In keeping with its 21st century academic orientation, the Levin Institute has created a faculty network composed of leading scholars who serve as Fellows of the Institute, SUNY and non-SUNY engaged faculty who regularly instruct in Levin programs, and a set of skilled, hands-on coaches and facilitators who participate in Levin’s executive and mid-career education programs. This engaged faculty is drawn from both management and the social sciences
To ensure that the nature and quality of classroom instruction truly reflects the school’s global and cross-cultural focus, Levin employs faculty drawn from leading institutions around the world, utilizing the latest in educational technologies.
Levin Fellows
Dr. Sheldon Weinig, Senior Fellow
Dr. Sheldon Weinig spent five years as a professor at Columbia University before founding Materials Research Corporation (MRC) in 1957. MRC, a company supplying materials and equipment to the semiconductor and computer industries, became a public corporation and was listed on the American Stock Exchange. Weinig was chairman and CEO of the company for more than 20 years. Sony acquired MRC in 1989 and following the merger, Weinig remained with Sony America for seven years as vice chairman of engineering and manufacturing. In 1996, he retired and accepted Adjunct Professorships at Columbia University and The State University of New York at Stony Brook, N.Y. He was inducted into the National Academy of Engineering in 1984, and in 1988, the Government of France awarded him the rank of Chevalier dans l’Ordre National de la Legion d’Honneur. In 1990, he was elected to the International Technology Institute’s Hall of Fame for Engineering, Science and Technology. Weinig served two terms as a member of President Reagan’s Board of Advisors on Private Sector Initiatives. As a Senior Fellow at Levin, he is actively involved in the JumpStart and FastTrac programs, and Chairs the Advisory Panel for JumpStart NYC
Dr. Irving Wladawsky Berger, Senior Fellow
Dr. Berger is Chairman Emeritus at the IBM Academy of Technology and Visiting Professor of Engineering Systems at MIT. At MIT, he is involved in multi-disciplinary research and teaching activities focused on how information technology is helping transform business organizations and the institutions of society. He is also a Strategic Advisor to Citigroup on innovation and technology initiatives and an Adjunct Professor in the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Group at the Imperial College Business School. Dr. Berger worked at IBM for 37 years where he was responsible for identifying emerging technologies and marketplace developments in the IT industry.
Dr. Lynne Rosansky, Fellow
Dr. Rosansky is the Provost and Chief Academic Officer at the School for International Training in Brattleboro, VT. She served for four years as Vice Provost at Levin Institute, where she co-created a number of Levin’s current programs. Dr. Rosansky was previously President of Hult International Business School (the former Arthur D. Little School of Management).She has served on the faculties of Babson College; Brandeis University and Simmons College. She has also led a successful consulting practice focused on management and leadership development and served on non-profit boards of directors including Women in World Trade and the Institute for Intercultural Studies. She earned a PhD from Boston University and an MBA from Babson College.
Dr. Cong Cao, Research Fellow
Dr. Cao has a PhD in sociology from Columbia University in 1997 and has worked at the University of Oregon and the National University of Singapore. Dr. Cao is interested in the social studies of science and technology with a focus on China. He is the author of China’s Scientific Elite (London and New York: RoutledgeCurzon 2004), a study of those Chinese scientists holding elite membership in the Chinese Academy of Sciences. At Levin, Dr. Cao and Dr. Denis Simon conducted a four-year research project on the Global Talent Pool. Their excellent study of the Chinese talent pool for science and innovation was published as the book “China’s Emerging Technological Edge” by Cambridge University Press in 2008. Dr. Cao’s journal publications have appeared in Science, China Quarterly, Asian Survey, Minerva, among others. His current research interests include China’s S&T manpower and US-China relations in S&T. He blogs regularly on China for Levin’s www.globalization101.org web site.
Faculty
Dr. Sris Chatterjee
Dr. Chatterjee is an Associate Professor in the Finance and Business Economics Area at Fordham University’s Schools of Business where he is currently the Area Chair. He has taught a variety of courses including Mergers and Acquisitions, Principles of Modern Finance and Behavioral Finance for MBAs, executive MBAs, and the undergraduate business students.He was the 1995 recipient of the Gladys and Henry Crown Award for Faculty Excellence at Fordham GBA. Prof. Chatterjee got his undergraduate degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology (Kharagpur) and his Postgraduate Diploma in Management from the Indian Institute of Management (Calcutta). He received his M. Phil. and Ph. D. degrees from Columbia University’s Graduate School of Business. Prior to joining Fordham University, Prof. Chatterjee taught at SUNY (Buffalo), Rutgers University and Columbia University.
Guy F. Erb
Director, LECG, LLC, an expert services firm. MSc (Econ.) degree from the London School of Economics and Political Science, a BA from the University of California at Berkeley and a diploma from the University of Madrid, Spain. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, New York. Mr. Erb has experience in two highly regulated industries; investment banking and money services businesses. After working at Goldman Sachs & Co. in New York for four years, he then led the team that opened Goldman Sachs Mexico in 1994, where he served as chief operating officer for nearly three years and then as vice chairman of the Mexico City office for two years. Mr. Erb has served on several boards of directors, testified before the US house and senate and the International Trade Commission, and held senior US government positions. He founded and was president and CEO of RapidMoney Corporation, a money transmittal company that developed an advanced point-of-sale system for the personal money transfers of migrant workers. Mr. Erb has served on several boards of directors, testified before the US house and senate and the International Trade Commission, and held senior US government positions. He founded and was president and CEO of RapidMoney Corporation, a money transmittal company that developed an advanced point-of-sale system for the personal money transfers of migrant workers.
Allan Hackney
Consultant; formerly held the following positions: CIO at AIG; SVP at Bank of America and CIO of GE Capital, Japan. He graduated from Colgate University with a BA in Computer and Information Science. Professionally and experientially he brings considerable knowledge and in-depth experience to the Information Systems, Operations and Finance functions. He has knowledge of a broad range of global consumer and commercial financial services with particular depth in credit card operations, distribution finance, and banking products. As a staunch believer in the value of in training and education, Mr. Hackney created innovative immersion “boot camps” and diverse experiential assignments that revitalized GE’s prestigious Information Management Leadership Program (IMLP). He also developed and deployed Six Sigma quality awareness training as the first Quality Leader for GE Capital’s technology organization.
Jane E. Hughes
Consultant. MBA, NYU; MA in International Relations, Johns Hopkins University SAIS; BA, Princeton University. Professor Hughes has taught graduate courses in Globalization, International Banking, Foreign Exchange Markets, International Economic Environment, International Financial Markets, and Accounting & Financial Analysis at Brandeis University and Hult International Business School. Publications include: International Banking: Text and Cases, with Dr. Scott B. MacDonald (Addison Wesley Longman, 2002). Chinese edition published in 2004. Separating Fools From Their Money: A History of Great American Financial Scandals, with Dr. Scott B. MacDonald (Transaction, 2006). Carnival on Wall Street: Global Financial Markets in the 1990s, with Dr. Scott B. MacDonald (John Wiley & Sons, 2003) New Tigers and Old Elephants: The Development Game in the 1990s and Beyond, with Dr. Scott B. MacDonald and David L. Crum (Transaction Publishers, 1995; paperback edition, 2001) Latin American Debt in the 1990s, co-editor. (Praeger Publishers, 1991) Sovereign Risk (Euromoney Publications, 1988) as well as numerous articles and op-ed contributions.
Dr. Lewis Mandell
Dr. Mandell is Professor of Finance and Managerial Economics and former Dean of the School of Management at the University at Buffalo. The author of 21 books, he is best known for his lifetime of research into consumer financial behavior and financial literacy. Dr. Mandell began his career at the University of Michigan where he ran the nationwide Survey of Consumer Finances. He has served in government as Director of Economic Research for the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, has founded and run two successful corporations and has served on several corporate boards including those of Citigroup’s mutual funds, which encompassed more than 50 funds and $8 billion in assets. In 2008 Dr. Mandell was given the SUNY Chancellor’s award for outstanding teaching.
Dr. Maryalice Mazzara
Dr. Mazzara is the Director of Academic Affairs. She received her doctorate in International Education from Columbia University. Prior to Levin, she was the Director of Education for Global Film Initiative, a non-profit organization promoting cross-cultural learning through the medium of film and was Education Attaché for the Government of Québec (New York office), responsible for Québec academic relations for the office’s region of eight states and DC. Dr. Mazzara was also Director of Teacher Training Outreach for The Harriman Institute’s (Columbia University) U. S. Department of Education’s East European, Eurasian, and Russian National Resource Center for ten years. Her consulting works include cross-cultural training programs for international corporations and education seminars for non-profits including the Soros Foundation in Mongolia and The Business Alliance in Vietnam.
Dr. Phil Perry
Dr. Perry has been on the faculty of the School of Management at the University at Buffalo, State University of New York (UB) since 1979. He received both his MBA and Ph.D. degrees in Business Administration (with a major in Finance) from the University of California at Berkeley, and also holds a B.S. in Engineering Physics from Cornell University and an M.S. in Planetary Science from the California Institute of Technology.
Dr. Zora Thomova
Dr. Thomova teaches Investment and Financial Decision Making within Levin’s International Finance and Global Banking semester program. She serves as the Chair of Mathematics, Associate Professor, and Student Advisor at SUNY IT in Utica. Dr. Thomova also teaches the Applied Math curriculum and service courses from the freshman level to graduate level, and is responsible for the entire curriculum for the Applied Mathematics major, Mathematics minor, and for all service courses for the Engineering and Business schools. She serves on the Curriculum Committee, Graduate Council Committee, and the Academic Affairs Committee. Dr. Thomova earned her Ph.D. from the University of Montreal and holds an MS from the Czech Technical University in Prague.
JumpStart NYC Faculty and Coaches
Robert E. Baensch is president of the Baensch International Group Ltd. with special focus on international publishing, start-up and turnaround management. He has served eleven years as the Associate Professor of Publishing and former director of New York University’s Center for Publishing. He was senior vice president for marketing for Rizzoli International Publications, Inc., and prior to that he was director for publishing at the American Institute of Physics from 1988 to 1991, responsible for over 60 journals, a book program, print publishing and database online information services. From 1983-1988, Mr. Baensch was vice president-marketing of Macmillan Publishing Company where, in addition to a full range of marketing/sales responsibilities, he directed the Macmillan Software Company and English as a Second Language Multimedia Program. Prior to 1983, he was president of Springer Verlag New York, and from 1968 to 1980 vice president and director of the International Division of Harper & Row Publishers, Inc. Mr. Baensch started his publishing career with the McGraw-Hill Book Company, where he was manager of the Translation Rights Department and editorial director of the International Division.
Michael DiGiacomo is a graduate of Yale College and Fordham Law School, where he has been an adjunct professor. Mr. DiGiacomo came to the Levin Institute after a career in law and international finance, including positions at major Wall Street firms and service as the chief financial officer of a publishing company. Mr. DiGiacomo serves as a JumpStart mentor.
Mark Herschberg educated at MIT (with degrees in physics, EE/CS, and a masters in cryptography), has spent his career launching and fixing new ventures at startups, Fortune 50’s, and academia. Mark has worked at and consulted to a number of startups, typically taking on roles in general management, operations, and technology. He has been involved from inception and fundraising through growth and sale of the company. These startup companies have included a wireless application platform, online advertising, lead generation, OLAP, and new language development. Mark was instrumental in launching ServiceLive.com Sear’s online home services labor market; he also helped fix NBC’s online video marketplace (now Hulu.com). In academia Mark spent a year at HBS working with two finance professors to create the upTick system now used to teach finance at many of the top business schools. At MIT Mark helped to start the Undergraduate Practice Opportunities Program at which he teaches annually. In his spare time Mark works with numerous non-profits and has become one of the top ranked ballroom dancers in the country. Currently Mark is the CEO of ZepFrog Corp. a NYC based new media company.
Dr. J.B. Kassarjian holds an MBA and DBA from Harvard University and a BS from Northeastern University and has been Professor of Management (1980 – ) at Babson. He has also been Chairman of the Management Division at Babson (1981 -1987). He has held a joint appointment, as Professor of Strategy and Organization, at IMD (1989, and as Emeritus since 2001.) Prior to joining Babson and IMD, he was on the faculty of the Harvard Business School, and he was also involved in establishing Harvard-related graduate management institutes in Iran and the Philippines. He has served as consultant to organizations in the Americas, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East, in such areas as leading change, strategic restructuring, and senior management team building.
Linda Lehrer has spent her career in both media and education. She received her Ph.D. in English from Brown University, where she taught courses in drama and American literature. She has also taught journalism and writing at Fordham and New York University. As a journalist, Dr. Lehrer reported for the Wall Street Journal and the Chicago Tribune. She has worked in public television for programs such as “Adam Smith” and ‘Sesame Street” and, as Communications Director for Scholastic, Inc., she launched “The Magic School Bus.” As Director of Communications for the Aspen Institute, Dr. Lehrer helped organize the first Bipartisan Congressional Retreat. She also developed a “sabbatical” program for The Smithsonian which, using their unique resources, helps people discover new approaches to their personal lives. Her own program, Life Changes: The Next Step, helps people find new ways to think about taking the next step in their lives—both professionally and personally. Clients include foundations, nonprofit organizations and academic institutions. Linda Lehrer is currently the Director of New York Public Programs for the Aspen Institute.
Thomas Moebus is the co-creator of the JumpStart NYC program, and regularly serves as a mentor. Mr. Moebus served for 17 years at MIT, including as Director of the MIT Industrial Liaison Program and Office of Corporate Relations. Following four years as Vice Chancellor at the University of California, Irvine, Moebus co-founded the Orange County Technology Action Network (www.octaneoc.org) to fuel technology entrepreneurship in Southern California. He also founded and led a consulting firm, Strategic Advancement, prior to coming to Levin Institute as Vice President in 2006
Dr. Lynne Rosansky is the co-creator of JumpStart NYC, and regularly serves on its faculty. Currently Provost of the School for International Training in Brattleboro, VT, Rosansky is a cultural anthropologist with a rich experience of leadership in business schools. The original and very highly rated JumpStart NYC boot-camp curriculum is her creation, and her enthusiastic teaching style continues to make her an important member of the JumpStart family. She served as Vice President of Academic Affairs at Levin Institute from 2006-9.
Victor Rosansky holds Masters degrees in Economics (Boston University) and Psychology (Brandeis) as well as an MBA (Boston University). He has taught Organizational Behavior, Managerial Economics, and Microeconomics at Boston University School of Management; Consulting Skills to MBA students at the Hult International Business School, and was an invited lecturer at the International University of Japan. Victor co-founded Organizational Dynamics, Inc. (ODI), a leading consulting and training company that grew to several hundred people serving the global market, and later developed LHR International, Inc., a consulting company that focuses on rapid business alignment.
Helene Rude is Director of Educational Programs at Levin Institute. She joined Levin in 2010 after a long career at the IBM Corporation, most recently as Director of the IBM Executive Business Institute. She is responsible for all phases of the JumpStart NYC program, including curriculum development, project identification and matching, and overseeing the coaching/mentoring process. She also regularly serves as a mentor.
Bill Sobel began his career at NBC/New York as a Page and then went into production planning. From there to ABC, MTV, and The Walt Disney Studios to name a few. Currently Bill is principal of SobelMedia, a digital media connections company and founder of a group of media professionals who meet monthly in NYC in order to explore the transitions in the media industry. SobelMedia members stay abreast of industry changes, providing a forum for continuing education.
Dr. Chris Trimble of the Tuck School at Dartmouth University has dedicated the past ten years to studying a single challenge that vexes even the best-managed corporations: how to execute an innovation initiative. His work came to fruition with the 2010 publication of The Other Side of Innovation—Solving the Execution Challenge, written with Vijay Govindarajan. Chris and Vijay have also published three lead articles in the Harvard Business Review, including “Stop the Innovation Wars” in July 2010 and “How GE is Disrupting Itself” in the October 2009, with GE Chairman and CEO Jeff Immelt. Chris first broke into the forefront of executive consciousness with his December 2005 book Ten Rules for Strategic Innovators – from Idea to Execution. In June 2006, the Wall Street Journal published a Top Ten Recommended Reading list that included Ten Rules alongside Freakonomics, The Tipping Point, and Blink. Strategy & Business magazine recognized Ten Rules as the best strategy book of the year.
Ken Zolot is a senior fellow for the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, where he is working with senior Kauffman leaders to develop the Foundation’s new initiative, Kauffman Laboratories for Enterprise Creation. Combining a wealth of experience teaching innovation and entrepreneurship in academic settings with first-hand, practical experience as a serial entrepreneur, Zolot is uniquely positioned for this role. Zolot is the founder of MIT’s Innovation Teams program—a partnership with MIT’s Deshpande Center for Technological Innovation—where multidisciplinary teams of students collaborate with MIT lab directors, evaluating go-to-market strategies for breakthrough discoveries. He also co-teaches the X-Prize Lab class at MIT, in partnership with The X-Prize Foundation. Zolot’s teaching and mentoring have guided numerous MIT-spawned companies, including A123 Systems, Arch Therapeutics, Brontes3D, HubSpot, Myomo, QD Vision, Robopsy, Saaf Water, Semprus Biosciences (fka SteriCoat), Vertica Systems, and Visible Measures.
Lydia Burdick’s career has been in the employment arena, both in outplacement at Right Management and DBM, and in recruiting. At Right Management, Lydia was the Job Resources Consultant. Highlights of her tenure there were initiating, developing, and delivering pioneering webinars in social media for both job seekers and sales, and co-creating and delivering programs designed to keep long-term job seekers motivated. At DBM, Lydia conceived the idea for and produced several region-wide Networking Games which were very well-received. She also produced many job fairs for career centers. Lydia is currently recruiting at Stone Management, a boutique firm specializing in: accounting, finance, marketing, media, project management, and other corporate areas. Previously, she was a recruiter at another boutique which focused on advertising and marketing. Lydia was invited to be on JumpStartNYC’s Advisory Board in 2010 and enjoys contributing to this wonderful program. Her interest in and study of social media has resulted in Lydia being engaged to do consulting work for several organizations. Lydia is an award-winning published author. Her three books comprise the Two-Lap Book Library, a series of books especially designed for people with Alzheimer’s disease to enjoy with a reading partner. Lydia’s mother, Shirley, was the inspiration for these books.
FastTrac Facilitators
John T. Childress is an experienced business leader who has excelled at both starting businesses and working within existing businesses to help them grow. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Finance from Rutgers University School of Business. John began his career with Domino’s Pizza becoming one of the first African American Franchisees in the 4,000 store chain and consistently ranking at the top of sales in his region. In 2002, John established his own business management consulting firm, Childress Business Consulting, which has helped many small businesses and non-profits increase their revenues and manage their business. CBC specializes in developing strategic direction and implementation for businesses and individuals.
Kevin Collins is resident of KMC Coaching and Consulting Inc, Kevin has a 20+ year record of success and achievement in the Information Technology Industry. KMC Coaching and Consulting Inc leverages that experience to deliver individual, group and organizational results. An experienced executive and manager, Kevin Collins has recruited and built high performance teams and consulting organizations. He has done this by focusing on developing key strategies, attitudes and skills that allow individuals and organizations to adapt to change and seize growth opportunities. Kevin’s combines this capability with the knowledge and experience of successfully introducing and growing a variety of technology based products and services in new markets. Kevin is an Advisor and Executive Coach to the CEO’s and Senior executives of fast growing technology, healthcare and professional service companies.
Stefan Doering consults Fortune 500 executives, entrepreneurs, and intrapreneurs helping them define and achieve their sustainability goals. One of the five companies he has started was Earth General. In 1991 it was one of the first “green” retail stores where in seven years he grew it to being one of the largest in the country. He is an instructor with Columbia University’s Center for Environmental Research and Conservation’s education and training programs, teaching Environmental Entrepreneurism and Environmental Intrapreneurism to professionals in the corporate, financial, government and public sectors.
Dawn Fotopulos is Assistant Professor of Business at The King’s College in New York City. She has spent over twenty years as a senior banking executive and serial entrepreneur launching over eighty businesses and product lines in six industries. She earned her Bachelor’s of Science Degree from Cornell University and her Master in Business Management with distinction, from New York University.
Lynn Zuckerman Gray is Founder and CEO of Campus Scout, LLC, a provider of strategic campus-recruiting services, Career Coaching for Generation Y and Millennial Management Coaching for employers. Lynn has a long history in real estate finance most recently with Lehman Brothers/Barclays where she served as the Real Estate Group’s Global Chief Administrative Officer. A graduate of Tufts University and Cornell Law School, Lynn serves on the Advisory Board of the Cornell Real Estate Program and is an Adjunct Professor at NYU and Fordham. She has written and lectured extensively on real estate, entrepreneurship and talent management topics.
Sandra Holtzman, founder of Holtzman Communications, is an award-winning creative director and strategist. She’s been working with startups (from entrepreneurs to divisions in Fortune 500 firms) for over 20 years. Her proprietary solutions help companies and products get to market quickly with high ROI. Sandra is the author of Lies Startups Tell Themselves to Avoid Marketing. She is Chair of the NY Chapter of the Licensing Executives Society. In addition to starting her own company, she has founded other companies, one with a successful exit, and organizations including CleanTech Corridor. She speaks extensively about startups worldwide.
Larry Kaplan has 30 years of experience in consulting and sales primarily in the financial services industry. He started his career in large corporations, IBM and Accenture, but was driven to start-ups within those organizations before moving to new ventures. He was Vice President of Sales for two web based consulting firms funded by venture capital that were acquired. He has an MBA from Duke University.
Sevanne Kassarjian supports clients to expand their repertoire. Diverse clients include The Wharton School, HULT International, Miraval Resort, Global Business Network, San Diego Police Department, Learning Annex, Institute for Intelligent Behavior and The Possibility Project. Sevanne has also taught at Brown University, The Taft School and The University of California, San Diego. Facilitating Fast Trac New Venture and Growth Venture at the Levin Institute since the first programs Sevanne continues to work with independent clients around the world.
Judith Katz consults with businesses and nonprofits helping them craft the strategies and operational plans vital to achieving their goals. Her expertise in finance, marketing and organizational design provides her with the skills and experience to address a broad range of business issues. Her experience includes positions as a senior corporate manager and as an entrepreneur in diverse industries. Ms. Katz fulfills her passion for transforming education for all students, particularly those who are disadvantaged, through her service on a charter school board.
Marianne Kosits‘ expertise centers on forming and remediating alliances to reduce friction, foster innovation and create value. Marianne assists start up firms in forming adaptable organizational structures and processes that promote growth and sustainability. She also helps established enterprises adjust their approach to alliance relationships. Her diverse background as founder of three successful entrepreneurial ventures combined with over 30 years experience working with multi-national corporations uniquely positions Marianne to work with enterprises large and small in identifying innovative solutions to contemporary business challenges.
Franne McNeal, Significant Business Results Coach, helps entrepreneurs increase sales, improve cash flow, reduce expenses and enhance profits. Over 6000 small business owners have grown their businesses based on her proven coaching techniques (85% of her clients have gained 3 new clients within 90 days coaching). Franne’s clients have been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Inc Magazine, Business Week, and the New York Times. Franne provides informed coaching, strategic thinking and proven process expertise. Franne McNeal is a serial entrepreneur, business author, international keynote speaker, and business plan competition judge. Franne McNeal earned a BA from Princeton University.
Jeri Quinn is President of Driving IR, a firm that works with stuck or inspired organizations and individuals to develop the Improved Results they seek in long term profitability, employee engagement, market dominance, and competitive advantage. As an author, speaker, coach/consultant, business owner, therapist and educator, she has been developing potential in individuals and organizations for nearly 40 years, accumulating knowledge of more than 30 industries. She uses metaphors such as the Dance of Business™ and the Dancing/Driving Duality™ to reinforce concepts and engage participants. Jeri graduated from Lycoming College Magna Cum Laude, and received her Masters Degree from New York University.
Gregory Reaves is high level business leader and Principal, Managing Member of Mosaic Development Partners. He has over 20 years of executive level management experience in the Pharmaceutical and Real Estate industries. He has expertise in Community Relations, Media Relations, Government Affairs, Sales and Marketing, Commercial Real estate development, and recruiting. Mr. Reaves currently is a managing partner for a successful commercial development company, and in the past has served as Vice President of Operations, Marketing, Leasing, Public Affairs and New Business Development for The Goldenberg Group, a large Philadelphia based real estate development company. He also served as Vice President, Communications and Policy, MERCK & CO., INC, one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world and led worldwide media relations for the company.
Steve Roehm is an executive education, facilitation, and strategic innovation consulting expert who has helped business leaders in all parts of the globe integrate innovation, strategy, and execution to help their organizations achieve greater success. As founder of his own company, in his work as an IBM line operations executive, and as a senior consulting faculty member of IBM’s Executive Business Institute, Steve brings real-world practicality to his consulting. His framework for discussing, evaluating, and selecting successful innovative products, services, and business models has been used worldwide to help clients both small and large achieve greater success.
Wendy Scharfman is a professional speaker, communication coach and trainer. She is the founder of Coaching for Effective Communication, a business she created to help her clients become dynamic, confident speakers who can inspire action by delivering a message that matters for all public forums. Wendy specializes in Leadership Training and Team Building, Public Speaking Competencies, Message Refinement and Media Training. She received her M.Ed. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and her M.F.A. from the Asolo Conservatory.
Alan Siege, owner and founder of Small Business Management Consulting, has been assisting small businesses and non-profit organizations for over 20 years. SBMC helps companies grow by helping them tell their business story better. Along with his consulting practice – through which he has helped over 100 companies increase their revenue – he is a Kaufman Foundation for Entrepreneurship Certified Facilitator in the Fast Trac Program an adjunct professor in business at the Borough of Manhattan Community College and New York University. He has an MBA in Entrepreneurial Studies from Pace University. Finally, Alan Siege is a professional storyteller and is developing a new business story site featuring the tales of entrepreneurs.
Geri Stengel is president of Ventureneer.com, an online education and peer support service for small businesses making a social impact, including social enterprises and nonprofits, and Stengel Solutions, a strategic planning and marketing firm. She taught Entrepreneurship and Social Enterprise at The New School, NYC, co-founded Women’s Leadership Exchange, headed marketing for Dow Jones Information Services and launched Physicians’ Online. Geri is a past Vice Chair of Governance Matters, and a past board member of the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO)-NYC. She currently serves on the board of Praxis Housing Initiative. She is a frequent speaker about entrepreneurship and social enterprise.
Derrick B. Webster, President of Vanguarde Consulting Group is a results-driven entrepreneur holding expertise in the areas of brand management, online marketing, and financial growth planning. In his career, Webster has worked as an innovator and change agent for for-profit and nonprofit organizations alike. From 2003-2006, Webster helped raise several million dollars in public and private funds as an administrator for a NYC-based nonprofit. In the same period, Webster served as board member for several startup firms and was integral in initiating capital raises of $250k or more. His leadership in business and nonprofit service eventually garnered (2) Congressional Awards for Pioneering Technology within Urban Communities (2004 and 2005).