MEDA Fall Conference – Emerging Innovative Technologies in Maryland

Mojdeh Bahar serves as the Assistant Administrator for Technology Transfer at the Agricultural Research Service (ARS), United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). She has broad responsibility for managing the intellectual property that evolves from the research program of the Agency and serves as a resource for management of intellectual property and technology transfer across the USDA. She leads ARS’s interactions with government agencies, industries, commodity groups and universities on matters dealing with intellectual property and technology transfer. Ms. Bahar comes to ARS from NIH, where she served as the Chief of the Cancer Branch at the Office of Technology Transfer. There she led a team responsible for marketing, patenting and licensing NIH and FDA inventions in the areas of cancer, gene therapy, and biological response modifiers. Prior to that, Ms. Bahar was an Examiner with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). During her tenure at the NIH, she first served as the Regional Coordinator for the Mid-Atlantic Region of the Federal Laboratory Consortium for Technology Transfer (FLC) from 2008 to 2011 and then as the National Chair from 2011 to 2013. A patent attorney registered to practice before the USPTO, the State of Maryland, the United States District Court for the District of Maryland, and the United States Court of Appeals for Federal Circuit, Ms. Bahar is also a Certified Licensing Professional (CLP).
Ms. Bahar has spoken nationally and internationally on a wide spectrum of topics ranging from restriction practice, double patenting, and claim drafting to technology transfer and commercialization, business development, and licensing. She is the recipient of an NIH Director’s Award, a Mentorship Award, seven Merit Awards, an FLC S.T.E.M Award, three Excellence in Technology Transfer Awards, a State and Local economic Development Award and a FAES NIH Team Teaching Award. She was the 2014 recipient of Volunteer of the Year Award by Maryland Economic Development Association. In 2015, she was named one of Top 100 Women in Maryland by The Daily Record. She is a graduate of the University Of Maryland School Of Law. She also received a Master of Arts degree from New York University and a Bachelor of Science degree with Honors in Chemistry and French from Dickinson College.

Richard Bendis
Mr. Bendis is a distinguished and successful entrepreneur, corporate executive, venture capitalist, investment banker, innovation based economic development (IBED) leader, international speaker and consultant in innovation and economy building.
Mr. Bendis currently serves as the founding President and CEO of BioHealth Innovation Inc., a Central Maryland innovation intermediary focused on accelerating the growth of commercially relevant research from universities, Federal Labs and entrepreneurs focused in the biohealth industry.
He is also Founder, President and CEO of Innovation America (IA), a Global Innovation Intermediary focused on accelerating the growth of the entrepreneurial innovation economy in America.
• Global advocate for accelerating awareness of Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Early Stage Capital in stimulating Innovation Based Economic Development (IBED);
• International speaker on Building Innovation and Entrepreneurial Ecosystems (Voted a 2012 & 2014 Top 5 Innovation Speaker by Speakers Platform)
• International Consulting on IBED
• Editor and Publisher of innovationDAILY and WEEKLY, an e-newsletter/Blog reporting on Global trends on innovation with over 1,000,000 unique visitors in over 185 Countries (Voted The 4th Best Innovation Blogger in The World by Blogging Innovation)
• Early Stage Capital Fund of Funds Consulting and Formation and currently serves as a VC Investment Manager with NEST-TN a Nashville, Tennessee VC firm and is also an Angel Investor.
Mr. Bendis has been appointed to several national innovation related organizations and committees include the White House U.S. Innovation Partnership (USIP) Advisory Task Force and Co-Chair of the Small Business Innovation Research Committee), the National Governor’s Association (NGA) Science and Technology Council of the State’s Executive Committee, the State Federal Technology Task Force, the National Academies (NAS) committee on “Competing in the 21st Century: Best Practices in State and Regional Innovation Initiatives”; National Academies National Research Review of “an Assessment of the SBIR Program; National Institute of Standards and Technology Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) National Advisory Board; U.S. Small Business Administration’s Angel Capital Electronic Network (ACENET) Board of Directors; American Academy for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Nominating Committee and the American Association Research Competitiveness Program Advisory Committee; Council on Competitiveness – Clusters of Innovation Committee.
Mr. Bendis is currently or has previously served as a board member and representative to the following organizations: National Association of State Venture Funds (NASVF) Founding Board member and Vice Chairman of the Executive Committee; State Science and Technology Institute (SSTI) Founding Board member: Eisenhower Fellowships Nominating Committee, the Ernst and Young Entrepreneurial Institute Member and as a past EOY winner as well as a national/regional Judge.
Mr. Bendis has provided global consulting services to over 18 countries and 24 states, several cities and regions, along with international organizations including the United Nations, NATO, UK Trade and Industry, European Commission, French Embassy, the German Marshall Fund, The Canadian Consulate, COTEC, TechnoPolicy, Science Works, METI, AKEA, the International Science Parks and Innovation Expert Group and other global entities. Mr. Bendis is an International speaker, focusing on Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and Developing and implementing Innovation Based Economic Development Strategies.
Mr. Bendis founded the Bendis Investment Group LLC, (BIG), a financial intermediary and consulting firm, along with managing his own angel investment portfolio. Mr. Bendis also founded and served as the founding President and CEO of Innovation Philadelphia (IP), a three state regional public/private partnership dedicated to growing the wealth and workforce of the Greater Philadelphia Region. IP managed a portfolio of programs in four distinct areas: Direct Equity Investment/Financing Assistance; Technology Commercialization; Global/Regional Economic and Workforce Development; and Market Research and Branding. Mr. Bendis currently serves as the Chairman of the Innovation Philadelphia Board of Directors.
Previously, Mr. Bendis successfully leveraged a career in the private sector (with Quaker Oats, Polaroid, Texas Instruments, Marion Laboratories and Kimberly Services) and the venture capital industry (RAB Ventures) to lead the Kansas Technology Enterprise Corporation (KTEC). As its president and CEO, he developed KTEC into a globally recognized model for technology-based economic development. Mr. Bendis also successfully built an Inc. 500 healthcare software company, Continental Healthcare Systems, Inc., which he took public on NASDAQ and later sold to an international conglomerate. He was a nominee for the 2005 Ernst and Young National Entrepreneur Supporter of the Year Award (EOY) and was the 1996 recipient of the Regional Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award.

STEVEN A. BJORNSON

1615 Fielding Lewis Way • McLean, VA 22101
Mobile 484.888.3017 • e-mail: sab68@cornell.edu

EXPERIENCE

2013 – Current MEDIMMUNE (Biologics Research & Early Development Division for AstraZeneca)
Vice President, Global Business Planning & Operations Gaithersburg, MD
• Lead planning and operations functions, responsible for strategic planning, contract management, physician payment transparency, capital planning & prioritization, and employee engagement
• Manage a direct budget of $8M supporting a diverse team of 30 staff in the US and UK
• Manage $100M capital budget, supporting facilities and R&D lab infrastructure across 3 sites
• Led departmental reorganization, establishing a vision for the new Team; flattened management layers; established business analytics and reporting capability; aligned with R&D functions to enhance customer engagement; implemented rigorous staff training regimen to up-level expertise
• Within first year, reduced contract cycle times by 45% while total contract volume grew 66% and achieving 95% customer satisfaction
• Led strategic planning process with MedImmune Leadership Team, establishing 5 year plan; responsible for MedImmune Scorecard development and implementation of annual goals
• Member – MedImmune Leadership Team (2015 – ), MedImmune Biotech Operations Leadership Team (2013– )
• Board Member – Montgomery County Workforce Investment Board (2015 – )
• Board Member (Delegate) – University of Maryland Baltimore Health Science Research Park Corp. (2014 – )
• Selected for MIT Executive Leadership Program (2014) & MedImmune Leadership Develop Program (2015)

2003 – 2013 PFIZER (formerly Wyeth 2003 – 2009)
2012 – 2013 Senior Director, Operations & Strategy, Vaccine Research & Development Pearl River, NY
2011 – 2012 Director, Operations & Strategy, Vaccine Research & Development
• Manage $230M in annual Vaccine Research, R&D Partner Line (e.g. Drug Safety, Pharmaceutical Sciences, etc.) and early clinical development budgets in support of 520 person Vaccine Research & Early Development organization
• Manage staff responsible for executing and tracking research agreements and clinical consulting contracts including FCPA (Foreign Corrupt Practices Act) assessments
• Led cross-functional team charged with assessing, negotiating and communicating the development operations’ external Alliance Partner resources needed to support Phase III development of a novel vaccine; resulted in program endorsement and $350M in funding
• Co-developed 3-year Vaccine Research Business Plan, detailing scientific areas of focus and rationale, budget, portfolio output and commercial opportunity; Plan endorsed by R&D Exec. Leadership Team
• Led implementation of the Partner Line Marketplace (PLM) across Vaccine Research; engaged Partner Lines to assess resources needed to support the portfolio, resulting in $35M in PLM budget
• Led assessment of R&D collaboration opportunities in Brazil, engaging premier academic and governmental institutions; partnered with the Emerging Markets Business Unit to create a vaccine co-development proposal; initiated recruiting plan to establish an R&D office in Sao Paulo
• Member of the Vaccine Research Leadership Team (2011-2013) & Vaccine Program Review Teams (2011-2013)

2009 – 2010 Director, Strategic Planning, Worldwide R&D New York, NY
• Coordinated Pfizer/Wyeth integration activities for Vaccine Research & BioTherapeutics Pharm. Sciences, resulting in ~$80M in annual savings; supervised R&D’s exit from North Carolina
• Partnered with SVP Clinical Programs on developing the division-wide R&D Strategic Plan; focused on Precision Medicine themes and novel patient selection approaches
• Developed 2010 Pfizer R&D Strategic Operating Plan (SOP); worked across functional lines to define strategic objectives and financial targets; SOP endorsed by the ELT and Board of Directors
• Co-led the Patient-Focused Drug Delivery Team tasked with developing recommendations to inform Pfizer’s investment in biologics drug delivery technologies
• Member of the R&D Management Advisory Council (2010)

2007 – 2009 Director, Discovery Research Strategy & Communications Collegeville, PA
2006 – 2007 Associate Director, Discovery Research Strategy
• Managed team (4 staff, $1.2M budget) charged with strategy development & execution for $300M, 1250 person Discovery Research org. focused on small & large molecule drug discovery spanning five research areas: Oncology, CVMED, Neuroscience, Bone & Tissue Repair, and Inflammatory Diseases
• Led the Discovery Portfolio “Clean Team” for the Pfizer/Wyeth integration; partnered with scientists, management and consultants to plan and execute the collation, review and transfer of materials, providing transparency for 150+ pre-clinical programs
• Led the evaluation and business case development for the successful acquisition of UK-based biotech Haptogen; integrated the site & 25 staff; negotiated government grant, reducing operational costs by 25%; selected for “2008 R&D Team of The Year”
• Partnered with senior management to implement several departmental reorganizations within Discovery Research following an R&D-wide Disease Area Review
• Led the development and implementation of 3-year business plan for Discovery Research
• Developed Discovery Research “Sourcebook” to facilitate integration with Pfizer; detailed departmental structures, remits, budgets, headcount, productivity, etc.
• Led “Project Impact” Automation Team, resulting in $6M in operational savings; participated on the Alternate Investment Team, establishing an incubator model and a novel biotech partnership
• Directed global assessment of Non-Human Primate CROs; engaged Singapore-based provider & government; led tri-party negotiations resulting in a 5-yr partnership securing access to NHPs & novel animal models; negotiated 40% grant aid resulting in $4M in savings
• Discovery Executive Council member (2006 – 2009); MBA Steering Committee member (2004 – 2009)
• Nominated by President of R&D and selected by CEO for special stock grant award
• Selected for Wyeth Research “Eagles” Leadership Development Program (2006 – 2008)

2005 – 2006 Sr. Manager, Discovery Research Strategy Collegeville, PA
2003 – 2004 Manager, Discovery Research Strategy
• Co-led the formation, negotiation and implementation of an $80M, 5yr Translational Medicine research partnership with four universities, the NHS and government in the U.K.
• Established Protein Optimization Lab in Ireland; negotiated terms with University College Dublin and secured government grant assistance of 37%, reducing expenses by $5M over 5 years
• Selected by the BioPharma Business Unit Head to develop a series of presentations and “Board Book” detailing Wyeth’s biotech strategy for the Board of Directors
• Obtained $2.1M in external grant funding from the Danish government for Parkinson’s research
• Developed business case to acquire $400M biotech; presented to R&D and Commercial Exec. Mgmt
• Developed “to be” processes to integrate new $60+M HTS facility into Discovery Research

2002 – 2003 GENUITY SOLUTIONS, INC. (now Level 3 Communications) Woburn, MA
Management Development Program: Product Manager
• Responsible for the development, pricing and promotion of a new firewall service offering
• Negotiated co-promotion of flagship security service reducing hardware costs by 10%

2001 SPRINT CORP. (now Sprint Nextel Corp.) Overland Park, KS
MBA Staff Associate Intern: Global Markets Core Business Strategy
• Analyzed trends in the provision of broadband Internet content to determine best practices in merging the creation and distribution of digital media for residential and enterprise customers

1996 – 2000 BAXTER BIOSCIENCE Thousand Oaks, CA
1999 – 2000 Information Systems Analyst
• Teamed to successfully implement a $4M Laboratory Information Mgmt System; supported 90+ staff

1998 – 1999 Quality Control Specialist II
1996 – 1997 Quality Control Specialist I
• Researched and validated test methods; coordinated, performed & reviewed microbiological assays
• Assisted management with regulatory inspections (e.g. FDA) and internal audits

EDUCATION

2002 CORNELL UNIVERSITY Ithaca, NY
Master of Business Administration

1996 OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY Corvallis, OR
Bachelor of Science, Microbiology (minor in Chemistry)

PERSONAL
• Interests: spending time with family, strategy games, movies, road trips and international travel
• Former Johnson Graduate School of Management Ice Hockey Team Captain & Coach

Dyan Brasington is the Vice President for Innovation and Applied Research at Towson University. In her capacity as Vice President, Dyan leads an initiative to create and expand partnerships, entrepreneurship, research, and continuing education for the University. She is accountable for the management and success of several university units to include the Regional Economic Studies Institute (RESI), the Center for GIS and IT services, and the Center for Professional Studies to include the recent launch of the Professional Leadership Program for Women.
http://www.towson.edu/innovation/partnerships-and-outreach/womens-leadership/

Brasington initiated the TU Entrepreneurial Experience, which includes Towson University’s business incubator, newly opened Student Launch Pad and all associated programs. Her Division at Towson reports to the university president and is a multifaceted contract and research unit that provides student co-curricular experience, faculty research support, and services and solutions to government and the broader community. www.towson.edu/innovation/

Dyan currently serves on several boards and committees of not for profit organizations to include IEDC, MEDA, and the Maryland Center for Construction Education and Innovation (MCCEI).

Neil Davis serves as TEDCO’s Director of Entrepreneurial Development. In this role, he draws on his extensive experience in business to serve as the organization’s liaison with technology incubators statewide and works to develop new strategies for supporting start-ups in Maryland. He also manages TEDCO’s educational efforts for its portfolio companies, advises companies on business pitches to investors, and assists in planning the annual TEDCO Entrepreneur Expo. He brings more than 20 years of experience in business development, business consulting, and profit and loss responsibility.
Prior to joining TEDCO, Neil was the Vice President of Operations at Emerging Technology Centers (ETC), where his leadership, mentoring, motivational skills and in-depth expertise helped grow and expand business throughout Baltimore City. As one of ETC’s senior leaders, he was involved in providing business consulting services to more than 325 early-stage technology and biotech companies, as well as recruiting an average of 30 start-up companies to ETC annually from 2006 to 2013. Neil was also part of the team that planned, funded, and implemented the state’s first startup accelerator. Prior to his time at ETC, he held executive positions at Environmental Elements Corporation and Browning-Ferris Industries, Inc. where he was active in both domestic and international settings with a wide variety of operational, business development, and financial responsibilities.

Michael Dombo, Vice President of Sales, Winvale
As Vice President of Sales, Mike Dombo leads the team’s overall sales and key customer account objectives and is based in Dark Web ID’s office in Odenton, Maryland.

Dark Web ID was developed by Winvale to address critical cybersecurity issues impacting both public and private sector organizations. Dark Web ID’s web-based platform provides external monitoring reports of an organization’s user accounts, including IP addresses and third party and supply chain accounts to identify compromised credentials in real time. Through this platform, organizations can access actionable threat intelligence to help anticipate and protect against a cyberattack. To date, Dark Web ID has identified more than 400 million email and network passwords from more than 350,000 private Dark Web locations.

Previously, Dombo worked in several syndicated research sales roles as founder and head of sales for companies providing advisory services in areas such as: Public Safety & Homeland Security, Environmental & Sustainability issues, Human Resources and Finance. He graduated from Lafayette College with degrees in English and Russian and holds a Master’s Certificate in Project Management from The George Washington University.

Dr. Ellie Giles serves as Director of Operations of Montgomery Business Development (MBDC) Corporation, the first public/private economic development agency in Montgomery County. Created in 2010, MBDC’s mission is to provide engagement and a platform for the business community in economic development and policy decisions. In this role, Dr. Giles builds relationships and implements actions with targeted decision makers to realize a share vision of economic stability.
Dr. Giles is a former professor and researcher at Johns Hopkins University with an emphasis in developing strategies to enhance educational practices for students with special needs. Her book entitled, Paraprofessionals’ Perceptions of Training and Efficacy details specific strategies to optimize support staff in the classroom in order to enhance student’s learning experiences. She is an award winning international speaker and consultant sharing her passion regarding educational reform and advocacy for a strong educational future. She has over 30 years of experience in the field of education and has been recognized as National Educator of the Year.
Contact: egiles@montgomerybusiness.org 301-399-3903

Lily Qi (pronounced “Chee”) was appointed by Montgomery County Executive Ike Leggett to oversee priority initiatives on economic competitiveness. Her major projects include establishing BioHealth Innovation to advance biomedical research commercialization; building strategic partnerships with regions in China; improving nighttime economy in urban centers; and reforming economic development through a new strategy and a new organization. Lily joined Montgomery County after serving as spokesperson for the DC Department of Securities and Banking and Vice President of Business Development and Marketing for the Washington, DC Economic Partnership, the premier economic development organization of the capital city responsible for business attraction and retention.

A native of Shanghai, China, Lily is also a speaker, writer and trainer on cultural competency and immigrant integration. She chairs the Governor’s Commission on Asian American Affairs and serves on the boards of Suburban Hospital of Johns Hopkins Medicine and the VisArts. Lily was featured in the Washington Business Journal, Bethesda Magazine, China Daily, The Washington Post, and Asian Fortune and quoted in numerous other media for her professional and community leadership.

Ola Sage, PMP ®, CRISC
e-Management
Role: Founder & CEO
► 16-year CEO of an award-winning
information technology (IT) and
cybersecurity firm headquartered in
Silver Spring, Maryland
► B.S. Computer Information Systems,
► M.S. Technology Management
► Inductee, Montgomery County Maryland Business Hall of Fame, 2014
► Minority Business Leader Award, Washington Business Journal 2013
► Top 20 Prominent Patriots, George Mason University ‘s 2013
► Brava Women’s Leadership Award , Smart CEO 2012
► Women in Technology Leadership Award, 2010
Ola Sage serves as the CEO of e-Management, a leading provider of cybersecurity solutions and high-end IT services to government and industry clients, and the 2015 Information Technology Company of the Year for Montgomery County, Maryland, Under Ola’s leadership, the company has innovated and brought to market two software innovations including its newest cybersecurity risk intelligence solution, CyberRx, designed to help organizations use the new NIST Cybersecurity Framework to measure, manage, and improve their cybersecurity readiness.
A champion and advocate for cybersecurity readiness, Ola frequently meets with and speaks to business groups and CEOs about cybersecurity and has testified to Congress on issues around cybersecurity insurance and its impact on small and medium-sized businesses. She is the Vice Chair and current Acting Chair of the national IT Sector Coordinating Council (IT SCC). The IT SCC, comprised of the nation’s top IT companies, professional services firms, and trade associations, works in partnership with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to address strategies for mitigating cybersecurity threats and risks to our nation’s critical infrastructure.
Ola holds the Federal Chief Information Officers (CIO) certificate, is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP) and earned the Certified in Risk and Information Systems Control (CRISC) certification through ISACA, an international association of IT professionals involved in information security, assurance, risk management, and governance.

Areas of Expertise
► Cybersecurity Risk Intelligence
► Cybersecurity Readiness
► Cybersecurity Solutions
► Information Technology
► Business Strategy
► Risk Management @ Copyright e-Management

Holly is President of the Montgomery Business Development Corporation (MBDC,) since December 2012. The mission of the MBDC is to be an advocate for the business community with four focus areas: Marketing, and Communications, Economic Data, Advocacy, and Business Retention and Expansion. Sullivan is the first President of the organization. During her tenure, Holly and her team have developed new marketing collateral and an advertising campaign for the County, created an economic data database, developed a development database with county partners, worked with numerous existing companies on various opportunities and challenges, facilitated the first EARN training grant for the County and advocated on behalf of the business community on numerous legislative issues.

Holly has over 15 years experience in economic development, leading two organizations. Prior to the MBDC, Holly was Vice President of Economic Development in Rutherford County, TN, in the Nashville, TN metro area. Holly led her community to be ranked six times in the top 5 in the U.S. for the new job growth. During her 8-year tenure, she assisted in the creation of over 28,000 net new jobs as a result of 302 projects, totaling in excess of $7.5 billion in capital investment. Additionally, Holly led two fundraising campaigns for marketing and recruitment efforts that exceeded $8.5 million.

Holly received a Master of Science in Urban & Regional Planning from the University of Tennessee.

Sebastian Seiguer is the CEO and co-founder of emocha, a mobile health platform that streamlines the continuum of care. From screening all the way through to medication adherence, emocha smartphone and web applications engage the patient and allow various providers to access critical patient information in a timely manner. Previous to starting emocha in 2011, Sebastian launched a coffee shop chain in Germany from scratch, growing the concept to 25 locations before selling and moving back to his hometown, Baltimore, in 2011. Sebastian received his BA and JD from Columbia University, and holds an MBA in Healthcare and Finance from the Johns Hopkins Carey School of Business.

Robert Snyder

Bob has over 30 years’ experience in public policy, economic development and incubator management supporting entrepreneurship in high tech, biotech and clean tech industry sectors. He is currently incubator manager at Bethesda Green (BG), a nonprofit sustainability organization that supports sustainable clean tech, services and consumer product companies. The BG incubator helps propel company growth through advice from mentors and management experts, connections to potential customers, aggressive marketing assistance and enhanced access to sources of financing. Bob is also president of the Maryland Business Incubation Association (MBIA). With 27 incubators in 12 counties and Baltimore City, MBIA shares best practices for managing incubators and supporting entrepreneurs, represents incubators and entrepreneurship to stakeholders, and raises the visibility of business incubation across the state.

Patricia Wong is a Co-Founder and Managing Member of JPLC Associates, LLC. JPLC is a medical device start up out of Johns Hopkins University and develops quality assurance devices for radiation therapy. Ms. Wong is a former investment banker with extensive experience raising capital in public offerings. She received her B.A. from Wellesley College and her Masters of Government Administration with a concentration in Finance from the University of Pennsylvania. JPLC is Ms. Wong’s first start up venture and she expects first product sales in early 2016.

Benjamin H. Wu, an internationally recognized technology policy expert with more than 25 years of experience and management leadership, serves as DBED’s Deputy Secretary and Chief Operating Officer.