Women's MBA Network: Entrepreneurial Exchange: From Ideas to Revenues

The Women's MBA Network, in collaboration with the Alliance of Women Entrepreneurs, is proud to present:
"Preparing Today's Entrepreneurs for Tomorrow: Entrepreneurial Exchange"
Developing and Supporting Entrepreneurial Women through Education and Networking
Sponsored by: Penn State University, Great Valley

Entrepreneurial Exchange: From Ideas to Revenues

PANELIST BIOS

Beth Cohen, Blank Rome LLP
Beth Cohen is a business development, marketing and legal executive with broad experience in both domestic and international markets. She has led diverse strategic and marketing initiatives and negotiated key business relationships for large and small companies, including licensing, distribution and strategic alliance agreements. In her role as Director of Emerging Growth Services at Blank Rome LLP, she advises the Firm's early and growth stage clients, both domestic and international, on strategic business issues, business plan advice, investor presentations and raising capital, including introductions to investors and strategic partners. Ms. Cohen has served as a member of the management team for a number of technology companies and is on the advisory board of two early stage companies. She lectures frequently on topics of interest to growth companies, including strategic marketing, business development, and raising capital. Ms. Cohen holds an M.B.A. from The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, a J.D. from Rutgers University, where she was an editor of the Law Review, and received her B.A., magna cum laude, from Brandeis University. Ms. Cohen is the 2003 recipient of the Wharton Distinguished Alumna Award, has served as a board member of the Wharton Club of Philadelphia, and is a founder of the Wharton Women's Network. She is on the boards of the International Visitors Council of Philadelphia, The Enterprise Center, and the America-Israel Chamber of Commerce, Central Atlantic Region. She has also been involved with the Wharton Global Consulting Practicum, as well as Temple's Enterprise Management Consulting Practice and Innovation and Entrepreneurship Institute. Ms. Cohen is a member of the bar in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York and Israel.

Nicole D. Galli, Feldman Gale, P.A.
Nicole D. Galli is a member of Feldman Gale P.A., an intellectual property firm. She focuses her practice on complex commercial litigation, including intellectual property litigation, and intellectual property counseling. Ms. Galli has extensive bench trial, jury trial and arbitration experience in a variety of subject matters, including patent matters. She practices before state and federal trial and appellate courts throughout the nation, administrative bodies (including the TTAB, the ITC and the FTC), and in various alternative dispute resolution forums, including international arbitration panels. Ms. Galli frequently litigates in jurisdictions employing local patent rules, including the Eastern District of Texas and the District of New Jersey. Ms. Galli has litigated patent and patent licensing, trademark, copyright, trade secret, false advertising, consumer fraud, unfair competition, antitrust and general commercial matters and counsels clients in various aspects of intellectual property, including the emerging area of social media. She has handled matters for clients in a variety of industries including medical devices, software, consumer electronics, automotive, energy, hospitality, food and beverage, construction and manufacturing. Ms. Galli's clients range from small start-up companies to the largest national and international companies. She has also represented a number of cultural institutions and other non-profits. In 2003, she was named one of the Philadelphia Business Journal's "40 Under 40", received the Forum Award from the Forum of Executive Women and was named as one of the "Lawyers on the Fast Track" in Pennsylvania by American Lawyer Media. She has also been named a "Pennsylvania Super Lawyer" by Philadelphia Magazine every year since 2005. Ms. Galli is a member of the Forum of Executive Women, where she serves on the Forum Award, Executives Suites and Public Sector Leadership Committees, and is a member of AWE, where she serves on the Membership Committee

Lorraine Marchand, MBA, President and CEO, BioSpark LLC
Lorraine Marchand is President and CEO of BioSpark LLC, a company dedicated to improving the commercialization process for life sciences technologies. She was formerly CEO of Ocular Proteomics LLC, a retinal diagnostics company; COO of Clinilabs, a clinical sleep laboratory and drug development services company; VP for Covance, a drug development services company; Executive Director at Bristol-Myers Squibb; and founder of Patients1st, a clinical trial patient recruitment company and founding director of the National Diabetes Education Program. She holds M.B.A.s from Columbia University and London Business School. She is a member of Healthcare Business Women's Association; the Women's Investors Network; New Jersey Technology Council; and on the Board of the Maryland Technology Council and MD BIO. Lorraine is an advisor to the Science Center in Philadelphia; Triana Venture Partners, a French-American business expansion company; ocular diagnostics companies Ocular Proteomics LLC; and drug development services companies, ClinSmart and RapidTrials.

Lisa Salley

Lori White, Corporate Counsel, CSS Industries
Lori began her career in the music industry, where she spent several years with independent record labels in the US and in Europe, before returning to finish her undergraduate degree in communications at the University of Pennsylvania's Annenberg School. She then transitioned to consumer goods, serving as Director of Marketing & Licensing for Computer Expressions, Inc., a leading manufacturer of computer and audio accessories. She earned her law degree at Rutgers University while working as a licensing and marketing consultant, and after graduation joined the law firm of Pepper Hamilton, LLP. In June 2007 she joined the legal team at CSS Industries, Inc. as Corporate Counsel. CSS is a world leader in the design, manufacture and sale of gift and social expression products for the holidays, special occasions, and all of life's celebrations. Lori serves as intellectual property counsel to the growing family of CSS companies, and leads the acquisition, development and protection of its IP assets. She lives in Cherry Hill, NJ with her husband and daughter.

Larissa Milne, Consultant
Ms. Milne has over 25 years of commercial experience in the life sciences, developing and implementing growth strategies for emerging and mid-sized companies. Currently, she acts as a management consulting advising life sciences companies on commercialization, strategy and corporate development issues. She is an ongoing portfolio management consultant for Ben Franklin Technology Partners (BFTP). Previously, Ms. Milne served as the Interim President and CEO of Parsortix, Inc., and Neuro Diagnostic Devices, start-up medical device companies developing technologies for use with in-vitro diagnostics and neurosurgery. Larissa holds a B.S. in Biology from Muhlenberg Collage and an M.B.A. from the LeBow College of Business at Drexel University.

Lola Sergeant, Covidien Corporation
Lola Sergeant is currently the global marketing manager for pharmaceutical chemicals at Covidien Corporation. Her expertise includes global strategic marketing, R&D portfolio and new product development and commercial launch, project management, negotiations, licensing, building strategic alliances, budgeting, forecasting, and planning. Ms. Sergeant has also held senior level marketing positions with Rohm & Haas, W.L. Gore & Associates, and FMC Corporation. Ms. Sergeant is also the co-founder of Inspired Creations - a global start-up company involved in the manufacturing and retailing of Christian-themed luxury products that provide inspiration and comfort. Ms. Sergeant has an MBA in General Management from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and a B.S. in Materials Science and Engineering from Cornell University

R. Linda Resnick, CEO Resources
Linda Resnick is the founder and president of CEO Resources, Inc., a boutique executive search firm, able to respond to specific leadership challenges with customized hiring solutions and a commitment to long-term collaboration. Linda pioneered executive search in the mid-Atlantic region's growing high-technology sector. As large companies downsized in the late 1980's, Linda realized that the future would belong to innovative, smaller organizations. And she realized that such companies constituted an underserved market segment. With funding from Ben Franklin Technology Partners, Linda created an executive hiring program at the University City Science Center , the nation's first urban business incubator. An entrepreneur among entrepreneurs, she broadened her practice to serve high-tech, biotech and other innovative organizations. In doing so, Linda established CEO Resources, Inc. as a spin-off of her initial effort. She has since built a company, a loyal client base and a national reputation. Linda is also a long-term member of AWE and serves on its Advisory Board and sponsorship committee.

Mary Brislin, Citrin Cooperman & Company, LLP
Mary Brislin, CPA, is a director in the Philadelphia office of Citrin Cooperman & Company, LLP. She focuses on understanding her clients' businesses and maintains strong relationships to provide them with quality service. For 20 years she has tended to the audit, tax and consulting needs of a variety of clientele including construction, manufacturing and distribution, professional services firms, and medical practices. Mary is a graduate of the University of Scranton with a bachelor's degree in accounting. She is licensed to practice in Pennsylvania and is a member of the Pennsylvania Institute of CPAs. Mary is an active member of her church, enjoys getting involved in her children's school programs, and spends time with her community's sports and recreational program.

Kathleen M. Shay, Esquire, Duane Morris LLP
Kate Shay, a partner at Duane Morris LLP concentrates her practice in the areas of business law and finance, securities regulation, venture capital financings, mergers and acquisitions, corporations, partnerships and limited liability companies. Kate is a member of the Business Law Section of the American Bar Association and the Corporation, Banking and Business Law Section of the Pennsylvania Bar Association. She is the former Chair of the Executive Committee of the Business Law Section of the Philadelphia Bar Association, and serves on the board of directors of the Philadelphia Chapter of the Association for Corporate Growth and AWE. A frequent lecturer, she is a 1977 graduate of Villanova University School of Law and a graduate of Villanova University. Kate was the 2006 recipient of AWE's Iris Newman Award for her substantial contribution to women entrepreneurs and start-up companies.

Adele Oliva

Matthew Sarkees, Ph.D., Penn State Great Valley
Matt is an Assistant Professor of Marketing at Penn State Great Valley. He received his Ph.D. in Marketing from the University of Pittsburgh, an M.B.A. from Villanova University and a B.S. in Accounting from Seton Hall University. He is also a certified public accountant. Dr. Sarkees has more than eight years of industry experience working with both start-up and Fortune 500 companies. He teaches courses in marketing and his current re¬search interests include how firms build and deploy marketing resources, customer divestment, customer relationship management and the marketing of new products/services.

Tom Joseph, Bookminders
Tom Joseph is the CEO of Bookminders, which provides outsourced accounting and information management services for small businesses and nonprofit organizations. Since Tom founded Bookminders in 1991, it has become an industry leader in utilizing a home-based workforce. Bookminders serves clients with simple and complex bookkeeping requirements in a variety of industries, including nonprofit organizations, retail and franchise operations, consulting and professional services, medical and law offices, technology and start-up ventures and construction and contracting.
Tom is a 1982 graduate of Carnegie Mellon University with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering. Tom serves on the board of trustees for Propel Schools, a nonprofit organization that operates a network of charter schools in Southwestern Pennsylvania. Tom also was a board member of Pittsburgh Social Venture Partners, an organization that engages community and business leaders in "social entrepreneurship".

Ron Woodmansee, Woodmansee & Co.
Ron Woodmansee is the President and owner of an Employee benefits/Insurance firm that serves small business and individuals. Ron previously worked as a sole practitioner in the insurance industry since July 1982. He is affiliated with Philadelphia Association of Life Underwriters (Former Political Action Committee Fundraising Chairman and Board Member), and the West Philadelphia Enterprise Center (Former Advisory Board Member). He has lectured and is the author of numerous articles on insurance and benefit issues. Ron's educational degrees are from the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania (B.S. in Economics) and The American College in Bryn Mawr (Masters in Financial Services).

Angela Nader, M.S. CPCC, Penn Valley Group
Angie Nader is the Lead Partner for Penn Valley Group's Human Capital Management team. She has over 20 years of experience in the field of human resources and organizational development. Angie's expertise lies in strategic organizational and human resource planning, change management/turnarounds, leadership assessment and development, talent management strategies, and employee relations programs. Angela holds a Master's Degree in Human Organizational Science/Human Resources Development from Villanova University (where she is an adjunct faculty member and advisor) and a Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration and Psychology from Muhlenberg College. She works with a number of organizations in the Philadelphia area as coach, board member, mentor and volunteer, including as a member of, and service on the Program Committee for, AWE.

Catherine P. Adams, Wells Fargo Bank
Catherine Adams has over fifteen years experience providing lending and cash management solutions to businesses located in Philadelphia and Wilmington and the surrounding suburban communities. In her current role as Vice President and Relationship Manager for Well Fargo's Commercial Banking segment, she targets businesses with sales between $25 and $500 million. Prior to joining Wells Fargo and its predecessor Wachovia, Cathy spent 5 years at Merrill Lynch Business Financial Services as a Finance Manager where she concentrated on providing cash management, financing and succession planning solutions to business owners. Cathy began her career at CoreStates Bank and First Union Bank in the Private Client Group. Cathy has a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting from The College of William and Mary and a MBA in Financial Management from Drexel University. She currently sits on the board of the Women's MBA Network and acts as Treasurer. She also is a Co-Chair of the Certification Committee of the Women's Business Development Center. She sits on the Governing Body for the ATHENA Powerlink Program and also participates on the advisory panels. Cathy is a 2008 graduate of Leadership Philadelphia.

Ellen Edelman Weber, Robin Hood Ventures
Ellen Edelman Weber is the Executive Director of Robin Hood Ventures, a leading angel venture group in the Philadelphia region, investing in early stage companies since 1999. Ellen is also Managing Director of Antiphony, a strategic consulting firm that helps companies create sustainable value through innovation, responsible for the Leadership Development practice. Prior to that, Ellen spent twelve years at Shared Medical Systems where she was responsible for initiatives encompassing organizational development, customer support and corporate communications. Earlier in her career, she was a senior consultant for Andersen Consulting (now Accenture). Ellen is on the board of WIN and the advisory board of Philadelphia Start-up Leaders. Ellen graduated from The Wharton School with a B.S. in economics.

Karen Fascenda, Vice President, Talent Acquisition and Training and Development, GSI Commerce
Karen is responsible for the start up of training and organizational development initiatives at a fast growing e-commerce company as well as the staffing for all of Corporate. Karen was responsible for leading the creation of the first-ever company-wide Vision, Mission, and Core Values and the rollout and the change management approach to the entire company of 4000 employees.

Carol McCoy, Director, Facilities Management and Training, GSI Commerce
Carol McCoy works with the Training and Development team on several key initiatives. She began at GSI Commerce in facilities management and continues in that role along with responsibility for many T&D projects. Carol's primary focus in T&D is on leadership development and performance management. She also manages the training grant program with the state of PA.

Donna Marie De Carolis, Ph.D., Associate Dean, LeBow College of Business, Drexel University
In her role as associate dean, Dr. De Carolis is responsible for the oversight and strategic direction of the Centers of Excellence at Drexel University's LeBow College of Business. In addition, she is responsible for the development of synergistic programs and initiatives within LeBow College, other colleges at Drexel University, and with the business community at large. Dr. De Carolis has researched, written and lectured extensively on various aspects of entrepreneurship, technology management and technology commercialization. Her areas of expertise are entrepreneurship and new venture creation, technology commercialization, strategic alliances, and social capital.

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