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 3,000 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 Chairman of the Board. Prior to Alliance, he 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) and BIOCOM (past Chair).

Mr. Roth was appointed to the Independent Citizens Oversight Committee for the California Institute of Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) in 2006 by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, and was elected Vice Chairman in 2009. He also serves as a member on the Governor's Commission for Jobs and Economic Growth. He is a member of the Board of Directors of SAIC-Frederick, Inc., the contractor to 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 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 boards. Mr. Roth is a member of the Executive Board for the California State University (CSU) Professional Science Masters Program.

Mr. Roth is active in the San Diego community serving as co-Chair of the Affordable Housing Working Group, a member of the Advisory Council for Math for America, Chairman of the Founders Circle of the UC San Diego Preuss Charter School, and co-Chair of the advisory board to the National Conflict Resolution Center. Mr. Roth earned a B.S. from Iowa Wesleyan College, where he served as a trustee.

» Contact Duane J. Roth

Camille Saltman, President

Camille Saltman is President and a board member of CONNECT. CONNECT has assisted in the formation and development of more than 3,000 companies in the San Diego region and is widely regarded as one of the world's most successful organizations linking inventors and entrepreneurs with the resources they need for commercialization of innovative products in high tech and life sciences. The program has been modeled in more than 50 regions around the world—most recently in New York City, Bogotá, Colombia and Saudi Arabia. Key to CONNECT's success has been the unique "culture of collaboration" between research organizations, capital sources, professional service providers and the established industries. CONNECT has been recognized by Time, Inc. and Entrepreneur magazines and last year received the 2010 Innovation in Economic Development Award from the U.S. Department of Commerce for creation of Regional Innovation Clusters. CONNECT manages the San Diego Innovation Hub (iHub) designated by the state of California Governor's Office of Economic Development in 2010.  

Over her 30 year career Camille has held a wide range of senior management roles including CEO of an advertising and public relations agency, a healthcare advocate and the head of the marketing communications divisions of several major corporations. Originally a journalist and author, she writes and speaks frequently on the topics of innovation and marketing. 

Camille is a board member of the La Jolla Playhouse, the New Children's Museum, and the International Commercialization Alliance and a Medallion Society Member of the La Jolla Music Society.  She is a past vice chair and board member of CommNexus San Diego,  and a co-founder and former board member of CleanTECH San Diego, SD Sport Innovators and Wireless-Life Sciences Alliance and a past board member of La Jolla Music Society and San Diego Social Venture Partners. 

In 2005 Camille received the 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.

» Contact Camille Saltman

Richard Duncan, Office Manager

Lauren Kunin, Manager, Business Development & Executive Assistant to the CEO

Lauren manages the creation and production of print and digital media for CONNECT. Prior to CONNECT, Lauren was a Graphic Designer and Production Coordinator for the San Diego Zoo and Wild Animal Park. She also brings to CONNECT experience from BIOCOM and Neyenesch Printers. Lauren holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Graphic Communication with an emphasis in Design Reproduction Technology from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo.

» Contact Lauren Panetta

Caroline assists with scheduling for the CEO, Duane Roth, as well as supporting the Business Development Manager, Lauren Kunin. She graduated from the University of Southern California with a B.A. in Communication and a minor in Marketing.

» Contact Caroline Donegan

Timothy Tardibono is CONNECT's Vice President of Public Policy & Chief Counsel. Timothy has an extensive background in both law and policy. He most recently served as Legal Counsel to U.S. Senator, Tom Coburn, from Oklahoma. In his role as counsel, Timothy handled a host of issues, including technology policy, intellectual property, trade, telecom, antitrust, workforce development, drug policy and constitutional law. He staffed the Senator through two Supreme Court confirmations and assisted him with his committee assignments on the Senate Judiciary Committee, Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee, and the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committees.

Prior to joining the Senator, Timothy served as Assistant General Counsel for the Oklahoma State Health Department. Timothy litigated and negotiated settlements in consumer protection and public health cases. He also served as counsel to numerous advisory boards providing them legal and policy advice. He also drafted, reviewed and revised regulations from various divisions within the department.

His route to the Health Department was a familiar one since he served in the administration of Oklahoma Governor, Frank Keating, as Policy Analyst to Keating's Health and Human Services Cabinet Secretary. The HHS Cabinet was the largest Cabinet Secretariat and included agencies tasked with overseeing everything from public health to social services to healthcare funding.

Timothy has not only served in government but was also an elected official serving as City Councilman in Bethany, Oklahoma for one term before moving to Washington, D.C. He also taught at the college level as an adjunct professor of Business Law and American Federal Government. Timothy holds a B.S in History from Oklahoma Christian University and an M.A. In Public Policy and J.D. from Regent University. He is admitted to practice law in Oklahoma and before the U.S. Supreme Court.

» Contact Timothy Tardibono

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 B.A. in Political Science from UC San Diego.

» Contact Jessie Womble

Ruprecht von Buttlar is the Director, Business Creation & Development. He directs the execution and development of the Springboard program and the Entrepreneur-in-residence program, the Nearsourcing Roundtable program as well as Capital Access programs, including CONNECT Venture Roundtables and Deal Network. Ruprecht serves on the executive boards of CCAT (Center for Commercialization of Advanced Technologies), San Diego Advanced Defense Technology cluster and the Biomimicry BRIDGE.

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 leadership, Springboard has become an internationally renowned business creation program. Since 2005, more than 200 companies have completed the Springboard process and over 50% of these companies are still in operation as of June 2011. These companies have raised over $ 232 Million in seed-, venture- and debt financing and have created nearly 800 jobs in San Diego.

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, Scientific Atlanta and Aegis Broadband.

Ruprecht has a B.S. in Industrial Engineering from the University of Hamburg and a M.B.A. from Loyola College in Maryland.

» Contact Ruprecht von Buttlar

Steve's responsibilities include managing the Springboard Program and Nearsourcing Roundtable program as well as project leader of the CONNECT Innovation Report, The San Diego Innovation Assets Report and the Southern California Nexus of Innovation White Paper. Steve is a frequent speaker and writer on San Diego's innovation economy.

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 a senior 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 Ph.D. from UC San Diego and an M.B.A. from Oxford University where he conducted research on emerging business model strategies in the biotech industry.

» Contact Steven Hoey

Woo-Jin researches and analyzes content for the CONNECT Innovation Report and helps coordinate CONNECT's Springboard and Junior Entrepreneur programs. Before joining CONNECT, he served as Director of Community Relations/Policy Advisor for County Supervisor Ron Roberts, worked as Labor Relations Officer for the City of San Diego, and as a Policy/Budget Analyst for San Diego City Council President Scott Peters. Woo-Jin is part of the inaugural class of the Herb Klein Leadership Foundation and serves on the board of directors for A Reason to Survive (ARTS). He is a member of LEAD San Diego class of 2008 and graduated from University of California, Berkeley with a BA in political science. He is currently pursuing his MBA at UCSD Rady School of Management.

» Contact Woo-Jin

Bethany is responsible for the overall management and direction of CONNECT's innovation programs including Frontiers in Science & Technology, Leadership Dinners, the La Jolla Research & Innovation Summit, the CONNECT Most Innovative New Product (MIP) Awards and Sanford Consortium's Stem Cell Meeting on the Mesa. Prior to this, Bethany directed CONNECT's Education Programs for over three years, which included FrameWorks Workshops and CEO Strategy Forum. Since joining CONNECT in 2005, she has been involved with many of the organization's programs including the Entrepreneur Hall of Fame, Connect with CONNECT and affiliate programs San Diego Tech Coast Angels and the MIT Enterprise Forum San Diego.

Prior to becoming a Program Director, Bethany spent several years working in the hospitality industry and was General Manager of a restaurant in downtown San Diego. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Studio Art from Gettysburg College in Pennsylvania.

» Contact Bethany Kraynack

Laura manages the CONNECT Most Innovative New Product (MIP) Awards and CONNECT's Frontiers in Science & Technology. She also assists in the production of the La Jolla Research & Innovation Summit as well as Sanford Consortium's Stem Cell Meeting on the Mesa. Formerly, Laura also assisted with the execution of the CEO Strategy Forum and the San Diego Tech Coast Angels, an affiliate program of CONNECT. Laura holds a Bachelor of Science degree from San Diego State University in Hospitality and Tourism Management with an emphasis in Meeting and Event Operations and Management.

» Contact Laura Parsons

Taylor Peterson oversees CONNECT's Venture Roundtable program, the Entrepreneur Hall of Fame Awards, the Professional Service Partners (PSP) initiative, Connect with CONNECT, Financial Forum, Deal Network and all defense programs. She also oversees the FrameWorks Workshops and the CEO Strategy Forum. Taylor previously was the Director of Sponsorships and Special Events for the San Diego International Sports Council, organizing events for 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; is an active committee member of the annual Taste at the Cove event put on by the San Diego Sports Medicine Foundation; is the 2011 co-chair of the annual UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center Luau & Longboard Invitational; and has been involved in the coordination of numerous major political fundraisers for statewide and national candidates. Taylor attended UC Santa Barbara and holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the Academy of Art University in San Francisco.

» Contact Taylor Peterson

Orlee Dykan oversees CONNECT's Connect with CONNECT networking events, Venture Roundtables, Venture Roadshows and the Deal Network program. She also assists with CONNECT's Financial Forums, Timely Topics and the Entrepreneur Hall of Fame Awards. Prior to CONNECT, Orlee was the assistant event coordinator at the University of Arizona Foundation. In addition, she worked at the Gottman Institute and held an internship with Baker Winokur Ryder Public Relations in Los Angeles. Orlee graduated from The University of Arizona with a Bachelor of Arts in Communications and a minor in Psychology.

» Contact Orlee Dykan

Linda manages CONNECT's Frameworks workshops and Deal Network 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

Karen Winston joined CONNECT in 2007. She leads the execution of CONNECT's affiliate programs, including the San Diego MIT Enterprise Forum for which she serves as executive director and is responsible for board and committee meetings, all event management, membership, sponsorship, website, marketing, and strategic partnerships. Among Karen's other program responsibilities are the Center for Ethics in Science & Technology, CONNECT's Innovation Institute, CONNECT's Entrepreneurs for Young Innovators and the Global CONNECT Summit. She is also the editor of the weekly CONNECT eNews and manages CONNECT's participation in the San Diego Science Festival.

Karen has more than 25 years of experience in marketing and public relations, including 12 years as a marketing consultant. Her clients and past employers were primarily lawyers, accountants, insurance agents, professional speakers/authors and other professional services in San Diego and the east coast. Karen is presently a member of WITI. She has a B.S. in Communications and Sociology from UC San Diego.

» Contact Karen Winston

Madelaine aides in the facilitation of the San Diego MIT Enterprise Forum, the Ethics Center and the Innovation Institute. 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

With almost 20 years experience, Lisa brings to SDSI strong credentials in business development, management, marketing, operations and event production. While her career has mostly kept her working with the traditional sports such as football and baseball, she is very proud to have been part of the Sport and Venue team running the inaugural Olympic Mountain Bike Events at the 1996 Summer Games in Atlanta.

Over the course of her career, Lisa has worked on some of the world's most prestigious events with some of the foremost sports architects including the Event Group at the international sports architecture firm, Populous. Over the years and while working for her well respected mentors, she had amazing experiences working on NFL Super Bowls, MLB all Star Games, the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, the 2012 London Olympics, as well as special projects for the International Olympic Committee. As a result, she has a vast network across many aspects of the Sports and Events Industries. Most people, when asked to describe her, say that she knows everyone as she has a wonderful memory for names, faces and fun facts about the people she has met.

Lisa's responsibilities at SDSI include growing membership, maintaining relationships and ensuring member and sponsor fulfillment, creating and implementing new marketing strategies, business operations and budget management and creating meaningful events. Lisa is very excited to have joined such a unique organization with such a dynamic staff, board and membership base. She is looking forward to a very successful and productive future where SDSI has a significant positive social and economic impact on Southern California's Sports Community.

» Contact Lisa Freedman

Garrett is the assistant to the Executive Chairman of CONNECT San Diego Sport Innovators (SDSI), Bill Walton. Garrett will focus on assisting Bill Walton in gaining new sponsors & members to help SDSI grow as an organization, thus making Southern California the place to be for the sport 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

As Senior Program Coordinator for CONNECT San Diego Sport Innovators (SDSI), Renne assists Garrett in all aspects of program development, from building membership and sponsorship to program and event planning. Renne will head SDSI's signature networking event, Connect with SDSI. Renne manages the SDSI website as well as social media and press releases. Renne relocated from New York where she received an associate's degree in Fashion Merchandising Management from the Fashion Institute of Technology and worked in public relations for a women's fashion house based out of NYC. Renne has a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and a minor in Conflict Resolution from the State University of New York College at Geneseo.

» Contact Renne Catalano