Our Mentors
Brenda is the Co-Chair of the SMBC Board of Mentor program. She is one of the originators of the mentor program concept and process. As an expert in Organization Development and Human Resources, she helps coordinate and facilitate a meaningful process for the incubator clients and the mentors. She has extensive experience working with start-up's from seed stage to pre-IPO. Brenda is the Co-Founder and Principal of The HR Matrix, LLC. She holds a BA in Industrial/Organizational Psychology, a Master's in Organizational Dynamics from University of Pennsylvania, and is a certified SPHR. |
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Jack is a retired marketing consultant to the travel industry. He wrote the strategic plan that reorganized tourism for the Sonoma County Economic Development Dept in 1998, and cooperative marketing plans for the Island of Maui, American Airlines Vacations, Delta Vacations, major hotel chains and others. He is an Active angel investor, member of the Keiretsu Forum, and a Member of Board of Trustees for Hanna Boys Center, Sonoma, CA. |
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Michael was the founder and CEO of the largest franchise, retail photo chain in North America with 450 stores. Michael has served as CEO of six public and privately held firms. He was involved with three venture capital firms. He is engaged in community economic development, Angel investing activities and advising startup and early stage companies in the areas of strategic planning, financing, marketing and franchising. |
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Jeff is a sales and marketing executive with over 20 years experience with high growth technology, network, internet security and service companies. His focus is market analysis, branding, PR, business development and field operations. Jeff has a BS in Industrial Engineering from Purdue University, and is on the boards of The Redwood Empire Food Bank and Social Advocates for Youth. |
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Denise Beeson is a BaySierra Financial, Inc. commercial loan officer including SBA 7a & 504 loans and private money investing. She is a consultant in business development, marketing, licensing, and funding. Denise has a degree from Whittier College, a Masters from SFU and a Certificate in Intellectual Property from the Licensing Executive Society. She teaches Small Business Management and Marketing at SRJC, and has consulted for the State of California's SBDC program. |
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Paul has more than 20 years of experience in entrepreneurial strategy, private equity financing, commercial banking and business planning. Currently Paul serves as a Certified Master Instructor for NxLeveL sponsored by the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at SRJC. Paul is also the founder of the 10X Consulting Group; a boutique consultancy focused on development of strategic business plans for startup and fast-growth companies. |
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Raj Desai has advised the world’s leading professional services and industrial companies on strategy, restructuring, pricing, growth and M&A. In addition, he has started several businesses, consulted to entrepreneurs, and is an early stage investor in several companies including Twitter. Mr. Desai has an MBA from the Wharton School. |
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Jerry Gladstone retired at the end of 2005 from Agilent Technologies (formerly Hewlett-Packard Company) where he was VP & GM of Worldwide Technology Operations. He was the Founding Executive Director of the Sonoma Mountain Business Cluster. Currently he is a business and technology consultant for startup and smaller companies. |
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Lars is a serial entrepreneur with over 20 years experience in network security, mobile payments, health records, on-line businesses, and off-shore professional services. His expertise includes management, financing, sales and marketing, product management and engineering. He currently helps early stage companies with low-overhead virtual off-shore organizations. He holds a BSE/EECS from Princeton University. |
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Michael Gralnick is a repeat entrepreneur who has been a founder, co-founder and strategic consultant of business startups in multiple industries. His focus is multi-faceted, transformative business models and disruptive technologies that create fundamental paradigm shifts in the way large industries do business, require complex strategic plans, and have a positive impact on the world. |
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Nigel is a certified coach and mentor and as president of Commonwealth Advisors, combines business advice and coaching for executives, entrepreneurs and business owners to achieve their goals. Nigel has over 35 years of senior management experience both in the US and UK, with extensive global exposure. This experience runs the gamut from a start-up that literally started in his garage to a publicly traded multi-national professional services company. Nigel's commitment to the local community includes Santa Rosa Chamber Vitality Committee, Sonoma County Alliance and North Bay Angels. |
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Peter is a serial entrepreneur with unprecedented experience in building high growth disruptive service companies in the telecom sector. He led his first venture backed company through IPO and acquisition as CEO of Centex Telemanagement. As the CEO/co-founder of IPWireless, Inc., Howley raised more than $120 million in venture capital. His leadership was instrumental in the company’s acquisition by Nextwave 2007. |
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Shawn is an Attorney & Instructor with over 30 years of business development and marketing experience. His focus is on legal formation, compliance, business models/plan, strategic business growth and National & International negotiations. His analytic, planning and organizational abilities coupled with leadership, presentation and interpersonal skills and dedicated work ethic create “opportunities” for businesses to grow and prosper. |
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George, now retired, is a mechanical engineer with 38 years experience as President of a manufacturing company. He started by buying a small bankrupt company and turning it around into profitibility. He combined it with a bankrupt competitor to form a successful, internationally recognized manufacturer of industrial furnaces and specialized high temperature equipment. George's experience includes engineering, sales, finance, business organization, manufacturing processes, specialized materials, team building and personnel encouragement. |
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Melissa Jones, CEO of EverFile Systems, Inc., has an extensive background in international high technology marketing and sales, and product launches. Prior to founding EverFile she spent 7 years in marketing, sales, and corporate management at high-technology start-ups involved in embedded control systems and semiconductor intellectual property, and 14 years at Philips Electronics. Melissa holds a Ph.D. in Transformative Learning and Change from the California Institute of Integral Studies. |
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Greg is a technology executive with demonstrated success leading Fortune 500 company divisions and Venture Capital startups. He is currently President of Miller Enterprises which helps companies with fund raising, customer acquisition, strategy and expansion. Earlier Greg was CEO of Sequoia Capital backed Miradia which was acquired in March 2009. Prior to Miradia, Greg was VP and GM at JDSU leading the thin films, polymer optics, commercial lasers and consumer electronics division. |
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Since 1993 Mr. O’Hare has been a successful patent attorney, whose practice is involved in complex business litigation, intellectual property law and insurance matters. Mr. O’Hare has represented Fortune 100 international corporations as well as small businesses, startups and individuals; and has successfully litigated multi-million dollar infringement cases involving technology licensing, trademarks, patents, copyrights and commercial agreements. |
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Bill is a Senior VP of Wealth Management of the Vick/Cho Group at Morgan Stanley Smith Barney. He has over 25 years experience in the financial industry, formerly as a Merrill Lynch director. Bill has a BA in European History from the University of NC, and Masters in Education from Old Dominion University. Bill’s commitment in the community includes the Green Music Center Finale Committee, Sonoma County Alliance, North Bay Angels, Board Member of PMI, and A.C.E. Business Group Founder. |
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