Startup Monterey Bay Launchpad Mentors

Meet our Mentors

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Dr. John Avella

Executive Director
Sustainable Hospitality
Management Program at
Cal State Monterey Bay
35 years Senior Executive in the Hospitality industry- VP for Marriott Corp, Senior Executive Food Service at Salt Lake City Olympics. Executive Director of Sustainable Hospitality program CSUMB (Created the program, the only one like it in the US). Doctorate from Columbia University.

Executive coach for many senior managers. International speaker on application of Emotional Intelligence to Leadership and Guest service. Master trainer for the EQi, emotional intelligence assessment instrument.

Areas of Expertise

Hospitality/ Food and Beverage, Main Street/ Local Business

Dr. Brad Barbeau

Executive Director
Institute for Innovation
and Economic Development
Cal State Monterey Bay
Professor of Entrepreneurship at the CSU Monterey Bay College of Business and Executive Director of the CSUMB Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship Development (iiED). He teaches courses in entrepreneurship and new venture formation and finance. As Executive Director for the iiED, he devotes his efforts to building the entrepreneurial ecosystem and developing and accelerating entrepreneurial ventures in the region.

Areas of Expertise

Social business/ Non-profit, Economic Development. Accounting/ Finance/ Financial Modeling, Business Modeling, Growth, Pitch Training, Startup Business Strategy, Venture Funding, pre-revenue, Venture Funding

Martin Brej

Vice President,
Customer Success
SambaSafety
I work with companies to deploy software to transform their businesses. I thrive when creating measurable business results through the application of new technologies. I am an analytically oriented hands-on business team leader, accomplished in balancing business and technology priorities while achieving financial objectives and deadlines.

Areas of Expertise

Business Modeling (Business Model/ Lean/ Value Prop Canvases), Growth (user/ customer acquisition/ sales/ scalability), People Management (founding team issues/ culture/ hiring), Software Development, Startup/ Early Stage Business Strategy

Fred Cohen

Member
Angel To Exit
Over the past 40 years, Fred has managed organizations and projects with as many as 250 employees. Several projects he led have resulted in new business in excess of $10 million, and one project led to a 5-year government contract with a ceiling of over $1.7 billion.

He led a 35-person research team at Sandia National Laboratories for almost 5 years and produced several patents, copyrighted software programs, and publications in the process.

He also, along with Tom Johnson, founded California Sciences Institute, a graduate non-profit educational institution with Masters programs in National Security and Advanced Investigations and Ph.D. programs in National Security and Digital Forensics, which has since became part of Webster University.

Areas of Expertise

Accounting/ Finance/ Financial Modeling, Business Modeling, Growth, Hardware/ Manufacturing, Marketing, Legal, Pitch Training, Startup Business Strategy, Venture Funding, pre-revenue, Venture Funding

Richard De Andrade

Founder and CEO
Solare Holding LLC
Richard, an emigre from South America currently holding several undergraduate degrees, received his MBA in 1996, from MIIS in Monterey, CA.

With currently more than 30 years of experience in finance and business management related functions, he has provided advisory expertise on aspects of Corporate Governance/Compliance/Audit, Business Consulting and Advisory consulting to US and foreign companies ranging in revenue size from less than $2MM - Greater than $5BN in annual revenue.

Richard is currently the founder and CEO of Solare Holdings LLC.

Richard serves on several business advisory committees, boards, and is also involved with several charitable organizations. He was nominated for the Leukemia Lymphoma Society - Silicon Valley/Monterey Bay Man of the year in 2018.

Areas of Expertise

Accounting/ Finance/ Financial Modeling, Business Modeling, Growth, Hardware/ Manufacturing, Marketing, Legal, People Management, Pitch Training, Product Design, Software Development, Startup/ Early Stage Business Strategy, Venture Funding

Adam Gordon

Senior Marketer
Skywriter
A senior marketer and entrepreneur, I have helped create over $2B in exits and company growth. From a beginning in Engineering and then Sales, I have found my sweet spot in marketing. I help companies grow bigger, faster though my storytelling approach to marketing.

Areas of Expertise

E-Commerce, Energy/ Clean-tech, Hardware, Main Street/ Local Business, Med-tech, Media/ Entertainment

Shyam Kamath

Founding Dean
College of Business at
Cal State University
Monterey Bay
Shyam Kamath, Ph.D., is an internationally recognized scholar and educator who has gained recognition as a global innovator and expert in the area of community development, experiential learning, and business program innovation. His distinguished career has also focused on building programs and institutions that benefit those who are underserved and underrepresented while focusing on economic opportunity and human excellence.
He is the founding Dean of the College of Business at CSU, Monterey Bay and has held academic and administrative positions at leading universities in the U.S., Canada, Asia, and Europe. He is the recipient of numerous teaching and research awards including the Distinguished North American Lasallian Educator of the Year in 2012, the prestigious Leavey Award for Excellence in Private Enterprise Education and multiple outstanding professor and educator awards. He teaches classes in international business, global management, and economics.

Areas of Expertise

Accounting/ Finance/ Financial Modeling, Business Modeling, Growth, Marketing, People Management, Pitch Training, Startup/ Early Stage Business Strategy

Lorri Koster

Principal
Koster Communications
Lorri A. Koster is the former Chairman and CEO of Mann Packing Company; a grower, shipper, processor of fresh vegetables headquartered in California’s Salinas Valley. In February of 2018, Koster finalized the sale of Mann Packing to Del Monte Fresh Produce, NA. Koster has since resumed her role as principal of Koster Communications, a marketing and public relations consultancy. She also remains the editorial director of Coastal Grower magazine.

Lorri has a Bachelor of Arts degree in public relations with a minor in business marketing from California State University, Chico. A “Forty Niner Faithful,” she resides in Salinas with her husband Tom and has two sons, Jack and Sam.

Areas of Expertise

Agriculture/ Ag-Tech, Food Manufacturing, Media/ Entertainment

Jenny Kuan

Associate Director
Institute for Innovation and
Economic Development at
Cal State Monterey Bay
Jenny Kuan is a member of the CSU Monterey Bay Entrepreneurship and Economics faculty, with a PhD from UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business. She studies public funding of R&D, the history of venture capital, nonprofit organizations, and platform strategy.

Prior to CSUMB, Jenny was a researcher at the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research. She also has a background in technology, with a decade of experience as an engineer in manufacturing at such Silicon Valley companies as Apple and Solectron. She holds a bachelor’s degree in International Relations and a master’s degree in Industrial Engineering from Stanford University.

Areas of Expertise

Software/ IT

Matt LeBaron

CEO
Revvim
Technology entrepreneur, growth engineering marketer with a focus on search.

Areas of Expertise

E-Commerce, Software/ IT

Brooks McChesney

Founder and Mentor
Start-Up Challenge
Business Plan Competition
Brooks McChesney has been an entrepreneur and senior executive in technology companies spanning multiple vertical markets and industries. He has demonstrated repeated success in developing market-based competitive advantage in emerging technology markets.

He is a Founder of the Start-Up Challenge Business Plan Competition and a member of the Advisory Council for the CSUMB Institute for Innovation & Economic Development.

Areas of Expertise

Agriculture/ Ag-Tech, Cybersecurity, Hardware, IOT/ Wearables/ Sensors, Main Street/ Local Business, Med-tech, Retail/ Wholesale/ Product, Social business/ Non-profit, Software/ IT, video applications

Brigid McGrath Massie

Owner
Training For Success
Brigid McGrath Massie is an award-winning business consultant, author and professional speaker. Brigid’s achievements have earned her the first-ever designation as Business Woman of the Year from the Salinas Chamber of Commerce and she was named “One of the Five Women In Northern California Who Make A Difference.”

She has taught many courses at colleges and universities and holds both a Master’s Degree of Business Administration and a Master’s Degree in Social Work. Brigid is the co-developer and served as the Facilitator of Leadership Salinas Valley, a nationally recognized leadership development program.

Brigid is the author of two nationally distributed books, What Do They Say When YOU Leave the Room? and Selling for People Who Hate to Sell.

Areas of Expertise

Main Street/ Local Business, Social business/ Non-profit

Joshua Metz

Co-founder
Monterey Bay Drone,
Automation & Robotics
Technology (DART)
Former Fort Ord Reuse Authority Executive Officer and Economic Development Manager. Co-founder of Monterey Bay Drone, Automation & Robotics Technology (DART) initiative. Regional entrepreneurship ecosystem builder. Public & private sector experience. Agtech, Urban Air Mobility, Geospatial Systems, Innovation, Startups.

Areas of Expertise

Agriculture/ Ag-Tech, E-Commerce, Hospitality/ Food and Beverage, IOT/ Wearables/ Sensors, Main Street/ Local Business, Media/ Entertainment, Retail/ Wholesale/ Product, Social Business/ Non-profit

Paul Powers

President
Powers Associates
As an early member to the United Rentals Mergers and Acquisitions Team, Paul Powers played a key role in many of the platform and add-on acquisitions forming the foundation that United Rentals (URI) is today. Paul was responsible for all aspects of the transaction from market assessment, deal-sourcing, diligence, negotiation and closing. In three years, the team acquired over 700 locations comprising $3.5 billion in revenues, forming the North American industry leader in the process.

This experience launched Paul’s 20+ year career in M&A advisory services and consulting. In addition to his work as an M&A advisor, Paul has successfully launched, built and sold a number of businesses in the equipment rental, equipment sales, truck and recreational vehicle industries.

Areas of Expertise

Agriculture/ Ag-Tech, Main Street/ Local Business, Heavy industry, Manufacturing, Equipment Rental

Patrick Reilly

Founder
Intellectual Property Society
Patrick Reilly, Esq. is a property attorney and the founder of Intellectual Property Society. His law practice encompasses patent prosecution, trademark prosecution and assertion, label, brand copyright protection and assertion, trade secret policy, creative rights management, and IP issues of start-up formation.

Patrick has a special commitment to encourage civic engagement with the evolution of intellectual property law, personal data rights and Internet identity. He is a graduate of the Defense Language Institute (Monterey) in Russian Language Studies, and has earned a BS in Sociology from the State University of New York, a BS in Electrical Engineering from the University of Toledo and a JD from Concord Law School. Patrick is a member of the U.S. Patent Bar and the California State Bar.

Areas of Expertise

Agriculture/ Ag-Tech, Cybersecurity, E-Commerce, Ed-tech, Hardware, IOT/ Wearables/ Sensors, Main Street/ Local Business, Med-tech, Media/ Entertainment, Social business/ Non-profit, Software/ IT

Daniel Ripke

Director, Econ. Development,
Funding, and Grants at
the Institute for Innovation
and Economic Development
Cal State Monterey Bay
Over the past 30 years, designing and implementing innovative programs and services designed to improve the economies of California communities.

In particular, providing economic development research, technical assistance and policy presentations to support the creation and expansion of small businesses. Managing small business development centers (Northeastern California) for 14 years. Secured over $50 million for economic and workforce development.

Areas of Expertise

Social business/ Non-profit, Economic Development

Jennifer Rudisill

Owner
Rudisill Accountancy
Jennifer is born and raised on the Monterey Peninsula with strong ties to the peninsula. Jennifer remains active serving as Treasurer for IMPOWER, Inc. and serving as a Voting Board Member for the Living Breath Foundation.

Jennifer has been involved in public accounting since 2013 and opened her own Certified Public Accounting Firm in 2020. She received her bachelor’s degree in Business Management from Golden Gate University in San Francisco.

Jennifer is passionate about community, helping others when they need it most and empowering women to overcome.

Areas of Expertise

Accounting/ Finance/ Financial Modeling, Growth (user/ customer acquisition/ sales/ scalability), People Management (founding team issues/ culture/ hiring)

Hillary Talbot

Founder
Sail Community Capital
Hillary has a decade’s worth of experience in scaling small businesses throughout the San Francisco Bay and Reno/Tahoe regions. She founded her second company, être, in 2011, to guide entrepreneurs past the obstacles that often cause them to stumble—management issues, lack of a strategic plan and difficulty obtaining funding.

In 2018, Hillary founded Sail Community Capital to help startups and small businesses access capital in their communities, via Regulation Crowdfunding. Sail helps clients prepare their offerings, tell their stories and market their raises.

Hillary is also a business advisor at the California Manufacturing Technology Center, the Sierra Small Small Business Development Center and the Silicon Valley Small Business Development Center.

Areas of Expertise

Agriculture/ Ag-Tech, E-Commerce, Energy/ Clean-tech, Food Manufacturing, Hospitality/ Food and Beverage, Main Street/ Local Business, Retail/ Wholesale/ Product, Social business/ Non-profit

Rick Thau

Managing Director
Thaught Process
Rick Thau is a consultant/mentor/advisor, and investor in early stage companies. Since 1999 he is the Managing Director of The Thaught Process; a consulting firm providing “C” level executive support and coaching for early stage companies.

He has served as a Venture Partner in a multi-billion dollar fund, Board Member, and Executive Chairman for several companies. He is also active with the CSUMB business plan competition, and has served as a judge, and mentor for multiple start up teams.

From 1990 to 1999, Mr. Thau was CEO and a founder of FullTime Software (formerly Qualix Group Nasdaq: FTSW) the market-leading provider of Reliability and Availability software.

Mr. Thau holds a Bachelor's degree in Engineering Sciences from Stony Brook University, and has attended the MBA program at Santa Clara University.

Areas of Expertise

Hardware, IOT/ Wearables/ Sensors, Med-tech, Software/ IT

Heiko Wieland

Associate Professor
Marketing
California State University
Monterey Bay
Dr. Heiko Wieland is an Associate Professor of Marketing at the California State University Monterey Bay. He is a prolific researcher in the area of socio-technical innovation processes, market formation, professional selling, and value creation.

Dr. Wieland has published scholarly work in the Journal of Marketing, the Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Industrial Marketing Management, and other top-ranked journals.

He was awarded the 2018 Shelby D. Hunt/Harold H. Maynard Award for his significant contributions to marketing theory. Prior to his academic career, Dr. Wieland held various managerial positions in sales and marketing in the technology industry.

Areas of Expertise

E-Commerce, Hardware, Retail/ Wholesale/ Product, Software/ IT

Mary Jo Zenk

Program Manager
Institute for Innovation
Economic Development (iiED)
Senior executive with a CPA and Master's degree and over 25 years of experience in managing complex operations including all aspects of project management, finance, human resources, procurement, informational technology and operational programs for public, nonprofit and social ventures.

As Program Manager of the Institute for Innovation & Economic Development (iiED) at CSUMB, she coordinates workshops, speaker series, competitions, and conferences that foster innovation, entrepreneurship and economic development on campus and in the local region. She has taught graduate and undergraduate level courses in public and non-profit finance and management and consults in the areas of nonprofit and government budgeting and community, housing and economic development programs.

Areas of Expertise

Social business/ Non-profit, Government Grant Management and Reporting