David R. Walt is Robinson Professor of Chemistry at Tufts University. After postdoctoral studies at MIT, he joined the chemistry faculty at Tufts. Professor Walt served as Chemistry Department Chairman from 1989 to 1996. Walt serves on many government advisory panels and boards including service as a member of an NIH study section and he actively participates in government advisory meetings for biodefense. He serves on two National Academy of Sciences National Research Council Committees and previously chaired a National Research Council panel on New Measurement Technologies for the Oceans. In 1999, Walt was Professor Invitee' at Ecole Normale Superieure, Paris.
Walt is the Scientific Founder of Illumina, Inc., a publicly traded, San Diego-based biotechnology company with over 300 employees pursuing next generation genotyping instrumentation. Walt has published over 150 papers, holds over thirty patents, and has given hundreds of invited scientific presentations. Walt's research interests are in the field of sensors with particular focus in the area of fiber-optic chemical sensors. His pioneering research in the field of optical sensors has led to the elucidation of fundamental principles as well as important applications of sensors.
David Walt received a B.S. in Chemistry from the University of Michigan and a Ph.D. in Chemical Biology from SUNY at Stony Brook.
John Dyson is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Millbrook Capital Management which owns Pebble Ridge Vineyards & Wine Estates, which in turn, operates wineries and commercial vineyards in New York, California and Italy.
Much of Dyson's career has been spent in public service. He created the New York tourism campaign in the 1970s when he was Commissioner of Commerce for New York state. In 1994, Mayor Rudolph Giuliani appointed him New York City Deputy Mayor for Finance and Economic Development, in which position he worked to rebuild the downtown area in the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the World Trade Center. He served as chairman of the New York State Power Authority and of the Urban Development Corporation and state commissioner of agriculture, where he was responsible for developing the "Grown in New York" program.
John Dyson earned a bachelor of science degree from Cornell University.
James McNair is Managing Director of Lincolnshire and manages the firm's Chicago office. McNair has over 18 years of experience in investment banking and private equity. Prior to joining Lincolnshire, McNair was President of McNair, Reed & Company and a Senior Vice President and a Director at Jordan Industries. His transaction experience includes the completion of over 31 middle private equity market transactions with combined revenues in excess of $700 million.
James McNair received his undergraduate degree from Yale University and his MBA from the Johnson School of Management at Cornell University.
Bruce Peterson is Senior Vice President and General Merchandise Manager of perishables for Wal-Mart.
Based in Wal-Mart's home offices in Bentonville, AR, Peterson oversees all meat, produce, dairy, frozen, floral, bakery and commercial bread operations for Wal-Mart Stores, its domestic Supercenters and the new Neighborhood Markets.
Bruce Peterson received his undergraduate degree from University of Michigan.
After working in developing countries for more than 20 years, Raymond C. Offenheiser returned to the US in 1995 to join Oxfam America as its President. Under Offenheiser's leadership, Oxfam America has more than doubled in size, and has repositioned itself as a leading voice on international development and global trade.
Offenheiser has spent his entire career in the non-profit sector, and is a recognized leader on issues such as poverty alleviation, human rights, foreign policy, and international development. He brings more than two decades of international development experience to Oxfam America.
Ray Offenheiser earned his Bachelors Degree from the University of Notre Dame and holds a Masters Degree in Development Sociology from Cornell University.
John Cannon is the Business Development Director at Nestle USA. Prior to his role in business development, he spent 25 years of his career at Nestle in sales, with the last 12 running their largest market - New York.
John Cannon is a graduate of Bloomsburg University.
Michael Pralle is President and CEO of GE Commercial Finance Real Estate. Prior to this, he served as President of GE Equity.
Pralle previously was President, GE Capital Asia Pacific, where he supervised GE Capital's activities in 15 countries across North and Southeast Asia. He has also served GE Capital as Vice President and General Manager of Distribution Financial Services. Pralle joined GE Capital in August 1989 as Vice President, Business Development on the corporate headquarters staff responsible for M&A activities for half of GE Capital businesses.
Prior to joining GE, Pralle spent six years with management consultants, McKinsey and Co., in their London and Hong Kong offices.
Michael Pralle graduated magna cum laude from Harvard University with a B.A. in Economics, and received an M.B.A. from the Stanford Graduate School of Business.
Amy Millman has established a successful 25-year career working for and with business and government officials. As one of the founders and current president of Springboard Enterprises, she has built an organization which has assisted hundreds of women-led high-growth enterprises raise $1 billion in investment capital in less than three years.
Prior to Springboard, Millman served as Executive Director of the National Women's Business Council, a federal statutory commission providing advice and counsel to the President and Congress on issues of importance to women business owners.
Amy Millman is a graduate of Carnegie Mellon University and received a Masters degree from The George Washington University where she is currently an adjunct professor. She and her family reside in the Washington, D.C. area.
Teacher Created Materials is an educational publishing company that was founded in 1982 by Mary Dupuy Smith and Rachelle Cracchiolo. The company experienced tremendous growth since its inception--so much that in August 2004, the company split into two distinct businesses: a Book Company under the name Teacher Created Resources headed by Smith, and a Curriculum Company that maintains the name Teacher Created Materials headed by Cracchiolo. Mary Dupuy Smith both worked as a teacher prior to starting the business. She holds Masters Degrees in Education.