Speaker Bios

Leonard Agneta of the Maine Patent Program Leonard Agneta is a university attorney and director of the Maine Patent Program. He holds a law degree and a B.S. in medical technology from the University of New Mexico and is registered as a patent attorney with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. He is licensed to practice in New Mexico, Nebraska, Maine, and New York; and is a member of the National Association of University Attorneys, the American Intellectual Property Law Association, and the Association of University Technology Managers. Once a clinical microbiologist, Mr. Agneta has been helping clients protect and leverage their intellectual property for the last ten years. In addition to patenting and licensing, his legal experience includes numerous intellectual property allocation agreements involving small businesses. Back To Top ^

Betsy Biemann of the Maine Technology Institute In January of 2005, Betsy Biemann was appointed by Governor John Baldacci to head the Maine Technology Institute (MTI). The Institute's purpose is to support entrepreneurs in the State's seven targeted technology sectors to bring innovations to market and create jobs for Maine residents. Betsy is a member of the Maine Science and Technology Advisory Committee and the Maine Investment Exchange Advisory Board. Betsy joined MTI after serving as an associate director at The Rockefeller Foundation in New York City, where she oversaw a national grant and investment program aiming to increase employment in low-income communities. Betsy joined Rockefeller's staff in 1996, after working in the field of international development for ten years, principally in Africa. Betsy studied biology and the history of science as an undergraduate at Harvard University, earned a master's degree in public policy from Princeton University, and was a Center for Social Innovation Fellow at Stanford Business School in March 2004. She lives in Brunswick with her husband, Sean Callahan, and their two children. Back To Top ^

Chris A. Caseiro of Verrill Dana Chris A. Caseiro is a Partner in the Intellectual Property Group at Verrill Dana. He has a degree in chemical engineering and extensive coursework in electrical engineering. Chris is registered with the US Patent and Trademark Office. He has prepared, filed and prosecuted to issuance patents in a wide variety of technologies, including medical devices, mechanical devices, semiconductor devices and fabrication, software, and computer networking systems. Chris has managed the patent portfolio of Fairchild Semiconductor of South Portland, Maine, as outside counsel. He has also managed the patent portfolio of Enterasys Networks of Andover, Massachusetts, as inside counsel. In addition to assisting invention owners protect their inventions through the patent process, Chris prepares and negotiates technology license agreements. He also provides technical support in patent infringement litigation matters undertaken by the firm. He prepares opinions of patentability, patent infringement and non-infringement, and patent validity and enforceability. Back To Top ^

Pete Chavonelle of PBC Consulting PBC Consulting, LLC is a full-service Human Resources consulting firm which offers professional expertise and experience covering the entire spectrum of HR services. The unique blend of personal and professional experience of Pete Chavonelle, Principal and Human Resources Specialist, enables him to offer his clients refreshing and compliant solutions to their multiple HR issues. His versatility as an HR pro is the result of his combined teaching, coaching, sales, management and Human Resources experience, and reflects his strong academic background tempered by real-world experience. He holds both a B.A. degree (St. Francis College) and an M.A. degree in English (Montclair State University) and is recognized as an outstanding coach, communicator, educator, facilitator and trainer. His extensive background in Human Resources includes serving as HR Manager of a mid-sized Maine telecommunications company and as Vice President, Human Resources Director of a large Maine-based financial services institution. In both roles, he was recognized for his effective communications skills, technical knowledge, problem-solving abilities and the capacity to build, motivate and retain effective teams. He is especially skilled at assuring that HR policies and practices will work effectively in promoting and supporting organizational goals and objectives and in constructing a business or corporate culture that effectively and productively maximizes a vitally important asset --- its human resources. Pete's blended experience and enthusiasm is an immediate asset to any organization. Back To Top ^

Dale Flanders of Axsun Technologies Dale was born in Dover-Foxcroft ,Maine and graduated from Piscataquis Community High School in Guilford, Maine. He then attended MIT in Cambridge, Massachusetts and obtained his BS, MS, and PhD in Electrical Engineering. Following graduation he worked in advanced microfabrication and optics research at Bell Labs and at the MIT Lincoln Lab until 1984 when he began his career as a high tech Entrepreneur at Lasertron Inc, a spinoff from Lincoln Lab. At Lasertron, Dale held several management positions in Engineering, Manufacturing and as the Chief Technology Officer. Following the acquisition of Lasertron by Oak Industries, Dale founded Axsun Technologies in 1998. Today Dale is the CEO of Axsun which is a rapidly growing manufacturing company with locations in Massachusetts and California producing advanced miniature optical subsystems for the Telcom, Spectroscopy, Medical, and Military markets. Back To Top ^

Chris Frank, CTO & Founder of Intelligent Spatial Technologies INc. Mr. Frank's vision of the role that location-based services will play in everyone's day-to-day lives is the driving force behind iST. Realizing the potential of the innovative technology developed in his graduate research, Mr. Frank has moved quickly to commercialize it into cutting edge products that deliver location-based information to mobile users. Mr. Frank has Bachelor and Master of Science degrees in Spatial Information Science and Engineering, as well as a minor in Computer Science. For his research in the fields of context-aware and ubiquitous computing Mr. Frank was named Hank Emery Scholar at The Geospatial Information Technology Association (GITA) 2001 Conference in San Diego, USA. Several of Mr. Frank's papers are published in academic magazines. He has also presented at conferences in USA and Europe, including GiScience 2002 in Boulder, Colorado, The First Annual Vespucci Initiative for the Advancement of Geographic Information Science in Florence, Italy, 2003, and GI-Days 2004 in Muenster, Germany. In 2006 the Maine SBA selected Mr. Frank as the Young Entrepreneur of the Year. Mr. Frank is also a co-inventor on iST's patents: Mobile Device and Geographic Information System Background and Summary of Related Art, issued July 17, 2007 patent # 7,245,923 and System and Method for the Selection of a Unique Geographic Feature, filed Sep. 12th 2005. Back To Top ^

Erik K. Hayward of the Libra Foundation Erik Hayward moved to Portland, Maine from Massachusetts in 2004 after graduating from Yale University with a B.A. in Economics. He is the Accounting Manager for Libra Foundation, the largest philanthropic organization in Maine. In addition to his duties at Libra Foundation, Erik is President and Treasurer of Libra Future Fund, a non-profit dedicated to keeping talented, young people in Maine. Erik co-directs Summer in Maine, an internship program designed to introduce college students to Maine's professional, civic and social opportunities. He also serves on the Yale Alumni Schools Committee as the liaison for Cheverus High School in Portland. In his spare time, Erik sails both competitively and recreationally along the coast of Maine. Back To Top ^

John Karp of Cost Recovery Services John Karp is a Mechanical Engineer by training, but has been engaged in entrepreneurial activities in many industries throughout his career. Beginning with patenting and commercializing specialty truck accessories in 1987, John has focused primarily on new product development and commercialization. With several patents to his credit, he has founded and grown companies in the Automotive, Sailing equipment, Medical Device and Construction Industries. John currently serves as Director of Operations of the CCR R&D Tax Credit Group as well as consulting with his former companies. His "hobby/disease" when not sailing is being a partner in Bishop - Karp Construction, a developer of fine homes which utilize antique barn frames. He lives in Freeport Maine with his wife, Heidi. Back To Top ^

Todd S. Keiller of the Maine Medical Center Mr. Keiller brings 32 years of licensing, business development, and marketing experience. He has worked for 16 years in the industrial sector in a variety of sales, marketing, and business development roles, 10 of which were with Corning Glass Works in their Science and Medical Products Divisions. He has over 16 years of academic licensing experience and is the former Vice President, Ventures of the Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston. He currently manages the technology transfer activities for Maine Medical Center, the University of Vermont, Caritas St. Elizabeth's Medical Center of Boston, and Boston Biomedical Research Institute. He is also assisting, through a Maine Technology Initiative grant, other non-profit institutions in Maine with their technology transfer activity. Todd has contributed to the founding of seven companies with the most recent being Nephromics, a company focused on the diagnosis of preecalmpasia, Vascular Genetics, Inc., a gene therapy company, now traded publically under the name of CorAutus, and Tolerance Pharmaceuticals, a diagnostic and therapeutic company devoted to transplantation which was purchased by Roche. He is currently serving on the Board of the Biotechnology Association of Maine, President of the Center for Innovation in Biotechnology for Maine, a Special Advisor to the Vermont Center for Emerging Technologies, and is the Director for the Massachusetts Association of Technology Transfer. Todd holds an AB from Dartmouth College and an MBA from the Tuck School of Business Administration. Back To Top ^

Peter Moore of Corporate Finance Associates Peter Moore is the Managing Director of Portland, Maine based, Corporate Finance Associates (CFA), a middle market investment banking firm. His career spans over 32 years of business experience, including 18 years as a corporate banker involving positions with Chemical Bank, New York (now part of J.P. Morgan Chase), and several predecessors of Bank of America , the last as a Senior Vice President-Commercial Banking of Fleet Bank. Entrepreneurial finance, middle market company funding assignments and business growth strategies have been Peter's primary focus for the last 13 years. This includes extensive experience working with institutional and private capital sources, structuring financing and building long lasting relationships for clients and capital providers alike. Peter's industry experience is extensive and includes, among others, working with telecommunications, cellular phone, radio and television, electronics, hospitals, health care administration, nursing homes, heavy manufacturing, ship building, boat manufacturing, specialty metal products manufacturing, furniture and wood products manufacturers, food wholesalers and processors, restaurants, retailing, agriculture, lumber mills, concrete products industry, aquaculture, aviation and avionics, real estate development, project financing, professional service firms, specialty laboratories, and much more. He currently divides his time between financing for expansion stage growth companies, established manufacturing and distribution firms, real estate project finance clients, and M & A transactions through out New England.. Peter Moore is also the Chairman and Co-founder of the 11 year-old Maine Investment Exchange (MIX), a volunteer organization serving the entrepreneurial marketplace by providing venture capital forums, where promising entrepreneurs present their business propositions to interested private investors and venture capitalists. Peter's strengths are in solving complex financing problems, understanding the realities of the capital marketplace, knowing how to size up and structure business capital requirements and finding and closing on appropriate sources for each deal. Peter is equally comfortable in the corporate finance and M&A arena as well as the commercial real estate capital arena. His network of contacts and funding sources is extensive and equally balanced in all of those areas. Back To Top ^

Tom Porter of the National Collegiate Inventors and Innovators Alliance Tom Porter has a deep background in entrepreneurial venture start-up planning, launch and operational management. Tom's primary focus has been in the uses of technology to advance and transform media industry and higher education offerings, and he has particular expertise in development of processes for new venture concept evaluation, research, testing, launch and roll-out. He has handled key strategic roles with Verisign Ventures, Discovery Channel Enterprises, Tech TV, and College Parents of America, and has also assisted a number of universities with technology transfer strategy. Back To Top ^

Mickey Shattow of Marketing Management Solutions Mickey Shattow has over 25 years of experience in business development and marketing with a solid record of success in launching, growing and directing emerging technology related companies. Mickey's proven leadership, team building and entrepreneurial abilities along with his unique blend of marketing, sales and technical expertise have made him uniquely suited as a leader, management team member and advisor for early stage companies. As a Principal at Marketing Management Solutions for the past 10 years, Mickey has provided both strategic and tactical senior management support in business development, marketing, operations and product development. Clients have included a wide range of start-up/early stage companies including Tundo, CS Information Technologies, Open Orders, Harbor Research, Legacy Anywhere and NextStep Edge Technologies. Mickey has also provided technology assessment and product management services for several established technology companies including Polaroid ID Systems Group (facial recognition technology) and Tyco's Sensormatic Group (RFID technology). As Founder and President of Multitrak Software (now a part of Lawson Software), Mickey led this Boston-based, venture capital financed supplier of project management and workflow systems for IT organizations, from $0 to a profitable $6 million in revenue in 5 years. In the process, Multitrak attracted a wide array of Fortune 1000 companies including AT&T, American Express, Merrill Lynch, Mayo Clinic, Sears, McDonald's and Burger King. Back To Top ^

Jake Ward of the University of Maine Jake Ward is the assistant vice president of the University of Maine, Research, Economic Development and Government Relations. The Office of Research and Economic Development acts as the liaison office for business and industry, supporting economic development with the assistance of University of Maine resources. The department also acts as the University technology transfer office, handling patenting, licensing, and commercialization activities for the University of Maine. The University of Maine averages 10 new patent applications per year, 2-3 new technology licenses, 2-3 new spin-off companies and hundreds of joint R&D projects with existing companies. In addition, the office runs two small business incubators in information technology and aquaculture. The office supports federal and state government relations for the University's R&D and Economic Development mission. Mr. Ward actively supports economic development projects at the University of Maine and in partnerships with many state and non-profit programs. He sits on the boards of the Maine Technology Institute (MTI), the Maine Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP), the Applied Technology Development Centers, the Composites Technology Development Center, the Bangor Area Target Development Corporation and the Maine Composites Alliance. Mr. Ward is a member of many national organizations including the Association of University Technology Mangers, the Society of Research Administrators, the National Council of University Research Administrators, the National Business Incubation Association and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. He holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering and an M.S. in Ocean Engineering from the University of New Hampshire. Back To Top ^