Best Startup
At Best Startup US we track over 1,000,000 US startups and over 3 million people who hold key positions in these companies. We use this directory of startups to highlight top employees, founders and board members we think deserve more appreciation than they are currently getting.
This list showcases the top United States based Director operating in the Association space. If you think a Director is missing from this list, feel free to contact our editor on editor@beststartup.us.
The individuals on this list have been included because of exceptional performance in one of the following categories:
- Innovation – Operating as a key part in an extremely innovative business or startup.
- Growth – Operating as a key figure in the growth and upscale of a market leading business or startup.
- Management – Showing exceptional management skills.
- Societal impact – Putting their business on the map for their positive societal or environmental impact.
Our Data – We source our data from OSINT (open source intelligence) and public directories such as Crunchbase, SemRush and many more. The data from these sources should be treated with a degree of caution and verified yourself.
Craig Chick
Director of Public Affairs of Foley & Lardner
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About Foley & Lardner: Foley & Lardner is a legal service provider that offers business and legal insights.
Bernadette Meehan
Executive Director of International Programs of Obama Foundation
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About Obama Foundation: The Obama Foundation is a start-up for citizenship and an ongoing project for people to shape, together, what it means to be a good citizen.
Beth Gombala
Creative Director of Internet Society
Marketing Communications Manager at Internet Society
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About Internet Society: The Internet Society engages in a wide spectrum of internet issues, including policy, governance, technology, and development.
Susan Rice
22nd Director of the Domestic Policy Council of The White House
Susan Elizabeth Rice is an American public official who serves as the Director of the Domestic Policy Council under President Joe Biden. Rice previously served as the 24th United States National Security Advisor from 2013 to 2017. She was formerly a U.S. diplomat, Brookings Institution fellow, and U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations. She served on the staff of the National Security Council and as Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs during President Bill Clinton’s second term. She was confirmed as UN ambassador by the U.S. Senate by unanimous consent on January 22, 2009. Rice was mentioned as a possible replacement for retiring Secretary of State Hillary Clinton after President Barack Obama’s re-election in 2012, but on December 13, 2012, following ongoing controversy related to the 2012 attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, she announced that she was withdrawing her name from consideration, saying that if she were nominated, “the confirmation process would be lengthy, disruptive, and costly.” Rice succeeded Tom Donilon as National Security Advisor on July 1, 2013.
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About The White House: The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the President of the United States.
Lazar Finker
Founder and Executive Director of Finker-Frenkel Family Foundation
Dr. Lazar Finker is the Chairman of the Board at Forum Capital Group, a position he has held since 2012. Forum Capital is a private equity group specializing in real estate and seafood. When not overseeing operations at Forum Capital or servicing their select group of high net-worth individuals, Dr. Finker focuses on philanthropy, primarily through his organization the Finker-Frenkel Family Foundation. Lazar Finker got his start in Russia, where he founded the country’s first community college. He was later invited to teach at Florida Community College. Originally only slated to stay for a semester, he and his family loved Jacksonville so much that they decided to move there. Though they travel often, they have come to be very involved in their community in the United States. The main mission of the Finker-Frenkel Family Foundation is to be a family-run organization of like-minded philanthropists joined in their commitment to improving the lives of others and passing the Foundation’ principles from one generation to the next. The Foundation makes an impact by supporting causes in multiple fields such as medical research, education, religious development, and children’s welfare. By emphasizing the role of family in the Foundation’s efforts, Lazar Finker has passed his passion onto his son, Eugene Frenkel, who is equally committed to making a difference through philanthropy. Over time, as this passion is passed from generation to generation, the Finker-Frenkel Family Foundation will achieve its mission. Since its founding, the Foundation has greatly expanded in scope, encompassing more causes and supporting larger projects in the area. In addition to promoting a myriad of causes through the Foundation, Lazar Finker is also involved with organizations like the Make-A-Wish Foundation and Mount Sinai. Through his connections, he strives to build a better community in southern Florida, supporting his friends and neighbors in their respective missions to improve health, religious groups, and education.
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About Finker-Frenkel Family Foundation, Forum Capital Group: The Finker-Frenkel Family Foundation funds world-changing initiatives both at home and abroad.
Raissa Frenkel
Executive Director of Finker-Frenkel Family Foundation
Raissa Frenkel is the CEO of Forum Capital Group, as well as the founder and executive at the Finker-Frenkel Family Foundation. Born in Kazan, Russia, Raissa earned a Ph.D. in Economics from Kazan Finance and Economics Institute in 1982 and accepted a position as the Political Economy department chair at the Institute. She taught at the university for nine more years, until she and her husband moved to the United States. Today, Raissa Frenkel is the CEO of Forum Capital Group, an independent private equity firm based in the United States. She oversees and leads operations within the group. She is also involved in numerous philanthropic efforts. In addition to the Finker-Frenkel Family Foundation, which she co-founded with her husband, Lazar Finker, she is also active in organizations like Make-A-Wish, Mount Sinai, and Chabad of Southside. Teaming up with these various organizations, the Finker-Frenkel Family Foundation supports a variety of causes, including medical research, education, religious development, and children’s welfare. By building a network of like-minded philanthropists, Raissa Frenkel hopes to truly make a lasting difference. In this respect, the Foundation makes regular donations to renowned philanthropic organizations in addition to sponsoring scholarships, the most recent of which being a sizable contribution to the University of Miami.
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About Forum Capital Group: The Finker-Frenkel Family Foundation funds world-changing initiatives both at home and abroad.
Avril Haines
7th Director of National Intelligence of Office of the Director of National Intelligence
Avril Haines was sworn in as the Director of National Intelligence on January 21, 2021. She is the seventh Senate-confirmed DNI in our nation’s history and the first woman to lead the U.S. Intelligence Community. Director Haines has deep national security experience. During the Obama administration, she served as Assistant to the President and Principal Deputy National Security Advisor from 2015-2017, during which time she led the National Security Council’s Deputies Committee. From 2013-2015, Haines was the Deputy Director of the Central Intelligence Agency. She was the first woman to hold both of these positions. She initially joined the federal government as a civil servant and over the last two decades has worked in all three branches of government, in and outside of the intelligence community, and in academia as a research scholar at Columbia University and a senior fellow at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory. Haines most recently led the Transition’s National Security and Foreign Policy Team and served as a member of the National Commission on Military, National, and Public Service. Haines received her bachelor’s degree in physics from the University of Chicago and a law degree from Georgetown University Law Center.
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About Office of the Director of National Intelligence: ODNI works to integrate foreign, military, and domestic intelligence in defense of the homeland and of U.S. interests abroad.
Rachel Charlesworth
Director of Marketing of SeedInvest
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About Daimler Mobility Services, SeedInvest: SeedInvest is an equity crowdfunding platform that connects investors with startups.
Louis Walcer
Director, Kevin M. McGovern Family Center for Venture Development in the Life Sciences of Cornell University
Louis Walcer is a Director, Kevin M. McGovern Family Center for Venture Development in the Life Sciences at Cornell University.
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About Cornell University: Cornell University is an American private Ivy League and federal land-grant research university located in Ithaca, New York.
Oliver Gao
Associate Director, Cornell Program in Infrastructure Policy of Cornell University
Transportation systems, the environment (especially air quality), and sustainable development are the research interests of Oliver Gao. He addresses various issues in urban/regional transportation planning, engineering, air-quality impact and conformity, and related transportation policies. Most of Gao’s research involves the intensive application of mathematical and probability theories, statistical/econometrical methods (estimation, inference, hypothesis testing, forecasting), scientific computing, and information technology (GIS, temporally and spatially indexed transportation/environment database).
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About Cornell University, Cornell University, Cornell University, Cornell University: Cornell University is an American private Ivy League and federal land-grant research university located in Ithaca, New York.
Shari Kearl
Assistant Director, Business Relationship Management of Cornell University
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About Cornell University: Cornell University is an American private Ivy League and federal land-grant research university located in Ithaca, New York.
Carla Gomes
Professor / Director Institute for Computational Sustainability of Cornell University
Carla Gomes is a Professor of Computer Science and the director of the Institute for Computational Sustainability at Cornell University. His research area is Artificial Intelligence with a focus on large-scale constraint-based reasoning, optimization, and machine learning. Recently, He is become deeply immersed in the establishment of new field of Computational Sustainability.
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About Cornell University: Cornell University is an American private Ivy League and federal land-grant research university located in Ithaca, New York.
Sarah Christen
Director IT Infrastructure of Cornell University
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About Cornell University: Cornell University is an American private Ivy League and federal land-grant research university located in Ithaca, New York.
Jo Ann Difede
Professor and Director of Program for Anxiety and Traumatic Stress Studies of Cornell University
Difede is Director of the Program for Anxiety and Traumatic Stress Studies and a Professor of Psychology in Psychiatry in the Department of Psychiatry at Weill Cornell Medical College. She is an internationally recognized expert in the assessment and treatment of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and a pioneer in the application of virtual reality technology to the treatment of PTSD. Difede has worked with those who have experienced burns, terrorism, motor vehicle accidents, industrial accidents, air disasters, and life-threatening illness during the past fifteen years. She has also worked extensively with New York City firefighters, rescue and recovery workers, emergency services personnel, and other disaster relief workers. Difede has consulted to major corporations affected by the WTC attack, including Marsh McLennan. Difede supervised the crisis center for Marsh in the immediate aftermath of the attack and has continued to advise them on establishing mental health services for their employees who escaped, as well as their bereaved families. She has worked with other major corporations by establishing and supervising their mental health screening and treatment programs. As an attending psychologist, Difede is a consultant to the NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital Burn Center for all inpatients and ambulatory patients who require evaluation and treatment for the psychological sequelae to burns. As such, she supervised the care of all burn patients who survived the WTC attack and their families, as NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital Burn Center received all burn survivors of the WTC attack. Difede has received numerous grants from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and private foundations to develop treatments for PTSD following terrorism, burns, and other traumas. She is currently Principal Investigator of NIH funded awards to develop interventions to treat PTSD following burn injury and terrorism in both civilians and disaster relief workers. Following the WTC attack of September 11, 2001, the NIH granted one of the few supplements awarded to Difede to extend her treatment studies to WTC survivors. She has written numerous articles and book chapters on the assessment and treatment of PTSD, and is regularly invited to address national conferences on these topics. Of note, Difede has published the first report of the successful use of virtual reality technology for the treatment of PTSD following the WTC and is now developing virtual reality treatments for PTSD following other types of traumas. Difede’s work has also been featured in many popular media outlets including the New York Times, Crains Business, Newsday, The Wall Street Journal, Washingtonian Magazine, National Public Radio, The MacNeill-Lehrer Report, NBC, CBS, ABC with Peter Jennings, and CNN.
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About Cornell University: Cornell University is an American private Ivy League and federal land-grant research university located in Ithaca, New York.
Aenor Sawyer
Director, University of California, Space Health; Dir. Skeletal Health Service of University of California, San Francisco
Aenor Sawyer is an Orthopaedic Surgeon at UCSF and Associate Director of Digital Health in Biomedical Informatics at the Clinical & Translational Science Institute where she co-directs the UCSF T1 Catalyst Digital Health Grants program. Aenor Sawyer is also co-Founder of Trinity, a web-based collaboration technology for Virtual Tumor Board and Multidisciplinary Management of complex patients.
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About Translational Research Institute for Space Health (TRISH), Trinity Labs, University of California, San Francisco: Director of the Lab for Advanced Cytometry (LAC) and the Sony Biotechnology Center at UCSF in the Department of Laboratory Medicine
Sanchita Bhattacharya
Scientific Program Director of University of California, San Francisco
Sanchita Bhattacharya is the Bioinformatics Project Lead at UCSF School of Medicine.
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About UCSF School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco: Director of the Lab for Advanced Cytometry (LAC) and the Sony Biotechnology Center at UCSF in the Department of Laboratory Medicine
Daniel Lowenstein
Director, Physician-Scientist Education & Training of University of California, San Francisco
Daniel Lowenstein is the Director, Physician-Scientist Education & Training at UCSF.
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About University of California, San Francisco, University of California, San Francisco, University of California, San Francisco: Director of the Lab for Advanced Cytometry (LAC) and the Sony Biotechnology Center at UCSF in the Department of Laboratory Medicine
Mark Savage
Director, Health Policy of University of California, San Francisco
Mark is Director of Health Policy at UC San Francisco’s Center for Digital Health Innovation, where he leads health policy strategy and development and data governance for the Center and its projects to advance interoperability, electronic health information exchange and access for patients, providers and consumers. Until April, Mark was Director of Health IT Policy and Programs at the National Partnership for Women & Families. There, he oversaw the National Partnership’s strategy and work to advance electronic health information access and exchange as the backbone for patient access and engagement, delivery reform and shared care planning, patient-generated health data and social determinants of health, and health equity. The work included policy development throughout delivery system reform (MACRA, 21st Century Cures), the Meaningful Use program, and other national programs such as the Interoperability Roadmap. His team also convened the Consumer Partnership for eHealth, a coalition of more than 50 leading consumer, patient and labor organizations working to advance patient-centered health IT.
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About University of California, San Francisco: Director of the Lab for Advanced Cytometry (LAC) and the Sony Biotechnology Center at UCSF in the Department of Laboratory Medicine
Deepak Chopra
Chairman, Founder & Director of The Chopra Foundation
Founder of The Chopra Foundation, a non-profit entity for research on well-being and humanitarianism, and Chopra Global, a whole health company at the intersection of science and spirituality, is a world-renowned pioneer in integrative medicine and personal transformation. Chopra is a Clinical Professor of Family Medicine and Public Health at the University of California, San Diego and serves as a senior scientist with Gallup Organization.
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About Chopra Global, Osi Systems, The Chopra Foundation: The mission of the Chopra Foundation is to advance the cause of mind/body spiritual healing, education, and research.
Isabelle Mauro
Director, Head Digital Communications Industry of The World Economic Forum
Isabelle is responsible for leading the agenda of the Digital Communications industries within the Technology, Media and Digital Community of the Forum. As part of her role, Isabelle manages the portfolio for the telecoms community, as well as the delivery of the industry’s initiatives both in the digital economy and society space and in the broader ecosystem. Prior to this role, Isabelle was Head of International Affairs & Regional Engagement at the GSMA, where she was responsible for governments and institutional relations at global level. As part of her role, Isabelle managed the delivery of industry programmes and lead global and regional advocacy campaigns to help shape the mobile agenda, both in the private and public sector. Before joining the GSMA, Isabelle worked as a public affairs consultant in Brussels and specialised in the field of Telecommunications and Communications policies. As part of her position, she was responsible for preparing and running a mobile awareness campaign commissioned by a group of investors in mobile infrastructure in order to promote a new economic model to regulate competition.
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About The World Economic Forum, WOMEN IN TECH – Global Movement: The World Economic Forum is an international institution committed to improving the state of the world through public-private cooperation.
John Skinner
Director of Security of Major League Baseball
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About Major League Baseball, Major League Baseball: Major League Baseball is a professional baseball organization.
Joseph Schlessinger
Director of the Cancer Biology Institute & Professor of Yale University
Joseph Schlessinger is the co-Founder of Kolltan, a member of Kolltan’s Board of Directors and Chairman of Kolltan’s Scientific Advisory Board. Schlessinger is the Chairman of the Department of Pharmacology and the William Prusoff Professor at Yale School of Medicine and the Director of the Cancer Biology Institute of Yale University. From 1990 to 2001, he was Chairman of the Department of Pharmacology and the Helen and Milton A. Kimmelman Professor at New York University Langone Medical Center. He was also the director of the Skirball Institute of NYU from 1998 until 2001. Before co-founding Kolltan, he co-founded SUGEN, Inc. in 1991 and in 2001 he co-founded Plexxikon. He was also the chairman of Plexxikon’s Board of Directors and a member of Plexxikon’s Scientific Advisory Board from 2001 until 2011. From 1980 to 1991, Schlessinger was the Ruth and Leonard Simon Professor in Cancer Research in the Department of Chemical Immunology at the Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel. Schlessinger was research director at Rorer Biotechnology, Inc. in Pennsylvania from 1988 to 1990. He has also held positions at Meloy Laboratories, Inc. in Rockville, Maryland from 1985 to 1988. Schlessinger has authored or co-authored more than 475 scientific articles and papers focusing on signal transduction, growth control mechanisms, receptor structure functions and the biophysics of proteins. He is a member of the National Academy of Science, a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, a member of the Institute of Medicine at the National Academies, a member of the European Academy of Science, and a foreign member of the Russian Academy of Sciences. He is on the editorial boards of Cell, Molecular Cell, and the Journal of Cellular Biology as well as many other journals. Schlessinger’s academic honors include the Drew Ciba Prize, the Antoine Lacassagne Prize, the Dan David Prize, the Distinguished Service Award of Miami Biotechnology, an Honorary Membership of the Japanese Biochemical Society, Honorary Doctor of Philosophy from the University of Haifa, the Medal of Danica Hrvatska Order from the Republic of Croatia and the Penzcoller-AACR International Award for Cancer among many others. He presented the E.J. Cohn Lecture at Harvard Medical School, the Edmond Fischer Lecture at the University of Geneva, the Lamport Lecture at the University of Seattle, the Harvey Lecture at Rockefeller University, the Opening Keynote Lecture at the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology annual meeting, the NIH Director Lecture, the Distinguished Lecture on Molecular Targets for Cancer Prevention at the AACR in Baltimore, Maryland, the NIH-WALS Lecture in Bethesda, Maryland and the Twenty-fourth Medical Scientist Lecture Series at UC Irvine, the Ef Racker Lecture in Biology and Medicine, at Cornell university as well as numerous others. Schlessinger received his B.Sc., Magna Cum Laude, in chemistry and physics and his M.Sc., Magna Cum Laude, in chemistry from the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, Israel. He received his Ph.D. from the Department of Chemical Physics at the Weizmann Institute in Rehovot, Israel in the field of biophysics.
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About Kolltan Pharmaceuticals, The American Academy of Arts & Sciences, Yale University, Yale University School of Medicine: Yale University is an American private Ivy League research university in New Haven in Connecticut.
Scott Etan Feiner
Music Director of Yale University
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About Yale University: Yale University is an American private Ivy League research university in New Haven in Connecticut.
Daniel P. Petrylak
Director of Genitourinary Oncology, Co Director Signal Transduction Program of Yale University
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About Yale University: Yale University is an American private Ivy League research university in New Haven in Connecticut.
Jacob Hacker
Director of the Institution for Social and Policy Studies of Yale University
Jacob Hacker, Ph.D., is the Director of the Institution for Social and Policy Studies, and Stanley B. Resor Professor of Political Science at Yale University. He is also Vice President of the National Academy of Social Insurance, and a former Junior Fellow of the Harvard Society of Fellows. An expert on the politics of U.S. health and social policy, he is the author of Winner-Take-All Politics: How Washington Made the Rich Richer and Turned Its Back on the Middle Class, written with Paul Pierson (2010, paperback 2011), The Great Risk Shift: The New Economic Insecurity and the Decline of the American Dream (2006, paperback 2008), The Divided Welfare State: The Battle over Public and Private Social Benefits in the United States (2002), and The Road to Nowhere: The Genesis of President Clinton’s Plan for Health Security (1997), co-winner of the Brownlow Book Award of the National Academy of Public Administration. He is also co-author, with Paul Pierson, of Off Center: The Republican Revolution and the Erosion of American Democracy (2005) and has edited two volumes—most recently, Health At Risk: America’s Ailing Health System and How to Heal It (2008). Professor Hacker’s scholarly articles have appeared in such outlets as The American Political Science Review, The British Journal of Political Science, Health Affairs, The New England Journal of Medicine, Perspectives on Politics; Politics & Society, Studies in American Political Development, and The Journal of Health Politics, Policy, and Law. A frequent media commentator, Hacker has testified before Congress, advised leading politicians, and written popular pieces for the American Prospect, New Republic, Nation, New York Times, New York Times Magazine, Los Angeles Times, Washington Post, Boston Globe, Boston Review, and other publications. He is the author of a 2007 proposal for universal health care, Health Care for America, that became a template for several presidential aspirants’ plans, as well as of several briefs on how and why to encourage private health insurance to compete with a new public health plan for the nonelderly. Most recently with support from the Rockefeller Foundation, he and a group of multi-disciplinary researchers including Greg Huber and Mark Schlesinger of ISPS developed the Economic Security Index (ESI), which measures the share of Americans who experience at least a 25 percent decline in their income from one year to the next. In addition, he oversees a Social Science Research Council project on the privatization of risk.
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About National Academy of Social Insurance (NASI), Yale University, Yale University: Yale University is an American private Ivy League research university in New Haven in Connecticut.
Keith Berwick
Founding Executive Director, Henry Crown Fellowship Program of The Aspen Institute
Keith Berwick is founding Executive Director of the Henry Crown Fellowship Program and the inaugural recipient of the Keith Berwick Chair on Leadership at the Aspen Institute. In this capacity, he serves as a consultant to the Henry Crown Fellowship, the Aspen Global Leadership Network and other programs of the Aspen Institute. Keith is also an Emmy Award-winning television broadcaster, and principal of Berwick Communications, Inc., a newspaper and communication consulting company. Keith has taught at various universities, including UCLA and the Claremont Graduate School. He has been associate editor of Pacific Historical Review and editor of New Management magazine. Among his published works are The American Revolutionary Experience, 1776-1976 and The Federal Age, 1789-1829: America in the Process of Becoming. He is currently at work on The Search for an American Hero, a book on the American presidency.
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About The Aspen Institute: The Aspen Institute is an educational and policy studies organization based in Washington, DC.
Rima Cohen
Managing Director, Health Innovators Fellowship of The Aspen Institute
Rima Cohen is the former counselor for health policy to the Secretary at the Department of Health and Human Services where she advised the Secretary on a range of health care matters and helped to develop and lead Obama Administration initiatives related to programs administered by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the Agency for Health Care Quality and Research, the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology and the Office for Civil Rights. During her tenure, Ms. Cohen also stepped in to lead the Department’s planning and evaluation office for six months. As the Acting Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, Ms. Cohen advised the Secretary on policy development in areas that include health care, disability, human services, and science; and she provided advice and analysis on economic policy. Prior to assuming this position, Cohen was the Director of Health and Social Services for New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, where she oversaw the City’s health care programs and agencies, including Medicaid, the City’s public hospital and health care system, and the Department of Health & Mental Hygiene. Cohen also spent a decade on Capitol Hill as former-Senate Democratic Leader Tom Daschle’s senior health policy advisor, and she founded and directed Insurance Options for the Uninsured (IOU), a project sponsored by the Greater New York Hospital Foundation that developed and implemented strategies for expanding health insurance coverage in New York. In that position, she developed the original blueprint for the state’s Family Health Plus program – a Medicaid expansion enacted in 2000 that covers up to 500,000 low-income adults – and she created the first web-based tool linking New Yorkers with free and low-cost health and social services. Cohen has a master’s degree in public affairs, with a concentration in economics, from Princeton University and a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Michigan; she also did undergraduate work at the London School of Economics. After graduate school, Cohen was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to study program evaluation methods employed by U.S. NGOs operating in Indonesia. Ms. Cohen sits on the board of the California-based non-profit organization, Social Interest Solutions, and she is on the advisory board of a health care IT start up. She lives in Washington, D.C. with her husband and daughter.
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About The Aspen Institute: The Aspen Institute is an educational and policy studies organization based in Washington, DC.
Cristal Logan
Vice President, Aspen, And Director Of Aspen Community Programs of The Aspen Institute
Cristal Logan, Vice President, Aspen and Director of Aspen Community Programs at the Aspen Institute, is responsible for creating and overseeing year-round public programs for the Aspen community. During her tenure at the Institute, Cristal has expanded the number of community events exponentially. The Aspen Community Programs hosts a variety of events including the McCloskey Speaker Series, the Hurst Lecture Series, The Murdock Mind Body Spirit Series, the Hurst Student Seminars for Middle School, and High School Students; Great Books and Great Decisions Discussion Series’, Fireside Chats, Teen Socrates, the Sharing Shakespeare and Athens to Aspen Series, as well as a host of diverse offerings throughout the years. Under Cristal’s leadership, the Aspen Community Programs hosts over 60 program days each year for local residents, visitors, and teens. Prior to joining the Institute in 1999, Cristal worked in Administration at Aspen Valley Hospital; and in Finance at the Aspen Skiing Company. A fourth generation resident of the Roaring Fork Valley, Cristal has been a committed member of the community by serving on the board of the Aspen Hall of Fame, participating as a member of Leadership Aspen Class of 2000, and as one of the inaugural members of the Aspen Community Foundation Spring Board. She is Vice Chairman of the Board of the Aspen Chamber Resort Association, and served on the Aspen Valley Hospital Community Advisory Committee (2006-2016) and the Colorado Mountain College Community Advisory Committee (2008-2016). Cristal is married to Mark Logan, Principal at Cadence Brand Marketing, and they have a wonderful son.
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About The Aspen Institute: The Aspen Institute is an educational and policy studies organization based in Washington, DC.
Maureen Conway
Vp For Policy Programs, Executive Director, Economic Opportunities Program of The Aspen Institute
Maureen Conway serves as Vice President for Policy Programs at the Aspen Institute and as Executive Director of the Institute’s Economic Opportunities Program (EOP). Ms. Conway founded EOP’s Workforce Strategies Initiative (AspenWSI) and has headed up workforce research at the Aspen Institute since 1999. She leads a team of researchers and consultants in a variety of initiatives to identify and advance strategies that help low-income Americans gain ground in today’s labor market. A featured speaker at numerous national and regional conferences, she is a nationally recognized expert in sectoral, or industry-specific, workforce development and has been quoted in a variety of news media including the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, National Journal and National Public Radio’s Market Place. Under her leadership, EOP’s Workforce Strategies Initiative has investigated the outcomes of sectoral workforce development, provided innovation seed grants to leading programs in order to illuminate promising practices and explored key operating features of programs in specific industry sectors. Maureen is the author of numerous publications including research reports, case studies and policy briefs, including co-editing, together with Robert P. Giloth, the book Connecting People to Work: Workforce Intermediaries and Sector Strategies, a collection that brings perspectives from philanthropy, policy, research, and practice, together to chart how sector-based workforce development has evolved and the implications for the future. Recently, Maureen led the creation of the Working in America and Reinventing Low Wage Work speaker series at the Aspen Institute, bringing together voices from business, worker advocacy, media, academia and others to discuss the challenges experienced by many in today’s labor markets and new ideas for addressing these challenges. In addition, her current work includes multi-year evaluations of several promising innovations in workforce development and a new project exploring an emerging practice of work that strives to create economic stability as a platform for economic mobility by engaging in strategies that seek to improve job quality while also helping workers improve their job skills. Ms. Conway’s previous experience includes consulting for the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development in Paris and work for the U.S. Peace Corps, where she advised on the design, management, and evaluation of the organization’s economic development programs in Eastern Europe and the Former Soviet Union. Maureen has an M.B.A. from Columbia University, a Masters in Regional Planning from the University of North Carolina, and a B.A. in economics and mathematics from Holy Cross College.
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About Aspen Institute Italy, Aspen Institute Italy, Rutgers’ School of Management and Labor Relations (SMLR), The Aspen Institute: The Aspen Institute is an educational and policy studies organization based in Washington, DC.
Joanna Smith Ramani
Associate Director of The Aspen Institute
Joanna Smith-Ramani is the Associate Director at the Aspen Institute Financial Security Program, leading the Expanding Prosperity Impact Collaborative (EPIC), a first-of-its-kind initiative in the field of consumer finance designed to accelerate knowledge synthesis and problem solving among a wide cross section of experts from applied, academic, government, and industry settings working on critical dimensions of financial security. Prior to joining FSP, Joanna served as Senior Innovation Director at the D2D Fund, leading the unit that designs, tests, and evaluates promising financial service innovations. Joanna has led national and state legislative campaigns, resulting in the passage of a federal law and over 10 state laws expanding a savings innovation. Joanna holds a master’s in Public Policy from the Harvard Kennedy School and a B.A. in Urban Studies from Barnard College, Columbia University. She serves on the Baltimore and Maryland CASH Board.
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About The Aspen Institute, The Aspen Institute: The Aspen Institute is an educational and policy studies organization based in Washington, DC.
Eric Liu
Executive Director of The Aspen Institute
Eric Liu is the founder and CEO of Citizen University and executive director of the Aspen Institute Citizenship and American Identity Program. He is the author of several books, including “You’re More Powerful Than You Think: A Citizen’s Guide to Making Change Happen,” “A Chinaman’s Chance,” “The Gardens of Democracy,” and “The Accidental Asian.” Eric served as a White House speechwriter and policy adviser for President Bill Clinton. He is a regular columnist for CNN.com and a correspondent for TheAtlantic.com.
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About The Aspen Institute: The Aspen Institute is an educational and policy studies organization based in Washington, DC.
Miyoko Sakashita
Oceans Director, Senior Attorney of Center for Biological Diversity
Miyoko Sakashita, Oceans Director, Senior Attorney, works with the oceans team to secure protections for imperiled marine life and ecosystems from threats ranging from global warming and ocean acidification to fisheries and pollution. Miyoko holds a law degree from the University of California at Berkeley, where she also earned a bachelor of science degree in conservation and resource studies. Prior to joining the Center, Miyoko was a local currency activist and sustainable agriculture advocate.
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About Center for Biological Diversity: At the Center for Biological Diversity, we believe that the welfare of human beings is deeply linked to nature
Sarah Uhlemann
Senior Attorney, International Director of Center for Biological Diversity
Sarah Uhlemann, Senior Attorney, International Director, joined the Center in 2010. As part of the Strategic Litigation Group, Sarah’s docket includes a variety of marine and endangered species cases, with a special focus on international issues. Before joining the Center, Sarah was a staff attorney with the Humane Society of the United States. She earned her law degree in 2005 from Lewis & Clark Law School and her bachelor’s in environmental management from Indiana University.
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About Center for Biological Diversity: At the Center for Biological Diversity, we believe that the welfare of human beings is deeply linked to nature
Peter Galvin
Co-Founder, Director of Programs of Center for Biological Diversity
Peter Galvin, Director of Programs, is a founder of the Center. He holds a bachelor’s from Prescott College and a master’s degree from Norwich University. Peter helps coordinate the Center’s legal actions and campaigns, assists in the formulation of organizational policy and strategy and serves on the Center’s leadership team. Before working for the Center, he worked as a contract wildlife researcher for the U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Arizona Game and Fish Department. A longtime environmental activist, Peter also serves on the board of directors of the Beech Hill Foundation and is a member of the Science Oversight Team for the Global Owl Project.
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About Center for Biological Diversity: At the Center for Biological Diversity, we believe that the welfare of human beings is deeply linked to nature
Noah Greenwald
Endangered Species Director of Center for Biological Diversity
Noah Greenwald, Endangered Species Director, directs the Center’s efforts to protect new species under the Endangered Species Act, to ensure that imperiled species receive effective protections and that we have the strongest Endangered Species Act possible. He also works to educate the public about the importance of protecting biodiversity and about the multitude of threats to the survival of North American wildlife. He holds a bachelor of science in ecology from the Evergreen State College and a master’s in forest ecology and conservation from the University of Washington. Before he joined the Center in 1997, Noah worked as a field biologist, surveying northern spotted owls and marbled murrelets and banding Hawaiian songbirds.
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About Center for Biological Diversity: At the Center for Biological Diversity, we believe that the welfare of human beings is deeply linked to nature
Janet Walkow
Executive Director & Chief Technology Officer of The University of Texas at Austin
Janet Walkow joined the faculty of the University of Texas in 2008, building on a successful career in the pharmaceutical industry, where she led efforts ranging from R&D to corporate strategy. Leading the Drug Dynamic Institute, a collaborative research center, Janet brings together scientists and investigators to work on novel solutions for disease and healthcare issues. The institute partners with university, industry and community leaders to foster collaborations and develop ways to eliminate barriers to commercialization opportunities. Following her pharmaceutical executive career, Janet founded MxV, llc, where she had the opportunity to work in a variety of business settings and lead strategic planning, communications and integration activities for companies ranging from start-ups to the Fortune 100. Her success and expertise in both scientific and business arenas blends technical, analytical and leadership skills, allowing Janet to effectively manage research programs, develop business strategies and successfully launch products and programs in the marketplace. She serves on the Board of Directors for the Health Promotion Council of Pennsylvania and the Harvard Kennedy School Women’s Leadership Board.
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About Austin Technology Incubator, The University of Texas at Austin: University of Texas is an educational institution that provides undergraduate, graduate, and research programs.
Ryan Anderson
Director of Outreach and Strategic Partnerships – The Center for Identity of The University of Texas at Austin
Ryan Anderson is the Director of Outreach and Strategic Partners for the Center for Identity, at the University of Texas at Austin, where he works to promote awareness of the Center’s unique research and education missions, and to identify new opportunities for strategic collaboration. The Center for Identity is serves as a center of excellence for identity management, privacy and security, offering research, education and leadership with its “ID360” approach. The Center brings together a variety contributing disciplines (law, policy, business, technology, society and communications) to partner with leaders from impacted market sectors from corporations, government and law enforcement. Ryan brings over 15 years of experience in marketing and business strategy to the Center, with a particular focus on brand development, digital marketing, and technology-focused start-ups.
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About The University of Texas at Austin: University of Texas is an educational institution that provides undergraduate, graduate, and research programs.
David Crusoe
Senior Director – Product Strategy of Boys & Girls Clubs of America
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About Boys & Girls Clubs of America: To enable all young people, especially those who need us most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens.
Xiang Qian
Medical Director, International Medical Services of Stanford Hospital & Clinics
Dr Xiang Qian is a Pain Medicine Faculty and Physician at Stanford University. He is specialized in treating various pain conditions utilizing the combination of medicine, interventional procedure, physical therapy, and others. He is the co-director of Stanford Neuro Interventional Facial Pain Program and leads the only CT-guided interventional program in west coast of the US. Dr Qian is the Medical Director of International Medical Services at Stanford University. He helps oversee the provision of clinical care, medical chart review, and remote second opinion of Stanford international patients, along with colleagues at IMS. He helps review and optimizes telemedicine consult and international patient referral protocols, policies, and procedures. In addition, He has been working in collaboration with the faculty and hospital administrations to promote international collaborations aligned with Stanford Medicine vision. Dr Qian is the Founding President and the current Chairman of the Society of Chinese American Physician Entrepreneurs, SCAPE, one of the largest non-profit organizations of American physicians with Chinese heritage. SCAPE is a unique platform based in the United States for Chinese American Physicians to exchange ideas and to network. Members are from 50 states of the US, across over 30 different subspecialties, in both private practice and prestigious academic medical centers.
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About Stanford Health Care, Stanford Hospital & Clinics, Stanford University, Stanford University School of Medicine: Stanford Hospital & Clinics operates as a hospital that provides patient care services in the United States.
Donna Alvarado
Founder & Managing Director of Aguila International
Donna Alvarado was elected to the Company’s Board of Directors in December 2003 as an independent director. Donna is the founder and managing director of Aguila International. Aguila is an international business-consulting firm, specializing in human resources and leadership development, that provides a consortium for businesses and non-profit organizations seeking to collaborate in the western hemisphere. Donna has held senior management positions in government, in addition to her established career in the private business sector. She has served as deputy assistant secretary of defense, U.S. Department of Defense; counsel for the U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary subcommittee on Immigration and Refugee Policy; and staff member of the U.S. House of Representatives Select Committee on Narcotics Abuse and Control. Donna also was appointed by President Reagan and confirmed by the U.S. Senate as director of ACTION, the federal domestic volunteer agency, where she directed the activities of nearly 500,000 Americans serving as volunteers, leading 500 employees and managing a $170 million budget. Donna currently serves as a Regent on the Ohio Board of Regents, serves as a member of the Governor’s Commission on Higher Education and the Economy, and Vice Chair of the Governor’s Workforce Policy Board in Ohio. Donna earned her postgraduate certificate in Financial Management from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, completed doctoral coursework on Latin American Literature from the University of Oklahoma, and earned both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Spanish from Ohio State University.
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About Aguila International, Ohio Department of Higher Education, Workforce Policy Board: Aguila International.
Shira Perlmutter
Chief Policy Officer and Director for International Affairs of United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO)
Shira Perlmutter is the Chief Policy Officer and Director for International Affairs at the USPTO. In that position, Ms. Perlmutter serves as a policy advisor to the Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and oversees administration and support for all domestic and international IP policy-related operations; congressional and legislative engagement, as carried out by the Office of Governmental Affairs; education and training, as carried out under the Global Intellectual Property Academy (GIPA); global IP leadership through administration of the IP Attaché Program; and economic analysis, as carried out by the Chief Economist. Before joining the USPTO, Ms. Perlmutter was Executive Vice President for Global Legal Policy at the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI). Prior to that, she held the position of Vice President and Associate General Counsel for Intellectual Property Policy at Time Warner. Ms. Perlmutter previously worked at the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) in Geneva as a consultant on the copyright issues involved in electronic commerce. In 1995, she was appointed as the first Associate Register for Policy and International Affairs at the U.S. Copyright Office. She was the copyright consultant to the Clinton Administration’s Advisory Council on the National Information Infrastructure in 1994-95. Ms. Perlmutter is a Research Fellow at the Oxford Intellectual Property Research Centre at Oxford University. From 1990-95, she was a law professor at The Catholic University of America, teaching Copyright Law, Trademarks and Unfair Competition, and International Intellectual Property Law. Previously, she practiced law in New York City, specializing in copyright and trademark counseling and litigation. She is a co-author of a leading casebook on International Intellectual Property Law and Policy, and has published numerous articles on copyright issues. Ms. Perlmutter received her A.B. from Harvard University and her J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania.
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About United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO): The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is the federal agency for granting U.S. patents and registering trademarks.
Bismarck Myrick
Director, Office of EEO & Diversity of United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO)
Bismarck Myrick became the Director of the Office of Equal Employment Opportunity and Diversity (formerly: the Office Civil Rights) at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in July 2008. From 2003 to 2008, Mr. Myrick was the Deputy Director of that Office. Prior to joining the USPTO, Mr. Myrick worked as an appellate review attorney in Office of Federal Operations at the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission from 1999-2003. Prior to working at the EEOC, Mr. Myrick worked as a trial attorney for the Baltimore City Department of Social Services. Mr. Myrick received a bachelor’s degree in Communication Studies from Florida State University and a Juris Doctorate from the University of Missouri-Columbia. Mr. Myrick is licensed to practice law in the District of Columbia and State of Maryland.
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About United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO): The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is the federal agency for granting U.S. patents and registering trademarks.
Muzaffar Chishti
Director, MPI’s office at NYU School of Law of Migration Policy Institute
Muzaffar Chishti, a lawyer, is Director of MPI’s office at New York University School of Law. His work focuses on U.S. immigration policy at the federal, state, and local levels; the intersection of labor and immigration law; immigration enforcement; civil liberties; and immigrant integration. Prior to joining MPI, Mr. Chishti was Director of the Immigration Project of the Union of Needletrades, Industrial & Textile Employees (UNITE). Mr. Chishti is Chairman of the Board of Directors of the National Immigration Law Center and serves on the boards of the New York Immigration Coalition and the Asian American Federation. He has served as Chairman of the Board of Directors of the National Immigration Forum and as a member of the American Bar Association’s Coordinating Committee on Immigration. Mr. Chishti has testified extensively on immigration policy issues before Congress and is frequently quoted in the media. In 1992, as part of a U.S. team, he assisted the Russian Parliament in drafting its legislation on forced migrants and refugees. He is a 1994 recipient of the New York State Governor’s Award for Outstanding Asian Americans and a 1995 recipient of the Ellis Island Medal of Honor. Mr. Chishti was educated at St. Stephen’s College, Delhi; the University of Delhi; Cornell Law School; and the Columbia School of International Affairs.
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About Migration Policy Institute: The MIP provides analysis, development, and evaluation of migration and refugee policies at local, national, and international levels.
Michelle Mittelstadt
Director of Communications and Public Affairs of Migration Policy Institute
Michelle Mittelstadt is MPI’s Director of Communications and Public Affairs and is responsible for developing and implementing the Institute’s strategic communications, coordinating public and media outreach and events, managing the editing and publishing process, and overseeing the Institute’s websites, social media platforms, and publication of its online journal, the Migration Information Source. A veteran journalist, she joined MPI after covering immigration policy, Congress, and border-related issues in the Washington bureaus of The Associated Press, The Dallas Morning News, and the Houston Chronicle. She has written hundreds of articles examining U.S. immigration policy, border and interior enforcement, and the post-9/11 legislative and executive branch changes that have altered the immigration landscape. She also covered the Departments of Justice and Homeland Security. Prior to coming to Washington, Ms. Mittelstadt was an editor with The Associated Press in Dallas and managing editor of The Courier Herald in Dublin, Ga. She holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism with a concentration in global studies from the University of Georgia.
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About Migration Policy Institute: The MIP provides analysis, development, and evaluation of migration and refugee policies at local, national, and international levels.
Ken Crognale
Director of Finance and Administration of Migration Policy Institute
Ken Crognale is Director of Finance and Administration at the Migration Policy Institute and is responsible for finance and accounting, human resources, office operations, and grants administration. Prior to joining MPI, Mr. Crognale held senior roles in the accounting and finance departments at the Landon School, the German Marshall Fund of the United States, and the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Earlier in his career, he worked in the banking regulation sector of the U.S. federal government. Mr. Crognale is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) with more than 15 years in the not-for-profit sector. He holds a bachelor of arts degree in economics from the University of Pittsburgh and did additional coursework in accounting and finance at American University.
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About Migration Policy Institute: The MIP provides analysis, development, and evaluation of migration and refugee policies at local, national, and international levels.
Ken Crognale
Director of Finance and Administration of Migration Policy Institute
Ken Crognale is Director of Finance and Administration at the Migration Policy Institute and is responsible for finance and accounting, human resources, office operations, and grants administration. Prior to joining MPI, Mr. Crognale held senior roles in the accounting and finance departments at the Landon School, the German Marshall Fund of the United States, and the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Earlier in his career, he worked in the banking regulation sector of the U.S. federal government. Mr. Crognale is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) with more than 15 years in the not-for-profit sector. He holds a bachelor of arts degree in economics from the University of Pittsburgh and did additional coursework in accounting and finance at American University.
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About Migration Policy Institute: The MIP provides analysis, development, and evaluation of migration and refugee policies at local, national, and international levels.
Doris Meissner
Senior Fellow and Director of Migration Policy Institute
Doris Meissner, former Commissioner of the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS), is a Senior Fellow at MPI, where she directs the Institute’s U.S. immigration policy work. Her responsibilities focus in particular on the role of immigration in America’s future and on administering the nation’s immigration laws, systems, and government agencies. Her work and expertise also include immigration and politics, immigration enforcement, border control, cooperation with other countries, and immigration and national security. She has authored and coauthored numerous reports, articles, and op-eds and is frequently quoted in the media. She served as Director of MPI’s Independent Task Force on Immigration and America’s Future, a bipartisan group of distinguished leaders. The group’s report and recommendations address how to harness the advantages of immigration for a 21st century economy and society. From 1993-2000, she served in the Clinton administration as Commissioner of the INS, then a bureau in the U.S. Department of Justice. Her accomplishments included reforming the nation’s asylum system; creating new strategies for managing U.S. borders; improving naturalization and other services for immigrants; shaping new responses to migration and humanitarian emergencies; strengthening cooperation and joint initiatives with Mexico, Canada, and other countries; and managing growth that doubled the agency’s personnel and tripled its budget. She first joined the Justice Department in 1973 as a White House Fellow and Special Assistant to the Attorney General. She served in various senior policy posts until 1981, when she became Acting Commissioner of the INS and then Executive Associate Commissioner, the third-ranking post in the agency. In 1986, she joined the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace as a Senior Associate. Ms. Meissner created the Endowment’s Immigration Policy Project, which evolved into the Migration Policy Institute in 2001. Ms. Meissner’s board memberships include CARE-USA and the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation. She is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, the Inter-American Dialogue, the Pacific Council on International Diplomacy, the National Academy of Public Administration, the Administrative Conference of the United States, and the Constitution Society.
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About Migration Policy Institute: The MIP provides analysis, development, and evaluation of migration and refugee policies at local, national, and international levels.
Romi Bhatia
Executive Director of The Idea Center at Miami Dade College
Romi Bhatia became the new Executive Director of the Idea Center at Miami Dade College in August 2017. The Idea Center is the innovation and entrepreneurship hub for MDC and the South Florida community. Mr. Bhatia arrived to Miami-Dade College with a 17-year career in international development spanning numerous developing countries across Latin America, Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. He brings extensive knowledge and experience in small enterprise development and impact investing through his work at the United States Agency for International Development. Mr. Bhatia spearheaded USAID’s approach to diaspora engagement launching the first Global Diaspora Forum and the International diaspora Engagement Alliance in 2013. Prior to joining the USAID, Mr. Bhatia spent six years at Microfinance International Corporation serving as the VP for International Programs. From 2009-2017, Mr. Bhatia taught microfinance and crowdfunding as an adjunct lecturer at the George Washington University School of Business.
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About The Idea Center at Miami Dade College: Miami’s hub for innovation, creativity & entrepreneurship
Dawn Hawkins
Executive Director of Morality In Media
Dawn Hawkins is MIM’s Executive Director and Director of Pornography Harms, which encompasses all of MIM’s educational efforts. Prior to being hired by MIM in February 2011, she was a volunteer working for several hours each week for Mr. Trueman. Her duties included research and writing for PornHarms.com and directing volunteers for the site, development of the Pornography Harms Facebook, Youtube, and Livestream sites and coordination of two conferences on pornography. While volunteering for Mr. Trueman during the fourteen months, she was employed by a political consulting firm helping businesses and political candidates utilize digital strategies to reach expansive audiences and raise funds. Her expertise in social networking and digital strategies contributed to the successful election of several high-profile candidates in the 2010 election cycle. Dawn has worked on a number of high-profile political campaigns, including Romney for President in 2008. Dawn is a graduate of Tufts University and currently resides with her husband, Michael in Arlington, VA.
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About Morality In Media: Morality In Media The leading National Organization opposing pornography and indecency through public education and application of the law.
Lesley Rohrbaugh
Director of Research of Consumer Technology Association
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About Consumer Technology Association: CTA brings a strong, collective voice to advocate on behalf of the entrepreneurs, technologists and innovators.
Steve Ewell
Executive Director & Consumer Technology Association Foundation of Consumer Technology Association
Stephen Ewell is the Executive Director of the Consumer Technology Association Foundation.
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About 48 Fields, Consumer Technology Association: CTA brings a strong, collective voice to advocate on behalf of the entrepreneurs, technologists and innovators.
Guy Finley
Executive Director of Media & Entertainment Services Alliance – MESA
Guy started his career in the entertainment industry as a successful performer and producer, making music with industry giants such as Phil Ramone, Elliott Scheiner, and Dave Grusin, among others. His New York City based group was signed to Larry Rosen’s N2K Encoded Music, the first record company to distribute music via digital downloads. He joined the home entertainment industry as President of LFA, Inc., providing home video brand and business consulting services for a worldwide clientele. His firm represented JVC in North America, licensing the loading and duplication of VHS videocassettes bearing the VHS Logo Trademark. In 2005 he joined the Content Delivery and Security Association (then IRMA, International Recording Media Association) where he pioneered the CDSA Daily News Portal and co-chaired the accountability sub-committee of the EPCglobal Item Level Tagging Public Policy Steering Committee. CDSA is currently managed by MESA. In 2008 he founded MESA as a coalition of service providers to the Hollywood studios, independent content holders, video game publishers, software publishers and music labels. Through MESA’s media, events, special interest groups and association management, MESA facilitates ongoing discussions about collaboration and innovation in the entertainment industry along four key verticals: physical and digital supply chain, content security, information technology and 2nd screen technologies. With over 100 member companies and branches in the U.S. and Europe, MESA is a leading voice in the global media & entertainment industry.
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About Media & Entertainment Services Alliance – MESA: Building efficiencies in the creation, production and distribution of physical and digital media and entertainment.
Andrew Albert
Executive Director of West Manhattan Chamber of Commerce
Andrew Albert has been a member of the New York City Transit Riders Council (NYCTRC) since 1986 and has served as its chairman since 1988. The Council has been a partner with MTA New York City Transit in the design of new bus signs, new subway cars, system maps, diversion routings, and stations being rehabilitated. Long interested in public transportation, Mr. Albert has detailed knowledge of the New York City transportation network, including subways and buses, commuter rail lines, and PATH, as well as several foreign systems. He has served since 2002 as vice-chair of the Rail Users’ Network, an advocacy group dedicated to transit, commuter, and long-distance rail users. Mr. Albert is co-chairman of the transportation committee of New York City Community Board 7 and was a member of the 42nd Street Transitway Advisory Committee, which planned a possible light rail system along 42nd Street. Mr. Albert is executive director of the West Manhattan Chamber of Commerce, a civic membership organization that serves Manhattan’s West Side. The Chamber sponsors two of the largest street festivals in New York City, the Columbus Avenue Festival in the fall and the Amsterdam Avenue Festival in the spring. He is also a member of the executive committee of the Lincoln Square Business Improvement District, which covers the area from Columbus Circle to Lincoln Center. Mr. Albert graduated from American University in 1971. He lives on the Upper West Side in Manhattan.
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About Lincoln Square Business Improvement District, West Manhattan Chamber of Commerce: Chamber is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to improving the quality of life for those who live and work on the West Side
Ngozi Ogbonna
Senior Director of User Acquisition of Fairygodboss
Ngozi has an extensive background in both the mobile and media industries. Her tenure includes integrated and digital marketing, ad sales and promotions at Clear Channel Radio (now iHeartMedia) and Fox Cable Networks. With a marketing and digital media MBA from NYU, Ngozi got her start in mobile app monetization and distribution with marketing and partnership roles at several mobile tech startups. She has managed client strategy at ad tech firms, InMobi and Drawbridge, and most recently led user acquisition at theater ticketing startup, TodayTix. She is currently the Co-Chair of the Global Talent & Partnerships committee for Women in Wireless.
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About Fairygodboss: Fairygodboss is the largest career community for women. Free for women, we help employers recruit and hire women.
Dave Lockett
Director, Public Relations of UFC
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About UFC: Ultimate Fighting Championship is the premier mixed martial arts (MMA) organization and largest pay-per-view event provider.
Elaine Patrice Perkins
Director of Albany Chapter of Startup Grind
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About Startup Grind: Startup Grind is a global startup community designed to educate, inspire, and connect entrepreneurs.
Karlie Krieger
Director of Global Events & Partnerships of Startup Grind
Karlie is the Director of Global Events + Partnerships at Startup Grind. She focuses on the planning and production of Startup Grind’s Global Conference, bringing thousands of entrepreneurs to the Silicon Valley every February (more at startupgrind.com/conference). In addition to the event, she also runs strategic partnerships and sponsorships for the company as a whole. Previously, she ran all major conferences at Inc. Magazine while living in New York City. She now lives in San Francisco.
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About Startup Grind: Startup Grind is a global startup community designed to educate, inspire, and connect entrepreneurs.
Jason Ibarra
Director of Miami Chapter of Startup Grind
Jason Ibarra is a life-long entrepreneur, 12 year digital marketer and technology / digital marketing recruiter. Starting as the first employee and ending as the Agency Director, Jason dedicated eight years to building South Florida internet marketing agency Exults at an average growth rate of 250% year over year. As part of his commitment to South Florida’s entrepreneurial and technology community he spends time in advisory and director roles on the boards of TEDxMiami and SFIMA, the South Florida Interactive Marketing Association. He’s no stranger to what it means to be lean, in 2012 he co-founded HalfOffDrinks.com a growth hacked Groupon clone focused on bars and nightlife which grew to 10,000 subscribers in Miami within three months, before he set the project aside to join partners in his current early stage startup Recovery Passport. A native of South Florida, Jason is a seafood lover who prefers to dive in and chase his dinner. His favorite pastime, spearfishing reflects his attitude in life to “dive in and go after what he wants.” In 2013 Jason became a new Father to son, Callid Corvis Ibarra and he says seeing Callid breathe the same air we all breathe drives him more than ever to make a difference in this World. “I’m not counting on reincarnation.” –Jason Ibarra Follow Startup Grind Miami on Twitter: @StartupGrindMIA
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About Startup Grind: Startup Grind is a global startup community designed to educate, inspire, and connect entrepreneurs.
Naomi Grange
Director of Orange County of Startup Grind
Naomi Grange is a forward-thinking innovative leader, smart and successful. She maximizes her strengths as a strategist, connector, influencer and motivator. Naomi is inspired by the courage, determination and independence of people who have touched her life in one way or the other. She have over 29 years experience in marketing and business development. Naomi is the vision behind TXTgirl® an on and offline destination created by girls for girls. It’s positive space where girls can in real-time, motivate, inspire, encourage, teach, learn, and connect with other girls who want to live their best life while empowering themselves and others. Naomi expanded her vision and team to create GIVEvolution® the next step in the evolution of giving. Follow her @TXTgirlNaomi
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About Startup Grind: Startup Grind is a global startup community designed to educate, inspire, and connect entrepreneurs.
Mike Grabham
Director of Seattle Chapter of Startup Grind
Michael is optimistic, curious and a problem solver. He is a product fit guy that focuses on customers and revenue (aka GrowthHacker). He loves starting companies/teams and enjoys the collaboration with smart people to figure out how to create value for a customer. He is a five time founder and has raised $3.5MM from angel investors. He has sold two companies, closed a company and failed once. Currently he is working with sendinblue.com, a marketing platform for small business, helping them start and grow their US operations Let him know if you need some help. You can visit his blog at michaelgrabham.com or follow him on twitter @grabmike
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About Package Guard, Startup Grind: Startup Grind is a global startup community designed to educate, inspire, and connect entrepreneurs.
Michael Bott
Director of Cincinnati Chapter of Startup Grind
Mike joined Blue Chip in 2015 after a successful stint running The Brandery, a top-ranked US startup accelerator. In addition to investing in and mentoring early stage startups at The Brandery, Mike brings operating experience from his product and brand management background, combining years of what’s often referred to as growth hacking with P&G’s classical brand management training. Prior to joining The Brandery, Mike was a thought leader in Procter & Gamble’s brand management function, architecting Olay North America’s digital strategy and ecosystem which was awarded P&G’s internal designation of “Best Digital.” Before P&G, he led product launches as a product manager at Match.com and AOL, including leading AOL’s flagship product at the time – desktop e-mail. Mike earned an MBA, with honors, from the University of Notre Dame Mendoza College of Business, and also a BBA in Marketing from Notre Dame. He serves on the Xavier University Williams College of Business Marketing advisory board and Student Run Business Council, advises University of Cincinnati’s Bearcat Bridge Fund, and is active in the University of Notre Dame Gigot Center for Entrepreneurship efforts to support entrepreneurial-minded students. Still active mentoring early stage entrepreneurs, Mike serves as a mentor to The Brandery, TechStars Mobility, the LA Dodgers Accelerator, and the NFL’s Business Management and Entrepreneurial Program. Mike is also a co-founder and partner of the Kyros Global Accelerator Fund. Additionally, he’s the Chapter Director for Startup Grind Cincinnati. Mike and his wife Courtney, currently VP of Digital Marketing at The EW Scripps Company and P&G alum, reside in Montgomery, Ohio, with their one-year-old son, Tommy.
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About Startup Grind: Startup Grind is a global startup community designed to educate, inspire, and connect entrepreneurs.
Nikhil Narayan
Co-Director of Delhi NCR of Startup Grind
Nikhil Narayan is a Co-Director of Delhi NCR at Startup Grind.
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About Startup Grind: Startup Grind is a global startup community designed to educate, inspire, and connect entrepreneurs.
Irena Efremovska
Director of Skopje Chapter of Startup Grind
Irena is a systems thinker, player and doer. She brings experience in working with different organizations from all around Europe and is most passionate about connecting the dots between business development, innovation, and sustainability. Irena works as an Associate in South Central Ventures, a manager of the ENIF fund that invests in the most promising tech startups in the region. She is also a member of the Board of Girls in Tech Macedonia. She has a zeal for entrepreneurship and supporting people who make things happen. Stop and say hi @irenawarwick
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About Startup Grind: Startup Grind is a global startup community designed to educate, inspire, and connect entrepreneurs.
Michael Gasiorek
Shenzhen Chapter Director & Community Builder of Startup Grind
Learning more every day as a globetrotting lean entrepreneur and startup evangelist. Polish-born, American-raised, Hong Kong-loving, and China-based, he is searching for the next place to call home – but building bridges at every stop. When not traveling, studying Mandarin, or jumping around at a live concert he is a founder at ShopHop, your pocket fashion GPS. Serving Startup Coach focused on international ventures at NU IDEA Boston incubator and event curator for Startup Digest Shenzhen. Previously fueled the China startup fire as founder of Startup Grind Shenzhen and DrinkEntrepreneurs, and volunteer with Startup Weekend HK & SZ.
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About ShopHop, Startup Grind, Under 30 Changemakers: Startup Grind is a global startup community designed to educate, inspire, and connect entrepreneurs.
Rita Mittal
Director of Miami Operations of Startup Grind
Rita Mittal is a Director of Miami Operations at Startup Grind.
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About Startup Grind: Startup Grind is a global startup community designed to educate, inspire, and connect entrepreneurs.
Farouq Hassan
Director of Cairo Chapter of Startup Grind
Farouq is a motivated and passionate person his aim always to make a change and creating new opportunity , His Major is Computer Engineering but he always want to know about Business to know all aspects about the startup he started doing by practice when he was Founder and Former CEO at Egypreonics it’s a tech startup that work in the security solution , then he studied Business as a second Major at Kelley school of Business at Indiana university . His aim to develop the Ecosystem curently he works as Entrepreneurship and business literacy trainer at Injaz Egypt Foundation it’s related to junior Achievement Foundation , he gave more that 40 Trainings for 2600 students and entrepreneurs about how to start this business in a different areas in Egypt also he is one of Co-Founders and Business Development Director behind a www.frien10.com it’s a new friend stream tool that aim to know a new friends have the same interest and passion in a secure way.
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About Startup Grind: Startup Grind is a global startup community designed to educate, inspire, and connect entrepreneurs.
Kyle Shields
Director of Utah Chapter of Startup Grind
Kyle is currently pursuing a Master of Accountancy at Brigham Young University. A large portion of his time is devoted to learning the ins and outs of tax accountancy, but once the books are closed Kyle can be found working on some new entrepreneurial pursuit, or working with professors on research projects.
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About Startup Grind: Startup Grind is a global startup community designed to educate, inspire, and connect entrepreneurs.
John Starr
Director of North by Chapter of Startup Grind
Startup Grind North Bay Director John has worked in the San Francisco Bay Area entertainment and technology fields for more than 20 years. He’s helped start two venture funded tech companies, managed computer networks for several large non-profits, taught computer skills to journalists and produced or acted in lots of media projects. His voice can be heard on commercials, corporate narrations and award-winning children’s audio books. He lives and works in Marin County, CA and is dedicated to fostering the entrepreneurial spirit in the North Bay.
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About Startup Grind: Startup Grind is a global startup community designed to educate, inspire, and connect entrepreneurs.
Stacy Burdette
Director of Kalamazoo Community of Startup Grind
Stacy Burdette is the founder of Hacker Gals — a makerspace-like community group, with a focus on women. She has a BA and an MBA from Western Michigan University, and is currently working on a degree in Psychology and Rhetoric and Writing Studies. Stacy enjoys volunteering and being involved in the Kalamazoo community.
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About Startup Grind: Startup Grind is a global startup community designed to educate, inspire, and connect entrepreneurs.
Greg Hudson
Director of Madison Chapter of Startup Grind
Greg Hudson is a Senior Consultant for Nordic Consulting. He moved from his hometown of Portland, Oregon to Madison in 2011 to work for Epic Systems and later the Madison-based startup Fetch Rewards. In his spare time, Greg watches tons of theatre and performs with Atlas Improv Company downtown.
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About Startup Grind: Startup Grind is a global startup community designed to educate, inspire, and connect entrepreneurs.
Lloyd Claycomb
Board of Directors of Adventist World Aviation
Lloyd Claycomb is a skilled entrepreneur with extensive experience as an executive in the construction industry. Lloyd Claycomb has served on the board of organizations like AviBree Real Estate Holding, Inc., Design Builders of Montana, and the Grand Canyon State Bank. With the help of a small loan from his father in 1978, Lloyd Claycomb II founded United Builders Service, Inc. (UBS), a specialty contracting firm that handles specific aspects of the building process including drywall, insulation (both interior and exterior), soundproofing and acoustical systems, fireproofing, steel stud metal framing, and texturing and finishing. The mission of Lloyd Claycomb II company is to “deliver commercial and residential projects based on proven systems and advanced technology” while providing “unsurpassed service to clients and total commitment to safety, quality and integrity – one job at a time.” Lloyd’s emphasis on family values at the core of the business has helped them to build and strengthen relationships with vendors and suppliers across the country. Through the company’s mission and his hard work, Lloyd Claycomb II has built UBS into one of the top contractors, not only in the Denver region, but in the entire nation. The firm has been successful in their work on thousands of commercial projects as well as more than 50,000 multi-family homes across the country. Over the time he spent running his business, Lloyd has overseen the construction of numerous specialty projects as well, and has had a hand in constructing churches, offices, hospitals, nursing homes, apartment complexes, restaurants, condominiums, restaurants, and hotels as well as many others. While the company does business across the country, due to its location in the Rocky Mountain region of the United States UBS has been able to experience the benefits of being situated so closely to the Denver metropolitan area. In 2012, Lloyd’s son, Lloyd Claycomb III joined the firm in a management role and eventually began to take over his father’s role in the company, overseeing the day-to-day operations at UBS. The father and son pair now work in tandem as the CEO and president of UBS, respectively. Outside of work, Lloyd Claycomb is a proud father and a loving grandparent who works as hard to fulfill his passions as he does with his business. Always fascinated by planes and anything that flew, Lloyd decided to he wanted to earn his pilot’s license, and spent over 5,000 hours in the air flying numerous aircraft to earn not only his jet pilot license, but his helicopter pilot license as well. Lloyd Claycomb and his wife, Karen, are both actively involved in philanthropic endeavors; both Lloyd and Karen willingly donate their time and efforts to promote meaningful change. Lloyd has served on the board for Our Children International and Maranthana International Volunteers and is currently sitting on the board of Our Warriors at Home, a nonprofit dedicated to helping the mothers, wives, and caregivers of soldiers who have returned home from combat.
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About : Adventist World Aviation exists to provide logistical air support in remote parts of the world, to carry out humanitarian work.
Rebekah Goehler
Virginia State Director of Child Lures Prevention
Rebekah Goehler has a strong passion for serving and advocating for others. These beliefs were instilled in her at a very young age by her parents, and for this she is extremely thankful. Through formal education and training, as well as invaluable life lessons and experiences, Rebekah had a calling to go into social work and child advocacy. Rebekah holds a Master’s degree in social work, and has had a number of experiences serving others. At the YWCA domestic violence shelter, Rebekah provided individual and group counseling for battered women. She provided domestic violence group counseling in a women’s prison in Chesterfield, VA. She also interned as a school social worker in Chesterfield County Public School in Virginia for one year and has most recently been working in Henrico County, Virginia for 11 years as a school social worker. In 2006, Rebekah had the opportunity to hear Kenneth Wooden speak about Child Lures Prevention at Fort Lee Army Base. Feeling empowered by the message from the program, she began a two-year journey of educating representatives from the school district, local law enforcement, and school community, including parents and students about the Child Lures Prevention program.
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About Child Lures Prevention, Henrico County Public Schools: The nation’s leading child personal safety program. Our mission is to help ensure the personal safety of children.
Mark Litzler
Director of External Affairs of The Nelson-Atkin Museum of Art
Mark Litzler works as an administrator who is in charge of helping hospitals raise funds and get donations. Mark Litzler started working as a social administration shortly after he graduated with a B.B.A in Marketing from from Cleveland State University. Mark accepted a position with St. Ignatius High School in Cleveland, Ohio as the Alumni Director, a position that allowed him to be in charge of the giving program and communications between the school and its donors. During this time, Mark was in charge of planning and preparing for the Centennial Celebration, as well as supporting a 3 million dollar campaign. In 2001, Mark began working as the Executive Director for the St. Luke’s Foundation in Kansas City, MO and has since been in charge of fundraising, marketing, and investing for the Foundation. Mark is also an accomplished cartoonist and often publishes cartoons under the name of Joe Vanilla.
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About Saint Luke’s Hospital Foundation, The Nelson-Atkin Museum of Art: Where the power of art engages the spirit of community.
Douglas Duncan
Managing Director of Wolf River Angeles
Doug began his career at Stephens Inc. in its Corporate Finance Department focusing on traditional investment banking transactions in the insurance sector. Doug was a founding member of FTN Financial’s Structured Finance Group. While at FTN, Doug’s initial focus was on the origination and underwriting efforts of the pooled trust preferred program. He spent seven years traveling nationwide, leading diligence meetings and speaking at board meetings with directors and officers of potential trust preferred issuers. In 2006, Doug began working on the bond distribution of the pooled trust preferred program. In this role, he traveled domestically and internationally speaking on the collateral and structure of the firm’s PreTSL program.
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About Wolf River Angeles: Wolf River Capital Management is a Registered Investment Adviser focused on distressed investments.
James Wingett
Managing Director of Wolf River Angeles
Jim has over 25 years of experience in the financial services sector encompassing commercial banking, insurance, investment banking and investment management. Jim was a founding member, Managing Director and Principal of FTN Financial’s Structured Finance Group. He pioneered FTN’s pooled trust preferred program and led the collateral origination and underwriting efforts. Prior to joining FTN Financial, Jim spent 15 years on the buy side of the business managing investment portfolios of debt securities in excess of $3 billion. He was the Treasurer and Chief Investment Officer for Delta Life and Annuity Company and held a similar position for Union Planters Corporation prior to joining Delta. While at Union Planters, Jim was a member of the acquisition team that rolled up 35 community banks. He has participated in numerous Tier 1 and Tier 2 equity transactions as both issuer and investment banker.
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About Wolf River Angeles: Wolf River Capital Management is a Registered Investment Adviser focused on distressed investments.
Meredith Whittaker
Co-Founder and Co-Director of AI Now Institute
Meredith Whittaker is a Distinguished Research Scientist at New York University, Co-Founder and Co-Director of the AI Now Institute and the Founder of Google’s Open Research group. She has over a decade of experience working in industry, leading product and engineering teams. She co-founded M-Lab, a globally distributed network measurement system that provides the world’s largest source of open data on internet performance. M-Lab provides one of the primary resources for policy makers and researchers investigating issues of net neutrality and network performance. She has worked extensively on issues of privacy and security, advising on both policy direction and technical implementation. She co-founded Simply Secure, helped build and currently advises the Open Technology Fund and led work to strengthen the security of critical internet infrastructure. She has advised the White House, the F.C.C., the City of New York, the European Parliament, and many other governments and civil society organizations on artificial intelligence, internet policy, measurement, privacy and security. She is the Co-Founder and Co-Director of the AI Now Institute at N.Y.U., which is a leading university institute dedicated to researching the social implications of artificial intelligence and related technologies in an interdisciplinary context.
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About AI Now Institute: AI Now Institute is a research institute examining the social implications of artificial intelligence.
Michael Chertok
Senior Director of Philanthropy of Jewish Community Federation and Endowment Fund
Michael Chertok is co-founder, former Board Chair, and Chief Business Development Officer at DDD. Previously, he served as Program Officer in the Global Development Program of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Michael has also worked as a consultant on philanthropy and international development to other private foundations and individual donors and was a Digital Vision Fellow at Stanford University. Michael was the co-founder and Managing Director of Global Catalyst Foundation, the philanthropy arm of a Silicon Valley venture capital firm, where he facilitated a seed grant to help launch DDD. Prior to this, he helped start the non-profit organization Schools Online to bring Internet access and training to more than 5,000 schools around the world. Michael holds a BA in Russian Studies from Yale University and an MBA and a Certificate in Public Management from the Stanford Graduate School of Business.
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About Digital Divide Data, Jewish Community Federation and Endowment Fund, Jewish Community Federation and Endowment Fund, Silicon Valley Community Foundation: A vibrant, connected, and enduring Jewish community that is a force for good locally, in Israel, and around the world.
Mark Reisbaum
Senior Director of Philanthropic Engagement of Jewish Community Federation and Endowment Fund
Mark joined the Federation in 1997. Serving as Chief Endowment Officer and, now, as the Senior Director of Philanthropic Engagement, he has overseen one of the largest Jewish community foundation programs in North America, with funds and foundations totaling nearly $1.6 billion in assets and granting over $160 million in the past year. He has a B.A. from Columbia College and an M.A. in nonprofit administration from the University of San Francisco; and he is a graduate of the Wexner Heritage Program.
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About Jewish Community Federation and Endowment Fund: A vibrant, connected, and enduring Jewish community that is a force for good locally, in Israel, and around the world.
Julie Golde
Interim Senior Director of Community Impact of Jewish Community Federation and Endowment Fund
Julie has been working for the Federation in planning and community impact for over 9 years. During this time, she has collaborated with community partners on Israel and Global grantmaking, Jewish informal education and engagement locally, and, most recently, as the Director of Grants, helping to implement strategic grantmaking and community planning on behalf of the Federation. Previously, Julie served as the East Bay Regional Director of JCRC, among holding other positions in the Jewish community. Her passion for working in the Jewish world began after living in Israel. She has a B.S. in Speech and Hearing Science from Arizona State University and an M.A. in Special Education from San Francisco State University.
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About Jewish Community Federation and Endowment Fund: A vibrant, connected, and enduring Jewish community that is a force for good locally, in Israel, and around the world.
John Jong
Board of Directors of American Veterinary Medical Association
Dr. John H. de Jong of Weston, Mass., is a companion animal veterinarian and experienced veterinary surgeon. The 1985 graduate of Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine owns the Boston Mobile Veterinary Clinic and Newton Animal Hospital; is the former CEO and Director of the Boston Animal Hospital; and is the founder and former chief surgeon of the low-cost spay/neuter clinic at the Merwin Memorial Clinic. Elected to the Executive Board in 2010 to represent District 1, Dr. de Jong previously served in the AVMA’s House of Delegates from 1999 to 2010, where he chaired the AVMA’s House Advisory Committee, the Governance Performance Review Committee and the Political Action Committee Policy Board. In addition, he has served as the AVMA-CAN State Legislative Coordinator and on the Long Range Planning Committee. Dr. de Jong has been recognized and honored many times by the communities he serves. The Massachusetts Veterinary Medical Association awarded him the Distinguished Service Award in 2006. Both Boston Magazine and the Improper Bostonian have called him Boston’s Best Veterinarian. In 1993, he was recognized as one of Boston’s Outstanding Young Leaders. He has served as president of the Massachusetts and New England veterinary medical associations as well as the American Association of Housecall Veterinarians. Early in his career, Dr. de Jong worked as a state veterinarian for the Massachusetts Racing Commission and was a track veterinarian at Foxboro Raceway. Today Dr. de Jong is a noted Boston small animal veterinary surgeon who has completed well over 25,000 surgeries over the past two decades. In addition, he writes a weekly column that appears in the Boston Herald and is heard monthly as a guest on WRKO’s syndicated Howie Carr Show. Dr. de Jong has been a candidate for the Massachusetts state legislature on two occasions—in 1990 for the state Senate and 1988 for the state house—currently sits on the Weston Republican Town Committee, and is a member and past president (2006-2008) of the Middlesex Club, America’s oldest Republican club. Dr. de Jong also served as president (1995-1997) and first vice president (1992-1995) of the Boston Republican City Committee. In addition, Dr. de Jong received gubernatorial appointments as chair of the Boston Finance Commission, where he oversaw the budget for the city of Boston for six years, and to the board of directors of Zoo New England. Dr. de Jong is active in his church and is an alumni leader at the schools he has attended. He is class agent at Choate, a Trustee of Tufts University, and a member of the Board of Advisors of Tufts’ Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine. He’s also active in many sports, including rugby, lacrosse, golf, and fishing. He lives with his wife Carole and two sons, Jack and Sam, in Weston, MA.
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About : American Veterinary Medical Association is a non-profit association.
Chip Price
Board of Directors of American Veterinary Medical Association
Dr. V. Hugh Price Jr. is director of animal resources at the Louisiana State University (LSU) Health Sciences Center at Shreveport, LA where he is also professor of molecular and cellular physiology and professor of emergency medicine. Dr. Price received a Bachelor of Science degree in biology from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas, in 1969. In 1980, he received his Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine from the LSU School of Veterinary Medicine in Baton Rouge, La. Prior to his teaching career at LSU, which spans from 1984 to the present day, Dr. Price was a National Institute of Health Post Doctoral Fellow from 1981 to 1984 at the University of Missouri. Dr. Price served in the U.S. Navy from 1970 to 1974, when he was honorably discharged. His military career continued as he served in the U.S. Army Reserve, 141st Med Det (VC), in Columbia, Mo., from 1982-1984. From 1984 to 2007, Dr. Price served at the U.S. Reserve as a Laboratory Animal Veterinary Officer at the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute for Chemical Defense at the Aberdeen Proving Grounds in Maryland. He retired from the U.S. Army Reserve at the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in 2007. Dr. Price has also been active in veterinary medical associations. He served as the president of the Louisiana Veterinary Medical Association (LVMA) from 1999-2000, and as a member of the LVMA Board of Directors from 1995-2001. Prior to becoming a member of the AVMA Executive Board, Dr. Price served as the alternate delegate from the LVMA to the AVMA House of Delegates (HOD) from 2001 to 2005, as delegate from the LVMA to the HOD from 2005 to 2009, and served on the House Advisory Committee from 2006 to 2009. Dr. Price also served as president of the American Association of Laboratory Animal Science (AALAS) in 2004-2005 and was a member of the AALAS Board of Trustees from 1999-2006. Dr. Price is active in his community as a member of the Professional Advisory Committee of Southland Home Health Care from 1993 to present. He also served as a member of the Caddo Parrish Animal Control Advisory Board from 1987 to 1997.
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About : American Veterinary Medical Association is a non-profit association.
Alan Spoon
Member of the Board of Directors of The Council on Foreign Relations
Alan Spoon is a General Partner at Polaris and has been part of their team since 1996 as an early advisor and initial investor. Alan focuses on investments in information technology, with emphasis on revenue-stage companies, digital media, and e-commerce. Alan brings more than 20 years of operating, strategy, and investment experience to Polaris. He came to the firm from The Washington Post Company, where he worked for 18 years. During his career with The Post Company, he served as President, board member, Chief Financial Officer, President of Newsweek, head of newspaper marketing, and head of corporate business development. The Post Company has significant activities in newspapers, educational markets (Kaplan), television, cable, and magazines. At The Post Company, Alan also was responsible for early stage technology investments in cellular (Cellular One and digital PCS), distance learning and educational software, and information and e-commerce services (including Washingtonpost.com, Exchange.com, Junglee, BrassRing, Cars.com, and WebTV). Prior to The Washington Post, Alan was an officer at The Boston Consulting Group, an international management consulting firm specializing in corporate strategy. Alan represents Polaris as a director of Art.com, Ice.com/Diamond.com, LegalZoom, LRN, Phreesia, Silicon Optix, Inc., The HealthCentral Network, and AWS Convergence Technologies, Inc. (Weatherbug). Alan was a long-serving director of TechTarget, Inc. (TTGT, NASDAQ). He led Polaris’ investment in Matrics, Inc. (RFID) which was sold to Symbol Technologies. Alan also served as director at Cushcraft Corporation (wireless antennae), which was sold to Laird Technologies. Current outside Board seats include Danaher Corporation (DHR) and IAC/InterActive Corp (IACI). In his not-for-profit activities, Alan is a member of the Smithsonian Institution Board of Regents, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Corporation, and The Council on Foreign Relations. Alan’s prior business board service included ARPU, Getty Images, Human Genome Sciences, Inc., International Data Group (IDG), and American Management Systems, Inc. Prior not-for-profit board service included WETA (Washington, DC public television and radio) and the Norwood School (Bethesda, MD), where Alan served as chairman. Alan earned his B.S. at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, an M.S. at M.I.T.’s Sloan School of Management, and a J.D., with honors, from Harvard Law School.
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About : Council on Foreign Relations operates as a non-partisan membership organization, think tank, and publisher.
Adam Segal
Senior Fellow, Director of the Digital and Cyberspace Policy Program of The Council on Foreign Relations
Adam Segal is the Ira A. Lipman chair in emerging technologies and national security and director of the Digital and Cyberspace Policy Program at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR). An expert on security issues, technology development, and Chinese domestic and foreign policy, Segal was the project director for the CFR-sponsored Independent Task Force report Defending an Open, Global, Secure, and Resilient Internet. His book The Hacked World Order: How Nations Fight, Trade, Maneuver, and Manipulate in the Digital Age (PublicAffairs, 2016) describes the increasingly contentious geopolitics of cyberspace. His work has appeared in the Financial Times, The Economist, Foreign Policy, The Wall Street Journal, and Foreign Affairs, among others. He currently writes for the blog, “Net Politics.”
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About The Council on Foreign Relations: Council on Foreign Relations operates as a non-partisan membership organization, think tank, and publisher.
Scott Snyder
Senior Fellow for Korea Studies and Director, Program on U.S.-Korea Policy of The Council on Foreign Relations
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About The Council on Foreign Relations: Council on Foreign Relations operates as a non-partisan membership organization, think tank, and publisher.
Doug Bloch
Political Director of Teamsters
Doug Bloch has been political director at Teamsters Joint Council 7 since 2010. In this capacity, he works with over 100,000 Teamsters in Northern California, the Central Valley, and Northern Nevada in a variety of industries. He was the Port of Oakland campaign director for Change to Win from 2006 to 2010 and a senior research analyst at Service Employees International Union Local 1877 from 2004 to 2006. Mr. Bloch was statewide political director at the California Association of Community Organization for Reform Now (ACORN) from 2003 to 2004 and ran several ACORN regional offices, including Seattle and Oakland, from 1999 to 2003. He was an organizer at the Non-Governmental Organization Coordinating Committee for Northeast Thailand from 1999 to 2003.
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About Teamsters: Teamsters mission is to organize and educate workers towards a higher standard of living.
Daniel Burka
Director of Design of Vital Strategies
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About Project N95, Resolve to Save Lives, silverorange, Vital Strategies: We are a global public health organization that designs solutions to pressing health problems.
Kyunggeun Lee
Director of HDBaseT Alliance
KG Lee currently serves on the HDBaseT Alliance Board of Directors. Mr. Lee has been working in the Standardization Fields such as DVD Forum, Blu-Ray Disc Association (BDA) and OIPF since 1989.Presently, Mr. Lee serves as a Director in the DMC R&D Center for SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS.
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About DMC, Inc., HDBaseT Alliance: The HDBaseT Alliance was formed to promote and standardize HDBaseT technology for distribution of uncompressed HD multimedia.
HyeonJae Lee
Director of HDBaseT Alliance
Mr. Lee has served as W3C Web and TV Interest Group Chair since 2010 and as an LG Electronics representative. He has also represented LG in RVU and Open IPTV Forum in 2010-2011. Additionally, Mr. Lee has participated in ATIS, ATSC and DVC as an LG representative from 2009-2010.Mr. Lee is a founder of Open IPTV Forum and was invovled as a Samsung Electronics representative in CEA, DLNA, UPnP and ATSC from 2005-2007.
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About HDBaseT Alliance, IPTV: The HDBaseT Alliance was formed to promote and standardize HDBaseT technology for distribution of uncompressed HD multimedia.
Jordan Stein
Director of Smart Cities Program of Internet of Things Consortium
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About Internet of Things Consortium, Rhino: Premier IoT trade association connecting a global ecosystem of leading companies building the Internet of Things
Jerry Brito
Executive Director of Coin Center
Jerry Brito is executive director of Coin Center, a non-profit research and advocacy center focused on the public policy issues facing cryptocurrency technologies such as Bitcoin. Previously he directed the Technology Policy Program at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University and served as adjunct professor of law at George Mason University. His research has focused on technology and Internet policy, copyright, and the regulatory process. Jerry is the recipient of the Public Knowledge IP3 Award and was named one of Washington’s 100 top tech leaders by Washingtonian magazine and to the POLITICO 50 list of D.C. influencers. He lives in Annandale, Virginia, with his wife Kathleen O’Hearn and their dog Jerkface.
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About Coin Center: Court Innovations develops and implements online negotiation systems for courts and constituents.
Peter van Valkenburg
Director of Research of Coin Center
Peter is the Director of Research for Coin Center. Formerly, he was the Google Policy Fellow for TechFreedom. He has a JD from the NYU School of Law and a BS in Economics from George Mason University.
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About Coin Center: Court Innovations develops and implements online negotiation systems for courts and constituents.
Anita Miller
Director, MTA-HQ Labor Relations of Metropolitan Transportation Authority
Anita Miller is Chief Employee Relations and Administrative Officer at Metropolitan Transportation Authority.
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About Metropolitan Transportation Authority: Metropolitan Transportation Authority provides subway, bus, and commuter railroad transportation services to customers with disabilities.
Raymond Diaz
Director of Security of Metropolitan Transportation Authority
Raymond Diaz is Director of Security at Metropolitan Transportation Authority.
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About Metropolitan Transportation Authority: Metropolitan Transportation Authority provides subway, bus, and commuter railroad transportation services to customers with disabilities.
William Wheeler
Director of Special Project Development & Planning of Metropolitan Transportation Authority
William Wheeler is Director of Special Project Development & Planning at Metropolitan Transportation Authority.
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About Metropolitan Transportation Authority: Metropolitan Transportation Authority provides subway, bus, and commuter railroad transportation services to customers with disabilities.
Jeremy DalleTezze
Senior Director Research, Data Analytics of TSIA
Jeremy DalleTezze, TSIA senior director of data analytics, joined the organization in June 2013 to better leverage TSIA data sources as well as to create a framework for service organizations to develop analytic capabilities. He earned his Ph.D. in international economics and finance at Brandeis University, where he analyzed patent portfolios created by IT corporations, alliances, and joint ventures for his dissertation. His professional background includes positions as a senior analyst, analytics consultant, and assistant professor of business. As a result, he has worked with both small and large corporations on topics including forecasting, retail chain optimization, web analytics, text mining, and consumption analytics.
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About TSIA, TSIA: TSIA is a research and advisory firm on a mission to help technology companies strategically leverage services to drive profitable growth.
Thomas Lah
Executive Director of TSIA
Thomas Lah is executive director of the Technology Services Industry Association (TSIA), the leading association for today’s technology and services organizations. Since 1996, he has used his incisive analysis, strategic thinking, and creative solutions to help some of the world’s largest technology companies improve the efficiency of their daily operations. He is a sought-after industry speaker on the topics of optimizing technology service businesses within product companies, business outcome engineering, customer success funding models, X-as-a-Service (XaaS) financial models, the art of helping customers successfully adopt technology, and the latest market trends impacting service organizations worldwide. He has authored several books, including Building Professional Services: The Sirens’ Song (2002), Mastering Professional Services (2005), Bridging the Services Chasm (2009),Consumption Economics: The New Rules of Tech (2011), B4B: How Technology and Big Data Are Reinventing the Customer-Supplier Relationship (2013), and Technology-as-a-Service Playbook: How to Grow a Profitable Subscription Business (2016). Since 2002, Lah has also taught an MBA class at The Ohio State University Fisher College of Business titled “Building Professional Services,” which is based on his writings. Thomas is a regular contributor to the Inside Technology Services blog on the topics of Customer Outcomes, B4B, Outcome Engineering, Customer Success, and Adoption. He is also available to share his expertise with you and your company. Request a speaking engagement to gain outside perspective and thought leadership on current trends affecting the technology services industry.
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About The Ohio State University, TSIA: TSIA is a research and advisory firm on a mission to help technology companies strategically leverage services to drive profitable growth.
Paul Duggan
Board of Director of TSIA
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About : TSIA is a research and advisory firm on a mission to help technology companies strategically leverage services to drive profitable growth.
David S. Carlson
Director of Research, Support Services of TSIA
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About TSIA: TSIA is a research and advisory firm on a mission to help technology companies strategically leverage services to drive profitable growth.
Ralph Kohl
Senior Director of Federal Government Affairs of AANA (American Association of Nurse Anesthetists)
Ralph Kohl has been appointed to the position of Senior Director, Federal Government Affairs, for the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists (AANA), announced AANA Executive Director/CEO Wanda Wilson, PhD, CRNA. Kohl succeeds 16-year veteran Frank Purcell, BA, who departs the AANA to take over the head post at another leading healthcare professional organization. Kohl will direct a staff of six in carrying out the AANA’s Federal Government Affairs legislative, regulatory and reimbursement advocacy efforts. The AANA boasts the nation’s largest nursing political action committee (PAC), and one of the strongest healthcare PACs in the country. “Ralph is a person of great skill and integrity who is a respected and effective advocate on Capitol Hill for CRNAs,” said Wilson. “He is also a gifted and experienced advocacy strategist who knows how to apply member grassroots action, direct lobbying and coalitions, and utilize his extensive contacts to turn AANA ideas and evidence into significant accomplishments for the nurse anesthesia profession.” Over four years with the AANA, Kohl has served as the associate director of Federal Government Affairs, distinguishing himself as a key contributor to the AANA’s advocacy efforts on Capitol Hill. During the past three years his focus has been on helping to advance military veterans’ access to quality healthcare through full practice authority for CRNAs and other advanced practice registered nurses working in Veterans Administration (VA) facilities. An experienced and sought-after public speaker, Kohl’s previous work included senior roles with healthcare professional associations at the federal and state levels, and as a staff member for the New York State Legislature in Albany, N.Y. Originally from Long Island, N.Y., Kohl earned his bachelor’s degree at Dowling College on Long Island. He and his family live in the city of Alexandria, Va.
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About AANA (American Association of Nurse Anesthetists): AANA was founded in 1931 and is located in Park Ridge. AANA is the professional organization for more than 4
Jihan Quraishi
Assistant Director of Research and Quality of AANA (American Association of Nurse Anesthetists)
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About AANA (American Association of Nurse Anesthetists): AANA was founded in 1931 and is located in Park Ridge. AANA is the professional organization for more than 4
Anna Polyak
Senior Director of State Government Affairs and Legal of AANA (American Association of Nurse Anesthetists)
Anna Polyak is the Senior Director of State Government Affairs and Legal at AANA
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About AANA (American Association of Nurse Anesthetists): AANA was founded in 1931 and is located in Park Ridge. AANA is the professional organization for more than 4
