Keynotes & Speakers

Carol Ammon
Charirman of the Board, Endo Pharmaceuticals Inc.
Capitalizing on Equity Through People

Carol A. Ammon is Chairman of the Board and Founder of Endo Pharmaceuticals Inc., a specialty pharmaceutical company with market leadership in pain management. Based in Chadds Ford, Pa., Endo is engaged in the research, development, sale and marketing of branded and generic pharmaceuticals used primarily to treat and manage pain. Effective May 20, 2005, she retired as CEO, retaining her title as Chairman.

In 1997, Ms. Ammon led a management buyout team and purchased 37 pharmaceutical products from The DuPont Merck Pharmaceutical Company to form Endo Pharmaceuticals Inc. In July 2000, Endo became a publicly traded company known as Endo Pharmaceuticals Holdings Inc. (Nasdaq: ENDP). Prior to forming Endo Pharmaceuticals Inc., Ms. Ammon spent 23 years in the pharmaceutical division of E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company, beginning in 1973 as an Associate Scientist in the Research & Development group. During her career at DuPont, she served in positions of increasing responsibility across R&D, Finance, Manufacturing, and Sales & Marketing.

Ms. Ammon was named the CEO of the Year in 2004 by the Eastern Technology Council, an organization of 800 technology and life sciences companies in the Philadelphia region. The award recognizes a recipient's leadership qualities, impact in the company's industry and/or market, achievement of financial and other significant milestones, success in executing an operating strategy and community and industry involvement. Under her leadership, Endo also was the Eastern Technology Council's Company of the Year in 2003. Ms. Ammon also received the 2003 Greater Philadelphia Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year Award® in the Health Sciences category. Recently, Ms. Ammon was chosen as the winner of the 2005 Paradigm Award, the Philadelphia region's most prestigious award for businesswomen, and received the 2005 Woman of Spirit Award from the Greater Delaware Valley Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.

Edith Bauer, Esq.
Principal, Fish & Richardson, PC
Trademarks, Tech Licensing, and Total Valuation

Edith A. Bauer is a Principal of Fish & Richardson P.C. She is a member of the Corporate and Securities Group with a practice focusing on a full range of corporate and securities matters, including corporate formation, corporate governance, mergers and acquisitions, venture financing, technology transfer and licensing, and general business counseling for both public and private companies. She has experience with counseling public and private companies in biotechnology, pharmaceutical, medical device, software, telecommunications, health care, and information technology industries. Before joining Fish & Richardson, Ms. Bauer was an Associate with Heller Ehrman White & McAuliffe LLP and Brobeck Phleger & Harrison LLP.

She is a member of the American Bar Association, the San Diego County Bar Association, and UCSD Athena, where she is co-chair, Steering Committee for Athena -- Associate Member Affinity Group.

Michael Bonfils
President, International Media Management Corp
Search Engine Marketing 101: Tips, Techniques, & Trends

Michael Bonfils is the President of SEM International, a Division of Hyper Interactive Corp. SEM International is a company specializing in providing International search engine marketing management services for global advertising agencies and Fortune 500 firms. Headquartered in the United States, SEM International currently operates in the Asia Pacific Region, Europe and the Latin American regions. Furthermore, Mr. Bonfils is a speaker and writer on internet marketing technology and trends, having contributed his time to many major national publications and events. In addition to being the founder of a successful internet contextual advertising agencies which he sold in 2004, he has spent the last 11 years at the forefront of helping pioneer the global search engine marketing industry. He sits on the board of directors for many organizations including the TechBiz Connection and is the former VP Communications for the American Marketing Association (SOCAL).

Frederick Cahn, Ph.D.
CEO, BioMedical Strategies
Biosciences: An Industry in Transition

Dr. Cahn is CEO of BioMedical Strategies LLC. Prior to joining BioMedical Strategies, Dr. Cahn served Integra Lifesciences Corporation as Senior Vice President for Technology from 1993 to 2002. At Integra, he was instrumental in achieving FDA approval for Integra's artificial skin product and in improving its reimbursement, in addition to development of new tissue engineering technology. Dr. Cahn was President and Founder of Biomat Corporation where his work focused on developing biomaterials for industrial cell culture until it was acquired by Integra Lifesciences Corporation in 1993. Dr. Cahn has been principal investigator on phase I and II SBIR grants from the National Institutes of Health in cell culture, in skin substitutes and osteointegrated prosthetics and from the Advanced Technology Program award from the National Institute of Science and Technology in biomaterials for tissue engineering.

Dr. Cahn's leadership and advisory roles include membership on the Study Section for SBIR Tissue Culture at the National Institutes of Health from 1986 to 1997. He has been a board member for the Industrial Advisory Boards at the New Jersey Center for Biomaterials and Medical Devices and for the University of Washington Engineered Biomaterials Center and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Center for Biomedical Engineering. Dr. Cahn is currently chairman of sub-committee F04.40 of the American Society for Testing and Materials, International for standard terminology and classification of tissue-engineered medical products.

Dr. Cahn received a B.A. degree in Physics and Biology from the University of California, Berkeley and a Ph.D. in Biophysics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Robert Campbell
CFO Partner, Tatum Partners LLC
Raising Capital/Financing Alternatives for Business Owners

Robert Campbell is currently CFO Partner with Tatum Partners, LLC, a national professional services firm comprised of 450 partners and offices in 31 major markets providing a full range of Financial and Information Technology leadership services to companies ranging from start-up to Fortune 500 companies. An accomplished Northwestern MBA senior executive, Mr. Campbell has 30 years of experience in strategic planning, financial/credit re-structuring, debt management/elimination, profit improvement, sales acceleration, operating efficiency, mergers and acquisitions, and high-performance team leadership. He has experience as Chief Financial Officer, Chief Operating Officer, and Board Member for companies in the following industries: Banking, Technology, Healthcare, Insurance, Retail Food Manufacturing and Distribution, and Engineering. Companies ranged from start-ups to multi-million dollar/multi-state corporations. His expertise is in leading companies out of financial trouble, planning and managing accelerated growth, capital acquisition, quality process adoption, product innovation (concept to market), and overall productivity and profitability.

Mr. Campbell received his MBA from Northwestern University Graduate School of Management. He serves on the faculty of UCSD, National Graduate School's San Diego Campus, and University of Phoenix's San Diego Campus. He has served on the Board of Directors of California Council for Quality and Service (CA's "Baldrige Awards").

Esq., Dr. Peng Chen
Partner, Morrison & Foerster LLP
Doing Business in China: The Landscape of Opportunity

Dr. Chen is a partner in the Business Department’s Patent Group of Morrison & Foerster’s San Diego office. His practice focuses on patent litigation, prosecution, counseling and rendering opinion, encompassing all fields of the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries.

Dr. Chen has a significant amount of experience in preparing and prosecuting biotechnology and pharmaceutical patents. In one case, Dr. Chen successfully convinced the U.S. Patent Office to allow broad claims for an application that had been prosecuted for 10 years. In numerous instances, Dr. Chen has been managing entire patent portfolios for biotechnology clients, advising the clients on maximizing their own patent positions and designing patent strategy in dealing with other entities’ patents. Dr. Chen has also actively been involved in litigating biotechnology patents.

Prior to joining the firm, Dr. Chen practiced patent law at a national intellectual property boutique firm and a major California general practice firm. In 1997, he received his J.D. from Columbia University School of Law where he was a Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar (1995-1996). Dr. Chen received his undergraduate degree in Biochemistry from the Beijing Normal University in 1986 and his Ph.D. from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in 1993.

Dr. Chen is a member of the California and New York bars and is registered to practice before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Dr. Chen is admitted in the U.S. District Court for the District of Southern California, U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts, and Court of Appeals for Federal Circuit.

Marian Cook
Senior Director, CAP
The Global Way: Owning Your Future in a Fiercely Competitive World

Marian Cook is the President of Ageos, a business and technology consulting firm that helps clients find innovative ways to drive profitable growth and develop their leadership. Headquartered in Chicago with an office in Denver and working internationally, the company partners with clients to create new services, products and markets, streamline operations, and create sales and business strategies.

Long active in the community, Ms. Cook has been appointed to Chicago's Mayor's Council of Technology Advisors, Inaugural SpringBoard Midwest Steering Committee, Empowering Women Network Strategic Advisory Board, Founding member of The Field Museum's Council on Africa, Steering Committee for the W/MBE Venture Capital Conference, Regional Advisory Board, Women in Technology International (WITI), Advisory Board, Center for Information Management, Loyola University.

Her leadership has most recently been recognized by The Influential Woman in Business Award presented by The National Association of Women Business Owners, The Top 100 People of Chicago's High Tech Community by I-Street magazine and the "Woman in Black" Award winner for leadership in the technology and business community. Ms. Cook has also been a columnist for IT Contractor magazine and a subject matter expert editor for McGraw-Hill on running professional services firms.

Beverly Cormier
President, BioScience Business Solutions
Commercialization of Your Products
Partnering: Who and How, Benefits for All

Beverly Cormier has significant practical healthcare marketing, sales, and business development expertise spanning the genomics, proteomics, bioinformatics, diagnostics, and device industries. Her experience is relevant to start-up, early, and mid-stage companies.

After earlier healthcare sales experience, In 1997 Ms. Cormier was recruited to Prometheus, a San Diego-based gastrointestinal disease management company as director of sales, marketing, and business development, and after two years was recruited again to be VP, strategic development for PPGx, a pharmacogenomic solutions start-up.

In July 2000, after PPGx was acquired by DNA Sciences, she started BioScience Business Solutions and has worked with over a dozen clients in a variety of senior management roles. Client relationships have ranged from individual projects to full time contract positions with companies in drug discovery, clinical genomics and clinical diagnostics.

Ms. Cormier graduated cum laude from the University of Cincinnati and did graduate work at Miami University. She is a former president of the Medical Marketing Association, an AACC board member, and an active participant with Women in Technology International.

Sara Cunningham
CEO, Benitec, Inc.
CEO Perspective: Funding Your Company - How Much and Best Choice

Sara Cunningham was appointed to the role of Chief Executive Officer of Benitec in January of 2005. Sara joined Benitec in May 2004 as Chief Operating Officer through its acquisition of Avocel, Inc. She was a co-founder and Vice President, Intellectual Property and Business Development of Avocel. Ms. Cunningham brings over a decade of experience in life science ventures with demonstrated success in both business and technology.

Prior to co-founding Avocel, she was Senior Manager of Business Development at B-Bridge International where she was responsible for technology assessment and due diligence of new biotech ventures in Japan as well as for partnering Japanese technologies with US, European, and Asia Pacific companies. Prior to B-Bridge, Ms. Cunningham was Strategic and International Marketing Manager at BD Biosciences Clontech, where she identified and successfully negotiated profitable relationships with key pharmas, as well as achieved significant sales growth for the product areas she co-developed as a scientist.

Ms. Cunningham holds undergraduate and graduate degrees in virology, is a member of the Scientific Advisory Board of Sigma-Aldrich, and is the recipient of two R&D 100 Awards for scientific innovations in biotechnology.

Michael Ecker
Manager, Homeland Security Solutions, Lockheed Martin Systems Management
Homeland Security Today: Issues & Answers

Michael W. Ecker is Manager for Homeland Systems Solutions at Lockheed Martin Systems Management. He is a graduate of the University of South Florida and a military veteran of over 10 years, specializing in both communications and special operations. He began his military career as a Communications-Computer Systems Officer and was stationed for four years in Germany and then two more years in Fayetteville, NC. After six years on active duty, Michael moved to Atlanta, where he worked for Harland Financial Solutions as a Network Analyst, integrating proprietary banking software with commercial off the shelf network software systems, while maintaining his ties to the military in the Alabama Army National Guard as a Special Forces Team Commander in the 20th Special Forces Group.

After nearly two years at Harland, Michael returned to active duty at Fort Bragg, NC, for almost three more years, including 8 months commanding a Special Forces Detachment in combat in Afghanistan along the border with Pakistan. After returning home, he moved to the Northern Virginia area and began working for Gray Hawk Systems, Inc., as a Security Analyst, performing security assessments on National Critical Infrastructure Projects. Michael was with Gray Hawk for almost two years when he left to join Lockheed Martin Systems Management in Vienna, Va. in April 2005.

Karen Flathers
Senior Vice President, SAP
The New Diversity

Ms. Flathers is Senior Vice President of Consulting and Operations at SAP Consulting Services Group. She is responsible for the management of 1300 consultants in the U.S. and successful delivery of SAP projects across all solutions and industries. She is also responsible for operations functions such as personnel performance management best practices, staffing, project management standards, and management reporting. Ms. Flathers joined SAP in 1994 as a consultant and held various positions in consulting management. Prior to SAP, Ms. Flathers worked at various software companies. Ms. Flathers obtained her B.A. from Brown University in 1989.

Jack Florio
, WITI San Diego Leadership Council
Doing Business in China: The Landscape of Opportunity

Jack was one of the founding members of the BioMedTrak group of San Diego Tech Coast Angels and actively involved in the development and implementation of their Life Sciences strategy. In addition to deal analysis and due diligence team leadership, he is responsible for communications and public relations for the SDTCA.

Jack has served on the on the Board of Directors of a number of privately held life science companies. He is also on the on the board of WITI's San Diego Network. Jack is also currently very active with a variety of organizations that promote the development of entrepreneurship and capital formation focused on emerging science and technology in the life sciences community in San Diego. Additionally Jack is an active member of the San Diego Venture Group (SDVG), the San Diego MIT Enterprise Forum (SDMIT) and other organizations which foster the evolution of science and technology from the lab, combining them with potential sources of funding and developing them into emerging companies.

Equally important, Jack continues to assume senior management roles in emerging companies helping them develop strategies and implement those plans to get them to the next level of business, organizational, and corporate development. He currently is with Vital Therapies, Inc and Aegis Therapeutics, LLC.

Before coming to San Diego in 2001, Jack completed a successful 30 year career with Eli Lilly and Company with senior leadership roles both domestically and outside the US. Jack has a B.S. in Pharmaceutical Sciences from Columbia University and an MBA from New York University.

Susan Foster, Esq.
Associate, Mintz Levin Cohn Ferris Glovsky and Popeo P.C.
Trademarks, Tech Licensing, and Total Valuation

Susan Foster is an Associate in Fish & Richardson's San Diego office. She is a member of the Corporate and Securities Group. Her practice emphasizes licensing and technology transfer matters, focusing on software and hardware, IT systems, medical devices, and pharmaceuticals. She practiced law in the United Kingdom from 2001 to 2004 and has broad experience with negotiating and drafting international agreements.

Ms. Foster received her A.B. in English from Princeton, her M.A/Ph.D. English from Cornell University, and her J.D. from Stanford Law School. She has served on the Executive Board for the Stanford Technology Law Review.

Karen Garza
Principal, The Triskele Group
Partnering: Who and How, Benefits for All

Karen K. Garza has been Senior Vice President, Marketing and Strategic Initiatives with Clarient, Inc. since April 2003. Garza has more than 20 years experience in healthcare sales and marketing, most recently with Valley Forge, PA-based AmeriSource Bergen (formerly Anaheim, CA-based Bergen Brunswig Drug Company). In her two years at AmeriSource Bergen, she held the titles of Vice President, Corporate Sales and Vice President, Strategic Accounts. In these roles, she was responsible for managing relationships with acute-care based national organizations, representing more than $4 billion in revenues.

Prior to AmeriSource Bergen, Garza held senior marketing positions at Louisville, CO-based RxMarketplace, Inc., where she was Vice President, Sales and Marketing for the internet-based pharmacy solutions company. Prior to that, Garza was with San Francisco-based McKessonHBOC, Inc., where she served for five years as both Vice President, West, Corporate Solutions Group and Corporate Vice President, Integrated Healthcare Systems. In her roles at McKesson, Garza implemented company-wide marketing initiatives and managed multi-billion dollar customers, having significant positive impacts on revenues in each position.

Garza graduated with a Bachelor of Science, Medical Technology degree, from the College of Pharmacy & Allied Health Professions at Wayne State University, Detroit, MI.

Brett Good
District President, Robert Half International, Inc.
The Career Frontier: Where are the future opportunities?

Brett Good is a District President for Robert Half International Inc. (RHI), the world's leading specialized staffing firm. Mr. Good joined the company in 1998 and oversees all RHI operations in Southern California, Arizona and New Mexico.

Mr. Good has more than twelve years' experience in staffing service management. In addition he has three years of consulting experience, specializing in core process re-engineering, financial turnarounds and business reorganization. He has a master's degree in finance from St. Mary's College in Moraga, Calif., and a bachelor's degree in international business and marketing from San Francisco State University.

Sharon Gorevitz
Corporate Development, KPBS
The New Diversity

Sharon is currently the senior Corporate Development Executive at KPBS Public Broadcasting in San Diego. KPBS is a dual licensed station - both Radio and TV - located on the San Diego State campus. For the past 11 years, she has developed partnerships with large corporate clients such as Qualcomm to law firms such as Fish and Richardson. Her strength is in developing partnerships with non profit organizations, especially those in the arts. The programs she has created at the station have helped hundreds of organizations get recognition, especially by finding for profit corporate angels to help support the arts as well. She is also a trainer for PBS in the CSPI (Corporate Support Performance Initiative) program, training managers as well as sales staff all around the country. For the past 30 years, Sharon has been very active in the San Diego community, serving on several boards as well as being involved in the development of the leadership program called LEAD San Diego.

Besides working at KPBS, Sharon has also been the producer of the Talmadge Art Show in San Diego for the past 14 years, supporting local artists in their quest to market and sell their work.

Sharon has a BA degree from the University of Massachusetts.

Cecile Gouffrant
President, LEDA Consulting
Partnering: Who and How, Benefits for All

Cécile Gouffrant is the president of LEDA Consulting. LEDA Consulting provides life science companies with enthusiastic, customized and result-driven means to create and implement successful business solutions.

Cécile has gained her business expertise through a colorful experience in life sciences. She started her career as a psychologist and researcher for patients with Alzheimer Disease in Bordeaux, France. She joined the pharmaceutical industry via clinical research. Her desire to widen her horizons took her to Paris and California.

She has worked for Pharmacia, Parexel International, OXO Chemie and Bayer Diagnostics. There she first led the molecular diagnostics partnership management activities, then the business development group in Berkeley, California. She built an extensive experience from deal conception to realization and implementation by participating in or leading the key agreements for Bayer molecular diagnostics business. Whether in project management or business development, she internationally observed that nothing can replace the will and desire of people to succeed together.

Cécile joined ISPSO (International Society for Psychoanalytical Studies of Organizations) to enhance her understanding of such human mechanisms. She also is a member of the LES (Licensing Executive Society) to stay up to date with intellectual property matters. All areas of science and business need to build bridges to allow for improved patient care and bring personalized medicine to reality. Cécile dedicates herself to building such bridges through her own business.

Konstantin Guericke
Co-Founder and VP Marketing, LinkedIn
Technologies, Marketing & Media in the New Millenium

Konstantin is leading the efforts to spread the word about LinkedIn and to educate users about how to advance their career and business through their trusted contacts on LinkedIn. Prior to LinkedIn, Konstantin served as VP of Marketing at Presenter, where he led product marketing, public relations and corporate marketing. Before Presenter, Konstantin was as VP Sales & Marketing responsible for the initial public launch of social software pioneer Blaxxun. Other executive roles included EVP at Caligari and Project Director of publicly-traded Micrografx. At Beresford Partners, Konstantin helped the CEOs of over two dozen high-tech startups develop their positioning and marketing strategy. He graduated with distinction from Stanford University with a B.S. and M.S. in Engineering.

Roger Hawkes
Vice President, Federal Solutions, Crossflo Systems, Inc.
Homeland Security Today: Issues & Answers

Mr. Hawkes' career as a Homeland Security/Homeland Defense specialist spans twenty-two years of law enforcement, military, government and private sector anti-terrorism consulting. Mr. Hawkes is a nationally recognized expert in port and critical infrastructure security and emergency preparedness, having conducted hundreds of security and preparedness projects supporting various ports, petrochemical facilities and military installations. He has performed vulnerability assessments throughout the United States at many of our nation's public and private critical infrastructure to include Army Chemical Weapon Depot's and many of our nation's top seaports to include the Port of Los Angeles and the Port of San Diego.

Mr. Hawkes began his professional career as a county and municipal police officer in Texas before receiving his commission as an Ensign in the United States Navy, where he served on active duty for eleven years. After the tragic events of September 11, 2001, Mr. Hawkes returned to active military duty and was assigned to Special Operations Command Central, where he served as a Special Operations Forces Liaison Officer on the staff of General Tommy Franks during combat operations in Afghanistan.

In August 2002, Mr. Hawkes was released from active duty and accepted a position with CH2M Hill where he established the firm's port security practice where he conducted port security projects at some of our nation's largest and smallest private and public port facilities. Recently, Mr. Hawkes joined Crossflo Systems, a San Diego based software firm, where he services civilian and defense agency clients in the areas of information sharing.

Martha Hayworth
, Chair, WITI San Diego Leadership Council
Women Who Have Reinvented Themselves

Martha Hayworth, founder of Strategies for Excellence, has helped entrepreneurs, executives, and professionals to develop a roadmap for career advancement and satisfaction, improve leadership and communication skills, and achieve professional goals.

Martha has over 15 years of combined experience in the areas of consulting, coaching, and sales/business development. She has consulted, advised, and collaborated with clients of all types from entrepreneurs to professionals and executives. In addition, she has consulted with many companies from small startups to Fortune 500 organizations. Prior to starting Strategies for Excellence, Ms. Hayworth worked in management positions at National Liberty Corporation and IMS Health, a former division of Dun & Bradstreet. Martha’s credentials include a Master’s in Business Administration from Drexel University and a Master’s in Marriage and Family Therapy from the University of San Diego. She is also certified in the Emotional Intelligence Inventory through the Hay Group.

Martha’s commitment to the advancement of professional women is demonstrated through her community involvement in numerous women’s organizations. Martha serves on the Board of Directors for WITI – San Diego and the Executive Committee for the February conference, “Taking the Lead in San Diego” To encourage and support professional advancement of young women, Ms. Hayworth founded the Hayworth Seva Scholarship Program at Guiilford College, Greensboro, NC, in 1993.

Megan Holste
Chief Technology Officer, DT Analysts, Inc.
Homeland Security Today: Issues & Answers

Megan Holste is a Technology Analyst/Government Liaison who focuses on cultivating strategic relationships/partnerships with various DC agencies, government authorities, and legislators, in order to gain understanding of current legislative issues and also to create collaborative opportunities for the organization, the technology companies, and the appropriate government agencies.

She holds a degree in Neurobiology and has over 11 years of experience In the Bio-pharmaceutical industry with demonstrated success in multiple functional areas including quality assurance for clinical/commercial manufacturing, regulatory compliance, clinical research, and clinical operations. Therapeutic areas of experience include critical care medicine, cardiology, immunology, and oncology.

Megan is a founder of The Homeland Security Technology Council, a non-profit organization of Homeland Defense/Security technology business leaders, scientists, and public officials whose purpose is to facilitate the adoption of effective Security and Defense technologies. She has been Director of Development for multiple Homeland Security Summits and associated WMD Response Drills, and has acted as moderator for various Bio-defense and Homeland Security Technology conferences.

Most recently, Megan has served the Office of Technology Transfer and Commercialization, an ONR funded technology transfer program, by Analyzing and evaluating all aspects of identified technologies, participating in their Solicitation process, providing client manager support to identified technologies, and has continued her efforts as a liaison between the organization, the technology companies, and the appropriate government agencies. She is also a consultant to the Frontline Foundation's National Biosafety and Biocontainment Training Program (NBBTP).

Connie Koch
Vice President, Keiretsu Forum San Diego and Orange County Chapter
Beyond the Office: Extending the Workplace

Connie Koch's unique business sense and creative vision is the blueprint for her proven successes in various industries as both a serial entrepreneur with retail, telecommunications, printing, graphics and forms design, technology, Internet community development and CEO/COO over companies in publications, telecommunications, technology with enterprise management systems, public relations, and fundraising.

Inspired by her parents with the belief that she could do anything, Connie raised two beautiful children, Carinda and Wes, while growing a flower business, launching the regional division of a telecommunications company in the cellular world, founding a printing/forms management company, building an Internet community of more than 2000 women in business, serving as COO with a financial publication which was acquired by Curtco Robb Media, LLC, (publishers of The Robb Report) and working on the executive team of a technology company that was acquired by PeopleSoft.

With a belief that people and relationships are the most vital part of life, along with her pioneering attitude and insatiable desire for new experiences, Connie partners with Chip Parker in growing chapters of Keiretsu Forum in Orange County and San Diego. Keiretsu Forum is an investment community of accredited private equity investors, venture capitalists and corporate/institutional investors. Forum members invest in high-quality, diverse investment opportunities. The community is strengthened through its involvement in social and charitable activities.

Ani Kortikar
Founder and CEO, Netramind
Search Engine Marketing 101: Tips, Techniques, & Trends
Beyond the Office: Extending the Workplace

Ani is founder and CEO of Netramind. Netramind empowers companies to scale their businesses profitably by using disciplined search marketing techniques. Ani has been in professional services field for last 16 years.

Ani has gone through the cycle of being an entrepreneur - technical architect - being in executive management - back to being an entrepreneur. He has worked in consulting and in management capacity with various venture funded private and public companies in Silicon Valley over last 10 years. As a consulting technical architect Ani was involved with many global, multilingual marketing project implementations for Cisco systems as early as 1994. As an executive he was responsible for creation of information technology, training and knowledge management divisions for consulting arm of Xoriant - a silicon valley based 600 people consulting firm. Later he also established pre-sales and professional services groups for the software products division of Xoriant. .

Ani completed his Bachelor of Technology from IIT Bombay as well as his Masters in Operations Research. Ani holds dual MBA from Columbia NY and HAAS school of Business - Berkeley, CA.

Edward Leonard
President, EJL Associates
Doing Business in China: The Landscape of Opportunity

Mr. Leonard has over twenty years of business and financial experience with Fortune 100 companies including five years as the Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Secretary for a $1.2 billion NYSE listed company. Mr. Leonard has extensive experience in the automotive, multi-location restaurant, entertainment and distribution industries. Specific areas of expertise include financial planning & analysis, strategic planning, international operations, SEC reporting, investor relations, bank financing, Sarbanes-Oxley implementation, business process redesign and mergers & acquisitions.

Mr. Leonard is currently President and CEO of EJL Associates, a consulting firm that provides C-level advice to CEO's in the media/entertainment, consumer products, retail, distribution and manufacturing industries. Mr. Leonard worked for a variety of public and private clients that included Xinhua China Ltd., the largest book and video distributor in China and Genius Products (GNPI.OB). Mr. Leonard completed an analysis of the book industry in China and developed plans to import United States content into the Chinese market. For Genius Products, Mr. Leonard Developed step by step processes for system migration & Sarbanes Oxley compliance projects and designed a post acquisition finance staffing structure.

Mr. Leonard holds a Master of Business Administration in Managerial Finance from
Roosevelt University in Chicago, a Bachelor of Science, Business Administration in Personnel and Industrial Relations from the University of Illinois, Chicago and completed Finance & Marketing Strategic Framework studies at The Wharton School, Philadelphia. He is a member of Financial Executives International and the Corporate Directors Forum.

Essy Levy
Academic Coordinator, UC San Diego Extension
The Career Frontier: Where are the future opportunities?

After her graduate studies at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot, Israel, Essy returned to San Diego and worked in various academic institutions such as The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI), Sydney Kimmel Cancer Center (SKCC) as well as in small biotechnology start-ups in the San Diego area. As co-founder of Biotecnologia Para Todos, she partnered with BioRad Laboratories Latin America to bring Biotechnology Education as interactive laboratory workshops for university professors and science educators in Peru, Brazil, Chile, Argentina, Venezuela and Mexico.

Essy is currently the Academic Coordinator of Life Science Programs for UCSD Extension. UCSD Extension offers a wide array of courses and certificate programs designed to meet the continuing education needs of local, national and international life science communities. Utilizing her extensive experience and expertise in the biotechnology industry, Essy brings together the best and brightest minds to deliver cutting edge programs that include Proteomics, Micorarrays, Systems Biology and Bioengineering, High Throughput Screening, and the Business of Biotechnology.

In addition to her program coordination work, Essy teaches for Extension in its Life Science and Education departments and is a science specialist for grades K-6 at a local elementary school. She chairs BIOCOM's Education Subcommittee as well as The San Diego Biotechnology Education Consortium (SDBEC), a forum established to better serve the workforce needs of the biotechnology industry in San Diego.

Vivian Lin
Founder, TV Host, Tangent Entertainment, Inc
Technologies, Marketing & Media in the New Millenium

Vivian Lin is the Founder of Tangent Entertainment, an emerging media and technology network distributing digital content and software applications to the consumer market. She is currently the host of a show launching on FOX6 this year, rant n rave -- a magazine talk show that features news, entertainment and issues pertinent to the nation's youth culture. Vivian is fast becoming a well-sought out expert and speaker on teen lifestyle trends, media consumerism and marketing. She currently serves as an advisor to the Newspaper Association of America serving to broaden the economic base for print publications by reaching young adult readers effectively through technology and digital media. Vivian has also founded San Diego's TAG'ers™ (Talent Advisory Group) -- a team of young trendsetters representing various cross-sections and diverse cultures in San Diego County.

She began her broadcasting career at 15 years as a radio news writer and reporter in the San Francisco Bay Area. Since entering the television broadcast industry, Vivian has served as a producer and on-camera talent for such networks and affiliates as FOX, NBC and CBS. She has over 18 years of broadcast and production experience in news, sports and entertainment programming. She is also the producer for an award-winning dramatic short film, "Lost Dog", 1999 NYU New York Film Festival.

In addition to volunteering her time as a mentor to High Tech High students through their Internship Program, Vivian is involved with professional organizations such Asian Business Association and the Asian American Journalists Association.

Deborah Lindholm
Founder/Executive Director, Foundation for Women
Women Who Have Reinvented Themselves

"I met a woman who borrowed $4 - she had never seen $4 in her life. She bought a comb, a mirror and a pair of scissors and she put her husband in business as a barber. Within a year she was living in a house and her children were in school. All because of a $4 loan."

Deborah loves to tell this story and many similar ones. Whether in the poorest villages of India or Africa or in her own community of San Diego, she is committed to helping women reach their full potential. That is why she started the Foundation for Women in 1997.

She is the Founder/Executive Director of this non-profit organization serving impoverished women and those with disease. This is accomplished by embracing microcredit, providing very small loans to very impoverished women to create income-generating activities, and by creating wellness connections, offering wellness activities and support to those with disease.

Deborah is dedicated to serving both the local and global community -- being the voice for those whose voices are not heard.

Magda Marquet, Ph.D.
co-Founder and co-CEO, Althea Technologies
Women Who Have Reinvented Themselves

Dr. Magda Marquet, a founder of Althea Technologies, has had over twenty years of experience in the biotechnology industry in the United States and Europe. She was formerly Executive Director of Pharmaceutical Development at Vical Incorporated, where she established herself as a leader in the production of clinical grade DNA for use in gene therapy and DNA vaccines. Prior to joining Vical, Dr. Marquet held process development positions at Amylin Pharmaceuticals, Protein Polymer Technologies, Syntro Corporation and Transgene. Dr. Marquet holds a Ph.D in Biochemical Engineering from the University of Toulouse/INSA. Dr. Marquet was the winner of the 2005 E&Y Entrepreneur of the Year award in San Diego in the Life Sciences category, the 2005 UCSD Athena Pinnacle award in Technology, and the 2004 Women Who Mean Business award from the San Diego Business Journal.

Lisa Martens, Esq.
Principal, Fish & Richardson, P.C.
Trademarks, Tech Licensing, and Total Valuation

Lisa Martens, Esq., is a principal of Fish & Richardson P.C. Her practice emphasizes trademark prosecution and litigation for the food service, healthcare, biotechnology, computer, Internet and retail clothing industries. She has significant experience in managing U.S. and foreign trademark portfolios for large international companies, and her Internet work includes handling domain name disputes and securing domain names in the U.S. and worldwide, as well as providing advice on legal requirements for conducting online sweepstakes and promotions. Her practice also includes licensing intellectual property and litigation relating to trademarks, copyrights, trade secrets and false comparative advertising.

Ms. Martens received her B.A. in Politics and Philosophy from Cornell College and her J.D. from DePaul University College of Law. She is admitted to the bar in California and Illinois, and the United States District Courts for the Northern , Eastern, Central and Southern Districts of California and United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. She is a member of the International Trademark Association, the American Bar Association, the California Bar Association and the San Diego Intellectual Property Law Association.

Catherine Massey
Co-Founder, Chairman, LawDocsXpress
Sharing Wisdom: Stories of Successful Women Entrepreneurs

Catherine Massey is the Co-Founder and Chairman of LawDocsXpress (LDX), one of the country's largest Internet-based outsourcing services for legal secretarial work. Law firms, corporate legal departments and government entities use LDX for full outsourcing, occasional help or overflow (evening and weekend) work projects. The firm has been in existence for over four years and has experienced dramatic, annual year-over-year revenue growth of 550%.

Massey is responsible for overseeing all HR functions including recruiting, training, and quality control aspects of LDX. She also examines new business opportunities and service lines for potential inclusion in LDX. With her business partner, Sharon Quaintance, she coordinates sales, marketing and client development.

Prior to co-founding LDX with Ms. Quaintance, Massey owned and managed Legal Resources, Inc. (LRI) for nearly sixteen years. LRI was a traditional legal staffing agency that provided personnel to law firms and corporate legal departments in four states. Based on her knowledge of the legal community and the challenges faced by law firms to remain competitive, Massey developed the concept for LDX to address industry concerns for productivity enhancement and a growing shortage of experienced legal secretaries.

Before acquiring LRI, Massey held various positions in Southern California Gas Company including Manager of Personnel Services, Customer Services Manager - Central Division and Manager of Community and Local Government Affairs. She also spent several years in Washington, D.C. with the National League of Cities/U.S. Conference of Mayors as a policy analyst and legislative coordinator.

Massey holds a B.A. from Duke University and a Masters in Business and Public Administration from Georgia State University. She is a member of WITI, the Technology Association of Georgia and the Society for Human Resource Management.

Morgan McLintic
Senior Vice President, Lewis PR, Inc.
Technologies, Marketing & Media in the New Millenium

Morgan McLintic is a vice president at LEWIS, a global public relations agency specializing in technology companies. He joined the agency in 1996 from pharmaceutical giant, GSK and helped lead its drive to become the number one tech PR firm in the UK. Since then, he has been actively involved in establishing offices for LEWIS in San Diego, San Francisco, Washington DC, Hong Kong and Shanghai, China. McLintic has advised a range of technology and telecom companies about their marketing and public relations from publicly-listed firms, such as BT, to start-ups and late-stage private companies, such as 2Wire, Airgo and NetMotion Wireless. Based in San Francisco, McLintic works with industry organizations such as IBDNetwork and the Entrepreneurs Foundation, has been a panel judge for MIT / Stanford VLABs and moderated keynotes for AlwaysOn. He hosts a blog about PR at www.morganmclintic.com.

Kay Meyer
Recruiting Manager, Deloitte Consulting
The New Diversity

As the Recruiting Manager for Deloitte Consulting's Technology Integration practice in the Northern Pacific and Pacific Southwest Regions, Kay Meyer is responsible for developing and executing recruitment strategies to attract top talent with a focus on diversity. Currently, she is also a member of a Deloitte internal task force aimed at identifying new ways to attract and retain women to the Consulting industry. Kay has more than 10 years of experience in recruitment and holds a BA degree from Drake University.

Lee Mills
CEO, BeyondClicks
Search Engine Marketing 101: Tips, Techniques, & Trends

Lee Mills is the Founder and President of BeyondClicks, an interactive agency whose focus is direct marketing on the web. Mr. Mills is a recognized marketing expert who speaks at national marketing conferences, has had case studies published, and was recognized as a rising media star by Media Magazine in 2004. He has extensive successful experience with start-ups, high-tech and numerous B2B and B2C companies. Lee has served as Media Director for SiteLab and MEA Digital and as a Marketing Director for @Backup and Anonymizer. His expertise includes developing successful strategies, partnerships and campaigns that deliver a positive ROI. Lee also serves as the President of the iMarketers Association.

Ellen Morgan
CEO, Synteract, Inc.
Sharing Wisdom: Stories of Successful Women Entrepreneurs

Ms. Morgan is the CEO/President of Synteract, Inc. She has been in the industry since 1975, with over 20 years in management and analysis of clinical research data. Ms. Morgan is a renowned expert in data management, statistics, clinical information systems and preparing submission to the FDA. She is the former Director of Data Management and Statistics for Gensia, Inc and Manager of Data Operations for Pfizer. Ms. Morgan received her Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from Siena College and her Master of Science in Management Engineering/Statistics from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

Polly Murphy
Sr. VP, Business and Scientific Services, The Scripps Research Institute
Women Who Have Reinvented Themselves

Polly Murphy is the Sr. Vice President, Business and Scientific Services at The Scripps Research Institute where she oversees the commercialization of Scripps technology invented at Scripps' Florida and La Jolla campuses. She is also responsible for scientific support functions for the La Jolla campus.

Before joining Scripps, Polly was VP, Office of Technology Management at the Salk Institute where she was responsible for protecting and commercializing Salk technologies. Previously she was in Business Development at Aurora Biosciences after holding several positions for Dupont Pharmaceuticals, the last being vice president for porfolio planning and valuation. She also lead the U.S. marketing team that launched DuPont Pharma's HIV drug Sustiva. Prior to Dupont, she worked for Nabi where she was director of business development. She began her career at Hoffman-LaRoche as a post-doc in the experimental pathology group followed by positions in sales and marketing.

Polly received her D.V.M., Ph.D. from Iowa State University and her MBA from Nova Southeastern University.

Jeanne O'Grady
VP, Business Development, PSS Bio Instruments
Partnering: Who and How, Benefits for All

Jeanne O’Grady is currently Vice President of Business Development for PSS Bio Instruments, the North American subsidiary of Precision System Science located in Japan. PSS is the foremost leader in automation for the molecular biology laboratory. Jeanne’s twenty plus year career in Medical Diagnostics includes sales and marketing positions with Abbott Laboratories, Chiron Blood Testing and Roche Diagnostics. Jeanne received her BS in Chemistry and has a MBA from San Diego State. In her free time, Jeanne volunteers for many local environmental causes.

Tyler Orion
Former CEO, COO, retired
The Career Frontier: Where are the future opportunities?

Tyler Orion currently serves as Chief Operating Officer of CONNECT, having served as President and Chief Executive Officer of the San Diego Regional Technology Alliance (RTA) from 2001 until its merger with CONNECT in 2005. CONNECT is a technology business accelerator, originally founded by the University of California, San Diego, dedicated to the creation and sustained growth of innovative, science-based companies whose development will contribute to the prosperity and global position of the San Diego region. The RTA was a private nonprofit organization that provided direct assistance to San Diego's emerging high tech companies and served as a catalyst, linking technology innovation with education, funding and community economic development.

Ms. Orion served as Vice Chair of the Board of the RTA from 1997 through July, 2001, during which time she was the Director of Orion Enterprise Development (OED). OED provided strategic mentoring and business model development for emerging and early-stage technology companies and was often retained to developed the facilitating infrastructure which enables business incubators to successfully sustain multiple new ventures. Prior to launching OED, Ms. Orion worked in technology business development, defense conversion and owned several successful service firms.

Tyler holds an MBA in Health Services Management and completed her BA and BFA studies in Drama/Directing. She currently serves on numerous industry association boards including the MIT Enterprise Forum, Pacific Incubation Network, Workforce Investment Board (of the San Diego Workforce Partnersahip) and the City of San Diego's Science and Technology Commission.

Chip Parker
President, Keiretsu Forum/Southern California Region
Raising Capital/Financing Alternatives for Business Owners

With Several successful start-up companies under his belt, Chip brings a unique blend of both high tech and traditional business experience to the forefront. He imparts visionary direction and leadership necessary to build a world-class operation.

A pioneer of Internet services, Chip co-developed DeltaNet as the first Internet service provider (ISP) based in Southern California. After building DeltaNet into the largest privately held ISP, he identified key acquisition parties and directed its sale to Concentric Networks International. His success at creating strategic partnerships and alliances for DeltaNet provided a solid background to develop and deploy the Keiretsu Forum model.

In a prior entrepreneurial venture, Chip established Parker Commercial, a commercial shopping center brokerage and development company with offices in Costa Mesa, and Sacramento. He built an effective organization, a respected brand name and a 14M square foot portfolio. He also served as founding editor and executive director of California Centers Magazine, a leading publication of the shopping center industry.

Meeta Patnaik
Founder, Chief Science & Technolgy Officer, Pathway Diagnostics Corporation
CEO Perspective: Funding Your Company - How Much and Best Choice

Meeta Patnaik, M. is Senior VP and Chief Science and Technology Officer of Pathway Diagnostics Corporation, a Biomarker Development Company. She headed the R&D and Clinical Trial Research groups at specialty Laboratories where she had over 12 years of experience in identifying, evaluating, licensing, developing and validating novel esoteric tests. This included the first commercial launch of PCR technology, licensed directly from Cetus. She was also the key scientific manager of Specialty's partnership initiatives, responsible for evaluating the novel applications offered by developers of diagnostic assays and platform technologies. In this role, she oversaw a total of twenty different partnerships. Key technology introductions (first to market) included Invader assays (Third Wave Technologies), Multiplex protein assays (Luminex Corp), MALDI-TOF (Sequenom) and MGB Eclipse (Epoch BioSciences). Key assay introductions (first to market) included HIV/HCV/CMV Genotyping, Phenotyping, Tetramers (HIV), Gleevec resistance mutations, BNP, Pro BNP, Lyme disease, West Nile and Hantavirus assays.

Prior to joining Specialty Labs, Dr. Patnaik was a senior fellow in Infectious Diseases at UCLA and a research fellow in immunology at the National Institute of Immunology in New Delhi, India. She has also served as a Senior Research Fellow at India's Department of Biotechnology.

Natalie Petouhoff, Ph.D.
President, Digital Darlings Productions
How to Consult and Make Money

Dr. Natalie L. Petouhoff, a thought leader with Hitachi Consulting, is an industry expert and an author of cutting-edge books, articles and white papers that provide companies with mission-critical information to transform their business strategy. As an innovator and thought leader, she provides companies with the unconventional practical discipline necessary to guide them to rethink their customer strategies. That rethinking includes shifting paradigms from the value the customer brings to them to the value a company can bring to a customer, which affects the Customer Experience, Customer Advocacy and Customer Lifetime Value. Dr. Nat's project management and change management expertise enables companies to implement CRM and Contact Centers solutions that increase the bottom-line as well as stay within budget, on time and within scope, leading to increased ROI's and company profits. As a professor in Pepperdine's Business School, she teaches Change Management, Leadership, Project Management and Organizational Behavior and Design.

Formally with PriceWaterhouseCoopers, Dr. Nat has 15 years of experience in technology implementations. As a consultant Dr. Nat has analyzed, designed and built CRM, Contact Centers, ERP and Shared Services Systems as well as Sales and Marketing systems. Her experiences in technology management include General Electric, General Motors, Oak Ridge National Laborabtory and Hughes Electronics.

Known on the speaking circuit as Dr. Nat, she is invited for book signings and giving keynote speeches at industry conferences like the Gartner CRM Summit. Her thought leadership is often requested by many Fortune 100 and Fortune 500 corporations with a range of products and services.

Linda Pinney
Founder & Chief Business Officer, Asteres, Inc.
Sharing Wisdom: Stories of Successful Women Entrepreneurs

Linda, Founder of Asteres Inc., was most recently the CEO of The StartUp Lab, Inc., a venture development company serving venture capital firms and venture backed companies. Prior to that, she founded and was Chairman & CEO of DNA Dynamics, Inc., a top 10 finalist for San Diego's most innovative new company of the year award in 1999. Linda was hired as the 13th employee of Pyxis Corporation and served as Vice President of Business Development for 10 years. Linda successfully developed, patented and led Pyxis into new product offerings including SupplyStation, Pyxis Data System and PyxisStation. She also created and led the Alternate Site Division to $20 million. Linda took Pyxis outside healthcare, constructing a licensing and equity deal with SupplyPro, Inc. Pyxis enjoyed a successful IPO in 1992 and was sold to Cardinal Health for close to $1 billion in 1996. Prior to Pyxis, Linda was in business development for Sharp HealthCare and Centinela Hospital. She has a Bachelor of Science in Genetics from U.C. Davis, a Masters in Business and a Masters in Healthcare Administration.

Laura Robinson
,
Sharing Wisdom: Stories of Successful Women Entrepreneurs

Laura M. Robinson, B.S., MBA, is the Business Development Manager for ClinPhone, Inc. in the Southwest. ClinPhone is a market leader in eClinical Solutions, with global expertise in IVRS (Interactive Voice Response Systems) and IWS (Interactive Web Response Systems) for randomization and medication management. Prior to joining ClinPhone in 2005, Laura was the West Coast Business Development Director for the EDC firm DATATRAK International. Laura began her career in pharmaceutical market research and development, and has worked for leading life science companies such as Merck, ASTRA USA, and Alza.

She received her Bachelor of Science degree in Materials Science and Engineering from MIT, and her Masters in Business Administration degree from The Wharton School. She most recently completed the USCD Extension Professional Certificate Program in Clinical Trials Administration.

John Rodenrys
CEO and Senior Managing Director, Leading Ventures
Biosciences: An Industry in Transition

Mr. Rodenrys, age 61, has had extensive leadership positions in several significant companies. He has been CEO of SafetyMate Corporation, the company that invented and distributes a portable life saving responder device with American Red Cross and Homeland Security Protocols. Prior to joining SafetyMate, he was COO of ForHealth Technologies where he was responsible for R&D, manufacturing, quality assurance, customer service and field operations. Before ForHealth Technologies, he served as president of Vistant Corporation, a subsidiary of Cardinal Health (NYSE:CAH), and a Fortune 50 Company. He previously served as VP R&D and IT for Pyxis Corporation, a subsidiary of Cardinal Health (NYSE:CAH) and as VP Development for MicroMRP, a LAN-based enterprise software company. He is an active member of the Keiretsu Forum and the San Diego Tech Coast Angels. Additionally, he serves on the review panels for CCAT (Center for the Commercialization of Advanced Technology) and for the von Liebig center at UCSD. He holds a BS in engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), a master's in Management Science from US International University (USIU) and an APICS CPIM (American Production & Inventory Control Society: Certified in Production & Inventory Management. He is the co-author of Production and Management Systems for Business, published by Prentice Hall and is the co-inventor on two patents.

Killu Tougu Sanborn, Ph.D.
Senior Vice President, Comerica Bank
CEO Perspective: Funding Your Company - How Much and Best Choice

Killu Sanborn, Ph.D. leads Comerica Bank’s life science venture lending practice at Comerica Bank’s San Diego office as Senior Vice President of Technology and Life Sciences, Director of Life Science Venture lending. Previously, she was Principal/Fund Manager with IngleWood Ventures, an early-stage life science venture capital fund, where she was involved in all aspects of venture capital investing. Dr. Sanborn joined IngleWood Ventures from Stratagene where she served as Director of Technology Commercialization. At Stratagene, she headed commercialization of emerging technologies and was responsible for launching new products in the high throughput screening product line. She was also the first employee and Vice President of Business Development of Phenogenex, a spinout from Stratagene. Dr. Sanborn received her Ph.D. in Molecular Biology from Cornell University/Sloan-Kettering Institute joint degree program, and performed her undergraduate studies at Oberlin College, OH, and Tartu University, Estonia.

Joyce Schwarz
Author, Analyst, Consultant, JCOM
The Career Frontier: Where are the future opportunities?
Beyond the Office: Extending the Workplace

Joyce Schwarz is a nationally known author, analyst and consultant and is considered to be one of the leaders in emerging media & and technologies on the West Coast. She combines more than a decade of high level advertising and marketing posts with such major firms as Foote Cone & Belding and a division of Ogilvy & Mather with a dozen years experience launching start-ups, corporate spin-offs and new products in the emerging media and biotech sectors. Her record includes raising more than $300 million for product launches for such firms as AT&T, Philips Electronics, Clorox and Qualcomm. Her background includes such major campaigns as the "Missing Kids on the Milk Carton" community outreach program to Johnson & Johnson's Accuvue disposable contact lens to launching France Telecom's Multimedia Division in Paris back in 1995.

Joyce is also well known as an expert on the workplace of the future. She launched AOL's Workplace of the Future Forum (38 pages online) in their Career & Work section and is the author of "Successful Recareering: When Just Another Job Is Not Enough" (Career Press) and a consultant on Future Work for such firms as Nortel, AT&T and California Community Colleges.

Joyce holds a masters degree in from USC and an undergraduate degree in journalism from Ohio University and MBA studies at the University of San Francisco. She is past-president of the USC Cinema-Alumni Assn., listed in Who's Who in the World, Who's Who in Technology and Who's Who in Women.

Lorna Speid, Ph.D.
President, Speid & Associates, Inc
Biosciences: An Industry in Transition

Lorna Speid, B.Pharm. M.R.Pharm.S., Ph.D., RAC is President of Speid & Associates, Inc. a regulatory and drug development consultancy based in San Diego, California. She works with small and large pharmaceutical companies, assisting them at the various stages of the drug development process, including European clinical trial strategy and implementation. Dr. Speid began her career as a pharmacist in the UK, after which she completed a Ph.D. at the Center for Medicines Research International, into the Safety Assessment of Medicines, Pre and Post Marketing. She has worked for large as well as small pharma companies, including Sanofi Winthrop in the UK (now Sanofi-Aventis), Ciba Geigy and Novartis in Switzerland. Small companies that she has worked for include Valentis, Inc., NewBiotics, and Avera, Inc., the last two companies at Vice President of Regulatory Affairs level. She has a Bachelor of Pharmacy degree from the University of London, and a Ph.D. from the University of Wales, College Cardiff.

Michael A. Swit, Esq.
Vice President, THE WEINBERG GROUP INC.
Commercialization of Your Products

Michael A. Swit, Esq., is Vice President, Life Sciences at The Weinberg Group where he develops and ensures the execution of a broad array of regulatory and other services to clients, both directly and through outside counsel. His expertise includes FDA and CMS development strategies, compliance and enforcement initiatives, recalls and crisis management, submissions and related traditional FDA regulatory activities, labeling and advertising, and clinical research efforts for drug, biologic, device, IVD, and other life sciences companies, as well as those in the food and dietary supplement industries.

Mr. Swit has been addressing critical FDA legal and regulatory issues since 1984. His vast and multi-faceted experience includes serving for three and a half years as corporate vice president, general counsel and secretary of Par Pharmaceutical, a prominent, publicly-traded, generic drug company and, thus, he brings an industry and commercial perspective to his work with FDA-regulated companies. Mr. Swit then served for over four years as CEO of FDANews.com, a premier publisher of FDA regulatory newsletters and other specialty information products for the FDA-regulated community. His private FDA regulatory law practice has included service as Special Counsel in the FDA Law Practice Group in the San Diego office of Heller Ehrman White & McAuliffe and with the Food & Drug Law practice at McKenna & Cuneo, both in the firm's Washington office and later in San Diego. He first practiced FDA regulatory law with the D.C. office of Burditt & Radzius.

Mr. Swit has taught and written on a wide variety of subjects relating to FDA law, regulation and related commercial activities, including, since 1989, co-directing a three-day intensive course on the generic drug approval process and editing a guide to the generic drug approval process, Getting Your Generic Drug Approved. A former member of the Food & Drug Law Journal Editorial Board, he also has been a prominent speaker at numerous conferences sponsored by such organizations as RAPS, FDLI, and DIA.

Joey Tamer
Consultant, Expert, JoeyTamer.com
Raising Capital/Financing Alternatives for Business Owners
How to Consult and Make Money

Joey Tamer (www.joeytamer.com) is a "shadow CEO," extending her entrepreneur-clients' bandwidth. She consults to product and service companies, and to consultancies. She has worked in the U.S., Europe, China and Qatar.

Successes include the 1st Internet B2B IPO with $30M to each of the founders in year 5; the sale of a husband/wife software company for $50M in year 4; the raising of $2.2M in seed capital with no equity out, for a software venture she built in China; and the sale of a start-up Internet company within 8 months of writing their first investment pitch piece.

Her Fortune 500 clients retain her to start in-house new business unit initiatives; these have included J.P. Morgan Capital, Sony, IBM, Apple, Hearst, Blockbuster, Technicolor, Harper Collins, Discovery Channel, Time-Warner, Agfa and Scitex. Among her many early stage ventures, she includes Earthweb (IPO 1998) and iSuppli.

She speaks and publishes widely on entrepreneurship. Her published credits include 5 books, 60 published articles, and a weblog with hundreds of blogposts of advice to entrepreneurs. Her website is www.joeytamer.com and she can be reached at joey @ joeytamer.com, or 1+310 245 5310.

Angela Thomas-Anderson
Vice President, Spherion
The New Diversity

With over 15 years of international leadership expertise, Angela Thomas-Anderson is a change agent in shaping and cultivating opportunities for all constituencies served. She has worked in senior management roles ranging from her career launch on Wall Street with J.P. Morgan (now Chase) to spearheaded major strategic initiatives in the technology industry while working at NCR and Dell. Her diverse background includes workforce strategies, global management of both direct and indirect strategic sourcing, proposition development and services solution formation. Currently as Spherion Corporation's vice president of diversity, Angela is responsible for the company's vendor diversity program and workforce sourcing strategies. She holds a M.B.A. from Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia with international studies at Groupe Ecole Supérieure de Commerce (ESC), Toulouse, France and a B.A. in Finance from Howard University, Washington, DC.

Georgina Tweedie
Internet Public Relations Officer, Church of Scientology International
Search Engine Marketing 101: Tips, Techniques, & Trends

A native of Auckland, New Zealand, Georgina spent 15 years in Sydney, Australia prior to being promoted to the Church of Scientology International headquarters in the US. She now permanently resides with her husband and two children in Los Angeles, California.

Georgina began working in SEO/SEM for the Church of Scientology International's many web sites in 2000. She is a proponent for ethical search engine marketing, and is a member of the Search Engine Marketing Professional Organization (SEMPO). In 2003, she took on the position of Internet Public Affairs Director, taking an avid interest in non-profit issues in the search engines and regularly interacting with major search engines and companies to deal with the challenges involved.

Grace M. Uzomba
Deputy Director, Center for Terrorism Law
Homeland Security Today: Issues & Answers

Ms. Grace M. Uzomba is a St. Mary's University School of Law graduate. She is the Deputy Director for the Center for Terrorism Law. She manages the day-to-day operations of the Center, including hiring and supervising research fellows, maintaining the Center's website, coordinating and directing events, logistical operations, as well as conducting research in pertinent areas of terrorism law.

Ms. Uzomba served in the United States Army reaching the rank of Major. While in the military, she served as a logistics operations officer internationally in Korea and the former Yugoslavia. Based out of Zagreb, Croatia, she was responsible for the all the medical logistics operations for the entire United Nations mission encompassing six countries in the former Yugoslavia.

Ms. Uzomba has been honored with many military awards and earned honors for distinguishing herself as a parachutist; an air assault expert, and an expert field medical specialist. She was recently honored with the 2004 scholarship award from the San Antonio Bar Women's Auxilliary Foundation. Ms. Uzomba was selected for a highly competive Congressional Internship with the Select Committee on Homeland Security and awarded the Hattie Briscoe scholarship in the summer of 2004.

Ms. Uzomba plans to pursue an LLM degree in Terrorism Law at St. Mary's University school of law. She is well accomplished already achieving the distinction of being an Enrolled Agent with the Internal Revenue Service.

Paula Valle
Media Maven, Shanth Interactive
Technologies, Marketing & Media in the New Millenium

Paula Valle, a communications specialist at Shanth Interactive, has developed an avant-garde approach to media relations. Linking technology and new media to foster relationships between the media and emerging communities, she has utilized her journalism background to initiate a communication strategy that blurs boundaries and crosses borders.

She holds a master's degree in Journalism from Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism, a master's degree in Media Studies from Sussex University in England and a bachelor's degree in English Literature from the University of California at Berkeley.

Adriana Vela
Founder/Chair, NanoTecNexus
Biosciences: An Industry in Transition

Adriana Vela, Founder & Chair NanoBioNexus. After 18 years of tracking leading-edge technologies in the high-tech industry and defining new markets, Adriana embarked in the Life Sciences arena through various client-led projects. In 2004, Adriana founded NanoBioNexus, a not-for-profit corporation focused on tracking nanotech applications in the life sciences. She leads a team of high caliber scientists and business professionals and has developed an international presence for NanoBioNexus.

Under her leadership, NanoBioNexus was selected to participate in a $20 million, 5-year National Cancer Institute grant for the creation of a Center for Cancer Nanotechnology Excellence (CCNE). In this role, Adriana serves as project co-lead of the Educational Core team for the regional NanoTumor Center (www.ntc-ccne.org) tasked with developing educational strategies, tools and outreach programs for intra-center members as well as the healthcare community and general public.

As a professional consultant and strategic advisor, she has assisted start-up companies in securing funding, doing market validation, customer acquisition and go-to-market strategies. Her corporate career includes management positions with global responsibility for driving new technologies at Fortune 100 companies. She has brought dozens of technology products to market, has managed multi-million dollar corporate initiatives.

Prior to founding NanoBioNexus, Adriana was instrumental in building and shaping a similar organization from the ground up while in Silicon Valley. Adriana has served on several boards and decision-making committees. She holds a Bachelors of Business Administration/Information Technology from the University of Texas in Austin.

Lonna Williams
Sr. VP Commercial Operations, Viking Systms, Inc
Commercialization of Your Products

In September 2004, Ms. Williams joined Viking as Vice President, Sales and Marketing for all Viking business units, and currently serves as Senior Vice-President, Commercial Operations. Ms. Williams was formerly President of MedicalMarketSolutions, a health care product consulting firm. She has 20 years of experience in marketing, sales and business development in medical diagnostics, devices and pharmaceuticals and has held executive level positions in several public and privately held companies. Ms. Williams has brought over 25 new products to market and commercialized four novel technologies. She has held senior management positions at Johnson and Johnson/Clinical Diagnostics, Hybritech/Eli Lilly, GenProbe, Inc., Quidel Corporation and LifePoint, Inc. She has been involved in corporate acquisitions and technology licensing and has created and implemented business plans, integration and commercialization plans supporting the acquisitions. She graduated from the University of Southern Colorado.

Doug Wolfgram
CEO/, PresenterNet
Beyond the Office: Extending the Workplace

Doug Wolfgram is a highly successful entrepreneur and technology pioneer, having developed and operated numerous high-technology companies. He has a strong background in technology, with special focus on graphics, networking, and interactive Web applications. Doug founded one of the world's first interactive media communications companies. As a software product architect and developer, he wrote PC Paint and GRASP, pioneering interactive communications on personal computers, and created interactive communications projects for the industry's leading PC companies. He has won numerous awards for adaptation of technology in communications including share of an Emmy for work on the Children's Television show, "Where in the World is Carmen San Diego?" Wolfgram is currently the CEO of PresenterNet, the industry's only truly "interactive" Web Conferencing system. He spends his spare time building and maintaining his business network and recently achieved the status of the Ecademy Business Network's "Most Connected" American.

Joan Ziegler
CEO, Privasys, Inc
Raising Capital/Financing Alternatives for Business Owners
Doing Business in China: The Landscape of Opportunity

Joan Ziegler has spent over 15 years driving consumer adoption of emerging technologies through established brands with existing market dominance (Disney, Nintendo, Mattel). As a founder of software publisher Hi Tech Expressions, she was instrumental in building revenue to $40M in 6 years. Subsequently she was recruited as SVP of the Home and Kids business unit of Mindscape, which was sold to Pearson PLC for $462M in an all cash deal. Most recently as President of multiplayer game publisher, EPlay, Ziegler secured distribution with WON.net, Electronic Arts & AOL. Ziegler has been selected to present at emerging technology conferences, such as CTIA (Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association), Red Herring's NDA, the MIT/Stanford Venture Laboratory, Alex Brown Conferences, and Allen and Company's Executive Retreat for Women.

Ziegler holds a Master of Science from Florida State University.

Margaret Heffernan
Top 100 Media Executive, International Author,
The Courage of our Convictions: Appreciating the Value of Female Leadership

Margaret was born in Texas, raised in Holland and educated at Cambridge University. She began her career at the BBC where, she wrote, directed, produced and commissioned prize-winning documentaries and dramas.

Leaving the BBC, Margaret ran the trade association IPPA, which represented the interests of film and television producers and was described by the Financial Times as "the most formidable lobbying organization in England."

In 1994, Margaret sold her business and moved to the U.S. where she advised software companies on the emerging multimedia market. Subsequently, she ran, bought and sold software companies, including ZineZone Corporation and iCAST Corporation. She was named one of the "Internet's Top 100" by Silicon Alley Reporter in 1999, one of the "Top 25" by Streaming Media magazine and one of the "Top 100 Media Executives" by The Hollywood Reporter in 2000.

Margaret writes a regular column for Fast Company and Real Business magazines. She sits on the board of several companies and continues to advise both established and start up businesses. Her book, The Naked Truth: A Modern Woman's Manifesto about Working and What Really Matters was published in September 2004 by Jossey-Bass. Widowed in 1985, Margaret remarried in 1991 and has two children.

Susan Lucas-Conwell
CEO, SD Forum
A Calling for Great Leadership: Targeted Solutions and Best Practices

Susan is an experienced business strategist with over 20 years in international marketing and general management experience. She possesses a particular flair for launching new products, brands, and services. In 2002, she founded Clear-Day, an international business accelerator specializing in navigating cross-cultural and other business issues that arise when companies go abroad. The firm's clients include a select portfolio of European and US companies such as Nokia (New Ventures Division), Spotter (French media technology enterprise) and a European private equity firm.

Susan is currently working with the Shambaugh Leadership Group to open their West Coast office in 2006, having developed their European network. Susan founded and remains President of the Forum for Women Entrepreneurs and Executives Europe, the premier American non-profit organization for women entrepreneurs in high-growth technology and life science industries. She is also Honorary Co-Chair of the International SIG (Software Development Forum) in Silicon Valley.

She started her career at General Mills before moving to Paris, where she held senior management positions at Cartier International and Bausch & Lomb (Ray-Ban). Ten years ago, she moved into the technology sector, first taking a French internet start-up to second-round financing, then consulting in transatlantic business development with a UK-funded firm, Virtual European Office.

Susan graduated with Honors from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in economic history, a Masters Degree in Economic History from Johns Hopkins University and a Masters degree in Business Administration from The Wharton School. Often cited in the media, she is a frequent speaker at conferences in Europe and the U.S. on international marketing and women entrepreneurship.

Jenni Prisk
President, Prisk Communications
Voices of Women Must Be Valued

An award-winning motivational speaker, communications coach and trainer, Jenni Prisk founded Prisk Communication in 1989. Her mission is to provide comprehensive and outstanding training in public speaking and communication skills that will remove the associated risk and fears, engendering confidence, effectiveness and positive results. With a growing nationwide client list, Jenni works with companies and individuals in diverse aspects of communication.

Following the September 11th terrorist attacks in 2001, Jenni founded Voices of Women (VOW), an international forum for non-military solutions, to foster global peace, justice and equality around the world.

Her diverse background includes working in the newspaper industry where she received four writing awards, two from the San Diego Press Club. In 1994, she received the San Diego Business Journal's Award for Women Who Mean Business, and was nominated in 2000.

A native of New Zealand, she holds a Diploma in Adult Teaching and is qualified as a Human Relations and Communications Instructor for the New Zealand Marriage Guidance Council. She also has a Diploma in Speech and Drama from Trinity College of London, England.

Lynn Sontag
President & CEO, MENTTIUM Corporation
Navigating the Career Highway - Bring a Passenger

As President and CEO of MENTTIUM Corporation, Lynn Sontag leads the company in its vision to assist organizations in developing their human capital. Lynn provides strategic direction across MENTTIUM's global markets. MENTTIUM has been the market leader in developing, implementing and sustaining internal and cross-company mentoring programs and services since its beginning in 1991.

Lynn joined MENTTIUM Corporation in 1996 and for seven years was the chief architect of MENTTIUM's mentoring models. In 2002 she assumed ownership of the company and leads the organization with partner, Kimberly Vappie, COO. Together with Kim, Lynn received The Business Journal's prestigious Women Changemakers award in 2004.

Prior to joining MENTTIUM, Lynn spent 15 years at 3M Corporation and was responsible for the development, implementation and facilitation of the organization's mentoring programs and Directors' Roundtables. She currently sits on the Advisory Board of Human Capital Institute and oversees MENTTIUM's partnership with the World Economic Forum - Women Leaders Programme. Lynn received her M.B.A. in Organizational Development from the University of St. Thomas and her undergraduate degree from St. Cloud State University.

And more to be announced soon!