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 Communities 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.
Nick Hasty
Director of Product, Discovery & Machine Learning of Giphy
Follow Nick Hasty:
About Giphy: Giphy is an online database and search engine that allows users to search, share, and discover GIFs.
Justin Appler
Director of Engineering, Applications of Crunchbase
Justin develops software mostly in JavaScript, often for the web, and sometimes in other languages. The challenges of building products that stand the test of time and effective software teams (from recruiting through to day-to-day engineering process) fascinate him.
Follow Justin Appler:
About Crunchbase: Crunchbase provides intelligent prospecting software powered by live company data.
Danielle Ben-Gera
Director of Data Engineering of Crunchbase
Danielle Ben-Gera has been serving as Director of Data Engineering at Crunchbase since September 2018.
Follow Danielle Ben-Gera:
About Crunchbase: Crunchbase provides intelligent prospecting software powered by live company data.
Charlotte Ginsburg
Member of the Board of Directors of Save the Redwoods
Charlotte Ginsburg serves as Director for Catalina Sea Ranch, LLC. The health of the environment has always been important to her and the future of our planet. Charlotte also serves on the board of the Aquarium of the Pacific, and is active with the Cabrillo Aquarium, the Palos Verdes Land Conservancy, Save the Redwoods and other environmental projects. Charlotte lives in Rancho Palos Verdes and has always had a love for the ocean and its inhabitants.
Follow Charlotte Ginsburg:
About : Save the Redwoods is an organization that protects and restores redwood forests and connects people with their peace and beauty.
Denise O’Leary
Member of the Board of Directors of The Denver Foundation
O’Leary has been a private venture capital investor and a corporate director since 1996. She is a member of the Board of Directors of Medtronic, Inc., US Airways Group, Inc., and Calpine Corporation, where she currently chairs the Nominating and Governance Committee. She was previously the Chair of the Audit Committee at both Medtronic and US Air. She has also served on the boards of ALZA Corporation, Chiron Corporation, Del Monte Foods Company and numerous private companies. O’Leary was elected to the Board of Trustees of the University of Denver in early 2013 and serves on the Board of Trustees of the Bonfils-Stanton Foundation as well as the Board of Directors of The Denver Foundation and the Corporation for Supportive Housing, where she recently stepped down as Chair. She previously was a member of the Board of Directors of Stanford Hospital and Clinics, where she served as Chair of the Board, and the Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital at Stanford. She was a member of the Stanford University Board of Trustees for 15 years, during which time she was Vice Chair of the Board and Chair of the Committee on the Medical Center. She was a member of the Presidential Search Committee at Stanford in 2000 and was awarded the Stanford Medal for distinguished volunteer leadership in 2008. A graduate of Stanford University (BS, Industrial Engineering, 1979) and Harvard Graduate School of Business Administration (MBA, 1983), O’Leary was a General Partner at Menlo Ventures in Menlo Park, CA for 15 years. She and her husband, Kent Thiry, relocated to Denver in 2009.
Follow Denise O’Leary:
About : The Denver Foundation connects donor, non-profits and community leaders to those needing help in the community.
Gary L. Perlin
Board of Director of State Farm Insurance
Follow Gary L. Perlin:
About : State Farm is a insurance company that offers insurance and financial services.
Allan R. Landon
Board of Director of State Farm Insurance
Follow Allan R. Landon:
About : State Farm is a insurance company that offers insurance and financial services.
Samir Shah
Senior Director – AI Foundations of Target
Follow Samir Shah:
About Target: Target is an American retailing company providing access to a wide selection of products such as furniture, electronics, toys, and more.
Asher Chaudhry
Sr. Director Technology of Target
Follow Asher Chaudhry:
About Target, University of St Thomas, Saint Paul: Target is an American retailing company providing access to a wide selection of products such as furniture, electronics, toys, and more.
Henrique Castro
Member of the Board of Directors of Target
Previously, Henrique served as Chief Operating Officer of Yahoo! Inc. Additionally, he was elected to join the Board of Directors for Minneapolis-based retailer, Target Corp. on March 13, 2013. Henrique is a senior executive with 20+ years experience in leading companies such as Google, Dell and McKinsey, building, scaling and managing business globally. He is recognized by his knowledge of the Media, Internet, Telco/Tech, Retail, Consumer industries and has extensive experience as CEO/GM, CRO, Head of Strategy and Business Development, Sales & Marketing and Operations Lead. Henrique was formerly Google’s President of Media, Mobile and Platforms Worldwide with full responsibility $5bn+ full P&L of Google’s TV Ads, YouTube Ads, Google Display Network, Mobile Ads, AdMob, AdExchange and DoubleClick business globally. He built and scaled the Display, Mobile and Platforms Business from scratch to turn them it into #1 digital business globally with multi-billion dollar revenue and 2000+ people. In this position he lead the team to launch operations in 40+ countries, hired 1000+ people, acquired and integrated Google’s two largest acquisitions. Prior to this position Henrique lead European Sales & Media Solutions and Sales Operations for Google Europe. Before Google, Henrique was Sales & Business Development Director for Dell Western Europe Region where he managed sales and operations across 9 countries for all B2B businesses with revenues of $2+bn and 30%+ growth. Early in career Henrique worked for ABB- Asea Brown Boveri in Corporate/Project Finance and in the Private Equity. Henrique holds a MBA from IMD and MSc in Economics/Business Administration from ISEG. He is fluent in English, Italian, French, Spanish and Portuguese. Henrique is also a Board Director of the IAB – Interactive Advertising Bureau – The as industry association, that comprises 500+ leading media and technology companies, to set the agenda to educate marketeers, agencies, media companies and regulators on Interactive Advertising.
Follow Henrique Castro:
About : Target is an American retailing company providing access to a wide selection of products such as furniture, electronics, toys, and more.
Maria Brinas-Dobrowski
Director Of Engineering – Site Reliability Engineering, Digital Commerce of Target
Follow Maria Brinas-Dobrowski:
About Target: Target is an American retailing company providing access to a wide selection of products such as furniture, electronics, toys, and more.
Evan Gaustad
Director Cyber Fraud and Abuse Detection Engineering of Target
Follow Evan Gaustad:
About Target, University of Minnesota: Target is an American retailing company providing access to a wide selection of products such as furniture, electronics, toys, and more.
Greg Larson
Sr. Director of Technology of Target
Follow Greg Larson:
About Target: Target is an American retailing company providing access to a wide selection of products such as furniture, electronics, toys, and more.
Ryan McCoy
Director Product Development of Target
Follow Ryan McCoy:
About Target: Target is an American retailing company providing access to a wide selection of products such as furniture, electronics, toys, and more.
Daniel Parker
Director Of Engineering of Target
Follow Daniel Parker:
About Target: Target is an American retailing company providing access to a wide selection of products such as furniture, electronics, toys, and more.
Daniel Parker
Director Of Engineering of Target
Follow Daniel Parker:
About Target: Target is an American retailing company providing access to a wide selection of products such as furniture, electronics, toys, and more.
Susan Wills
Director Strategic Sourcing and Contracts of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Susan Wills is the Director of Strategic Sourcing and Contracts for the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, Massachusetts. She has been in her current position for five years. Susan has worked as the Director of Materials Management, covering departments such as purchasing, contracts, sterile central, courier, mailroom, print shop, medical equipment management, patient transport, warehouse, receiving and inventory control, for over 25 years in both Massachusetts and New Hampshire community hospitals. Susan has been a member of AHRMM since 1992, has been a CMRP since 2002 and recently received her Fellow status in May 2016. She has served on the AHRMM Educational Committee and has supported the New England Society of Healthcare Materials Management (NESHMM). She currently serves on the NESHMM Educational Committee.
Follow Susan Wills:
About Dana-Farber Cancer Institute: Dana-Farber Cancer Institute is a center dedicated to carrying out adult and pediatric cancer treatment activities and advanced research.
James Cheng
Senior Associate Director, Analytics, Prospect Research of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
James Cheng currently holds the position of Associate Director of Analytics in Development Research at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Like many folks in development research, James’ background is not directly related to philanthropy. Besides resource development, he’s made intellectual and professional forays into cell and development biology, secondary science education, as well as educational research, measurement, and evaluation. While finishing up a doctorate degree in applied statistics in education at Boston College, James’ interest in development was piqued when he also took on the role of Prospect Data Mining and Modeling Specialist at MIT from 2006 to 2008. After spending time in the corporate world as a healthcare market researcher, James returned to the philanthropic sector, working at Dana-Farber Development & The Jimmy Fund since January of 2011.
Follow James Cheng:
About Dana-Farber Cancer Institute: Dana-Farber Cancer Institute is a center dedicated to carrying out adult and pediatric cancer treatment activities and advanced research.
Chandra Sanders
Director, RISE of The Mom Project
Follow Chandra Sanders:
About The Mom Project: The Mom Project is a digital talent marketplace helping women remain active in the workforce.
Christian Talmage
Creative Director of Boom.tv
Follow Christian Talmage:
About Boom.tv: BoomTV is an Esports entertainment platform that provides tools to automate score tracking, streaming, and generating event hubs.
Bridget Connolly
Director of International Development of wikiHow
Bridget Connolly heads up wikiHow’s international efforts. These have included expansions into over 14 languages. These efforts have led to top 200 Alexa rankings for wikiHow in countries such as Italy, Columbia, and even Pakistan. Growing up with older brothers, she became a devoted soccer player until derailed by an injury. After graduating Stanford University in international relations, she conducted research in some of the poorest areas of South Africa. She is also an aspiring documentary film-maker. She enjoys traveling the world and capturing it in images.
Follow Bridget Connolly:
About wikiHow: wikiHow is a web- and wiki-based community that provides its users with a database of how-to guides.
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.
Follow Lazar Finker:
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.
Follow Raissa Frenkel:
About Forum Capital Group: The Finker-Frenkel Family Foundation funds world-changing initiatives both at home and abroad.
Batool Hassan
Director, Acumen Academy of Acumen
Batool initially joined Acumen Fund in the Pakistan office as a Knowledge and Communications Consultant working on various insight pieces and knowledge sharing initiatives around the Pakistan investments. She is now working as the Pakistan Business Development Associate managing fundraising and communications initiatives. Prior to joining Acumen Fund in Pakistan, she worked in the US in the consumer banking sector and has experience consulting in microfinance. Batool holds a Masters of International Affairs in Economic Development from the School of International Affairs, Columbia University.
Follow Batool Hassan:
About Acumen: Acumen is a non-profit venture fund that uses entrepreneurial approaches to solve the problems of global poverty.
Catherine Casey Nanda
Director, Acumen America of Acumen
Follow Catherine Casey Nanda:
About Acumen: Acumen is a non-profit venture fund that uses entrepreneurial approaches to solve the problems of global poverty.
Duncan Onyango
East Africa Director of Acumen
Follow Duncan Onyango:
About Acumen: Acumen is a non-profit venture fund that uses entrepreneurial approaches to solve the problems of global poverty.
Yasmina Zaidman
Director of Communications & Strategic Partnerships of Acumen
Follow Yasmina Zaidman:
About Acumen: Acumen is a non-profit venture fund that uses entrepreneurial approaches to solve the problems of global poverty.
David McLaughlin
Director, Global Developer Ecosystem, Developer Relations of Google Launchpad Accelerator
Follow David McLaughlin:
About Google Launchpad Accelerator: Launchpad Accelerator helps startups from around the world in developing the world’s greatest apps.
Mike Haughton
Co-founder and Director of Tradewind Markets
Mike has a background in capital markets and investment management. Mike worked in the capital markets division at RBC for 7 years, after which he joined Steve Eisman in starting Emrys Partners, a long/short hedge fund in New York, to focus on research into the workings of the global banking system. Mike was most recently in Strategic Ventures at IEX.
Follow Mike Haughton:
About Kernls, Tradewind Markets: Tradewind Markets offers a technology platform for digitizing the trading, settlement, and ownership of precious metals.
Rory Christian
Director, New York Clean Energy, Environmental Defense Fund of rabble
Follow Rory Christian:
About : An impact investing platform that connects people with projects that strengthen communities
Eric C. Kendrick
Board of Director of BB&T
Follow Eric C. Kendrick:
About : BB&T is a community bank that finances early and later stage venture investments.
Anna R. Cablik
Board of Director of BB&T
Follow Anna R. Cablik:
About : BB&T is a community bank that finances early and later stage venture investments.
Tollie W. Rich
Board of Director of BB&T
Follow Tollie W. Rich:
About : BB&T is a community bank that finances early and later stage venture investments.
Edwin H. Welch
Board of Director of BB&T
Follow Edwin H. Welch:
About : BB&T is a community bank that finances early and later stage venture investments.
Tom Thompson
Board of Director of BB&T
Follow Tom Thompson:
About : BB&T is a community bank that finances early and later stage venture investments.
Andrew Hitti
Director Of Engineering of Raya
Co-Founder of Worldview.
Follow Andrew Hitti:
About Raya, Worldview: Raya is an online membership-based community for dating, networking, and making new friends.
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.
Follow Isabelle Mauro:
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.
Stormy Byorum
Director and Chairman of the Governance and Nominating Committee of JELD WEN Inc.
Follow Stormy Byorum:
About JELD WEN Inc.: JELD-WEN, the world’s largest manufacturer of windows and doors
David Crusoe
Senior Director – Product Strategy of Boys & Girls Clubs of America
Follow David Crusoe:
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.
Visar Belegu
Director of the Epigenetic and iPS Center of Kennedy Krieger Institute
Dr. Visar Belegu is the director of the Epigenetic and iPS Center for the International Center for Spinal Cord Injury (ICSCI) at Kennedy Krieger Institute and an assistant professor of neurology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Born in Kosova, Dr. Visar Belegu received his bachelor of science in biology with a cellular emphasis in 1997 from Northeastern State University. In 2004 he completed his Ph.D. in biochemistry and molecular biology at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center where he identified and characterized the function of heavy chain ferritin as a transcription factor involved in repression of beta globin. He then undertook his post-doctoral fellowship in neurology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine/Kennedy Krieger Institute. In 2006, he became a board member of Sickle Cell Cure Foundation. Since completing his post-doctoral fellowship, Dr. Belegu has been an integral member of the International Center for Spinal Cord Injury (ICSCI) research team where in 2012 he became the director of the Epigenetic and iPS Center. In 2011, Dr. Belegu was a founding member of EpiMedX, a company developing gene regulation therapy. In 2014, he became an assistant professor of neurology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. His honors include receiving the Oklahoma Chapter for Neuroscience Travel Award in 2002, the Fred and Mary Gray Research Achievement Award in 2003, The International BioIron Award in 2005, and the Leader in Spinal Cord Injury Cure Award in 2014 from the International Center for Spinal Cord Injury.
Follow Visar Belegu:
About Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Kennedy Krieger Institute: Kennedy Krieger Institute helps children and young adults with disorders of the brain, spinal cord, and musculoskeletal system.
Lynn Bowman
Director of Direct Care Services, Neurobehavioral Unit of Kennedy Krieger Institute
Lynn G. Bowman, M.A., is the director of direct care services on the Neurobehavioral Unit at the Kennedy Krieger Institute. She is also an assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.Bowman earned her master’s degree in experimental psychology at Hollins University and completed an internship at the Harmarville Rehabilitation Center. She was a psychologist B at the Multihandicapped Habilitation Center in Central Virginia before coming to the Kennedy Krieger Institute in 1989. She has been a clinical specialist, senior program specialist and a faculty member for the Department of Psychology at the Kennedy Krieger Institute before becoming the director of direct care services for the neurobehavioral unit in 1998. She is on the editorial board of the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis and is an active member of the Association for Behavior Analysis. She is a charter member of the Maryland Association for Behavior Analysis and is a psychology associate in the state of Maryland.
Follow Lynn Bowman:
About Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Kennedy Krieger Institute: Kennedy Krieger Institute helps children and young adults with disorders of the brain, spinal cord, and musculoskeletal system.
Roberta Babbitt
Director of Program and Research Development of Kennedy Krieger Institute
Dr. Roberta Babbitt is the director of program and research development in the Department of Behavioral Psychology at the Kennedy Krieger Institute. She is also an assistant professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Dr. Babbitt received a bachelor’s of arts in psychology and music from the University of Rochester and Eastman School of Music in 1981. She received her master’s of arts in music therapy, her master’s of education in special education instructional practices and her master’s of philosophy in applied behavior analysis and research from Columbia University Teachers College. She earned her doctoral degree in applied behavior analysis and research from Columbia University Teachers College in 1986. Dr. Babbitt completed a post-doctoral fellowship in behavioral psychology and pediatrics at the Kennedy Krieger Institute and Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. After her training, Dr. Babbitt joined the faculty in the Department of Behavioral Psychology at the Kennedy Krieger Institute, where she served as the director of outpatient services and director of the Pediatric Feeding Disorders Program and Outpatient Behavioral Pediatrics Clinic. In the past few years, she has directed Project Nexus, a federally-funded grant from the Administration on Developmental Disabilities in collaboration with the Maryland State Department of Education, and the Behavior Training Program Grant, funded by the Maryland Central Region Developmental Disabilities Administration. As part of these grants, she has taught courses at Goucher College, Coppin State College, and in-service training courses for the Baltimore City Public Schools. Currently, Dr. Babbitt assists investigators in preparing, and reviews research protocols to meet the guidelines developed by the Johns Hopkins Medical Institutional Review Board for the protection of human subjects. She also assists the department director with the development of new research and clinical initiatives. Dr. Babbitt is a member of the Association for Behavior Analysis, the Association for the Advancement of Behavior Therapy and the Society of Behavioral Medicine. She was awarded the Center for Opportunities and Outcomes for People with Disabilities Distinguished Alumni Award from Columbia University Teachers College in 2001.
Follow Roberta Babbitt:
About Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Kennedy Krieger Institute: Kennedy Krieger Institute helps children and young adults with disorders of the brain, spinal cord, and musculoskeletal system.
John Beetar
Director, Psychological Services for School Programs of Kennedy Krieger Institute
Dr. Beetar is the director of psychological services for school programs at the Kennedy Krieger Institute. He is also an assistant professor of psychiatry at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. He assumed his current position in 2007, and oversees the services provided by a team of licensed psychologists and certified school psychologists throughout Kennedy Krieger Schools. Dr. Beetar is developing and expanding the clinical and research activities at the lower, middle and high schools, as well as at the partnership and specialized school programs. Altogether, Kennedy Krieger Schools provides special education services for approximately 650 students. Dr. Beetar has also initiated a training program for school psychologists at both pre-doctoral and post-doctoral levels of preparation. Dr. Beetar’s professional life dates to the 1970s when he began a 10-year French teaching career in independent schools. Given an interest in psychology, he obtained a graduate degree in educational psychology and school psychology certification, and worked in a variety of capacities as a school psychologist. He then received his doctoral degree in clinical psychology with a specialization in neuropsychology from Hahnemann University in Philadelphia, PA. Dr. Beetar completed his internship and post-doctoral fellowship at Brown University, where the focus of his training was with children and adolescents. Prior to accepting his present position, he was a pediatric neuropsychologist, and clinic and training director at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, OH. Dr. Beetar is board-certified in clinical neuropsychology by the American Board of Professional Psychology. He is also a licensed psychologist and certified school psychologist in Maryland. Dr. Beetar’s research includes outcome data as they relate to neuropsychological evaluations and behavioral interventions. He collaborates with other researchers of Kennedy Krieger Schools to examine current methods of crisis management with children and adolescents. His interests also involve investigating predictor variables related to student achievement.
Follow John Beetar:
About Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Kennedy Krieger Institute: Kennedy Krieger Institute helps children and young adults with disorders of the brain, spinal cord, and musculoskeletal system.
Allan Belzberg
Co-Director, Brachial Plexus Clinic of Kennedy Krieger Institute
Dr. Allan Belzberg is co-director of the Brachial Plexus Clinic at Kennedy Krieger Institute. He is also an associate professor of neurosurgery at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.Dr. Allan Belzberg completed his undergraduate training at the University of British Columbia. He received his medical degree from the University of Calgary in Alberta, Canada. After completing a medical/surgical internship at McGill University Teaching Hospitals, Dr. Belzberg returned to the University of Calgary Teaching Hospitals for his residency and fellowship in neurosurgery. Dr. Belzberg then joined Johns Hopkins, where he completed an advanced specialty training program in pain, spine and peripheral nerve. He has received several awards, including the R. Tasker Award for Research from the Congress of Neurological Surgeons, Shared Vision Award from Neurofibromatosis Inc., Mid-Atlantic, and the Outreach Award from the United Brachial Plexus Network. Today, he is an associate professor of neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins where he serves as the director of the Peripheral Nerve Center. Dr. Belzberg is also the co-director of the Brachial Plexus Clinic at the Kennedy Krieger Institute.
Follow Allan Belzberg:
About Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Seattle Children’s: Kennedy Krieger Institute helps children and young adults with disorders of the brain, spinal cord, and musculoskeletal system.
Janet Turner
Director, Speech-Language and Assistive Technology Department of Kennedy Krieger Institute
Jan Turner is the director of the Speech-Language and Assistive Technology Department at the Kennedy Krieger Institute. She also holds faculty positions at Johns Hopkins University, including an assistant professorship in the physical medicine and rehabilitation department and an adjunct faculty appointment in the special education department. Dr. Turner received her bachelor’s degree in speech-language pathology and audiology from Indiana University of Pennsylvania in 1975, and her master’s degree in speech pathology at Syracuse University in 1976. In 1978, Dr. Turner received a Certificate of Clinical Competence in speech-language pathology from the American Speech-Language and Hearing Association. Dr. Turner completed her doctorate in speech communication at the Pennsylvania State University in 1987. From 1985 to 1989, Dr. Turner was an assistant professor in communication disorders at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. Dr. Turner served as a post-doctoral fellow in neurology at Johns Hopkins University from 1989 to 1991, before accepting her present position as department director. Dr. Turner has advocated for children with communication impairment and other special needs in several ways. She has provided direct clinical service to children in educational and hospital settings. Dr. Turner has trained future speech-language pathologists and special educators in university and clinical settings and participated in interdisciplinary staff training in a medical setting. Recently, she has consulted with the Social Security Administration regarding children’s eligibility for benefits and has advocated at the state level for legislation to improve access to reimbursement for children’s health care services. Dr. Turner received the William Hardy Award from the Maryland Speech-Language and Hearing Association for contributions to her field and training in the state of Maryland.
Follow Janet Turner:
About Kennedy Krieger Institute: Kennedy Krieger Institute helps children and young adults with disorders of the brain, spinal cord, and musculoskeletal system.
Janet Turner
Director, Speech-Language and Assistive Technology Department of Kennedy Krieger Institute
Jan Turner is the director of the Speech-Language and Assistive Technology Department at the Kennedy Krieger Institute. She also holds faculty positions at Johns Hopkins University, including an assistant professorship in the physical medicine and rehabilitation department and an adjunct faculty appointment in the special education department. Dr. Turner received her bachelor’s degree in speech-language pathology and audiology from Indiana University of Pennsylvania in 1975, and her master’s degree in speech pathology at Syracuse University in 1976. In 1978, Dr. Turner received a Certificate of Clinical Competence in speech-language pathology from the American Speech-Language and Hearing Association. Dr. Turner completed her doctorate in speech communication at the Pennsylvania State University in 1987. From 1985 to 1989, Dr. Turner was an assistant professor in communication disorders at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. Dr. Turner served as a post-doctoral fellow in neurology at Johns Hopkins University from 1989 to 1991, before accepting her present position as department director. Dr. Turner has advocated for children with communication impairment and other special needs in several ways. She has provided direct clinical service to children in educational and hospital settings. Dr. Turner has trained future speech-language pathologists and special educators in university and clinical settings and participated in interdisciplinary staff training in a medical setting. Recently, she has consulted with the Social Security Administration regarding children’s eligibility for benefits and has advocated at the state level for legislation to improve access to reimbursement for children’s health care services. Dr. Turner received the William Hardy Award from the Maryland Speech-Language and Hearing Association for contributions to her field and training in the state of Maryland.
Follow Janet Turner:
About Kennedy Krieger Institute: Kennedy Krieger Institute helps children and young adults with disorders of the brain, spinal cord, and musculoskeletal system.
Brian Behlendorf
Executive Director of the Hyperledger Project of Linux Foundation
Follow Brian Behlendorf:
About Hyperledger, Linux Foundation, Linux Foundation: The Linux Foundation builds sustainable ecosystems around open source projects to accelerate technology development and industry adoption.
Jim Zemlin
Executive Director of Linux Foundation
Jim’s career spans three of the largest technology trends to rise over the last decade: mobile computing, cloud computing and open source software. Today, as executive director of The Linux Foundation, he uses this experience to accelerate innovation in technology through the use of open source and Linux. At The Linux Foundation, Jim works with the world’s largest technology companies, including IBM, Intel, Google, Samsung, Qualcomm, and others to help define the future of computing on the server, in the cloud, and on a variety of new mobile computing devices. His work at the vendor-neutral Linux Foundation gives him a unique and aggregate perspective on the global technology industry. Jim has been recognized for his insights on the changing economics of the technology industry. His writing has appeared in Businessweek, Wired, and other top technology journals, and he is a regular keynote speaker at industry events. He advises a variety of startups, including Splashtop, and sits on the boards of the Global Economic Symposium, Open Source For America, and Chinese Open Source Promotion Union.
Follow Jim Zemlin:
About Linux Foundation: The Linux Foundation builds sustainable ecosystems around open source projects to accelerate technology development and industry adoption.
John Mertic
Director of Program Management of Linux Foundation
John Mertic is director of program management for ODPi and Open Mainframe Project at the Linux Foundation. John comes from a PHP and open source background. Previously, he was director of business development software alliances at Bitnami, a developer, evangelist, and partnership leader at SugarCRM, board member at OW2, president of OpenSocial, and a frequent conference speaker around the world. As an avid writer, John has published articles on IBM Developerworks, Apple Developer Connection, and PHP Architect and authored The Definitive Guide to SugarCRM: Better Business Applications and Building on SugarCRM.
Follow John Mertic:
About Academy Software Foundation, LF AI & Data Foundation, LF Energy, Linux Foundation: The Linux Foundation builds sustainable ecosystems around open source projects to accelerate technology development and industry adoption.
Kate Stewart
Senior Director of Strategic Programs of Linux Foundation
Kate Stewart is a Senior Director of Strategic Programs, Linux Foundation, responsible for the Open Compliance programs encompassing the SPDX, FOSSology, OpenChain, and other compliance related projects. Kate was one of the founders of SPDX, and is currently the specification lead. She has launched Real-Time Linux and Zephyr Project. With almost 30 years of experience in the software industry, she has held a variety of roles and worked as a developer in Canada, Australia, and the US and for the last 20 years has managed software development teams in the US, Canada, UK, India, and China. She received her Master’s in computer science from University of Waterloo and Bachelor’s of computer science (co-op program) from the University of Manitoba.
Follow Kate Stewart:
About Linux Foundation: The Linux Foundation builds sustainable ecosystems around open source projects to accelerate technology development and industry adoption.
Lisa Caywood
Director of Ecosystem Development, LF Networking of Linux Foundation
Lisa Caywood is Director of Ecosystem Development for the OpenDaylight Project, the largest open source SDN platform. She has been involved with the SDN movement since 2011 and with the OpenDaylight Project as an employee of Brocade, a founding member, since 2013. At Brocade, she initiated outbound marketing for the company’s SDN strategy, and launched the company’s OpenDaylight-based controller. Prior to Brocade, she served in a variety of data center and security marketing and communications roles at Cisco, with previous experience in the enterprise software and semiconductor sectors. Lisa holds a B.A. in Asian Studies and English from Tufts University; her senior thesis focused on the role of the technology industry in the political economies of mainland China (PRC) and Taiwan (ROC).
Follow Lisa Caywood:
About Linux Foundation: The Linux Foundation builds sustainable ecosystems around open source projects to accelerate technology development and industry adoption.
Dan Cauchy
Executive Director of Automotive Grade Linux of Linux Foundation
Dan is the General Manager of Automotive at The Linux Foundation and the Executive Director of Automotive Grade Linux. He is responsible for the overall management and execution of the Automotive Grade Linux collaborative project, an industry effort to build an open source automotive reference platform backed by leading car manufacturers around the world. Dan has over 22 years of experience spanning the automotive, telecom, networking, and mobile business verticals. Prior to his current position, Dan was the Vice President and General Manager of MontaVista’s Automotive Business Unit (acquired by Mentor), responsible for P&L and worldwide execution of MontaVista’s automotive software strategy, sales, marketing, products, and services. During this period, Dan served on the Board of Directors of the GENIVI Alliance and was responsible for the creation of the GENIVI Compliance Program, a group that he chaired for its first three years, which led to the release of the GENIVI Specification, a widely adopted standard in the automotive industry. While at MontaVista, Dan previously held the position of VP of Marketing and BD, where he was responsible for the development and execution of MontaVista’s global marketing strategy, which led to an acquisition by Cavium. Based in Silicon Valley, Dan has extensive startup experience. He was the Director of Product Management at Atrica (acquired by Nokia-Siemens Networks), a carrier Ethernet equipment provider startup. Prior to Atrica, Dan was the Director of Architecture and Strategy at BlueLeaf Networks, a tunable laser optical networking startup (now Picarro). He also previously held senior management positions and engineering leadership positions at Cisco Systems, Newbridge Networks (acquired by Alcatel), and Nortel. Dan earned a Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering (with a Computer Engineering major) from the University of Ottawa. He holds three patents in the areas of routing and networking, with several others pending.
Follow Dan Cauchy:
About Automotive Grade Linux, Linux Foundation: The Linux Foundation builds sustainable ecosystems around open source projects to accelerate technology development and industry adoption.
Thomas Priselac
CEO & President & Board of Directors of Cedars Sinai Medical Center
Thomas Priselac is President & CEO at Cedars-Sinai. An advocate for improving quality and access in healthcare, Thomas M. Priselac has developed strategic and operational innovations to foster high-quality, safe and efficient care for patients. Under his leadership, Cedars-Sinai has earned an international reputation for quality care, community service, research and education while evolving from a community hospital to a major health system that continues to expand to better serve patients. Priselac, who holds the Warschaw Law Chair in Healthcare Leadership at Cedars-Sinai, first joined Cedars-Sinai in 1979, and has been president and CEO since 1994. Before being appointed to his current role, he was executive vice president of Cedars-Sinai from 1988 to 1993. Earlier in his career, he was on the executive staff of Montefiore Hospital in Pittsburgh. An authority on healthcare delivery and policy, Priselac is a past chair of the American Hospital Association Board of Trustees and a past chair of the Association of American Medical Colleges. When he was chair of the American Hospital Association in 2009, he had an instrumental role in the development of Affordable Care Act. He also formerly chaired the California Hospital Association and the Hospital Association of Southern California. He is a member of the Board of Councilors of the Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science, Civic Alliance, the Los Angeles Coalition for the Economy and Jobs, the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation and he Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce. Priselac has received numerous awards for his leadership in healthcare and his commitment to improving the health of the underserved, including the American Hospital Association’s Distinguished Service Award, B’nai Brith International’s National Healthcare Award, the Special Needs Network’s Distinguished Community Champion Corporate Leadership Award and the Charles R. Drew University Board of Trustees Medal of Honor. Priselac writes and speaks on a variety of policy issues related to the delivery and financing of healthcare, healthcare quality and safety, and the adoption and implementation of information technology. He is an adjunct professor at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health, where he teaches principles of organizational leadership. Priselac earned a bachelor’s degree in biology from Washington and Jefferson College in Pennsylvania, and a master’s degree in public health, health services administration and planning from the University of Pittsburgh.
Follow Thomas Priselac:
About Cedars Sinai Medical Center: Cedars-Sinai is a non-profit, academic, community-centric medical center in Los Angeles, California.
Raj Khandwalla
Director of Digital Therapeutics of Cedars Sinai Medical Center
Raj Khandwalla, MD is Director of Cardiovascular Education, Assistant Professor of Medicine at Cedars Sinai Heart Institute.
Follow Raj Khandwalla:
About American College of Cardiology, Cedars Sinai Medical Center, Cedars Sinai Medical Center: Cedars-Sinai is a non-profit, academic, community-centric medical center in Los Angeles, California.
Brennan Spiegel
Director of Health Services Research of Cedars Sinai Medical Center
Brennan Spiegel is the Director of Health Services Research for Cedars-Sinai Health System and Director of the Cedars-Sinai Master’s Degree Program in Health Delivery Science. Spiegel directs a multidisciplinary team that investigates how digital health technologies, including wearable biosensors, smartphone applications, virtual reality, and social media, can improve people’s lives. His team developed the largest and most widely-documented medical virtual reality program in the world at Cedars-Sinai. Spiegel has published numerous best-selling medical textbooks, editorials, and more than 200 articles in peer-reviewed journals. He is listed in the “Top 100 Influencer” lists for digital health and virtual reality. His digital health research has been featured by major media outlets, including Bloomberg, CBS News, Forbes, Huffington Post, LA Times, NBC News, Reuters, The Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal. His virtual reality research won the 2017 “Webby Award” for best technology on the internet. His research team receives funding from the NIH, PCORI, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Hearst Foundation, Veterans Administration, State of California precision medicine program, and industry sources. Spiegel is Editor-in-Chief of the American Journal of Gastroenterology, the leading clinical gastroenterology journal in North America.
Follow Brennan Spiegel:
About Cedars Sinai Medical Center, Gi Health: Cedars-Sinai is a non-profit, academic, community-centric medical center in Los Angeles, California.
Robby Goldsberry
Director Of Operations of Cove
Follow Robby Goldsberry:
About Cove: We are on a mission to build software and create in-person experiences that transform the way people engage with their physical environment.
Emily Deissler
Managing Director of Sard Verbinnen & Co
Emily Deissler is aManaging Director at Sard Verbinnen & Co. Since joining the firm, Emily has provided strategic communications support on a variety of transactions and special situations, including M&A, restructurings, proxy contests, litigation, executive leadership transitions, investor relations and long-term corporate positioning.
Follow Emily Deissler:
About Chief, Sard Verbinnen & Co: Sard Verbinnen & Co is a leading strategic corporate and financial communications firm.
Megan Bouchier
Managing Director of Sard Verbinnen & Co
Megan Bouchier is a Managing Director in the San Francisco office. Since joining the firm, she has worked on a variety of special situations, including complex litigation and crisis situations, mergers and acquisitions, activist shareholder situations and senior management changes. She also works with several clients on ongoing corporate positioning and investor relations projects. Her experience spans a range of industries including technology, healthcare and biopharma, consumer products, venture capital and private equity.
Follow Megan Bouchier:
About Sard Verbinnen & Co: Sard Verbinnen & Co is a leading strategic corporate and financial communications firm.
David Harris
Managing Director and the Chief Financial Officer of Sard Verbinnen & Co
David Harris is both a Managing Director and the Chief Financial Officer of Sard Verbinnen & Co. David plays a key role in directing and overseeing the business and fiscal management of the firm, as well as in planning, overseeing, and coordinating capital, financial systems, real estate and operating expenditures. He also provides leadership and direction over the firm’s finance, information technology and human resource areas. Before joining Sard Verbinnen, David was the Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Korey, Kay & Partners, a mid-sized advertising agency. His responsibilities included coordination and oversight of all aspects of the company’s operations including finance, client accounting, real estate, information technologies and human resources.
Follow David Harris:
About Sard Verbinnen & Co: Sard Verbinnen & Co is a leading strategic corporate and financial communications firm.
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.
Follow Romi Bhatia:
About The Idea Center at Miami Dade College: Miami’s hub for innovation, creativity & entrepreneurship
Kris Kolo
Industry Advisor & Global Executive Director of The VR/AR Association
Kris was an executive at Toys R Us and Verizon, applying AR technology to common use cases. At Toys R Us, Kris was working on digital in-store initiatives and shopping solutions, incorporating AR from Metaio (acquired by Apple). At Verizon, Kris was responsible for Media, Entertainment, and Location-Based apps & platforms; Kris was collaborating with Wikitude to integrate AR into Verizon’s GPS Navigation. Kris also launched the Verizon Developer Program. In addition, Kris was an Advisor, Board Member, to FlyBy Media, an AR tech startup, acquired by Apple. As an entrepreneur, Kris was the Co-Founder of Spime Inc, a Silicon Valley startup acquired by Trimble. And, Kris published the ground-breaking book, Local Positioning Systems, on mapping and location-based services, and was granted seven patents. Kris holds graduate degrees from MIT.
Follow Kris Kolo:
About The VR/AR Association: VR/AR Association is a global member community of the best minds in virtual reality and augmented reality with Chapters.
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.
Follow Ngozi Ogbonna:
About Fairygodboss: Fairygodboss is the largest career community for women. Free for women, we help employers recruit and hire women.
David Vitale
Chairman of the Board of Directors of Urban Partnership Bank
David Vitale serves as Chairman of the Board of Directors at Urban Partnership Bank. From February of 2001 through November of 2002, David served as President and Chief Executive Officer of the Chicago Board of Trade. In addition to serving as a Member of the CBOT’s Board of Directors and Executive Committee, David also served as President and Chief Executive Officer of the MidAmerica Commodity Exchange, an affiliate of the CBOT. David is a former Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors and a Member of the Board of DirectorS of Bank One Corporation, where he was responsible for Bank One’s Commercial Banking, Real Estate, Private Banking, Investment Management and Corporate Investments businesses. David joined First Chicago in 1968 in the First Scholar program. Following several assignments and promotions, David was named Vice President and Treasurer of First Chicago Corporation in 1974; managed foreign exchange and money market activities of the Bank’s London branch in 1979; was named Executive Vice President in 1986; Head of the Corporate and Institutional Bank in 1991; Member of the Board of Directors in 1992; Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors in 1993; and following the merger of First Chicago and NBD in 1995, Member of the Board of Directors and Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors at First Chicago NBD Corporation and President of The First National Bank of Chicago. David serves as a Member of the Board of Directors of United Airlines, ISO New England (Chairman), Wheels Inc., DNP Select Income Fund (Chairman), Alion Science and Technology and Ariel Investments. David also serves on several civic and charitable boards including: The Visiting Committee of the Harvard Graduate School of Education; the Board of Trustees of the Museum of Science and Industry; The Art Institute of Chicago (Vice Chairman); the Board of Managers of the YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago (Former Chair); Member of the Advisory Council of the Graduate School of Business at the University of Chicago; Advisory Committee of the Kellogg School of Management; Northwestern University; Illinois Institute of Technology (Vice Chairman); Chairman of the Visiting Committee of The School for Social Service Administration at the University of Chicago; Leadership Greater Chicago (Former President); The Partnership for New Communities (Vice Chairman); and The Chicago Council on Global Affairs. David is a member of the Chicago Club, The Arts Club, The Economic Club of Chicago and the Commercial Club of Chicago. David is a Graduate of Harvard University and earned an MBA from the University of Chicago. David is a resident of Chicago.
Follow David Vitale:
About : Urban Partnership Bank is an equal housing lender, member FDIC, and community development bank.
John Kent
Managing Director of Macquarie Infrastructure Co Trust
Follow John Kent:
About Macquarie Infrastructure Co Trust: Macquarie Infrastructure Company Owns, operates and invests in a diversified group of infrastructure businesses.
John Kent
Managing Director of Macquarie Infrastructure Co Trust
Follow John Kent:
About Macquarie Infrastructure Co Trust: Macquarie Infrastructure Company Owns, operates and invests in a diversified group of infrastructure businesses.
Elaine Patrice Perkins
Director of Albany Chapter of Startup Grind
Follow Elaine Patrice Perkins:
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.
Follow Karlie Krieger:
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
Follow Jason Ibarra:
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
Follow Naomi Grange:
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
Follow Mike Grabham:
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.
Follow Michael Bott:
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.
Follow Nikhil Narayan:
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
Follow Irena Efremovska:
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.
Follow Michael Gasiorek:
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.
Follow Rita Mittal:
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.
Follow Farouq Hassan:
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.
Follow Kyle Shields:
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.
Follow John Starr:
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.
Follow Stacy Burdette:
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.
Follow Greg Hudson:
About Startup Grind: Startup Grind is a global startup community designed to educate, inspire, and connect entrepreneurs.
Luis Blackaller
Creative Director of WEVR
Luis Blackaller is Creative Director at WEVR. .
Follow Luis Blackaller:
About WEVR: WEVR is a developer of a technology platform used to offer virtual reality content.
Steve Galle
Director, VR Production of WEVR
Steve Galle is Director, VR Production at WemoLab.
Follow Steve Galle:
About WEVR: WEVR is a developer of a technology platform used to offer virtual reality content.
Andy Jones
Animation Director of WEVR
Andy Jones is Animation Director at WemoLab.
Follow Andy Jones:
About WEVR: WEVR is a developer of a technology platform used to offer virtual reality content.
Taylor Milsal
Managing Director of Cotor
Taylor Milsal is a Founding Partner at San Francisco based innovation practice, Now Labs (formerly Milsal McCaull). For leading companies including Autodesk, Estee Lauder and Panasonic, we map new markets, scout for strategic partnerships and acquisitions, provide analysis of business opportunities, and guide internal business and innovation strategies. We also help early stage science and technology startups with market strategy and implementation, including production of digital assets and media campaigns, fundraising and business development. Taylor is an Advisory Board Member for MetaMed, a personalized medical research company. She leads or collaborates on transformation and futurist initiatives for leading health care organizations. She serves as a mentor for the Thiel Fellowship and Founder Institute. She is also an investor in early stage biotech companies. In her seven years in commercial real estate, Taylor closed over $500M in transactions. She has also sold megawatt-scale alternative energy solutions for large industrial applications, and SaaS solutions for corporate clients and big box retailers. Previously, she founded Zephyr, a mechanical engineering and design firm, with clients including Apple and HP. Taylor co-founded and produced the first TEDx, and LoveSpring. She is active in TED and Summit Series communities. Her hobby is collecting the world’s brightest people around a dinner table to share ideas.
Follow Taylor Milsal:
About Cotor: Cotor helps corporations invent technical solutions to solve business problems.
Nadia Damouni
Managing Director of Prosek Partners
Follow Nadia Damouni:
About Prosek Partners: Prosek Partners is a communications consultancy that delivers an unexpected level of passion, creativity and marketing savvy.
Hal Bienstock
Managing Director of Prosek Partners
Managing Director at Prosek Partners.
Follow Hal Bienstock:
About Prosek Partners: Prosek Partners is a communications consultancy that delivers an unexpected level of passion, creativity and marketing savvy.
Luke Beard
Co-founder & Creative Director of Exposure
Luke Beard, co-founder and creative director of Exposure Labs, is dedicated to making it visual storytelling available to the world. He’s spent his career telling stories through design and photography, helping construct the aesthetics of companies like WillCall, Hipstamatic, and Buffer as a designer and developer. Now, with Exposure Labs, his vision is the release photo-centric social products powerful enough for the largest brands but simple enough for anyone in the world to use.
Follow Luke Beard:
About Exposure: Exposure is a web tool and a community of passionate photographers and storytellers that allows users to create photo narratives.
Tyler Cone
Director Of Engineering of Validity
Follow Tyler Cone:
About Validity, Validity: Validity is a Boston-based provider of data quality and compliance solutions
Brian Dacey
President and Managing Director of Cambridge Innovation Center (CIC)
Brian Dacey is an experienced real estate executive and entrepreneur. He has overseen a wide range of commercial, hospitality, retail , and residential projects during his career. Brian also has an extensive history of involvement in government, not for profits, and charitable organizations. He is currently President of CIC. Brian began his career in the public sector working in Massachusetts state government and serving as the City of Boston’s Director of Federal Relations and then CEO of the city’s Economic Development agency. He has been a senior executive and partner with several regional real estate development firms including the Boston based Drew Company and New York based Twining Properties. He oversaw the real estate operations of the World Trade Center Boston and was the project executive managing the master planning, environmental reviews, and permitting of the 2 million square foot Seaport World Trade Center Boston mixed use project. For several years he was responsible for the management and development of Watermark Cambridge, a residential and retail property constructed in Cambridge. Brian also created and led several real estate ventures that managed and/or developed various projects including the Ronald Reagan International Trade Center in Washington, D.C. and the Moakley Federal Courthouse in Boston, Massachusetts. Also, a firm he founded is the owner and developer of a 204 unit, luxury residential property in Downtown Manchester, New Hampshire. Brian has served on numerous civic boards and committees and is currently Chairman of the Board of The Boston Harbor Association and was formerly Chairman of the Board at Morgan Memorial Goodwill Industries. He was a founding member of the Board for the Kendall Square Association and serves as a member of A Better City, and the Kendall Square Masterplan Committee and the Transit Advisory Committee for the City of Cambridge . Brian has his B.A. from Boston College and an M.B.A. from Boston University.
Follow Brian Dacey:
About Cambridge Innovation Center (CIC): Cambridge Innovation Center is an office space facility for small and growing companies.
Geoff Mamlet
Managing Director of Cambridge Innovation Center (CIC)
Geoff has been Managing Director of Cambridge Innovation Center (www.cictr.com) since 2000. Prior to that, he was CTO and co-founder of E-Travel, Inc., the leading provider of Internet corporate travel management systems. E-Travel is now a division of Amadeus. Geoff began his career as a software engineer with a variety of startups in the networking and telecommunications industry.
Follow Geoff Mamlet:
About Cambridge Innovation Center (CIC), CIC Health, Impact Hub Boston, Startup Mentors: Cambridge Innovation Center is an office space facility for small and growing companies.
Melissa Ablett
Strategic Director of Sales & Operations, International of Cambridge Innovation Center (CIC)
Melissa Ablett is the Strategic Director of Sales and Operations, International at CIC (Cambridge Innovation Center).
Follow Melissa Ablett:
About Cambridge Innovation Center (CIC): Cambridge Innovation Center is an office space facility for small and growing companies.
Sean Daley
Director of Marketing of Work Around Me
Follow Sean Daley:
About Work Around Me: Tap into the convenience of your professional community.
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.
Follow Mark Litzler:
About Saint Luke’s Hospital Foundation, The Nelson-Atkin Museum of Art: Where the power of art engages the spirit of community.
Bharath Thankavel
Medical Director Value Based Care, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas of Blue Cross Blue Shield Association
Bharath is a Venture Partner at Secocha Ventures. A physician leader passionate about transforming the health care system through innovation, he brings clinical insight to Secocha’s investment strategy. As Medical Director of Value Based Care at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas, Bharath works with sales and account management, network, and community relations to support the company’s interactions in the large and dynamic business community of the Dallas-Fort Worth area and throughout north Texas. He received his Bachelor’s Degree in Biology from Baylor University, followed by his Medical Degree from Saint George’s University, and his pediatric residency from the University of South Florida. Prior to his current role, he was an assistant professor in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Texas Southwestern and a pediatric hospitalist at Children’s Health in Dallas for 10 years.
Follow Bharath Thankavel:
About Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, Secocha Ventures: Blue Cross Blue Shield Association is a national federation of 36 independent operated Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies.
Frances Martini
Director, Integrated Population Health Management, Government Programs of Blue Cross Blue Shield Association
Frances Martini is the director of government clinical programs for BlueCare Tennessee, the Medicaid subsidiary of BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee. She is responsible for overseeing integrated population health management and utilization management. Prior to joining BlueCare, she was the senior director of medical management at Emblem Health in New York and the Vice President of Medical Management for Health Net. She has extensive experience in medical management in multiple states and for multiple lines of business. Ms Martini is an RN with a Bachelor’s degree in Nursing and a Master’s Degree in Business Administration. She is a member of the American Society for Quality, the America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP), the Case Management Society of America and the Association of Managed Care Nursing. She is a board member and past board chair of the A Step Ahead Foundation, Chattanooga. She Lives in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
Follow Frances Martini:
About Blue Cross Blue Shield Association: Blue Cross Blue Shield Association is a national federation of 36 independent operated Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies.
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.
Follow Alan Spoon:
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.”
Follow Adam Segal:
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
Follow Scott Snyder:
About The Council on Foreign Relations: Council on Foreign Relations operates as a non-partisan membership organization, think tank, and publisher.
Dipali Mehta
Senior Director of Finance of Team Rubicon
Dipali Mehta is the Senior Director of Finance at Team Rubicon, Inc.
Follow Dipali Mehta:
About Team Rubicon: Team Rubicon is a non-government organization providing disaster relief from the moment a disaster happens.
GI Wilson
Board of Directors of Team Rubicon
Col. G.I. Wilson USMC (ret) is a combat veteran with 33 years of military service and several years of experience in law enforcement-emergency services. He is widely published in professional journals, appears on national television, radio, and in documentaries. He coauthored the seminal paper “The Changing Face of War: Into the Fourth Generation” (which coined the term “fourth generation warfare”). He has BA in psychology from the State University of New York at Albany, an MA in Business and Organizational Security Management from Webster University, and an MA in Forensic Psychology from Argosy University.
Follow GI Wilson:
About : Team Rubicon is a non-government organization providing disaster relief from the moment a disaster happens.
Bob Verhey
Board of Directors of Team Rubicon
Bob Verhey brings twenty-five years of entrepreneur experience and has successfully launched and managed five new ventures in Silicon Valley as the CEO in healthcare, high technology and telecommunications companies. Having experienced a successful career as an operating entrepreneur and executive, Bob chooses now to guide others so they may also succeed. Bob earned his BA in Economics from Duke University and his MBA from the Tuck School at Dartmouth College.
Follow Bob Verhey:
About : Team Rubicon is a non-government organization providing disaster relief from the moment a disaster happens.
