Description
Entrepreneurs-in-residence
1
ENTREPRENEURS-IN-RESIDENCE
WENDY ANGST
Email: [email protected]
Wendy Angst served over a decade as one of the earliest champions and architects of the electronic
personal health record (PHR). As CEO, Angst spearheaded the rapid growth of CapMed into a lead-
ing provider of interactive personal health management solutions for the healthcare, insurance, and
pharmaceutical industries. She navigated CapMed through angel funding, spin-off, acquisitions, and
merger – ultimately orchestrating integration of CapMed into the healthcare division of a multi-billion
dollar financial services firm. Prior to CapMed, Angst worked as a consultant in strategy at both the national and international
levels, and spent time as a national director of a non-profit organization.
Areas of Expertise: Healthcare, electronic records, health IT, strategy, innovation.
JOHN ANTHONY
Email: [email protected]
John Anthony is CEO of Anthony Travel, the national leader in university and sports travel, serving
unique travel needs of about 50 great universities across the country (Notre Dame, Texas, Duke, North
Carolina, UCLA, etc), as well as managing extensive sports housing and travel services to other leading
sports organizations including: ESPN, Disney Sports, US Soccer Federation, the New York Marathon,
and the Harlem Globetrotters. Anthony Travel currently has 27 offices in 14 states and employs over
175 people. Anthony Travel has been named North America’s Leading Travel Agency three times, as well as 15 other awards
for business growth and employment practices. John is a 1986 graduate of Notre Dame, where he majored in Accounting and
twice earned Academic All-American honors in golf. He worked as a CPA for Ernst and Young for three years prior to forming
Anthony Travel.
Areas of Expertise: Travel, sports, hospitality, universities
MARK AYLWARD
E-mail address: [email protected]
Cell: 407.718.1874
Mark Aylward has 25 years of IT staffing experience including the last 15 years as an entrepreneur.
He has built and sold two staffing companies from scratch and has recently started to evolve his third
“lifestyle” business into a third systemic/process driven staffing business.
Areas of expertise: Starting a business, selling a business, sales, sales management, recruiting, recruit-
ing management, hiring, operations, marketing (on and offline), business plans, relationship building
FRANK BELATTI
Email: [email protected]
Cell: 770.330.2283
Frank Belatti is a Managing Partner and co-founder of Equicorp Partners, LLC. He was founder, Chair-
man and Chief Executive Officer of AFC Enterprises in 1992. Prior to that he served as the President
and Chief Operating Officer at Hospitality Franchise Systems, (now Cendant Corporation), President
and Chief Operating Officer at Arby’s, Inc. Additionally, Mr. Belatti is a Director, Chairman of Corporate
Governance Committee and Member of Management Development and Compensation Committee of RadioShack Corporation
and serves on the boards of Georgia Campaign on Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention, and Hank Aaron’s Chasing the Dream
Foundation. He is also a Member of the Business Advisory Board at the University of Notre Dame, a Member of the Diversity
Advisory Board at Georgia Power, and serves as the Chairman of the Carter Center’s Board of Councilors. He serves as an
Adjunct Professor at the Gigot Center for Entrepreneurial Studies, Mendoza School of Business, the University of Notre Dame.
He received a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Notre Dame and an M.B.A. from Fordham University.
Areas of Expertise: Franchising, restaurant/retail, private equity
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ENTREPRENEURS-IN-RESIDENCE
CHRISTOPHER J. BLUM
Email: [email protected]
Office: 630.501.1475
Chris Blum has more than two decades of experience both as a member of and advisor to senior
management teams in a broad range of industries. CJBlum Partners provides corporate development
services to small and middle market companies, integrating business, operational and capital strategies
in support of growth objectives. At DN Partners, a middle market private equity firm focused primarily
on manufacturing and distribution industries, Chris was a principal and the portfolio CFO with dotted line responsibility for the
finance function across a portfolio of companies as well as the leader of internal corporate development efforts. In this role,
he worked with portfolio companies to develop, define and execute strategies in support of each investment thesis. Initia-
tives ran the gamut from developing product portfolios and increasing geographic footprint to evaluating resource allocation
among business units and financial modeling of various opportunities. Prior to joining DN, Chris ran corporate development
and strategy for Clayton Holdings as well as serving as interim CFO. He facilitated the development, definition and execution
of a strategy focused on new products and new markets. Chris also led the company’s capital raising efforts including an
institutional debt raise and IPO. Earlier in his career, Chris was a Principal of Diamond Management and Technology Consul-
tants, Inc. (f/k/a Diamond Cluster, Inc.) where he focused on strategic, financial, operating and product, market and customer
development strategies on behalf of clients in various industries. Chris was also the CFO of a start-up technology firm where
he participated in all aspects of the business including corporate and marketing strategy, technology infrastructure plan, and
capital raising.
Areas of Expertise: Manufacturing, distribution, energy, education, financial services (including investment banking, capital
markets, mortgage finance, consumer and commercial banking, payments), technology
JOHN BODROZIC
Email: [email protected]
John Bodrozic is co-founder and CEO of HomeZada, a business to consumer technology start-up
focused on providing a cloud and mobile solution for homeowners to manage their homes. HomeZada
will also provide marketing and data solutions for home buyers and sellers, in addition to various vertical
industry professionals in the real estate, home building, and homeowner insurance markets. John was
previously a co-founder and President of Meridian Systems, the leading construction project manage-
ment software solutions provider serving the Fortune 500, Government Agencies, and large Engineering and Construction
companies. John helped guide Meridian Systems through various company stages including a start-up, to early growth, raising
venture capital, and scaling the business into multiple products, markets, and distribution models. Meridian Systems was
successfully sold to Trimble [NASDAQ: TRMB] in 2006 where John continued as the General Manager of the wholly owned
business unit.
Areas of Expertise: Software, internet, commercial construction, residential real estate, technology
BERT R. BONDI
Email: [email protected]
Cell: 303.877.7551
Bert Bondi has more than forty years of experience growing a regional, public accounting firm in Denver,
CO. He was Chief Executive Officer of Bondi & Co., LLC, partner at RubinBrown, LLC, and is a Certified
Public Accountant. He is a proven advisor and mediator to executive management and boards of direc-
tors during times of contention and change with significant experience in internal systems and external
reporting. Bert graduated in 1967 with a Bachelor in Business Administration from the University of Notre Dame.
Areas of Expertise: Assisting boards of directors and audit committees with operational and governance issues, M&A, eval-
uation and planning, IPO’s, audit reviews, financial statement analysis, risk identification and mitigation, and compliance with
state, local and federal requirements and regulations impacting fiduciary duties including, regulatory requirements, and SOX
issues.
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ENTREPRENEURS-IN-RESIDENCE
MIKE BOTT
Email: [email protected]
Mike Bott is the General Manager of The Brandery. In addition to running the day-to-day operations of
the space and program, he looks forward to sharing his branding and product management experience
with The Brandery companies. Prior to joining The Brandery, Mike worked in brand management
at Procter & Gamble, architecting Olay North America’s digital strategy and ecosystem which was
awarded P&G’s internal designation of “Best Digital” at the NA Brand Building Awards. Before P&G,
he led product launches as a product manager at Match.com and AOL. He has a passion for building brands with high
quality user experiences and creative monetization and acquisition strategies. He’s currently working with two startups -
SonicNotify and Wearcast. Mike graduated from the University of Notre Dame with a BBA and MBA and is active in the
Irish Entrepreneurs Network.
Areas of Expertise: Branding, marketing, user acquisition, product management/development, raising venture capital,
business modeling/pro-forma, financials, direct sales, tech-oriented/consumer internet/product/business development
JORDAN CURNES
Email: [email protected]
Jordan Curnes ND ‘01 is a serial entrepreneur with expertise in building companies and recruiting
successful management teams to accelerate growth. Jordan has founded 3 companies in the medical
device, wireless, and web-based travel sectors. Jordan graduated with a Finance degree from Notre
Dame and previously worked for Huron Consulting Group and then received a MBA from Duke. In 2005,
Jordan founded the South Bend real estate and online rental website RentLikeAChampion.com, which
provides lodging for ND students and weekend football rentals for ND fans. Then Jordan founded the neuroscience based
medical device company MicroTransponder (www.microtransponder.com), which is developing an implantable device to treat
stroke and tinnitus patients. More recently, Jordan co-founded an independent Verizon retail division, with over 25 stores
in the Midwest. In addition, Jordan invests independently as an Angel Investor and serves on the Board of Directors for HFS
Scholars, a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the quality of education by offering scholarships and one on one
mentoring opportunities for economically disadvantaged inner-city high school students.
Areas of Expertise: Medical devices, e-commerce (websites, not apps), real estate, retail (consumer-technology)
GEORGE DAY
Email: [email protected]
Cell: 570.336.7545
George Day is a current EMBA student, who is willing to help ND students move up the learning curve
using his many years of start-up experience. He has acted as chief leadership and founder of several
management funded start-ups. He has also provided embedded management and consulting services
on day to day basis for other start ups and established companies. For more info see his Linkedin pro-
file: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/george-day/17/889/a68
Areas of Expertise: Business start up questions, strategy, general management, capital raising, etc.
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ENTREPRENEURS-IN-RESIDENCE
KEITH E. DEUSSING
Email: [email protected]
Keith E. Deussing serves as Senior Partner in Heidrick & Struggles’ Global Industrial and Technology
practices. He consults with high growth publicly and privately held companies in the recruitment and
assessment of their senior executive teams. He also serves as a core member of the Chief Executive
Officer & Board of Directors Practice, working closely with specific investor groups and founder/family
led enterprises in their succession planning efforts and advising their growth company portfolios. Mr.
Deussing joined the firm following the acquisition by Heidrick & Struggles of IronHill Partners, a national retained executive
consulting firm he started in 2003. IronHill grew into one of the leading technology boutique specialist firms in North America,
with offices in New York, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and California. Prior to starting IronHill, Mr. Deussing was a Vice Pres-
ident at HFA International, then ranked as one of the fastest growing retained executive search firms in the United States. He
and a core team helped to establish the company’s first office in Silicon Valley and drive the significant growth of the business
in the venture backed technology sector. Mr. Deussing began his professional career with Arthur Andersen, where he managed
engagements in both the commercial and enterprise sectors, helping prepare growth clients for their initial public offerings
(IPOs) as well as lead assurance services for established publicly held corporations. Graduating from the University of Notre
Dame with a bachelors of science in accounting, Mr. Deussing then served as a Certified Public Accountant.
Areas of Expertise: Startups related to high technology or industrial products (products that are manufactured versus pure
software), nonprofit causes
DENNIS (DJ) DIDONNA
Email: [email protected]
Cell: 317.612.4047
DJ DiDonna is currently Chief Operating Officer (COO) and co-founding partner of EFL Global. DiDon-
na is an experienced founding entrepreneur, with a sales, management, and operations background in
the tech startup space. He worked for the rapid growth Angie’s List before co-founding an Irish An-
gel-backed web startup at the University of Notre Dame. DJ joined the Entrepreneurial Finance Lab to
help commercialize their research conducted in the Harvard Kennedy School’s Center for International Development. DiDonna
has worked in microfinance and development in both Africa and Latin America and is currently based in Johannesburg. He
received his B.A. in International Relations from the University of Notre Dame and an MBA from Harvard Business School.
Areas of Expertise: Growing businesses, sales, internationalization, social enterprise
ANDY DOWNARD
Email: [email protected]
Andy Downard’s expertise is in heat transfer, reaction kinetics, and thermodynamics. In his Ph.D. work at
Caltech, he applied his knowledge of these fields to the development of size-selective separation meth-
ods that are being commercialized. He employed analytical theory and simulation (Brownian dynamics
and COMSOL) in the design of the instruments, built prototypes with the support of stellar precision
machinists, and validated the performance of the prototypes. Dr. Downard and his colleagues have de-
veloped a portfolio of gaseous and aqueous (i.e., blood plasma) separation methods that compete favorably with alternatives.
The prototype instruments will continue to be deployed to niche high-profile experiments, such as the study of aerosol nucle-
ation with the Cosmics Leaving OUtdoor Droplets (CLOUD) team at CERN in Geneva, and broader applications in the medical
diagnostics and therapeutics sectors will be realized upon commercialization.
Areas of Expertise: Aerosol, nanotechnology, and medical diagnostics
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ENTREPRENEURS-IN-RESIDENCE
DANIEL DYKENS
Cell: 617.319.2194
Daniel Dykens spent a decade in the hedge fund business as an analyst and portfolio manager. He then
spent 4 years as CEO of Norbury Financial Systems. Norbury sells research management software to
institutional investment firms to help them share important information more effectively. Norbury’s soft-
ware is delivered as a service (SAAS) and can be rapidly deployed. He founded Meet the Street which
he sold to Instinet in February 2010. He served as President of Meet the Street a subsidiary of Insti-
net Incorporated and a Managing Director at Instinet from February 2010 until September 2012. He is now serving as CEO
of ClearMomentum a Rochester NY based SAAS, FinTech company. ClearMomentum has developed the industry-standard
private equity software used to economize portfolio company data collection, analysis & reporting. Named one of Boston’s 40
Under 40 in 2007 by the Boston Business Journal.
Areas of Expertise: Investing, hedge funds, trading, equity research, financial technology software.
JEFF FISHER
Email: [email protected]
Jeff Fisher has over 20 years experience in the financial services industry, with over a decade in alter-
native investments throughout Asia. He currently is the Executive Officer of Crosby Capital (a public
company listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange), and heads the institutional distribution efforts in
addition to the business development and acquisitions. Prior to RAB, Jeff started two regional depart-
ments at Citibank’s Asian prime brokerage platform, where he headed the regional capital introductions
department and ran the hedge fund consulting efforts out of Hong Kong. Earlier in his career, Jeff was involved in several
financial service firms in an entrepreneurial and investor role, including founding a venture capital fund, an Asian hedge fund
platform, online brokerage, several technology start-ups and high velocity trading systems. He is a university lecturer at Hong
Kong University (HKUSPACE) in addition to fulfilling the Responsible Officer securities requirements (1, 4 & 9) in Hong Kong,
and is involved in numerous charitable groups globally. Jeff holds both a BA and MBA from the University of Notre Dame, and
speaks English, Japanese, Cantonese, Mandarin and Spanish.
Areas of Expertise: Financial services, international business
STEVE GOETZ
Email: [email protected]
Cell: 415.336.1684
Steve Goetz currently acts as the advisor to the CEO of a holding company owned by a consortium
of media companies such as The Washington Post, Hearst and Gannett. Steve has over 10 years of
business experience at early stage companies. He helped PBM Corporation pioneer the ASP model for
medical practices and claims management; drove commercial sales at Excite@home’s @Work division;
and spearheaded the growth of Alteer Corporation’s expansion into Northern California. He launched Gardner Design Group
(GDG) in 2008 and helped lay the foundation for the emerging financial card personalization market. After exiting GDG, Steve
joined MerchantCircle in a business development capacity and solidified strategic relationships that help secure its $56 million
dollar acquisition by Reply! Inc. Steve has a BS in Science/Business from the University of Notre Dame, was a member of the
Irish Guard for 3 of his 4 years, sits on the board of the Ovarian Cancer Foundation for Living (http://ovariancancerforliving.org/
index.html) and actively volunteers with Trips for Kids (http://www.tripsforkids.org/).
Areas of Expertise: Media, digital media, E-commerce, non-profits/philanthropy
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ENTREPRENEURS-IN-RESIDENCE
JEFF HASSELMAN
Email: [email protected]
Office: 650.462.6020
Jeff Hasselman is based in the San Francisco Bay area with Comerica’s Venture Capital Group providing
growth capital to VC backed early stage tech companies. His prior career experience includes start up-
founding team member wearing many leadership hats with Access Cash International, an independent
ATM start-up venture that grew to 200 employees and 9,500 locations (acquired by a publicly traded
entity); Venture Debt - provided venture debt to tech companies seeking additional runway with minimal dilution and Trader
-spent nearly ten years as a Proprietary Derivatives Trader with focus on US Treasuries, German Government Debt, Gold,
Silver and Crude Oil markets. He graduated from the University of Notre Dame with an MBA ‘10 and BBA-Finance ‘95. He re-
sides in Menlo Park, CA with his wife and two kids. Interests beyond early stage tech companies include golf, hockey and horse
racing.
Areas of Expertise: Early stage tech companies, payment solutions, ecommerce, mobile, enterprise software, social media/
networking
MARK HUBBARD
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 574.217.8323 or 413.329.7467
Mark Hubbard serves as an Adjunct Professor at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and as Guest Lec-
turer at the University of Notre Dame in Entrepreneurship for the Colleges of Business, Science and
Engineering. He is an Entrepreneur in Residence at both universities. He is the author of Business
Wise Guide, 80 Powerful Insights You Can’t Get in Business School, Undisputed, Notre Dame National
Champions 1966 and co-author with his brother Donald Hubbard of Forgotten Four, Notre Dame’s Greatest Backfield and
the Undefeated 1953 Team. He is a contributor of articles about common sense in business to Fox Business News. He is an
independent consultant providing services exclusively to senior management at established companies and to entrepreneurs
at start-up ventures. He works with public and private companies, both in the U.S. and internationally. Mark was the Senior VP,
Corporate Development for Clear Channel, President of Flagship Broadcasting (TV), President of Fairmont Communications
(radio), Executive VP of Osborn Communications (radio) and V.P and General Manager of WKRQ-FM for Taft Broadcasting. He
was the second Notre Dame student to be awarded a Marshall Scholarship (1972). He has a Bachelor of Architecture from the
University of Notre Dame (1972) and an MBA from the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania (1975). Mark is a Regis-
tered Architect in the State of Ohio.
Areas of Expertise: Business valuation, negotiating transactions, financing and restructuring, enterprise financial modeling,
sales development, organizational strategy and executive on-boarding/coaching.
TYLER HUDSON-CRIMI
Email: [email protected]
Cell: 206.399.1075
Tyler Hudson-Crimi has a background in investing and startups, primarily in private equity, software, and
marketing. As president of Catalyze Marketing and Consulting, Tyler works with brands big and small to
drive growth and enhance their digital strategies. Additionally, he is a co-founder of ShopTalk, where he
serves as CIO, managing information flows--both internal and external. His work there includes analytics,
marketing, and databases. Tyler is passionate about entrepreneurship, marketing strategies, and emerg-
ing technologies. He has strong interests in both technical and artistic excellence and always enjoys lending a hand to aspiring
venture enthusiast, whether it be spitballing about creative campaigns or crunching the operating numbers. “To be successful
as an entrepreneurial leader in today’s environment, it takes more than just a student of business. It takes a passion for your
mission, an artisan’s attention to design, and an appreciation for the subtleties that define peoples’ experiences.”
Areas of Expertise: Startups, Branding, Digital Marketing Strategies, Venture Capital, Software
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ENTREPRENEURS-IN-RESIDENCE
PAUL INGALLS
Email: [email protected]
Cell: 206.399.1075
Paul Ingalls is an experienced entrepreneur and technology leader. He has helped build multiple suc-
cessful consumers internet businesses in the interactive media and games verticals. These include
RealArcade, which defined the fledgling casual games industry, and most recently Smilebox, which
redefined the electronic greeting market by adding personal photos. He is currently the founder and
CEO of Fanzo.me, bringing sports fans together. Known not only as an outstanding engineer and engineering manager, Paul is
a leader in the new area of culture hacking, defining repeatable ways to build great companies by focusing on the people and
teams that define them. Paul lives in Kirkland WA with his wife and three daughters.
Areas of Expertise: Technology management, team leadership, lean startup, consumer businesses, multimedia technology
KEVIN J. KELLY
Email: [email protected]
Kevin Kelly is President and CEO of Walsh & Kelly, Inc., a highway construction company with offices in
Griffith, South Bend and Goshen, IN. Walsh & Kelly operates five asphalt mix plants in South Bend, Grif-
fith, Valparaiso, Goshen, and Lowell Indiana. Mr. Kelly is active in industry and community organizations.
He serves on the Board of Directors and the Executive Committee of the National Asphalt Pavement
Association and the Build Indiana Council, where he is a Past Chairman. He was also named Indiana
Contractor of the Year by Indiana Construction Association in 2006 and 2007. Prior to his career with Walsh & Kelly, Mr. Kelly
was a Director at Crowe Chizek and Company where he led the Organizational Development Consulting Group and co-founded,
Creative Financial Staffing, a temporary and permanent staffing firm housed within CPA firms. He is a 1977 graduate of the
University of Notre Dame and received an MBA from Notre Dame in 1987. He previously served as a member of Notre Dame
Alumni Association Board of Directors. He has also been active in numerous community and charitable organizations, including
as a member of the Board of Directors and Executive Committee of the Chamber of Commerce of St. Joseph County. He is
married to the former Marijo Rogers and has three daughters, Kristin Hansen, Megan and Colleen.
Areas of Expertise: Accounting, construction, consulting, transportation
BOB KILL
Email: [email protected]
Cell: 574.383.8365
Bob Kill has spent the past 16 years with Hacienda Mexican Restaurants of South Bend. After leading a
leveraged buyout, he was president and CEO for 13 years and then Chairman until retiring. After getting
his MBA, he spent 23 years with Beatrice Foods (then the largest US food company) heading up the
Confectionery and Snack Food Division. Following that, he was president of a large, dedicated McDon-
ald’s supplier of hamburger and Chicken McNuggets.
Areas of Expertise: General food business, restaurant
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ENTREPRENEURS-IN-RESIDENCE
BILL LEIMKUEHLER
Email: [email protected]
Office: 440.940.0200 x7001
Bill Leimkuehler is the Chief Operating Officer of Biolectrics LLC, a medical device startup company
based in Cleveland, Ohio. Bill co-founded Biolectrics in 2008 has raised both equity and non-dilutive
financing (grants and loans) to fund the development of his company’s products. Prior to Biolectrics, Bill
was employee #1 in a software startup, worked in a Fortune 500’s movie special effects division, and
founded a documentary video production company. Bill is a member of the Classes of 2005 (B.S. in Computer Science) and
2016 (EMBA).
Areas of Expertise: Startups, medical devices, biotechnology, entrepreneurship, non-dilutive financing, software
JORDAN LINVILLE
Email: [email protected]
Office: 312.869.BUZZ (2899)
Jordan Linville is the co-founder of Buzz Referrals, an internet marketing agency that helps businesses
acquire loyal customers through referrals. He brings a wealth of internet marketing experience from
prior roles at Angie’s List, a VC-backed company that went public in 2011, and NextWave Media Group,
a leading digital agency. At Angie’s List, Jordan led data acquisition efforts which enabled the company
to expand from 15 to over 75 U.S. markets. At NextWave Media Group, he held the role of Director of Business Development,
developing customer acquisition strategies for advertisers such as FTD Flowers, Voyage Prive and Hearst Interactive. Jordan
was named a Governor Robert Orr Indiana Entrepreneurial Fellow and holds a BBA from the University of Notre Dame and an
MBA from the Kellogg School of Management.
Areas of Expertise: Accelerator programs, raising angel funding, lean startup principles, internet marketing
PATRICK MCCURRY
Email: [email protected]
Office: 312.984.2191
Patrick McCurry is a senior associate in the law firm of McDermott Will & Emery LLP and is based in the
Firm’s Chicago office. He is a member of the U.S. & International Tax Practice Group. Patrick focus-
es his practice on structuring and implementing transactions involving partnerships, limited liability
companies, and closely-held corporations. Patrick has advised private equity funds, hedge funds, real
estate partnerships, entrepreneurs and various operating businesses. Patrick also works closely with the Firm’s Private Client
Practice Group in advising on the Federal income tax treatment of complex estate planning transactions. He is a Core Member
of the Firm’s Passthroughs Affinity Group and Closely-Held Business Affinity Group.
Areas of Expertise: Federal income taxation of pass-through entities (e.g., limited partnerships, LLCs and “S” corporations);
partnership/LLC Agreements; private equity and venture capital transactions.
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ENTREPRENEURS-IN-RESIDENCE
BRIAN MCLAUGHLIN
Email: [email protected]
Brian McLaughlin is a film producer and President of Emerald Elephant Entertainment with over ten
years of film experience and over 25 years of business experience. He spent about 20 years in corpo-
rate finance, including many years as business manager on major international programs and officer po-
sitions in two international corporations. He has produced four feature films, all acquired for worldwide
distribution. He was a visiting professor in the film department of Notre Dame and the media production
advisor in General Petraeus’ advisory team in Afghanistan. He is a member of the Producers Guild of America and the Screen
Actors Guild. He also spent 20 years in the Army and Army Reserve, mostly in special operations. He has a bachelor degree
in Business Administration from Notre Dame and an MBA from Boston University. Brian was recognized by Notre Dame as an
Exemplary Asian Pacific Alumnus.
Areas of Expertise: Film, start-ups, business plans, leadership, military, financial analysis
PATRICK MCNALLY
Email: [email protected]
Patrick McNally is Partner in Plante Moran’s Business Advisory Services Group. Mr. McNally assists
clients with buying and selling businesses, valuation consulting, raising capital and financing, planning,
and managing the value of businesses. He has served clients in many industries including manufactur-
ing, automotive aftermarket, software, business services, healthcare, consumer products and retail. He
has served as an expert witness on a variety of matters related to his areas of expertise. Prior to joining
Plante Moran, Mr. McNally held a variety of management and financial positions with a diverse range of companies, from man-
agement with venture capital start-ups to senior management positions with Fortune 500 subsidiaries. Mr. McNally earned
his MBA with a concentration in Business Economics from the University of Chicago Booth Graduate School of Business. His
undergraduate degree is a BBA with a major in accounting from the University of Notre Dame. Mr. McNally is a CPA and is
accredited in Business Valuations (ABV), Certified in Financial Forensics (CFF) by the American Institute of Certified Public
Accountants.
Areas of Expertise: Developing business plans, valuing businesses and intellectual property, and buying/selling businesses.
BRENDAN MERRIWEATHER
Email: [email protected]
Brendan Merriweather has over five years of experience in Accounting and Finance at Consolidated
Graphics (later acquired by RR Donnelley, which is a Fortune 500 Company) within the Commercial and
Digital Printing industry. He was the Corporate Accounting Manager at Consolidated until the complete
post-acquisition integration of Corporate Accounting departments. Afterwards, he became a Manager
of Financial Planning and Analysis within RR Donnelley but has decided to pursue his interests as an
Entrepreneur and Angel Investor. He has his BA in Finance from the University of Notre Dame, MS in Accountancy from the
University of Houston, and is currently pursuing a dual degree (MBA and MS in Strategic Management) from Indiana University.
He has also obtained professional licenses in Six Sigma (Green and Lean Black Belt). GO IRISH!
Areas of Expertise: Accounting, Finance, and Strategy
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ENTREPRENEURS-IN-RESIDENCE
BEN MILLER
Email: [email protected]
Ben is actively advising small businesses and social enterprises in Chicago and South Bend. He has
10 years of experience in new venture start-up and fundraising. Past start-ups include manufacturing
operations in China, global commodity sourcing, environmental services, and academic non-profit pro-
grams. Ben currently services as a board member of a Chicago based business and is currently working
on social entrepreneurship in Africa. Ben graduated with a B.A. in International Politics from Brigham
Young University and is currently an MBA graduate student in the Mendoza College of Business.
Areas of Expertise: Light manufacturing, service industries, municipal/government contracts, small business start-up.
MARK NAPIER
Email: [email protected]
Cell: 312.399.6461
Mark Napier has over 18 years of experience in healthcare and the delivery of healthcare where he
worked most recently in investment management with Biostar. Mark currently serves on the boards of
CurXcel, Iniatric and Union Tool Company. Prior to joining Biostar, Mark held executive-level positions
with Humana (VP of Finance), IntegraMed America (Division CFO) and UnitedHealth Group (Division
CFO) that focused on innovation and new venture development. Mr. Napier was a Partner with Lochborn Partners, a firm that
targeted Midwest-based early stage companies, where he was responsible for the firm’s life sciences (six investments) and
hardware/software (four investments) investing strategy. Mr. Napier began his career as a management consultant with De-
loitte (inclusive of Braxton Associates, Deloitte & Touche, Deloitte Consulting) with the goal of helping others in building great
businesses. Mr. Napier holds a BS in Management (Finance) and Liberal Arts (Economics) from Purdue University, an MBA in
Finance from The University of Notre Dame, and has participated in executive programs at the Chicago Graduate School of
Business and the Kellogg Graduate School of Management.
Areas of Expertise: Healthcare, Technology and Social Media industries, primarily in the areas of Strategy - business planning,
strategic planning, mergers & acquisitions; Finance - corporate development, corporate finance, budgeting & planning; Op-
erations - growth and infrastructure buildout; New Business Development - strategy, marketing strategy, sales development,
social media development
DAN OLSON
E-mail: [email protected]
Dan Olson joined as the CEO of DIYSEO in 2009 and has been working with a great team of people
to make online marketing simple and cost effective for small businesses. Prior to DIYSEO, Dan was a
Vice President and early employee at Performics where he helped create the search marketing practice.
During Dan’s tenure, Performics became the largest search marketing agency in the US and was sold to
DoubleClick, Google and eventually to the Publicis Groupe in 2008. Dan earned a bachelor’s degree in
business administration from the University of Notre Dame.
Areas of Expertise: Tech/SaaS startups, online marketing
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ENTREPRENEURS-IN-RESIDENCE
JOSEPH J. PROCHASKA, JR. (JOE)
E-mail: [email protected]
Cell: 312.543.5510
Joseph J. Prochaska, Jr. (Joe) has been an investor in limited partnerships and involved in angel type
investing for over 20 years. He is a CPA with experience in both the financial and management areas of
large and small companies mainly in the financial services arena. He spent several years at MetLife, Inc.
as an EVP and their Chief Accounting Officer and at Aon Corporation as SVP and Corporate Controller
after managing an operating division as its CEO. He has been actively involved in merger and acquisition and due diligence
work throughout his business career. He retired from corporate positions in 2009 and is currently on three Boards – one public
company and two private companies. He is also a member of the Cornerstone Angels group in Chicago and the Irish Angels and
has been active in making investments through both vehicles as well as private investing in early stage companies.
Areas of Expertise: Financial, insurance and business services, business plan critiques, deal structures
JEFF RACHO
E-mail: [email protected]
Cell: 607.351.2490
Jeff Racho graduated from Notre Dame with a degree in chemical engineering before attending law
college. He worked in the areas of computer software licensing, patents & intellectual property, e-com-
merce and corporate transactions before earning an MBA. He was a founder of MPower Mobile, a mobile
banking/payments software company that was acquired in 2007 by Rev Worldwide, was in the founding
group of Tabbedout, a software firm that developed a point-of-sale interface for smartphones allowing bar/restaurant patrons
to pay their bills from their smartphones, and is currently the general counsel of Siminars, an online learning company in the
self-help/self-improvement space.
Areas of Expertise: Legal issues in entrepreneurship, business entity formation, legal issues regarding fundraising (including
crowdsourcing), intellectual property (copyrights, trademarks, patents, trade secrets), electronic commerce and mobile pay-
ments, retaining software development firms in India, software development, online learning
FRANK J. REAL
Email: [email protected] or [email protected]
Cell: 484.716.3871
Frank Real has been involved with many startups in many different roles. He has worked as a founder,
advisor (Lawyer/CPA), executive (CFO/General Counsel) and adjunct professor. He was the founder of
a high-tech company. He was advisor to many small companies/entrepreneurs at a Big Four Account-
ing firm. He worked as Associate General Counsel, Tax and Securities at a Fortune 500, CFO/General
Counsel at mid-sized international companies and founder/ CFO at several startup/early stage companies and advisor at
several social venture companies. He taught graduate and undergraduate level courses in Entrepreneurship, Managerial Ac-
counting, Forensic Accounting, Fund Accounting, Employment Law, Business Law for Managers, International Law, Essentials
of Management, Team-Building, Essentials of Economics, Corporate Finance and Capital Markets.
Areas of Expertise: Internet retail business, sports and entertainment, social venture, high-tech.
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ENTREPRENEURS-IN-RESIDENCE
SCOTT SODERSTROM
Email: [email protected]
Cell: 847.772.5895
Scott Soderstrom has been analyzing businesses, starting businesses, and advising businesses for over
12 years. Currently, he is both the director of finance for a $500+ million technology company in the
financial services industry and the CFO of a seed-funded healthcare technology startup in Boston, MA.
Before these endeavors, Scott was vice president of a private equity firm where he served on the audit
committee, board of directors, or as financial adviser to the board of directors for companies in the financial services, technol-
ogy infrastructure, and business services industries. Previously, he worked in for a consulting firm and a “Big 4” accounting
firm where he performed financial and operating due diligence on over 50 transactions with proposed value from $1 million to
over $4 billion in enterprise value, across a broad range of industries, including e-commerce, software, technology, telecommu-
nications, consumer products and services, and distribution. He also serves as an adviser to companies in healthcare staffing,
healthcare services, and consumer products industries, has served as a judge and mentor in the Notre Dame Business Plan
competitions. He periodically invests in small businesses.
Areas of Expertise: Industries: Financial Services (insurance, payroll services, transaction processing, currency exchanges),
Consumer Products or Services (retail, wholesale, manufacturing, distribution, services), Technology (internet-enabled com-
merce/e-commerce, healthcare IT, technology-enabled services, software development, telecommunications), and Business
ServicesSkills: Financial modeling, operational strategy, networking, mergers/acquisitions, due diligence, mentorship, opera-
tional planning, budgeting/forecasting, CPA/accounting, venture capital, angel investing Business Stages: Startup/Early Stage,
Small-Medium Businesses (SMB), Growth, Turnaround
GEORGE SPOHRER
Email: [email protected]
Cell: 574.532.7149
George Spohrer has been an active community volunteer in the Michiana community since November
2009, working with local economic development entities as well as Notre Dame and the Innovation Park
to improve a startup’s chances of success and improve their connections with the local business com-
munity. George was also a volunteer mentor at the Notre Dame Startup Weekend.
Prior to this, he worked at Crowe Chizek/Crow Horwarth in South Bend focusing on helping clients
solve problems in a variety of industries. From a beginning in Banking focused on automating teller operations as well as early
development of Commercial Credit Analysis systems to today’s focus on the balance between Compliance, Operations and
Risk, George has almost 30 years of professional management consulting experience. He is familiar with both operational and
technology issues including program management, project management, strategy, risk assessment, process design, software
evaluation and software implementation and application. George has extensive experience in manufacturing and distribution
systems. He was an early adopter of bar code technology and a leader in mobile and fixed scanner integration. He led Crowe’s
subsequent expansion into business partner integration initially via EDI and later via XML. He also has significant large scale
systems implementation, integration, and change management experience. George has also worked in financial services on
Anti-Money laundering projects, helping organizations to define Customer Risk Rating strategy and implement technology
solutions to support that strategy. These engagements involved Requirements Definition, analysis and prioritization of short
term vs. long term solutions, development, integration, and change management implementation. George helps client organi-
zations deal with the changing Credit landscape and increasing regulatory expectations. He works to balance Credit with Risk,
including Enterprise Risk Management and integrating Credit with non-Credit risk factors. He holds a BS and MS in Mechani-
cal Engineering from the University of Notre Dame.
Areas of Expertise: Manufacturing and distribution, supply chain integration, automated data collection, retail/point of sale
integration, community and economic development, local business outreach
13
ENTREPRENEURS-IN-RESIDENCE
ROB TENNISWOOD
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 778.987.6562
Rob is the co-founder and COO of two biotechnology start-ups. The first, miR Diagnostics, is developed
cancer prognostic testing. The second, Provenire Authentication, is providing a DNA-based solution for
art authentication using a bleeding-edge DNA manipulation techniques. Rob is especially passionate
about business strategy, business plan writing, and new ventures, but will jump in wherever he can.
Rob graduated from Notre Dame (O’Neill Hall) with a B.A. in ’05 and an MBA in ’09. He went on to study Entrepreneurship at
the University of Cambridge in the UK. He was the President of the Notre Dame Club of British Columbia from 2010-2015.
Areas of Expertise: Business start-up questions, university technology transfer, business plan creation, seed round capital
raising, alternative forms of financing, strategy and general management
MICHAEL J. VOGEL
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 269.929.7504
Mike Vogel is a former Adjunct Instructor in the Department of Management in the Mendoza College of
Business. He taught courses in Entrepreneurship. He is currently one of the Entrepreneurs in Residence
located in the Gigot Center in the Mendoza College of Business. He was Executive Vice President of
ACCO North America ,a leading manufacturer and wholesaler of branded office products, President of
Day-Timer ,Vice President ACCO Brands Commercial Office Products Sales Division, Vice President Manufacturing Swingline
Staplers and Staples, President of ACME Boot , President of Jarman Shoes and Vice President of Johnston and Murphy Shoes.
During his career , Mike has served as Chairman of Kids Peace in Schnecksville, Pa. also as a Board member of St. Vincent
DePaul of St. Joseph County , the Robinson Community Learning Center in South Bend and Cass County CASA in Cass County
Michigan. He is currently Board Chair of the CASIE Center of St. Joseph County, Board member of Memorial Hospital Health
Foundation in South Bend, and Board Member of the Edwardsburg Emergency Fund in Cass County, Michigan. Mike graduated
with a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Notre Dame in 1965.
Areas of Expertise: Corporate Entrepreneurship, Start-ups, consumer products, direct marketing, supply chain, non-profit
business development, funding and leadership.
DAVID WIELAND
Email: [email protected]
David Wieland is an entrepreneur and angel investor, and currently serves as the Founder/CEO of RIVS,
a SaaS hiring platform. In the last 10 years, David has founded, bought, or sold 12 technology compa-
nies, and he is invested in nearly a dozen more. Through his website development and premium domain
name company, iEstates, David owns and operates over 8500 websites like Austin.com, Interviewing.
com, eStores.com, Polling.com, and MBAs.com. David also currently serves as the Co-Chairman of the
IrishAngels, and graduated with a BA from Notre Dame (’01) and an MBA from Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management (’12).
Areas of Expertise: Saas, domain names, raising capital, software development, recruiting
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Entrepreneurs-in-residence
1
ENTREPRENEURS-IN-RESIDENCE
WENDY ANGST
Email: [email protected]
Wendy Angst served over a decade as one of the earliest champions and architects of the electronic
personal health record (PHR). As CEO, Angst spearheaded the rapid growth of CapMed into a lead-
ing provider of interactive personal health management solutions for the healthcare, insurance, and
pharmaceutical industries. She navigated CapMed through angel funding, spin-off, acquisitions, and
merger – ultimately orchestrating integration of CapMed into the healthcare division of a multi-billion
dollar financial services firm. Prior to CapMed, Angst worked as a consultant in strategy at both the national and international
levels, and spent time as a national director of a non-profit organization.
Areas of Expertise: Healthcare, electronic records, health IT, strategy, innovation.
JOHN ANTHONY
Email: [email protected]
John Anthony is CEO of Anthony Travel, the national leader in university and sports travel, serving
unique travel needs of about 50 great universities across the country (Notre Dame, Texas, Duke, North
Carolina, UCLA, etc), as well as managing extensive sports housing and travel services to other leading
sports organizations including: ESPN, Disney Sports, US Soccer Federation, the New York Marathon,
and the Harlem Globetrotters. Anthony Travel currently has 27 offices in 14 states and employs over
175 people. Anthony Travel has been named North America’s Leading Travel Agency three times, as well as 15 other awards
for business growth and employment practices. John is a 1986 graduate of Notre Dame, where he majored in Accounting and
twice earned Academic All-American honors in golf. He worked as a CPA for Ernst and Young for three years prior to forming
Anthony Travel.
Areas of Expertise: Travel, sports, hospitality, universities
MARK AYLWARD
E-mail address: [email protected]
Cell: 407.718.1874
Mark Aylward has 25 years of IT staffing experience including the last 15 years as an entrepreneur.
He has built and sold two staffing companies from scratch and has recently started to evolve his third
“lifestyle” business into a third systemic/process driven staffing business.
Areas of expertise: Starting a business, selling a business, sales, sales management, recruiting, recruit-
ing management, hiring, operations, marketing (on and offline), business plans, relationship building
FRANK BELATTI
Email: [email protected]
Cell: 770.330.2283
Frank Belatti is a Managing Partner and co-founder of Equicorp Partners, LLC. He was founder, Chair-
man and Chief Executive Officer of AFC Enterprises in 1992. Prior to that he served as the President
and Chief Operating Officer at Hospitality Franchise Systems, (now Cendant Corporation), President
and Chief Operating Officer at Arby’s, Inc. Additionally, Mr. Belatti is a Director, Chairman of Corporate
Governance Committee and Member of Management Development and Compensation Committee of RadioShack Corporation
and serves on the boards of Georgia Campaign on Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention, and Hank Aaron’s Chasing the Dream
Foundation. He is also a Member of the Business Advisory Board at the University of Notre Dame, a Member of the Diversity
Advisory Board at Georgia Power, and serves as the Chairman of the Carter Center’s Board of Councilors. He serves as an
Adjunct Professor at the Gigot Center for Entrepreneurial Studies, Mendoza School of Business, the University of Notre Dame.
He received a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Notre Dame and an M.B.A. from Fordham University.
Areas of Expertise: Franchising, restaurant/retail, private equity
2
ENTREPRENEURS-IN-RESIDENCE
CHRISTOPHER J. BLUM
Email: [email protected]
Office: 630.501.1475
Chris Blum has more than two decades of experience both as a member of and advisor to senior
management teams in a broad range of industries. CJBlum Partners provides corporate development
services to small and middle market companies, integrating business, operational and capital strategies
in support of growth objectives. At DN Partners, a middle market private equity firm focused primarily
on manufacturing and distribution industries, Chris was a principal and the portfolio CFO with dotted line responsibility for the
finance function across a portfolio of companies as well as the leader of internal corporate development efforts. In this role,
he worked with portfolio companies to develop, define and execute strategies in support of each investment thesis. Initia-
tives ran the gamut from developing product portfolios and increasing geographic footprint to evaluating resource allocation
among business units and financial modeling of various opportunities. Prior to joining DN, Chris ran corporate development
and strategy for Clayton Holdings as well as serving as interim CFO. He facilitated the development, definition and execution
of a strategy focused on new products and new markets. Chris also led the company’s capital raising efforts including an
institutional debt raise and IPO. Earlier in his career, Chris was a Principal of Diamond Management and Technology Consul-
tants, Inc. (f/k/a Diamond Cluster, Inc.) where he focused on strategic, financial, operating and product, market and customer
development strategies on behalf of clients in various industries. Chris was also the CFO of a start-up technology firm where
he participated in all aspects of the business including corporate and marketing strategy, technology infrastructure plan, and
capital raising.
Areas of Expertise: Manufacturing, distribution, energy, education, financial services (including investment banking, capital
markets, mortgage finance, consumer and commercial banking, payments), technology
JOHN BODROZIC
Email: [email protected]
John Bodrozic is co-founder and CEO of HomeZada, a business to consumer technology start-up
focused on providing a cloud and mobile solution for homeowners to manage their homes. HomeZada
will also provide marketing and data solutions for home buyers and sellers, in addition to various vertical
industry professionals in the real estate, home building, and homeowner insurance markets. John was
previously a co-founder and President of Meridian Systems, the leading construction project manage-
ment software solutions provider serving the Fortune 500, Government Agencies, and large Engineering and Construction
companies. John helped guide Meridian Systems through various company stages including a start-up, to early growth, raising
venture capital, and scaling the business into multiple products, markets, and distribution models. Meridian Systems was
successfully sold to Trimble [NASDAQ: TRMB] in 2006 where John continued as the General Manager of the wholly owned
business unit.
Areas of Expertise: Software, internet, commercial construction, residential real estate, technology
BERT R. BONDI
Email: [email protected]
Cell: 303.877.7551
Bert Bondi has more than forty years of experience growing a regional, public accounting firm in Denver,
CO. He was Chief Executive Officer of Bondi & Co., LLC, partner at RubinBrown, LLC, and is a Certified
Public Accountant. He is a proven advisor and mediator to executive management and boards of direc-
tors during times of contention and change with significant experience in internal systems and external
reporting. Bert graduated in 1967 with a Bachelor in Business Administration from the University of Notre Dame.
Areas of Expertise: Assisting boards of directors and audit committees with operational and governance issues, M&A, eval-
uation and planning, IPO’s, audit reviews, financial statement analysis, risk identification and mitigation, and compliance with
state, local and federal requirements and regulations impacting fiduciary duties including, regulatory requirements, and SOX
issues.
3
ENTREPRENEURS-IN-RESIDENCE
MIKE BOTT
Email: [email protected]
Mike Bott is the General Manager of The Brandery. In addition to running the day-to-day operations of
the space and program, he looks forward to sharing his branding and product management experience
with The Brandery companies. Prior to joining The Brandery, Mike worked in brand management
at Procter & Gamble, architecting Olay North America’s digital strategy and ecosystem which was
awarded P&G’s internal designation of “Best Digital” at the NA Brand Building Awards. Before P&G,
he led product launches as a product manager at Match.com and AOL. He has a passion for building brands with high
quality user experiences and creative monetization and acquisition strategies. He’s currently working with two startups -
SonicNotify and Wearcast. Mike graduated from the University of Notre Dame with a BBA and MBA and is active in the
Irish Entrepreneurs Network.
Areas of Expertise: Branding, marketing, user acquisition, product management/development, raising venture capital,
business modeling/pro-forma, financials, direct sales, tech-oriented/consumer internet/product/business development
JORDAN CURNES
Email: [email protected]
Jordan Curnes ND ‘01 is a serial entrepreneur with expertise in building companies and recruiting
successful management teams to accelerate growth. Jordan has founded 3 companies in the medical
device, wireless, and web-based travel sectors. Jordan graduated with a Finance degree from Notre
Dame and previously worked for Huron Consulting Group and then received a MBA from Duke. In 2005,
Jordan founded the South Bend real estate and online rental website RentLikeAChampion.com, which
provides lodging for ND students and weekend football rentals for ND fans. Then Jordan founded the neuroscience based
medical device company MicroTransponder (www.microtransponder.com), which is developing an implantable device to treat
stroke and tinnitus patients. More recently, Jordan co-founded an independent Verizon retail division, with over 25 stores
in the Midwest. In addition, Jordan invests independently as an Angel Investor and serves on the Board of Directors for HFS
Scholars, a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the quality of education by offering scholarships and one on one
mentoring opportunities for economically disadvantaged inner-city high school students.
Areas of Expertise: Medical devices, e-commerce (websites, not apps), real estate, retail (consumer-technology)
GEORGE DAY
Email: [email protected]
Cell: 570.336.7545
George Day is a current EMBA student, who is willing to help ND students move up the learning curve
using his many years of start-up experience. He has acted as chief leadership and founder of several
management funded start-ups. He has also provided embedded management and consulting services
on day to day basis for other start ups and established companies. For more info see his Linkedin pro-
file: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/george-day/17/889/a68
Areas of Expertise: Business start up questions, strategy, general management, capital raising, etc.
4
ENTREPRENEURS-IN-RESIDENCE
KEITH E. DEUSSING
Email: [email protected]
Keith E. Deussing serves as Senior Partner in Heidrick & Struggles’ Global Industrial and Technology
practices. He consults with high growth publicly and privately held companies in the recruitment and
assessment of their senior executive teams. He also serves as a core member of the Chief Executive
Officer & Board of Directors Practice, working closely with specific investor groups and founder/family
led enterprises in their succession planning efforts and advising their growth company portfolios. Mr.
Deussing joined the firm following the acquisition by Heidrick & Struggles of IronHill Partners, a national retained executive
consulting firm he started in 2003. IronHill grew into one of the leading technology boutique specialist firms in North America,
with offices in New York, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and California. Prior to starting IronHill, Mr. Deussing was a Vice Pres-
ident at HFA International, then ranked as one of the fastest growing retained executive search firms in the United States. He
and a core team helped to establish the company’s first office in Silicon Valley and drive the significant growth of the business
in the venture backed technology sector. Mr. Deussing began his professional career with Arthur Andersen, where he managed
engagements in both the commercial and enterprise sectors, helping prepare growth clients for their initial public offerings
(IPOs) as well as lead assurance services for established publicly held corporations. Graduating from the University of Notre
Dame with a bachelors of science in accounting, Mr. Deussing then served as a Certified Public Accountant.
Areas of Expertise: Startups related to high technology or industrial products (products that are manufactured versus pure
software), nonprofit causes
DENNIS (DJ) DIDONNA
Email: [email protected]
Cell: 317.612.4047
DJ DiDonna is currently Chief Operating Officer (COO) and co-founding partner of EFL Global. DiDon-
na is an experienced founding entrepreneur, with a sales, management, and operations background in
the tech startup space. He worked for the rapid growth Angie’s List before co-founding an Irish An-
gel-backed web startup at the University of Notre Dame. DJ joined the Entrepreneurial Finance Lab to
help commercialize their research conducted in the Harvard Kennedy School’s Center for International Development. DiDonna
has worked in microfinance and development in both Africa and Latin America and is currently based in Johannesburg. He
received his B.A. in International Relations from the University of Notre Dame and an MBA from Harvard Business School.
Areas of Expertise: Growing businesses, sales, internationalization, social enterprise
ANDY DOWNARD
Email: [email protected]
Andy Downard’s expertise is in heat transfer, reaction kinetics, and thermodynamics. In his Ph.D. work at
Caltech, he applied his knowledge of these fields to the development of size-selective separation meth-
ods that are being commercialized. He employed analytical theory and simulation (Brownian dynamics
and COMSOL) in the design of the instruments, built prototypes with the support of stellar precision
machinists, and validated the performance of the prototypes. Dr. Downard and his colleagues have de-
veloped a portfolio of gaseous and aqueous (i.e., blood plasma) separation methods that compete favorably with alternatives.
The prototype instruments will continue to be deployed to niche high-profile experiments, such as the study of aerosol nucle-
ation with the Cosmics Leaving OUtdoor Droplets (CLOUD) team at CERN in Geneva, and broader applications in the medical
diagnostics and therapeutics sectors will be realized upon commercialization.
Areas of Expertise: Aerosol, nanotechnology, and medical diagnostics
5
ENTREPRENEURS-IN-RESIDENCE
DANIEL DYKENS
Cell: 617.319.2194
Daniel Dykens spent a decade in the hedge fund business as an analyst and portfolio manager. He then
spent 4 years as CEO of Norbury Financial Systems. Norbury sells research management software to
institutional investment firms to help them share important information more effectively. Norbury’s soft-
ware is delivered as a service (SAAS) and can be rapidly deployed. He founded Meet the Street which
he sold to Instinet in February 2010. He served as President of Meet the Street a subsidiary of Insti-
net Incorporated and a Managing Director at Instinet from February 2010 until September 2012. He is now serving as CEO
of ClearMomentum a Rochester NY based SAAS, FinTech company. ClearMomentum has developed the industry-standard
private equity software used to economize portfolio company data collection, analysis & reporting. Named one of Boston’s 40
Under 40 in 2007 by the Boston Business Journal.
Areas of Expertise: Investing, hedge funds, trading, equity research, financial technology software.
JEFF FISHER
Email: [email protected]
Jeff Fisher has over 20 years experience in the financial services industry, with over a decade in alter-
native investments throughout Asia. He currently is the Executive Officer of Crosby Capital (a public
company listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange), and heads the institutional distribution efforts in
addition to the business development and acquisitions. Prior to RAB, Jeff started two regional depart-
ments at Citibank’s Asian prime brokerage platform, where he headed the regional capital introductions
department and ran the hedge fund consulting efforts out of Hong Kong. Earlier in his career, Jeff was involved in several
financial service firms in an entrepreneurial and investor role, including founding a venture capital fund, an Asian hedge fund
platform, online brokerage, several technology start-ups and high velocity trading systems. He is a university lecturer at Hong
Kong University (HKUSPACE) in addition to fulfilling the Responsible Officer securities requirements (1, 4 & 9) in Hong Kong,
and is involved in numerous charitable groups globally. Jeff holds both a BA and MBA from the University of Notre Dame, and
speaks English, Japanese, Cantonese, Mandarin and Spanish.
Areas of Expertise: Financial services, international business
STEVE GOETZ
Email: [email protected]
Cell: 415.336.1684
Steve Goetz currently acts as the advisor to the CEO of a holding company owned by a consortium
of media companies such as The Washington Post, Hearst and Gannett. Steve has over 10 years of
business experience at early stage companies. He helped PBM Corporation pioneer the ASP model for
medical practices and claims management; drove commercial sales at Excite@home’s @Work division;
and spearheaded the growth of Alteer Corporation’s expansion into Northern California. He launched Gardner Design Group
(GDG) in 2008 and helped lay the foundation for the emerging financial card personalization market. After exiting GDG, Steve
joined MerchantCircle in a business development capacity and solidified strategic relationships that help secure its $56 million
dollar acquisition by Reply! Inc. Steve has a BS in Science/Business from the University of Notre Dame, was a member of the
Irish Guard for 3 of his 4 years, sits on the board of the Ovarian Cancer Foundation for Living (http://ovariancancerforliving.org/
index.html) and actively volunteers with Trips for Kids (http://www.tripsforkids.org/).
Areas of Expertise: Media, digital media, E-commerce, non-profits/philanthropy
6
ENTREPRENEURS-IN-RESIDENCE
JEFF HASSELMAN
Email: [email protected]
Office: 650.462.6020
Jeff Hasselman is based in the San Francisco Bay area with Comerica’s Venture Capital Group providing
growth capital to VC backed early stage tech companies. His prior career experience includes start up-
founding team member wearing many leadership hats with Access Cash International, an independent
ATM start-up venture that grew to 200 employees and 9,500 locations (acquired by a publicly traded
entity); Venture Debt - provided venture debt to tech companies seeking additional runway with minimal dilution and Trader
-spent nearly ten years as a Proprietary Derivatives Trader with focus on US Treasuries, German Government Debt, Gold,
Silver and Crude Oil markets. He graduated from the University of Notre Dame with an MBA ‘10 and BBA-Finance ‘95. He re-
sides in Menlo Park, CA with his wife and two kids. Interests beyond early stage tech companies include golf, hockey and horse
racing.
Areas of Expertise: Early stage tech companies, payment solutions, ecommerce, mobile, enterprise software, social media/
networking
MARK HUBBARD
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 574.217.8323 or 413.329.7467
Mark Hubbard serves as an Adjunct Professor at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and as Guest Lec-
turer at the University of Notre Dame in Entrepreneurship for the Colleges of Business, Science and
Engineering. He is an Entrepreneur in Residence at both universities. He is the author of Business
Wise Guide, 80 Powerful Insights You Can’t Get in Business School, Undisputed, Notre Dame National
Champions 1966 and co-author with his brother Donald Hubbard of Forgotten Four, Notre Dame’s Greatest Backfield and
the Undefeated 1953 Team. He is a contributor of articles about common sense in business to Fox Business News. He is an
independent consultant providing services exclusively to senior management at established companies and to entrepreneurs
at start-up ventures. He works with public and private companies, both in the U.S. and internationally. Mark was the Senior VP,
Corporate Development for Clear Channel, President of Flagship Broadcasting (TV), President of Fairmont Communications
(radio), Executive VP of Osborn Communications (radio) and V.P and General Manager of WKRQ-FM for Taft Broadcasting. He
was the second Notre Dame student to be awarded a Marshall Scholarship (1972). He has a Bachelor of Architecture from the
University of Notre Dame (1972) and an MBA from the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania (1975). Mark is a Regis-
tered Architect in the State of Ohio.
Areas of Expertise: Business valuation, negotiating transactions, financing and restructuring, enterprise financial modeling,
sales development, organizational strategy and executive on-boarding/coaching.
TYLER HUDSON-CRIMI
Email: [email protected]
Cell: 206.399.1075
Tyler Hudson-Crimi has a background in investing and startups, primarily in private equity, software, and
marketing. As president of Catalyze Marketing and Consulting, Tyler works with brands big and small to
drive growth and enhance their digital strategies. Additionally, he is a co-founder of ShopTalk, where he
serves as CIO, managing information flows--both internal and external. His work there includes analytics,
marketing, and databases. Tyler is passionate about entrepreneurship, marketing strategies, and emerg-
ing technologies. He has strong interests in both technical and artistic excellence and always enjoys lending a hand to aspiring
venture enthusiast, whether it be spitballing about creative campaigns or crunching the operating numbers. “To be successful
as an entrepreneurial leader in today’s environment, it takes more than just a student of business. It takes a passion for your
mission, an artisan’s attention to design, and an appreciation for the subtleties that define peoples’ experiences.”
Areas of Expertise: Startups, Branding, Digital Marketing Strategies, Venture Capital, Software
7
ENTREPRENEURS-IN-RESIDENCE
PAUL INGALLS
Email: [email protected]
Cell: 206.399.1075
Paul Ingalls is an experienced entrepreneur and technology leader. He has helped build multiple suc-
cessful consumers internet businesses in the interactive media and games verticals. These include
RealArcade, which defined the fledgling casual games industry, and most recently Smilebox, which
redefined the electronic greeting market by adding personal photos. He is currently the founder and
CEO of Fanzo.me, bringing sports fans together. Known not only as an outstanding engineer and engineering manager, Paul is
a leader in the new area of culture hacking, defining repeatable ways to build great companies by focusing on the people and
teams that define them. Paul lives in Kirkland WA with his wife and three daughters.
Areas of Expertise: Technology management, team leadership, lean startup, consumer businesses, multimedia technology
KEVIN J. KELLY
Email: [email protected]
Kevin Kelly is President and CEO of Walsh & Kelly, Inc., a highway construction company with offices in
Griffith, South Bend and Goshen, IN. Walsh & Kelly operates five asphalt mix plants in South Bend, Grif-
fith, Valparaiso, Goshen, and Lowell Indiana. Mr. Kelly is active in industry and community organizations.
He serves on the Board of Directors and the Executive Committee of the National Asphalt Pavement
Association and the Build Indiana Council, where he is a Past Chairman. He was also named Indiana
Contractor of the Year by Indiana Construction Association in 2006 and 2007. Prior to his career with Walsh & Kelly, Mr. Kelly
was a Director at Crowe Chizek and Company where he led the Organizational Development Consulting Group and co-founded,
Creative Financial Staffing, a temporary and permanent staffing firm housed within CPA firms. He is a 1977 graduate of the
University of Notre Dame and received an MBA from Notre Dame in 1987. He previously served as a member of Notre Dame
Alumni Association Board of Directors. He has also been active in numerous community and charitable organizations, including
as a member of the Board of Directors and Executive Committee of the Chamber of Commerce of St. Joseph County. He is
married to the former Marijo Rogers and has three daughters, Kristin Hansen, Megan and Colleen.
Areas of Expertise: Accounting, construction, consulting, transportation
BOB KILL
Email: [email protected]
Cell: 574.383.8365
Bob Kill has spent the past 16 years with Hacienda Mexican Restaurants of South Bend. After leading a
leveraged buyout, he was president and CEO for 13 years and then Chairman until retiring. After getting
his MBA, he spent 23 years with Beatrice Foods (then the largest US food company) heading up the
Confectionery and Snack Food Division. Following that, he was president of a large, dedicated McDon-
ald’s supplier of hamburger and Chicken McNuggets.
Areas of Expertise: General food business, restaurant
8
ENTREPRENEURS-IN-RESIDENCE
BILL LEIMKUEHLER
Email: [email protected]
Office: 440.940.0200 x7001
Bill Leimkuehler is the Chief Operating Officer of Biolectrics LLC, a medical device startup company
based in Cleveland, Ohio. Bill co-founded Biolectrics in 2008 has raised both equity and non-dilutive
financing (grants and loans) to fund the development of his company’s products. Prior to Biolectrics, Bill
was employee #1 in a software startup, worked in a Fortune 500’s movie special effects division, and
founded a documentary video production company. Bill is a member of the Classes of 2005 (B.S. in Computer Science) and
2016 (EMBA).
Areas of Expertise: Startups, medical devices, biotechnology, entrepreneurship, non-dilutive financing, software
JORDAN LINVILLE
Email: [email protected]
Office: 312.869.BUZZ (2899)
Jordan Linville is the co-founder of Buzz Referrals, an internet marketing agency that helps businesses
acquire loyal customers through referrals. He brings a wealth of internet marketing experience from
prior roles at Angie’s List, a VC-backed company that went public in 2011, and NextWave Media Group,
a leading digital agency. At Angie’s List, Jordan led data acquisition efforts which enabled the company
to expand from 15 to over 75 U.S. markets. At NextWave Media Group, he held the role of Director of Business Development,
developing customer acquisition strategies for advertisers such as FTD Flowers, Voyage Prive and Hearst Interactive. Jordan
was named a Governor Robert Orr Indiana Entrepreneurial Fellow and holds a BBA from the University of Notre Dame and an
MBA from the Kellogg School of Management.
Areas of Expertise: Accelerator programs, raising angel funding, lean startup principles, internet marketing
PATRICK MCCURRY
Email: [email protected]
Office: 312.984.2191
Patrick McCurry is a senior associate in the law firm of McDermott Will & Emery LLP and is based in the
Firm’s Chicago office. He is a member of the U.S. & International Tax Practice Group. Patrick focus-
es his practice on structuring and implementing transactions involving partnerships, limited liability
companies, and closely-held corporations. Patrick has advised private equity funds, hedge funds, real
estate partnerships, entrepreneurs and various operating businesses. Patrick also works closely with the Firm’s Private Client
Practice Group in advising on the Federal income tax treatment of complex estate planning transactions. He is a Core Member
of the Firm’s Passthroughs Affinity Group and Closely-Held Business Affinity Group.
Areas of Expertise: Federal income taxation of pass-through entities (e.g., limited partnerships, LLCs and “S” corporations);
partnership/LLC Agreements; private equity and venture capital transactions.
9
ENTREPRENEURS-IN-RESIDENCE
BRIAN MCLAUGHLIN
Email: [email protected]
Brian McLaughlin is a film producer and President of Emerald Elephant Entertainment with over ten
years of film experience and over 25 years of business experience. He spent about 20 years in corpo-
rate finance, including many years as business manager on major international programs and officer po-
sitions in two international corporations. He has produced four feature films, all acquired for worldwide
distribution. He was a visiting professor in the film department of Notre Dame and the media production
advisor in General Petraeus’ advisory team in Afghanistan. He is a member of the Producers Guild of America and the Screen
Actors Guild. He also spent 20 years in the Army and Army Reserve, mostly in special operations. He has a bachelor degree
in Business Administration from Notre Dame and an MBA from Boston University. Brian was recognized by Notre Dame as an
Exemplary Asian Pacific Alumnus.
Areas of Expertise: Film, start-ups, business plans, leadership, military, financial analysis
PATRICK MCNALLY
Email: [email protected]
Patrick McNally is Partner in Plante Moran’s Business Advisory Services Group. Mr. McNally assists
clients with buying and selling businesses, valuation consulting, raising capital and financing, planning,
and managing the value of businesses. He has served clients in many industries including manufactur-
ing, automotive aftermarket, software, business services, healthcare, consumer products and retail. He
has served as an expert witness on a variety of matters related to his areas of expertise. Prior to joining
Plante Moran, Mr. McNally held a variety of management and financial positions with a diverse range of companies, from man-
agement with venture capital start-ups to senior management positions with Fortune 500 subsidiaries. Mr. McNally earned
his MBA with a concentration in Business Economics from the University of Chicago Booth Graduate School of Business. His
undergraduate degree is a BBA with a major in accounting from the University of Notre Dame. Mr. McNally is a CPA and is
accredited in Business Valuations (ABV), Certified in Financial Forensics (CFF) by the American Institute of Certified Public
Accountants.
Areas of Expertise: Developing business plans, valuing businesses and intellectual property, and buying/selling businesses.
BRENDAN MERRIWEATHER
Email: [email protected]
Brendan Merriweather has over five years of experience in Accounting and Finance at Consolidated
Graphics (later acquired by RR Donnelley, which is a Fortune 500 Company) within the Commercial and
Digital Printing industry. He was the Corporate Accounting Manager at Consolidated until the complete
post-acquisition integration of Corporate Accounting departments. Afterwards, he became a Manager
of Financial Planning and Analysis within RR Donnelley but has decided to pursue his interests as an
Entrepreneur and Angel Investor. He has his BA in Finance from the University of Notre Dame, MS in Accountancy from the
University of Houston, and is currently pursuing a dual degree (MBA and MS in Strategic Management) from Indiana University.
He has also obtained professional licenses in Six Sigma (Green and Lean Black Belt). GO IRISH!
Areas of Expertise: Accounting, Finance, and Strategy
10
ENTREPRENEURS-IN-RESIDENCE
BEN MILLER
Email: [email protected]
Ben is actively advising small businesses and social enterprises in Chicago and South Bend. He has
10 years of experience in new venture start-up and fundraising. Past start-ups include manufacturing
operations in China, global commodity sourcing, environmental services, and academic non-profit pro-
grams. Ben currently services as a board member of a Chicago based business and is currently working
on social entrepreneurship in Africa. Ben graduated with a B.A. in International Politics from Brigham
Young University and is currently an MBA graduate student in the Mendoza College of Business.
Areas of Expertise: Light manufacturing, service industries, municipal/government contracts, small business start-up.
MARK NAPIER
Email: [email protected]
Cell: 312.399.6461
Mark Napier has over 18 years of experience in healthcare and the delivery of healthcare where he
worked most recently in investment management with Biostar. Mark currently serves on the boards of
CurXcel, Iniatric and Union Tool Company. Prior to joining Biostar, Mark held executive-level positions
with Humana (VP of Finance), IntegraMed America (Division CFO) and UnitedHealth Group (Division
CFO) that focused on innovation and new venture development. Mr. Napier was a Partner with Lochborn Partners, a firm that
targeted Midwest-based early stage companies, where he was responsible for the firm’s life sciences (six investments) and
hardware/software (four investments) investing strategy. Mr. Napier began his career as a management consultant with De-
loitte (inclusive of Braxton Associates, Deloitte & Touche, Deloitte Consulting) with the goal of helping others in building great
businesses. Mr. Napier holds a BS in Management (Finance) and Liberal Arts (Economics) from Purdue University, an MBA in
Finance from The University of Notre Dame, and has participated in executive programs at the Chicago Graduate School of
Business and the Kellogg Graduate School of Management.
Areas of Expertise: Healthcare, Technology and Social Media industries, primarily in the areas of Strategy - business planning,
strategic planning, mergers & acquisitions; Finance - corporate development, corporate finance, budgeting & planning; Op-
erations - growth and infrastructure buildout; New Business Development - strategy, marketing strategy, sales development,
social media development
DAN OLSON
E-mail: [email protected]
Dan Olson joined as the CEO of DIYSEO in 2009 and has been working with a great team of people
to make online marketing simple and cost effective for small businesses. Prior to DIYSEO, Dan was a
Vice President and early employee at Performics where he helped create the search marketing practice.
During Dan’s tenure, Performics became the largest search marketing agency in the US and was sold to
DoubleClick, Google and eventually to the Publicis Groupe in 2008. Dan earned a bachelor’s degree in
business administration from the University of Notre Dame.
Areas of Expertise: Tech/SaaS startups, online marketing
11
ENTREPRENEURS-IN-RESIDENCE
JOSEPH J. PROCHASKA, JR. (JOE)
E-mail: [email protected]
Cell: 312.543.5510
Joseph J. Prochaska, Jr. (Joe) has been an investor in limited partnerships and involved in angel type
investing for over 20 years. He is a CPA with experience in both the financial and management areas of
large and small companies mainly in the financial services arena. He spent several years at MetLife, Inc.
as an EVP and their Chief Accounting Officer and at Aon Corporation as SVP and Corporate Controller
after managing an operating division as its CEO. He has been actively involved in merger and acquisition and due diligence
work throughout his business career. He retired from corporate positions in 2009 and is currently on three Boards – one public
company and two private companies. He is also a member of the Cornerstone Angels group in Chicago and the Irish Angels and
has been active in making investments through both vehicles as well as private investing in early stage companies.
Areas of Expertise: Financial, insurance and business services, business plan critiques, deal structures
JEFF RACHO
E-mail: [email protected]
Cell: 607.351.2490
Jeff Racho graduated from Notre Dame with a degree in chemical engineering before attending law
college. He worked in the areas of computer software licensing, patents & intellectual property, e-com-
merce and corporate transactions before earning an MBA. He was a founder of MPower Mobile, a mobile
banking/payments software company that was acquired in 2007 by Rev Worldwide, was in the founding
group of Tabbedout, a software firm that developed a point-of-sale interface for smartphones allowing bar/restaurant patrons
to pay their bills from their smartphones, and is currently the general counsel of Siminars, an online learning company in the
self-help/self-improvement space.
Areas of Expertise: Legal issues in entrepreneurship, business entity formation, legal issues regarding fundraising (including
crowdsourcing), intellectual property (copyrights, trademarks, patents, trade secrets), electronic commerce and mobile pay-
ments, retaining software development firms in India, software development, online learning
FRANK J. REAL
Email: [email protected] or [email protected]
Cell: 484.716.3871
Frank Real has been involved with many startups in many different roles. He has worked as a founder,
advisor (Lawyer/CPA), executive (CFO/General Counsel) and adjunct professor. He was the founder of
a high-tech company. He was advisor to many small companies/entrepreneurs at a Big Four Account-
ing firm. He worked as Associate General Counsel, Tax and Securities at a Fortune 500, CFO/General
Counsel at mid-sized international companies and founder/ CFO at several startup/early stage companies and advisor at
several social venture companies. He taught graduate and undergraduate level courses in Entrepreneurship, Managerial Ac-
counting, Forensic Accounting, Fund Accounting, Employment Law, Business Law for Managers, International Law, Essentials
of Management, Team-Building, Essentials of Economics, Corporate Finance and Capital Markets.
Areas of Expertise: Internet retail business, sports and entertainment, social venture, high-tech.
12
ENTREPRENEURS-IN-RESIDENCE
SCOTT SODERSTROM
Email: [email protected]
Cell: 847.772.5895
Scott Soderstrom has been analyzing businesses, starting businesses, and advising businesses for over
12 years. Currently, he is both the director of finance for a $500+ million technology company in the
financial services industry and the CFO of a seed-funded healthcare technology startup in Boston, MA.
Before these endeavors, Scott was vice president of a private equity firm where he served on the audit
committee, board of directors, or as financial adviser to the board of directors for companies in the financial services, technol-
ogy infrastructure, and business services industries. Previously, he worked in for a consulting firm and a “Big 4” accounting
firm where he performed financial and operating due diligence on over 50 transactions with proposed value from $1 million to
over $4 billion in enterprise value, across a broad range of industries, including e-commerce, software, technology, telecommu-
nications, consumer products and services, and distribution. He also serves as an adviser to companies in healthcare staffing,
healthcare services, and consumer products industries, has served as a judge and mentor in the Notre Dame Business Plan
competitions. He periodically invests in small businesses.
Areas of Expertise: Industries: Financial Services (insurance, payroll services, transaction processing, currency exchanges),
Consumer Products or Services (retail, wholesale, manufacturing, distribution, services), Technology (internet-enabled com-
merce/e-commerce, healthcare IT, technology-enabled services, software development, telecommunications), and Business
ServicesSkills: Financial modeling, operational strategy, networking, mergers/acquisitions, due diligence, mentorship, opera-
tional planning, budgeting/forecasting, CPA/accounting, venture capital, angel investing Business Stages: Startup/Early Stage,
Small-Medium Businesses (SMB), Growth, Turnaround
GEORGE SPOHRER
Email: [email protected]
Cell: 574.532.7149
George Spohrer has been an active community volunteer in the Michiana community since November
2009, working with local economic development entities as well as Notre Dame and the Innovation Park
to improve a startup’s chances of success and improve their connections with the local business com-
munity. George was also a volunteer mentor at the Notre Dame Startup Weekend.
Prior to this, he worked at Crowe Chizek/Crow Horwarth in South Bend focusing on helping clients
solve problems in a variety of industries. From a beginning in Banking focused on automating teller operations as well as early
development of Commercial Credit Analysis systems to today’s focus on the balance between Compliance, Operations and
Risk, George has almost 30 years of professional management consulting experience. He is familiar with both operational and
technology issues including program management, project management, strategy, risk assessment, process design, software
evaluation and software implementation and application. George has extensive experience in manufacturing and distribution
systems. He was an early adopter of bar code technology and a leader in mobile and fixed scanner integration. He led Crowe’s
subsequent expansion into business partner integration initially via EDI and later via XML. He also has significant large scale
systems implementation, integration, and change management experience. George has also worked in financial services on
Anti-Money laundering projects, helping organizations to define Customer Risk Rating strategy and implement technology
solutions to support that strategy. These engagements involved Requirements Definition, analysis and prioritization of short
term vs. long term solutions, development, integration, and change management implementation. George helps client organi-
zations deal with the changing Credit landscape and increasing regulatory expectations. He works to balance Credit with Risk,
including Enterprise Risk Management and integrating Credit with non-Credit risk factors. He holds a BS and MS in Mechani-
cal Engineering from the University of Notre Dame.
Areas of Expertise: Manufacturing and distribution, supply chain integration, automated data collection, retail/point of sale
integration, community and economic development, local business outreach
13
ENTREPRENEURS-IN-RESIDENCE
ROB TENNISWOOD
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 778.987.6562
Rob is the co-founder and COO of two biotechnology start-ups. The first, miR Diagnostics, is developed
cancer prognostic testing. The second, Provenire Authentication, is providing a DNA-based solution for
art authentication using a bleeding-edge DNA manipulation techniques. Rob is especially passionate
about business strategy, business plan writing, and new ventures, but will jump in wherever he can.
Rob graduated from Notre Dame (O’Neill Hall) with a B.A. in ’05 and an MBA in ’09. He went on to study Entrepreneurship at
the University of Cambridge in the UK. He was the President of the Notre Dame Club of British Columbia from 2010-2015.
Areas of Expertise: Business start-up questions, university technology transfer, business plan creation, seed round capital
raising, alternative forms of financing, strategy and general management
MICHAEL J. VOGEL
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 269.929.7504
Mike Vogel is a former Adjunct Instructor in the Department of Management in the Mendoza College of
Business. He taught courses in Entrepreneurship. He is currently one of the Entrepreneurs in Residence
located in the Gigot Center in the Mendoza College of Business. He was Executive Vice President of
ACCO North America ,a leading manufacturer and wholesaler of branded office products, President of
Day-Timer ,Vice President ACCO Brands Commercial Office Products Sales Division, Vice President Manufacturing Swingline
Staplers and Staples, President of ACME Boot , President of Jarman Shoes and Vice President of Johnston and Murphy Shoes.
During his career , Mike has served as Chairman of Kids Peace in Schnecksville, Pa. also as a Board member of St. Vincent
DePaul of St. Joseph County , the Robinson Community Learning Center in South Bend and Cass County CASA in Cass County
Michigan. He is currently Board Chair of the CASIE Center of St. Joseph County, Board member of Memorial Hospital Health
Foundation in South Bend, and Board Member of the Edwardsburg Emergency Fund in Cass County, Michigan. Mike graduated
with a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Notre Dame in 1965.
Areas of Expertise: Corporate Entrepreneurship, Start-ups, consumer products, direct marketing, supply chain, non-profit
business development, funding and leadership.
DAVID WIELAND
Email: [email protected]
David Wieland is an entrepreneur and angel investor, and currently serves as the Founder/CEO of RIVS,
a SaaS hiring platform. In the last 10 years, David has founded, bought, or sold 12 technology compa-
nies, and he is invested in nearly a dozen more. Through his website development and premium domain
name company, iEstates, David owns and operates over 8500 websites like Austin.com, Interviewing.
com, eStores.com, Polling.com, and MBAs.com. David also currently serves as the Co-Chairman of the
IrishAngels, and graduated with a BA from Notre Dame (’01) and an MBA from Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management (’12).
Areas of Expertise: Saas, domain names, raising capital, software development, recruiting
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