licensed tech-nology to industry and worked with Carnegie Mellon faculty to spin companies out of the university. Randy has earned an engineering degree from Michigan State and an MBA from the University of Pittsburgh's Katz School. Bob Faletti Robert Faletti is a co-founder and Principal of Blue Archer, Pittsburgh‘s leading web design and marketing agency. Mr. Faletti has 15 years of executive management, marketing, consulting, and entrepreneurial experience. Mr. Faletti began his career as the founder of a catalog business focused on outdoor recreation. After selling to a national competitor, Mr. Faletti became VP of Marketing at Keystone Precision. Prior to Blue Archer, Mr. Faletti joined Arthur Andersen Business Consulting, where he assisted with building the practice for E-Commerce Strategy & Revenue Enhancement. A Pittsburgh native and a Duquesne University graduate, Mr. Faletti currently resides in Gibsonia. Dr. Audrey Guskey Dr. Audrey Guskey has been a marketing professor at Duquesne University for the past 22 years. She is one of the nation's leading consumer trends experts appearing in over 2,300 interviews including CNN, MSNBC, CBS Morning Show, Fox News Channel, Wall Street Journal, Newsweek, and USA Today. Dr. Guskey has a regular spot on KDKA-TV's CW Morning News and "Pittsburgh Today Live". She was the 1st recipient of the Distinguished Marketing Educator of the Year by the Pittsburgh AMA. She has consulted for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Fed Ex, Kodak, GM, United Way, and Highmark. She earned her MBA and Ph.D. from Pitt. Her passions are yoga and her grandson Jake and running (she has completed seven marathons, including the 2009 Pittsburgh Marathon). Jim Heatherington Jim leads all business development and product management efforts at Cutwater, a decision support software company for mid-market manufacturers and wholesale distributors. Jim has global experience in the implementation of software to support business operations in the supply chain, finance, and audit functions. He has worked in financial services with General Electric, audit and corporate finance with KPMG, and as a management consultant with Andersen. Jim's industry experience includes financial services, oil and gas, and chemicals, and he has led systems efforts internationally. Jim is a graduate of Penn State University and the University of Southern Mississippi. Christina Jumba Christina Jumba is currently the Executive Director of the Diversity Business Resource Center, a business resource center that provides a single point of contact for minority, women, and other disadvan-taged business owners who seek information and referrals to sustain and grow their businesses. Christina earned both her undergraduate degree in Political Science and her Master's degree in Social and Public Policy from Duquesne University, Pittsburgh, PA. Christina is a member of many organizations, including the Gaming Task Force and Chairs the Vendor Subcommittee; Northside Community Development Fund Board of Directors; Executive Women‘s Council; Women Impacting Public Policy; and the MBE/WBE/DBE Governmental Committee. Steve Kerschbaumer After opening several nightclubs while in College, Scott Kerschbaumer found his calling after helping his wife open ESSpa Kozmetika Organic Skincare in 2002. Responsible for all aspects of marketing, communication and public relations in addition to overseeing back office Human Resources and new busi-ness development, Scott helped build a world-class facility that has been recognized as The 3rd Best Spa in America by The Industry Source Magazine (2008). With no formal training, this former Actor has quickly become one of the most successful marketing experts in the spa industry and he is the recipient of numerous marketing awards. Carl Knoblock Carl was born in Glendale, Arizona. He graduated from Ball State University with a Bachelors degree in Medical Technology and Masters degree in Health Science. His diverse background is from being involved in many different industries and businesses. Carl started his own environmental consulting firm. He specialized in chemical and biological issues and energy efficiency. He is a Certified Industrial Hygienist (CIH). He worked at a small polymer manufacturing company. Carl understands what it means to wear multiple hats in a small organization. Carl strongly supports youth entrepreneurship and believes they are the positive change agents of the future. Tom Kubilius Tom Kubilius is President of Bright Innovation, a product research and design firm that helps companies research their customers and create products that delight them. 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 University of Pittsburgh. Michael Kumer Michael Kumer is the Executive Director of Duquesne University‘s Nonprofit Leadership Institute (NLI) and Associate Dean of the University's School of Leadership and Professional Advancement. Since assuming the directorship of the NLI, Michael has helped nonprofit boards successfully achieve excellence in all areas of governance. An exceptional facilitator, he is often called upon to help organizations achieve consensus. Due to his reputation as an enthusiastic, energetic and inspiring speaker, Michael‘s presentations on nonprofit excellence are much in demand. He is a frequent guest speaker on the topic of board leadership at local, regional and national conferences. Recommended Reading: "Starting a Nonprofit Organization" – download for free at www.boardsource.org Phil Laboon Phil Laboon is the CEO of Eyeflow internet marketing, a search engine optimization firm that specializes in building organic and natural traffic from search engines. Phil started Eyeflow in 2001 consulting mostly with small businesses and start ups and has since built an impressive portfolio ranging from small tech firms to fortune 500's. He has become well known in the industry for providing useful information on various internet marketing techniques through Eyeflow's free blogs, video tutorials and seminar and conference presentations. Rebecca Lamperski 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. Recommended Reading: Influence by Robert B. Cialdini; The Age of Speed by Vince Poscente; Don‘t Eat the Marshmellow… Yet! By Joachim de Posada and Ellen Singer; Guerrila Marketing and Advertising by Jay Conrad Levinson Lauren Lawley Head Business journalism has been a passion of Lauren‘s for years. She earned two degrees from the University of Missouri Columbia, one in journalism and one in economics, and has been combining the two specialties ever since. As a business reporter, Lauren covered the retail, technology and health care industries for the Cincinnati Business Courier, where she won a number of awards for her work. She went on to serve as the managing editor of the Dayton Business Journal in Ohio and joined the Business Times in February 2003. She is particularly proud of the paper's recent news achievements, including being named the best weekly newspaper in Pennsylvania by the Keystone Pro Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists. Lawrence J. Maiello Lawrence J. Maiello acts as general counsel to emerging and mid-sized companies and advises clients on business related matters including personnel, financing, tax planning, real estate and environmental issues. He oversees the formation, acquisition and transfer of all types of business entities. He has negotiated the purchase and sale of businesses and conducted the due diligence processes. His practice also involves working with non-profit organizations. Mr. Maiello also assists his clients with their estate planning needs. His combination of tax and business background enables him to develop innovative plans for the intra-family transfer of assets. Angel Marschik Angel Marschik, Senior Loan Officer at Bridgeway Capital, has over 27 years of experience in her field. Prior to joining Bridgeway Capital 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 Bridgeway Capital and its subsidiaries ranging in size from $35k to $4 mil-lion. Angel is the 2006 recipient of the SBA Champion Award. Chris Mason Chris Mason strongly believes that clients should judge their agencies on performance and results. Period. Thanks to innovative product design, packaging, and marketing strategies, his startup ventures have been featured in the New York Times, Washington Post, and CNN. Chris is frequently called upon to speak on growing industry trends and has been a featured contributor in various media outlets. He is a graduate of Carnegie Mellon University and was the recipient of the Presidential Scholarship. Chris hails from Washington, DC. Dave Mawhinney Dave Mawhinney, Co-Founder & Chairman of mSpoke, Inc. has made a career of turning great ideas into successful internet companies since the 1990s. He was most recently a General Partner of PNC Technol-ogy Investors. He co-founded three successful startup ventures before that, including Premier Health Exchange (acquired by Medibuy), Hawk Medical (acquired by McKesson), and Industry.Net (merged with AT&T Business Network to form Nets, Inc.). Dave is Board Member at EZ-FLO Injection Systems and the Indiana University of Pennsylvania Alumni Association (ex-officio, Past President.) and serves on nu-merous advisory boards. Mr. Mawhinney holds an MBA from Carnegie Mellon University and a B. S. in Physics from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. George McKee George McKee, III is responsible for overall company management, direction and strategy. He has worked most of his professional career in the field of product sales and sales management and earned numerous top sales and management honors. Before joining TrueCommerce in September 2000, George was President and CEO and a founder of Medtrex Incorporated, a manufacturer of radio frequency electrosurgical equipment. After four years of growth, Medtrex was acquired by Johnson & Johnson in January 2000. George earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology and Human Resources Management from Indiana University of Pennsylvania and has continued his studies in the Entrepreneurial Management Program at the Graduate School of Industrial Administration at Carnegie Mellon University. George is a regular guest lecturer in entrepreneurship at the Donald H. Jones Center for Entrepreneurship at Carnegie Mellon University, the Joseph M. Katz Graduate School of Business at the University of Pittsburgh and at the Johnson School of Management at Cornell University. Mary T. McKinney, Ph.D. Mary T. McKinney, Ph.D., Director of the Duquesne 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 rela-tionship 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. Larry Miller Larry has more than 20 years experience in leading and managing medical device companies. Prior to joining Innovation Works, Larry was President and CEO of Biomec, a privately held technology accelerator and investment company which raised over $20M in SBIR grants and provided contract engineer-ing and manufacturing as well as business development consulting for radiology product manufacturers and distributors. Previously, Larry was President of the Healthcare Products group at Picker International and Philips Medical systems, a $600M distributor of radiology supplies. He also managed the Asia/Pacific region for sales and service of the diagnostic imaging product portfolio, and was president of the Picker Financial Group, a JV, captive leasing company. Other experience included leading the marketing and sales of CT and MRI products for Picker and General Electric Medical systems. Ron Morris Since 2002, Ron Morris has served as the Director of the Entrepreneurial Studies Program (ESP) at Duquesne University. The ESP currently 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 9:00 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. Lisa Olszak Lisa Olszak, founder and president of Olszak Management Consulting, Inc., worked ten years in the service sector before establishing her firm in 1991. With over twenty-five years experience, she has over-seen the development of business plans for a number of service and retail ventures. She has also designed and taught various courses and workshops on Social Entrepreneurism that have helped numerous nonprofit organizations explore, develop and establish business ventures that support their mission while building on their assets. Lisa holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Pennsylvania State University and a Master of Science in Administration from Slippery Rock University. Mel Pirchesky 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's raised over $60 million of equity for more than 30 deals from individuals located mostly in the Pittsburgh region. He is the go-to guy for coaching on Elevator Pitches. Mel delivers high impact coaching to entrepreneurs whereby they 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. Recommended Reading: See the article titled "Ride to the Top" at http://www.eagleventures.biz/Articles/TEQRideTopArticle.asp John H. Prorok John H. Prorok practices in the areas of real estate, corporate and business law. His prior experience in commercial litigation provides him with a valuable understanding of a corporate client's needs in business planning, corporate formation, and contract negotiations. Mr. Prorok has represented a vast array of corporate clients including software developers, regional and national banks, real estate develop-ment companies, and a multi-national steel company. He counsels clients in the areas of: forming, structuring, and counseling of new entities; shareholder agreements; mergers, acquisitions, and dispositions of businesses; drafting and negotiating of operating contracts; and employment contracts. Tom Reda Tom Reda, a.k.a. the "networking guy" 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. You can reach Tom at www.tsbn.org Bill Ringle Bill works as a trusted business advisor with family businesses/ owners/leaders committed to achieving better results for themselves, their families and team members. His career in the specialty steel and titanium industry focused on both domestic and international sales to the aerospace markets. In 1991, he led a Mgt group to buy and restructure a closed steel mill building it to $10M in revenue. He moved on to serve as President of a titanium processing company with three plants and 118 employees. Ringle is a certified FastTrac® facilitator for the Kauffman Foundation of Kansas City. He earned his B.A. in Economics and holds an MBA. Recommended Reading: Any of John Maxwell‘s books on leadership: 21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader, Developing the Leader Within You, 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, Failing Forward, Living at the Next Level and The Power of Leadership Grace Robinson Grace Robinson is a pioneer and role model for women in the Pittsburgh region. Her success in business has been recognized by State Farm, which is evidenced by her numerous awards and certifications. She obtained her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Pittsburgh in 1974. In 2004 she completed her graduate studies at Point Park University with a Master's in Business Administration. Her enthusiasm in working with the youth and also as an opportunity to "give back" to the community, Grace founded Tomorrow's Future, Inc., a mentoring entrepreneurial and job-training program for teens. Stephen Robinson Stephen G. Robinson is active in both business and non-profit sectors in the Pittsburgh area. Currently, he is a Managing Partner of Pittsburgh Equity Partners (PEP), a Pittsburgh area venture capital partner-ship. Prior to the founding of Pittsburgh Equity Partners, he was a General Partner in Robinson Venture Partners, which has been active since 1982. Mr. Robinson is also a Vice President/Director of Gateway Travel Management (GTM). He is also a current or former director of numerous early-stage venture capital backed technology-oriented companies in Western Pennsylvania. His current and past non-profit Board positions include the Pittsburgh Venture Capital Association (Past-President) and the Advisory Committee of the Donald Jones Center for Entrepreneurship at The Tepper School. He graduated magna cum laude from the University of Pittsburgh in 1975 with a BA degree in Political Science. Gary Rosensteel 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. David Shirey A graduate of Ohio University, David Shirey is the Sales Manager for Lamar Advertising of Pittsburgh which is the largest of Lamar‘s 165 offices. David guides the development of revenue strategies while strengthening relationships with senior executives of the region‘s most important and strategic clients and prospects in addition to managing, training, and developing a sales department of 25. David has been in Sales and Sales Management for over twenty years primarily in the technology and advertising fields. In addition to the many charitable organizations that he is involved with David also spends his time coaching youth baseball and soccer teams. Recommended Reading: Stop Hiring Failures! By Steve Springer Bonnie Siefers Bonnie Siefers is Owner/Designer of Jonano, a division of Sami Designs, Inc. An eco-designer, Bonnie is inspired by her love of the environment and fashion. She has worked as an artist, product designer and entrepreneur in Paris, Stockholm and Los Angeles and currently resides in Pittsburgh where she is building her reputation as a top designer of organic eco-friendly fashions that benefit local farmers, arti-sans and their communities. Her fashion-forward collections have been featured in Womens Wear Daily, Yoga Magazine and Organic Spa Magazine. Ronald A. Sofranko Ronald A. Sofranko, 47, currently Principal/Founder of S&S Group, LLC a consulting firm that specializes in strategic business planning, finance, mergers, acquisitions, real estate and franchising for all types of retail type businesses. S&S primarily engages companies that range in size from Startup to 25 Million in Revenue, with a specialty in the Hospitality business. Mr. Sofranko has raised over 40 Million Dollars in private equity, debt, leading and bank financing over the past 21 years. Mr. Sofranko is a quintessential entrepreneur having developed several businesses since he was 17 years old. In 1991, Mr. Sofranko was named a Finalist for the Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award. In 1998 Red River won First Place as the best and fastest growth chain restaurant in the State of Pennsylvania as voted by the writers of the Pennsylvania Server publication. Mr. Sofranko has also been featured in numerous local and national business publications, TV programs, radio talk shows as well as national restaurant magazines over the years. From 1998-2001 Mr. Sofranko was a member of the Pittsburgh Chapter of the (YPO) Young Presidents Organization as well as the (YEP) Young Entrepreneurs Association. Mr. Sofranko graduated in 1983 with a Bachelors of Science in Geology from Waynesburg College in Waynesburg, PA. While at Waynesburg, he played collegiate baseball and operated a start up disc-jockey business and operated his first retail business. He completed his Masters Degree in Geophysics at Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio in 1985. Mr. Sofranko began his career at Exxon Company, USA in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma transferred to Houston, Texas as a Geophysicist in 1986. In August of 1987, he resigned from Exxon to relocated back to the Pittsburgh area and pursue his dream of carrying out his entrepreneurial passion by developing businesses. Mr. Sofranko grew up in Mount Pleasant, PA where he obtained 9 varsity letters in a football, baseball and basketball and maintained positions of Class President and Student Council President. Ronald Sofranko is married to his wife Payge and his outside interests that include is children (Dan, Jarad and Alexa), travel, music, speaking on entrepreneurism, basketball, baseball and golfing. Domenic Verdini Domenic Verdini M.S.Ed., L.P.C. is co-founder and President of Corporate Performance Services. Corpo-rate Performance Services guides employers in hiring and developing a superior workforce. Corporate Performance Services utilizes its wealth of experience and the field's most reliable assessments to deliver exceptional results to its clients. Domenic received his undergraduate degree in psychology from Westminster College and completed his graduate work from Duquesne University in 1998. For over ten years, Domenic has worked with companies both large and small to improve and develop their employees. Domenic has worked on staff at companies and brings a unique and well developed awareness of corporate success. Domenic has also presented at numerous professional conferences. As President of Corporate Performance Services his responsibilities include business development, strategic planning and clinical presentations. Robert Vernick Robert (Bob) A. Vernick has twenty years of banking experience and has been employed by Dollar Bank for the past five years. Bob serves as Dollar Bank's Small Business Banking Department‘s Pittsburgh Divisional Manager. His duties include working with small business owners seeking to establish, maintain and/or grow their business. Bob‘s banking experience includes working as a branch manager, small business banking representative, corporate banking officer, and a commercial real estate lender. He graduated from Clarion University of PA in 1988 and received a Masters of Business Administration degree from Geneva College in 2005. Stephen Wayhart For over 25 years, Stephen Wayhart has been a strategic marketing campaign maker for brands such as General Motors, McDonald's Corporation and Sprint PCS. As principal of BrandMill - an integrated marketing consultancy - he has worked with brands such as Allegheny Energy, EDMC, Kennywood Enter-tainment and True Value Hardware. Key career achievements include creating the initial marketing plan for "The Club" and leading McDonald‘s historic event, "Big Mac's 25th Anniversary." Recently, BrandMill created the landmark and award winning Whiskey Rebellion II campaign to "Axe the 10% Drink Tax" in Allegheny County. Larry Weidman Larry has been an active and successful serial entrepreneur since the mid-1980s, participating in several early-stage ventures, playing one of many prominent roles as founder, executive, director, investor, and/or adviser. Most of these ventures launched, under his guidance, products based on new disruptive technologies into emerging nascent markets. All required fresh and innovative approaches to business model development.. Larry‘s ventures have been backed by more than 20 rounds of financing from founders, angel investors, corporate strategic partners, and institutional venture capitalists, either separately or in combination. He co-invested in most of these rounds and led or participated in successful exits for several of them. Ed Wethli Ed Wethli has a Bachelor of Arts degree in History and an MBA from Penn State University. Ed began his career as a management trainee with Mellon Bank where he worked in branch banking. From there Ed worked in Sales Management with Lever Brothers and Kraft Foods. Ed founded Kiva Han Coffee in 1993. The company has expanded rapidly since it's founding and is now Pittsburgh's gourmet coffee leader. Ed lives in Cranberry Township with his wife Robin and two children. Ed is a member of the Cranberry Township Chamber of Commerce, Cranberry Lions, and the Butler County Tourism Board. David Wilke David M. Wilke has spent his eighteen-year certified public accounting career assisting small busi-nesses. He received his Bachelors and Masters degrees from Duquesne University in 1989 and 1990, respectively. Currently he is the owner and managing partner of Wilke & Associates, LLP, a certified public accounting firm, which he founded in 1998. His activities include writing articles, presenting seminars, and volunteering consulting services to aid small businesses, of which he was awarded the 1997 Small Business Administration's Accountant Advocate. Kirsten Womack Kirsten A. Womack is a Professional Virtual Assistant and Tech Diva; she has over 20 years experience in Customer Service, Human Resource Support, Events Planning, Sales & Operations Support and Executive Administration experience. Kirsten has provided support service to high level executives, company owners, start-up organizations and entrepreneurs. Kirsten's organizational skills lend themselves to assisting her clients in reducing the amount of time spent on administrative tasks while increasing their time spent on revenue generating tasks. Recommended Reading: 199 Online Tools to Empower You and Your Business by Donna M. Baxter and Kirsten A. Womack Jeff Young Jeff Young is uniquely qualified in franchising with experience as a franchisor and a franchisee. As a member of the team at General Nutrition Centers (GNC) he developed an award-winning global fran-chise organization that grew the chain from 900 stores to over 6000 worldwide locations. He followed that same path owning GNC stores and a Candy Express franchise. As a Senior Consultant with MatchPoint he provides a free franchise matching service helping people find the right franchise. www.matchpointnetwork.com Jeff also assists in the launch of domestic and international franchises and works with local franchise companies Mr.Waterheater, CSI Franchising, and BookSmarts. Past Speakers Donna M. Baxter 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 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 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
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
Greg DiMedio
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
Randy Eager
Mike Fox
Arnold Gefsky
James Harter
Stacy Heinricher
• 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
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
Cynthia Ianarelli
Razi Imam
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
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
Angel Marschik
Dr. Mary McKinney
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
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
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
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
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
Neal Rabogliatti
David Radin
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
Brent Rondon
Jack Roseman 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
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
Deanna Tucci Schmitt
Paul Silvis
Ron Sofranko
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
Carrie Teetzel
Robert Vernick
Debbie Wojcik
Melissa Aird
Chris Allison 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. 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 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 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 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 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 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 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
Lisa Edmonds
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. 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
Thomas J. Fitzpatrick
Steve Fleck
Paul Furiga
Arnold Gefsky
Ryan Giobbi 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
David Harel
Jeremy Hettman
Michael Hills
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
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
Patty Horvatich
Daniel K. Jenkins
Mary Beth Jenkins
Tom Jones
James Jordan
Tom Joseph
Michael Kolbrener
Patty Kreamer
Tom Kubilius
Bruce Lane
Cynthia Laurash 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
Marc S. Malandro, Ph.D.
Craig S. Markovitz 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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. 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 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 Polyxena C. Speros 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 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. 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 company he also co-founded, from 1996 until 2004. Prior to entering the biotech industry, Dr. Taylor spent 22 years as an academician starting as an Assistant Professor of Cell & Developmental Biology at Harvard University and rising to Vice-Dean of Molecular Sciences at Carnegie Mellon University before starting his first company, Biological Detection Systems, Inc. Dorothy Andreas Tuel Dorothy Andreas Tuel created a market for day spas in our region with the Sewickley Spa in 1997. With need for expansion, she added two additional locations, Ligonier and the Wisp Resort in Maryland. She has been recognized for the dramatic growth in both sales and employment by the Pittsburgh Business Times, and for outstanding customer service with 34 'Best Day Spa' awards to date. Dorothy opened her first salon at age 19, selling her car to raise capital. Along with her business, she developed and delivered the seminars "Possibilities for Success" and "Yes, There is Enough Time." She founded the Women in Leadership League (WILL), a national organization of professional women. In 2004, her idea for a new concept in the beauty industry, on-line printable gift cards, led to SpaEdge Inc, which services spas and boutiques around the United States. The Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development, and Governor Ed Rendell, honored Dorothy in May 2003 by selecting her as one of Pennsylvania's Top Fifty Women in Business. In 2006, The Winners Circle of Westmoreland County awarded Dorothy the "Entrepreneurial Excellence Award" for 26 years as a mentor and a role model to young women, and positive community impact in the Westmoreland region. John M. Twigg John Twigg is CEO of Ascent Systems. Ascent Systems is a regional IT professional services business that provides rapid and profitable information technology services to manufacturers and other small and mid-market companies. Under John's leadership as CEO in 2006, Ascent Systems was listed three times in the Pittsburgh Business Times as the 19th largest technology firm, and was named among the "Pittsburgh 100" list as the 7th-fastest growing private technology firm and the 14th-fastest growing private company overall in Pittsburgh. In 2005, Ascent Systems won awards from the City of Pittsburgh and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania for retaining IT jobs in Southwestern PA. John has appeared on several programs including "Our Region's Business" on WPXI discussing business issues. John has a Bachelor's degree in Computer Science from the University of Pittsburgh. He is a member of the IEEE and ACM. John S. Walsh A lifelong resident of Bethel Park , John is the oldest of seven children. His parents, Morris and Anna Walsh were the founders of Bethel Bakery, established in 1955. After graduating from Duquesne University in 1978, John started his full time career at the bakery. In 1991, Morris and Anna sold the business to John and his wife, Christine. Bethel Bakery currently has 71 employees and the cornerstone of the business is beautiful and delicious decorated cakes. Blessed with a loyal clientele and employees, the business was one of the retail bakeries in the country to offer on line ordering. Having been active members of the local and national bakers association has also help keep the bakery a destination for cakes, cookies and coffeecakes for decades. The bakery was recently featured in "What Makes Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh" a WQED documentary by Rick Sebak. David Wilke David Wilke, MBA, CPA is the founder and managing partner of Wilke & Associates, which employs 18 professionals who provide over 1500 clients with accounting, tax, and consulting services. Wilke & Associates was included in the Pittsburgh Business Times list of top 100 fastest growing companies in 2003 and 2004. David appears on The American Entrepreneur Show Saturday mornings for his "Ask the Accountant" segment on WPTT 1360 am. David was nominated for Entrepreneur of the year for 2003 and was awarded Accountant Advocate of the year by the SBA in 1997. David speaks regularly at many small business and entrepreneur events. Deborah Wojcik 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. Craig A. Wolfanger
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