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 Product Design 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.
Joe Rubino
R&D Director of Reckitt
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About Reckitt, Reckitt: Reckitt Benckiser Group is a consumer goods company makes health, hygiene and home products.
Suk Lee
Senior Director of Design Infrastructure Management Division of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company
Suk Lee works as a senior director of design infrastructure management division at TSMC.
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About Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company: TSMC is a semiconductor foundry that offers wafer production processes and unparalleled manufacturing efficiency.
Thomas Quan
Director of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company
Tom Quan joined TSMC in 2007 as Deputy Director of Design Methodology and Services Marketing. Currently he is the director of Open Innovation Platform Marketing. Prior to joining TSMC, he was the Vice President of Marketing at Applied Wave Research, Inc., and held senior management positions at Cadence Design Systems, Inc. He began his career at Intel Corporation as an IC designer and has decades of chip design, technical/product marketing, strategic planning and business development experience. Tom holds an MBA from Santa Clara University and a bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley.
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About Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company: TSMC is a semiconductor foundry that offers wafer production processes and unparalleled manufacturing efficiency.
Mike LaLande
Business Consultant Director of Dassault Systemes
Mike Lalande has held leadership positions in the Automotive Industry for over 35 years. His current responsibility is serving as the Business Consultant Director within the Transportation and Mobility Industry organization for North America. In this role, Mike engages with customers to understand and solve business issues in relation to the product development and other automotive processes. In addition, Mike is responsible for business development for the automotive industry, and works to identify, build, and manage long-term relationships with both customers and business partners. Prior to Dassault Systemes, Mike held various positions in Product Development at General Motors. Specific responsibilities included; creation and execution of the GM MBSE, PLM, Virtual Vehicle Development and Materials Information Strategies. Other roles included; global technology manager for human/vehicle integration, program management for vehicle exterior components (including vehicles from North America, Germany and Brazil) and as a development Engineer in the full size truck division. Mike earned his Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering from Wayne State University (Detroit) and an MBA from New York Institute of Technology
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About Dassault Systemes: Dassault Systemes provides project lifecycle management solutions that enable businesses to create and share experiences in 3D.
Mike LaLande
Business Consultant Director of Dassault Systemes
Mike Lalande has held leadership positions in the Automotive Industry for over 35 years. His current responsibility is serving as the Business Consultant Director within the Transportation and Mobility Industry organization for North America. In this role, Mike engages with customers to understand and solve business issues in relation to the product development and other automotive processes. In addition, Mike is responsible for business development for the automotive industry, and works to identify, build, and manage long-term relationships with both customers and business partners. Prior to Dassault Systemes, Mike held various positions in Product Development at General Motors. Specific responsibilities included; creation and execution of the GM MBSE, PLM, Virtual Vehicle Development and Materials Information Strategies. Other roles included; global technology manager for human/vehicle integration, program management for vehicle exterior components (including vehicles from North America, Germany and Brazil) and as a development Engineer in the full size truck division. Mike earned his Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering from Wayne State University (Detroit) and an MBA from New York Institute of Technology
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About Dassault Systemes: Dassault Systemes provides project lifecycle management solutions that enable businesses to create and share experiences in 3D.
Hannah Chaplin
Director of Product Management of Pendo
Founder of Receptive.
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About Pendo: Pendo is a product-analytics app that helps software companies develop products that resonate with customers.
Laura Baverman
Director of Communications of Pendo
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About Pendo, The Business Journals: Pendo is a product-analytics app that helps software companies develop products that resonate with customers.
Lauren Gallo
Senior Director, Brand Marketing & Creative of Nike
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About Adweek, Nike, Shorty Awards: Nike designs, develops, and markets footwear, apparel, equipment, and accessory products.
Mona-Lisa Pinkney
Sr Director, Cybersecurity Governance, Risk, Compliance, Engagement and Geos of Nike
Mona-Lisa Pinkney, Sr. Director, Governance, Risk, Compliance & Engagement Management Corporate Information Security at Nike.
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About Nike: Nike designs, develops, and markets footwear, apparel, equipment, and accessory products.
Russell Rutledge
Director of Community and Inner Source of Nike
Russ Rutledge is the lead of Nike’s Community Core team. This startup within Nike culls the process and tools to encourage and foster cross-team and community interaction and development. Russ’s drive and passion is to enable all software engineers to achieve incredible technical and business throughput via quality tooling and streamlined work process. Prior to this role Russ ran another successful startup delivering JavaScript continuous delivery solutions to hundreds of projects throughout Nike. Previous experience includes feature and infrastructure development at Microsoft on the Outlook and OneDrive consumer web sites.
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About Nike: Nike designs, develops, and markets footwear, apparel, equipment, and accessory products.
Nelson Farris
Global HR Talent Development and Sr. Director of Nike
Sr. Director, Nike Inc.
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About Nike: Nike designs, develops, and markets footwear, apparel, equipment, and accessory products.
Tim Pacholke
Senior Director, Digital Innovation – Nike Explore Team (NXT) of Nike
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About Nike: Nike designs, develops, and markets footwear, apparel, equipment, and accessory products.
Don Shilliam
Director, Network Architecture & Strategy of Nike
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About Nike: Nike designs, develops, and markets footwear, apparel, equipment, and accessory products.
Erin Long
Director, CAO Solution Delivery of Nike
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About Nike: Nike designs, develops, and markets footwear, apparel, equipment, and accessory products.
Lysandre Follet
Computational Design Director – Innovation Kitchen of Nike
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About Nike: Nike designs, develops, and markets footwear, apparel, equipment, and accessory products.
Erica Pereira
Director, Technology Communications of Nike
Erica Pereira is the director, technology communications at Nike.
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About Nike: Nike designs, develops, and markets footwear, apparel, equipment, and accessory products.
Trina Cooley
Director of Talent and Growth, HR of VSC
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About VSC: We are a band of strategists, storytellers and data nerds obsessed with helping Davids crush a sea of Goliaths.
Julia Konstantinovsky
Director, Client Strategy of VSC
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About VSC: We are a band of strategists, storytellers and data nerds obsessed with helping Davids crush a sea of Goliaths.
Maggie Philbin
Associate Director of VSC
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About VSC: We are a band of strategists, storytellers and data nerds obsessed with helping Davids crush a sea of Goliaths.
Gwyn Stahlhut
Director of Operations and Finance of VSC
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About VSC: We are a band of strategists, storytellers and data nerds obsessed with helping Davids crush a sea of Goliaths.
Gwyn Stahlhut
Director of Operations and Finance of VSC
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About VSC: We are a band of strategists, storytellers and data nerds obsessed with helping Davids crush a sea of Goliaths.
Raymond Bingham
Chairman of the Board of Directors of Flex
H. Raymond Bingham joined the firm in 2006 and serves as an Advisory Director out of General Atlantic’s Palo Alto office. He is an Advisory Director of General Atlantic LLC, a global private equity firm, and from 2006 to 2010 was a Managing Director of General Atlantic. Ray Bingham’s distinguished career of more than 30 years has spanned businesses in high tech, chemical engineering, and hospitality real estate development with accomplishments in mergers and acquisitions, global trade and venture capital. Previously, Raymond Bingham served in various positions with Cadence Design Systems, Inc., a supplier of electronic designautomation software and services, from 1997 through 2005, most recently as its Executive Chairman from May 2004 to July 2005, director from November 1997 to April 2004, President and Chief Executive Officer from April 1999 to May 2004, and Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer from April 1993 to April 1999. During his tenure as CEO, the company’s technology leadership grew through a series of strategic acquisitions, internal research and development and venture investments. Bingham also directed Cadence’s global expansion into India, China and Russia, a decade ahead of today’s focus in those emerging markets. Before joining Cadence, he held senior management roles with the Marriott Corporation, Red Lion Hotels and Inns, Agrico Overseas Investment Company and N-ReN International. He is a director of three public companies: Oracle Corporation, Flextronics International Ltd. and STMicroelectronics NV. He also helped found and serves as a Director of the Silicon Valley Education Foundation and is a board member of the National Parks Conservation Association. Bingham earned a B.S with Honors from Weber State University and an M.B.A. from the Harvard Business School. Additionally, he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Humanities from Weber State University.
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About : Flex is the Sketch-to-Scale solutions provider that designs and builds intelligent products for a connected world.
Winnie Yu
Sr. Director, Medical Innovation of Flex
Winnie Yu is a technology, product development and manufacturing expert leading the Medical Innovations team at Flex Health Solutions. She has over fifteen years of experience developing products and solutions in the sensor and connected device space. Before joining Flex, Ms. Yu held positions in R&D and product development at Western Digital and SVTC Technologies, and was heavily involved with numerous startups in the semiconductor and hardware sectors. An inventor with eight patents, Ms. Yu holds a doctorate in electrical and computer engineering from Carnegie Mellon and an MBA from Harvard Business School.
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About Flex: Flex is the Sketch-to-Scale solutions provider that designs and builds intelligent products for a connected world.
Ahmed Tantawy
Sr. Director Product Solutions and Business Development of Flex
Ahmed is an experienced business strategist, product developer and operations professional with over 15 years in the Hi-Tech industry. Ahmed currently works at Flex (formerly Flextronics) as Director of Innovation Services working with diverse customers on new product development, technology innovation and enabling new business models with a focus on IoT. Before Flex, Ahmed spent the core of his engineering career working in the Semiconductor industry supporting customers from the top 10 global semiconductor manufacturing companies. During his professional career Ahmed worked in several client facing roles in engineering, product marketing and business development working with global teams across North America, Europe and Asia. Ahmed holds an MBA with Honors from UC Berkeley Haas School of Business, a Masters in Electrical Engineering from Santa Clara University in California, and a Bachelors in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from Ain Shams University in Cairo, Egypt.
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About Flex: Flex is the Sketch-to-Scale solutions provider that designs and builds intelligent products for a connected world.
Payam Abrishami
Director of Product Management – Tracking & Telematics Solutions of Flex
Payam Abrishami is the director of product management at [Flex](https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/flextronics-international#/entity), a multinational technological manufacturer that provides innovative design, engineering, manufacturing, real-time supply chain insight, and logistics services to companies of all sizes and industries. At the Tracking and Telematics Solutions business unit, Abrishami focuses on enabling businesses to make smarter, real-time decisions about their assets wherever they are in the world. Abrishami served as the director of product management at Motorola Mobility before joining Flex. Prior to that, he lead partner product management at Cyanogen. Abrishami served as the director of product management at bSafe before he joined Cyanogen. Previously, he was a senior partner product manager at HTC Corp. He has also been employed as the director of solutions architecture at Lilien Systems. Abrishami holds a bachelor’s degree in computer engineering from Michigan State University and master’s degree in business administration from the University of California’s Haas School of Business. He lives in San Jose, California, United States.
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About Flex: Flex is the Sketch-to-Scale solutions provider that designs and builds intelligent products for a connected world.
John Townsend
Board Of Director of International Paper
John L. Townsend, III, 60, served as senior advisor to Tiger Management LLC, an investment management business from 2012-2015. From 2010 to 2012, Townsend served as managing partner and chief operating officer of Tiger Management LLC. Townsend is a member of the Riverstone Group, a private investment fund. He was previously employed by Goldman Sachs & Co. from 1987 to 2002 and was a general partner from 1992 to 1999 and a managing director from 1999 to 2002. Townsend is a director of The Heritage Group, an industrial conglomerate. Additionally, during the past five years, he served on the board of directors of Belk, Inc., a department store retailer. Director since March 13, 2006.
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About International Paper: International Paper manufactures paper and paper-packaging products.
David J. Bronczek
Board Of Director of International Paper
David J. Bronczek, 61, president and chief executive officer of FedEx Express, the world’s largest express transportation company and a subsidiary of FedEx Corporation, since February 2000. Bronczek started with FedEx in 1976 and, prior to being named president, served as executive vice president and chief operating officer of FedEx Express. He also serves on the Strategic Management Committee of FedEx Corporation. A native of Cleveland, Ohio, Bronczek graduated from Kent State University. Bronczek was appointed by former President George W. Bush to the National Infrastructure Advisory Council. He is a member of the Board of Governors of the International Air Transport Association (IATA); a board member for Airlines for America; a member of the Board of Governors for National Safe Kids Campaign; and a board member for the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum. He is also a member of Memphis Tomorrow. Director since October 9, 2006.
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About : International Paper manufactures paper and paper-packaging products.
Divya Balakrishnan
Senior Product Director of IDEO
Divya Balakrishnan is a senior product director at IDEO. She leads a team of product managers, digital producers and community designers committed to building the future of blended online learning at IDEO U. Before IDEO, Divya worked with clients in Singapore, Malaysia, Australia, China, Hong Kong and India on strategy and growth challenges as a consultant with Accenture, conducted economics research as a Fulbright scholar, and helped launch a microfinance program for women entrepreneurs in Cairo, Egypt. She has a Masters from the London School of Economics and enjoys bicycling to coffee shops, contemporary art and design, cooking, eating, and sunrise Daybreaker dance parties.
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About IDEO: IDEO is a global design and innovation consultancy firm providing design-based marketing solutions for the public and private sectors.
Zena Barakat
Senior Design Director of IDEO
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About IDEO: IDEO is a global design and innovation consultancy firm providing design-based marketing solutions for the public and private sectors.
David Webster
Partner, Executive Portfolio Director of Product Design of IDEO
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About IDEO: IDEO is a global design and innovation consultancy firm providing design-based marketing solutions for the public and private sectors.
Geoff Schwarten
Growth + Digital Marketing Director of IDEO
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About IDEO: IDEO is a global design and innovation consultancy firm providing design-based marketing solutions for the public and private sectors.
Michelle Lee Schmidt
Co-Managing Director, Play Lab of IDEO
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About IDEO: IDEO is a global design and innovation consultancy firm providing design-based marketing solutions for the public and private sectors.
Carl Fudge
Executive Portfolio Director, Digital Ventures & Business Design of IDEO
As a portfolio director, Carl Fudge leads teams working to build new products and ventures that have the potential to create enormous impact for clients. That means taking a human-centered and design-led approach to building a business from scratch—from sketching an idea on a piece of paper to prototyping it with customers, and generating its first revenue. At IDEO, Carl has helped redesign a public school lunch system to be student-centered and financially sustainable, created an internal lab to prototype and launch new digital ventures, and designed new credit card offers for a variety of customer demographics. During a year-long engagement, he worked with a traditional life insurance client to build an impact investing platform for young people, taking it from a prototype to a revenue-generating business. Together with his clients, he is often strategizing simultaneously about how to design and monetize products, build brands, create marketing strategy, and hire the right kind of talent. For Carl, seeing new ventures create employment opportunities is one of the most gratifying parts of his job. Carl joined IDEO shortly after getting his MBA at MIT’s Sloan School of Management. Previously, he served as a business analyst at McKinsey & Company, and a director at an innovation think tank. He also holds an MBA in organizational psychology from Columbia University and a BSc in Psychology from University College, London, a helpful background for building new ventures.
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About IDEO: IDEO is a global design and innovation consultancy firm providing design-based marketing solutions for the public and private sectors.
Peter Jackson
Executive Portfolio Director of IDEO
Peter Jackson is a portfolio director at IDEO San Francisco, where he is focused on the intersection of consumer experience and organizational design. He guides IDEO teams and clients to envision innovative new products, services, and service delivery experiences and works alongside them to develop the capabilities to deliver them. His experience at IDEO has enabled him to work across both the public and private sectors to transform service delivery through digital, retail, and multi-channel experiences. Peter leads a financial services portfolio where he closely partners with clients and their organizations at various life stages and scales in banking, fintech, and insurance. He’s helped a large regional bank reinvent it’s customer service strategy and bring innovative, technology-driven tools to market and shaped the future of automobile finance for one of the nation’s largest banks. He also has led IDEO’s relationship with a large property and casualty insurance company to help them develop new products and services and a venture arm capable of incubating and delivering them. Peter also leads work with government agencies to improve the citizen experience. He’s helped craft and implement new strategies for delivering public services in job training and community development, economic development, and public benefits across state, local, and federal government. Prior to joining IDEO, Peter served as senior counselor to now U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren and as the first Assistant Director for Consumer Engagement at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, where he led brand management, digital strategy, and consumer experience. His team created award-winning products and tools, including ones to help consumers manage student loan debt and find a good mortgage, all with a user experience and brand that the Washington Post called “a conscious departure from the buttoned-down aesthetic of the Beltway.”
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About IDEO: IDEO is a global design and innovation consultancy firm providing design-based marketing solutions for the public and private sectors.
Steve Klopf
Senior Director ERP Programs of IDEO
Steve Klopf was SVP of Business Operations at Flite.
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About IDEO: IDEO is a global design and innovation consultancy firm providing design-based marketing solutions for the public and private sectors.
Shoshana Berger
Global Editorial Director of IDEO
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About Heath Ceramics, IDEO: IDEO is a global design and innovation consultancy firm providing design-based marketing solutions for the public and private sectors.
Coe Leta Stafford
Managing Director – IDEO U of IDEO
Coe Leta Stafford is the Creative & Managing Director of IDEO U and an instructor of the online course, Insights for Innovation. Since joining IDEO in 2006, she’s led numerous design innovation projects for organizations including Microsoft, Target, Intel, Wells Fargo, Ford, eBay, Sesame Street, and in government agencies, schools, and healthcare groups. Known for expertise in digital design, play, and data, her work has won international awards, patents for clients, and been featured in the New York Times and Wired. Coe Leta has a Ph.D. in Education from UC Berkeley and guest lectures at Stanford University’s d.School and serves on the Board at the SF Children’s Creativity Museum. Coe is never without post-it notes, multi-tools, or chocolate. She’s also skilled at creating modern art museums in Minecraft.
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About IDEO: IDEO is a global design and innovation consultancy firm providing design-based marketing solutions for the public and private sectors.
Michael Hendrix
Global Design Director of IDEO
R. Michael Hendrix is the Global Design Director & Partner at IDEO.
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About Hachette Book Group, IDEO, IDEO: IDEO is a global design and innovation consultancy firm providing design-based marketing solutions for the public and private sectors.
Stephan Wembacher
Co-Founder & Executive Director of Cosmo
Co-founded multiple successful companies in Munich, Hong Kong, and California such as San Francisco and Hong Kong based Cosmo, a global technology manufacturing and supply chain leader and Paris based accessory brand Cote & Ciel. Investing in start-ups in the technology and hardware space and advising and supporting executive teams in current portfolio companies.
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About Cosmo, Weltraum: Comprehensive manufacturing solutions provider, specializing in engineered soft-goods, material innovation, and sustainability.
Laney Brown
Director – Smart Grid Planning of Iberdrola
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About Iberdrola: Iberdrola is a producer and distributor of energy services.
Laney Brown
Director – Smart Grid Planning of Iberdrola
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About Iberdrola: Iberdrola is a producer and distributor of energy services.
Christopher Kryzan
Founder & Managing Director of Brilliant Things
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About Brilliant Things: Marketing & Product Strategy for the Internet of Things
Victor Gerdes
Director, Product Management, 3D Printing CAM Solutions of Stratasys
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About Stratasys: Stratasys develops additive manufacturing machines that help prototyping and producing plastic parts.
Ankit Gupta
Sr Director, Digital Identity Product and Solution of Persistent Systems
Ankit Gupta is the director of engineering and architecture with Persistent Systems, a global software and technology company. He is an authority on information security and compliance, and has security solution implementation at both small and major corporations. He is also implementor of some of the largest identity management, access control and data security solutions. across verticals such as retail, financial services, energy and higher education.
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About Persistent Systems: Persistent Systems offers software product concept and design, performance engineering, quality assurance, and other professional services.
James Bao
Partner & Product Director of Pixel Digital Agency
James is a partner at Pixel, a digital agency that helps global brands (Heineken, Nerf, Pepsi) create digital experiences that resonate with Millennial consumers. Pixel features a collective of startup founders, engineers, and designers with deep experience in working with many of the world’s leading companies, including Hotmail, Google, Microsoft, Rotten Tomatoes, Yahoo, and the US State Department. James is also the founder of OneConnect, a Ford Foundation-funded startup that partnered with the US State Department to increase diaspora giving. James currently serves on the board of the Center for Asian American Media (CAAM), the largest organization dedicated to the advancement of Asian Americans in media.
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About Pixel, Pixel Digital Agency: Pixel helps global brands create digital experiences that resonate with Millennial consumers.
Bill Fienup
Co-Founder and Director of Innovation Services of mHUB
Bill Fienup, director of innovation services and co-founder, is an entrepreneur focused on delivering new product innovation to clients seeking better solutions. With experience ranges from researching fusion energy at Los Alamos National Laboratory to designing toys for Hasbro, Bill began his career as a product development consultant for IDEO and Insight Product Development. After 7 years of innovation consulting, Bill became an entrepreneur and launched several product base businesses. After experiencing several challenges launching hardware startups, Bill founded Catalyze Chicago to provide entrepreneurs with the tools, resources, mentorship, and manufacturing networsk needed to successfully develop products and launch new business. Bill holds 12 patents — including 3d printing alignment, bandage dispenser, biopsy needle and a NERF Atom Blaster™ with more pending. Bill’s reputation as a thought leader extends beyond Chicago. He was named to Crain’s Chicago Business 40 Under 40 in 2018 and featured in Newcity’s Design 50: Who Shapes Chicago 2019. In addition to being a repeat visitor to the White House for topics ranging from international trade to the maker movement, Bill has appeared on national television with his inventions. Bill has both a Master and Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
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About mHUB: mHUB is a hardtech innovation and manufacturing entrepreneurial center.
Scott Wilson
Board Of Directors of mHUB
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About : mHUB is a hardtech innovation and manufacturing entrepreneurial center.
William Kozyra
Board of Director of American Axle & Manufacturing
Mr. Kozyra is Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of TI Automotive Ltd., a global supplier of automotive fluid storage, carrying and delivery technology. He has served as TI Automotive’s CEO since June 2008. Prior to that, Mr. Kozyra was President and CEO of Continental AG North America for 10 years. He was also a member of the Executive Board, Continental AG (DAX), Hanover, Germany, with responsibility for Continental AG’s NAFTA businesses. Previously, at ITT Automotive, he served as Vice President and General Manager, Brake and Chassis Systems North America. Prior to joining ITT Automotive, he was Vice President and General Manager of Bosch Braking Systems’ Brake Products Division. Mr. Kozyra is a member of the Board of Directors of the Motor & Equipment Manufacturers Association (MEMA), the Ford Motor Company Top 100 Supplier Forum, the Board of Trustees of the Notre Dame Preparatory School, the Boy Scouts of America Executive Board in Detroit, Michigan, the Board of Advisors of the University of Detroit and the University of Detroit Alumni Council and the Society of Automotive Engineers.
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About : AAM was founded in 1994, with manufacturing expertise rooted in more than 90 years of experience.
James McCaslin
Board of Director of American Axle & Manufacturing
Mr. McCaslin retired from Harley Davidson, Inc. in April 2010. Mr. McCaslin joined Harley Davidson in 1992 and held various senior executive leadership positions, including President and Chief Operating Officer of Harley-Davidson Motor Company, from 2001 to 2009. From 1989 to 1992, he held manufacturing and engineering positions with JI Case, a manufacturer of agricultural equipment. Previously, he held executive positions in manufacturing and quality with Chrysler Corporation, Volkswagen of America and General Motors Corporation, where he began his 40-year career in manufacturing. From 2003 to 2006, he served on the Board of Directors of Maytag Corporation. Mr. McCaslin has served on a number of civic boards, including Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee, Manufacturing Skill Standards Council and Kettering University.
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About : AAM was founded in 1994, with manufacturing expertise rooted in more than 90 years of experience.
Peter Lyons
Board of Director of American Axle & Manufacturing
Mr. Lyons, an attorney, is a partner and Co-Head of the Global Public Mergers & Acquisitions Group of Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer US LLP, which he joined in September 2014. Based in the New York office of Freshfields, Mr. Lyons represents leading U.S. and global companies in acquisitions and sales of public and private companies, asset acquisition and disposition transactions, and joint ventures. Prior to joining Freshfields, Mr. Lyons was a partner with Shearman & Sterling LLP and a member of the Mergers & Acquisitions Group based in New York, New York. Mr. Lyons practiced law at Shearman & Sterling for 35 years. Mr. Lyons has been recognized and recommended as an M&A practitioner by Chambers Global , Chambers USA , The Legal 500 US , and IFLR1000. Mr. Lyons received his law degree from Georgetown University Law Center and his Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Virginia. From 2003 to 2014, while a partner at Shearman & Sterling, Mr. Lyons served as lead counsel to AAM and as a key advisor to the Board on legal matters.
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About : AAM was founded in 1994, with manufacturing expertise rooted in more than 90 years of experience.
Beth Chappell
Board of Director of American Axle & Manufacturing
Ms. Chappell has served as President and Chief Executive Officer of the Detroit Economic Club since 2002. Previously, she served as Executive Vice President, Corporate Communications & Investor Relations for Compuware Corporation. From 1995 to 2000, Ms.Chappell was President and Chief Executive Officer of a consulting firm she founded, The Chappell Group, Inc. For 16 years, Ms. Chappell held executive positions at AT&T. From 1999 to 2009, Ms. Chappell served on the Board of Directors of the Handleman Company. She also serves on a number of civic boards, including the Michigan State University Capital Campaign, Citizens Research Council, Detroit Regional Chamber, the United Way Board and Tocqueville Committee, and the Charter One Regional Advisory Board (Midwest). Ms. Chappell is a former board member of the Karmanos Cancer Institute, Michigan Economic Growth Authority and Hospice of Michigan.
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About : AAM was founded in 1994, with manufacturing expertise rooted in more than 90 years of experience.
Dave Penndorf
Director of Consulting Services of Planisware
Dave Penndorf heads the implementation & consulting services at Planisware US. In addition to overseeing all consulting services from the San Francisco office, he is a solution architect and an executive implementation consultant. For over 8 years, Dave has been helping major R&D organizations translate project and portfolio management business processes into practical solutions within Planisware software, overseeing all aspects of implementation from requirements gathering to system delivery and adoption. His time at Planisware has afforded him deep knowledge of industry best practices and front-line experience with what works and what doesn’t in portfolio and resource management. Dave holds a bachelor’s degree in Cognitive Science and Philosophy with a concentration in Computer Science from the University of Pennsylvania. When he isn’t architecting PPM solutions, you can find him on his snowboard on the slopes of pretty much any mountainside, potentially with his wife, Sarah.
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About Planisware: Project Portfolio Management Software
W. Alan McCollough
Board Of Director of VF
W. Alan McCollough, former chairman and chief executive officer of Circuit City Stores Inc., was elected to The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company’s board of directors on April 10, 2007 and currently serves as Lead Director. McCollough was elected chairman, president and chief executive officer of Circuit City in 2002 and served in that capacity until 2005. He remained chairman and chief executive officer until his retirement in 2006. He served as president and chief executive officer from 2000 to 2002 and as president and chief operating officer from 1997 to 2000. McCollough joined Circuit City in 1987 as general manager of corporate operations. He was named assistant vice president in 1989, president of central operations in 1991 and senior vice president of merchandising in 1994.
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About : VF offers a diverse portfolio of iconic outdoor and activity-based lifestyle and work-wear brands.
Mike Milley
Director, Creative Consulting of Bayerische Motoren Werke
Mike is the Director of the Creative Consulting department at BMW Group Designworks’ LA Studio. He leads a cross-disciplinary team that brings the future to life at the intersection of Research, Strategy, and Innovation for BMW Group as well as third party clients. At the core of Mike‘s practice is a belief that performance optimization is at the core of any innovation opportunity. He has worked across a variety of sport and performance contexts, considering how Design Thinking can be applied to performance optimization—usually through a tech innovation lens. Mike was educated at Columbia University and Parsons School of Design. He has been on the faculty of ArtCenter College for Design’s graduate Media Design Program since 2010.
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About Bayerische Motoren Werke: Bayerische Motoren Werke manufactures and sells luxury cars and motorcycles worldwide.
Kinh DeMaree
Director of Talent of Axiom Zen
Kinh is the Head Talent Huntress at Axiom Zen, an award-winning venture studio in Vancouver, SF, and Santiago. Previously, she was a senior technical recruiter at Facebook, Mixpanel, Google, and Anheuser-Busch.
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About Axiom Zen: Axiom Zen is an idea catalyst and product foundry.
Alanna Weifenbach
Finance Director, Metals and Trade & Capital Markets of Cargill
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About Cargill: Cargill is an international producer and marketer of food, agricultural, financial and industrial products and services.
James Lawrence
Member of the Board of Directors of Smurfit Kappa
James A. Lawrence has served as chief executive officer of Rothschild North America and as co-head of global investment banking since June 2010. Rothschild provides financial advisory and asset management services across the Americas from offices in New York, Washington, D.C., Toronto, Montreal and Calgary. Prior to joining Rothschild, James Lawrence served as chief financial officer of Unilever and as an executive director on the boards of Unilever NV and Unilever PLC. James Lawrence joined Unilever in September 2007 after serving as the vice chairman and chief financial officer of General Mills, where he was responsible for corporate financial activities and international operations. Before arriving at General Mills in 1998, James Lawrence was executive vice president and chief financial officer for Northwest Airlines, a position he held since 1996. Before joining Northwest, he spent four years at Pepsi-Cola International, where he served as president and CEO of its operations in Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. Prior to joining PepsiCo, Inc., James Lawrence was chairman and co-founder of LEK Partnership, a highly successful corporate strategy and merger/acquisition consulting firm headquartered in London with 20 offices and more than 1,000 consultants in North America, Europe and the Pacific Rim. Before launching his own firm, James Lawrence was a partner with Bain and Company, establishing and heading offices in both London and Munich. James Lawrence earned a Bachelor of Arts in economics from Yale University and an MBA with distinction from Harvard Business School. He is currently a director of International Airline Group, the holding company of British Airways and Iberia. He previously served on the board of directors of Avnet, Inc. from 1999 until 2008, when he resigned to take on an employment-related role requiring him to relocate to Europe. He rejoined the Avnet board in May 2011. As a member of Avnet’s board of directors, Mr. Lawrence chairs the Audit Committee.
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About : Smurfit Kappa is producers of paper-based packaging in the world.
Henry D.G. Wallace
Board of Director of Lear Corporation
Mr. Wallace has served as the Company’s Non-Executive Chairman since August 2010 and has been a director of the Company since February 2005. Mr. Wallace worked for 30 years at Ford Motor Company until his retirement in 2001 and held several executive level operations and financial oversight positions. His most recent positions included Chief Financial Officer, Ford Motor Company, and President and CEO of Mazda Motor Corporation. Mr. Wallace serves as Non-Executive Chairman of Diebold, Inc. (formerly Interim Executive Chairman). Mr. Wallace formerly served as a director of Hayes Lemmerz International, Inc. and AMBAC Financial Group, Inc. Mr. Wallace earned a bachelor’s degree with Honours from the University of Leicester, England.
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About : The Lear Corporation is a Fortune 500 company with world-class products designed,
Firas Kittaneh
Co-founder, CEO & Creative Director of Amerisleep
Firas Kittaneh is a serial entrepreneur, marketer and writer with a passion for product design, innovation and sustainability. He’s the co-founder and CEO of both Amerisleep and OCLU. In 2006, Kittaneh co-founded Amerisleep and since then has helped hundreds of thousands of customers sleep better every night with his company’s technology. Amerisleep is an award-winning producer of eco-friendly memory foam mattresses, adjustable beds and related accessories sold throughout the U.S., South Korea and Australia. Most recently, Kittaneh and his team launched OCLU, a stylish, integrated action camera system that is smarter and easier to use than any other on the market. The OCLU camera allows everyone — from sports fanatics to families on vacation — to document their experiences in extraordinary detail. Kittaneh is a sought-after expert on business leadership, product development, and sleeping habits having appeared in The New York Times, Mashable, Lifehacker, Fox Business, Inc., The Huffington Post and others. As a writer, he’s a contributor to Entrepreneur Magazine covering business and how sleep impacts a company’s bottom-line. Kittaneh has previously written for The Huffington Post, The Next Web and others.
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About Amerisleep, Entrepreneur Magazine, HuffPost, OCLU, The Next Web: Amerisleep is an eco-friendly foam mattress brand focused on creating progressive, eco-friendly sleep solutions.
Bing Chou
Managing Director, Boulder of MojoTech
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About MojoTech: Software Design and Development Agency
Brett Bullington
Board of Directors of SmartShoot
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About : SmartShoot is a technology platform connecting brands with professional photographers and videographers to produce custom photos and videos.
John M. Pigott
Board Of Director of PACCAR
JOHN M. PIGOTT, age 51, is a partner in Beta Business Ventures, LLC, a private investment company concentrating in natural resources, and was a partner in the predecessor company Beta Capital Group, LLC since 2003. He is the brother of Mark C. Pigott, a director of the Company. He has served as a director of the Company since 2009.
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About : Global technology leader in the design, manufacture and customer support of high-quality premium trucks.
Hemal Mehta
Associate Director, Global CMC Regulatory Affairs, Medical Devices and Combination Products of Janssen Belgium
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About Janssen Belgium: Janssen Belgium is a pharmaceutical company providing medicines for an array of health concerns in several therapeutic areas.
Barry McCarthy
Senior Director of Janssen Belgium
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About Janssen Belgium, Janssen Belgium: Janssen Belgium is a pharmaceutical company providing medicines for an array of health concerns in several therapeutic areas.
Johannes Hermann
Director, Machine Learning and Advanced Algorithms, Data Sciences IT of Janssen Belgium
Johannes Hermann is leading the machine learning group in Data Sciences at Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies (Johnson & Johnson). In his current role Johannes is responsible for a variety of big data, advanced analytics and AI projects that span across the entire value chain at Janssen from Discovery through Development to Commercial with pre and post launch as well as Supply Chain and Business Development. Johannes has extensive experience in data mining and machine learning techniques and the applicability to healthcare having worked in different roles in the pharmaceutical industry at Roche and Johnson & Johnson. He holds a PhD in computational chemistry (quantum & molecular mechanics) from the University of Düsseldorf and conducted postgraduate work at the University Bristol/UK and the University of California San Francisco. He has authored more than 40 peer reviewed publications & patents incl. a Nature title story.
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About Janssen Belgium: Janssen Belgium is a pharmaceutical company providing medicines for an array of health concerns in several therapeutic areas.
Darryl Davis
Associate Director of Janssen Belgium
Having worked as an analytical chemist in the biotechnology industry since 2001, Darryl has worked on all core biochemical assays. He has started and lead analytical groups focused on; carbohydrates, cell biology, and tecnology and innovation. At Janssen R&D, Darryl Heads up Biophysical Research and Analytical Development. The BRAD group is responsible for lead candidate characterization and Due Diligence and assists in the Early Drug Discovery effort
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About Janssen Belgium: Janssen Belgium is a pharmaceutical company providing medicines for an array of health concerns in several therapeutic areas.
Julie Zhu
Associated Director of Janssen Belgium
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About Janssen Belgium: Janssen Belgium is a pharmaceutical company providing medicines for an array of health concerns in several therapeutic areas.
Norio Fujikawa
Executive Creative Director of Astro Studios
After working his way through design school as a fish monger, Norio put down his fileting knife and studied at the Institute of Design in Chicago. Directing numerous successful projects, Norio has earned his scars and stripes as a big picture thinker and solver. He’s a perpetual artist who can’t turn it off. Norio’s meeting notes have a tendency to end up on gallery walls and store shelves alike. Some say Norio is an art-robot from the future, others say he’s just Norio.
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About Astro Studios: They create multi-dimensional brand experiences that define popular culture.
Kalyn Smith-Kasun
Director of human resources of Car Keys Express
An accomplished Human Resources Director and Business Partner with over 10 years of HR experience. Well rounded professional with a good blend of experience, business acumen, PHR certification, and a Master’s in Human Resources Leadership.
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About Car Keys Express: Car Keys Express provides on-site replacement of automobile keys.
Yiying Lu
Founder & Director of Yiying Lu
Yiying Lu award-winning artist and designer. Born in Shanghai China, Educated in Sydney Australia & London UK, now based in San Francisco Silicon Valley, Yiying currently is the Creative Director at 500 Startups, the world’s most active venture capital firm and startup accelerator. She was named a “Top 10 Emerging Leader in Innovation” in the Microsoft Next 100 series. Her projects have been featured in many publications, including The New York Times, Forbes, The Atlantic, Fast Company, NBC News, TIME, Inc Magazine, Wired Magazine, and so on. Her client list includes Disney, PepsiCo, Microsoft, Twitter, Sony, Expedia, and so on. Her notable projects include Disney Shanghai Recruitment Campaign, the official Dumpling Emoji, Lifting a Dreamer (the Twitter Fail Whale), Conan O’Brien’s Pale Whale, and the SXSW Interactive Big Bag Art. Yiying has taught typography and magazine design at the University of Technology Sydney, and also a guest lecturer at the Program of Creativity and Innovation at New York University, Shanghai. She currently works with start-up companies and corporate organizations in Silicon Valley and around the world to improve their branding and design, in order to increase their user acquisition and growth; find the “FUN” in the “FUNctional”.
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About Adobe, Chinaccelerator, Female Founder School, Galvanize, MOX, New York University, New York University Shanghai, Peking University, San Francisco State University, Shanghai Disney Resort, Tsinghua University, Yiying Lu, Yiying Lu: Creating, illustrating and designing ideas and (or) visuals with both functionality & fun.
Sunil Karkera
VP and Global Managing Director of Designit
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About Designit: Designit makes product-service experiences, making business transformation happen.
Christian Linsey
Design Director of Designit
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About Designit: Designit makes product-service experiences, making business transformation happen.
Dayou Lu
Director, Finance and Business Controlling – North America of Designit
Dayou Lu is the Director of Finance at Catalyst Group.
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About Catalyst Group, Designit: Designit makes product-service experiences, making business transformation happen.
Robert Ted Enloe, III
Board of Director of Leggett & Platt
Robert Ted Enloe, III has served as a member of our board of directors since 2006. Mr. Enloe has been Managing General Partner of Balquita Partners, Ltd., a family securities and real estate investment partnership, since 1996, and he currently serves as a director of Leggett & Platt Inc. and Silicon Laboratories Inc. Mr. Enloe’s former positions include Vice Chairman of the Board and member of the Office of the Chief Executive for Compaq Computer Corporation and president of Lomas Financial Corporation and Liberte Investors.
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About : Leggett & Plat, which pioneered sleep technology when it introduced its bedspring more than 125 years ago.
Judy Odom
Board of Director of Leggett & Platt
Until her retirement in 2002, Ms. Odom was Chief Executive Officer and Board Chair at Software Spectrum, Inc., a global business to business software services company, which she co-founded in 1983. Prior to founding Software Spectrum, she was a partner with the international accounting firm, Grant Thornton.
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About : Leggett & Plat, which pioneered sleep technology when it introduced its bedspring more than 125 years ago.
Richard Lavin
Board of Director of USG Corporation
Richard P. Lavin served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Commercial Vehicle Group, Inc. from May 2013 until November 2015. Mr. Lavin had previously served as Group President of Caterpillar Inc. until his retirement in December 2012, after having worked for Caterpillar for nearly 29 years. Mr. Lavin also serves as a director for ITT Corporation and Allison Transmission Holdings, Inc. and previously served as a director of Commercial Vehicle Group, Inc. Mr. Lavin has been a director since November 2009. He is Chair of the Board’s Compensation and Organization Committee and a member of its Finance Committee.
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About : USG is North America’s leading producer of gypsum wallboard, joint compound and a vast array of related products for the construction.
Dilip Balachandran
Director, IT, Enterprise Architecture and Applications of USG Corporation
Dilip is a seasoned leader with extensive experience in driving technology led business transformation at multiple Fortune 500 companies. In his current role as Senior Manager for IT Applications at USG Corporation, Dilip’s primary focus areas are digital business transformation, information management and advanced analytics.
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About USG Corporation: USG is North America’s leading producer of gypsum wallboard, joint compound and a vast array of related products for the construction.
Steven Leer
Board of Director of USG Corporation
Steven F. Leer retired as Chairman of Arch Coal, Inc. in 2014 after having served in that position since April 2006. He was also the Chief Executive Officer of Arch Coal, Inc. until April 2012. Mr. Leer is a director of Norfolk Southern Corporation, Cenovus Energy Inc. and Parsons Corporation. He is a former director of the Greater St. Louis Area Boy Scouts of America and the National Association of Manufacturers and currently serves on the Board of Regents of Washington University in St. Louis. Mr. Leer has been a director since June 2005. He is the Board’s Lead Director, Chair of its Governance Committee and a member of its Compensation and Organization Committee.
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About : USG is North America’s leading producer of gypsum wallboard, joint compound and a vast array of related products for the construction.
Brian Kenney
Board of Director of USG Corporation
Brian A. Kenney is Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of GATX Corporation, and has held this position since 2005. Mr. Kenney serves on the Board of Trustees of the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago and the Advisory Board for the Kellogg Institute of International Studies at the University of Notre Dame. Mr. Kenney has been a director since February 2011. He is Chair of the Board’s Finance Committee and a member of its Governance Committee.
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About : USG is North America’s leading producer of gypsum wallboard, joint compound and a vast array of related products for the construction.
Gretchen Haggerty
Board of Director of USG Corporation
Gretchen R. Haggerty retired as the Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of United States Steel Corporation in August 2013, after having held that position for more than the past five years. Ms. Haggerty is a director of the Strategic Investment Fund and the United Way of Allegheny County. Ms. Haggerty has been a director since May 2011. She is a member of the Board’s Audit and Finance Committees.
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About : USG is North America’s leading producer of gypsum wallboard, joint compound and a vast array of related products for the construction.
Thomas Burke
Board of Director of USG Corporation
Thomas A. Burke has been President and Chief Executive Officer of Modine Manufacturing Company for the past eight years. Mr. Burke serves as a director of Modine Manufacturing Company and as a director of the National Association of Manufacturers. Mr. Burke has been a director since September 2013. He is a member of the Board’s Audit and Governance Committees.
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About : USG is North America’s leading producer of gypsum wallboard, joint compound and a vast array of related products for the construction.
Elizabeth Barno
Director of Corporate Development of Accion Systems
Liz is excited by powerful technology that will change the world and the amazing people who make them a reality. As Chief of Staff at Accion Systems, Liz is working on scaling the business, aligning the teams, and strengthening systems and processes. She is also responsible for maintaining company-wide plans and communicating them, advising and supporting the management team, and I supporting the people ops and ops teams. Before Accion, Liz was the first employee of Greentown Labs. She grew the membership and company operations over three facilities, 200+ startups, and countless programs and events to position Greentown as a global leader and the nation’s largest cleantech startup incubator.
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About Accion Systems: Accion Systems provides in-space propulsion systems for satellites based on proprietary technology developed at MIT.
Logan Baird
Director of Professional Services of Campaign Monitor
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About Campaign Monitor: Campaign Monitor is an email marketing platform that allows marketers to take control of their email program.
Travis Hollingsworth
Associate Director of Frog Design
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About Frog Design: Frog Design operates as a global design, innovation, and strategy firm.
Antonio De Pasquale
Associate Creative Director of Frog Design
Antonio De Pasquale is a Senior Interaction Designer and information architect in Frog specializing in digital user experience. He believes that designing the interaction is the most important part in communication and is fascinated by how you can communicate through movement and gestures. He has worked on numerous digital projects ranging from the field of web-tv, e-commerce, healthcare, online newspapers, corporate website to mobile and tablet applications and he participated in teaching activities at SUPSI, IED and Politecnico di Milano.
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About Frog Design: Frog Design operates as a global design, innovation, and strategy firm.
Linda Quarles
Executive Director, Organization Strategy and Design of Frog Design
In her role as director of strategy and organizational design at Frog, Linda Quarles provides a broad range of consultative services to build capability and improve organizational performance with clients globally. Leading organization transformations at companies including Microsoft and Cigna, Quarles brings compassion and empathy for leaders driving change in large, complex organizations. Her data-based behavioral science approach is influenced by neuroscience and human-centered design.
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About Frog Design: Frog Design operates as a global design, innovation, and strategy firm.
Sean Rhodes
Executive Creative Director of Frog Design
Sean Rhodes leads multi-disciplinary teams at frog with a focus on media, retail and financial service verticals. In this role, Sean partners with firms to leverage digital, product, service, brand and experience design for competitive advantage in dynamic business environments. With over 18 years of experience, Sean has helped bring new products to market, execute strategies and re-boot brands for clients including American Express, Bloomberg, BNY Mellon, CA, Chrysler, Comcast, Estée Lauder, GE, Goldman Sachs, IMAX, Logitech, McKinsey, Microsoft, Morgan Stanley, Qualcomm, SanDisk, Staples, TD Bank, Theorem and TouchTunes.
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About Frog Design: Frog Design operates as a global design, innovation, and strategy firm.
Scott King
Strategy Director of Frog Design
Scott King has more than 20 years of experience in business strategy, experience strategy, retail and brand strategy, design research, business process development, systems integration, product development, and supply chain management. He is a flexible thinker and planner who uses a creative approach to design, build, and fine-tune business models and methods. He has a deep understanding and firsthand working knowledge of how people and design come together to best serve short- and long-term goals. At Frog, King focuses on experience strategies and designs, and design research. In addition to Frog, King has worked for Whole Foods Market, IdealFlow, Dell Computer, and Accenture.
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About Frog Design: Frog Design operates as a global design, innovation, and strategy firm.
Mariano Garcia
Creative Director, Founder of The UX Department
I’m a Senior User Experience Designer, born and raised in Argentina, but now living in San Francisco, CA.
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About The UX Department: We’re an UX Design Agency based in San Francisco. We specialize in Interaction Design, Front-end Development and Usability.
Arash Tadayon
Director of Technology of Coplex
Arash Tadayon is the director of technology at Coplex.
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About Coplex, Pursuit Health Technologies: Coplex is a Corporate Startup Studio. We turn the art of building businesses into a repeatable science.
Caitlin Goetze
Director of Partnerships of Coplex
Caitlin is an ambassador for the startup community, previously working at the Northwest Entrepreneur Network (NWEN) as Assistant Director. She leads the curriculum for the cohort and all sessions surrounding the program. Caitlin is motivated to facilitate connections for hungry entrepreneurs and has a wealth of knowledge about the Seattle startup community. Caitlin holds a BA in Business, concentration in Marketing
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About Coplex: Coplex is a Corporate Startup Studio. We turn the art of building businesses into a repeatable science.
Michael Ellenby
Director of Corporate Innovation of Coplex
Michael Ellenby is the director of corporate innovation at Coplex.
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About Coplex: Coplex is a Corporate Startup Studio. We turn the art of building businesses into a repeatable science.
Jay Beaupre
Director of Operations of Coplex
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About Coplex: Coplex is a Corporate Startup Studio. We turn the art of building businesses into a repeatable science.
Jake Huber
Director of Program Management of Coplex
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About Coplex: Coplex is a Corporate Startup Studio. We turn the art of building businesses into a repeatable science.
Troy Rice
Ventures Managing Director of Coplex
Troy Rice is the ventures managing director at Coplex.
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About Coplex: Coplex is a Corporate Startup Studio. We turn the art of building businesses into a repeatable science.
Sandeep Krishnegowda
Director of Marketing of Cypress Semiconductor
Sandeep Krishnegowda is Director of Marketing for the Flash Business Unit at Cypress Semiconductor Corp. He has worked in Cypress’ for more than ten years in a variety of engineering, management and marketing roles. He earned an MS in Electronics from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and a BE in Electronics and Communication from Visvesvaraya Technological University
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About Cypress Semiconductor: Cypress Semiconductor delivers various high-performance, mixed-signal, and programmable solutions.
Daniel McCranie
Member of the Board of Directors of Cypress Semiconductor
Since January 2014, McCranie has been the Executive Vice President of Sales and Applications for Cypress Semiconductor Corporation (a supplier of diversified, broadline semiconductor products). From September 2010 to January 2014, McCranie was self-employed as a private investor. McCranie has served as Chairman of the Board for ON Semiconductor Corporation (a supplier of semiconductors) since August 2002 and as a Director for ON Semiconductor Corporation since November 2001. McCranie is also Chairman of the Board for Freescale Semiconductor Holdings I, Ltd. (a semiconductor manufacturer) and serves on the board of directors of Cypress Semiconductor Corporation. From October 2008 to September 2010, McCranie served as Executive Chairman of Virage Logic (a provider of semiconductor intellectual property). Previously, McCranie served at Virage Logic as President and Chief Executive Officer from January 2007 to October 2008, Executive Chairman from March 2006 to January 2007, and Chairman of the Board of Directors from August 2003 to March 2006. From 1993 until 2001, McCranie was employed in various positions, including as Executive Vice President, Marketing and Sales, with Cypress Semiconductor Corporation. From 1986 to 1993, McCranie was President, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of SEEQ Technology, Inc. (a manufacturer of semiconductor devices). Within the last five years, McCranie also served on the board of directors of Actel Corporation (a designer and provider of field programmable gate arrays and programmable system chips).
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About : Cypress Semiconductor delivers various high-performance, mixed-signal, and programmable solutions.
Jack Ogawa
Senior Director, Embedded Security Products of Cypress Semiconductor
Jack Ogawa is senior marketing director in the ICW Business Unit at Cypress. In this role, he is focused on embedded security solutions for IoT applications. He has served senior leadership roles in sales and marketing for processing devices such as programmable logic and MCUs, as well as wired and wireless connectivity devices. At Cypress, he is responsible for secure MCUs that deliver a comprehensive secure compute solution.
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About Cypress Semiconductor: Cypress Semiconductor delivers various high-performance, mixed-signal, and programmable solutions.
Emily Wing
Director of Product of Tappan
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About Tappan: Where today’s best emerging artists meet their collectors.
Ben Gibson
Co-Founder, Creative Director of Pop Chart Lab
Ben Gibson opened his illustration and design studio in 2009, after working as an Art Director of book jackets at Penguin Group (USA), Inc. He graduated from Parsons School of Design in 1997, and has been recognized by Print magazine and Print’s Regional Design Annual, HOW Magazine’s International Design Annual, Communication Arts magazine, The Step Design 100, American Illustration, and the Society of Illustrators, among other publications and institutions. His clients have included The New York Times, The San Francisco Chronicle, The Atlantic Monthly, Penguin Group, Random House, W.H. Norton, and Little, Brown. Ben is also the Design Director and Co-Founder of Pop Chart Lab, a Brooklyn-based design collective combining infographics and pop culture. His work for Pop Chart Lab has been featured by Fast Company Design, Not Cot, The Laughing Squid, Uncrate, Buzzfeed, The Daily Candy, Time Out New York, and on The Today Show.
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About Pop Chart Lab: Pop Chart Lab have one modest goal – to render all of human experience in chart form.
Omar Rahim
Co-Founder & Director of Business Development of Critical Link LLC
Omar is a co-founder of Critical Link LLC, a leading provider of embedded systems solutions system on modules (SOMs) and imaging platforms. In addition to his role as principal, Rahim serves as the vice president of imaging solutions for the company. He has more than 35 years of experience in embedded system design, specializing in image sensor technology, FPGA design, vision protocols and signal processing. Rahim continues to serve as a project manager and senior engineer on several customer accounts. Prior to founding Critical Link in 1997, Rahim held senior engineering positions at IBM and Saab Sensis Corporation. He earned his electrical engineering degree from Lehigh University.
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About Critical Link LLC: Critical Link LLC is a electronics product development company offering an array of embedded solutions for electronic applications.
