The Advisory Council for the Center for Innovation, Creativity and Entrepreneurship includes alumni, parents, and friends of the University. These people serve as advisors to the faculty, staff and, importantly, the student entrepreneurs, as well as being generous supporters of our program.  We are very blessed to have their involvement, because without them the program would not be what it is today.  The members and their biographies are listed below:

Jeff Barber -- Jeff Barber is President and Owner of State Line Auto Auctio n, a wholesale auto auction that allows dealers to buy and sell vehicles to  each other. Following the initial launch by his father in 1981, Jeff assumed management and operation in 1984 and has overseen tremendous growth of the company. State Line Auto Auction is recognized as one of the premier auto auctions in the  nation, and is currently New York’s largest auto auction.  Since 1990, State Line Auto Auction has also enjoyed the status of being a General Motors Factory Sponsored auction, which allows a bi-weekly sale of GM vehicles, along with the normal weekly consignment sale.  In 2010, State Line Auto Auction sold in excel of 43,000 vehicles.  Jeff graduated from Wake Forest University in 1972. (back to top)

David Bland -- David Bland, chairman of Travois, Inc., has worked on the development of affordable housing for more than 30 years.  David began his career with the Norfolk Housing and Redevelopment Authority in Virginia.  After working as a market analyst with the Rouse Company of Columbia, MD., one of the country's premier developers, David formed a non-profit housing corporation in Winchester, Va., that received national recognition as one of the most aggressive and innovative developers of affordable housing in the nation.  In 1995, David formed Travois, a more specialized company, dedicated to providing assistance to American Indian tribes and Indian housing authorities through the use of the Low Income Housing Tax Credit program.  In recognition of this important work, David was named a Champion of Affordable Housing by the North Dakota Housing Finance Agency in 2005 and was a finalist for the Volvo for Life Award in 2006 and 2007.  In 2011, David received a Home Ownership Participation for Everyone (HOPE) Award, in the leadership category, given by a partnership of real estate associations, including the National Association of Realtors. David graduated from Wake Forest University with a bachelor's degree in political science.  (back to top)

James Bland-- James Bland earned an MBA from Harvard Business School after graduating cum laude from Wake Forest University with a BA in Politics and French in 1980. He is the Executive Director of CRIX International and has more than 20 years of work experience in both the government and private industry, including technology development, international finance, marketing, and strategic analysis. He has been a key leader in the vision, creation, and progression of CRIX International. Prior to his current work, James has held several prominent positions in different companies including Ergonomixx, Datalux, Corstone Capital, and Science Applications International Corporation, where his work included development of electronic health record (EHR) systems, as well as web-based information exchange platforms for various markets. James and his wife Lauren have two sons, Jonathan and Bryant (WFU Class of 2012).  (back to top)

  Karen Borchert -- Karen Borchert is the Director of Products for Phase2 Technology, an open source software company specializing in web tools for the publishing and government sectors. Thanks to her deep background in product strategy, Karen's work focuses on identifying opportunities and challenges in the market, then formulating and delivering on product roadmaps to address them. That natural entrepreneurial spirit was evident when she co-founded a national nonprofit organization, The Campus Kitchens Project, and a social enerprise in the travel sector, Keen Guides, in addition to working as a consultant for several organizations worldwide. Karen earned an MBA from Georgetown University and a BA in Education and English from Wake Forest University. She lives in Austin, TX with her husband (and high school sweetheart) Taylor, and her two little ones Ady (4) and Charlie (1) which makes her the luckiest girl on the planet. (back to top)

Vance Brown -- Vance Brown currently is co-founder and CEO of Cherwell Software, a leading worldwide provider of Help Desk Software (www.Cherwell.com). From 1995 to 2000, Vance was President and CEO of GoldMine® Software Corporation (currently FrontRange Solutions®). During Vance's tenure, GoldMine was recognized as one of the top 100 software companies in the United States. Vance began his career as a lawyer at one of the largest firms in North Carolina. He still is licensed to practice law in the Distric of Columbia. Vance graduated from Wake Forest University, summa cum laude, with concentrations in Economics and Computer Science. He graduated from law school, with honors, from the University of North Carolina, finishing as a member of the Order of the Coif and the Law Review. Vance is founder of the Band of Brothers' Ministry (www.bandofbrothers.org) and was a founder and served on the Board of Directors of The Classical Academy (www.tcad20.org), the largest k-12 charter school in Colorado. In 2009, Vance was awarded the Excellence in Entrepreneurship Award by Wake Forest University "in recognition of his entrepreneurial spirit, creativity, achievement and social responsibility." Vance has been married for 25 years to Betsy (WFU '87) and has three children.  (back to top)

Thomas Cook -- Tom Cook graduated from Wake Forest University in 1995 and holds a JD from Emory University School of Law. He owns Rivendell Enterprises, a holding company for night life and entertainment investments. Rivendell Enterprises currently owns and/or operates eight entertainment and night life venues. the 1,100-capacity concert venue, Center Stage, was opened in 2000. Sugar Hill opened in Underground Atlanta in 2006 and received the "Best in Atlanta" award from Atlanta Magazine. Rivendell Enterprises holds an interest in entertainment and night life companies that employ over 100 people in Atlanta. Tom was introduced to the philanthropic world as a member of the Cook Family Foundation. The foundation's major grants have gone to the John Cook School of Business at Saint Louis University, as well as an NGO in Thailand called Mercy Center, an orphanage an AIDS hospice in the slums of Bangkok. The foundation has been involved in the creation of addiitonal schools and facilities in Katmandu, Nepal. Tom's Board memberships also include Progressive Redevelopment, Inc. and Georgia Justice Project.  (back to top) 

Mütter Evans -- Ms. Evans is an entrepreneur and a radio broadcast pioneer who became the youngest African-American and the second African-American woman within a week in 1979 to acquire a broadcast property in the United States by purchasing WAAA-AM in Winston-Salem, owning and managing it 27 years. In 1981 she founded and organized the Annual Noon Hour Commemoration of the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., five years before the first national holiday. More recently, she established Mütter D. Evans Consulting, providing assistance in the areas of management, marketing, and public relations. She does public speaking, voice-work, and writes also. A 1975 Wake Forest graduate, who worked at WFDD-FM as a student and was a presidential appointee to the Student Life and University Self-Study committees, she later served on the Alumni Council. Evans wrote a retrospect essay for the History of WFU, Volume V, 1967-1983 and was featured in JEWELS: 50 Phenomenal Black Women Over 50 by Michael Cunningham & Connie Briscoe. She currently serves on Governing Council of Quality Education Institute, Board of Directors of Quality Education Academy, and on the Business Advisory Council of Winston-Salem State Unviersity. Evans has vast non-profit volunteer experience, including being a charter board member of Leadership Winston-Salem and is an alumnus of the inaugural class of 1985. She has been recognized for her leadership, broadcasting, and community service by various organizations.  (back to top)

Dave Felman -- Mr. Felman is a shareholder with Hill Ward Henderson, a 90-lawyer commercial law firm in Tampa, Florida, and leads its corporate practice. His practice involves venture capital transactions, securities offerings, mergers and acquisitions, and general representation of established and emerging growth companies.  He represents a number of venture capital and private equity firms in their portfolio investment and merger and acquisition transactions, including Lovett Miller & Co., Incorporated, Ballast Point Venture Partners, Stonehenge Capital, Inflexion Fund, L.P., and HealthEdge Investment Partners, and offers counsel to a number of "angel" investors.  Mr. Felman is a member of the Board of Directors of the Florida Venture Forum.  He is recognized as a corporate, venture capital, and private equity lawyer in The Best Lawyers in America and as a corporate, merger and acquisition, and private equity lawyer in America's Leading Business Lawyers, published by Chambers & Partners.  He is a graduate of Wake Forest University and Duke University School of Law. (back to top)

Jason F. Fensterstock -- Since 1980, Mr. Fensterstock has worked with companies in financial distress, and their many constituencies, in the U.S. and abroad and in diverse industries, as a lawyer, investment banker, investor, operations advisor and Chief Executive Officer.  The cross industry and multi-disciplinary exposures have proven to be extremely useful in bringing incremental and creative solutions to a wide swath of challenges.  Having graduated from both Columbia Business School and Columbia Law School in 1980, he practiced law (1980 - 1986) and worked in Investment Banking (1986 - 1996) in New York City, specializing in all aspects of troubled company law and finance.  In 1996, Mr. Fensterstock founded an advisory company that provides him great personal flexibility and the continuing opportunity to efficiently contribute to solving select problems faced by distressed companies in many industries and most recently Blockbuster and a popular domestic basics apparel manufacturer and retailer.  Mr. Fensterstock graduated from Bowdoin College in 1975 and live in New York City and Westport, CT with his wife and daughter; his older daughter is class of 2014 at Wake Forest. (back to top)

John Funkhouser -- Mr. Funkhouser is a seasoned entrepreneur with more than 20 years specializing in building corporate value by applying strategic vision and incorporating significant financial experience and team oriented operational principles. Mr. Funkhouser is the President of NContact Surgical. He previously served as President and CEO of three venture-backed companies including Pharmanetics, Inc., Coeur Laboratories, and Advanced Environmental Technology, Inc. Before beginning an operating career, he was a General Partner of Hillcrest Group, a boutique merchant bank, where he served as lead investor and an active board member of numerous venture-backed companies. Mr. Funkhouser obtained an MBA at Colgate Darden Graduate School, University of Virginia and a Bachelor of Arts from Princeton University. He and his wife, Julie, have two sons and one daughter, Parker, who graduated from Wake Forest University in 2006. (back to top) 

Adam Godfrey -- Mr. Godfrey is a seasoned investor with 20 years of experience in the private equity business. He spent more than 18 years with Lindsay Goldberg and its predecessor, playing an integral role in the development of the firm which today manages approximately $10 billion in capital. During his 13 years as a partner, Adam led numerous investments for the firm across a diverse group of family owned and closely held enterprises. In 2011, he set out to establish a new private equity firm that will focus its efforts on making private equity investments in the middle market. He continues to serve as a Director of several Lindsay Goldberg managed investments, including First American Payment Systems, Intermex Holdings and Pride Manufacturing. He also serves as a Board Member of Schneider National and as a Member of the MBA Advisory Board at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth. Adam received a BA from Brown University in 1984 and an MBA from the Tuck School in 1992. He resides in New York City with his family; his oldest child Connor is a member of the WFU class of 2014. (back to top)

Elizabeth Gordon -- Ms. Gordon is President of Flourishing Business, LLC advisory firm and author of the best-selling book, The Chic Entrepreneur: Put Your Business ini Higher Heels (RDR 2008).  In 2011 her firm completed merger, acquisition integration projects for TD Bank, Capital One Bank, and Sun Trust Bank.  Previously she worked for Andersen Consulting, McMaster-Carr, Arrow Electronics and The Hackett Group and has consulted for hundreds of companies.  Elizabeth is a co-owner and anchor for the new downtown studio of Business RadioX in Atlanta and CEO of Modern Women, Inc.  She has served on the board of directors of National Association of Women Business Owners and American Association of University Women.  Ms. Gordon has been quoted by Investor's Business Daily and is literally a textbook example in Pearson Prentice Hall's college marketing textbook.  The Atlanta Business Chronicle awarded Gordon the 40 Under 40 Up and Comer distinction for her business achievements and civic impact.  She has presented her unique holistic methodology for growth as the keynote for hundreds of events.  Elizabeth earned her BS in Business with a concentration in Finance and minor in Economics from Wake Forest University and MS in Marketing from Georgia State University. (back to top)

Michael Harrington -- Mr. Harrington earned an MBA from Providence College and graduated from Wake Forest University in 1987 with a BA in Economics.  He founded Epoxies, Etc. in 1988 and currently serves as the President and CEO.  Epoxies, Etc. is a leading manufacturer of specialty epoxy, urethane, and silicone systems.  The company's adhesives, potting and encapsulating compounds and coatings are used world wide in demanding aerospace, electronic, industrial, and decorative appliances.  Michael also serves on the Board of Directors for the Make A Difference Foundation.  He and his wife Debbie (Wake Forest, 1987) have two daughters; Courtney and Caitlin. (back to top)

April Hess --is the Chief Financial Officer of Elevation Franchise Ventures, LLC (EFV) and Head Trainer and has helped run the company since its inception. Previous to her time with EFV, she worked in the financial services industry for more than a decade.  She specialized in providing comprehensive financial planning (retirement, cash flow, tax, risk management, investments, and estate planning) services to affluent individuals as part of SunTrust’s Private Wealth Management Group and Wachovia’s Wealth Management Group.  April also spent five years with J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. in Internal Consulting Services and the Private Bank. She is a Certified Financial Planner™ practitioner and holds the Certified Public Accountant (CPA) designation.   She holds a M.S. and B.S. from Wake Forest University in Accountancy and graduated in 1997. (back to top)

Hans Hess -- is the founder of Elevation Burger and Chief Executive Officer of Elevation Franchise Ventures, LLC.  He fell in love with the taste of beef at the age of four, when his mother cooked a London Broil, which he then proceeded to ask for every single day for the next five years.  As an adult, Hans wondered why he couldn’t find a better burger. In 2005, he decided to make the burger of his dreams himself. He founded Elevation Burger, demonstrating that it’s possible to have a restaurant chain that serves great-tasting, 100% organic burgers made from grass-fed beef that are better for you and better for the planet. As its founder, Hans provides strategic direction for the Elevation Burger brand and mission. Hans’ leadership guides brand innovation and ensures brand consistency so that Elevation Burger maintains its authenticity as it expands throughout the world. Before opening Elevation Burger in September 2005, Hans developed its patent-pending process for cooking fries in olive oil, its secret recipes, its distinctive look and feel, and its unique vision.  He holds a Master of Theology degree from Dallas Theological Seminary and a B.S. in Physics from California Polytechnic State University.(back to top)

  Eric Hill -- Eric has founded several companies beginning in 1998.  His first business venture was a NC based company which built and operated Subway Restaurant franchises in the greater Charlotte, NC market.  After growing that business to 9 locations he sold his interest to his partner.  In 2004 Eric co-founded BioRx which is a national specialty pharmacy company that distributes intravenous biotech drugs.  In 2012, The company will exceed $150mm in sales with more than 180 employees.  Eric currently manages all of the operations, marketing functions for BioRx on a day to day basis.  In June of 2011 Eric co-founded AlphaWaste, Inc., a NC based commercial waste and recycling business.  This business is a Triad based start-up that competes for the collection and hauling of commercial recyclables and waste from businesses and construction sites.

Prior to co-founding BioRx in 2004, Eric Hill has accumulated over 17 years of sales, general management and executive management experience in the specialty pharmacy and infusion industry.  Most recently prior to BioRx Eric had served as the Vice President, Blood Products for Coram Healthcare, a $500,000,000 public specialty infusion company based in Denver, CO.  In this role, Eric had executive management responsibility for sales and operations related to blood products including hemophilia clotting factors, intravenous immunoglobulin(IVIG), and other related biological agents.

Eric held other jobs and assignments with Coram including Vice President of Sales and Marketing for a managed care subsidiary and Regional Vice President.

Prior to joining Coram Healthcare in 1995, Eric worked for more than 5 years with National Medical Care as a field sales representative, a Regional Sales Manager and also as a Product Manager.

Eric graduated from Wake Forest University with a BA in psychology in 1988.  He currently lives in High Point, NC with his wife, Alyce (WFU '88) and two children. (back to top)

  Matt Hinson -- Mr. Hinson currently leads the digital strategy and business consulting practices at Mullen Advertising -- ranked #4 nationally by Ad Age -- with oversight for emerging technology and digital monetization.  Prior to Mullen, he led global ecommerce and national direct sales efforts at the Dish Network and has served as principal at several technology centric start-ups.  A senior strategist with experience growing business models from infancy to maturity in both start-up and Fortune 100 environments, Matt speaks frequently at industry events and has been published in multiple MBA-level strategy textbooks.  When out of the office, Matt spends the bulk of his free time herding toddlers with his wife and two boxers. (back to top)

Syd Kitson -- Sydney W. Kitson is Chairman and CEO of Kitson & Partners, a Florida-based real estate company specializing in the creation and development of master-planned communities, commercial properties and golf courses. Kitson is a graduate of Wake Forest University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics. Kitsonhad a notable career in the National Football League, playing offensive guard for both the Green Bay Packers and the Dallas Cowboys. Upon his retirement from professional football, he began his career in real estate by founding a company that, from 1986 to 1992, was responsible for the development and sale of residential communities, commercial properties, retail stores, medical offices and senior housing units. In 1992, he helped create the residential division of Gale & Wentworth, and became its President and Chief Operating Officer in 1996. From 1996 through 1999, he was responsible for overseeing the development of numerous successful master-planned communities, including Cherry Valley (Montgomery Township, NJ) and Ibis Golf & Country Club (West Palm Beach, FL). He founded Kitson & Partners in 2000, locating the firm’s company headquarters in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.

In 2006, Kitson completed the historic purchase of Babcock Ranch in Southwest Florida, encompassing more than 92,000 acres – an area five times the size of the island of Manhattan. Over 80% of the original land purchase, some 73,000 acres within Charlotte and Lee counties, has been preserved by the State of Florida and Lee County, in the largest single land preservation agreement in the state’s history. On the remaining land, Kitson & Partners will build an extraordinary, sustainable, environmentally-friendly green community where residents will live, work, learn and play amidst the natural splendor of Florida’s undeveloped wilderness. Babcock Ranch is an exceptional example of environmental preservation and responsible growth.

Kitson & Partners currently owns and operates numerous retail shopping centers, totaling more than 1.6 million square feet. In addition, Kitson & Partners is developing multi-use properties located throughout Florida that include residential, hotels, apartments and commercial space.

Syd Kitson is an active member of the Urban Land Institute, lectures at Princeton University, sits on the Policy Advisory Board for the Florida Solar Energy Center, serves on the Board of Directors for both the Florida Chamber of Commerce and the Florida Gulf Coast University Foundation, and is a member of the Florida Council of 100. Kitson is a member of the NFL Alumni Association and the National Football League Players’ Association. In 2000, Syd received the Rainbow Award from the Adam Walsh Children’s Foundation.(back to top)

Paul Kotos -- Paul Kotos is the Managing Member/Owner of Capital Investing LLC. He also holds his Securities License with MidSouth Capital Inc. Since 1981 he has been engaged in all aspects of the Securities Industry including Sales, Supervision, Investment Banking, and Recruiting. He has successfully assisted various national and regional Broker Dealers in their business development and expansion, being directly responsible for recruiting and training over 500 Brokers in his career. He is active in the Investment Banking community, and has provided over 80 strategic capital placement transactions for public and private companies. Most recently his firm is actively involved in the development of a new Securities Exchange. Paul graduated from Franklin and Marshall College in 1981 with a B.A. Economics. He lives in Jacksonville, Florida, with his wife and their four children (Peter '08, John '12, Krysta '14, and Mackenzie, a high school Junior). He has served on various nonprofit boards and endowments, including The Boy Scouts of America, The Jacksonville Country Day School and The St. Photios National Greek Orthodox Shrine.  (back to top)

Rick Leto -- Rick Leto has been an active member of the early-stage venture capital community since 2008 when he left Mervyns of California where he was President and Chief Executive Officer following a 35 year career in retailing.  During his career, Rick held many Senior Executive positions at Macy's where he spent 23 years and Kohl's where he spent eight years.  Rick was instrumental in the dramatic expansion of Kohl's during the late 1990's from a regional to national retail power house growing from 126 stores to over 500 and volume less than two billion to over 10 billion.  Since 2008 Rick has been a significant investor in two early-stage companies, Death's Door Spirits and Aurora Spectral Technologies.  Rick received a Bachelor of Science degree in Business from Bryant College in Smithfield, Rhode Island.  Rick is married and has two daughters.  Jessica, a senior at the University of Miami and Sydney, a sophomore at Wake Forest.  Rick and his wife, Bonnie, reside in Fox Point, WI. (back to top)

A. Andrew Levison -- Andy Levison, a 1978 graduate of Babson College, founded Southfield Capital in November 2002. Before that, he was the Head of Leveraged Finance at Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette (DLJ), where he oversaw banking and origination activities for all of the firm's investment banking products for leveraged companies.  In particular, Andy focused on high yield securities, leveraged bank loans, bridge loans and mezzanine/equity investments.  Under his leadership, DLJ became the #1 ranked firm for high-yield underwriting throughout the 1990s.  While at DLJ,  Andy also served as C0-chairman of the Credit Committee and as a member of the Management Committee of the Investment Banking Division and the Banking Review Committee.  Prior to joining DLJ, he was a Managing Director of the Leveraged Buyout Group at Drexel Burnham Lambert and a Vice President of the Special Finance Group at Manufacturers Hanover Trust.  Andy has served on the boards of numerous public and private companies related to investments and is currently on the board of directors of Ferrellgas Partners, L.P. (NYSE: FGP), TS3 Technology, Total Fleet Solutions, RCR International, Hallcon Corp. and the Levison/Present Foundation at Mount Sinai Hospital.  Andy is also the President of The Red Ribbon Foundation in Greenwich, CT.   (back to top)

Karen Licciardello -- Karen Liccardello graduated from Wake Forest in 1985 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business and Spanish.  She went on to earn a Masters' degree in international management from Thunderbird School of Global Management in 1986 and soon became a licensed CPA.  Karen began her early career as an international financial analyst withwith American Standard, Inc. and she then transitioned to corporate controller postions for several fast growing start-up companies.  Seeking a more flexible work situation after starting her family, Karen left the corporate world 14 years ago to begin her own accounting and consulting practice.  She specializes in financial reporting, strategic planning and budgeting, cash flow management and software implementation for small to mid-sized companies in the Carolinas.  Her client base includes subsidiaries of foreign companies beginning operations in the U.S. as well as entrepreneurs in various stages of evolution.  Karen and her husband Marty (WFU class of 1984) have two high school-aged boys.  (back to top)

Laura Lough -- Laura Lough (formerly Bullins) graduated from Wake Forest in 2007. She is the owner of The Unique Sheep, the company that she created as a 5^th Year Fellow at WFU. Laura and her husband Chris (WFU 2006) live on a small farm outside of Lexington, KY. (back to top)

John Matthews -- John Matthews is a Wake Forest graduate with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Spanish and Latin American Studies. Mr. Matthews spent several years with the U.S. Navy as a part of the defense intelligence community. After over a decade of involvement with energy issues, he co-founded and serves as President of Baker Renewable Energy, a division of Baker Roofing Company, where he is Executive Vice President. BRE's mission is to provide renewable energy related services and grid integration resources to commercial and institutional customers, and to be the new energy utility contractor of choice even at an international level. A project in Belize is already under way. Mr. Matthews lives in Raleigh and is involved in several charitable pursuits, as well as his church. (back to top)

Jane McCracken -- Jane McCracken (formerly Karwoski) is a member of the 1980 class at Wake Forest and has a Masters degree from the Georgia Institute of Technology. She is an experienced technology entrepreneur and financier with over 25 years experience in the US and Europe. She is CEO of Nexus Oncology, an international clinical research organization with offices in the US and Europe. Jane has a wealth of business experience in leading companies through periods of strong growth on both sides of the Atlantic. She spent the early part of her career as an investment banker and venture capitalist ans later moved into senior positions with several technology companies. Jane has served as CFO of Axis-Shield plc, a global developer and manufacturer of in vitro diagnostics tests and COO of VIS entertainment plc, a computer games developer of its own IP as well as in-licensed titles. She was also CEO of allhotels.com, a leading provider of internet-based hotel room booking now owned by Travelocity and the Sabre Holdings Group.  (back to top)

Russell Newton III -- Mr. Russell B. "Rusty" Newton, III is Chairman and CEO of Timucuan Asset Management, Inc., a privately owned investment management firm that provides asset management services for individuals, family offices and institutional investors. He also serves as the general partner of The Timucuan Fund, Ltd., which he formed in 1990, and Timucuan Opportunity Fund, L.P. which was launched in October of 2001. He is a long-time supporter of the University of North Florida and currently serves as the president of the UNF Foundation Investment Committee. Mr. Newton is from Jacksonville, FL and has two children who attended Wake Forest (Kate '09 MA and Russell '11). He and his wife, Katherine, served on the Parents' Council and last year chaired the Council. (back to top)

David Rea -- David Rea received a JD from Wake Forest in 1980, as well as a BA from Wabash College and an MBA from the University of Indiana. He is currently Executive Vice President of Salem Investment Counselors, Inc., as well as the President of the Shepherd Street Equity Fund. He is a member of the Wake Forest University Medical School Planned Giving Council, as well as a member of the Planned Giving Board for Wabash College. He is also involved with the Winston-Salem Estate Planning Council, as well as numerous civic groups. Mr. Rea is the immediate past chair of the Entrepreneurship and Liberal Arts Advisory Council. He guided the board during its establishment and critical first years of development.  (back to top)

Richard Riley -- Mr. Riley received a BA from Boston University. He is currently President of ALTA Advisors, LLC which provides professional and consulting services to, and invests in, insurance distribution businesses. From 2003 until 2008, Mr. Riley was the Chairman and CEO of WNC Insurance Services, a specialty wholesale operation with emphasis on providing catastrophe insurance products to financial institutions and to agents and brokers for their clients. He was also and continues to be a major owner/stockholder in the company. In the preceding 12 years he held the position of President and then Chairman and CEO of the insurance brokerage business of Aon in the Americas (the largest division of Aon Corp.) and then Vice-Chairman of Aon Group. From 1974 until 1991, Mr. Riley held various sales, sales management and overall management positions with Corroon and Black Corp., a major insurance brokerage (now Willis Group). He began his insurance career in 1964 with the Royal Insurance Group. He is a Member of the Board of Visitors of the Calloway Business School of Wake Forest and a member on the Board of Directors of: AICPCU (American Institute for Chartered Property and Casualty Underwriters), Gateway for Cancer Research, Portal Insurance Holdings (Vice-Chairman and investor), O'Brien Insurance Agency, and Westlake Insurance Group. He is also a member of the CPCU Society and a licensed Illinois Property Casualty agent and Surplus Lines agent. He and his wife Carolyn live in Georgetown, South Carolina. They have four children (Christopher, Sarah, Michael, and Joshua) and six grandchildren.  (back to top)

Robert Schultz -- Robert Schultz is President and a founding partner of AIX, Inc., headquartered in Windsor, CT. AIX develops and administers specialty programs often applying captive and funding mechanisms. Prior to founding AIX, Mr. Schultz was President and founding partner of Artis, a joint venture with Royal Sun Alliance which wrote over $500M of captive and self-insured business annually. He was a Vice President with Discovery Re Managers, joining the firm at its incorporation in 1990. During his tenure, he managed the Midwest territory and started the captive division for Discover Re, remaining in that capacity until 1997. Mr. Schultz began his alternative risk career in 1987 with General Re in the Genesis (alternative) division in Chicago, Illinois where he was a captive and program manager. His son, Tyler, is a member of the WFU Class of 2011.  (back to top)

 Gregory Segall -- Gregory L. Segall is Chairman and CEO of Versa Capital Management, LLC, a private equity investment firm with $1.2 billion of assets under management focused on distressed leveraged buyouts and other ‘Special Situations’, and targeting North American-based middle market companies with revenues under $1 billion. He has led Versa and its predecessors since their founding in 1992. A former Governor of the State Bar of California by legislative appointment, he has been a frequent guest commentator media outlets such as CNBC and Bloomberg TV, and guest lecturer for numerous universities and professional organizations on various topics including corporate restructurings, distressed investing and other economic, business and financial issues. Mr. Segall is a member of the Young Presidents’ Organization (YPO), various industry and professional associations, and is past President (‘03-‘09) of the Children’s Crisis Treatment Center in Philadelphia, for which service he received the 2003 ‘Turnaround of the Year (Pro Bono) Award’ from the Turnaround Management Association. He is a graduate of Pepperdine University, where he received his M.B.A., and lives in Gladwyne, Pennsylvania with his three sons, Daniel (Wake Forest ’15), Adam and Jordan. (back to top)

Donald Seitz -- Don is Senior Vice President at Author Solutions, Inc., the world's leading self-publishing company. Don oversees global sales for the company, managing sixteen distinct book publishing imprints. He is also responsible for business development for the company, establishing strategic partnerships with a variety of publishing, media and technology firms in support of the company's key initiatives. Don's previous positions have spanned sales and marketing roles at IBM and Lucent Technologies and at several venture-backed firms primarily in the software and services sector. Don is a graduate of Princeton University ('79) where he majored in Economics and was President of the University Cottage Club. He also has an MBA degree from Harvard Business School ('83). He is active in several associations, sits on two corporate advisory boards, and is an avid golfer, runner and downhill skier. He is married to Patty Seitz (University of Connecticut, '79), who runs day-to-day operations at one of the nation's premier youth soccer clubs. The couple has three children (Katie, University of Richmond '07; Melissa, Princeton University '10; and Michael, Wake Forest University '12). They reside in Basking Ridge, NJ with two dogs and a cat.  (back to top)

Gary Smith -- Gary B. Smith is President and CEO of Ciena, a global leader in next-generation telecommunications infrastructure that enables high-capacity, intelligent networks. Under Smith's leadership, Ciena has grown from approximately $300 million in annual revenue to nearly $2 billion in annual revenue run rate, with #1 market share in next-generation optical networking in North America and #3 market share worldwide. As one of the fastest-growing companies in the sector since 2001, Ciena's 4000+ employees serve more than 1000 customers, including many of the world's largest telecommunications service providers and cable operators, governments and enterprises. In 2011, recognizing Ciena's depth of experience and influence in the industry, President Obama appointed Smith to the National Security Telecommunications Advisory Committee (NSTAC).

A citizen of both the U.S. and the UK, Smith has lived on three continents and worked extensively on six. Prior to joining Ciena in 1997 to launch its international business, and leading Worldwide Sales before becoming Chief Operating Officer in 1999 and CEO in 2001, Smith served as VP for Sales and Marketing at Intelsat, the world's leading provider of fixed satellite services; and served in senior marketing roles at three UK-based data solutions companies.

Smith is also Lead Outside Director for CommVault Systems, Inc.; a member of the Board of Directors at Avaya, Inc.; a commissioner of the Global Information Infrastructure Commission; a 'Broadband Ambassador' for the Internet Innovation Alliance; and, participates in initiatives with the Center for Corporate Innovation. Smith also previously served as a Board member at the American Electronics Association (now TechAmerica).

Smith earned an MBA from Ashridge Management College in the UK. He is an avid runner, mountain biker, and tennis and squash player. He lives in Maryland with his wife and two children. (back to top)

Peter Stiles -- Peter Stiles is Vice President of Marketing and Strategy at Lean Logistics. He has over 35 year of experience in Supply Chain management systems and is a recognized expert in e-commerce logistics solutions. Mr. Stiles has provided consulting services to over 30 companies worldwide. He was the founder and President of Operations Technologies, co-founder of Rand McNally-TDM, and co-founder of Symbius Corporation. He is widely published and is a frequent speaker at industry seminars, trade associations, and educational logistics seminars.  (back to top)

Daniel   White -- MBA, President and CEO:  Prior to joining Clearside Biomedical, Mr. White served in Global Corporate Development as head of transactions for GSK’s dermatology division of Stiefel.  Daniel White has participated in private equity raises and sales of assets for over $120 million and has played an integral role in the negotiation of 27 acquisitions and divestitures.  Product successes include 7 launched products and 2 late Phase III products associated with assets identified, licensed or acquired.  He was a founding member and instrumental in the creation of Alimera Sciences, Inc (ALIM) now a publically traded, Atlanta-based specialty pharmaceutical company developing drugs for prescription ophthalmology indications, where he served as Vice President of Finance and Corporate Development.  He has previously held management positions in global corporate development with Novartis subsidiary, CIBA Vision, and aaiPharma, and has developed numerous contacts in the health sciences industry and among VCs and investment banks. Mr. White holds an MBA from Wake Forest in Finance, has an undergraduate degree in Molecular Biology from Auburn University and performed graduate work in pharmacology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. (back to top)

Chet Zalesky -- Involved in marketing and research for 25 years, Chet Zalesky, founder of CMI, helps companies achieve sustainable growth.  His focus is on aligning customer needs with business initiatives that drive profitability.  He has directed the development of information platforms for managing the customer experience process, programs for retention and acquisition, as well as new product development.  As President of CMI, he provides the inspiration and vision ofor growth and a compelling, profitable future.  Chet is an active member of CASRO, ESOMAR, and AMA, and has served on committees for several national and regional conferences.  He has previously served as a member of the Board of Directors of the Council of American Survey Research Organizations (CASRO), where he also served as the Board Chair, and was the chairperson for CASRO University.  He holds a bachelor's degree in business administration from Villanova University, where he played NCAA Division I football.  He undertook his graduate studies in marketing research at the University of South Carolina. (back to top)

Mark Zandi -- Mark Zandi is chief economist of Moody's Analytics, where he directs research and consulting.  Moody's Analytics, a subsidiary of Moody's Corporation, is a leading provider of economic research, data and analytical tools.  Mark's research interests include macroeconomics, financial markets and public policy.  His recent research has focused on the determinants of mortgage foreclosure and personal bankruptcy, analyzed the economic impact of various tax and government spending policies, and assessed the appropriate policy response to bubbles in asset markets.  Mark also conducts regular briefings on the economy.  He is oftern quoted in national and global publications and interviewed by major news media outlets and is the author of Financial Shock, an expose' of the financial crisis.  His forthcoming book, Paying the Price, provides a roadmap for meeting the nation's daunting fiscal challenges.  A trusted adviser to policymakers and an influential source of economic analysis for businesses, journalists and the public, Mark has frequently testified before Congress on topics including the economic outlook, the merits of fiscal stimulus, financial regulatory reform, and foreclosure mitigation.  Dr. Zandi received his PhD at the University of Pensylvania, where he did his research with Gerard Adams and Nobel laureate Lawrence Klein, and received his B.S. from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.  (back to top)