| Selected Speakers | Panel of Investors | Panel of Entrepreneurs | User Interface Design |
Panel of Entrepreneurs:
Haleh
Karimi, CEO at Surgical Serenity Solutions and Member of Network of
Entrepreneurial Women (NEW). She worked within Information Technology sector of
several Fortune 500 companies and helped create an IT Innovation and Development
Center for one, from foundation to complete successful fruition. She has over 15
years of management experience in areas of Finance, Operations, HR, Development,
and Governance. Besides being the CEO of Surgical Serenity Solutions, she is
currently the Chair of World Affairs Council of Kentucky and Southern Indiana,
Co-Chair the Industrial Advisory Board for the Computer Engineering and Computer
Science Department at the UofL and is the upcoming Chair of Network of
Entrepreneurial Women. She also taught at Brown-Mackie College as well as ITT
Technical Institute.
Lisa
Bajorinas As Director of the Louisville office of the Kentucky
Innovation Network under EnterpriseCorp, the entrepreneurial arm of Greater
Louisville Inc., Lisa manages a portfolio of early stage to second stage or fast
growth companies also known as "gazelles." Her assistance includes access to
growth capital sources, talent attraction, site selection and strategic
introductions, in addition to, networking and educational programs for these
clients. Lisa is also the executive manager of Louisville's Enterprise Angels,
the state's largest angel investor network and Program Director for the Vogt
Invention and Innovation Awards, a manufacturing-focused accelerator.
Previously, Lisa moved to Louisville from San Francisco where her background in
technology and marketing were utilized as a partner consultant for a start-up
tech company, BroadVision (Nasdaq: BVSN), in Silicon Valley.
Dr.
Richard Brown teaches at Bellarmine University. He focuses on
Negotiation Skills, Project Management, Business and International Law,
Entrepreneurship, Teamwork, and Leadership. Dr. Brown traveled extensively where
he worked in the financial and business arena for 25 years. He developed
expertise in regulatory issues, business and marketing analysis, and
negotiations; evaluated businesses and their investments; and advised hundreds
of businesses on structure, marketing, raising capital, going public, and
mergers and acquisitions. He holds a B.S. from the University of Maryland, a
Juris Doctorate from the University of Louisville, and a Ph.D. in Psychology
from Saybrook University, San Francisco.
Dayna
Neumann and Linda Ruffenach joined forces to launch Execuity, a
marketing agency obsessed with helping clients maximize their potential with
branding, marketing and sales and operational preparedness. Prior to founding
Execuity, Dayna started Exsellerator, a sales and marketing consulting practice.
She honed her business development chops in a 15 year career with major
manufacturing companies, working to develop and deploy software platforms for
the healthcare industry, tech-enabled implementations for publishers, and
creating revenue generating opportunities everywhere along the way. Dayna serves
the entrepreneurial community as a board member and committee chair for Venture
Connectors, works with students from numerous colleges in the Commonwealth, and
constantly seeks ways to expand her networking and connect people in meaningful
ways.
Jeremiah Chapman
is the founder of FreshFry LLC, a Louisville based start up that produces the FreshFry pods and other innovative frying technologies. He has an undergraduate and Masters degree in Chemical Engineering from the Speed School of Engineering, where he graduated cum laude. His realm of experience is within nanotechnology, adsorption and small/large scale chemical manufacturing. Jeremiah was also featured on Forbes list of 30 under 30 in manufacturing.
Joel Adams
A native of Connecticut, Joel relocated to Kentucky in 1992, where he attended the
University of Louisville, earning his BA and MBA. In 2007, with three co-founders,
he launched RJS, LLC, a distilled spirits supplier, and took on the role of chief
executive. In 2009, he formed his consulting firm, SolutionStreak, through which
Joel and his team provide general, management and media consulting to startups,
early-stage companies, not-for-profits, and advocacy campaigns. He has led,
partnered with, and consulted for start-ups and early stage companies in a
wide array of industries, from hospitality to higher education, non-profits
to logistics. In 2013, he co-founded Big Tent Group, a beverage consultancy.
And most recently, Joel has joined International Spirit and Beverage Group as
its Executive Vice President. There, Joel and the ISBG team are bringing
operational and marketing expertise to a growing global beverage portfolio.
Joel is also a lecturing professor of business with the Entrepreneurship
Center at JCTC, serves as a board member and presentations chair for
Venture Connectors of Louisville, and regularly offers his time as a
mentor for those aspiring to entrepreneurship.