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Entrepreneur and leader with extensive experience in technology and healthcare sectors. Founded and led Carjojo Corp and IntelliChoice, Inc., which became the global leader in consumer automobile information, culminating in a successful sale. Co-founded Vyou, Inc. and Veechi Corp/getTalent, driving multiple successful financing rounds. Developed marketing expertise at Apple and through various entrepreneurial ventures. Negotiation skills honed as a contracting officer in the U.S. Air Force and refined in subsequent roles. Proven visionary and motivator with exceptional communication abilities across diverse audiences, from entry-level staff to senior executives. Skilled at conveying complex ideas simply and engagingly. Experienced in SaaS, internet services, software, medical devices, and information as a product. Specialties include public speaking, professional negotiation, sales, and collaboration with shareholders, customers, and boards.

John is a founding Managing Director at US Angels, Director of Portfolio Management at K2X Technology and Life Science fund, member at Keiretsu Forum and HBS Alumni Angels, and a mentor at Alchemist and Plug and Play. Earlier in his career, John was co-founder at JMC Telecom, a prepaid telephone card company. He also worked at Trader Media, GE, and BCG. John holds an MBA from Harvard Business School where he was an Arthur Sachs Fellow, and a Master in Engineering from Mines ParisTech in France

Founder of OURACO – Tech, Marketing and PR services to enhance credibility to attract capital, strategic partners, and customers! With over 25 years of experience, I’ve assisted more than 500 companies worldwide in securing over $2 billion in funding, establishing key partnerships, and increasing revenue. At OURACO – Tech, Marketing, and PR, our goal is to enhance your credibility, attract capital and strategic partners, and drive traffic, conversions, and revenue growth. I am passionate about sharing insights on business growth, innovative technologies, leadership, private equity, venture capital, blockchain, and digital currencies through podcasts, books, and keynote speeches. I look forward to collaborating with dedicated teams eager to scale their innovative ventures.

Dynamic entrepreneurial business partner focused on attracting, retaining, and optimizing top talent, especially during organizational transformations. A visionary culture champion dedicated to aligning companies and employees with their mission, vision, and values. As a change leader, I foster a strong sense of purpose in organizational culture, driving collaboration, performance, profitability, and morale. Currently exploring opportunities with startup organizations to provide HR leadership for innovative businesses. Passionate about company building, mergers and acquisitions, and leveraging social media for HR applications. Expertise includes community and team building, talent management, internal and external branding, workforce management, and HR operations, with a strong focus on leadership, effective implementation, and budgeting.

Ben Stokes is the Founding Partner of Chasing Rainbows, an early-stage investment fund which invests in LGBTQ+ founded companies ensures greater access to capital for underrepresented founders. He is an emerging fund manager with both startup and corporate experience, Ben has been a driving force in creating opportunities for LGBTQ+ founders to receive early funding. In 2023, Ben was named 40 under 40 Rising Stars of Venture by the Venture Capital Journal, and named 40 under 40 LGBTQ+ Pride Leaders by Business Equality Magazine.

John is a founding Managing Director at US Angels, Director of Portfolio Management at K2X Technology and Life Science fund, member at Keiretsu Forum and HBS Alumni Angels, and a mentor at Alchemist and Plug and Play. Earlier in his career, John was co-founder at JMC Telecom, a prepaid telephone card company. He also worked at Trader Media, GE, and BCG. John holds an MBA from Harvard Business School where he was an Arthur Sachs Fellow, and a Master in Engineering from Mines ParisTech in France

Michele Marzola is a Serial Entrepreneur, Business Angel and Private Investor, he has created new companies and raised funds for taking them to success, structuring deals and negotiating all terms. Michele has the following leadership roles: – Founder & Chief Executive, Interceptin, Verona, Italy – therapeutic and diagnostic solutions for prostate cancer, pancreatic cancer, stomach, bladder and colorectal cancers – Founder & Chairman, XSurgical Inc., Boston, MA – surgical robotics taken to the open field for increasing clinical and operational effectiveness during emergencies – Director, Nanoligent SA, Barcelona, Spain – protein-conjugate able to address 23 different types of tumour expressing CXCR4 – Director, PEP-Therapy SA, Paris, France – penetrating peptide capable of driving tumoral cells to apoptosis in ovarian and pancreatic cancers – Director, Sooma Oy, Helsinki, Finland – neuromodulation through transcranial direct current to cure depression and manage chronic pain – Lead Investor, Angiodroid srl, Bologna, Italy – first automatic injector using CO2 as contrast medium for peripheral diagnostic purposes – Lead Investor, Green Bone Ortho srl, Faenza, Italy – Developer of biomimetic bone tissues capable of resolving major fractures – European Commission – Accredited expert reviewer for FP7 and H2020 projects in the fields of ICT, Life Sciences and Innovation Michele was previously Vice-President and General Manager at IBM Global Services (Milan and Paris) and Principal at Booz, Allen & Hamilton, where he led the Mergers & Acquisitions activities and the Strategy Consulting practice in Milan and in London.

I am an operator, investor, and advisor dedicated to leveraging technology to enhance lives. With a background in product management, consulting, and venture capital, I have collaborated with top financial institutions and technology firms in the US and Europe. I actively invest in over 15 startups in the fintech and B2B SaaS sectors, supporting them from pre-seed to growth stages. Previously, I directed product strategy and execution at Yandex.Split. My career began at Boston Consulting Group, and I hold an MBA from Kellogg School of Management.

William Podd is the Executive Director of Landmark Angels (a national, private angel group), President & CEO of Landmark Capital (a boutique advisory and consulting firm founded in 1993 and based in Greenwich, CT), and President of the Landmark Family Office (an investment alliance of prominent US and international Family Offices). Prior to founding Landmark Capital, Bill completed more than $3 billion in financings as a corporate finance banker and lawyer at major law firms in NYC and at Lehman Brothers where he specialized in both municipal and corporate finance. He also served as president of an early stage enterprise software company whose technology was developed at The Draper Laboratory at MIT. Bill is a frequent speaker and panelist on family office, private equity and venture capital Topics. A Phi Beta Kappa, summa cum laude graduate of The University of Notre Dame, he received his J.D. degree from the University of Virginia School of Law.

An entrepreneur-innovator for 3 decades across continents and domains, from advertising to advisory, from finance to fashion, from theater to tech, complete with a passion for building partnerships and communities. In fact, the success and impact of a national business network that Shawn founded and built in the 2000’s had led to his nomination for a federal agency leadership position in 2009. Nowadays, aside from supporting startups, Shawn is searching for his next quantum leap in life as an interdisciplinary researcher in the realm of Quantum AI.

Fabian is currently an Associate at Frontier Ventures and based in New York City, focusing on sourcing and analyzing early-stage AI startups. Previously, he co-founded the fintech startup Telleroo, which today processes over $1.5 billion in payments annually and is profitable. In his prior role at the CRM startup Attio, Fabian was instrumental in scaling the operations from pre-seed to its successful Series A. He holds an MBA from the University of Southern California and a Bachelor’s degree in Business from the Vienna University of Economics and Business. My core competencies include sourcing new investment opportunities, implementing our due diligence process, and preparing portfolio performance reports for our Limited Partners. Previously, I gained hands-on operational experience, having been an early employee at the CRM startup Attio and having co-founded a profitable fintech business, Telleroo, in the UK.

Chuck Stormon is a seasoned venture capitalist and AI expert, known for his entrepreneurial success across several industries. He earned his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Computer Engineering from Syracuse University and co-founded multiple ventures, including Coherent Research and Coherent Networks, which were pioneering in AI and neural networks. His later ventures transformed industries from utilities to telecoms. After his success as an entrepreneur, Stormon transitioned into venture capital, leading StartFast Ventures and investing in early-stage companies. His ability to drive innovation and support entrepreneurs continues to shape the startup ecosystem and AI’s evolution.

A successful three-time Silicon Valley entrepreneur, this pioneer in the Metaverse and decentralization has raised over $220M for personal ventures and advised top web3 startups. Author of the Amazon Best Seller Enterprise Blockchain Has Arrived, they predicted the convergence of web3 with AI/ML. With extensive experience in enterprise blockchain applications across fintech, supply chain, logistics, and healthcare, they have led US operations for high-tech firms generating significant revenue. As host of The Future of Business web3 videocast and strategic advisor to leading startups, they are a trusted expert in web3, AI/ML, and technology. A keynote speaker at premier institutions and conferences, they have advised top Fortune 500 companies and led initiatives to enhance tech access through the AstroSapiens community. They hold a BS in Astrophysics from Caltech and an MS in Physics from the University of Washington.

Tom is an angel investor in MedTech and a Startup Scout for K2X Technology and Life Science (www.k2x.capital). He is also a Senior Consultant for BioPharma Connections (www.biopharmaconnections.com) which helps biotech and medtech startups connect with strategics and institutional investors for partnering, investing, as well as connecting with regulatory experts, product design and manufacturing partners, clinical trials, etc. Tom has a background in technology, entrepreneurship, medical devices, and biochemistry. Tom invests in MedTech directly as an angel investor and as part of K2X. Tom is an advisor to US Angels, Silicon Valley Advantage, CamDo Technology, BioPharma Connections, and Lehigh University’s new College of Health. Tom evaluates startups for the MedTech Innovator competitions, Pepperdine Most Fundable Companies, Edge AI and Vision Alliance, Life Science Intelligence (LSI), and RESI. He has published several papers on angel investing, participated in panel sessions, and been interviewed by RESI, 3DHeals, and other organizations.

Dan Conley has been assisting CEOs and business owners in acquiring capital since 1986. In 1992, he helped transform Entrepreneurs University into the practical CEO School tailored for engineers, scientists, and physicians, focusing on product commercialization to enhance patient outcomes. The nonprofit educational institute features monthly collaborations with Angel Coaches and experts, fostering a supportive environment that provides actionable feedback, insights, market intelligence, and access to capital without obligations. Technical CEOs enhance their business plans, understand timing and costs, and learn strategies to avoid financial pitfalls. Notable projects include CrispQC’s Crispr-CHIP for gene editing, AiM’s HALO robot for improved deep brain stimulation, and SinapticaTx’s non-invasive TMS therapy for Alzheimer’s patients. Accredited Angels can join the team of Coaches and Experts at no cost.

Anne DeGheest pioneered the HealthTech or Digital Health space as a healthcare executive, an entrepreneur, angel investor, corporate advisor and mentor capitalist. She is the founder of HealthTech Capital and MedStars. Since she founded MedStars, in 1986, she has been a business consultant to large healthcare companies and a mentor capitalist specializing in early-stage healthcare companies. Her life science portfolio companies have generated over $27 billion in market capitalization including 8 IPOs. She provided angel capital, hands-on operating expertise and/or business strategy in the founding of major venture-backed companies like Pyxis (CareFusion), Aspect Medical (acquired by Covidien), VISX (acquired by AMO), Thermage (merged into Solta Medical), VISICU(acquired by Philips), Masimo (Nasdaq: MASI).

An entrepreneurial strategic marketing professional with a distinct combination of package goods and healthcare marketing expertise from Tier 1 healthcare companies. This is complemented with experience in global product launch management and Silicon Valley start-ups. Successfully led the development, launch and management of branded proprietary products in the categories of medical device, over the counter and prescription therapies. Strengths: strategic marketing, global sales and marketing, new business development, new product development, portfolio management, direct to consumer marketing, Rx-OTC switch

Stephanie Oestreich is Managing Director of the Investment Fund of the MMRF (Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation), serves on several biotech boards and is the chair of the McCloy Alumni Association. She is also on the faculty of MIT, a member of the Launchpad Venture Group, an advisor at grIP Venture Studio, to Biognosys (a Bruker company), Invitris, CART company CelineTx, Investment Fund Nekonal and to the drug development and investment company OrangeGrove Bio and was a member of the W20 Entrepreneurship task force, the official engagement group of the G20 in 2023. Previously she was Chief Business Officer at Galecto (NASDAQ:GLTO), Vice President at cell therapy company Mnemo Therapeutics, a Venture Partner at RA Capital and Executive Vice President at Evotec (NASDAQ:EVO) where she built its North American investment arm and started an incubator with Samsara BioCapital. She also worked as International Business Leader at F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd. (ROG.SW), and for Novartis (NYSE:NVS) in Business Development and in Commercial. Stephanie conducted the research for her Ph.D. in biochemistry in the lab of a Nobel Prize winner at Harvard Medical School and obtained an MPA from the Harvard Kennedy School. As a professional-level violinist, she performs with Philharmonic orchestras in Carnegie Hall and other international venues and conducts workshops with live orchestras, demonstrating the similarities between teams and leadership in music and management.

GM, Entrepreneur, Strategist ,Offer Management, Product Management and Venture Capital Investor. MBA: Booth School of Business, MS: Purdue University, B.Tech: Indian Institute of Technology, Chennai (IIT Madras) Senior executive leader with unique combination of business, technology management and venture capital. Over 15 years of engineering management and product management experience building products, ~6 years of VC experience and ~2 years as EIR/GM of Motorola Solutions CAPE. Led/Co-led investments in various startups : Artificial Intelligence, UI/UX/CX, Wireless Technologies, Robotics, IoT, Conversational UX. Partnered with CEOs and Board Members to drive innovation, strategy and SaaS business models. Most recently, Gopal was the GM of Motorola Solutions CAPE, where he owned the P&L, business development, offer management, product management, flight operations, deployments and customer support.

Leads agilent team that sources, negotiates and manages Agilent’s investments in about 25 early-stage biotech companies. He has been in the life science industry for 20 years, serving in a variety of research, business development, financial and management roles. Prior to joining Agilent, Tad co-founded two industrial companies as well as worked in both the venture capital and petrochemical industries. He serves on multiple Boards, a Professional Chemical Engineer; holds multiple patents and degrees from Wharton, UT Austin and UC Berkeley.

I lead a global investment platform managing billions of dollars with a stage-agnostic mandate that spans seed to growth investments, including both minority and majority stakes. Our focus areas encompass digital health, services, medical devices, biotech, clean technology, decentralized utilities, vertical AI, aquaculture, agricultural technology, and automotive sectors. Additionally, I am an active investor in these fields.

I am an accomplished Go-to-Market strategist with extensive experience across various verticals. As an approved GoBizCA Entrepreneur in Residence at Pitch Global, I actively support startups and established firms that have raised over $1 billion. Annually, I review over 300 pitches, demonstrating my commitment to fostering innovation.
Companies choose me for my expertise in driving growth and scaling operations toward sustainable profitability. I offer flexible engagement options, from consulting to fractional C-Suite roles, adapting to each client’s unique needs. Specializing in introducing foreign companies to the US market, I leverage my deep industry network to facilitate growth.
My areas of expertise include Go-to-Market strategy, business expansion, investor relations, and branding. With a strong background in VC, board leadership, and technology, I am dedicated to helping companies achieve remarkable success. Let’s connect to discuss accelerating your venture’s growth.

As a co-author of The First Mile, a startup-focused book commissioned by TIE, I’ve evolved into an author, speaker, serial entrepreneur, and startup mentor. I founded Pitch Global, a platform aimed at enhancing the tech startup ecosystem in Silicon Valley while increasing $500 million in SBDA Norcal assistance. Recently, I co-founded Silicon Valley Access Inc to strengthen the US-India Innovation and Funding corridor. My career began as a Senior Management Trainee at HCL Hewlett Packard, after which I shifted to business development and co-founded Biztech, a strategy and outsourcing firm. Following our acquisition by TCG Software, I led the Silicon Valley operations, facilitating nearly $250 million in investments from renowned funds into companies like Perkin Elmer, Sybase, and Oblix.