Entrepreneurship and Innovation Mentors
Dick Albu
President, Albu Consulting
Dick Albu is the founder and president of Albu Consulting LLC, a strategy management consulting firm focused on engaging and energizing leadership teams of middle market private and family businesses. For over 20 years the firm has been dedicated to helping its clients increase enterprise value by formulating robust business strategies and following through on execution of key strategic initiatives.
Douglas Campbell III
As Managing Director of The Success Coach SM, Douglas works with business owners to grow their businesses and build strong management teams. In the Executive & CEO coach role he serves as a Board of Advisors to find solutions to key business challenges. In addition, as a Professional Speaker, he facilitates workshops on team building, strategy and creativity for area companies. Douglas has started 5 businesses and written 2 books on Reinventing Your Business, and he presently serves on the Board of the Angel Investors Forum. Previously he was Director of Marketing for a Fortune 100, an MBA and undergraduate University Professor, and worked for the United Nations and U.S. Congress.
Richard Fisler
Richard Fisler is a biomedical engineer who spent 30 years developing and commercializing products for the medical and biotechnology industries. He worked as a software engineer, developing imaging applications for medical imaging systems, and worked as a Sales and Marketing executive for the life sciences research and drug discovery sectors. He has played pivotal roles in a broad spectrum of activities, including early corporate formation, commercial strategy development, marketing, business development, and sales at several life sciences reagents and instrumentation companies. For 10 years, Mr. Fisler provided strategic marketing and commercialization consulting services as the president of Beachhead, LLC, including securing Series A and Series B financing for innovative start-up companies. Beachhead works at the forefront of genomics, proteomics and cellular analysis technologies that are driving innovations in drug discovery and diagnostic developments for early stage companies and market leaders.
Greg Harla
Greg Harla is one of the original founders and partner of Pavement Recyclers LLC, the exclusive US distributor for German manufactured asphalt recycling equipment. For over 10 years, Greg聮s innovative sales and marketing strategies, entrepreneurial spirit and sense of humor lead Pavement Recyclers USA to become a successful and well-recognized brand in the construction equipment industry.
Greg holds an MBA in Marketing and has extensive sales and marketing background in a variety of industries to include consumer goods, internet retailing and real estate. Greg lives in the city of Milford, CT with his wife Carrie. When he is not out boating the coastline, he is activity involved in the community, serving as the Vice Chair of the Economic Development Commission and on the tax assessment board of appeals.
Kelly Haskins
Kelly Haskins is Senior Vice President and Director of Community Banking Implementation Management and Operational Risk at Webster Bank. In her role, Kelly is responsible for the oversight of the project portfolio for the Community Bank. Additionally, Kelly manages operational risk and is the primary Community Bank liaison to the Enterprise Risk Management team at the Bank. She joined Webster in 1996 as a Product Manager for Investments (and eventually Insurance & Trust); in 1999 she led an initiative to form Webster聮s Broker Dealer and Registered Investment Advisor. Additionally, Kelly undertook the lead for due diligence when Webster purchased the Trust Company of CT and Sachem Trust Company. For several years, Kelly managed both Trust and BD/RIA Operations and Technology when the units were combined from a management perspective. Prior to joining Webster, Kelly was an Account Executive at Dean Witter; an Institutional Marketing Associate at G.T. Capital; Trust & Investments Product Manager at Old Kent Bank (now Fifth Third); and a contracted Program Manager with EMC & LPL; Managing Director at Kehrer Associates and Chief Operations Officer for a credit union-owned BD.
Bob Lee
A former nuclear submarine officer and engineer, Bob is a hands-on leader of both middle market private equity portfolio companies and early-stage ventures in diverse industries including healthcare, marketing and advertising, and nanotechnology. His focus is on making companies ready for sale, and he has led seven businesses to and through successful exit events. He also helps privately-held businesses that seek a profitable path to growth without excessive investment by functioning as a part-time or interim C-level leader.
Bob is a graduate of the US Naval Academy and of Yale University, and resides in Madison, Connecticut. His hobbies include personal investing, hiking, cooking and travel.
Mike Maguire
Mike Maguire is a senior executive whose passions include leadership, entrepreneurship and forwarding nonprofit causes. Mike is Chairman and former CEO of Structural Graphics, a marketing services firm. He is a leading authority on the use and effectiveness of integrated direct marketing tools. Mike is also a partner in Ann Nyberg's Network Connecticut, a website whose mission is to connect, assist and inform the state's small business and nonprofit communities. He also serves on Pompea College of Business Advisory Board at the University of New Haven. Mike holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from UConn and MBA from Harvard Business School.
Jill Mayer
As Corporate President, Jill Mayer is responsible for strategic planning, executive leadership and capital allocation at Bead Industries, Inc. In addition to serving on the University聮s Entrepreneurship and Innovation board, she serves on Bead聮s board of directors, the New Haven Manufacturers Association board, and the Center for Family Business advisory board. Jill holds a Bachelor of Science in Business from the University of Vermont and a Master of Science from Champlain College.
Ripi Singh
Chief of Innovation and Strategy, Inspiring Next
For the past 20 years, he has been at the forefront of aerospace and defense, healthcare, energy and power, manufacturing, and IT domains; supporting industry, academia, and government; in USA, Europe and Asia. Over these years, he has been blessed with numerous National and Corporate honors, opportunity to author 70+ publications, deliver 250+ lectures, secure a few patents and edit a few books. This experience led him to develop an Enterprise Innovation Framework called 芒聙聹+4p芒聙聺 which accelerates growth through coherent application of best practices in innovation, productivity and quality; for both near term and long term competitive advantage. His influence spans mentoring young minds to coaching business owners, enabling successful startups, turnaround, and growth companies, across commodities like garments to futuristic technologies like drones, and more so without any geographic or cultural boundaries.
Drake Smith
Drake Smith has 35 years of experience developing hardware, software, and VLSI solutions for commercial and consumer electronics products. He has founded several companies throughout his career including a broadcast video company that was acquired by the National Captioning Institute in 2002, and an interactive television company called Mixed Signals Technologies that was sold to Sony Pictures Entertainment in 1999. Mixed Signals created and produced all of the early interactive TV content for Wheel of Fortune, Jeopardy!, March Madness basketball, the Game Show Network, and more. Currently, he is involved in a cryptographic startup company that provides security solutions for the Internet of Things. Mr. Smith holds a Bachelor of Science in Engineering from the University of Lowell, and a Master of Software Engineering from Brandeis University.
Phillip Viscomi '74
Owner, Business Growth Advisors
Mr. Viscomi is a technology-commercialization executive with 30+ years芒聙聶 experience. He has formed, led, grown, and returned value to investors and stakeholders in emerging, mid-size and Fortune 50 corporations. During his tenure with HP/Compaq Computer he led the global business development team, generating annual revenues of more than $10.5 billion. As President, CEO, Board member, General Manager, and COO, his record of accomplishment includes, developing innovative strategic plans, leading plan execution, and monetizing returns to investors in a broad range of technology industries.
Mr. Viscomi received a B.Sc. in Operations Management/Industrial Engineering, from the University of New Haven, completed the Wharton School/Corporate-internal Master Business Administration program, and executive development programs at Kellogg School of Management - Northwestern University, and Harvard Business School.
Tom Wilkinson
Since 1987, Advantage Maintenance has been providing janitorial services to businesses throughout Connecticut. Tom Wilkinson 聮 89, Owner & President, started the company, then called Collegiate Office Cleaning, as a way of earning money to put himself through college. The Company has evolved into a large business enterprise, a leader in commercial janitorial services able to service any size customer throughout Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York and Rhode Island. Their trained professionals work for their customers 24 hours a day, offering a full range of janitorial and maintenance services to meet all needs. Tom currently serves on the University聮s Alumni Board of Directors.
Stanley Witkow
Stanley Witkow spent most of his professional career as the general counsel or senior legal officer of a succession of technology companies, beginning in 1985 when he was appointed general counsel of Ashton-Tate, the leading provider of database software for personal computers, followed by stints with CIC, an innovator in handwriting recognition software, WordStar, a leading word-processing developer, and GE Capital IT Solutions, a world-wide provider of workplace computer solutions. Following his retirement from the active practice of law, Stan has been involved with different kinds of mentoring. He is a ten-year+ SCORE mentor, helping individuals start and operate small businesses; he is an active mentor with the Bridgeport Schools Volunteer Program and he operates a business mentoring individuals in self-marketing and presentation skills. Additionally, he is currently the COO of a new start-up venture, WorkCoffee, which expects to introduce its first products later this year. Stan is a strong advocate of networking and has experienced first-hand the benefits of making and maintaining business connections. Stan is a graduate of UCLA and UC-Hastings College of the Law. In addition to acting as a lawyer, he has managed human resources and other administrative functions at other leading technology companies. One of his current projects is mastering Quickbooks as the treasurer of Westport Rotary Club!