Sessions
Entrepreneurial Approaches to Technology Transfer
Featured Speakers will present their expertise on a market-driven approach to research and development in the successful commercialization of regional and global environmental technologies.
Featured Speakers:
CHAIR
Managing Partner
Annie Johnson
Cleantech Capital Group (CCG)
Ms. Johnson recently joined Cleantech Capital Group (CCG) as a Managing Partner. She spearheads Cleantech Capital Advisors, a newly formed unit of CCG. During her 20-year business career, Ms. Johnson has specialized in developing corporate and business strategies, implementing business plans and building organizations. She has extensive experience serving not only as a third-party and internal strategy consultant for major corporations, but also as a line manager in several of those firms. Her experience includes significant strategic marketing, finance, P&L and partnership roles.
Prior to Cleantech, Annie was a Senior Vice President at Fidelity Investments where she headed Banking & Brokerage Account Services within the Retail Division. In her previous Fidelity role, she ran the Strategic New Business Development Practice, a senior level advisory and analytical resource focused on growth strategies, within the firm's cross-company Consulting & Strategic New Business Development Group. Before Fidelity, she worked as Vice President of Finance for Staples $1B Contract & Commercial Division. Prior to this, she helped build Liberty Mutual Group's Strategy Consulting Group into a world-class organization, then ultimately ran the department.
Additionally, she served as Vice President for Diversified Investment Advisors/The MONY Group, where she ran the Managed Funds business unit after a stint as Vice President of the company's newly formed Corporate Development department. Ms. Johnson began her post-MBA as an Associate in Temple, Barker & Sloane (now Mercer Management Consulting)'s Financial Services Industry Group where she specialized in strategy, marketing and merger & acquisition assignments.
Annie earned an MBA from Harvard Business School and a BA in Economics from Williams College, where she graduated cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa. Between her degrees, she acted as Analyst for the MAC Group (now part of Gemini Consulting), where she worked on organizational design, m&a and strategic marketing assignments in the consumer products, telecommunications, banking and securities industries. When she's not on the tennis courts or golf course, Annie spends her free time with a windsurfer or skis strapped to her feet.
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
Ron Smith
Verdant Power Inc.
Mr. Smith is a founding partner in Verdant Power Inc., a renewable energy company commercializing kinetic hydropower systems that deliver hydro electricity without dams or impoundments, in the United States for global applications. His experience includes leading the start-up, growth and sale of a nationwide consumer advertising company; and management consulting as a Principal with Booz Allen Hamilton, on the headquarters management advisory staff at Bendix Aerospace Group, and to staffs and operating units in the U.S. Navy. He served as a U.S. Navy carrier pilot in Vietnam. He has an MBA from Harvard Business School and a Masters in Systems Management from the University of Southern California.
Economic Minister to North America
Yair S. Shiran
Government of Israel Economic Mission
Yair S. Shiran assumed the post of Israel Economic Minister to North America in August 2006. He has broad experience in international trade negotiations as well as business development and bilateral trade and investment promotion.
Prior to arriving in the U.S., Mr. Shiran served as the Director of International Agreements and Trade Policy at Israel’s Ministry of Industry, Trade and Labor. In this position, he served as Israel’s Chief Negotiator for international trade agreements between Israel and its key trading partners, including the U.S., Canada, Egypt, Turkey and the World Trade Organization (WTO). He also led an inter-ministerial committee that introduced amendments to Israel’s intellectual property legislation.
From 1996-2001, Mr. Shiran was Israel’s Representative to the WTO, representing Israel in all trade negotiations and talks in Geneva, Switzerland.
He has also been a guest lecturer at the Tel Aviv University School of Government’s Program on Diplomacy and at the Hebrew University’s School of Business Administration.
Mr. Shiran received his MA in Public Administration from Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government, where he studied as a Wexner Fellow. He received his MBA and BA from The Hebrew University in Jerusalem.
- Government of Israel Economic Mission
CEO
Michael C. Trachtenberg, Ph.D.,
Carbozyme, Inc.
Dr. Trachtenberg is Chairman, CEO and CTO of Carbozyme, Inc. a development stage environmental science company focused on capturing carbon dioxide from flue gas stacks to reduce greenhouse gas levels and contribute to controlling global warming as well as developing beneficial uses for carbon dioxide, particularly regarding enhanced energy production.
He holds a Bachelors degree in Psychology and Biology from the City University of New York and a Doctorate in Anatomy and Neurobiology from the University of California at Los Angeles.
Dr. Trachtenberg has been a principal investigator and research director for over 30 years. He is the author of over 120 publications – papers, books and abstracts - and has received two patents in addition to a number of patent applications currently under review. He regularly presents at numerous national and international scientific meetings.
Prior to founding Carbozyme Dr. Trachtenberg co-founded NeuroGenesis, Inc. a neutriceutical company focused on the psychopharmacology of addictive diseases. During his tenure he served as VP of Research and Development. Dr. Trachtenberg has been a consultant to NASA working on sustaining humans in space. In addition he has held faculty positions at Harvard Medical School, Boston University School of Medicine and the University of Texas Medical Branch and has been Director of Neurological and Neurosurgical Research.
Founder
David Waimann
Orionsolar Photovoltaics
David is an experienced technology entrepreneur who is now concentrating on clean energy technologies
He started Orionsolar Photovoltaics in 2003, and the company has now developed the most advanced solar cell prototypes of its type with a staff of 10 scientists based in Jerusalem. He is now starting two more alternative energy companies.
Previously he was CEO and Founder of Barorianne Plasma and Chairman of Solcon Industries.
His education is in economics and engineering from Cambridge, UK and Rochester, USA and his interests range from alternative energy, development economics, and playing football with his kids.
