CAE - Key Persons

Job Titles:

• Partner
• Adjunct Professor of Business Management, Strategy, and Planning at the University of Maryland 's Robert H. Smith School of Business
• Founder of Grow Fast Grow Right
• Partner and Chair of the Corporate Department in the Washington

Andrew J. Sherman is a Partner and Chair of the Corporate Department in the Washington, D.C. office of Brown Rudnick, where he focuses on issues affecting business growth for companies at all stages, including developing strategies for licensing and leveraging intellectual property and technology assets, intellectual asset management and harvesting, as well as international corporate transactional and franchising matters. He is also co-Chair of the firm's Emerging Growth and Venture Capital practice and Chair of the firm's Franchising practice. Sherman was previously a partner in the Washington, DC offices of Greenberg Traurig, McDermott Will & Emery, Dickstein Shapiro, and Jones Day. He has served as General Counsel to the Entrepreneurs' Organization (YEO) since 1987. Sherman has written 26 books on the legal and strategic aspects of business growth, mergers and acquisitions, capital formation, and the leveraging and licensing of intellectual property. His titles include "The Crisis of Disengagement" (2017), "Raising Capital" (2012), "Harvesting Intangible Assets" (2011), "Mergers and Acquisitions from A to Z" (2010), and "Road Rules: Be the Truck. Not the Squirrel" (2008). Sherman is the founder of Grow Fast Grow Right, an education and training company with operations in the United States, Canada, India and Europe. He has been interviewed by or mentioned in The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Investor's Business Daily, The New York Times, Business Week, Fortune, Daily Deal, The Washington Post, The Chicago Tribune, The Chicago Sun-Times, The Miami Herald, The Orlando Sentinel, Legal Times, The San Francisco Examiner, The Washington Times, Forbes magazine, U.S. News & World Report, Money magazine, Inc. magazine, CNNMoney.com, Dun & Bradstreet Reports, Black Enterprise magazine, and other news sources. He has also appeared as a guest and a commentator on all of the major television networks as well as CNBC's Power Lunch, CNN's Day Watch, CNNfn's For Entrepreneurs Only, USA Network's First Business, and Bloomberg's Small Business Weekly. He has also appeared on numerous regional and local television broadcasts as well as national and local radio interviews for National Public Radio (NPR), Business News Network (BNN), Bloomberg Radio, AP Radio Network, Voice of America, Talk America Radio Network and the USA Radio Network. In 2001, Fortune magazine named Sherman one of the Top Ten Minds in Small Business, and in February 2006 Inc. magazine recognized Sherman as one of the 19 leading resources and advocates for growing companies in the nation. Sherman has been an adjunct professor of business management, strategy, and planning at the University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business for more than 25 years, and has won several teaching awards, including the Krowe Award for Teaching Excellence in 2000, 2004, and 2008. For the past 17 years, he has also been an adjunct professor at Georgetown's McDonough School of Business and the Law School, teaching courses on business growth, capital formation, and entrepreneurship. Sherman grew up in West Philadelphia and is a graduate of the University of Maryland and American University's Washington College of Law.

Job Titles:

• CEO
• Founder
• Member of the Board of Directors

Bettina Hein is a serial software entrepreneur who has built technology companies in both the United States and Europe. She is most recently the founder of digital health startup juli, her third software company. She is also the founder of Pixability, a video advertising company in Boston. Prior to Pixability, Bettina co-founded SVOX, the Swiss-based speech technology company which was acquired by Nuance Communications (NUAN) for $125 million. Bettina has received numerous awards and recognitions such as the 2018 Immigrant Entrepreneur of the Year Award, World Economic Forum Young Global Leader, L'Oreal NEXT Generation Award, and the Boston Business Journal's "40 Under 40 Award." Bettina holds an MS degree from MIT, a law degree from the University of Constance, and a business degree from the University of St. Gallen. Bettina also holds two software patents and is the co-author of Video Marketing for Dummies. She is also a "shark" on the Swiss version of Shark Tank called "Höhle der Löwen Schweiz."

Job Titles:

• Member of the Board of Directors
• President & CEO / National Venture Capital Association
• President & CEO of the National Venture Capital Association

Bobby Franklin is the President & CEO of the National Venture Capital Association (NVCA), the venture community's preeminent trade association focused on empowering the next generation of transformative American companies. Based in Washington, D.C., with offices in Palo Alto and San Francisco, NVCA acts as the voice of the U.S. venture capital and startup community by advocating for public policy that supports the American entrepreneurial ecosystem. Powered by its members, NVCA arms the venture community for success, serving as the leading resource for venture capital data, practical education, peer-led initiatives, and networking. Prior to joining NVCA in 2013, Franklin spent ten years at CTIA, a large Washington, DC-based trade association representing the entire wireless industry. While there, Franklin served as the Executive Vice President and second-in-command to the CEO, former Rep. Steve Largent (R-OK), and was responsible for helping manage the organization's $58 Million budget and 90 employees. Previously, Franklin had served as CTIA's Vice President of Government Affairs where he led federal and state advocacy initiatives. Before joining CTIA, Franklin served as Vice President, Federal Government Affairs and head of Alltel's Washington, D.C. office. In that capacity he was responsible for the company's legislative and regulatory advocacy in Washington. Franklin originally joined Alltel in 1998 as Vice President of Federal Legislative Affairs. Prior to serving at Alltel, Franklin spent a year and a half as a consultant representing the nation's land-grant colleges and universities. Franklin began his professional career with nearly eight years of experience on Capitol Hill working on various issues in the office of Senator David Pryor (D-AR) and on various Senate Committees, including Agriculture, Finance, and Governmental Affairs. Franklin earned his B.S.B.A. in Finance and Banking from the University of Arkansas. He and his wife, Julia, have three teenagers and reside in Arlington, VA.

Job Titles:

• Co - Founder / Foundry Group
• Managing Director of Foundry Group

Brad Feld is Managing Director of Foundry Group, a Boulder, Co-based venture capital firm focused on early-stage technology investment, participating in select growth rounds, and identifying and supporting the next generation of venture fund managers. Brad has been an early stage investor and entrepreneur since 1987. Prior to co-founding Foundry Group, he co-founded Mobius Venture Capital and, prior to that, founded Intensity Ventures. Brad is also a co-founder of Techstars. In addition to his investing efforts, Brad is active with several non-profit organizations. He currently is chair of the National Center for Women & Information Technology and the Global EIR Coalition and is on the boards of Path Forward, the Kauffman Fellows, and Defy Ventures. Brad is a writer and speaker on the topics of venture capital investing and entrepreneurship. He's written a number of books as part of the Startup Revolution series and writes the blogs Feld Thoughts and Venture Deals. Brad holds Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees in Management Science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Brad is also an art collector and long-distance runner. He has completed 24 marathons as part of his mission to finish a marathon in each of the 50 states.

Job Titles:

• Chairman
• Founder
• Entrepreneur, New York Times

Craig Hall is an entrepreneur, New York Times bestselling author, vintner and philanthropist. He formed HALL Group in 1968 at age 18 with $4,000 saved from small ventures that began at age 10. Today, the diversified company is made up of several subsidiary brands, including: HALL Park, the 15-building, 162-acre office park in Frisco, Texas; HALL Arts, the three-phase, five-acre, mixed-use development in the Dallas Arts District that includes HALL Arts Hotel and Residences; HALL Structured Finance, the entrepreneurial, value-add direct private lender to the real estate industry; HALL Wines, located in St. Helena and Rutherford, producing highly-rated Bordeaux varietals; WALT Wines, Napa Valley producer of handcrafted Pinot Noir and Chardonnay varietals; and SENZA hotel, a Napa Valley boutique hotel and luxury resort. Hall actively supports new entrepreneurs, nurtures young startups and often speaks publicly about the importance of encouraging entrepreneurship worldwide. Together with his wife Kathryn Hall, he funded the Fulbright - Kathryn and Craig Hall Distinguished Chair for Entrepreneurship to teach entrepreneurship in Eastern Europe. Hall also founded the Dallas Regional Office of NFTE (Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship). He is also the author of seven published books, including his most recent, BOOM: Bridging the Opportunity Gap to Reignite Startups, which was published in May 2019. Hall has made it a lifelong mission to put people first - those in the community, those whom he employs, and those whom his business affects. Hall strongly believes that entrepreneurship is a catalyst that makes a difference both today and in the future, and intends to leave the world better than he found it. This is a philosophy he has been putting into action for 53 years, both in business and through his family foundation, established in 1977. Hall and his companies are often recognized for significant achievements and civic and charitable contributions. In 2006, Hall received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Mortgage Bankers Association. In 2007, Hall was named a lifetime member of the prestigious Horatio Alger Association for Distinguished Americans, where he currently serves as a board member. He was also inducted into the North Texas Commercial Real Estate Hall of Fame and the Entrepreneurs Foundation of North Texas' Ring of Honor. Hall was named the 2013 Dallas Real Estate Executive of the Year and in 2016 he was inducted into the Junior Achievement of Dallas Business Hall of Fame. In 2017, Hall and his wife Kathryn were co-awarded the 2017 "Master Entrepreneur of the Year" award for the Southwest Region from the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year program. In 2019, Hall was received the Pioneer Award from D CEO magazine for his contribution to the Dallas real estate community, and in the same year he also was recognized with the Business Council for the Arts Obelisk Award for his partnership with and service to the arts community.

Job Titles:

• Member of the Board of Directors
• First Vice Chancellor for Innovation and Chief
• Vice Chancellor for Innovation and Chief Commercialization Officer / Washington University

Dr. Dedric A. Carter is the first Vice Chancellor for Innovation and Chief Commercialization Officer at Washington University in St. Louis. Tasked with providing vision and strategy to advance the culture of innovation across the university, strengthen intellectual property assets for licensing, and identify new ventures and opportunities in the entrepreneurial ecosystem, he will engage with internal and external partners to build and grow the innovation activities in all departments and schools. Prior to this new role, Carter served as Vice Chancellor for Operations & Technology Transfer at the university. Dr. Carter is also professor of engineering practice in the Department of Electrical and Systems Engineering at the McKelvey School of Engineering. In his senior administration role, Dr. Carter is a member of the University Council and he has served as university officer for key operations functions including dining and food services, campus card services, Whittemore House (faculty club), parking and transportation, summer programs and conferences, procurement and resource management, environmental health and safety and the Office of Technology Management (technology transfer office). The Office of the Operations and Technology Transfer generates over $50 million in revenue with over 500 employees/employee equivalents impacting over $1 billion in spending for the University. Dr. Carter holds an additional appointment as senior lecturer for Innovation and Entrepreneurship in the John M. Olin School of Business and he teaches courses in systems applications to technical, business, and policy issues with an emphasis on the entrepreneurial process and new venture creation. Dr. Carter's previous roles at Washington University include both Associate Provost and Associate Vice Chancellor for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, as well as Associate Dean of Engineering for international education and research. Prior to joining Washington University, Dr. Carter served as the senior advisor for strategic initiatives in the Office of the Director at the U.S. National Science Foundation in addition to serving as the executive secretary to the U.S. National Science Board executive committee. Prior to his work at the NSF, Dr. Carter was an assistant dean of Engineering at MIT with responsibilities for the School's development portfolio and strategic initiatives, a senior principal consultant in IT strategy and management, and an entrepreneur (helping to start a Softbank venture-backed company). Dr. Carter has an undergraduate and graduate degree in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from MIT, an MBA from MIT Sloan School of Management, and a PhD in Information Systems from Nova Southeastern University. He also studied as a senior executive fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government. Dr. Carter is an active member of the St. Louis community, serving as a board member of the Saint Louis Art Museum, Academy of Sciences St. Louis, Junior Achievement of St. Louis, and the Rep (Executive Committee), Delmar Devine (Executive Committee) in addition to serving as a board observer for the Cortex Innovation Community. Dr. Carter serves as a director and chairman of the Missouri Technology Corporation appointed by Governor Parsons. He currently chairs the Missouri Innovation and Entrepreneurship Strategic Plan Steering Committee. Dr. Carter is a former trustee of MIT and the UVA School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, as well as a member of the Carnegie Mellon Presidential Advisory Committee on the CMU Experience and an appointed member of the Board of Directors of the MIT Alumni Association. He is a frequent presenter on the topic of regional catalysis and acceleration of innovation and entrepreneurial activities both nationally and internationally. He was founding co-PI on a $5 million National Science Foundation grant for increasing under-represented minority capacity in STEM. Dr. Carter was also selected as a 2018-19 Fellow in the National Association of College and University Business Officers (a year-long program designed to identify, connect, enrich, and develop future chief business and administrative officers in higher education). Dr. Carter and his wife Dr. Ebony B. Carter lived on campus for four years with their three daughters as the Faculty Fellows of Wayman Crow Residential College on the Washington University South 40. He currently serves as the U.S. Scholars Ambassador in the McDonnell Academy for International Scholars.

Job Titles:

• Board Chair and Mentor

Gail spent 17 years as CEO of Constant Contact, the trusted provider of online marketing tools for new and small businesses and nonprofits. Gail led the company from pre-revenue to a successful IPO (NASDAQ: CTCT) in 2007 and through its acquisition by Endurance in 2016 for $1.1 billion. At the time of the acquisition, more than 650,000 small businesses and nonprofits used Constant Contact's online marketing tools to engage customers and grow their businesses, and company revenues topped $370 million. Gail is a true believer in the power of entrepreneurship to transform lives and communities. She helps underserved entrepreneurs turn their dreams into reality working with EforAll ("Entrepreneurship for All") as both a mentor and board chair. Author of "Engagement Marketing: How Small Business Succeeds in a Socially Connected World," Gail is a frequent speaker at national technology and entrepreneurial events. Her 2013 TEDx talk, "Founders Can't Scale," offers a glimpse into her management philosophy and personal drive, especially as it relates to scaling a startup into a large, public company. Fostering entrepreneurship is Gail's passion and mission and she has dedicated the next chapter of her professional career to scaling organizations and programs focused on small business success. Gail serves on the Boards of Shopify, Jobber, and Entrepreneurship for All. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Pennsylvania and an MBA from the Amos Tuck School at Dartmouth College.

Job Titles:

• Co - Founder
• General Partner
• Member of the Leadership & Staff
• Chairman of CAE 's Board of Directors
• Co - Founder and General Partner / Far Out Ventures

Ian Hathaway is the Chair of CAE's board of directors. He is Co-founder and General Partner of Far Out Ventures, an early-stage venture capital firm based in the United States. He is also a startup advisor and mentor; advisor to Index Ventures; senior fellow at the Brookings Institution; and board member and senior fellow at the Center for American Entrepreneurship. Most recently, Ian was SVP and Head of Capital Analytics at Techstars, where was a leader in the firm's capital formation, fund management, and investment strategy activities globally. Ian has a long track record as a thought leader in startups, innovation, and venture capital, and is co-author of The Startup Community Way, a book about entrepreneurial ecosystems published in 2020. His insights are regularly cited in leading press outlets, such as The New York Times, The Economist, Financial Times, and many others. He has been a frequent contributor to outlets such as the Harvard Business Review and The Wall Street Journal. Ian has worked with large businesses, high-growth startups, and governments in the technology and media, startup and venture capital, financial services, and social sectors on a range of strategic, innovation, and analytical matters. He has advised, mentored, or invested in dozens of early-stage startups and emerging fund managers in the United States, Europe, Asia, Africa, and Latin America. Previously, Ian led product and innovation initiatives in the venture capital and media sectors (Techstars, Silicon Valley Bank, Bloomberg); was a consultant to major technology and financial services clients (e.g., Google, Goldman Sachs); was an economist at leading policymaking institutions (Federal Reserve Bank, World Trade Organization); was a founder, advisor, and early employee for data analytics startups; was a social entrepreneur (co-founded Center for American Entrepreneurship); and was an educator (New York University). Ian is a graduate of the University of Chicago and the University of Dayton. He resides in Santa Barbara, California with his wife and three children.

Job Titles:

• Member of the Board of Directors
• Managing Partner / Collab Capital
• Managing Partner at Collab Capital

Jewel Burks Solomon is Managing Partner at Collab Capital, an early-stage venture capital fund she launched to close the funding gap for Black entrepreneurs. Prior to leading Collab Capital, Jewel was Head of Google for Startups US, where she created initiatives that deployed over $30 million in non-dilutive capital to Black and Latino-led businesses since 2020. Jewel's passion for leveling the playing field for Black founders was born from her own experience. Jewel was the Founder/CEO of Partpic, a startup that was acquired by Amazon in 2016, which streamlined the purchase of maintenance and repair parts using computer vision technology. Jewel serves on the boards of The Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta, Endeavor Atlanta, and JP Morgan's Advancing Black Pathways. She is a member of the 2019 Class of Henry Crown Fellows within the Aspen Global Leadership Network at the Aspen Institute. Jewel received a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration from Howard University. She currently resides in Atlanta, GA with her husband and son.

Job Titles:

• CEO
• Member of the Board of Directors

John Belizaire is a versatile CEO and serial entrepreneur who has successfully founded and scaled multiple technology companies over a 20-year career. He is currently the CEO of Soluna, a company helping to shape the future of renewable energy development. Before Soluna, John was the founder and CEO of FirstBest, a transformative insurance software company acquired by Guidewire Software, and Theory Center, an e-commerce software company acquired by BEA Systems. Before becoming an entrepreneur, John was the lead architect for Intel's Digital Enterprise Group. John is on the advisory board of several software-as-a-service, data analytics, and insurtech startups. He is the editor of CEOPLAYBOOK, an online publication full of sage advice for first-time founder CEOs. He is on the board of IFG Companies, one of the largest privately-held insurance groups in the United States. John is also a trustee of Harlem Academy, an independent school in New York. John holds a BS degree in computer science and an MS in Engineering from Cornell.

Job Titles:

• Founder
• Member of the Leadership & Staff
• President
• Founder & President / Center for American Entrepreneurship
• Founder and President of the Center for American Entrepreneurship

John Dearie is the founder and President of the Center for American Entrepreneurship. He is the former Acting CEO of the Financial Services Forum, a financial and economic policy organization comprised of the chief executive officers of the largest financial institutions with operations in the United States. From 2001 to 2015, he was the Forum's Executive Vice President for Policy, coordinating the group's policy agenda, which included: financial supervision reform, the competitiveness of U.S. capital markets, free and fair trade, comprehensive tax reform, debt and deficit reduction, and accelerating economic growth and job creation. Prior to joining the Forum, John spent nine years at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York where he held positions in the Banking Studies, Foreign Exchange, and Policy & Analysis areas. He was appointed an Officer of the Bank in 1996. He is the co-author of Where the Jobs Are: Entrepreneurship and the Soul of the American Economy (Wiley, 2013), which was called "one of the great economics books of the past few years" by the American Enterprise Institute. His writing has also appeared in the The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Financial Times, The Hill, Politico, American Banker, USA Today, and China's Caijing Magazine.

Job Titles:

• President

Job Titles:

• Member of the Board of Directors
• Managing Partner & Co - CEO ( Retired ) Antares

John Martin served as managing partner and co-CEO of Antares Capital, LP, a private debt credit manager, until May 2019 when he retired after a successful 30-year career in private equity. He was a founding partner of the original Antares Capital in 1996 - a startup that provided acquisition financing capital to the portfolio companies of private equity firms across North America. Over the course of nine years, Antares grew to become one of the largest providers of acquisition capital to private equity sponsors in the middle market. Following the firm's acquisition by GE Capital in 2005, John became President and CEO of the newly branded GE Antares Capital and helped to direct the strategic vision of the business. In addition, he presided over numerous acquisitions and divestitures, including the sale of the firm to CPPIB for $12 billion in August 2015. Subsequently, Antares went on to raise more than $6.5 billion in the CLO market from a global investor base comprised of banks, pension funds, insurance companies and asset managers. Following the acquisition by CPPIB, John sat on the Antares Investment Committee throughout his tenure at the company and was a member of the board of directors. At the time of his retirement, the firm's CAUM was more than $25 billion. John earned his bachelor's degree in finance from the University of Notre Dame in 1982 and served as a member of the Mendoza College of Business Advisory Council for 12 years. He was also recently appointed as the first chair of the newly established Advisory Council for the IDEA Center, an innovation and entrepreneurship facility at Notre Dame. He serves on the board of the Executives Club of Chicago, is a member of the Economic Club of Chicago, and is a Director of the Western Golf Association in January 2020. John also serves as a board member of the Midtown Educational Foundation and is actively involved in several non-profit organizations in the Chicago area.

Job Titles:

• Leader
• Director, Practice Development

Joni Cobb is a dynamic leader with a strong track record in both the entrepreneurial and financial sectors. As a Director of Creative Planning's Practice Development Team, Joni leverages her extensive expertise and nationwide network of executives and leaders to empower individuals, families, and business owners. She connects them with top-tier wealth management support, professional talent, and world-class resources, ultimately helping them achieve their financial goals. Before her role with Creative Planning, Joni held the position of founding President and Chief Executive Officer at Pipeline Entrepreneurs, where she left an indelible mark during her 14-year tenure. Under her leadership, Pipeline Entrepreneurs achieved remarkable economic outcomes, receiving national recognition. The companies she supported collectively generated over $1.4 billion in revenues, secured more than $608 million in external capital, conducted business across 85 countries, and created over 2,700 jobs. Joni's outstanding work earned Pipeline Entrepreneurs the prestigious Uncommon Award from the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation in 2016, highlighting their excellence in entrepreneurial programs. Upon retiring from her role as founder, Joni was honored with the Pipeline Lifetime Achievement Award. Joni's exceptional leadership has been celebrated in numerous prominent circles, including her inclusion in the Power 100 in Kansas City, recognition as one of the Women Who Mean Business, acknowledgment as a Woman of Influence, and a coveted spot in the Techweek 100. Her influence extends to the media, where she has been featured in well-known industry publications, appeared on both radio and television, and earned accolades such as a Mid-America Emmy Award and International Stevie Award for her contributions to writing, directing, and co-editing a documentary-style film. Beyond her professional achievements, Joni actively contributes to the entrepreneurial ecosystem and civic organizations. She serves as the Chair and founding board member of the Center for American Entrepreneurship and is a member of the Regional Cabinet for Washington University. Additionally, Joni serves on the boards of the Kansas City Area Development Council and Starlight Theatre, further cementing her commitment to her community. Joni holds bachelor's degree in economics and political science from the University of Missouri and a Juris Doctor from Washington University School of Law in St. Louis. Her multifaceted expertise, combined with her passion for fostering entrepreneurship and financial success, make Joni Cobb an influential and respected figure in her field.

Job Titles:

• Managing Director
• Managing Director of the Techstars Sports Accelerator
• Tech CEO

Jordan Fliegel is a two-time venture-backed tech CEO and experienced startup investor with more than 300 active portfolio companies, and advisor to CEOs of high-growth companies. Fliegel is passionate about nurturing and promoting American new and small businesses, and is proud to serve on the Entrepreneurs Council of the Center for American Entrepreneurship. Fliegel is currently Managing Director of the Techstars Sports Accelerator, which he launched in 2019, and the Techstars NYC Accelerator (a top performing accelerator over the last decade), which he took on from previous leadership in 2022. Between the two accelerators, Fliegel leads investments in 25 startups per year, and has driven high IRR via stakes in successful portfolio companies like Ergatta, which raised $30 million at a $200 million valuation in 2021. Fliegel has invested in over 250 startups since 2013 as Managing Partner of Founders First, a vertical-agnostic early-stage angel fund and leading syndicate on AngelList, which he co-founded with business partner Jeremy Levine. Portfolio companies include seed investments in now unicorn startups like Carta ($8.5 billion valuation) and Ramp ($5.8 billion valuation). Fliegel was previously co-CEO of Draft.com, a venture-backed fantasy sports company headquartered in New York. In 2017, he sold DRAFT to Paddy Power Betfair for $48 million. Draft.com won every Fantasy Sports Trade Association award, including "Fantasy Sports Business of The Year," "Best Games App," "Best Draft Room," and "Best Daily Fantasy Sports Game." Before Draft, Fliegel was founder and CEO (now Chairman) of CoachUp.com, America's leader in sports coaching, with more than 3,000 active coaches conducting lessons every month across the country. Headquartered in Boston and backed by $14 million in venture capital from firms like General Catalyst and Founder Collective, CoachUp was named to the Inc. 5000 Fastest Growing Companies four times and Andreesen Horowitz Top 100 Marketplaces three times. NBA MVP Stephen Curry is Fliegel's partner and lead spokesman at CoachUp. Before CoachUp, Fliegel played professional basketball in the Israeli Premier League, Israeli National League and EuroCup league, and followed his passion for basketball in 2018 by leading a group that bought a double-digit minority stake in the ANBL four-time champion New Zealand Breakers. Fliegel writes and lecturers on entrepreneurship, investing, and leadership and is the author of "Coaching Up!" (Wiley, 2016, with a foreword by NBA Champion Shane Battier). Fliegel and his co-founders have been named Sports Business Journal "Power Player," Inc "30 under 30," Forbes "30 under 30," BBJ "40 under 40" and a finalist for Ernst & Young "New England Entrepreneur of the Year." Fliegel grew up in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He earned a B.A. in Philosophy and Government from Bowdoin College and an M.B.A. from Tel Aviv University.

Job Titles:

• Member of the Board of Directors
• Chief Innovation Officer / Advanced Regenerative Manufacturing Institute

Currently the Chief Innovation Officer for the Advanced Regenerative Manufacturing Institute (ARMI), a DOD-funded Manufacturing USA Institute, Ms. Lenzer was recruited to unleash innovation and lead the translation of research in cell, tissue, and organ bio-fabrication into impact. Prior to ARMI, Ms. Lenzer was Chief Innovation Officer at the University of Maryland (UMD). There, she launched cluster-based initiatives in technologies such as immersive media and quantum, and oversaw UMD's technology transfer and commercialization activities, the state-wide Small Business Development Center, the regional Veteran's Business Outreach Center, and various other programs that served to expand and connect UMD's innovation ecosystem. Prior to UMD, Ms. Lenzer led the U.S. Department of Commerce's Office of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, part of the Economic Development Administration (EDA) and served as Special Advisor to Secretary Penny Pritzker on innovation policy. Over her 2 ½ year appointment, she and her team built a national grant program that invested $40M into communities across the Umited States, resulting in nearly $1.6 billion in additional private investment, assisting thousands of high-tech entrepreneurial companies receive technical assistance, and creating over 14,000 jobs. The program has continued to receive increased appropriations since first funding under Julie's leadership to over $100 million cumulative funding fueling innovative economic development across the country. Based on proven results in driving innovation, Ms. Lenzer was asked to lead the U.S. innovation task force at the G20 in China. There, she drove consensus around sensitive topics such as intellectual property and open science policies. Ms. Lenzer was appointed by the governor of Maryland to advise the Secretary of Commerce on policies and programs to spur business growth and was invited to be an inaugural member of the board of the Center for American Entrepreneurship. She has served on the Board of Directors of the Girls Scouts of Central Maryland since 2013 and was elected to the Executive Committee as Treasurer in 2019. Ms. Lenzer holds a B.S. in computer science from Texas A&M, a Certificate in Machine Learning from Stanford, and her Masters in Machine Learning from UMD.

Job Titles:

• Associate Vice President
• Member of the Leadership & Staff
• Associate Vice President at the Center for American Entrepreneurship

Katie Allen is Associate Vice President at the Center for American Entrepreneurship (CAE). Katie joined CAE in July of 2017 after 4 years at the Financial Services Forum, an economic policy organization comprised of the chief executive officers of 16 of the largest and most diversified financial institutions with business operations in the United States. Prior to joining the Forum, she worked with the nonprofit Clothed in Hope, which works to empower women in Zambia. Katie earned a BA in Psychology with a minor Sports Management at the University of South Carolina and a business certificate from the University of Virginia's McIntire Business Institute. Passionate about creativity and novel technologies, she is a natural advocate for new businesses trying to grow and thrive in our competitive environment.

Job Titles:

• Founder
• Member of the Leadership & Staff
• Principal
• Vice Chair of CAE 's Board of Directors

Leslie Lynn Smith is Vice Chair of CAE's board of directors. She is a nationally recognized entrepreneurial and business development leader. She is the founder and principal of Themis Strategic Partners, a consulting firm focused on the intersection of equity and growth, and serves as a Senior Strategic Advisor for GET Cities (Gender Equality in Tech), where she works to build a national movement that will march with energy and intent toward the creation of a tech economy that recognizes, celebrates and elevates the gifts, talents and contributions of women, non-binary and trans people. GET Cities is led by SecondMuse and Break Through Tech in partnership with Pivotal Ventures, the investment and incubation company created by Melinda Gates. Before joining GET Cities in October 2020, Leslie was the founding president and CEO of Epicenter, the nonprofit hub of the greater Memphis entrepreneurial movement. Using a systems approach, Smith led a team that drove strategy and measured impact among a network of economic development, academic, corporate, and government partners to increase support to new and existing tech startups, creative and community-based businesses, student entrepreneurs, and others across industries and stages of growth. The Epicenter team and its partners connected these entrepreneurs and their innovative ideas to programming, capital, customers, and talent in order to create a just, inclusive, and growing economy that benefits all Memphians. Smith's role in Memphis came after five years of successful entrepreneurial leadership as president and CEO of TechTown, Detroit's most established business incubator and accelerator. Under Smith's leadership, TechTown created and launched novel urban economic development programs, expanded tech-based company creation and launched robust regional entrepreneurship collaborations with great and measurable impact. Previously, she was director of business acceleration for the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, overseeing the state's $300 million start-up investment portfolio and managing the statewide innovation economy and its network of ecosystem partners, including 15 research universities, incubators, accelerators and the philanthropic and private sectors. Smith's current board service includes InBIA, Center for American Entrepreneurship, and Memphis Fourth Estate, Inc., and the University of Memphis Board of Visitors.

Job Titles:

• Member of the Board of Directors
• Senior VP of Intellectual Property / Columbia University

Orin Herskowitz is the Senior VP of Intellectual Property and Tech Transfer for Columbia University, as well as Executive Director of Columbia Technology Ventures (CTV). He also is an Adjunct Professor, teaching a course on Intellectual Property for Entrepreneurs. He has served on boards or served as the Principle Investigator for a number of innovation and entrepreneurship-focused initiatives, including the NYC Media Lab, the PowerBridgeNY clean energy proof-of-concept center, the Columbia Coulter Translational Partnership, the NYC ACRE technology incubator, and Harlem Biospace; has been a peer reviewer for innovation and entrepreneurship awards for the National Science Foundation and the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities; and is a frequent speaker at IP- and technology-focused events in New York City and across the country. Orin is also an appointee to a two-year term on the National Advisory Council on Innovation and Entrepreneurship (NACIE), a Federal committee that advises the U.S. Secretary of Commerce on issues related to accelerating innovation, enhancing entrepreneurship, and expanding workforce skill development.

Job Titles:

• Member of the Board of Directors
• CEO of the Financial Technology Association
• Chief Executive Officer / Financial Technology Association

Penny Lee is the CEO of the Financial Technology Association (FTA), a nonprofit organization dedicated to educating consumers, regulators, policymakers, and industry stakeholders on the value of technology-centered financial services companies. FTA advocates for the modernization of financial regulation to promote inclusion, advance innovation, and allow equitable access to financial services and markets. Before joining FTA, Lee led the public affairs practice group at Invariant, a leading Washington, D.C. government relations and strategic communications firm. She previously served as Chief Strategy Officer of 1776, a prominent technology incubator and accelerator servicing over 1,200 startups in its network. Lee developed and formalized the business strategy necessary to execute the company's priorities internally and externally, with operational authority over the company's personnel, product, and finances. Additionally, she co-founded and chaired a Washington, D.C.-based angel investment group, K Street Capital, which has invested over $5 million in 45 companies. Lee is passionate about making the tech industry more inclusive, and while Chair of K Street Capital, female or underrepresented founders comprised 32 percent of the portfolio. Her experience also includes serving as Senior Advisor to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV), Executive Director of the Democratic Governors Association, and Communications Director for Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell. Roles in social impact complement her professional expertise. She maintains leadership and board positions for several D.C. area investment groups and nonprofit organizations, including Black Girl Ventures, Center for American Entrepreneurship, and National Links Trust, an organization seeking to diversify the game of golf by improving accessibility and affordability of municipal golf courses. Penny graduated from Baylor University with degrees in political science and journalism.

Job Titles:

• CEO

With more than 20 years of management and operating experience, and fifteen years running and supporting startups, Rebecca currently serves as CEO of Denali Financial Consulting, providing fractional talent and peace of mind for founding teams. She previously served as Executive Director of Madrona Venture Group's Create33, delivering content, connections and community to high-growth startups. Prior, Rebecca was the Acting Director of the City of Seattle's Office of Economic Development, having progressed through leadership roles in the office, including serving as the City's first Startup Advocate. Before joining the City, she was GeekWire's first Chief Business Officer, Executive Director of the Northwest Entrepreneur Network, and Program Director of the Alliance of Angels. Having received her MBA from the UW Foster school of business in 2006, she has served on their Employer Advisory Board since 2008, and is currently an instructor in entrepreneurship for their Technology Management MBA Program. In addition to chairing the Center for American Entrepreneurship, she has been a committed Techstars mentor since their Seattle launch in 2010, is a coach for the Female Founders Alliance Ready Set Raise Accelerator. A phi beta kappa graduate of Carleton College, Rebecca was recognized by the Puget Sound Business Journal as one of the top 100 women in tech and as "Do Gooder of the Year."

Job Titles:

• Member of the Leadership & Staff
• Senior Fellow
• Partner at Common Good Labs
• Senior Fellow / Center for American Entrepreneurship
• Senior Fellow at the Center for American Entrepreneurship

Rhett Morris is a Senior Fellow at the Center for American Entrepreneurship. Rhett is a partner at Common Good Labs and the former head of the research team at Endeavor Insight. He has led entrepreneurship research projects sponsored by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Kauffman Foundation, Omidyar Network, the World Bank, Knight Foundation and many other organizations. He was previously a consultant at Bain & Company and the confidential assistant to the mayor of Baton Rouge.

Job Titles:

• Member of the Board of Directors
• President and CEO / Community Foundation of North Central Wisconsin

In his role as President/CEO of the Community Foundation of North Central Wisconsin, Tim continues his lifelong commitment to "Do Well and Do Good," strengthening lives and communities through his work. Tim began serving the Wausau-based Foundation in October 2020, leading the charge to make the region a more vibrant and vital community. Tim oversees the stewardship of over $85 million in assets and mobilizes people, passion, and resources for maximal impact. Prior to joining the Foundation, Tim was a recognized leader in venture capital, angel investment, the start-up community, and private corporations. As the second president of Grand Angels in November 2016, Tim expanded the organization, becoming Michigan's first statewide investor network - the Michigan Capital Network. MCN includes four angel groups - Grand Angels, Ka-Zoo Angels, Woodward Angels, and Flint Angels. Before MCN, Tim founded a global exporting company focused on increasing exports from Michigan to consumers across Asia. For the past three years, Tim has been listed on both the Detroit 500 - Most Powerful Business Leaders in Detroit and the Grand Rapids 200 - Most Powerful Business Leaders in West Michigan. He also holds 13 U.S. patents. Fueling his passion for improving lives and supporting communities, Tim serves on several boards, including the Center for American Entrepreneurship, ACRE AgTech Business Accelerator (chairperson), and Campus Partners 1. Tim holds a B.S. degree in Manufacturing Administration and an M.B.A. from Western Michigan University. Tim is driven by his focus on faith, family, friends, finance, fun, and fabulous food.

Job Titles:

• Founder and CEO / Cambridge Innovation Center
• Founder and CEO of CIC

Tim Rowe is the founder and CEO of CIC and CIC Health. CIC is a global leader in building innovation campuses, with locations in the United States, Europe, and Asia. CIC Health is the largest COVID-19 testing company in New England and operated Massachusetts' largest mass-vaccination sites. An entrepreneur all his life, Tim founded his first company, the Belmont Computing Group, at age 14. He later went on to earn a BA from Amherst College and an MBA from MIT's Sloan School of Management. With over 40 years of experience in the entrepreneurial and startup landscape, largely in the science and technology sectors, Tim is a well-established leader in New England's evolving innovation ecosystem. He is a passionate and creative thinker who constantly questions the status quo to tackle complex challenges. Through this lens, he continues to provide opportunities that support and advance the work of other innovators and streamline processes in ways that benefit society at large. In 1999, Tim launched CIC in Kendall Square, on MIT's doorstep. Over the past 23 years, he has grown the company to operate more than 1 million square feet of innovation campuses globally, which include the largest commercial shared wet lab hub in the world. In total, CIC has served nearly 8,000 startups and innovators. Its innovation campuses seek to concentrate each city's most impactful entrepreneurs in a location designed for collaboration, networking, and high-speed growth. By providing these innovators with both a workplace and opportunities to connect with one another, CIC helps its clients grow faster and advances its mission to "fix the world through innovation." At the start of the pandemic, Tim recognized a need to offer convenient and accessible COVID-19 testing services to CIC clients. He and noted health leader Dr. Atul Gawande decided to collaborate to provide much-needed testing services on a massive scale. That led to the launch of CIC Health in June 2020, which quickly became the largest COVID testing and mass-vaccination company in New England. Working closely with CIC Health President Rachel Wilson (also on Boston Globe Tech Power Players 50 list), Tim led the company to operate dozens of public testing sites and provide testing services to more than 3,000 schools and organizations nationally. CIC Health ran four mass vaccination sites - including Gillette Stadium and Fenway Park - and over 135 community-based sites in Massachusetts, which increased vaccine access for some of the state's hardest-hit populations in their own trusted neighborhoods. It has facilitated more than 5 million tests and over 1.2 million vaccine doses. Tim currently serves as the chair of Venture Café Global Institute and was the founding chair of LabCentral, the renowned nonprofit shared wet laboratory in Massachusetts, and of MassRobotics, the world's largest shared robotics innovation facility, which is based in Boston's Seaport district. He launched and served as the first president of the Kendall Square Association, which promotes and fosters the neighborhood near MIT dubbed "the most innovative square mile on the planet." Prior to founding CIC, he served as a principal with the Boston Consulting Group, working out of its offices on several continents. He speaks English, Spanish, and Japanese. Tim has previously served as a lecturer at MIT, an analyst at the Mitsubishi Research Institute in Tokyo, and a venture partner at New Atlantic Ventures. He is a past Ernst & Young's Entrepreneur of the Year winner, a Boston Business Journal 40 Under 40 honoree, and a Boston Globe Tech Power Players 50 list honoree.

Job Titles:

• Managing Director
• Member of the Board of Directors
• National Advisory Council

Trey Bowles is a serial entrepreneur, ecosystem builder, and educator. He is currently the Managing Director for Techstars in the Physical Health Fort Worth Accelerator, a partnership between Techstars and the City of Fort Worth, Tarrant County, and UNT Health Science Center. Bowles was cofounder and President of InnoCity Partners LLC, a smart-cities consulting and project management firm focused on providing counsel to organizations across the public and private sectors to design, plan, and implement smart-cities programs. More recently, Bowles was appointed by Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson to co-chair the Task Force on Innovation and Entrepreneurship focused on determining what the city of Dallas can do to attract, support, and retain startup companies in the area. Trey cofounded and is now Chairman Emeritus of the Dallas Entrepreneur Center (DEC), a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization created for entrepreneurs to learn how to start, build, and grow businesses through training, education, mentorship, promotion, and capital investment. As co-founder and CEO, Trey led strategy, vision, and overall planning and development efforts for the DEC. Trey also worked closely as the DEC CEO to engage executives, mentors, and other valuable experts within the Dallas community and across the country to maintain a strong and robust resource offering for DEC startups/members. Bowles also cofounded a public private partnership called the Dallas Innovation Alliance (with partners like The City of Dallas, IBM, AT&T, Cisco, Schneider Electric, Microsoft, DART, Dallas Regional Chamber, Downtown Dallas Inc. and more) to help design, develop, and launch a Smart Cities in Dallas initiative starting in the West End Historic District and moving out across the city in a multi-phased approach. The City of Dallas is now integrating the learnings of the DIA into an overview strategy for the entire city's smart-cities strategy. The DIA has recently expanded its focus to create the North Texas Innovation Alliance, the largest regional consortium in the country, with 23 partners including municipalities, private organizations, transportation companies, and counties to develop cross-platform and cross-municipal smart-cities strategies and solutions to support our citizens across the region. In addition to his work with the DEC, Bowles worked closely with the Startup America Partnership, a non-profit organization started by Steve Case (cofounder of AOL), The White House, and the Kauffman Foundation, leading a team of entrepreneurial experts across the country to help high-growth startups find greater success. Bowles helped relaunch the next stage of the Startup America Partnership as the Startup Champions Network, a national network of professional ecosystem builders working together to support entrepreneurs in their local regions. In 2011, Bowles also launched the Arts Entrepreneurship Department in the Meadows School of Arts at Southern Methodist University and currently serves as an Adjunct Lecturer on staff teaching Social Entrepreneurship and entrepreneurship within the Meadows school. Bowles also cofounded the Mayor's Star Council with Mayor Mike Rawlings of Dallas to create a leadership development program for culturally diverse and civically minded emerging leaders who want to embrace and engage the City of Dallas as opposed to inheriting the city in 20 years. Bowles was appointed to the National Advisory Council on Innovation and Entrepreneurship (NACIE) by Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker. He has also been recognized as one of the "Top 40 Under 40 Business Professionals" in Dallas by the Dallas Business Journal, one of D Magazine's Top 500 Business Leaders for multiple years, and other notable recognitions. Bowles spent the majority of his career starting and building companies in both the for-profit and non-profit space with an expertise in strategy, operations, and marketing. Bowles has held key leadership roles in the industries of music, entertainment, and disruptive technology including running the popular peer-to-peer file sharing site, Morpheus. He also led the turn-around and sale of Big Jump Media Inc. to Salem Communications (NASDAQ: SALM) in 2010. Bowles lives in Dallas with his wife and three children and is committed to help build a collaborative ecosystem at the intersection of technology, entrepreneurship, and education within the DFW Metroplex.

Job Titles:

• Member of the Board of Directors
• Senior Executive

Wendy Guillies is a seasoned c-suite/senior executive with deep experience in strategy development, talent management, culture, marketing/communications, and board service. In 2022, Guillies retired from a 22-year career at the $2.5 billion Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, where she served as president and chief executive officer for eight years. During her tenure, she oversaw the development and implementation of a new strategic plan, the incubation and launch of three nonprofit education organizations, a comprehensive capital access strategy for entrepreneurs, tremendous growth in the Foundation's staff and operations, and the onboarding of eight new trustees. Prior to becoming CEO, Guillies led marketing and communications efforts at the Foundation as vice president of communications. She played an instrumental role in the launch of Global Entrepreneurship Week (now Global Entrepreneurship Network) and led the promotion of countless other initiatives, including the Foundation's reputation as a national and global thought leader in entrepreneurship research, policy, and programming. Guillies joined the board of the Center for American Entrepreneurship in 2023. She also serves on the boards of Folience, a for-profit ESOP holding company that was named the national Employee-Owned Company of the Year in 2022; Saint Luke's South Hospital; the Economic Club of Kansas City; and on the Advisory Committee and President's Cabinet for Enterprise Bank & Trust's KC Region. Previously she served on the Boards of Enterprise Bank & Trust in St. Louis and the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce. She was a member of The Generosity Commission in Washington DC from its inception in 2021 until her retirement from the Kauffman Foundation in 2022. Guillies also served on the Missouri Innovation and Entrepreneurship Steering Committee in 2021-22. Guillies is a mentor with the Kansas City-based Helzberg Entrepreneurial Mentoring Program.

Job Titles:

• CEO
• Expert

Wendy Lea is a leading expert in digital innovation strategy and ecosystem development. As an experienced CEO, board director, and strategist, she advises government, public/private partnerships, and global enterprises on growth through innovation. Recognized for work across industries and regions, Wendy is a maximalist who is equally well-versed in helping large enterprises systematize innovation as she is in creating vibrant startup innovation ecosystems that grow city, regional, and state economies. An active mentor and advisor for tech accelerators, Wendy leverages a global network of entrepreneurs to catalyze economic resilience. As CEO of Energize Colorado, Wendy mobilizes resources and relief for small businesses, nonprofits, and individuals recovering from the economic impact of COVID-19. She leads a team of inspired innovators from Colorado's private, public, nonprofit, and academic communities to revive and invigorate Colorado's economy. Wendy also serves on the Danaher Water Innovation and Technology Board, the P&G Ventures Advisory Board, and select venture-backed startup boards. In the State of Kentucky, she advises the Department of Community Economic Development, the public-private partnership LEAP (an initiative aligned with LHHC), and serves on the board of regional innovation hub Amplify, based in Louisville. Wendy provides corporate innovation subject matter expertise to Techstars's ecosystem development partnership with the Country of Taiwan. She also serves university innovation and entrepreneurship programs, including Miami University's John W. Altman Institute for Entrepreneurship and the University of Colorado Boulder's Engineering and Applied Science Advisory Board. Wendy was named a "Woman of Influence" in Silicon Valley and San Francisco. Recently she was honored with the Signal Excellence Award in 2018 by Procter & Gamble and the University of Cincinnati's Carl H. Lindner College of Business Distinguished Service Award. Wendy is a graduate of the University of Mississippi in Business Administration and has lived and worked around the world. She lives in Boulder, Colorado.