MIT Enterprise Forum Board
2007-2008

Joseph (Joe) Hadzima, Jr. '73, SM '77
Chair
Joe Hadzima is Managing Director of Main Street Partners, a venture development and technology commercialization firm located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He is also President of IPVision, Inc., a Main Street portfolio company, which provides systems, tools and services for the analysis, management, and monetization of intellectual property and patents. Joe is a Senior Lecturer at the MIT Sloan School of Management, where he has taught entrepreneurship and law since 1984. He has been a judge of the MIT $100K Entrepreneurship Competition since its founding. Joe graduated from MIT in 1973, received his Masters of Science in Management from MIT's Sloan School of Management in 1977, and his law degree cum laude from Harvard in 1979. Until 1996, he was a partner in Sullivan & Worcester LLP, a major Boston law firm, where he founded and directed the High Tech/New Ventures Group. Over his career, he has been involved in various capacities (founder, investor, board member, officer, etc.) in the founding of over 100 companies.

 

Laurie Dean Baird SM '92
Laurie Dean Baird is Director of Technology Partnerships for Turner Broadcasting. She is responsible for global research and development partnership activities in new media, covering the areas of emerging advertising technologies, advanced video applications, wireless and mobile technologies, gaming and virtual worlds, and content aggregation. Laurie supports all of Turner's properties, including CNN, Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, TNT, TBS, CourtTV, GameTap, NASCAR.com, Super Deluxe and others. She launched Turner's university research program and is a member of Turner's corporate investment board. Laurie began her career at Aerodyne Research Inc., a science and engineering institute outside of Boston, where she built strategic alliances with aerospace and instrumentation companies and raised funding through government and private sector (resulting in 15 SBIR/STTR Phase II grants). While at MIT, Laurie co-chaired the 100K Contest (then called the 10K contest). As a member of the MIT Enterprise Forum of Atlanta Executive Committee, she launched the Run It By The Pros start-up clinics. Laurie is President of the Sloan Club of Atlanta and recently completed her term on the MIT National Selection Committee. Her board appointments include: USC Stevens Institute for Innovation, Stanford University Media X, MIT Convergence Culture Consortium and UGA Mobile Media Consortium. Laurie is a patent holder and recognized by the National Science Foundation and NASA for her development of innovative technologies. She received an SM (MBA) from the MIT Sloan School and a BS in Physics and a BA in Sociology from St Lawrence University.

 

James (Jim) Brown SM '70
Jim Brown is Principal at J. L. Brown & Co., a strategic advisory and venture development consulting practice in Los Angeles. The firm provides research, counsel and venture acceleration services to entrepreneurs and corporate and private investors. Over the past 20 years Jim has brought forth new ventures for Kodak Corporation, NCR Corporation and Xerox Corporation and guided the development of over 100 private ventures through public workshops, private counsel, and direct management. Previously, Jim was Director of Strategy at Teradata Corporation; Director of Analyst Relations at Pyramid Technology Corporation; and held marketing, sales and corporate MIS positions with Xerox Corporation, TRW, and several software ventures. Jim was a founder of the Caltech/MIT Enterprise Forum in 1984 and most recently served as Chairman of its Executive Committee. He holds a BS in Electrical Engineering from Stanford University and an SM from the MIT Sloan School of Management. He earned the Bronze Star as First Lieutenant, U.S. Army Signal Corps, and was a defense policy analyst for several years thereafter.

 

Joost Bonsen '90, SM '06
Joost Bonsen is a Visiting Scholar at the MIT School of Architecture and Planning and a Research Fellow in the Program on Developmental Entrepreneurship.  He is interested in entrepreneurial startups, cluster crafting, and innovation ecosystems generally.  Among his many MIT roles, he is Lead Organizer Emeritus of the MIT $100K Entrepreneurship Competition and co-founder of several clubs including TechLink, the Innovation Club, and the TinyTechnology Club. Joost also ran the MIT Founders Project which quantified the economic impact of MIT-related entrepreneurs, findings ultimately published by BankBoston as "MIT: Impact of Innovation".  Every week he hosts the live TV show, High Tech Fever, interviewing inventors, entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, and other key players in the greater Cambridge technology venture zone.  Along with partner Saul Griffith and artist Nick Dragotta, Joost founded Howtoons, an educational media venture publishing inspiring, fun cartoons which show creative kids "How To" build things.  Joost has his Bachelor's in Bio-Electrical Engineering from MIT and a Master's in the Management of Technology from the MIT Sloan School.

 

David Coombs '91
David Coombs is an attorney practicing out of the Boston office of Goulston & Storrs. His practice includes representation of emerging companies across a spectrum of technology and services industries, as well as representation of venture capital and private equity investors. Prior to law school, he spent several years as a software consultant and product development manager. David graduated from MIT in 1991 with a BS in mathematics with computer science and received his law degree from Harvard in 1998.

 

Cristina Dolan SM '94
Cristina Dolan  has spent her entire career building and bringing to market advanced technology based products and businesses utilizing the Internet, eCommerce, data communications and network management solutions. Most recently she has been a  consultant providing business development and go-to-market strategies for companies, including VeriSign and Redwood Partners/IBM. Cris was brought in by the board of WordStream as CEO, President and Director to commercialize the five year old company.  As a founder, Division President, and the Content and Strategic Alliances Officer for OneMain (one of the 10 largest ISPs prior to its acquisition by Earthlink), Cris launched the cornerstone Geographic Community portals which became profitable in only five months. Cris has over a decade in business development, strategic alliances and marketing for Fortune 500 companies in leadership roles at Oracle, Hearst, ABC/Disney and IBM.  She serves as the President of the MIT Club of New York , and is on the advisory boards of Smartmatic and Dawn Productions.  As a volunteer for NFTE (National Foundation for Teaching Entreprenuerialism), she mentored students starting small companies. She has won many awards throughout her career, including a nomination by WITI (Women in Technology International) for her accomplishments as a leader in the technology field. Cris also is a past U.S. National Skeleton Champion and placed second in the World Cup. 

 

Elizabeth Garvin HM
Beth Garvin is executive vice president and CEO of the MIT Alumni Association. She came to MIT 19 years ago as a research analyst in Resource Development. Ms. Garvin joined the Alumni Association in 1988 as director of reunion giving. In 1995, she became director of class programs and in 1999 she was assigned the additional responsibilities of director of the Alumni Fund. Ms. Garvin became managing director of the Alumni Association in 2001, and then CEO and executive vice president in 2004.

As CEO, Ms. Garvin undertook a restructuring of the Alumni Association staff and organizational structure. This restructuring involved consolidating Alumni Fund staff into a single unit; the integration of class programs within the Alumni Activities department; the creation of a new centralized communications department; and restructuring Alumni Network Services within the Association's larger Technical Operations department.

Ms. Garvin holds a Masters in Education from Stanford University , and a B.A. in English from the University of Cincinnati . As an active member of the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education (CASE), Ms. Garvin has made numerous presentations at professional conferences and she recently served as the Program Chair for the CASE District 1 annual conference in February 2003. She is a member of the Council of Alumni Association Executives.

In 2002, the MIT Alumni Board recognized Ms. Garvin as an Honorary Member of the Alumni Association, the highest award given to non-alumni at MIT.

 

Peter Handrinos
Peter Handrinos is a partner in the Corporate Department of the WilmerHale law firm and a member of the firm's Life Sciences Group. Peter practices general corporate and securities law, with an emphasis on mergers and acquisitions, public offerings and venture capital transactions for life sciences and technology companies. He has advised both public and private companies in connection with a broad range of matters, including initial and follow-on public offerings, equity investments in connection with collaborations, 144A offerings, recapitalizations, cash and stock mergers, tender offers and going-private transactions. A significant portion of his practice involves general corporate work for ongoing clients on matters such as SEC compliance, securities and disclosure issues and corporate governance matters. Peter was recognized as a leader in Corporate/M+A in the 2007 edition of Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business.

Elizabeth Frank Jones
Elizabeth Frank Jones is an adjunct faculty member and Executive in Residence at the University of Texas at Dallas School of Management, where she teaches Entrepreneurial Finance, Private Equity Finance, and Valuing Innovation in the MBA program. Concurrent with her work with UTD, Elizabeth advises Fortune 1000 and emerging technology companies in intrapreuneuring, strategic financial management, product innovation, business development, and technology licensing. She currently is an advisor to Genesis Campus and Mobility Ventures early-stage venture funds. Her professional career spans more than twenty years and she is an alum of McKinsey & Co, Salomon Smith Barney, RBC Dain Rauscher, International Finance Corporation/World Bank and the Washington State Legislature, having been a prinicipal investor or financial advisor to private and public companies and public sector agencies. Elizabeth has recently begun doctoral research work in technology innovation, finance, and public investment policy.

 

Rich Kivel
Rich Kivel is a seasoned life science and technology executive. Since the successful acquisition of MolecularWare, an MIT spin out which he led as CEO from 2001 to 2004, Rich has launched four new companies in the life science/healthcare space and has served as founding CEO or President of each. Rich presently serves as CEO of TheraGenetics, a London, England-based company focused on the development and commercialization of pharmacogenetic diagnostic tests to help guide and improve the treatment of disorders such as schizophrenia, depression and Alzheimer's. Rich is a frequent guest lecturer at the MIT Sloan School of Management and has been a judge for the MIT $100K Entrepreneurship Competition since 1998. He speaks internationally and works on behalf of many organizations to promote entrepreneurship in the United States, Canada and Europe. He also serves as a Lead Catalyst for the MIT Deshpande Center for Technological Innovation and is a founding board member of Biolink USA-Ireland.

 

Luda Kopeikina SM '90
Luda Kopeikina is President and CEO of Noventra Corporation, an innovation commercialization and licensing firm. Luda spent six years at General Electric in various senior leadership positions where she had an opportunity to work with Jack Welch and observe his methods in action. Later she was President and CEO of publicly traded Celerity Solutions, Inc., executing a complete turnaround in two years. Interactive Week's 1998 Executive Worth Survey ranked Luda within the top twenty CEOs of US high-tech public companies. Luda has successfully started two companies, is Founder of the MIT Enterprise Forum of South Florida, is a Lead Catalyst at the MIT Deshpande Center for Technological Innovation and is a member of Common Angels. She is also author of the book The Right Decision Every Time: How to Reach Clarity on Tough Decisions. Luda holds a Master's degree from MIT's Sloan School of Management as a Sloan Fellow. She also holds a Master's and Ph.D. in Computer Science from St. Petersburg University , Russia.

Howard (Howie) Rhee '97
Howie Rhee is the founder and President of Novek, LLC, an executive search firm based in Research Triangle Park (RTP), North Carolina, focused on matching strong executive talent to emerging companies in the region.  Prior to founding Novek, Howie was at the Council for Entrepreneurial Development, where he helped over a hundred entrepreneurs develop and grow their companies.  Before that, Howie co-founded two Internet game companies that were successfully built and sold, and worked at three other technology startups in a variety of technical, marketing, and sales roles.

He is a founding member and the former president of the MIT Club of RTP.  Howie received an MBA from the Fuqua School of Business at Duke University, and his bachelor's in Management Science from MIT.

 

Hollie Schmidt '87, SM '92
Hollie Schmidt is the Vice President of Scientific Operations at the Accelerated Cure Project for Multiple Sclerosis, a nonprofit organization founded in 2001 to accelerate the development of cures and treatments for MS. As the co-founder of two high-tech start-ups and brand manager of a recent new high-tech venture, Hollie also has direct experience with most of the critical business functions found in growing organizations, including marketing, operations, engineering, and general management.  Hollie's most recent commercial endeavor was the co-founding of the management consulting firm Lifting Mind.  Prior to founding Lifting Mind, she led the branding effort to create Empirix Inc., a high-tech testing venture, and cofounded NorthStar Internetworking, an "intrapreneurial" start-up within Boston-based Teradyne. Hollie has an MS in Management, as well as a BS and MS in Materials Science and Engineering, all from MIT.

Lori Smith
Lori Smith, a partner in Goodwin Procter's Business Law Department and a member of its Technology Companies Group, specializes in representing foreign and domestic companies in various industries with regard to mergers and acquisitions, financings, and general corporate matters, with an emphasis on emerging technologies. Lori has extensive experience acting as outside counsel for companies at all stages of development, from start-ups to public companies.

Lori has over 20 years experience representing entrepreneurs, venture capital and private equity investors, and public and private companies in the structuring, negotiation, and implementation of equity and debt financings and private equity transactions, private placements, acquisitions, mergers, strategic alliances, joint ventures, and licensing, manufacturing and distribution arrangements (including distribution via the Internet and wireless means). In addition to advising clients on transactional and contract matters, she regularly provides advice and assistance to companies and their investors with respect to general corporate governance and ongoing compliance matters, as well as the various issues that need to be addressed in anticipation of and planning for a public offering, sale, or merger.

Lori is outside general counsel to New York Angels, one of the leading angel investment groups in the Northeast, and serves as a member of the Board of Directors of the New York Chapter of the MIT Enterprise Forum.

Lori was a Senior Editor of Law and Contemporary Problems at Duke University School of Law.

Before joining Goodwin Procter, she served as a partner in the corporate and technology practice groups in the New York office of Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld, LLP. Previously, she was senior counsel at Proskauer Rose LLP, also in New York .

 

Susan Ayers Walker
Susan Ayers Walker is a social entrepreneur and founder of the SmartSilvers Alliance fostering assistive technology development for the active aging society.  For the past 30+ years, she has been involved with implementing strategies leading to successful business partnerships and technology developments in emerging and high tech systems companies in both metro Boston and Silicon Valley.  Susan has been a volunteer with the MIT Enterprise Forum for over 15 years, most recently as Chair of the MIT/Stanford Venture Lab. Susan earned her BS in Electrical Engineering at Northeastern and her Masters in Computer Science at Rutgers University. She is also the technology journalist for AARP.

 

Ken Zolot SM '95
Ken Zolot directs the Innovation Teams program at the Deshpande Center for Technological Innovation, where students spend a semester working in MIT labs evaluating go-to-market strategies for breakthrough discoveries. Ken has founded many companies, most recently Egenera, where he was first employee, first investor, and served as COO and director for the first two years of the company's operation. Egenera, the leader in computer server virtualization, is widely considered to be one of the fastest growing technology companies in history, and was named to Red Herring's list of "100 companies most likely to change the world." His previous startup, Geer Zolot Associates, was a spinoff from MIT Project Athena. Geer Zolot developed network security software for electronic trading and commerce, and designed the Internet security architecture for much of the financial services industry. After the sale of Geer Zolot Associates, Ken was retained by Goldman Sachs to guide its technology strategy. He has also held positions at MIT Project Athena, and at Digital Equipment Corporation's Innovative Technology Research Center in Cambridge. Zolot's first start-up was Spectra Communications, specializing in satellite telecommunications. Ken is also a director of Yoga301, serving the MIT and Cambridge community in advancing the art, science, and practice of the timeless discipline of yoga. Zolot holds a Master of Science degree from MIT in Management of Technology. His undergraduate work was at Syracuse University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy.