Every month a team of experts provides on the spot entrepreneurial assistance.  Come armed with your questions and challenges and see what the team can help with!  This month we have an awesome business-oriented crew!

Sheldon Prenovitz — Administrative Business Resources — Sheldon has spent many years working with start ups, small and midsized businesses. He knows the pitfalls they face when it comes to the administrative problems they run into when it is time to hire employees and grow. ABR helps their clients stay profitable by keeping them in compliant with State and Federal regulations. The business owner can concentrate on business.

Jarrod S. VanDerwerken, CPA, CCR LLP. Jarrod S. VanDerwerken, CPA, is a Principal in CCR’s Assurance Services Department. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in accounting from Lasell College (summa cum laude), where he subsequently served as an adjunct professor of accounting. Mr. VanDerwerken has more than ten years of experience auditing public and private companies within the technology, software, retail, professional services, manufacturing and distribution industries. His areas of expertise include SEC/PCAOB reporting, revenue recognition, equity transactions, stock options and audits of employee benefit plans. Mr. VanDerwerken is the Massachusetts industry team leader in CCR’s employee benefit practice and a member of the CCR’s Quality Control Advisory Group.  Mr. VanDerwerken is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Massachusetts Society of Certified Public Accountants.

Jeffrey C. Kristoff, CPA, CCR LLP, Jeffrey C. Kristoff, CPA is a Manager in CCR’s Tax Department and a member of Entrepreneurial Services Group, which is a practice group that specializes in servicing the unique needs of closely held businesses. He received Bachelor’s of Science degree in Business Administration (Magna Cum Laude) from Worcester State College and a Masters of Business Administration from Assumption College.  Jeff has 7 years of experience working with both private and public companies within a wide variety of industries including manufacturing, retail, and professional services. His expertise is in providing tax, accounting, and consulting services for corporations, partnerships and individuals. He has consulted with clients regarding business organization and structure including the tax consequences of business acquisitions, reorganizations and liquidations, identifying applicable Federal/state credits, and building financial forecast models.  Jeff is a member of the AICPA and the MSCPA.

Cynthia Gilbert, Hyperion Law. Ms. Gilbert’s practice focuses on the strategic development of patent portfolios for a range of companies in all stages of the invention life cycle: computer technology start-ups, emerging companies, and established public companies. She has developed deep experience across a wide range of technology disciplines, including virtualization, application delivery, network security, computational linguistics and information retrieval, cloud computing, mobile technologies and applications, Web 2.0, distributed computing, operating systems, and communications infrastructure.  Ms. Gilbert is registered to practice law in Massachusetts and before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Prior to founding Hyperion Law, she worked as a senior attorney in the intellectual property department at one of the nation’s leading law firms. Ms. Gilbert has been selected for inclusion in the Massachusetts Super Lawyers / Rising Stars Edition.

Barbara Finer, QuiVivity LLC for the 495/90 Technology Business Network. With an extensive background in helping business-to-business technology companies get their products to market and form beneficial partnerships and channels, Barbara helps grow revenue and gains market share. With four startups to her credit, Barbara evaluates and authors business plans based on detailed market analysis, factual market assessment and market validation. Ms. Finer has been active on several not-for-profit and for-profit Boards including the MIT Enterprise Forum of Cambridge, WPI Venture Forum, StudentBusinesses.com (bought by Kauffman Foundation) and SpiderSplat SEO and is an adjunct professor of marketing and entrepreneurship. Barbara has a technical background and degree (BS, Northeastern University) and an advanced degree in management of innovation and technology (MSA, Boston University).

Nathan Therrien, Business Insurance & Investment Services of MA - At a company level, the firm works to implement business insurance, employee benefits and company sponsored retirement plans, as well as addressing the needs of owners and management. At the personal level, the firm works to address the specific individual and family needs including personal planning, business continuation efforts, and investment portfolio management.

Every month, we have a team of experts who contribute to Mass Innovation Nights.  They donate very generously of their time and are an important part of the value for our guests.  Come chat with the experts!  This month (at our May 11 event, #min26) we’re covering off: Financial Management for small companies, product development risk management, prototyping, and process improvement, clarifying sales targets, developing messages and sales playbook development AND, drum roll please…free office space.  Yes, you heard that correctly!  Let’s meet the team:

• Devin Cole, Boston World Partnerships Director of Engagement and Programs, also the manager of GrabADesk.com and Paola Mesadieu, Manager of Content & New Media from Boston World Partnerships.  Come talk to Devin and Paola about Grabadesk!
• Steve Early from Sales Process Playbooks is a career sales and marketing professional with a wealth of experience in working with B2B companies in high tech and other industries. To succeed as an entrepreneur you not only need to develop a product, but you need to figure out (sooner rather than later) how you are going to sell it, and to whom. Steve has conducted hundreds of consulting engagements with companies such as General Electric, Iron Mountain, Compaq Computer Corporation, McGraw-Hill, Agfa-Gevaert, Digital Equipment Corporation, and many others. He has helped them them figure out how to shorten time to revenue. For companies that are about to introduce a new product or who are struggling with sales on an existing product, he can help you get focused on your targeted customer, and develop a Sales Playbook to get off the ground faster.
• James Jendrzejewski, the founder and principal engineer of Applied Product Development Solutions, is a veteran with a degree in chemical engineering. His history is in clean-tech systems and high-speed manufacturing environments. From hydrogen reforming processes to technical expert with the NFPA and the International Electrotechnical Commission, James’ diverse experience allows him to deliver practical solutions that work.  Bringing products to market sooner is critical in this highly competitive environment. Delivering functionality is not enough. Delivering reliability that the customer demands is our passion. Our focus is to reduce development cycle time and improve reliability through concurrent engineering practices. Over the last year we have also helped individual innovators bring their ideas to life and worked with established manufacturers on improvement projects and development of specialized test equipment.
• Jeffrey Clack, SCORE. Jeffrey Clack has been a SCORE mentor for 5 years and currently serves as Branch Manager for the Stoneham and Burlington locations working with the respective Chambers of Commerce. He held a variety of marketing, sales management and strategic planning positions in the computer industry for over 20 years at Data General, Compaq and Hewlett Packard. His degrees are from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and Harvard Business School.
• Larry Staub, B2BCFO, is a Certified Management Accountant with over twenty years’ experience managing all aspects of the financial and accounting functions within a both start-up and more established companies. He is a proven business adviser who can quickly assess your situation, develop the necessary tools and present all viable options so you can make informed decisions to drive profitable financial performance. He is an adept problem solver with a can-do attitude regarding even the most difficult tasks and have been instrumental in helping companies to establish a solid foundation as they grow their business.

Our April 13 event promises some real value for #MIN25 guests looking to connect with experts.  In addition to a two-fer of top product designers, we’ll also have free professional photos from one expert, legal advice from another, and finance. Not to mention all the great experts just hanging around…

Jake Childs, Senior Designer, Continuum
With a passion for creativity and design thinking, Jake is a consummate advocate for a user’s emotional experience and interaction with an object or service. As a Senior Designer in the Product Innovation Group, Jake’s diverse experiences in several industries allow him to bring a fresh and striking perspective to his clients and team. A strategic thinker, Jake takes a holistic approach to design, considering the big picture and contributing unique ideas with a firm grasp on how to make them a reality.

Jake began his professional career as a footwear designer for adidas International in Portland, Oregon, where he gained valuable insight into global marketing and over-seas manufacturing. Prior to joining Continuum, he was the Industrial Design Team Lead at Worrell Inc. where he contributed to and managed projects in both product development and front-end research in the health & medical, consumer electronics, and sports & recreation industries.

A native of Southern California, Jake began his studies as a biology/pre-med major at Claremont McKenna College before realizing his calling in a creative endeavor. He transferred to Art Center College of Design where he graduated with honors earning a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Design, won a prestigious IDEA Award, and had numerous projects chosen to be displayed in the Art Center gallery.

Jung Geun Tak, Senior Designer, Continuum
Jung Geun Tak earned his B.A. in industrial design from the Han Yang University in Seoul, Korea, and his MFA from Rochester Institute of Technology in Rochester, New York. Since 2005, he has been designing innovative products and concept projects at Continuum. He has broad-based design knowledge in diverse industries including consumer electronics, home products, transportation, social innovation, health systems, and retail services. In additional to project work, Jung has worked on a variety of concept projects. The Solay running shoe that included a modular, removable mid-sole that could be easily changed (2008 Spark Bronze award) and the Leveraged Freedom Chair, the lever-powered, wheelchair-based mobility aid which is instrumental in envisioning chair design (2010 Spark Gold award 2010).

Jessica R. Manganello, Esq., New Leaf Legal
I am the corporate attorney and legal structuring guru for New Leaf Legal, a flat fee firm that provides corporate and IP services to emerging businesses and artists.  I love everything from helping businesses design their initial corporate structuring, through their expansion and growing pains, all the way to developing their exit strategies.   Our firm particularly enjoys working with socially/sustainably minded businesses using experimental new models and cementing new core values into the old tried and true models.  On a personal note, I am an extreme foodie and movie fanatic.  If you follow me on twitter be prepared for the latest green news, food news, car news, and some good ol’ heavy metal. Reach me at www.newleaflegal.com, jessica@newleaflegal.com, or @Mangojess.

Mark Ufland, Memories in an Instant
Mark Ufland is the founder of Memories In An Instant, a company specializing in the onsite printing of corporate and social event photos.  After graduating from University of Massachusetts School of Management in 1990, Mark worked for years in his family’s professional photo lab and in 1996 started Memories In An Instant.  One of the first in the country to own digital camera and printer technology, Mark learned that photos, when combined with custom backgrounds, logos and graphics could help other organizations to realize their marketing goals.  Today, he uses powerful social media integration tools to help customers with their branding effortsAt #MIN25, Memories in an Instant will be setting up for free head shots at the event.  They can be used for social media, marketing, websites etc.  Each person will receive a proof that night with a link to their download/social sharing site.  Find Mark on Twitter at @MUfland

Corey Turner is the founder of Turner Business Services. Turner Business Services provides accounting solutions for start-ups and small businesses, helping companies build a strong foundation for growth and operations. We have a proven track record of creating efficient accounting solutions that streamline business operations and increase your bottom line profit. Our team has had many years of experience working for start-ups and small businesses and understands that you have to extend yourself beyond your job description. While we are your company’s accounting solution, we are also your go to for all your other business needs. Whether it’s finding an insurance quote, setting up company phone and cell plans, managing corporate filings, or any other aspect of your business, we will get it done. We handle the behind the scenes details of your business to make sure you and your key employees can focus on growing the business.

Every month we have a group of experts who donate their time to help out other innovators and entrepreneurs.  Bring them your business problems.  This month, in honor of National Women’s History Month, we have a group of women experts. Thanks so much, Ladies!

• Anna Goldsmith is a partner at the Boston-based copywriting agency, The Hired Pens.  Founded in 2001, The Hired Pens specializes in websites (including SEO copywriting), brochures, catalogs, newsletters and fundraising letters. Our mission: to stomp out boring, soulless “corporate speak” and inject new life into our clients’ marketing collateral. Businesses (startups to Fortune 500s), universities, nonprofits, and design and ad agencies all rely on us for business writing with a fresh perspective. Over the years, Anna has written for a wide range of local and global brands including PUMA, Hasbro and French’s Mustard. (She once even wrote a speech for a rodeo queen.) Her work has won numerous awards, including a Hatch, Webby, MITX, W3 Gold, and a certificate of recognition for the “best wood-cut ice cream cone” at Yarmouth Junior High School. Be sure to check out her blog, Lightning & the Lightning Bug, for writing tips and advice about running your own business.

• Annette Reynolds: The 128 Innovation Capital Group is in its 30th year of helping Investors and Entrepreneurs meet. At each month’s networking meeting, the speaker is always an investor, and the topics deal with the different aspects of institutional (angel and venture capital) investment. Everyone who attends the meeting has the opportunity to introduce themselves to the group. Afterward, a roster of attendees is distributed to all who came to the meeting. We meet on the second Thursday of every month at the IBM Innovation Center in Waltham. Call Annette Reynolds at 617 306 2906 for more information, or visit the group’s website .

• Eva Kaniasty is a User Experience designer and researcher.  After over 10 years of working on the web, including 3 years at a startup, she founded her own user experience consultancy, Red Pill UX.  She is particularly interested in continuing her connection to the startup space, with a focus on education, healthcare, social web, and web and mobile applications for behavior change.  Eva got her Master’s from Bentley University, and is a frequent speaker at usability conferences.  Talk to her about how your startup can deliver a top-notch user experience, and ux techniques such as  usability testing, creating personas, structured brainstorming, and information architecture/interaction design.

• Amy Hafensteiner is a Consultant in the Software Technology group at Winter, Wyman, an industry leader for 38 years, and one of the largest and most recognized staffing firms in the Northeast.  Amy and her team specialize in the Greater Boston market and pride themselves on presenting the best and brightest software engineers from the Junior and Senior levels, to the Director and VP levels to their clients.  At the same time, we consult with job seekers by sharing information, resources and, of course, tell them about great job opportunities in Java, .NET, and the open source technologies to name a few.  We work with small to mid-size startups all the way up to larger organizations.  Whether you’re looking to hire talented people, take on a new role, or just learn more about the current market, Amy is here to help!  Connect with her.

• Christine Sierra is a seasoned professional with over 15 years product management and marketing experience. She is a Partner at Carlton PR and Marketing where she is focused on providing marketing coaching, strategy and implementation services to young companies that need to kick off or supplement their marketing efforts. Christine specializes in bringing products to market using both traditional and social media marketing techniques.  Most recently, Christine was brought in to help coordinate and
  launch the inaugural Boston Region Entrepreneurship Week (BREW Boston) celebration showcasing entrepreneurial events in and around Boston. Connect with Christine on Twitter as @SierraSez.

The February Experts Corner will be populated by a diverse team of experts who will be available to you for one-on-one consultations.  Take a few moments to get to know them before that night.  How can they help you and your business be more successful?

Christine Sierra has 15 years of product management and marketing experience and is currently a Partner at Carlton PR and Marketing. Most recently, she helped organize Boston Region Entrepreneurship Week (BREW Boston) and previously was VP Marketing for Lexalytics, a self-funded text analytics company serving search, social media and business intelligence companies. Christine has also held senior roles at Genalytics (now Semcasting, Inc.), Datawatch and Thomson Financial (now ThomsonReuters).  Connect with Christine on Twitter at @SierraSez.

Leslie Ament is VP of Research at Hypatia Research, LLC . We are the “un-cola” of industry analyst firms in that we do not charge vendors for analyst access.  We do deliver high impact customer intelligence research & advisory services that reduce cycle-time & influence customer management, product strategy and channel development goals. Since 2001, clients have relied on our industry insight, expertise and independent research for guidance in assessing various technology and service options.  Our research focuses on; CRM, BI/Text Analytics, Web Analytics, Marketing Automation, Social Media, Information/Data Management, Governance, Integration & Quality. We offer: Syndicated research studies, Custom research reports, Advisory & Consulting services, Product Launch, Positioning, Sales Tool Development, Webinar / Seminar Presentations.  Why work with us?

• Business leaders turn to us for information on vendors, service providers and best practices
• Vendors & service providers value our research-driven thought leadership, independent analysis & business case ROI assessments
• Clients turn to us for market intelligence & advisory services

Eric Solem, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Landmark Real Estate Advisors, helps entrepreneurs and young companies be more successful with their real estate needs.  Our firm is focused on saving money for companies and our advisory services are geared towards ensuring that real estate infrastructure is optimized to support people and bottom-line results.  Our proprietary financial modeling approach, Velocity 2 Value, enables us to quantify those results:

1. reducing occupancy costs,
2. mitigating risks with commercial real estate,
3. shortening time frame to accommodate needs, and
4. providing flexibility for move/add/changes as the business grows.

Jamie Bradley from Sophwell provides Sourcing and Production Management for the materials companies use in their marketing programs. His clients are typically people who work in creative roles who have great ideas but may not have the time or expertise to implement them.  Sophwell¹s works with marketers and graphic designers to map out the methods and materials required to plan efficient production, and coordinates with multiple vendors to see projects through to completion. Ask him your questions about direct mail, trade show marketing, mobile messaging or ecommerce fulfillment. (Editor’s note:  Sophwell provided our beloved Mass Innovation signs! Thanks, Jamie!)

VC Ready Law Group helps entrepreneurs launch and grow their businesses by providing legal and organizational guidance during the formative early stages of a company’s existence. We draw upon our experience working with start-up companies and venture capitalists to advise our clients on how to avoid many of the pitfalls start-ups face on their path from formation to obtaining venture capital financing.

BONUS: We’ll also have a team from IBM/Arrow available to answer any questions about their Industry Solution Reseller (ISR) program, an initiative that brings together resources to help you develop validated hardware and software solutions based on IBM technology that come integrated and easy to deploy. IBM and Arrow will provide you with the hardware and technology leadership you need, allowing you to focus on your core business requirements.  Or, join us for light refreshments and a short overview of the program BEFORE #MIN23.  Register here.

Every month a group of local experts donates their time and expertise to the Mass Innovation Nights cause.  They are there to help you — so take advantage of the opportunity to talk to them about your business and your business challenges.  This month’s team includes:

• Since 1996, Joe Baz has been involved in every aspect of the Web, including design, development, marketing, content development, web analytics and user experience development. He currently owns and operates his own web consulting business, Above the Fold, which focuses on making web applications effortless to use.  Joe will be offering a free 10 minute heuristic evaluation of your website or web application. Areas to be covered in the respective site include, navigational flow, page usability, user interface components, iconography, typography and color treatment.
• Corey Turner is the founder of Turner Business Services. Turner Business Services provides accounting solutions for start-ups and small businesses, helping companies build a strong foundation for growth and operations. We have a proven track record of creating efficient accounting solutions that streamline business operations and increase your bottom line profit. Our team has had many years of experience working for start-ups and small businesses and understands that you have to extend yourself beyond your job description. While we are your company’s accounting solution, we are also your go to for all your other business needs. Whether it’s finding an insurance quote, setting up company phone and cell plans, managing corporate filings, or any other aspect of your business, we will get it done. We handle the behind the scenes details of your business to make sure you and your key employees can focus on growing the business.
• Rama Nandiwada is founder of IT Shore. IT Shore provides low cost software solutions and quality assurance to startup companies. IT Shore is well known to help their customers go live on-time in low-cost through their innovative solutions and hands on approach from technical specifications through final product launch. IT Shore specializes in open source solutions, content management, mobile platforms, video streaming, educational software and web applications. Do not Off shore your software development – IT Shore!
• Patrick Richardson, Director of Integrated Marketing, Schneider Associates.  Patrick is the head of creative services at Schneider Associates, a firm specializing in launching new products, services, companies and communities. Patrick supports Schneider’s national client base with integrated marketing strategies that include branding, social media, interactive, advertising and graphic design. His clients include Liquid Wrench, Gunk, D-Con, Woolite, Baskin-Robbins, Quebec Ministry of Agriculture, Grace, FHO Partners, and Recap Advisors. His work has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, ABC Evening News and on the Early Show.
• Eric Solem, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Landmark Real Estate Advisors, helps entrepreneurs and young companies be more successful with their real estate needs.  Our firm is focused on saving money for companies and our advisory services are geared towards ensuring that real estate infrastructure is optimized to support people and bottom-line results.  Our proprietary financial modeling approach, Velocity 2 Value, enables us to quantify those results:
  1. reducing occupancy costs,
  2. mitigating risks with commercial real estate,
  3. shortening time frame to accommodate needs, and
  4. providing flexibility for move/add/changes as the business grows.

Every month a team of experts donates their time and expertise to Mass Innovation Nights.  They are there to help you.  Check out December 8th’s Experts Corner.  (And, don’t forget we’ll be back at the Charles River Museum of Industry and Innovation in Waltham!)

• Blair Baldwin, Engagement Manager, High Start Group. Market research helps companies more accurately target markets, compete, sell better.  Basically, it helps companies be more successful.  Unfortunately, most people assume market research is only for big companies with big budgets.  Blair Baldwin can share insights on how you can do “quick and dirty” market research.  High Start Group helps companies bring successful products to market.

• Matt Harris and Scott Leonard founded Redpoint Studios, a New England based product development firm that helps companies with limited resources introduce compelling new products to market. Redpoint’s qualified engineering and design personnel help clients produce higher quality, better looking products in less time. Before Redpoint, Matt and Scott worked at Deka R&D, a world-renowned engineering firm owned by the inventor Dean Kamen.

• Nathan Therrien, Founder, Business Insurance & Investment Services of MA At a company level, the firm works to implement employee benefits and company sponsored retirement plans, as well as addressing the needs of owners and management. At the personal level, the firm works to address the specific individual and family needs including personal planning, business continuation efforts, and investment portfolio management.

• Sarah McKinnon, Outreach & Reporting Coordinator of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Small Business Purchasing Program (SBPP) is here to connect your small business to the Commonwealth! The SBPP supports the existence and the growth of Massachusetts-based small businesses by directing state spending for non-construction goods and services to program eligible businesses. Declare eligibility and participate in the SBPP to increase your business with the state, receive a FREE Comm-PASS Smartbid subscription (a $275 savings), receive access to online notification of competitive procurement opportunities targeted to eligible small businesses, to access a host of free training programs, and more.  Connect with Sarah on Twitter as @MassSBPP or @sarahhmckinnon.

• Sandeep Kaujalgi, Chairman & CEO, Collabor Inc. | Charter Member, TiE Boston — Earlier this decade, Sandeep founded Collabor, Inc. a web & mobile solutions company based in the Boston area. Collabor helps companies engage in the new interconnected world with their two platforms – Work 2.0 & Work2Go. Work 2.0 allows the building & deploying of web & mobile collaborative applications. Work 2Go allows companies to easily convert their web sites and portals into mobile browser friendly assets.  For Mass Innovation Nights, Collabor is happy to present its VentureTech service model for startups. Collabor believes that during the startup phase Technology is more important than Capital and entrepreneurs should take advantage of Collabor’s experience (50+ customers), resource depth (50+ engineers) and IP to kickstart their enterprise. Collabor will work with you to deliver prototypes or V1.0 to allow you to then approach Venture Capital with a stronger story.

• For over 15 years, TurboPR President Larry Bouchie has provided PR advice and managed PR activities for startups, early and mid-stage firms, and publicly traded companies in the U.S., Canada, Israel and Europe. Depending on his clients’ needs, he has managed social media campaigns, product launches, press/blogger/analyst briefings, opportunistic PR, awards programs, bylined article and case study placements, and conference activities. These campaigns have generated thousands of stories in business, technology, and vertical industry media outlets, as well as numerous broadcast TV outlets, reaching specific audiences and collectively increasing clients’ corporate valuations.  (Ed. note: TurboPR was the sponsor of #MIN1.  Yup, the original Mass Innovation Nights in April 2009.  A true believer, and prescient too!)

We’ve got an incredibly diverse experts team this month!  Everything from games creation to health insurance.  Check out these helpful experts who will be on-hand at the October Mass Innovation Nights to help you. 

• Scott Macmillan has worked in the video game industry since 2002.  In 2008 he founded Macguffin Games,  a full-service game creation studio that offers both consulting and contracting services.  He has seven titles to his credit, and he and his team are currently working on Macguffin Games’ first offering for Facebook. Scott is the co-organizer of the Boston GameLoop conference, a board member for the Boston IGDA chapter Post Mortem, and the founder of the indie gaming Meetup Boston Indies. He can be found via Macguffingames.com or on Twitter as @MrMacguffin.

• Joe Ciccolo is the President of Levatura, LLC.  Levatura is a corporate due diligence firm that works with small- and mid-sized businesses.  The company performs business background  investigations and risk assessments on potential and existing business-to-business relationships.  This includes corporate suppliers, vendors, strategic partnerships and M&A transactions.  Levatura due diligence reports proactively identify any potential risks that may adversely impact the business relationship or transaction, protecting companies from the needless and costly diversion of precious human and financial resources.

• Casey Gustus is an accomplished web entrepreneur and a principal at High  Start Group, a Boston consulting firm that specializes in product strategy for online and mobile services that target SMBs or consumers. Casey is available to meet with Mass Inno attendees to discuss web product pricing strategies, how to convert freemium users to paying customers, and how create high volume inbound lead generation campaigns.

• Brainshark, Inc. is the leader in on-demand presentations. At a time when it takes an average of 100 phone calls to book one sales appointment and when two-thirds of registrants fail to attend live webinars, effective communication tools are critical. Brainshark can talk to Mass Innovation Night attendees about how to leverage multi-media tools to increase the effectiveness of outreach and prospecting activities, whether it’s to promote your business, your products and services, or your expertise.
• Dan Davis, a director at Accounting Management Solutions, has been instrumental in helping a number of technology and life sciences companies develop and implement strategic plans, raise funding, structure key partnerships, and achieve successful exits for investors.  He has also been the Vice President of Business Development and CFO at several venture-backed companies, including Biopure Corporation, where he led the company’s IPO. On October 19, Dan will be a moderator of a panel at the free all-day event focused on getting funding, Connecting Companies and Capital, being held at the IBM Innovation Center.

Every month, a small group of industry experts donates their time to helping out at Mass Innovation Nights.  You’ll find them in the Cafe, with a seat just for you.  Stop by and get your business questions answered!  Here’s who is joining us this month!

Janet Morgenstern Passani, MBA, has 20 years of marketing management experience specializing in consumer food and lifestyle brands. She has worked with major U.S. and international brands including Smartfoods (now part of PepsiCo), Stride Rite, and Nelsons Bach (based in UK), and was part of the management team for a national natural foods company. Janet is a strategic marketer with a creative twist and expertise in new product launches, marketing communications, and consumer outreach.   As founder of Jute Marketing, Janet launches and grows brands and initiatives committed to healthy, natural living. With two decades of natural products industry experience, she knows the eco-living marketplace – the trends, key players, and challenges. Janet Morgenstern Passani is also founder of BostonEco, a networking community and event series focused on furthering local, sustainable, and environmental ideas in Boston and beyond.

Rama Nandiwada, Founder & President if IT Shore, holds an M.B.A. from Babson and an Masters in Computer Applications from a top Indian technical university (R.E.C, Warangal). Rama has over a decade of experience managing outsourcing projects for major companies, including Wipro, Satyam and Virtusa, both from a consultant and client perspective. She has managed global teams from the U.S., India, and Europe, and possesses extensive experience in application development, quality assurance, strategic business consulting, and human resources management. Her work spans many industries, including but not limited to finance, education, food-oriented companies and retailing; many technologies from e-commerce to storage and CRM to mobile technology.  Rama launched IT Shore in order to bring a more personal, hands-on approach to the global sourcing market. Her vision is to provide services that go well beyond traditional outsourcing; IT Shore’s personnel can form a true partnership with clients to meet and exceed business goals.

Jessica Manganello, New Leaf Legal, is a corporate attorney and legal structuring guru.  She excels at designing initial corporate structuring and expansion plans as well as developing exit strategies and preparing entrepreneurs for their next venture.

Catharine Arnston, AKA “The Naughty Nutritionist” holds an MBA from The Ivey School of Business, University of Western Ontario, Canada, a BA from Queen’s University, Kingston Ontario and an Arts Management Certificate from the Banff School of Fine Arts, Banff Alberta. She is also a Reiki Master. Catharine attended The Institute for Integrative Nutrition/SUNY in New York City and graduated in July 2009 with a certificate in Holistic Health Coaching. During Catharine’s twenty years experience in strategic partnerships, branding, marketing, product launches, and online-retail she has been a Commercial Attache for the Canadian Government and British Government, a Fund Raiser for Vancouver Playhouse and Toronto Free Theatre (now Center Stage),   the Publisher of Design Times, an upscale national interior design magazine, and a founder of three companies including Hoteluxury, YourInteriors and Stealthealth.   Catharine was born in Toronto, Canada and lives in Boston MA. She is having a blast with her new life as The Naughty Nutritionist and is ready to share her fun and vitality with everyone she meets. Are you ready? If so, let’s get naughty and healthy together!

Jay Burstein, CPA, Accounting Management Solutions, Inc. (AMS), is an executive with over 25 years of financial and operating experience in a variety of industries. He has an extensive background in building corporate infrastructures covering all aspects of finance, accounting, IT and administration. In addition, his experience includes M&A, risk management, strategic planning, and system conversions.

While at AMS, Jay has performed and managed Sarbanes-Oxley compliance projects, has overseen CFO and Controller service engagements and performed and managed special projects for clients in varying industries ranging from several million dollars to over $1 billion in revenues, including a local wholesale bakery specializing in artisan breads. In addition, Jay has taken a lead role in developing and training staff on the AMS Rapid Diagnostic(TM), a comprehensive tool designed to assess the health of an organization’s finance and accounting systems.  He has managed and performed many such engagements for both nonprofit and for-profit clients.

Before joining AMS, Jay served as an independent financial consultant, assisting clients with Sarbanes-Oxley implementation and a variety of other needs including private equity accounting, financial analysis, and interim CFO services. Prior to consulting, Jay served in Controller, CFO and COO capacities for businesses including an $8 million venture backed services and technology startup, a $150 million financial services  subsidiary of State Street Bank and a  $220 million mutual fund and bank services operating unit of First Data Corporation.  Jay received his BA degree in English Literature from Brandeis University and an MBA in accounting and finance from Northwestern University’s Kellogg Graduate School of Management. He is a CPA in Massachusetts.

As always, we have a great team of experts ready to support our entrepreneurs and innovators.  Our Experts Corner team is there for you during the entire evening.  Now is the time to take advantage of the opportunity to sit down with a leading consultant in marketing, photography, a business coach or maybe you are looking for a place to work for your entire company.  Sit down for a chat, bring your tough questions.  Here are the July experts!

Lisa Glennon, Yankee Barn’s Principal Designer, as well as an Executive Director of the company,  will be available to talk about how to design and build a home to optimize passive solar gain.  She has a background in environmental engineering (Northwestern University) and  an MBA from the University of Southern Maine.

T3 Advisors is the leading commercial real estate advisor to the Emerging Technology Sector in New England. We specialize in advising VC-backed, high-growth companies on finding creative solutions to their real estate needs. Our goal is to help clients scale their businesses and create cutting edge workplaces, all within careful financial planning and budgeting parameters.

Jodi-Tatiana Charles, La Capoise Galerie, an “anthropological approach to commercial photography.”  A professional photographer for more than two decades, with over 16 years of successful marketing and branding experience.  Jodi-Tatiana now uses her passion for photography and her love of marketing to advise start ups and small businesses on how to effectively brand their companies and products using an anthropological approach to imagery. Most small businesses and start ups have limited funds, leading them to use “stock photographs” to attract their customers and investors. But how many times have you seen the same image used for numerous products? Confusing consumers is a sure way of losing potential customers. Jodi-Tatiana transforms your ideas and products into unique and natural images that will express your story to your target audience, because pictures are worth a thousand words!

Ed Evarts, Practice Leader, Evarts Coaching.  Through an interactive and inspiring coaching process, Ed Evarts works one-on-one with small business owners, entrepreneurs, solopreneurs, and corporate professionals, and their teams, to strengthen influence, drive change and experience greater success.  Common areas of focus for clients include building confidence, navigating conflict, gaining clarity, and improving communication.  With over twenty-five years of leadership and management experience, Ed possesses the ability to effectively partner with individuals and teams in business environments to create action and deliver results.  Known for his business acumen, his ability to resolve complex human relations issues, and his enthusiastic, genuine, accessible, and responsive style, Ed has guided many individuals from objectives to outcomes.