Jeremy Adelman
( Associate Director of Advancement, The George Washington University )

Talking Points

At George Washington University, alumni are becoming "angel investors", making personal investment in early stage companies. By matching alumni investors with faculty, student and alumni-run companies, the value creation stays within George Washington and sets the stage for significant gifts to the University, equity in the new company, and commercialization of technologies developed in University labs. This type of activity engages some of the most affluent members of the alumni body in a sustained and often lucrative way. As a result, our alumni come back and remain committed to our school.

Bio

Jeremy L. Adelman is the Associate Director of Advancement at The George Washington University’s School of Engineering and Applied Science. During the 10 years he has spent as a manager and fundraiser in universities and nonprofit organizations, he has worked primarily with high tech business leaders and entrepreneurs as volunteers and donors. Notable accomplishments have been building an alumni angel investors network, and bringing in multiple million dollar donations from corporations and individuals. Mr. Adelman holds both an MBA from the Heller School of Social Policy and Management, and an MA in Nonprofit Professional Leadership from Brandies University, as well as a BA in Philosophy from the University of Utah.

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John Brasch
( University of Nebraska - Lincoln )

Talking Points

Towards understanding the personality characteristics of successful entrepreneurs. Is it the inventor? Or the serial startup specialist who has been defined by: "Do it my way"; "Passionate"; "Wants to do it all" ; or is it the developer who delegates and gets out of the way?

Bio

John began his working life in Lincoln as a professor in the College of Business Administration at the University of Nebraska from 1969 to 1980. While at UNL he founded International Management Services, Inc. (IMSI). With a dozen employees IMSI was as an independent export distributor for several Nebraska corporations, operating in more than 15 countries. In time IMSI evolved into Senior Technologies, Inc. (STI) with over 200 employees. STI operated as a full function original equipment manufacturer (OEM). It was the leading brand marketer of electronic safety products used in institutional care of the elderly. After selling the company to the Stanley Works, an S&P 500 company, in 2002, John continued as CEO of Stanley Senior Technologies. M&A was a significant part of his responsibility while with Stanley.

John is the board president of Family Service Lincoln, a member of the Lincoln Partnership for Economic Development.

He is married to Beatty, has two children and two very young grandsons.

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Melissa Carrier
( Director of Venture Investments, University of Maryland, Dingman Center for Entrepreneurship )

Talking Points

Angel investors are a critical component of economic development and business creation in the United States. With total investments of $25.6B last year, angels continue to rival Venture Capitalists. Additionally, angel investors are continuing to be sophisticated in the way they approach the market, self-organize, and negotiate deals. At the University of Maryland, our Capital Access Network program provides open and efficient access to early-stage angel capital for entrepreneurs in the DC Metro area. Additionally, our University of Maryland Alumni E-Fund invests in student, faculty, and alumni-run businesses, where returns are directly reinvested in our programs.

Bio

Melissa Carrier joined the Dingman Center in 2006 after 11 years of leading organizational growth for technology companies ranging from Fortune 500 to early stage start-ups. Ms. Carrier brings broad experience across corporate and product-line positions including acquisitions and divestitures, venture investments, partnerships, new product launches, system implementations and marketing programs. Melissa previously served as Finance Director for AT&T Mergers and Acquisitions. While at AT&T, she also led investments for the company's Strategic Venture fund. In this role, Melissa had lead responsibility for managing the investment pipeline, analyzing financial and market data, performing on-site due diligence, and executing deals. During her tenure at AT&T, she also served as the Product Manager for the MVNO wireless data content offering/platform as well as Manager of Strategy and Business Development for AT&T Consumer Services.

Ms. Carrier began her career as a process consultant for Andersen Consulting. During this time, she worked with U.S. and European clients on business process design and ERP system implementations. Subsequently, Ms. Carrier served as a Director at two startup technology companies focused on web-based business-to-business strategies. Immediately prior to obtaining her MBA, Melissa led strategic development of core processes for SAP's Global Solution Center.

Ms. Carrier received a BS in Chemical Engineering from The Ohio State University and an MBA with Honors in Finance and Strategic Management from The Wharton School of The University of Pennsylvania.

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Steven Gerrish
( Purdue Research Foundation )

Bio

Steven Gerrish is Director of Business Development at Purdue Research Foundation. His role is to accelerate the development of new startups with rapid growth opportunities surrounding Purdue developed technologies. His Technology Road Shows and Businessmaker process were the main basis for Purdue Research Foundation winning the Technology Commercialization award nationally in 2005. In the last three years Steve has been Purdue Research Foundation’s lead in selling three startup companies for over 41 million dollars. He has cofounded and or helped grow over 17 startups to over 146 million dollars in market value during this three year period and helped raise over 39 million dollars in private equity for them. Four of them are beginning to pay significant royalties to Purdue now. He serves on the Board of Directors of seven startups based on Purdue technologies and is a Board Advisor or Board Observer on three others. Steve is currently an advisor on the Herron Capital Venture fund and is working on organizing capital in Indiana to support the current crop of potential Purdue Research Foundation’s start ups. He manages the Trask Fund for internal early seed investments for Purdue Research Foundation. Steve will be teaching the capstone Entrepreneurship Graduate Management course in the Purdue Krannert School of Management for the spring of 2008. He guest lectures about early stage venture investing for start ups from University based technologies.

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Richard Holdren
( Healthcare Angels )

Bio

Co-Founder of Equivision, publicly traded on NASDAQ and sold for over 70 million cash, and EquiMed a publicly traded cancer management company with a market cap over $200 million, Rick has additionally co-founded/Invested in Physician Trust (venture backed by over 5 million in investment), DaVincian Technologies (picked by Bob Ryan’s High-Tech Start-up Boot Camp), Austin Med Tech a publicly traded surgical ‘pack’ company, DermAmerica, a national cosmetic dermatology firm & MD Pain Clinics. As a serial entrepreneur Rick has founded or invested in over 26 healthcare start-ups and named as 2002 Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation Mentor of the year. Rick also was a partner in the nation’s largest physician search firm, a director of physician relations at a major hospital management firm and co-founder of Texas’s largest practice management firm. He currently owns Appraisal & Mentor Group LLC, which is a top 3 M & A and healthcare valuation firm with over 2500+ completed assignments including over 200 court valuations. He made an investment is a ‘virtual incubator’ with ‘space-act’ agreement with NASA to commercialize its phase III SBIR companies with matching venture investment.

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Barry Rosenbaum
( The University of Akron Research Foundation )

Talking Points

I will speak about our ARCHAngel Network and University of Akron programs, including the role of The University of Akron in sponsoring the ARCHAngel Network, how the ARCHAngels have helped support University of Akron startups, the value of Angel mentorship, recent successes ( case studies ) of The University of Akron Tech Transfer programs, and the concept of Sr Fellows from industry to drive innovation at The University of Akron.

Bio

Dr. Barry Rosenbaum obtained his PhD in chemical engineering from Northwestern University in 1967. Upon graduation, he joined Exxon Chemical Elastomers Division where he held a number of senior technical and business positions in the specialty polymers industry during a thirty-year career.

In 1991, Dr. Rosenbaum helped to found Advanced Elastomer Systems, a joint venture between Exxon and Monsanto in Santoprene ThermoPlastic Elastomers and was the vice president of technology until 1997. Dr. Rosenbaum became the chief technology officer of GenCorp/OMNOVA Solutions from 1997 until his retirement in 2005 when he became a senior fellow with the University of Akron Research Foundation.

In his new role, Dr. Rosenbaum works closely with The Research Foundation and the Office of Tech Transfer to help commercialize new technologies from the University of Akron in addition to networking across northeast Ohio to promote Innovation: Transforming Knowledge into Wealth. In late 2005, he was a founding member of the Akron based ARCHAngel Investment Network sponsored by the University of Akron to focus on wealth creation in northeast Ohio.

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Tony Stanco
( Director, National Council of Entrepreneurial Tech Transfer - NCET2.org )

Talking Points

While a senior attorney at the Securities and Exchange Commission, I worked on how angel investors can provide seed and early stage capital to fill the funding gap. I'll talk about how university-affiliated angel groups, especially alumni angel groups, can help both create and fund university startups and provide a quality deal flow pipeline to VCs and the Fortune 500 for further funding or successful exits.

Bio

Tony Stanco, Esq. is the executive director of the Angel Investors of Greater Washington, executive director of the National Council of Entrepreneurial Tech Transfer, and the director of the Council of Entrepreneurial Tech Transfer and Commercialization (CET2C) of The George Washington University. Mr. Stanco was a senior attorney at the Securities and Exchange Commission, where he worked on more than two hundred IPOs. He also has worked on innovation policy, including start-up creation and funding by angel investors and VCs. At School of Engineering and Applied Science at The George Washington University, Mr. Stanco works with universities and governments around the world on innovation policy, start-up finance policy, software policy, Open Source, cyber-security, and e-Government issues. Mr. Stanco has appeared before the US Congress, various US defense and civilian agencies, the World Bank, the European Commission, United Nations, Inter-American Development Bank, Organization of American States, World Summit on Information Society, LinuxWorld, Advanced Computer and Internet Law Institute, and International Computer Law Association. Mr. Stanco teaches the Lab to IPO course dealing with start-up formation and funding. He has an LL.M. from Georgetown University Law Center in securities regulation and is licensed as a lawyer in New York state.