Laura Bagley, Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL)
Laurie Bagley is the Head of Technology Transfer at Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL), a U.S. Department of Energy National Laboratory managed by Princeton University. Laurie directs PPPL’s efforts to accelerate the commercialization and transfer of laboratory technologies to the marketplace. Laurie is responsible for evaluating technology disclosures, developing intellectual property strategies, creating and executing marketing strategies, facilitating strategic business agreements, and engaging with industry, national laboratories, academia, investors and entrepreneurs to support the scientific missions of the laboratory. She is a member of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Federal Laboratory Consortium and National Laboratory Technology Transfer (NLTT) Working Group.
Laurie’s previous experience includes research and marketing technologies for Princeton University’s Office of Technology Licensing, intellectual property consulting, and R&D and manufacturing experience in the medical device and building products industries. She holds a BS in Chemistry from Millersville University, Millersville, PA.
Sally J. Nadler, MA, SPHR, SHRM-SCP
Sally is the Interim Assistant Dean / Director – Douglass Project for Rutgers Women in STEM – Rutgers University
Chair – NJ Council on Gender Parity in Labor and Education. She is a well-respected energy and workforce development professional within the state of NJ.
Prior to Sally’s retirement from PSEG last summer, she had over 30 years’ experience in a diverse range of operations, technical, and managerial positions for the company. As the Manager of Workforce Development, Sally was responsible for overseeing a cross section of talent acquisition pipeline initiatives for PSEG including the college relations and diversity outreach functions, which included the company’s recruitment initiatives for women, people of color, veterans and individuals with disabilities. During her tenure, Sally led the design and implementation of many award winning, best practice and industry recognized outreach and recruiting programs.
Most recently Sally worked with NJIT and the NJ Advanced Manufacturing Talent Network to implement and register the MechaFORCE™ – Registered Internship Manufacturing Program (M-RIM). In 2013, Sally was appointed by the governor to the NJ State Employment and Training Commission, SETC, and was named the chair of the NJ State Energy Sector Partnership Council, SESP, where she oversaw the allocation of grant funding for Renewable and Sustainable Energy Training Programs. Sally was also appointed to serve on the NJ State Council on Gender Parity in Labor and Education, of which she now serves as chair.
She holds an AAS degree in Business Management from Middlesex County College, a BS in Management from Rutgers Business School, and a Master of Arts in Leadership from Bellevue University.
Jeff Barnhart, President and CEO, Creative Marketing Alliance
In 1987, Jeff founded Creative Marketing Alliance which was recently named Outstanding Small Business of the Year by the MIDJersey Chamber. Jeff has also been named Small Business Person of the Year by the Princeton Regional Chamber of Commerce, appointed to the Small Business Council of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, was a regional finalist for Inc. magazine’s Entrepreneur of the Year award and received the American Red Cross Richard B Mack award for communications excellence. He also served two terms as President of the American Diabetes Association Central Jersey Chapter, leading many of the Chapter’s fundraising activities.
Jeff played a pivotal role in the integration of marketing and sales through three company mergers at Philips Lighting and the launch of one of the first energy-efficient, environmentally beneficial lighting products in the U.S. market. He has created brands, launched companies, created new programs and introduced new products for a variety of companies from Fortune 100 to startups. He was instrumental in introducing the EPA Green Lights program, the first voluntary government program that advocated using new lighting technologies to reduce electricity demand – the precursor to the current Energy Star program. Rider University – Bachelor’s degree in Journalism. Jeff was also honored with the university’s Leadership Legacy Award, Rider’s Department of Communication and Journalism’s Alumni Achievement Award, served on the Rider Communications Advisory Board and the Strategic Advisory Committee.
Dr. Robert J. Bianchini, Merck Consumer Care
Dr. Robert (Bob) J. Bianchini joined Merck in 2009 as Vice-President of R&D, Consumer Care (MCC), where he has led the development and global expansion of its major Dermatology brands such as Coppertone, Lotrimin, and Tinactin. Presently, he is leading MCC’s Technical License and Open Innovation Program.
Prior to Merck& Co., Bob held executive positions at Johnson & Johnson and Colgate-Palmolive. Bob’s tenure at J&J included increasing responsibility in Global Skin Care and Advanced Technologies for the Consumer Division with brands such as Aveeno, Neutrogena and Clean and Clear. He initiated a technology effort which led to breakthrough performance in Johnson’s No More Tear’s baby shampoo.
Bob obtained funding for the Division’s first Internal Venture. Most recently, he was Chief Scientific Officer of a Johnson & Johnson Development Corporation Venture, Molsaic, chartered with discovering innovative binding sequences for coupling affinity peptides and active ingredients to biological surfaces such as keratin.
Ann Brady, Executive Director PlanSmartNJ (retired)
Ann Brady has over 35 years experience in transportation and land use planning. Her early work was in Baltimore, MD; Anchorage, AK; and Burlington County New Jersey.
Ann joined PlanSmart NJ(formerly MSM) in 1992 as a project planner and appointed Executive Director in 2014. Under Ann’s leadership PlanSmart NJ researched the impact of the growing problem of underutilized office buildings on New Jersey’s economy. The findings, along with recommendations, are documented in A Guide to the Future; Repurposing Stranded Assets and Revitalizing New Jersey’s Suburbs. Ann received the NJ APA’s Outstanding Leadership Award in 2016 and PlanSmart NJ received an award for the Stranded Assets Project from NJ Planning Officials in 2016.
Prior to becoming Executive Director, Ann spearheaded numerous innovative planning projects including the Mercer County Green Links project and was the primary author of the 2001 publication of the Green Infrastructure Guide. The Guide is a an introduction for municipal officials on how to maximize natural resources to act as infrastructure to manage flood control, pollution prevention, and reduce urban heat islands.
Ann retired from PlanSmart NJ in 2017. She spends her time traveling and consulting on a limited basis.
Mario M. Casabona, Tech Launch, LLC
Mario Casabona is an Entrepreneur and active Angel Investor. In 2012 he founded and is CEO of TechLaunch LLC, NJ’s Technology Accelerator which provides seed funding, co-working space, LaunchPad (business boot-camp), mentors, and access to investors for aspiring entrepreneurs. In 2007 he founded Casabona Ventures, providing Business Development Advice, Strategic Planning, and early-stage Private Equity financing to technology focused companies.
Mario served as Chairman of Jumpstart New Jersey Angel Network from 2009 to 2013, one of the premier Angel groups in the Mid-Atlantic Region. In 1982 he founded and was CEO of Electro-Radiation Inc. (ERI) until 2004 when ERI was acquired by Honeywell International. Most recently, he was awarded the 2013 Legend of Technology and in 2010 Financier of the Year award both by the New Jersey Technology Council.
Upendra Chivukula, Board of Public Utilities
Upendra J. Chivukula was nominated by Governor Christopher J. Christie as a Commissioner to the N.J. Board of Public Utilities on September 18, 2014 and confirmed by the Senate on September 22, 2014
Prior to his nomination, Mr. Chivukula served in the New Jersey Assembly representing the 17th legislative district, where he served as chair of the Assembly Telecommunications and Utilities Committee. He also had the honor of serving as Vice Chair of Homeland Security and State Preparedness, Commerce and Economic Development, and Environment and Solid Waste.
Mr. Chivukula was also a founding member and Co-Chair of the NJ Science & Technology Legislative Caucus and the NJ World Languages & International Studies Legislative Caucus. He was a member of the Commission on Science and Technology, and the Health Information Technology Commissions.
Doug Crisman, Private Investor & Business Advisor
Doug Crisman has held key management positions in major North American corporations, and owned and managed numerous start-ups as well as small businesses across the United States and Canada. Mr. Crisman has been the owner or a key investor in: Omicron Northeast, ITG Competency Group, Cognetics Corporation, Dundee Hills Holdings, and currently owns Oldhorses, Inc. He has also held senior roles within a number of high growth private and public companies, including Organics Management, Salary.com (now part of IBM), American Arbitration Association, Micro Focus, Tandem Computers (now part of Hewlett Packard), Servio Group, and Dyatron Corporation (now part of ADP).
Peter Crowley, Princeton Regional Chamber of Commerce
Peter Crowley is President and CEO of the Princeton Regional Chamber of Commerce. The Princeton Regional Chamber of Commerce Chamber is one of the larger regional Chambers in New Jersey with over 950 business partners and 1800 individual member contacts. Prior to assuming his responsibilities at the Princeton Regional Chamber, Peter was the Founding President & CEO of the Bank of Princeton and a Founding Board member of the bank. During his twenty-five years as a Senior Banking Executive Peter has held positions at Bank of America, Citibank, PNC Bank and Midlantic Investment Services a New Jersey Mutual Fund company.
Michael P. Eldredge, American Sensor Technologies, Inc.
Michael P. Eldredge is one of the founding partners of American Sensor Technologies, Inc., a high-technology sensor developer and manufacturer in New Jersey where he is its Executive Vice President – COO / CFO and Chairman. Prior to the start of American Sensor Technologies Michael held various managerial and executive positions with American Cyanamid, Johnson and Johnson and later with Biosearch Medical Products and Measurement Specialties.
Michael was awarded CFO of the Year in 2006 by the New Jersey Technology Council, Entrepreneur of the Year in 2007 by Ernst and Young and has been a finalist in the 2011 and 2012 NJBIZ CFO of the Year programs.
Bill Healey, Hunterdon Healthcare Foundation, Director Donor and Community Relations
Bill has extensive experience in the public affairs sector, having held executive management positions in two of the state’s major trade associations: The NJ Chamber of Commerce and The Healthcare Institute of New Jersey. He has also served in government in the administration of former Governor Christie Whitman and on the staff of former U.S. Representative Jim Courter. Bill joined the Hunterdon Healthcare Foundation in March of 2017.
Bill is a former board member and chair of Community Health Charities-NJ and a member from 2014-17 on its national board, as well as being a former board member of the American Diabetes Association-New Jersey. He has run trade missions to the Netherlands and China for HINJ and worked with every past governor on economic development initiatives.
Bill Healey is also an adjunct faculty member of the School of Professional Studies at NYU and in the political science department of The College of New Jersey. He is a lifelong state resident and resident of Hunterdon County since 1985.
Paul Kuhl, WithumSmith+Brown, PC
Paul E. Kuhl III, CPA.CITP, CGMA, SENIOR MANAGER has over 30 years of professional experience, including accounting and auditing services in various not-for-profit and technology industries and publicly traded companies. Gained extensive accounting and auditing experience prior to WS+B, both in the public and private accounting sector working with KPMG Peat Marwick and Deloitte & Touche as a senior manager and as the chief financial officer of a $40M distribution company with six operating divisions.
Sharon Marnien, Vice President, Human Resources, Sparta Systems, Inc.
At Sparta Systems, Sharon Marnien is responsible for the strategic planning, management and coordination of all human resources activities worldwide. With more than 20 years’ experience, Sharon is an accomplished Human Resources executive with a broad-based background in a variety of Human Resources roles, primarily with organizations undergoing significant growth and change. She has a proven track record in organizational design and change management, leadership coaching, talent management, succession planning, compensation design, and building and leading high performing teams.
Prior to joining Sparta Systems, Sharon was Director of Human Resources for Hartford Life Distributors in Wayne, Pennsylvania, the sales and marketing division of The Hartford Financial Services Group. Sharon also spent over eight years at Lincoln Financial Group in Radnor, Pennsylvania where she was Head of Human Resources for Lincoln Financial Distributors. In this position Sharon played a key role developing HR programs to support this organization’s rapid sales growth. Earlier in her career, Sharon worked for Wells Fargo where she played a lead role in multiple merger integrations and corporate change initiatives.
Sharon serves on the Board of the Princeton Regional Chamber of Commerce and is a member of the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM).
Nicholas V. Montalto, Diversity Dynamics
Dr. Nicholas V. Montalto, President of Diversity Dynamics brings more than 30 years of experience to his work with Diversity Dynamics. Manager, trainer, consultant, researcher, speaker and author, Dr. Montalto has extensive knowledge of and contacts within America’s immigrant communities. He has designed and implemented creative solutions to the policy challenges caused by America’s ever-changing diversity.
He holds a doctorate in American immigrant and ethnic history from the University of Minnesota, and served for 25 years as President and CEO of the International Institute of New Jersey. Certified as a consultant by the National Center for Cultural Competence at Georgetown University, Dr. Montalto has successfully completed consulting assignments with many public and private organizations. He has served as special advisor to the Program on Immigration and Democracy at Rutgers University, as chair of the Board of Directors of the New Jersey Immigration Policy Network, and as a member of the Hispanic Advisory Committee of the NJ Department of Human Services. An alumnus of Leadership New Jersey, Dr. Montalto has also served as President of the New Jersey Association for Lifelong Learning and Treasurer of the New Jersey Statewide Network for Cultural Competence.
Marguerite Mount, The Mercadien Group
Marguerite L. Mount, CPA, CGMA; Chair, The Mercadien Foundation; Managing Director, The Mercadien Group; Principal. Mercadien, P.C., Certified Public Accountants
As the leader of Mercadien’s Individual Services Group, she provides strategic, business, tax and estate planning to a multitude of clients.
She is the recipient of the 2011 Clara Barton Leadership Award from The American Red Cross, the 2006 Outstanding Woman of Business from the Burlington County Chosen Freeholders and Council of Women, the 2005 Woman of Distinction Award in the World of Finance from the Girl Scouts of Delaware-Raritan, Inc., and the 2005 Ethel Downing Johnson Memorial Award from the YWCA of Trenton for her commitment to the YWCA’s mission of eliminating racism and empowering women and girls. In addition to her professional associations, Marguerite is a member of the board of the American Red Cross of Central New Jersey, serving as immediate past chairman and a Past Trustee with the Princeton Area Community Foundation.
William Neary, Keep Middlesex Moving
William Neary grew up in Old Bridge and has lived in East Brunswick for the past 33 years. Bill was self employed for 25 years in the ice cream business owning several stores and two Dairy Queen franchises. After selling his business in 2003, Bill became the Executive Director of Keep Middlesex Moving, the county’s non-profit Transportation Management Association. Bill was elected to the East Brunswick Township Council in 1994 and was then elected Mayor in 1996, where he served for three terms until retiring from public life in 2008. He is an original member of the Convention and Visitors Bureau Committee and is serving in his third year as Chairman. Bill is Vice-President of the Middlesex County Regional Chamber of Commerce and serves on the Advisory Board of “Einsteins Alley”. Bill is the Chairman of the Central Jersey Transportation Forum, promoting regional growth strategies between municipalities.
Marion Reinson, Valize, LLC
Marion Reinson is the Business Director at Valize, LLC. Founded by Rita McGrath, Management Professor at Columbia Business School – Valize has over 20 years of experience developing practical, hands-on strategy and innovation tools and processes – that produce almost immediate results. Built on the foundational work of Rita McGrath and Ian MacMillan’s Discovery Driven Planning (DDP) methodology, these processes have been adopted and applied by thousands of managers and innovators around the globe. Marion is passionate about helping Valize clients focus on what’s important- developing and implementing effective growth and innovation strategies that help organizations thrive – even during times of uncertainty. And, she doesn’t simply give advice, Marion wants to work her way out of a job by teaching businesses how to craft innovation and growth strategies that make the best use of their most valued resources.
Ben Reytblat, 3DMonstr
Ben Reytblat is a senior level executive with over 30 years of broad experience in the technical, corporate, sales, marketing and financial arenas. Prior to starting 3DMonstr in the summer of 2012, Ben was CEO of CEDev (an Open Source applications company), and prior to that a co-founder and CEO of Quadrix Solutions. Before founding Quadrix Solutions in 1994, he was an independent consultant in the telecommunications and financial services sectors. He began his career as a member of Technical Staff at AT&T Bell Laboratories. Ben has advanced degrees in Computer Science and Mathematics, and is a highly sought-after speaker on the topics of 3D Printing and Open Source application deployment. He was a Visiting Lecturer at Rutgers University, and has published numerous technical papers. He served on the New Jersey Technology Council’s (NJTC) Board of Directors.
John P Riganati, NJTSC & SRI
Dr. John P. Riganati retired from Sarnoff Corporation on December 31, 2010. He was with Sarnoff Corporation from 1993 through 2010. In the fall of 2008, concurrent with his position at Sarnoff, Riganati became Co-President & Treasurer of InSitech-MTAC Corporation, a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit in New Jersey which is responsible for research, development, education, and training for the New Jersey Technology Solutions Center (NJTSC). In early 2013 Riganati became Co-President of the Healthcare Technology Solutions Center (HTSC), an InSitech-MTAC Company.
Previously, he was the Director of Systems and Architecture Research at the Supercomputing Research Center [a Division of the Institute for Defense Analyses (IDA)], Chief of the Computer and Communication Systems Components Division at NBS [now NIST], and Chief Scientist of the Communication Switching Systems Division at Rockwell. He has held positions at IBM’s Research and Systems Divisions, at GE’s Systems Engineering Division, and was an instructor at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
Judith A. Sheft, NJIT
Judith A. Sheft is the Associate Vice President Technology Development at the New Jersey Institute of Technology. She is responsible for managing the university’s Office of Technology Development and creates programs and policies focusing on patent creation, intellectual property valuation, strategic use and protection of IP assets. She is also involved with economic development in the Newark Innovation Zone having responsibilities for management of the university’s high technology business accelerator/incubator, the Enterprise Development Center, and the Procurement Technical Assistance Center. She is on the Board of Advisors to the NJIT School of Management and the NJIT Albert Dorman Honor’s College Interdisiplinary Design Studio program. Since 2007 she has been a member of the NJ – Israel Commission.
Prior to joining NJIT, she had been a founding member of Licenz Group, an IP consulting firm that focuses on assisting companies to maximize the value of their IP portfolio. Before that she had worked as the Intellectual Property and Compliance Vice President for Agere Systems, the semiconductor subsidiary of Lucent Technologies. In that capacity she had profit and loss responsibility for Agere’s patent and technology licensing business.
Ms. Sheft has extensive business development experience outside the U.S. She played a lead role in negotiating a long-term alliance between Lucent/Agere and NEC in the field of semiconductor manufacturing technology. The alliance has lasted over a decade and is a prime example of collaboration between competitors.
She received the NJIT Overseers award for service in 2009 and in 2012 was recognized a Garden State Woman of the Year in the professional services category.
Ralph Widner
Ralph Widner’s long career has included years as chief executive of, or adviser to, major national and international urban and regional economic development initiatives. Highlights include working with the Pennsylvania State Planning Board, the Greater Philadelphia First Corporation and the Greater Philadelphia Economic Development Coalition, a 13-state Appalachian Regional Development Program, founding the National Academy for State and Local Government, the think tank for the seven national associations of governors, legislators, county officials, mayors, and city managers and consulting on development for the World Bank, the United Nations, the U.S. Department of State, and several regions in the European Union. He has compiled a comprehensive database on Central New Jersey as a development planning and decision-making tool for the area.
Melanie Willoughby, NJ Business & Industry Association
Melanie Willoughby is the Senior Vice President for Government Affairs at the New Jersey Business & Industry Association (NJBIA), the largest statewide business association in the country, with over 21,000 business members. She is the founder and Co-Chair of the InnovationNJ Coalition, organized to promote innovation collaboration between business and higher education. In 2013, she was appointed by Governor Christie to serve on his newly created State Council on Innovation. She is also a gubernatorial appointment to the State Employment and Training Commission.
Prior to joining NJBIA in 2003, she served for eighteen years as the President and CEO of the New Jersey Retail Merchants Association. She was also the Executive Director of the New Jersey Council of Chain Drug Stores. She served in the administration of New Jersey Governor Brendan Byrne as the Director of State and Federal Government Affairs for the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs.
Past Advisory Board Members:
- Larry Evans, Virtual Board of Advisors
- R. Peter Hagen, Jr., iQ Venture Advisors, LLC (Deceased)
- Stephen J. Kasser, President of SJK Communications (Deceased)
- S. Maurice Rached, PE, PTOE, Maser Consulting