The CONNECT Team

Duane J. Roth is Chief Executive Officer and member of the Board of CONNECT. CONNECT is the globally recognized public benefits organization fostering entrepreneurship in the San Diego region by assisting new business formation of technology and life sciences companies. CONNECT has been directly involved with over 1,500 companies since its inception in 1985 and these companies have secured over $10 billion in funding.

Prior to joining CONNECT; Mr. Roth founded Alliance Pharmaceutical Corp., where he currently serves as Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board. Prior to Alliance, Mr. Roth held senior management positions at Johnson & Johnson and Wyeth operating companies. He has served as a member of the Board of Directors and executive committees of the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO), the California Healthcare Institute (CHI), BIOCOM (past Chair), Deep Sky Software Inc., and SAIC-Frederick, Inc. at the National Cancer Institute.

Mr. Roth serves on a number of advisory committees and boards of the University of California, including the President’s Board on Science and Innovation, the UC San Diego Sulpizio Cardiovascular Center (past Chair), the Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, the Preuss Charter School (Chair), the California Institute for Telecommunications and Information Technology (Calit2), the Health Sciences advisory board and the UC San Diego Foundation Board of directors (past Chair). He also serves on the San Diego State University College of Business (past Chair), and the Sciences & Engineering Advisory Board. Mr. Roth is a member of the Executive Board for the California State University (CSU) Professional Science Master’s Program.

Mr. Roth is active in the San Diego community serving as co-Chair of the Regional Housing Working Group, and as a member of the Advisory Council for Math for America. Mr. Roth was appointed to the Independent Citizens Oversight Committee for the California Institute of Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) as Vice Chair by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and he also serves as a member on the Governor’s Commission for Jobs and Economic Growth. Mr. Roth is a graduate of Iowa Wesleyan College, where he serves as a trustee.

Mr. Roth has received numerous awards and recognition including Lifetime Achievement Award from San Diego’s Most Admired CEOs, Public Service Award from Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center, Service to the Biotechnology Community Award from PriceWaterhouseCoopers, Outstanding Leadership Award, from American Heart Association, and Herb Klein Civic Entrepreneur Award from San Diego Regional Economic Development Corp.

» Contact Duane J. Roth

As Staff to Duane Roth, Lauren manages correspondence and scheduling, prepares research and reports, serves as a liaison with company executives, and enforces pro-recycling behavior. She has previously worked with political and environmental campaigns and has experience at UC Santa Barbara’s Venture Acceleration Initiative and the San Diego RTA. Lauren attended UCSB for a B.A. in Global & International Studies.

» Contact Lauren Kunin

As Chief Operating Officer, Camille oversees CONNECT's 26 programs and more than 330 events. CONNECT is widely regarded as one of the world's most successful regional programs linking high-technology and life science entrepreneurs with the resources they need for success: technology, money, markets, management, partners, and support services. Forty regions around the world now use the CONNECT model. Under Camille's leadership CONNECT serves 2,000 companies, and engages 1,600 volunteers each year. More than 200 companies are now enrolled in CONNECT's flagship program Springboard, thanks to an innovative Entrepreneur-in-residence program where more than 100 successful CEOs provide hands-on mentoring. Along with life sciences and high tech the CONNECT team has launched cluster acceleration initiatives in wireless health, defense, sport innovation, and cleantech.

Camille is a co-founder and board member of CleanTECH San Diego, a co-founder and advisory board member of CONNECT Sport Innovators and co-founder and past president of the Wireless-Life Sciences Alliance. She was vice chair of CommNexus San Diego in 2007 and 2008 (formerly the San Diego Telecom Council), and a board member from 2003 to 2008. She was a board member of: La Jolla Music Society (LJMS) from 2002 to 2007, Social Venture Partners from 2003 to 2006, and on the Founder's Circle of the UCSD Preuss School from 2003 to 2006. She is past chair of UC San Diego Athena's 2007 Pinnacle Awards Nominating Committee, chair of LJMS's 2007 "Summerfest Gala", and past chair of their development and nominating committees.

In 2005 Camille received a STAR Award from the San Diego Performing Arts League. She is a recipient of the YWCA's Tribute to Women and Industry (TWIN) award and the Women Who Mean Business award from the San Diego Business Journal for achievements in advertising and was awarded Best Marketing Plan by the American Marketing Association's San Diego Chapter. Her San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce Welfare-to-Work Campaign was a national finalist for the Public Relations Society of America's Bronze Anvil Award and her advertising agency work gleaned 14 awards from the San Diego Ad Club.

Prior to CONNECT, Camille was Managing Director of Procopio Business Consulting, a subsidiary of the law firm Procopio, Cory, Hargreaves & Savitch LLP; Senior Vice President of Marketing and Public Relations for matthews/mark; Senior Vice President of Stoorza, Ziegaus & Metzger, and General Manager of the Agency's advertising division, Third Eye; and led the marketing communications division of the Canadian operations of Transamerica (Transamerica is part of the AEGON Insurance Group - headquartered in the Hague, The Netherlands and is one of the world's leading financial services and life insurance companies.)

» Contact Camille Sobrian

Teresa Rorer’s main responsibilities are to provide Executive Assistance to Camille Sobrian, Chief Operating Officer at CONNECT and to provide oversight as Office Manager. Additionally, Teresa is the Human Resources (HR) representative for the organization facilitating benefit, labor law compliance and payroll administration. Teresa has worked most recently as an Executive Assistant at SYS Technologies and Advanced Marketing Services and has over 15 years of experience in Human Resources. Teresa is certified through San Diego State University as an HR professional and has worked as an HR Manager with Chessie Computer Services, Inc., a division of CSX Railroad in Baltimore Maryland and Nicholas-Applegate Capital Management located in downtown San Diego.

» Contact Teresa Rorer

Moya Gollaher’s career in management, marketing and sales has spanned the venture capital, publishing, technology and cable television industries.

Prior to joining Enterprise Partners Venture Capital in 2004, Moya was Microsoft's general manager for MSN Sidewalk, an online city guide with editions in 12 major U.S. and international markets. Moya also worked for 14 years with Cox Communications in San Diego, directing advertising sales, marketing and programming initiatives where she received an NCTA Cable ACE award for excellence in documentary programming. Earlier in her career, Moya worked in account management at Young & Rubicam and in paperback book publishing with CBS Publishing.

Moya earned a B.A. in architecture and art history from Yale University and an M.B.A. in marketing from Columbia University. Moya also studied at the Université Paris, Sorbonne, and at Sophia University in Tokyo. She has served on the boards of the San Diego Software Industry Council, the San Diego Regional Technology Alliance and San Diego Hospice.

» Contact Moya Gollaher

Jessie manages CONNECT’s public policy committee and associated efforts. She also manages CONNECT’s fundraising efforts and assists in identifying business growth opportunities. Previously, Jessie worked for Senator Feinstein in her Washington D.C. office on health legislation and Senator Barbara Boxer’s regional office with housing and environmental affairs. She also has prior experience with Federal Court Judge John A. Houston working on drug and border/immigration cases. Jessie recently earned her BA in Political Science from UC San Diego.

» Contact Jessie Womble

Karen Winston leads the execution of CONNECT’s affiliate programs, including the San Diego MIT Enterprise Forum and the Wireless Life Sciences Alliance. She also serves in the role of executive director for these programs and is responsible for board and committee meetings, all event management, membership, sponsorship, website, marketing, and strategic partnerships.

Karen has more than 20 years experience in marketing and public relations, including 12 years as a marketing consultant.  Her clients and past employers were primarily lawyers, accountants, insurance agents and other professional services in San Diego.  Karen is presently a member of WITI and Business Network International.  She has a BS in Communications and Sociology from UC San Diego.

» Contact Karen Winston

Ruprecht von Buttlar directs the execution and development of: the Springboard program and the Entrepreneur-in-residence program. . Springboard, CONNECT’s flagship program, assists innovators and entrepreneurs with the definition of a compelling commercialization strategy through mentoring by seasoned, C-level executives – CONNECT’s Entrepreneurs-in-Residence (EIRs). Under Ruprecht’s guidance these four programs have experienced continuing and rapid improvement. Since 2005, 118 companies have completed the Springboard process and 75% of these companies are still in operation as of December 2008. These companies have raised over $ 110 Million in seed-, venture- and debt financing.

Prior to CONNECT, Ruprecht held global chief executive, general management and business development positions in the Internet and communications industries with companies including Motorola, DSC Communications (Alcatel), Nortel Networks and Scientific Atlanta. Ruprecht has a BS in Industrial Engineering from the University of Hamburg and a MBA from Loyola College in Maryland.

» Contact Ruprecht von Buttlar

Steve’s responsibilities include managing the Springboard and Aviation and Aerospace Initiative programs as well as CONNECT-track.  

Steve previously worked as a research assistant at the Harvard Business School, examining technological innovation in the semiconductor industry and models of effective senior management decision-making and action planning. Prior to joining CONNECT he served as an engagement manager for Oliver Wyman in New York and Europe.  While at Oliver Wyman, he specialized in the financial services industry practice.  Steve holds a PhD from UC San Diego and a MBA from Oxford University where he conducted research on emerging business model strategies in the biotech industry.

» Contact Steven Hoey

Taylor Peterson oversees CONNECT’s Sport Innovators and Defense programs, Entrepreneur Hall of Fame Awards, Connect with CONNECT, Financial Forum and Deal Network. Taylor previously was the Director of Sponsorships and Special Events for the San Diego International Sports Council, working closely with the San Diego Chargers and Padres. Prior to that, Taylor spent several years in the publishing industry, most recently with the San Diego Business Journal. She was a committee chairperson for the National Defense Industrial Association's Annual Gold Coast Conference three years in a row; working closely with the U.S. Navy personnel; and is an active committee member of the annual Taste at the Cove event put on by the San Diego Sports Medicine Foundation. Taylor holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the Academy of Art University in San Francisco.

» Contact Taylor Peterson

Bethany is responsible for the overall management and direction of CONNECT’s scientific programs including the Research & Innovation Summit, Frontiers in Science, Technology & Medicine and Stem Cell on the Mesa. She also oversees the FrameWorks Workshops and the CEO Strategy Forum. Since joining CONNECT in 2005, she has been involved with several programs, including: the Most Innovative New Product (MIP) Awards, the Entrepreneur Hall of Fame, and Connect with CONNECT. Bethany also ran the Tech Coast Angels and the MIT Enterprise Forum, both Affiliate Programs of CONNECT.

Prior to becoming a Program Director, Bethany spent several years working in the hospitality industry, where she was general manager of a restaurant in downtown San Diego. She holds a BA in Studio Art from Gettysburg College in Pennsylvania.

» Contact Bethany Kraynack

Linda manages CONNECT’s Frameworks Workshops and provides program management for the San Diego Tech Coast Angels. She is a graduate of San Diego State University in Hospitality and Tourism Management with an emphasis in Attractions, Events and Conventions.

» Contact Linda Wells

As Program Manager within the Community Program team, Nancy strategically manages and executes all facets of CONNECT’s Most Innovative New Product (MIP) Awards.  

Nancy brings to CONNECT experience from BioSpace in San Francisco where she held positions as manager of national sales support and product manager, at Volpe, Brown, Whelan and Company, also in San Francisco, where she was department coordinator for mergers and acquisitions, and The Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla where she worked as a research technician in the department of immunology. Nancy has a BS in Biology from the University of San Diego.

» Contact Nancy van Dillen

Garrett is the assistant to the Executive Chairman Bill Walton of CONNECT Sports & Entertainment Innovators (SEI). Garrett will focus on assisting Bill Walton in gaining new sponsors & members to help CONNECT SEI grow as an organization thus making Southern California the place to be for sports & entertainment industry. Prior to CONNECT, Garrett worked in the hospitality industry as a catering & sales manager for a small boutique hotel in San Diego. Garrett attended SMU in Dallas, Texas and graduated with a B.A. in Public Policy & Business Economics.

» Contact Garrett Hale

Laura aides in the facilitation of all CONNECT’s programs, but specifically focuses on the implementation of the San Diego MIT Enterprise Forum.

Laura is currently a student at San Diego State University where she studies Hospitality and Tourism Management with an emphasis in Event and Meeting Operations and will graduate in May of 2011.

» Contact Laura Parsons

Madelaine aides in the facilitation of all CONNECT’s programs, but specifically focuses on the logistics with the San Diego MIT Enterprise Forum. She recently moved to San Diego after graduating college from the University of Washington. She graduated with a B.A. in Communications and a minor in Political Science. She has previous experience with event planning in the nonprofit field from working with Wellspring Family Services in Seattle.

» Contact Madelaine Holden

Leigh serves as the intake for CONNECT Springboard. Prior to Springboard, Leigh worked for two years as a research assistant in the Lupus Clinic at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. As the research assistant, she coordinated and managed several lupus studies for the clinic. During college, she also interned in Business Development at the Burnham Institute for Medical Research and as a research assistant at The Salk Institute. Leigh holds a BA in Biochemistry from Harvard University.

» Contact Leigh Fritz