DC ARCHANGELS - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Co - Founder and CEO of the Wealth Factory Inc.
Angel Rich is co-founder and CEO of The Wealth Factory Inc. The Washington, DC-based firm designs financial literacy and workforce development education technology games. The system walks users from birth to retirement in 12 interactive modules to exceed the Personal Finance Common Core Standards, tracking individual performance in real-time.
Raised in Kingman Park, DC in a life insurance sales family, Rich grew up listening to financial pleas from every walk of life; igniting her passion for financial literacy. She became a Global Market Research Analyst for Prudential, conducting over 70 financial behavioral studies to learn how to systematically modify financial behavior. In 2010, Prudential CEO requested Rich to conduct Obama's Veterans Initiative Research and in 2011, Rich conceived the first African American Financial Experience Study. National Media recognized it as groundbreaking; identifying it as the first financial services study aimed at understanding the financial perspectives of Blacks and it now serves as a benchmark across the industry.
Rich graduated from Hampton University with six honors, including Honors College. She also studied at the University of International Business and Economics in Beijing.
Job Titles:
- Business Finance Consultant / US Private Funding, LLC
Job Titles:
- Member of the Advisory Board for the Maryland Industrial Partnerships
- President & CEO / Starise Ventures
Christine D. Copple, Ph.D. is currently President & CEO of Starise Ventures, Inc. Starise provides a team-based approach to entrepreneurs and investors designed to mitigate the intrinsic execution risks of translating biomedical discoveries from the bench to the bedside.
Previously she was President & CEO of ASM Resources Inc., the venture arm of the American Society for Microbiology where she built their diversified investment portfolio and created a model for a Single bottom line fund wit​h a double bottom line impact for philanthropic venture. Chris joined ASMR after spending six years as Chief Operating Officer at Neuralstem, Inc. developing neural stem cell products for neurodegenerative diseases.
Prior to that, as director of the Office of Industry Liaison for the University of Maryland Biotechnology Institute from 1993 to 1996, she was responsible for providing entrepreneurial guidance and services for faculty and start-up companies. For the previous 10 years, Chris was Vice President of Marketing for the public company Microfluidics International.
With more than 25 years of experience in senior management positions at biotechnology growth companies, Dr. Copple is seasoned in public offerings, private/venture investments, joint ventures, licensing and partnering, public corporate reporting, public relations, investor relations, international marketing, product development, regulatory affairs, legislative affairs, and facilities design/buildout.
Dr. Copple is a member of the Advisory Board for the Maryland Industrial Partnerships (MIPS) Program and she serves, or has served, as a Board member on a variety of companies and organizations including the Maryland Technology Development Corporation (TEDCO).
She received a B.Sc. in Biological Sciences from the University of East Anglia (U.K.) and a Ph.D. in Molecular Biology of Cancer from the University of Birmingham Medical School (U.K.). She came to the U.S. to join the Cell Biology Laboratory at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.
Job Titles:
- President & CEO / the Andreotti Group
- President and CEO of the Andreotti Group LLC
Cindy K. Andreotti is President and CEO of The Andreotti Group LLC. The Andreotti Group is a strategic business advisory firm serving Domestic and Global Enterprise Clients, Private Equity and Institutional Firms, and International Investment Groups.
A globally-recognized and awarded business leader, Ms. Andreotti has worked with C- level executives of Fortune 500 corporations across the globe proving strategic business advisory services including sales, marketing, distribution, go-to-market financial and business plan development in addition to M&A investment strategy, design and implementation.
As a recognized leader of strategy and execution, Ms. Andreotti works with executives in determining the optimal path to profitable and sustainable growth while driving operational excellence. Ms. Andreotti has built an extraordinary track record and brand-
developing businesses, strategic ventures, and partnerships that drive profitable revenue. She has worked in the industries of Financial Services, Information Technology Services, Telecommunications, in addition to other Enterprise vertical markets both domestic and global.
Named as one of the most powerful women in Washington, D.C. by The Washington Post, Ms. Andreotti brings her vast industry experience, proven performance, and insightful perspective into the dynamics of large enterprise engagements. Having been instrumental in building AT&T and MCI into global leaders that dominated the enterprise segment, Ms. Andreotti has a profound understanding of the needs of C-level executives.
Prior to the launch of The Andreotti Group, Ms. Andreotti enjoyed a 26 year career in the telecommunications industry, (12 years with AT&T and 14 years with MCI), and held positions of progressively increasing executive and corporate management responsibility.
While at MCI, Ms. Andreotti was responsible for a $14B P&L, 9500 employees worldwide, 62,000 customers billing from $30K monthly to $150M annually, both domestic and global, retail and wholesale, including Government Markets.
Most recently, Ms. Andreotti was President of Enterprise Markets. She was responsible for sales, service and bottom-line performance for the most successful and profitable business units at MCI.
Job Titles:
- Chief Executive Officer of Pacific
Cynthia Traeger serves as Chief Executive Officer of Pacific, a diversified technology & media holding company, and serves as President of VSI Pacific. Ms. Traeger is an accomplished senior operating executive and digital entrepreneur with 30-plus years of experience in growing technology-focused businesses and has a strong track record in strategy and business development across traditional technology and digital media companies.
Ms. Traeger advises the board LFS; serves as a Trustee to the Board of Trustees, Harrisburg University of Science and Technology where she chairs the International Affairs Committee of the Executive Board; and is a Mentor/Advisor to the NIH Commercialization Assistance Program Feedback Sessions. Ms. Traeger served as a Corporate Ambassador for Vital Voices' Corporate Ambassadors Program (CAP) launched in cooperation with the Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) at the U.S. Department of State; was a participant and author with the American Bar Association's Digital Evidence Work Group, and a contributor to the Journal of the ACM Special Interest Group on Graphics. Ms. Traeger is a three-time invited speaker to the Global Entrepreneurship Summit in support of the State Department's Global Innovation through Science and Technology (GIST) program and is an active mentor for GIST companies. In partnership with GIST, she is an executive mentor to the Research Competitiveness Program for the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).
Ms. Traeger holds multiple patents / applications in the areas of real-time data analysis for proximity and movement of objects.
Job Titles:
- President / Business Arts, Inc.
Job Titles:
- Managing Partner
- Managing Partner at Harrell Capital Partners LLC
Dr. Edgar C. Harrell is a Managing Partner at Harrell Capital Partners LLC, an economist and business leader. He has held senior management positions with a number of private firms and agencies, including the US Department of State, the Agency for International Development and PriceWaterhouse. Dr. Harrell serves as a board member of the Health Care Product Development Corporation, DfR Solutions, Intag Systems Inc., to name a few. He served as the chair of the Advisory Board of the Center of Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the University of Baltimore. He served on several other boards and advisory committees, including the Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Central and Northern Pennsylvania, The Penn State Research Foundation, Penn Venture Partners, Washington DC ArchAngels, Ben Franklin Technology Development Authority, the Board and President of American Center of Oriental Research, and many others. He has more than 40 years of experience in managing public and private programs in entrepreneurial training, technology commercialization, investment and capital market development. He serves as a mentor for the Tech Council of Maryland, 1776 DC, Founders Institute Metro DC, and has taught at Johns Hopkins University, Georgetown University, and is currently the Entrepreneur in Residence at Harrisburg University of Science and Technology and Professional in Residence, Shidler School of Business, University of Hawaii. Dr. Harrell holds a B.S. in Chemistry, Dickinson College, a Doctorate in Economics, Columbia University, and a Certificate from the East Asian Institute in Japanese studies, also from Columbia. He attended the Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School.
Harrell Capital Partners LLC has invested in 13 early stage software companies: Viddler (a video management software company), LiveLook (next generation customer communications software for shopping online), Exploit Prevention Labs ( an on- line security software company purchased by Grisoft), Pest Patrol, Nomadio, Kollabnet, Encoding.com, Data Motions, CyberPatrol, Contix, Acuity Mobile, Salvage Direct (online auction platform for cars, and other moving vehicles), and Oculis Labs (a security software to provide privacy for open screens).
Job Titles:
- Chairman and CEO of Euclid Systems Corporation
Dr. Michael Ross, MD is the Chairman and CEO of Euclid Systems Corporation (Herndon, VA) where he led the growth of this ophthalmic medical device company from $3.1M to over $8.1M in revenue in only two years. The bulk of Euclid's sales are in China and East Asia where Michael visits 4-5 times per year. (He has participated in meetings with 20/20 and Chinese hospital collaborators.).
Prior to joining Euclid, he was CEO of E-P Therapeutics, and was a Medical and Scientific Advisor to StemCyte, Inc. Michael was elected to the board of the Generic Pharmaceuticals Association by my peers after only two years in the industry. Board certified in Obstetrics and Gynecology he was a founding member of a OB-GYN-Infertility practice in Northern Virginia From 1980 through 2007. Dr. Ross has been a Clinical Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, George Washington University Medical Center since 1979 and has served on the Boards of Directors of several biotech and medical device companies.
Prior to joining Euclid, Dr. Ross was the President and COO of the U.S. division of Cadila Pharmaceuticals, LTD, a privately help India based company and President of EP Therapeutics, a preclinical oncology company based in Connecticut. Dr. Ross practiced medicine in the Washington DC area for 27 years before entering industry. He served as an elected member of the INOVA Executive Committee from 2003 to 2007.
He received a BS in Chemistry and Biology from Dickenson College, and an M.D. from George Washington University Medical School, where he also did his residency.
Job Titles:
- Managing Partner of Dyer Bermingham
Hakim Dyer is Managing Partner of Dyer Bermingham, a management consulting firm based in the Washington DC Metropolitan area. Dyer Bermingham specializes in strategic planning, cash flow management and corporate financial structuring for growth oriented early stage and middle market businesses. Mr. Dyer also advises public and quasi-public entities as well as non-governmental organizations on commercial, real estate and economic development matters. Among Mr. Dyers many achievements include 27 years in international commercial lending, real estate development and government contracting, experienced financier and CFO, expertise in high impact community-oriented alternative finance and significant experience with global institutional and private investors.
Prior to launching Dyer Bermingham, Mr. Dyer was a Chief Financial Officer and strategic advisor for several growth-oriented technology companies including TexelTek (CFO, defense and intel data analytics), Petro Sep Global (CEO/Advisor, Canadian membrane technologies), and Alpha Technology Systems (CFO, 8(a) IT staff augmentation firm). During the earlier years of his career as a banker and financier, Mr. Dyer held a number of leadership positions as an innovator in alternative financial structures in the overlapping fields of real estate finance/development and community economic development. He has raised and/or managed over $1 billion in credit and financial facilities. Some highlights include:
Founding Managing Director, Boston Community Capital Venture Fund, one of the nation's first socially-oriented, community development venture capital funds. Won one of the first $1MM grants from the Community Development Financial Institutions fund of the U.S. Treasury. North America, Director of Al-Manzil, implementing the first securitization of a lease/purchase residential and commercial finance program in U.S. history to be compliant with Shari'ah law and fully regulated by U.S. Dept. of Treasury/Office of the Comptroller of the Currency. Partner, Sustainable Capital, he designed and negotiated a "green mortgage" program to dovetail with energy audits and benefit from carbon credit offsets. Partners: Coldwell Banker, Princeton Capital.
Mr. Dyer is a graduate of Dartmouth College and earned his Masters while studying at the University of Paris, L'Institut des Sciences Politiques, and the Paris Chamber of Commerce and Industry, where he was one of only two students awarded the Advanced Diploma with High Honors.
Job Titles:
- Business and Financial Strategist
Josh Steele, Flywheel Associates, Lansdowne VA. Josh Steele is a business and financial strategist with over 18 years of experience in financial planning, business operations, treasury, mergers and acquisitions, and risk management to Fortune 50, start-up, and mid-cap companies spanning the IT, software, and telecommunications industries. During this time, Josh has held leadership positions at Rosetta Stone, MicroStrategy, AOL, PSINet, and MCI, among others.
Most recently, as Vice President, FP&A at Rosetta Stone, a leading language learning solutions provider, he was brought in to develop a robust planning and analytical infrastructure to support substantial growth in the Company's consumer, institutional, and international businesses.
Prior to Rosetta, Josh served as Chief Financial Officer of Ongoing Operations, a disaster recovery and IT outsourcing provider, where he led strategic planning, business process optimization, and financial operations management, driving the Company to sustained profitability for the first time since its inception. He also served as Vice President, FP&A and Treasurer of MicroStrategy, a leading business intelligence software and service provider, where he spearheaded key strategic growth initiatives, led corporate planning and analysis, and oversaw worldwide treasury operations.
He began his career in management consulting with Price Waterhouse after graduating from the University of Virginia with a BS in Finance and Marketing.
Kathleen Callahan Brady is a entrepreneur, with more than 25 years of executive-level experience in IT, real estate & business development. She masterfully leads entrepreneurs in strategies to achieve high-level success. Her proven track-record has allowed her to found 5 successful companies & generate millions of dollars. She served as Director at the NAS & taught for UofM.
Today, she pursues her consulting, along with her passion for Real Estate. She is a partner with QRC specializing in commercial real estate & financing. She founded Future CEO to empower entrepreneurs to start & operate their own businesses. She is an avid networker & passionate about helping others succeed.
She believes that success is a conscious choice & the role of a leader is to lead change along with drive growth. She feels privileged to work with the top 5% who actually step up, assumes leadership, & makes a tangible difference. To achieve this, leader's need fresh ideas & feedback from others who have similar experience. She accomplishes this through her work as a CEO Group Chair with Vistage & 212 Business Mastery - the World's Leading CEO Organization with 20,000 members
Her business model, leadership & innovation strategies have guided clients towards productivity resulting in improved profits. Kathie has helped100's Companies raise funding & grow significantly. One client with steady losses over 5 years was turned around to achieve profits of $20m. Her passion is to help owners turned around, increase profits & achieve a better quality life. Kathie practices what she preaches & has been a member of Vistage for the past several years helping to further develop her own leadership while taking her company to $72m.
Job Titles:
- Principal / Starwalker Group LLC
Job Titles:
- Member of Blu Venture Investors
Matt Hanson is a member of Blu Venture Investors, and also Principal, Match Capital, Commodity Pool Operator (CPO) and Manager of Match Global Commodities Futures Trading. Former Board Director of Kulabyte (video over internet technology recently sold to Haivision). Founder of Segovia (provider to DoD of broadband internet via satellite). Senior sales positions with iDirect (internet over satellite), Marconi, and FORE Systems (IP, ATM and Optical Routing technology).
His industry expertise includes financial services, information technology, broadband telecom, satellite and asset management. Functional expertise includes sales, finance, sales management, and IT.
Mr. Hanson is a graduate of Brigham Young University (BA)
Job Titles:
- Provost - WDCA / Howard University
Job Titles:
- CEO, Generations Advisors