Tech Jam Panelists 

October '08 Jam

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The Tech Jam on October 25 at Champlain College has an intentional how-to focus. The aim is to help attendees understand what Vermont’s various tech jobs entail.

How does a graphic designer transition to web development? Is “biotech” genetic engineering? What does a “Chief Technical Officer” do? Do you have to be a cop to bust pedophiles on the Internet? Is it really possible to build “socially responsible” video games?

Each panel will feature a business owner, worker and educator in the field.

So you wanna...

• ...build websites?
• ...green up your energy future?
• ...get into games?
• ...shoot video and get paid for it?
• ...develop software?
• ...build robots?
• ...solve cyber crimes?
• ...be an internet marketer?
• ...work in biotech?
• ...make music online?
• ...write for the web?
• ...be the "CTO?"
• ...be your own boss?

... build websites? (track #1, 12 noon)

• Dave Gibson (owner, Propeller Media Works)

Dave Gibson is founding partner and interactive strategist at Propeller Media Works. Propeller is an interactive marketing agency specializing in web design, application development and online marketing. Dave started Propeller as a one-man band in 1997 and today oversees a crew of 15. No longer the designer, and never the programmer, Dave manages the agency and provides strategic planning for both Propeller and key clients. Dave is currently focused on online marketing tactics and strategy — especially social marketing (read: Facebook addiction).

• Frank Canovatchel (web development professor, Champlain College)

Frank Canovatchel is an Associate Professor of Web Development at Champlain College and a web business consultant to several Vermont companies. After attaining his Master’s Degree from Fordham University, Frank began his career as a Financial Analyst on Wall Street. There he developed financial models using the first IBM AT and XT computers. After leaving Wall Street, Frank began his career teaching Economics, Computer Applications and Web Programming. His expertise in web programming includes systems analysis, XML, PHP and database development. His expertise in Economics includes technology’s impact on market efficiency and the financial impact of technology innovation on the costs of production.

• Gahlord Dewald (Director of Web Strategy, Union Street Media)

Gahlord Dewald is director of web strategy for Union Street Media, a Burlington web design firm specializing in search-enabled real estate web design, e-commerce development and other business, education and nonprofit sites. Dewald has recently completed his first year of full-time employment after working solo for eight years. His skills and experience run the gamut from graphic design and animation to standards-based web coding. Currently he works to help clients use their websites as data resources for marketing and making business decisions. He also plays the ukulele.

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... green up our energy future? (track #2, 11 a.m.)

• Evan Osler (employee, NRG Systems)

As a Sales Account Manager at NRG Systems, Evan is responsible for sales of NRG products to wind farm developers across the United States. Prior to his current job, he worked as a wind energy analyst and GIS specialist at Vermont Environmental Research Associates (VERA), a local wind energy consulting firm. Evan graduated Cum Laude from Middlebury College in 2003 with a B.A. in Geography.

• Joan Richmond-Hall (Sustainable Design & Technology, Vermont Technical College)

Joan is an associate professor at Vermont Technical College. She received her Bachelor’s degree at Smith College and her Ph.D. in biochemistry from Boston University. She did nearly 20 years of biomedical research at BU, University of Massachusetts Medical Center and MIT’s Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research where her research focused on HIV, vaccine development and immune response to pathogens. Joan moved to Vermont in 2001, and teaches chemistry and environmental science in the Science Department at Vermont Tech, and is Program Director of the college’s new Sustainable Design and Technology Bachelor’s degree program. Joan is also involved in developing Vermont Tech’s new Center for Sustainable Practices and is working on a feasibility study for a manure and food scrap methane digester that could power Vermont Tech’s campus.

• Scott Johnstone (Executive Director, VEIC)

Scott Johnstone is Executive director of Vermont Energy Investment Corporation. VEIC’s work focuses on efficiency and renewable strategies that will result in less carbon being released to our atmosphere. Prior to working in the energy sector, Scott worked on transportation, natural resources and environmental issues in both the public and private sectors, including a stint as Secretary of Natural Resources for Governor Howard Dean earlier this decade.

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... get into games? (track #1, 11 a.m.)

• Chris Hancock (owner, Tertl Studos)

Chris Hancock is the owner and founder of Tertl Studos, LLC, an educational software developer of tools and games that incorporate mathematics, computation and creativity. Chris is an experienced leader in all phases of the development cycle, including basic educational research, concept development and piloting, curriculum development, teacher professional development and publication. Prior to starting Tertl, he was a senior scientist for TERC, an education research and development nonprofit organization. He has an AB in mathematics and a Master's in education from Harvard University and a PhD in media arts and sciences from MIT.

• Amanda Crispel (professor, Champlain College)

Amanda Crispel has 19 years of experience in the electronic entertainment industry, specializing in projects for children and families. She’s been on development teams at Mattel, Leap Frog, Lego, Brøderbund Software, The Learning Co., Animated Speech Corporation, Digital Chocolate and Plan B Enterprises. She has designed numerous popular CD-ROM titles in favorite family lines such as Carmen Sandiego, Kidpix, Lego Mindstorm, Rugrats, Leapfrog, and Dr. Seuss. Several of her software titles have earned consumer software awards for excellence, including the Family PC Recommended award for her first title, Math Workshop. Other projects include designs for the web, mobile phones, console platforms, and traditional board and card games. Crispel joined the faculty at Champlain College in 2005 and is currently teaching courses in game design. She is also the program director of Game Design and Game Art and Animation degrees and is responsible for developing curriculum for the program as well as establishing contacts with industry leaders.

• Heather Kelley (computer and video game designer)

Heather Kelley is a computer and video game designer, currently Creative Director on the UNFPA Electronic Game to End Gender Violence, under development at the Emergent Media Center at Champlain College in Burlington, Vermont. As moboid, she creates game-based artwork. For the Spring of 2008, Heather was the Kraus Visiting Assistant Professor of Art, and Adjunct Faculty at the Entertainment Technology Center, both at Carnegie Mellon University. Heather's 12-year career in the games industry has included AAA next-gen console games, interactive smart toys, handheld games and web communities for girls. She is co-founder of the Kokoromi experimental game collective, with whom she produces and curates the annual Gamma game event promoting experimental games as creative expression in a social context. Her game concept Lapis won the 2006 MIGS Game Design Challenge on sex in games. As moboid, she has created interactive projections using game engines such as Quake and Unreal. Her most recent art game work at Montreal's Hexagram Institute integrates gameplay into full-body interactive gallery installations. For seven years, Heather served as co-chair of the IGDA's Women in Game Development Special Interest Group.

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... shoot video and get paid for it? (track #1, 3 p.m.)

• Allan Nicholls (film professor, Burlington College)

After a five-year career on the Broadway stage starring in several rock musicals, including Hair and Jesus Christ Superstar, Nicholls began a lifelong career in film and television, spending nearly 33 years with Robert Altman  as an actor, writer, producer, assistant director, second unit director and music supervisor. He also spent three seasons with "Saturday Night Live" as an associate producer. From 2004-2007, he worked as a Senior Video Producer at JDK Design. He is currently the Director of Film Production at Burlington College.

• Eva Sollberger (videographer, Seven Days)

Eva Sollberger produces editorial and advertising video for the Seven Days website. Her weekly "Stuck in Vermont" vlog profiles local artists and oddballs. Prior to joining Seven Days, she worked in the film industry for more than 10 years, producing visual effects on big-budget pictures, staffing the San Francisco International and Sundance film festivals, projecting 35mm films at art houses and more recently, producing the local cable access show "The Deadbeat Club."

• Nate Beaman (owner, Urban Rhino)

Nathan Beaman is a director of photography and the owner of Urban Rhino, a Burlington-based media production company. Having worked in the film industry for 6 years, Nathan has been part of numerous award winning films and commercials. He is a member of the motion picture union, I.A.T.S.E and is their executive representative for the state of Vermont. Nathan's cinematography has been widely received, being featured by both Panasonic and Redrock. He holds 11 Apple Pro Application certifications including being an Apple Certified Final Cut Pro Trainer.  Nathan currently writes on a freelance basis for industry magazines such as Videomaker, Digital Content Producer and SXSW World and is the founder of FinalCutUser.com, a popular film industry based blog.

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... develop software? (track #2, 2 p.m.)

• Ellery Crane (Web Developer, Bear Code)

Ellery is a web developer and project manager at Bear Code. He graduated from the University of Minnesota, Morris in 2006 with degrees in Computer Science and Political Science, with minors in Statistics and Japanese. He moved to Vermont after spending his final year studying abroad in Japan. Though he's spent the last few years developing websites at Bear Code, Ellery has also published multiple papers in the evolutionary computation branch of computer science, and continues to do research in his spare time. His experience as a newcomer to both academia and the web design industry affords him a unique insight into the choices facing programmers looking to start their careers.

• Mike Battig (computer science professor, St. Michael’s College)

Mike Battig, Associate Professor of Computer Science at Saint Michael's College, has over 20 years of experience in Software Engineering both as a practitioner and an educator. He received a PhD in Computer Science at Mississippi State University.  His dissertation is entitled: “An Empirical Justification and Methodology for Reusable Built-In Test Features in Object-Oriented Software.” He has authored or co-authored several papers in software engineering and computer science education. Before coming to Saint Michael’s, Dr. Battig taught for two years at Norwich University (Military College of Vermont) and six years at Belhaven College in Jackson, Mississippi. Prior to working in higher education, he completed eight years in software development with the J.C.Penney Co.

• Burr Warne (CEO, President and Founder, GlobalClassroom)

Burr Warne is the CEO and President of Global Classroom, Inc., the company he founded in 2006 to connect top university professors, K-12 educators and subject matter experts with students worldwide using the Internet. Global Classroom has delivered 70 online courses and 900 educational podcasts to over 10,000 students and 500 school districts located nationwide. Burr has been on the frontier of online learning since 1995 when he founded Epic Learning upon entering a strategic licensing partnership with the founders of Kinkos to open 100 learning centers within Kinkos stores. He holds two patents, and received the 21st Century Revolutionaries' Grand Prize: "Growing with Technology Award" in 2000.

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... build robots? (track #2, 3 p.m.)

• Steve Arms (owner, Microstrain)

Steve Arms received his Master’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Vermont in 1983. He has been awarded 30 US patents, and has over 10 pending. He has contributed to 18 journal publications and 44 abstracts/presentations in the areas of advanced instrumentation, wireless sensing, and energy harvesting. Arms is founder and CEO of MicroStrain, Inc., a Vermont manufacturer of micro-displacement sensors, inertial sensing systems, and wireless data logging nodes for recording and transmitting strain, vibration, temperature, and orientation data.

• Josh Bongard (robotics professor, University of Vermont)

Josh Bongard received an undergraduate degree in Computer Science from McMaster University in 1997, and a Masters degree in Evolutionary and Adaptive Systems from the University of Sussex in England in 1999. He completed his PhD thesis, entitled "Incremental Approaches to the Combined Evolution of a Robot's Body and Brain," at the University of Zurich in Switzerland in 2003. After a three-year postdoctoral posting in the Sibley School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at Cornell University, he joined the Computer Science department at the University of Vermont in 2006.

• Michael Ridge (sculptor, mold technician, Advanced Animations)

After graduating from Syracuse University in 2000 with a BFA in sculpture, Michael Ridge worked for two years as a mold technician for the Art Asylum, a Brooklyn, NY based toy prototyping company. There he played an integral role in the creation of collectible action figures, including a line of "Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon" figures, and lines of "Star Trek Nemesis" and "Enterprise" figures. Michael is currently employed as a sculptor and mold technician at Advanced Animations in Stockbridge, Vermont, which produces animatronic characters for theme parks, casinos, and museum exhibits. His credits include Universal Studios CA's "Revenge of the Mummy" roller coaster, the touring museum exhibit "Animal Grossology," and recently, characters for Disney Tokyo's "Treasures on Parade."

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... solve cyber crimes? (track #2, 12 noon)

• Gary Kessler (digital forensics professor, Champlain College)

Gary C. Kessler is an Associate Professor of Computer & Digital Forensics and director of the Center for Digital Investigation (C3DI) at Champlain College. He is also a consultant to the Vermont Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) and Internet Crimes Task Forces, an adjunct associate professor at Edith Cowan University in Perth, Western Australia, and is a director of GKS Digital Services, a consultancy specializing in computer and network forensics, computer and network security, and Internet and TCP/IP protocols and applications. Gary is a frequent speaker at industry conferences, and has written two books and more than 60 articles on a variety of topics. He is an Associate Editor of the Journal of Digital Forensic Practice and is on the editorial board for the Journal of Digital Forensics, Security and Law. He holds a B.A. in Mathematics, an M.S. in Computer Science, and is pursuing a Ph.D. in Computing Technology in Education. Gary is a Certified Computer Examiner (CCE) and Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), and is a member of the High Tech Crime Consortium (HTCC), High Technology Crime Investigation Association (HTCIA), and International Society of Forensics Computer Examiners (ISFCE).

• Burlington Police Sergeant Kris Carlson (Internet Crimes Against Children)

Sergeant Kris Carlson is currently a patrol supervisor for the Burlington, Vermont Police Department and has been a member of the Vermont Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (VT-ICAC) since 2000.  Sergeant Carlson has been trained in and conducts investigations into computer facilitated child sexual exploitation, computer forensic examinations and Internet undercover operations.  In early 2007 Sergeant Carlson was named the investigative coordinator of the VT-ICAC and in early 2008 he was named the Commander of the VT-ICAC and is currently responsible for running the daily operations of the task force, managing personnel and budget as well as continuing work in investigations and undercover operations as needed. 

• Frederick Lane (author and expert witness)

Frederick Lane is an attorney, expert witness, lecturer, and author who has appeared on "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart," CNN, NBC, ABC, CBS, the BBC, and MSNBC. His fourth book, The Court and the Cross: The Religious Right's Crusade to Reshape the Supreme Court was published by Beacon Press in June 2008, and he is finishing work on People in Glass Houses: The Right to Privacy in the Age of Electronic Voyeurism (Beacon 2009).

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... be an Internet marketer (track #1, 1 p.m.)

• Elaine Young (E-Business Management professor, Champlain College)

I’m an Associate Professor of Marketing and e-Business Management at Champlain College during the day, and a Mom to a tween-girl and four cats at night. I teach classes in Internet-marketing, Non-profit and Social Marketing, Internet Strategy, Online Visibility and Social Networking and Marketing Management. Special topics this year for me include teaching a class called “Technology a Disruptive Force”, where we examine how technological innovation causes disruption throughout history, today and in the future. I’m also team-teaching a new class entitled Social Interaction in the Digital Age, which combines technological tools like email, instant message, social networking, and blogging with interpersonal and small group communication theories to help us make sense out of online communication.

• Paul Skarvinko (Manager of Marketing & Analytics, EpikOne)

Paul Skarvinko became EpikOne's first employee shortly after graduating from Champlain College. Within six months of joining the company, he became a Google Certified AdWords Individual. He has helped EpikOne become a Google AdWords Certified company and is responsible for overseeing the optimization and success of EpikOne's paid search projects. Armed with expert knowledge in Google AdWords and Google Analytics, he assists organizations of all sizes become successful paid search advertisers and has been instrumental in shifting client focus from Clicks to Conversions.  He also works on developing and analyzing online marketings strategies for the company's e-commerce clients.

• Greg Brand (owner, Bluehouse Group)

Greg Brand is President of Bluehouse Group, an agency specializing in website design, Internet marketing, and Web application development. While energized by the ever-expanding options for marketing in a Web 2.0 world, Greg is also an advocate for fundamentals like clean and uncluttered design, clear messaging and website usability. He is a founding member of the Vermont Software Developers’ Alliance, and serves as the Co-Chairman of the Board. VTSDA promotes a thriving tech sector by creating a knowledge sharing community, and fostering collaboration between businesses, government, higher education, and the investment community in order to create more jobs for the Vermont economy.

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... work in biotech (track #2, 1 p.m.)

• Nick Heintz (professor, UVM Medical School)

Dr. Heintz is a Professor of Pathology at the University of Vermont College of Medicine.  His primary interest is basic cancer research, with an emphasis on understanding how changes in gene expression and cell signaling promote the uncontrolled proliferation of human cancer cells.  For three decades Dr. Heintz has been actively involved in training undergraduate and graduate students for careers in the life sciences, including positions in academia, government and industry. He has consulted on scientific issues for a number of companies in the life sciences, and supports efforts to increase business opportunities in this sector in Vermont.

• Kerry Swift (UVM Technology Transfer)

Kerry Swift is a Technology Licensing Officer at UVM’s Office of Technology Transfer. She has been working in university technology transfer for ten years at UVM and, previously, at MIT’s Office of Technology Licensing in Cambridge, MA. She has licensed technologies to start-ups and established companies in diverse areas such as biotechnology, drug delivery, medical devices, optics, lasers, and chemical processing. At UVM, Kerry also negotiates and establishes contracts for industrial-sponsored research and the transfer of materials in and out of the university. Kerry is a scientist by training and received a BS in Biochemistry at UNH and a MS in Molecular Microbiology from Tufts University.

• C. Michael Stanley (application scientist, Chroma)

C. Michael Stanley is the senior application scientist at Chroma Technology Corp. Chroma is an employee-owned manufacturer of optical filters used in biomedical microscopy and other photonic applications (e.g. those that require “light”). Michael came from a teaching background:  first high school and then college. His PhD in cellular biology was imaging-based and that influence led him to the industrial world, first via confocal microscopes and then to Chroma 11 years ago. Michael now splits his time at Chroma between experimental design for end-user and equipment manufacturers; teaching at microscopy courses with an emphasis on laser-based systems; coordination with engineering/design/sales; and trouble-shooting. In his spare time he rides motorcycles and  builds custom choppers and scooters.

• Jack Glaser (CEO, MBF Bioscience)

Jack Glaser founded MicroBrightField, Inc in 1987 to develop powerful and affordable microscope imaging software for neuroscience research. The company, now known as MBF Bioscience, has grown to employ more than 30 people, with offices in North America, Europe, and Japan, and its products are used in more than 1,000 labs in universities, colleges, pharmaceutical and biotech companies on five continents. A 1984 graduate of the University of Vermont, Mr. Glaser also established MBF Labs in 2004, a company for performing outsource research. In 2007, he received the “Vermont Small Business Person of the Year award” from the United States Small Business Administration, recognizing his outstanding leadership related to his company’s staying power, employee growth, increase in sales, innovative ingenuity, and contributions to the community.

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... make music, online (track #1, 2 p.m.)

• Ken Bogdanowicz (owner, Sound Toys)

Ken Bogdanowicz has been designing audio effects gear for the pro audio and music industry since 1984. He started out designing high-end studio effects for Eventide and was a principal designer of the H3000 Ultra-Harmonizer, the world's first intelligent pitch shifting device. The product quickly became a studio standard and is now considered a classic. He went on to found SoundToys in 1996 to bring creative sound processing to the world of computer-based recording. SoundToys plug-ins are now used worldwide in music production, and audio post-production for the film, television, and gaming industries.

• Elizabeth Norris (professor, Lyndon State College)

Dr. Elizabeth Norris (DMA, University of Kansas, '90) joined the faculty of Lyndon State College in August of 2002 and within a month, began serving as the Coordinator of Fine & Performing Arts.  In that position, Beth pioneered an innovative B.S. degree program in Music Business & Industry that is attracting a lot of attention from students, educators and music professionals across New England. Although she is a classically-trained musician and not a practically-trained electronics specialist, Beth is involved with exploring pedagogies that bring students into an online environment. And, she has quite a knack for discovering talented faculty who are masters with studio work and digital sound manipulation.

• Tony Gallucci (owner, WBKM.org)

Tony Gallucci is a New York native who moved to Vermont in 1987. He acquired his legal and business experience in the New York real estate market before coming to Vermont, and spent 7 years drafting and negotiating complex contracts for IBM's corporate counsel in the Essex Junction facility. He also has worked for 5 years as a Network Administrator in the public schools. Tony brings along his skills in technology, communication and business — along with his love of music and a finely tuned ear — to give WBKM the business skills it needs, and to ensure, along with business partner and fellow music lover Eric Koval, that its musical vision remains true.

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...write for the web (track #1, 10 a.m.)

• Steve Benen (political blogger, Washington Monthly)

Steve Benen is a contributing writer to the Washington Monthly. His background includes publishing The Carpetbagger Report, and writing for a variety of publications, including Talking Points Memo, The American Prospect, the Huffington Post, and The Guardian. He has also appeared on NPR's "Talk of the Nation," MSNBC's "Rachel Maddow Show," Air America Radio's "Sam Seder Show," and XM Radio's "POTUS '08."

• Penelope Wall (Web Producer, EatingWell)

Penelope Wall is a Web Producer for EatingWell Media Group in Charlotte, Vermont. She has a degree in English/Creative Writing and Studio Art from Middlebury College. Penelope started her career as a copywriter for April Cornell, a designer and manufacturer of apparel and home linens. It is there she became interested in writing for the web, since much of her time was spent writing for April Cornell’s e-commerce website and e-mail marketing campaigns. Penelope was a web content manager at Champlain College before joining EatingWell in 2007. At EatingWell, Penelope works with other producers to translate magazine and book material into web content.

• Mary Beth Redmond (journalism professor, St. Michael’s College)

Marybeth teaches converged journalism classes at St. Michael’s College (since 2003), where her students learn to report/write across print, broadcast and online media platforms. She serves as faculty adviser to the Echo, the online student magazine. Her goal is to expand student abilities in the area of multimedia storytelling, encouraging them to experiment with evolving forms. She has reported and anchored in New York and Midwestern TV markets for six years, as well as worked as media relations director and spokesperson for the Maryknoll Missioners (1999-2003), a global nonprofit organization serving in 40 developing countries. She graduated from the University of Notre Dame and received her master’s degree from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.

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... be the “CTO” (track #2, 10 a.m.)

• Nate Herzog (IS Director, JDK Design)

Nate is the Director of Information Services at JDK Design in Burlington, Vermont where he provides innovative technical solutions to design and creative challenges. He joined JDK in October of 2004. Before then he worked at MIT in Cambridge, Massachusetts in the support division of the IS/IT Department where he was a support specialist, system administrator, and technical writer. Nate received a bachelor’s degree in English literature from Bethel College, Arden Hills, MN.

• Tim Keefe (Senior Technology Consultant, Gallagher, Flynn & Company LLP)

Tim Keefe is a Microsoft certified Network Services professional. Tim has many years of experience designing, installing, configuring, and supporting computer systems and networks. He holds a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from University of Vermont and a MCSA Certification (Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator) from Microsoft Corporation.

• Ali Rafieymehr (Dean, Division of Info Technology, Champlain College)

Rafieymehr recently became the Dean of the Division of Information Technology and Sciences at Champlain College. He has served as Chair and Professor in the Department of CS and IT at Western New England College as well as an Associate Professor in the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science and Assistant Professor in the Computer Science Department at Saint Anselm College. He also worked in the computer industry for more than 20 years at organizations such as Harvard Business School, Digital Equipment Corporation, Compaq Corporation, and Avici Systems. He was awarded a fellowship by Digital Equipment Corporation to complete his doctorate in computer science at the University of Massachusetts at Lowell where he taught as an adjunct for eight years.

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... be your own boss? (track #2, 4 p.m.)

• Lee Bouyea (Managing Director, Fresh Tracks Capital)

Bouyea is a Managing Director of FreshTracks Capital, a Shelburne-based venture capital firm focused on investing in Vermont businesses. He serves on the Boards of Kluster (FKA mophie), Draker Labs and NEHP.  Lee is a native of Burlington, VT where his family owned and operated Bouyea-Fassetts Bakery for three generations. He also serves on the Board of Burlington City Arts and LCRCC’s Government Affairs Committee, and is a member of the Leadership Champlain Class of 2009.

• David Bradbury (President, Vermont Center for Emerging Technologies)

David is deeply experienced with early stage venture capital investing, economic development policy, working with entrepreneurs on technology commercialization and business formation, business growth strategies, and mergers and acquisitions. In June 2007, David was named President of the Vermont Center for Emerging Technologies (VCET), a non-profit technology business incubator in affiliation with the University of Vermont. VCET offers emerging business services statewide from facilities in Burlington and Colchester, Vermont. His blog on entrepreneurship and technology is www.TechCrib.org. Since 1998, David has operated Aggregate Capital Partners, LLC which provides entrepreneurs, senior executives and Boards with management consulting, strategic planning, private investment, and new venture development services. Previously, David has served as the Executive Director of the Vermont Institute on Government Effectiveness, Inc, as Deputy Commissioner of the Vermont Department of Economic Development and as a trader and analyst for BayBanks Capital Markets Group. David serves as Board Director, Investor or Adviser to several Vermont companies and non-profit organizations. He holds a B.S. in Business Administration from the University of Vermont and earned a M.B.A. in one-year from Babson College focusing on Entrepreneurship and Venture Finance.

• Mark Taylor (Entrepreneur & Angel Investor, North Country Angels)

Mark Taylor is the VP of Sales and Chief Marketing Officer of Venalytica, Inc., a pre-money predictive analytics startup. For over 20 years Mark has been an active member of the entrepreneurial community in New England. Previously, he was EVP of Marketing and Business Development (Interim) and current investor at ActivePrime, a leading provider of enterprise data cleansing solutions for CRM, ERP, SCM and other on-premise and on-demand applications. Mark was a member of the start-up team and the Vice President of Marketing and Business Development at RAIDCore, a RAID storage start-up, which received VC funding and was acquired by Broadcom. Before that he was Vice President of Marketing at NetSilicon (before the acquisition by Digi International) responsible for Product Marketing and Market Development. Before joining NetSilicon, other angel and VC funded startups Mark was at include Agranat Systems, Raptor Systems and Apollo Computer where he was in executive and senior marketing, market development and strategic planning roles. All three of these startups also had successful exits. Mark is a member of the North Country Angels and Granite State Angels. These groups of accredited entrepreneurial investors provide early-stage financing and seed money to emerging ventures located in New England.

• AJ Rossman (CEO & founder, Draker Labs)

AJ is a data acquisition expert and practicing solar engineer. He has an extensive background in field instrumentation and remote data acquisition. AJ has been involved with the renewable energy industry for over ten years. His company, Draker Laboratories, provides performance monitoring systems for commercial scale PV, solar thermal, passive solar, wind and other green technologies. He is currently the division chair of the Resource Applications Division of the American Solar Energy Society. AJ has Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees in Electrical Engineering. He also has earned Master’s Degrees in Geology and Environmental Science and is currently a Ph.D. candidate in Civil and Environmental Engineering at UVM. His dissertation involves numerical simulation for the optimization of hybrid PV / wind systems. AJ has taught a renewable energy engineering course for the last five years at the University of Vermont.

• R.W. Eli Moulton, III (Director, Merritt & Merritt & Moulton)

With clients ranging from small start-up ventures to public companies, Eli acts as outside general legal counsel, providing expert advice on business issues such as intellectual property protection; employment and consulting relationships; equity incentive compensation; property leases; distribution, customer and supplier relationships; etc. Private equity transactions comprise a large portion of Eli's practice — from multi-million dollar venture capital and mezzanine rounds to early-stage angel and family and friend offerings. He also has substantial experience structuring, negotiating and closing M&A transactions, including public company mergers as well as small private asset acquisitions. Eli has taught several continuing legal education classes, among them: "Choice of Legal Entity," "Representing the Small Business in Vermont" and "Mergers and Acquisitions." He is a founding board member of the Green Mountain Adventure Racing Association, the Burlington Referral Organization and the President of the Board of the Sara Holbrook Community Center.

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