Atta Pilram is a multidisciplinary entrepreneur with over 20 years experience in high-tech and financial markets, and assists companies with their business development, finance and marketing efforts. He was Business Development Advisor with Oncyon Ventures, where he helped to identify and qualify unique opportunities in hi-tech markets and biotechnology segments. He founded intraE Corporation in 2000, a broadband company with unique content delivery services including video-on-demand. Prior to intraE he was a co-founder and VP of Operations at B2BConnect. In 1994 he founded World Internet Center (WIC) to address new emerging markets including Tele-medicine. Mr. Pilram attended the University of Northern California studying in the MBA program in Biotechnology and studied MBA in Finance from National University. He received a BS in Computer Science from Pittsburg State University. He can be reached at (415) 748-0374,

Anoop Pudhukode, is a Sr. Engineer at start-up IP Video Systems, specializing in providing real time video, graphics, high-definition collaboration and streaming solutions. Prior to IP Video Systems, Anoop held various technical positions with companies, such as Sana Security, Bayside Design, Velio Communications and Network Systems & Technologies. An entrepreneur by nature, with a technical and business background both in India and US, Anoop is actively involved in helping companies setup operations in India and coordinating them. Anoop received an MSEE from Wright State University and a B-Tech in Electronics and Communication Engineering from University of Kerala, India. He can be reached at .

Bill Reichert, Managing Director at Garage.com, has over 20 years of experience as an entrepreneur and an operating executive. Since joining Garage in 1998, Bill has focused on early-stage information technology and materials science companies. He sits on the Boards of CaseStack, WhiteHat, ClearFuels, cFares, and Step Communications. Prior to Garage, Bill was a co-founder or senior executive in several venture-backed technology startups, including Trademark Software, The Learning Company, and Academic Systems. Earlier in his career, he worked at McKinsey & Company, Brown Brothers Harriman & Co., and the World Bank. Bill earned a B.A. at Harvard College and an M.B.A. from Stanford University. He was a founding board member and a Chairman of the Churchill Club, and a Charter Member of the Silicon Valley Association of Startup Entrepreneurs. Currently he is the Chairman of the Small Fund Roundtable of the VC Taskforce and a member of the Council on Foreign Relations in New York. www.garage.com

Carl Hewitt is an emeritus professor from MIT where he was on the faculty for three decades in Computer Science. His doctoral work involved designing Planner, the first programming language based on plans, assertions, and goals. Subsequently Carl worked on developing the Actor model of concurrent computation. Most recently, he developed Direct Logic, which is an unstratified reflective paraconsistent logic. Carl maintains a blog of his academic lectures and, in addition to his academic work and consults for startups in the Valley. More about Carl.

Charlene Laughlin, MS, CCP, SPHR, is Managing Principal at compenomics, where she focuses on early stage compensation planning and design for fast growth companies. Providing insight into such issues as Section 409A compliance, sales force compensation, and surveys and research regarding pay practices, compenomics develops clear, concise, and competitive compensation and equity strategies. Charlene is frequent speaker at human resources conferences, presenting research on such topics as managing Einsteins & Edisons, the retentive value of career ladders for knowledge workers, and comp pudding. She teaches compensation and organizational development classes and is the author of Core HR. Compenomics can be reached at (650) 302.8693 or www.compenomics.com

David Hutton, founder and Principal of Hutton Associates, provides business development consulting services (corporate partnering, strategic planning) to those in the Life Science/Biotechnology sectors. An avid entrepreneur, he actively participates in the search for novel technology around which to foster the creation of new ventures; he is responsible for founding four biotechnology startups. Special relationships have been developed with offshore organizations, eg. in New Zealand, seeking to foster business relationships in North America. An honors biochemistry graduate of Oxford University, England, David received his PhD in biochemistry from the University of California at Davis.

Don Jones is the Chief Executive Officer of VentureDeal, a national venture capital database that provides current information on technology companies, venture capital firms, funding and M&A transactions throughout the United States. He is also a member of the Band of Angels, a Silicon Valley angel group that funds promising technology startup companies. 650.323.1817  

Jeet Vaidya is CEO and Chief Strategist at OpenTech Media, Inc. OpenTech Media, Inc. is a fast growing online marketing services company. Our marketing solutions combine Web 2.0 technologies and concepts with Rich Media content to help companies meet their business goals more efficiently. From Web 2.0 based online communities with discussion forums and other collaborative tools to developing engaging content using video and flash clips, our hybrid team of domestic and offshore developers enable you to communicate with your desired audience very effectively. Abhijeet (Jeet) Vaidya brings over 19 years of experience in the IT industry to OpenTech, with the last 12 years being in senior management positions in various Technology Based Media companies, handling sales, customer service and customer delivery teams. Jeet can be reached at abhijeet.

Jessica Zhang is a Sr. Marketing Manager at Synopsys and has over a decade of experience working with diverse companies in the global semiconductor value chain. Her functional expertise includes marketing, structuring strategic partnerships and investing in emerging technologies. Jessica holds an MBA from the University of California at Berkeley and a BS/MS in Electrical Engineering. She is a co-chair of the VcTaskforce Semiconductor SIG, and was an invited speaker at the 2008 US-China Green Energy Conference.

John Thomas is an Engineering Manager at Google, where he works in the AdWords group. He manages a team focused on tools development, test strategy and engineer productivity. Prior to Google, he was a Senior Software Engineer at Siebel Systems (now part of Oracle) where he led a number of design and development initiatives around tools and test frameworks. Prior to Siebel Systems, John worked as a developer at StreamSage which specializes in indexing and searching audio and video media, and at SAP Labs where he worked as a developer in the Corporate Research Center focusing on VoiceXML. John has a MS in Computer Science from University of Texas at Austin, and a BE in Computer Science from University of Mumbai (India). John writes and maintains a blog about venture capitalists and entrepreneurs. He can reached at

Jose Bolanos, MD is an entrepreneur focused on healthcare information delivery, having started New Health USA, New Americas Medical Group, MDV1, and BoxCaster.net. He is currently the president of the Santa Clara County Medical Associations' subsection of solo and small group medical practices, whose membership is over 1500 physicians. He has served as an advisor to pharmaceutical and equipment manufacturers, such as Conceptus, Cytyc, companies focused on women's health. Dr Bolanos is a specialist in ob/gyn/infertility, he trained at Stanford Medical Center. He is currently helping companies focused on women's contraception to enter the China Market. He is also an avid boating fanatic, he owns a 40' Sunseeker cruiser in Saucelito, CA. You may reach him at 408-309-8457 , .

Kathleen Imhoff is principal and cofounder of Pacific BioFacilities and a consultant to government, industry and universities for project developments and incubator initiatives. Pacific BioFacilities provides strategic growth and facilities planning solutions for their clients. Recognized for her collaborative leadership style, Kathleen directed the largest US public private partnership project completed entirely with private funds. Kathleen’s clients include CREATE Tech Village Corp, a private/public US trade expansion initiative. Kathleen is an Advisor to Leadership CA, on the Board of Mitchell Clark Solutions, and a member of the ASTIA Advisory Board.

Lee Bruno is editorial director of special reports at The 451 Group, an IT analyst company that delivers syndicated research focused on enterprise IT innovation and markets. Lee has been writing about business and technology for 16 years. Prior to joining the 451 Group in January 2006, Lee was senior editor at Red Herring from its re-launch in September 2003 to December 2005. From 1999 to 2003 he was responsible for the briefing section of the original Red Herring, exploring new trends and technologies in various hi-tech industries, such as software, chips, communication, energy and biotech. Lee has written for various computer trade magazines, Popular Science, Scientific American and The Economist; he founded and still edits Innovation Pipeline. Lee has a BS from San Francisco State University and a Master’s degree in Journalism from Boston University. He can be reached at  

Lorraine Scullion, VP of Business Development for CSI, Costello and Sons Insurance is responsible for the venture capital/private equity channel of business. Lorraine has successfully implemented new strategies and built relationships in the VC/Private Equity community and the technology industry. Her professional career has brought similar skills and strategies to various industries: Commercial Real Estate, Finance, Independent Schools, and Non Profits. Lorraine has raised funds for various Bay Area Organizations: Junior League of San Francisco, SF Symphony, Schools of the Sacred Heart, Hospice By The Bay, Marin Humane Society, and Halleck Creek Farm. Lorraine has chaired both local and national committees that have brought resources, programs and experts together to collaborate and grow. Lorraine chairs the sponsorship committee for the VC Task Force. www.costelloandsons.com 415-257-2120 

Lucy W. Reckseit, Independent In-House Legal Counsel. Since 1998, Lucy Reckseit has been serving as part-time in-house counsel to mid-stage and late-stage venture-backed companies that do not yet need a full-time in-house counsel. Currently, Ms. Reckseit is serving in this capacity with three companies. Companies are generally referred to her by an investor or the company's outside counsel, and she works on a contract basis. Her office number is (650) 349-3330 and her e-mail address is .

Manijeh Moghis is President of CommTec Consulting, a wireless and telecom consultancy firm. She has over 20 years of leadership in advanced communications and wireless where she built, led and managed P&L of multimillion dollar global businesses in large and start-up companies. Previously, Manijeh held the positions of the COO and board member at Migo Software Group where she led the entire company operations worldwide, prior to that she was the COO and board member at OnMobile, where she built and led the company’s global operations, as the Vice President of marketing and product management at SimplySay and Wireless Online, she was responsible for marketing and product positioning and evolutions, as the General Manager at Fujitsu Americas Wireless, Manijeh managed P&L of the CDMA mobile phones and WCDMA/3G infrastructure business unit. During 14-year tenure at Nortel Networks, she held a wide range of senior management positions.

Matt Weeks is Managing Director at FINTECA, a board-level advisory firm focusing on financial services software, solutions and technology transfer. He focuses on strategy, business development, sales and marketing - especially in new market penetration, product launch and "internal start-ups" involving spin-offs or productization of technology. Matt holds a BA in English Literature from Amherst College, and an MBA in Finance and New Venture Management from the Marshall School of Business at USC, where he was a Dean's Scholar. He is on the National Board Of Directors of the Marshall School at USC, and is President of the local Marshall Business Alumni Association Chapter in the Bay Area. (650) 520-8808 http://www.finteca.com

Michael Levy, CEO, WeNotify and FastPitch Video Services - WeNotify has delivered integrated online and offline marketing communications for the past 7 years, and offers specialized services for data integration and for company-wide communications needs, such as relocations and acquisitions. FastPitch is poised to revolutionize the use of streaming video for business results. Mike has 25 years of experience building and leading organizations. With a strong background in human behavior including successful graduate and professional experience in Social Work, Mike brings a rich and unique perspective to organizational development, human capital, communication and relationships between people and organizations. He holds a B.A. in Psychology and an M.S.W., both from San Francisco State University. You can reach Mike at 510-467-1560,  

Miki Saxon is the founder of 9 1/2 yr. old RampUp Solutions, specializing in management development and coaching in the areas of culture, motivation, retention, communications, and doing more with less—a necessity in today's business world. In line with today's focus on accountability, Miki created MAP (mindset, attitude, philosophy)™ coaching. MAP is critical in today's world, because it (success, happiness, etc.) really is all in your mind. That's why we say, "To change what they do, change how you think!" 360.335.8054; ; Mapping Company Success (blog)

Nat Baker is a financial management executive with experience in high-technology, early-stage companies, IPOs, and international business. He has over 15 years of experience, most recently, as Director of Biotech Contracts at UC Berkeley Extension. Past experience includes LSI Logic, Performance Semiconductor, and Siemans Business Telecommunications. As controller of ActivCard, now ActivIdentity, Nat was on the IPO team that took it public in 2000. He has international business experience, speaks French fluently and some German. Nat has an MBA from the Haas School of Business, University of California, Berkeley, an MA in economics from the University of Colorado, and a BA from Washington and Lee University. For two years he was a professor in the business school at the University of San Francisco teaching finance.

Nick Mikhailovsky is co-founder and CEO of seven-year-old NTR Lab Inc., a software development company in Russia. His most outstanding accomplishments are in the areas of straight-through processing, information system architecture, credit risk estimation systems, and information retrieval systems. Nick was co-author of the Russian translation of ISO 15504 (international CMM equivalent). As CEO, he leads NTR’s business development and manages Information Retrieval and Artificial Intelligence related projects. Nick holds a MS in Math. , http://ntrlab.com/

Paul Schnitzler, Ph.D. (EE) Consultanting—Product: Concept to Customer. Helped large and small companies reduce time-to-profit, as well as development and production costs, while delivering products customers want. Currently: Instructor in M.S. Engineering Management of the University of South Florida; Professor (Entrepreneurial Studies) Northwestern Polytechnic University (CA); and visiting Professor, New Venture Development at Fudan University, Shanghai, PRC. Phone: 813-994-2297; ; www.paulschnitzler.com.

Paula March is the Principal for Marchpartners, a consulting firm providing fund development services to support community benefit organizations. She has significant marketing experience particularly in the areas of membership and corporate sponsorships. Educated at Santa Clara University, Paula served for a decade as Corporate Relations Manager, Membership Director and Deputy Director for Marketing for the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco where she solicited sponsorship for the international exhibition program and increased museum membership to more than 50,000 households. She was responsible for raising more than $7 million annually to support a range of social services for Catholic Charities of San Francisco. Paula is a board member of Leadership California, the San Francisco Education Fund and Pocket Opera. She can be reached at , 415 668-0763.

Pokin Yeung is the co-Founder of GeckoGo, a travel web site for independent travellers that makes travel planning as much fun as actual travelling is! Prior to that, she was at the L'Oreal Group in Montreal where she launched and built the #1 acne care line in drugstores in Canada. She has also held positions at the Campbell Soup Company in Hong Kong and at Research In Motion in Waterloo, where she oversaw and developed the voice features of the first voice-enabled BlackBerry. Pokin can be reached at or at 408.966.8770.

Raj Seshadri, Principal, Chestnut Associates. Raj is a seasoned financial executive and an investor in some of the companies he has assisted. Over the past 20 years, as a “C” level executive, he has led turnarounds, growth, fund-raising, and M&A efforts across several consumer and technology companies. Raj uses his top-school MBA and engineering background to develop and implement financial solutions to knotty business problems. He can be reached at (510)438-6830. More info at www.chestnutassociates.com.

Richard Leto - seeking opportunity. CFO of four technology based companies, one public. IPO preparation, funding and M&A success while visualizing and implementing strategies for increased profits within large and small organizations. International experience as expatriate in Asia and European assignments (US and EU citizen). Co-founded Beach Head Group to explore consulting opportunities, looking to join a growth opportunity and accelerate the business plan. Richard received his MBA from the Haas Business School at UC Berkeley (working full time) following a BS in Finance & Accounting at Boston College. Cell 650.302.0065 or

Rohit Gupta, Ph.D. is seeking a position in a startup or venture firm. He received both his MS and PhD ME/ChE from UC Santa Barbara. A product of globalization, Rohit was born in West Germany, educated in India (from an IIT affiliated institute) and worked for Credence, Schlumberger Semi (formerly Fairchild) and Teradyne (all in CA) in both technical and managerial roles including business planning, program management, systems architecture and engineering, fluid dynamics & heat transfer, compliance US and international, near-shoring to Mexico, etc. At VCTaskForce, he creates value by focusing on VC needs, issues and challenges (e.g. fund raising, deal exchange) and helps provide focus to cutting edge knowledge and happenings (e.g. outlook of private funding for stem cells). He can be reached at 408-421-2791 or .

Rose Mortilla is a Vice President at YES PARTNERS, a retained executive search firm specializing in helping U.S. companies to expand locally and internationally and International companies to expand in the U.S. She has 20 years experience in the domestic & international Executive Search and Recruitment Industry and has been recruiting high caliber senior level executives in the hi-tech, life sciences, financial services and FMCG industries on three continents. Rose prides herself on the strong professional relationships she maintains with her clients as well as her candidates worldwide. She specializes in understanding corporate cultures, advising her clients on market and salary trends and providing talent that fits the best. Rose has a degree in Sociology and speaks besides English also French, German, Japanese and Korean. Contact: tel: 650-726-8733 x703  

Sally Krautner is the Recruiting Solution Manager for Thinknicity, Inc. She has over 25 years of recruiting experience in the computer technology and biotech industries. Sally is assisting hi-tech start-up companies staff their job openings for computer technology specialists across a broad spectrum of disciplines. The service being offered by Thinknicity is a project based, fixed monthly fee model and is intended for fast growth companies that want to partner with a proven firm to hire quickly and cost effectively. Sally holds a math degree and her career includes hands-on technical experience and technical project management experience. Sally strives to understand her clients' technical and work environments, culture, and business objectives so as to be seen as a partner in their endeavors. Thinknicity has been successfully providing staffing services to companies throughout the Bay Area for 10 years and is a certified WBE (Women Business Enterprise) as well as a certified Small Business in the State of CA. Contact - tel: 415-247-7700

Steve Montoya has over 28 years of experience as an engineer, director, vice-president and co-founder in high technology start-ups and Fortune 500 companies. His experience spans product development, operations, quality assurance, marketing and launching early stage telecommunication system companies. He was on the founding engineering team of StrataCom and a co-founder of Nayna networks. He currently is looking to apply his multidisciplinary start-up experience to build profitable, game changing market leading companies. Steve is the Vice-President of Hispanic-Net, a networking organization focused on promoting entrepreneurship for Hispanic technology professionals. He also serves as a volunteer mentor for the California Clean Tech Open. He holds a BSEE from UC Davis; an MSEE from UC Berkeley and an MBA from Pepperdine University. He can be reached at 408-202-2852 or email

Thomas Wohlmut is CEO of WMSMedia, a 25 yr. old Palo Alto media firm specializing in helping companies produce communications using new media technologies for external and internal messages. Tom is a graduate of UCLA Film/Television School and veteran of video and internet media projects. He was founder and first president of the International Interactive Communications Society (IICS), President of the International Television Association, San Francisco Chapter (ITVA), and recipient of many awards and honors. Experienced at new web technologies including podcasting and videocasting, Tom brings a unique perspective and valuable skill set to VC Taskforce and association members. Contact: