3RVF University Technology Showcase
Wednesday, September 21st | 1:00 - 4:00 p.m. | Hall of Fame Club
Sponsored by:
This year to kick off the 3 Rivers Venture Fair we have an exciting luncheon featuring an early look at some of the region’s most promising early-stage, university-based innovations with start-up potential.
Fourteen innovators from Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Pittsburgh will give three-minute commercial opportunity “elevator pitches” about their platform technologies—join us to vote on the best presentations of the day and help select the top three cash prize winners.
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1st Prize
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$2,500
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2nd Prize
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$1,500
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3rd Prize
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$1,000
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Moderator:
Lynn Brusco – VP of Marketing & PR – Pittsburgh Life Sciences Greenhouse
Lynn M. Brusco has more than twenty years of experience, grounded in her expertise in leadership, business development, marketing, strategic plan implementation and operations. Over the past 11 years, she has worked in business development and talent attraction on behalf of the regional technology community. Currently she is Vice President of Marketing and Public Relations at the Pittsburgh Life Sciences Greenhouse (PLSG) and is an officer of the organization.
Prior to joining the PLSG, Ms. Brusco was the Director of Integrated Marketing and Communications at the Pittsburgh Tissue Engineering Initiative (PTEI) where she also organized and led the expansion of one of the world’s preeminent scientific conferences focused on translational regenerative medicine; Regenerate. Before PTEI, Ms. Brusco held executive management positions at companies including SAE International, The Greater Pittsburgh Convention and Visitors Bureau and the Pittsburgh Children’s Museum. Ms. Brusco is Co-Chair of the 3Rivers Venture Fair Marketing Committee, on the Board of Directors of the SciTech at Carnegie Science Center, a member of the Regional Economic Indicator Committee, the Pittsburgh Technology Council Life Sciences Network Advisory Committee, the Tech 50 Organizing Committee, the ACG Marketing Committee, the Leadership Learning Community at the University of Pittsburgh and several other community boards. She is a notable regional advocate for the advancement of entrepreneurial excellence. Ms. Brusco is a graduate of the Coro Center for Civic Leadership’s Women in Leadership Program and Leadership Pittsburgh XXIV. Lynn graduated Cum Laude from the University of Pittsburgh and was recently nominated for the Pittsburgh Athena Award.
Panelists:
Richard Lunak – President & CEO, Innovation Works
Rich Lunak has distinguished himself as a successful entrepreneur, corporate executive, investor and technology-based economic development leader. He is currently President & CEO of Innovation Works, one of the nation’s most active early-stage investor according to Entrepreneur Magazine. Rich leads Innovation Works’ efforts to provide business expertise, seed capital and other critical resources to high-potential, technology start-up companies in Pittsburgh. Since 2000, Innovation Works has invested in more than $50 million into technology start-ups which have gone on to raise more than $1 billion in follow-on investment. From 2008-2010, more than 70% of the Pittsburgh region’s venture capital investments went to companies that had previously received Innovation Works’ seed capital and the Pittsburgh region was recognized by the National Venture Capital Association for being the second fastest growing venture capital market in the country in 2009. Under Rich’s leadership, Innovation Works has been awarded top honors for its programs supporting innovation and entrepreneurship by the U.S. Economic Development Administration, State Science and Technology Institute and International Economic Development Administration.
Prior to joining Innovation Works in 2005, Rich was a successful technology entrepreneur/inventor who built one of the most successful and enduring Pittsburgh-based start-ups over the last two decades. He helped lead a healthcare robotics company from a three-person start-up to a $65 million acquisition by McKesson Corporation, the nation’s 16th largest company. Rich became Group President, McKesson Automation, where he led five autonomous business units that served more than 13,000 customers, generated several hundred million in revenues and managed more than 1,800 employees with operations in four states. He was responsible for acquiring new technologies and the design, development and rollout of numerous robotic, automated and software products that are installed in leading healthcare providers across the country and around the world.
A technologist as well as an entrepreneur, Rich Lunak received a Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Carnegie Mellon, a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from the University of Pittsburgh, and holds several U.S. patents. He is a guest lecturer at the University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon and is a member of numerous Boards of Directors. Rich is a past officer of the Pittsburgh Venture Capital Association. He is the winner of the 2008 Carnegie Science Center entrepreneur’s award.
Glen Meakem – Co-Founder & Managing Director, Meakem Becker Venture Capital
Glen is Co-Founder and Managing Director of Meakem Becker Venture Capital (MBVC), a leading early-stage venture capital firm located in the Pittsburgh area, with $85 million in capital under management. Glen leads MBVC’s capital raising and investor management, and is deeply involved with the sourcing and negotiation of new investments, as well as coaching and advising portfolio companies. Glen sits on the boards of five MBVC portfolio companies: College Prowler in Pittsburgh, Schoology in New York City, Shipwire in Palo Alto, HotPads in San Francisco and Rapidbuyr in Concord, Massachusetts.
Prior to the creation of MBVC, Glen was the Founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of FreeMarkets, Inc., a leading business-to-business Internet company which enabled Global 1000 companies to save money by automating and improving their purchasing functions. Glen founded the company in 1995, took it public in 1999, and sold it to Ariba, Inc. in 2004.
A nationally recognized entrepreneur and new economy innovator, Glen plays an active role in local, state and national affairs. On his syndicated radio program, “Glen Meakem on the Weekend”, he speaks with a growing audience from Pennsylvania, Ohio, New Jersey and West Virginia about the economy, politics, history and entrepreneurship.
A trailblazer in electronic commerce, Glen was named one of 40 technology pioneers by the World Economic Forum in 2003, and holds eight United States patents for electronic commerce inventions. Among his numerous awards and honors is an Honorary Doctorate in Business Administration from Robert Morris University, Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year Award for Western Pennsylvania, and Syracuse University’s Salzberg Medallion for Exceptional Business Achievement. A leader in Pennsylvania, Glen is a member of the Boards of Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield, The Commonwealth Foundation, and the Extra Mile Education Foundation. He is a former Trustee of Carnegie Mellon University and a former Chairman of the Senator John Heinz History Center.
Glen gained early business experience working in professional positions for Kraft Foods, McKinsey & Company and General Electric. Glen also served as an officer in the United States Army Reserve, volunteering and serving as a combat engineer platoon leader in the 1991 Gulf War. Glen graduated A.B. cum laude from Harvard, and later earned his M.B.A. from Harvard Business School.
Glen and his wife, Diane, have been married for twenty two years, and have five children.
Ned Renzi – Partner, Birchmere Ventures
Ned Renzi joined Birchmere in 2000 and is primarily responsible for cleantech investments. He focuses on engineering driven innovations that create a more sustainable planet and improve the human condition. He is a current or former director of Cvent and Plextronics and a board observer at Solexant. Ned also led our investment in MiaSolé and NovaTorque. In addition, Ned is a co-founder of eLoop, a Basel Action Network certified e-steward that responsibly disposes of electronic waste. Ned also played a key role in Pennsylvania's recent legislation to ban e-waste from landfills.
He has over 23 years experience in founding, managing, and investing in high technology companies. Ned was previously a senior manager at Concurrent Technologies Corporation, a $250 million high technology research organization, where he developed CTC’s telemedicine business and was also responsible for electronic commerce, high speed networking, and virtual reality projects. Ned was also a Senior Manager in the U.S. Department of Defense Special Projects group where he was responsible for wireless communications, custom software projects, robotics, and various sensor technologies.
Ned is a founding Charter Member of TiE/Pittsburgh and is a member of Allegheny County's Green Action Team. He holds a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from The Pennsylvania State University, an MBA from the University of Pittsburgh, and a Master’s Degree in Engineering Management from George Washington University.
