Moderator

Ira S. Weiss, '01

Visiting Assistant Professor of Accounting
University of Chicago Graduate School of Business

Ira S. Weiss, ’01,is the managing director of Hyde Park Angels and is a professor at Chicago GSB. He is also the managing director of RK Ventures. Weiss is the chairman of the board of Bidshift, a portfolio company of RK Ventures, and is a director of Orly’s Treehouse. At RK Ventures, Weiss has lead investments in energy technology, healthcare, and biotech, and is actively involved in each company funded by RK Ventures.

Ira has also taught at Columbia Business School, and in his academic work, he has published on valuation issues of earnings, and on tax and accounting regulation. Weiss has also worked as an economic consultant specializing in tax and corporate financial strategies, for Coopers and Lybrand. 

Ira received both his MBA and PhD from Chicago GSB. 

Laura Pearl , ‘88

Managing Director
Ceres Venture Fund

Laura Pearl, ’88, cofounded Ceres Venture Fund in 2005 to make early-stage investments in Midwestern companies.  Ceres specializes in the areas of information technology, healthcare, and business services.

Prior to Ceres, Pearl spent more than 20 years with Frontenac Company, a leading Chicago-based private equity firm, where she served as a managing director, overseeing investments in healthcare services, business services, retail, and manufacturing.  Pearl served on nine boards in connection with Frontenac portfolio investments including Levy Restaurants, Platinum Entertainment, Whitehall Jewellers, Homex Healthcare Corporation, Genderm Corporation, O.N.E., Inc. and Apex Specialty Materials. Prior to Frontenac, Pearl spent four years at the national and Chicago offices of Ernst & Young. Pearl has served on the Polsky Center Entrepreneurship Advisory Board at Chicago GSB and is on the board of the Illinois Venture Capital Association.

Pearl received a BS in Accountancy from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and an MBA from Chicago GSB.

Matthew B. McCall

Cofounder and Managing Director
Draper Fisher Jurvetson Portage Venture Partners and Portage Venture Partner

Matthew McCall is a cofounder and managing director of Draper Fisher Jurvetson Portage Venture Partners and Portage Venture Partners. McCall is responsible for managing the firm’s investments in EverDream, Feedburner, Imago Scientific, Lefthand Networks, Siimpel, and TicketsNow.

McCall has served on the advisory board to the Mayor’s Council of Technology Advisors in Chicago, as well as on numerous other regional, high-technology advisory boards. McCall is a board member of the Illinois Venture Capital Association. He is the author of the popular venture blog, VCConfidential.com.  He serves on the Kellogg Alumni Advisory Board, Northwestern McCormick MMM Advisory Board and ITEC-UIC (Illinois Technology Enterprise Corporation), a University of Illinois-sponsored state funded incubator.

He has been honored by Crain's Chicago Business on its annual “40 under 40” list of leading Chicagoans under the age of 40. He has also been named as one of top 100 most prominent members of Chicago's technology community. He has keynoted or been a panelist at over 50 area conferences and events nationwide. He is a founder & trustee of the McCall Family Foundation, focused on improving early childhood development in Chicago’s disadvantaged communities as well as encouraging entrepreneurship in Chicago’s youth.

Previous to 1995, McCall worked in the Boston Consulting Group’s Chicago office, where he managed consulting and client teams on projects in the telecommunications, health-care, and financial services industries. During and after college, McCall worked for Bankers Trust in Merchant Banking as well as at Merrill Lynch and U.S. Trust.

McCall holds a BA in economics and history from Williams College and an MBA from Northwestern University’s J.L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management. He also holds a MA in manufacturing management from Northwestern University’s McCormick School of Engineering.

Jim Kopczynski, ‘04

Senior Associate
Dunrath Capital

Jim Kopczynski, ’04, joined Dunrath Capital as a senior associate in 2004.  He is actively involved with all of Dunrath’s portfolio companies and serves as a formal observer or board member for Critical Signal Technologies, Exadigm, and Quantum Secure. 

Prior to Dunrath, Kopczynski was an analyst at a Chicago-based merchant bank.  Previously, Kopczynski was a founding employee of FOB, Inc., a venture-backed company that operated industry-specific subsidiaries that leveraged a demand aggregation technology for raw material procurement.  FOB, Inc. is currently doing business as MSDSonline.  Kopczynski began his career at Andersen Consulting.

Kopczynski graduated from Miami University in Ohio, and received his MBA from Chicago GSB.

Moderator

Scott Meadow

Associate Partner, Edgewater Growth Capital Partners and
Clinical Professor of Entrepreneurship, Chicago GSB

Scott Meadow is an Associate Partner of Edgewater Growth Capital Partners. Prior to joining Edgewater and since 1982, Scott has been a principal investor in the private equity industry. Scott has over 20 years experience as a General Partner, most recently with the Sprout Group, the Private Equity affiliate of CSFB. Over the course of his career, Scott has approved hundreds of equity financings and has personally led or originated more than 60 investments. Scott has been recognized four times by Venture One as one of the outstanding Healthcare Investors in the industry.

Since 2000, Scott has held the position of Clinical Professor of Entrepreneurship at Chicago GSB where he was awarded the 2002, 2003, 2004, and 2005 Phoenix Prize, and was designated twice by BusinessWeek’s “Guide to the Best Business Schools” as one of the 10 outstanding entrepreneurial professors in the country.

Professor Meadow earned a BA in history and literature from Harvard College, and received an MBA from the Harvard Business School.

Jack J. Klobnak

Founder, Laser Vision Centers

John J. (Jack) Klobnak founded Laser Vision Centers, Inc. in 1986 as MarketVision, a medical marketing company that he later repositioned as the world’s first corporate Lasik surgery provider. The company operated eye surgery centers in the United States and Canada as well as in several markets across Europe.

Klobnak was the chairman and CEO of Laser Vision Centers when he merged the firm with TLCVision in 2001. At the time of the merger, Klobnak’s company was the world’s largest provider of refractive eye surgery, with roughly twelve percent worldwide market share. In 1999, Klobnak was named Healthcare Entrepreneur of the Year by Ernst and Young, USA Today, and CNN.

Subsequent to his retirement, Klobnak is a strategic partner of SV Life Sciences Fund, one of the world’s largest healthcare venture capital firms. Klobnak is also currently involved in Dr. Tattoff, a laser tattoo removal company based in Beverly Hills, CA.

Klobnak currently resides in Creve Coeur, Missouri with his wife, Valerie, and daughter, Emma. He received a BA from Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville in 1973.

Peter Shannon, '05

Associate, Atlas Venture

Peter Shannon, ’05, is an associate at Atlas Venture, a global venture capital firm focused on investing in technology and life science businesses. 

Before joining Atlas in 2005, Shannon was an MBA student at Chicago GSB.  Prior to business school, Shannon was vice president of technology at Browz Group, a company he advised throughout start-up, which provides supply chain verification services to large industrial companies.  Shannon led the company's software development group as it developed products to serve clients’ complex needs.  Prior to joining Browz Group, Shannon was a technology consultant to Bank of America, Sprint, and Orbitz.

As an undergraduate, Shannon cofounded Eye Response, Inc., a company that pioneered computer eye tracking systems.  He received a U.S. Patent for his inventions and drove commercialization of the technology for applications aiding quadriplegics.

Shannon holds an MBA from Chicago GSB and a BS in systems engineering from the University of Virginia.   

Owen Shapiro

Principal, Leo J. Shapiro & Associates

Owen Shapiro began his career at LJS in 1984 as an assistant project manager.  Over the years, he gained considerable experience conducting research on behalf of clients in a wide range of industries.  Shapiro has a unique ability to spot and evaluate new trends and start-up businesses, a skill that he applies to conducting due diligence research on behalf of the venture capital community.  Shapiro also specializes in brand development and positioning research, and behavior and attitude research for the retail industry.

Shapiro is a regular guest lecturer at Chicago GSB on survey research methods and market research. In addition to his work at LJS, he has completed original work on survey research methods at the National Opinion Research Center, a social science research institute that is affiliated with the University of Chicago.

Shapiro holds an MBA from Chicago GSB, with a concentration in Behavioral Sciences, an MA in social sciences from the University of Chicago, where he received advanced training in survey research methods and statistical analysis, as well as a BA in Political Science from Reed College.

Moderator

Ellen A. Rudnick, '73

Executive Director of the Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Clinical Professor of Entrepreneurship, University of Chicago GSB

Ellen Rudnick, ’73, currently serves as Executive Director and Clinical Professor of the Michael P. Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship at the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business.

Prior to this appointment, she spent twenty-five years in business management and entrepreneurial activities, primarily in the healthcare industry. Ellen cofounded and served as chairman of Pacific Biometrics, a medical diagnostics company (1993-1999); was president of HCIA and CEO of its predecessor company, Healthcare Knowledge Resources, both healthcare information service companies (1990-1992); and held the positions corporate vice president of Baxter Healthcare, president and founder of Baxter Management Services Division, and director of Strategic Planning for Baxter (1975-1990).

Ellen received an MBA from Chicago GSB and a BA from Vassar College. Her governance experience includes:  Liberty Mutual Insurance, Patterson Companies (PDCO), First Midwest Bank (FMBI) and Health Management Systems (HMSY). She has previously served on the boards of Oxford Health Plans, NCCI, and NephRx.  She also serves on the Evanston Northwestern Healthcare Foundation Board. She has also been a venture partner for Inroads Capital.

Mark F. Thomann

CEO, River West Brands LLC

Mark F. Thomann is the Chief Executive Officer of River West Brands, LLC, a brand acquisition and redevelopment company. Prior to RWB, Thomann served as a managing director with I|C|M|B Ocean Tomo, as head of corporate finance, with a focus on M&A in the intellectual property area.

Thomann was founder and president of the 363 Group, a Chicago-based firm that provides consulting services to distressed companies facing financial restructuring and bankruptcy. Prior to founding The 363 Group, Thomann was a senior consultant with the turnaround-consulting firm, Development Specialists, Inc.

Thomann also serves as a director of Selective Beauty Brands LLC, Reserve Brands Inc., Coleco Holdings LLC, Brim Holdings LLC, and former chairman of the Contributions Committee of Make-A-Wish Foundation of Illinois. He is a member of the Turnaround Management Association and the American Bankruptcy Institute.

Thomann received a BA from the College of The Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts.

Bruce Barron

Principal and Cofounder,
Origin Ventures

Bruce N. Barron is a principal and cofounder of Origin Ventures.   He serves on the Boards of Directors of ifbyphone, Experiencia, ClaimForce and Applied NeuroSolutions, Inc., (OTC BB: APNS).  He also served as CEO of APNS from 1995-2004, and as chairman of the board from 1999 to 2006. 
 
Since 1985, Barron has been involved in the management of several start-up companies. He served as president/chairman CEO and/or CFO, from time to time, of the following companies: Gynex Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (sold in 1993 to what is now known as Savient Pharmaceuticals), Pharmatec Inc. (merged with Pharmos Corp. in 1992) and Xtramedics, Inc. (merged with Athena Medical Corp. in 1994). Bruce assisted in guiding these entrepreneurial, public companies through their early stages to their ultimate sales or mergers with larger companies.
 
Barron earned his CPA certificate, and his BS degree in accounting from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1977.

Alex Campbell

Cofounder and CEO, Vibes Media

In 1998, at the age of 22, Alex Campbell cofounded Vibes Media with his childhood friend Jack Philbin.  The two cofounders who grew up in New Canaan, CT, started their company in a one-bedroom apartment in Chicago’s Wrigleyville neighborhood. 

Since 1998, Vibes has grown into the largest and most profitable mobile marketing and technology company in the United States.  Vibes is an interactive mobile marketing and technology company that uses messaging to help clients in a range of industries directly interact with their customers. The company was ranked number ninety-two on the Inc 500, a listing of the 500 fastest growing private companies in the United States.  After 5 years of profitable triple- digit-growth, the company sits firmly at the top of a rapidly expanding industry.  The company currently employs more than 60 people and has revenues of about $10 million.

Campbell is a classic entrepreneur who believes that a business should grow organically from revenue rather than rely on outside venture money.  His philosophy was tested during the dot-com days when venture capitalists were constantly knocking on Vibes’ door.  Campbell chose not to waste time looking for venture money and instead concentrated on finding clients who wanted to pay for Vibes’ products and services.  This philosophy paid off when the market took a turn for the worse in 2001 killing off most non-profitable venture backed companies.  Since Vibes had real clients who were producing real revenue, the company actually prospered during this time and has been growing exponentially ever since.

Campbell is an expert in non-traditional and mobile marketing and is a frequent speaker at advertising, marketing, and technology trade shows.  He has been quoted in many print publications including INC Magazine, The New York Times, and Chicago Tribune.  Campbell received a BS from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania

Wayne Rothschild

Presidient and Cofounder, Neat-Oh! International, LLC

Wayne Rothschild, president and cofounder of Neat-Oh! International, LLC (NOI) is an accomplished senior executive, businessman, and engineer. As an inventor on more than 60 pending and issued patents, which have generated more than $4B in revenues, he has consistently invented highly successful break-through products that have caused dramatic changes to industries.  Rothschild has both Fortune 100 and start-up experience.

Before founding NOI, he was a senior product development executive and developed hundreds of products for Kraft Foods, General Binding, and WMS Gaming. Rothschild was a key manager, who helped grow WMS Gaming from a few employees and negligible revenues into an industry leader with a market value now exceeding one billion dollars. At NOI, Rothschild has assembled a highly qualified and experienced staff to create another high growth company focused on creating products that make it fun to be neat.  NOI launched its products in February 2006, and its products are now distributed in more than 30 countries. Since launch, NOI has been honored with more than a dozen major awards, including the Governor’s Innovate Illinois award.

With Rothschild’s experience in product development, manufacturing, intellectual property and licensing, he has developed and published a partnership and commercialization business model that maximizes the utilization of intellectual property.

Rothschild holds an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University and a BS in mechanical engineering from the University of Texas at Austin.

Moderator

Waverly Deutsch, PhD

Clinical Professor of Entrepreneurship, University of Chicago GSB

Professor Deutsch teaches "Building the New Venture" and coaches the New Venture Challenge business plan competition at Chicago GSB. She recently won the 2005 USASBE Pedagogy Award. She founded WaveWords Consulting, a strategic consultancy for growth companies and start-up ventures that provides business planning, strategic positioning, and marketing services.
Professor Deutsch previously held the position of managing director at NetFuel Ventures, a leading Chicago-based venture services company focused on launching successful technology companies. She spent seven years with Forrester Research, is a frequent speaker on entrepreneurship, and serves on the board of advisors for several start-ups.

She holds a BS in computer science from the University of Pittsburgh and earned her PhD at Tufts University.

Sol Kanthack

President and CEO, brightroom, Inc.

As a cofounder of brightroom, Sol Kanthack is responsible for business development, identifying and forging strategic alliances, and day-to-day business operations. Kanthack has several years of sales, marketing, and financial experience with notable firms such as Merrill Lynch, Goldman Sachs, and J.P. Morgan and brings early-stage business development experience from the corporate side at Flyswat, a software company acquired by NBC, and from the private equity world evaluating investment opportunities with Trident Capital during business school.

Outside of the office, Kanthack is both an avid runner and photographer. Kanthack received a BBA in Finance from Texas Christian University and an MBA from Chicago GSB with the Dean's Award of Distinction and degree concentrations in accounting, entrepreneurship, and finance.

Mark A. Leahy , ‘89

Partner, Fenwick & West LLP

Mark A. Leahy, ’89, is a partner in the Corporate Group of Fenwick & West LLP, a law firm specializing in high technology matters. Fenwick & West is headquartered in Mountain View, CA. Leahy advises high technology companies, including software, telecommunications, semiconductor, and other electronics companies.

His practice includes start-up counseling, venture capital financings, public offerings, public company disclosure counseling, mergers and acquisitions, and joint ventures.

Leahy represents a wide range of high technology companies, ranging from privately held start-ups to publicly traded companies. Among the clients he has represented are Donnerwood Media, Inc., Intuit Inc., Novariant, Inc., Nuance Communications, Inc., Omneon Video Networks, Inc., OQO, Inc., SpectraLink Corporation, Synopsys, Inc., and Transmeta Corporation.

Leahy is a member of the State Bar of California. He received his BS in industrial engineering in 1983 from Stanford University. He received his JD and MBA in 1989 from Chicago GSB.  Leahy worked as an engineer prior to attending law school.

Jordan Dolin

Cofounder and Vice Chairman, Emmi Solutions

Jordan Dolin is the co-founder and vice chairman of Emmi Solutions, a Chicago-based healthcare information technology company that produces and distributes a series of patient education programs called Emmi.  Dolin is a seasoned entrepreneur and business professional with over 20 years of experience starting and running companies.  

The company has raised over $15 million dollars in investment capital. Emmi Solutions continues to grow, with revenues increasing 100% between 2004 and 2005, and 300% between 2005 and 2006. The programs are in use at many of the nations leading healthcare institutions.

Dolin is an expert in healthcare communications and has authored numerous articles on the topic. His company has been covered by multiple publications including a feature in the Wall Street Journal. He is also quite active in the entrepreneurial community, advising numerous businesses.  Before founding Emmi, Dolin was vice president of marketing for Cognitor, an artificial intelligence software vendor. Prior to Cognitor, he was CEO of the Psychographic Design Group.

Dolin holds a BA in marketing from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a MA from Northwestern University’s Integrated Marketing and Communications program. Dolin has worked with multiple charitable organizations including the Leukemia Research Foundation, the National Gauchers Foundation, the Juvenile Diabetes Association, Aids Project Los Angeles, and the Howard Brown Memorial Clinic. Jordan is also a member of the Economic Club of Chicago.

Mike Moyer, '04

President and COO, Cappex.com LLC.

Mike Moyer, ’04, is currently the president and COO of Cappex.com, a Web site that help students find the right college. Moyer has held a variety of start-up positions including: founder of BlipNut.com, LLC (recently launched); vice president of brand strategy for Workhorse Custom Chassis (joined in 4th year, sold to International Trucks in 2005); president and founder of Vicarious Communication, Inc., a company that helped small businesses partner with suppliers to market directly to consumers; director of online communications for RealNetworks (joined in 4th year); director of direct marketing and customer relations for Bissell, Inc. (established ecommerce programs), and New Venture Development at Brierley & Partners (established client/agency joint ventures).

Moderator

Linda Darragh

Director of Entrepreneurship Programs and Adjunct Professor of Entrepreneurship, University of Chicago GSB

Linda Darragh’s focus at Chicago GSB includes developing new programs and curriculum on behalf of the Hamer Small Business Initiative. Darragh teaches “New Venture and Small Enterprise,” a lab class that brings together GSB students and local small businesses. Darragh is also a faculty director for the New Venture Challenge business plan competition.

Prior to coming to Chicago GSB, Darragh was an assistant clinical professor of entrepreneurship at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. Her experience ranges from vice president at Chicago’s Women’s Business Development Center, where she counseled and trained hundreds of entrepreneurs, to founding and facilitating the Ceres Venture Fund for women investors. Darragh sits on the boards of the Chicagoland Entrepreneurial Center, Learning Point Associates, the Illinois IT Association, and Accion Chicago.

Darragh received her BA from Queens University in 1976, and her MSc (PI) from the University of Toronto in 1978.

Nicole Loftus

President and CEO, Zorch International

A specialist in branded merchandise, Nicole Loftus launched Zorch International, a singular brand placement agency, with the intent of revolutionizing the $16 billion promotional products market. In its first two years, the innovative supply chain model has been embraced by a roster of Fortune 500 marketers and top-tier brands.

An active participant in Chicago business, Loftus has been featured as a Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce "Future Business Champion," and works with the Chicagoland Entrepreneurial Center supported by Illinois Governor Blagojevich. At Mayor Daley's request, she recently acted as a "Principal for a Day" at a Chicago public school.

Before opening the Zorch doors in 2002, Loftus was named “Region Manager of the Year” in 2000 and “Best Performance Against Forecast” in 2001 while working with Corporate Express Promotional Marketing. Her professional experience has ranged from strategic and financial planning to sales and sales management, often interfacing with the highest levels of executive management at corporations such as Bank One, ABN AMRO, AT&T, Apple Computer Inc., Kimberly-Clark, Visa, Chevron-Texaco, and others.

Loftus delivers solid experience in brand management, new business development and acquisition, account management, and territory management. Zorch International is the culmination of her varied professional experience, her creative worldview, and her love of a good challenge.

Laurel J. Delaney

Founder, Global TradeSource, Ltd.

Laurel Delaney is a successful entrepreneur, speaker, educator and author with over 20 years of global business experience.  She runs Global TradeSource, Ltd. (online arm: GlobeTrade.com) and LaurelDelaney.com, Chicago-based firms specializing in international entrepreneurship.

The United States Small Business Administration has recognized Delaney as a world-renowned global small business expert by naming her the “Illinois Exporter of the Year.”  She is the author of “Start and Run a Profitable Exporting Business,” as well as numerous articles that have appeared in international and scholarly publications such as The Wall Street Journal and The Conference Board. She is also the global business columnist for Entrepreneur magazine.

Delaney produces a monthly e-zine called Borderbuster and is the creator of three blogs:  Escape From Corporate America, Women Presidents’ Organization Chicago Chapter and the Global Small Business Blog, which Technorati ranks 279,677 among 72 million blogs.

In addition, she serves as the Chicago chapter facilitator for the Women Presidents’ Organization, is a Governing Body member of ATHENAPowerLink and was recently named “Business 100” in the 2006 Irish American Magazine, a distinction that celebrates the entrepreneurial and business success of Irish-Americans.

Delaney holds an MBA from the Lake Forest Graduate School of Management.

Moderator

Robert Gertner

Wallace W. Booth Professor of Economics and Strategy, University of Chicago GSB

Professor Gertner teaches Workshop in the Theory of Organizations, Competitive Strategy, Social Entrepreneurship, and Strategic Investment Decisions. His research concentrates on applied game theory, competitive strategy, resource allocation in organizations, corporate bankruptcy, and law and economics.

Professor Gertner graduated from Princeton University in economics and holds a PhD from Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Sandee Kastrul

President and Cofounder, i.c. stars

Sandee Kastrul is president and cofounder of i.c.stars, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to transforming the lives of Chicago’s inner-city young adults between the ages of 18 and 27 by preparing them for careers in technology. i.c.stars provides a four-month training boot camp in leadership technology and business with follow up services throughout the individuals career.  Kastrul has been with i.c.stars since it’s founding, establishing its simulation-based educational model. 

Kastrul has been working in education for the past fifteen years focusing on cross-curricular integration strategies, diversity training, and curriculum development. She implemented a professional development program with Harold Washington College Career Center and designed a comprehensive science and civics interactive program for GED students at Jobs for Youth.  She was also a consultant for the Illinois Resource Center providing School Corporations with diversity training and cross-cultural teaching methodologies throughout Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin.   Kastrul currently serves on the board of directors of CTCNet and remains connected with the performance art community in Chicago.

Susan Longworth Alnaqib, '03

Co-President, Chicago Community Ventures

Susan Longworth Alnaqib, ’03, is co-president of Chicago Community Ventures a community development finance institution providing financing and advisory services to small businesses located in Chicago's underserved markets.  As such, Alnaqib is responsible for CCV's fundraising and marketing strategy. She has raised over $3 million for the organization through investments, donations and the implementation of new earned income strategies. She also oversees the delivery of client services and the development of strategic initiatives.

Prior to joining CCV, Alnaqib worked as an analyst with a venture capital firm in London, and provided business-planning consulting to start-up organizations in Chicago. Alnaqib has also worked for the Lions Clubs International Foundation where she managed over $20 million in public health projects in Africa and the Middle East, and for Zonta International where she tripled programmatic impacts as Director of Foundation Programs and Administration.