The CONNECT TeamDuane J. Roth, Chief Executive Officer
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.
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. Richard Duncan, Office ManagerRichard provides office and front desk support as well as managing the conference room bookings and overseeing daily operations. He recently moved to San Diego from New York City, where he was working in subscription marketing for various magazine titles. Originally from North Carolina, he is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Asheville with a B.S. in Management and a concentration in Marketing. Lauren Kunin, Manager, Business Development & Executive Assistant to the CEOLauren manages CONNECT's growth, membership, and sponsorship efforts and supports Duane Roth in her spare time. She has previously worked with political and environmental campaigns and has work experience ranging from a doggy daycare to a wine tasting room. She has been involved with UC Santa Barbara's Venture Acceleration Initiative and the San Diego Regional Technology Alliance, and attended UC Santa Barbara for a B.A. in Global & International Studies. Lauren Panetta, Production Manager and Web MasterLauren 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. Caroline Donegan, Administrative Assistant to the CEOCaroline 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. Timothy Tardibono, Vice President, Public Policy & Chief CounselTimothy 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. Jessie Womble, Associate Director, Public PolicyJessie 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. Ruprecht von Buttlar, Director, Business Creation and DevelopmentRuprecht 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 Steven Hoey, Associate Director, Business Creation and DevelopmentSteve'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. Woo-Jin Shim, Program CoordinatorWoo-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. Bethany Kraynack, Director, Innovation ProgramsBethany 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. Laura Parsons, Manager, Innovation ProgramsLaura 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. Taylor Peterson, Director, Education ProgramsTaylor 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. Orlee Dykan, Senior Program CoordinatorOrlee 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. Linda Wells, Program Manager, Frameworks, Deal Network and TCALinda 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. Karen Winston, Director, Affiliate ProgramsKaren 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. Madelaine Holden, Senior Program CoordinatorMadelaine 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. Lisa Freedman, Executive Director, San Diego Sport Innovators (SDSI)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. Garrett Hale, Program Manager/Assistant to the Executive Chairman - San Diego Sport Innovators (SDSI)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. Renne Catalano, Senior Program Coordinator - San Diego Sport Innovators (SDSI)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. |
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