• Mission
• IP History
• Presentations
• Staff & Board of Directors
  • » Staff
  • » Board of Directors
• Employment Opportunities

Board Members:

• Mel Baiada - Partner, Basecamp Ventures
  Read bio.
• Richard A. Bendis - President and CEO, Bendis Investment Group, LLC.
  Read bio.
• Ernest J. Dianastasis - Managing Director, CAI
  Read bio.
• Brenda D. Gavin - Partner, Quaker BioVentures, Inc.
  Read bio.
• Stephen M. Goodman - Partner, Morgan, Lewis & Bockius, LLP
  Read bio.
• Johanna Hambrose -President, Electronic Ink
  Read bio.
• Brian Keech-Vice President, Government & Community Relations, Drexel University
• Samuel J. Patterson - President and CEO, Veridyne, Inc.
  Read bio.

---

Mel Baiada - Partner, Basecamp Ventures

Baiada is managing partner of BaseCamp Ventures, an early-stage venture capital investment company founded by Baiada in 2000.

Baiada founded Bluestone, Inc. in 1989 to provide technology expertise to Fortune 1000 companies and government organizations. Under his direction, Bluestone rapidly grew to a multi-million dollar company, earning its inclusion in the Inc. 500 list of the fastest growing, privately held companies in the U.S. for three straight years, from 1994 to 1996. The software arm underwent a successful IPO in 1999, and was acquired by Hewlett-Packard in 2000. Through his generous contributions, Drexel University was able to add the Laurence A. Baiada Center for Entrepreneurship in Technology to its campus. Baiada currently serves on the Boards of Drexel University, Moorestown Friends School, Innovation Philadelphia, New Jersey Technology Council, and several private companies.

---

Richard A. Bendis - President and CEO, Bendis Investment Group, LLC

Mr. Bendis has distinguished himself as a successful entrepreneur, corporate executive, venture capitalist, investment banker, innovation and technology based economic development leader, international speaker and consultant in the technology, healthcare and innovation development industries.

He currently serves as the founding President and CEO of Innovation America (IA), a national 501c3 not for profit, private/public partnership focused on accelerating the growth of the entrepreneurial innovation economy in America. He also founded the Bendis Investment Group LLC, (BIG), a financial intermediary and consulting firm which has a joint venture with the Fortress Investment Group (NYSE, FIG) and is responsible for the origination of debt and equity investments located in BIG’s Network. Mr. Bendis, recently provided interim CEO consulting services to the National Association of Seed and Venture Funds (NASVF) and strategic growth and repositioning services to the Pennsylvania Biotechnology Center.

Previously, Mr. Bendis served as President and CEO of True Product ID, Inc., a global publicly traded anti-counterfeiting technology company (NASDAQ, TPID), which he relocated to Beijing, China.  Mr. Bendis also founded and served as the President and CEO of Innovation Philadelphia (IP), a 3 state regional public/private partnership dedicated to growing the wealth and workforce of the Greater Philadelphia Region.  IP managed a portfolio of programs in four distinct areas: Direct Equity Investment/Financing Assistance; Technology Commercialization; Global/Regional Economic and Workforce Development; and Market Research and Branding. Mr. Bendis is on the IP Board of Directors.

Previously, Mr. Bendis successfully leveraged a career in the private sector (with Quaker Oats, Polaroid, Texas Instruments, Marion Laboratories and Kimberly Services) and the venture capital industry (RAB Ventures) to lead the Kansas Technology Enterprise Corporation (KTEC). As its president and CEO, he developed KTEC into a globally recognized model for technology-based economic development.  Mr. Bendis also successfully built an Inc. 500 healthcare software company, Continental Healthcare Systems, Inc., which he took public on NASDAQ and later sold to an international conglomerate. In addition, Mr. Bendis manages his own angel investment fund.

Mr. Bendis is a frequent consultant and speaker to the United Nations, NATO, the European Commission, METI, AKEA, National and International technology based economic development organizations, as well as over 20 states, several U.S. cities and regions and 16 countries.  Mr. Bendis serves on several regional and national not-for-profit boards and committees including the National Association of Seed and Venture Funds (NASVF) and the State Science and Technology Institute (SSTI), both of which he was a founding Board member. He was a nominee for the 2005 Ernst and Young National Entrepreneur Supporter of the Year Award (EOY) and was the 1996 recipient of the Regional Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award; he currently serves as an EOY Judge. He also serves on the board of FlagshipPDG (NASDAQ, PDGE).

---

Ernest J. Dianastasis - Managing Director, CAI

Ernest ( Ernie ) Dianastasis is Managing Director of CAI's Delaware Valley Operation and is one of the four principals of the company. CAI is an Information Technology consulting and outsourcing services organization that focuses on IT productivity and has over 2,300 associates world-wide.

In his role, Ernie is responsible for all CAI's start up and continuing operations in the Delaware Valley including Sales and Marketing, Consulting, Delivery and Quality. This operation, headquartered in Wilmington, Delaware, has grown under Ernie's leadership from 1 to 700 associates, making CAI the largest IT consulting company in the Delaware Valley. CAI's Delaware Valley operations include offices in Lancaster and New Hope, Pennsylvania. The Ohio, Michigan and Texas operations also report into Ernie. CAI is currently evaluating expansion locations in both Wilmington and the City of Philadelphia. In addition to regional expansion in the Delaware Valley, Ernie also oversees CAI's operation in Shanghai, China, which opened in the third quarter of 2005.

Ernie, in addition to being a successful business leader and entrepreneur, has a passion for community involvement and is extremely active within the region. He has been a member of The Delaware Business Roundtable since 2001 and is currently serving as the Chairman. He is also a member of the Delaware State Chamber Board of Directors and serves on the MAREL Board (Mid-Atlantic Regional Education Lab). Ernie also serves on the executive committee of the State of Delaware Vision 2015 effort. This initiative focuses on the future of Delaware's public education model.

He is also on the Board of Directors of the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce, the Board of Innovation Philadelphia, and served as a Trust Team Board Member of the Greater Philly Roadmap 2010 Economic Development Initiative.

Ernie is also chairing a federal initiative for the Council on Competitiveness, based in Washington, DC. He is leading a 20-person advisory board made up of public, private and academic sectors in developing and implementing a plan to foster a more entrepreneurial environment in Delaware. The group is called First State Innovation.

Ernie and CAI are also involved in a number of local charitable causes that help the less fortunate. He is an active member of the Board for Easter Seals of Delaware and Maryland's Eastern Shore. In addition, CAI continues to be the title sponsor for the CAI/ Easter Seals Volleyball Challenge, Easter Seal's major annual fundraising event.

Prior to joining CAI, Ernie was with the IBM Corporation. He earned a B.S. degree in Finance and an M.B.A. in Management from Lehigh University, and remains active in supporting numerous university initiatives.
Ernie and his wife Jennifer reside in Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania, with their two children, Jack and Paisley.

---

Brenda D. Gavin - Partner, Quaker BioVentures, Inc.

Prior to joining Quaker BioVentures, Dr. Brenda Gavin was President of S.R. One, Limited, GlaxoSmithKline's corporate venture fund, and was a General Partner of EuclidSR Partners, an independent Limited Partnership focused on healthcare, information technologies, and areas of their convergence. Before joining S.R. One as Vice-President in 1989, Brenda was Director of Business Development for SmithKline Beecham Animal Health Products. She also held business development positions with IMC in the Chicago area. Brenda also woked as an epidemiologist at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, GA.

Brenda has served on the boards of a number of private and public companies, such as Message Pharmaceuticals, Micromass Communications, Amerifit Nutrition, Therion Biologics, and Synbiotics Corporation. In addition, she is a director of the Pennsylvania Biotechnology Association, the Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Southeastern Pennsylvania, and the National Venture Capital Association. Brenda received a Bachelor of Science from Baylor University, a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from the University of Missouri, and an M.B.A. from the University of Texas - San Antonio.

---

Stephen M. Goodman - Partner, Morgan, Lewis & Bockius, LLP
Background: Stephen M. Goodman is a partner in the Business and Finance Practice at Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP in the Philadelphia office, and is co-chairman of the firm's worldwide Technology Practice Initiatives. His practice focuses on representing emerging growth companies in the technology and life sciences sectors. He has nurtured from startup such companies as CDnow, VerticalNet, ICG Commerce, United Messaging, AirClic, and AANet.com. Using the firm's vast resources, he coordinates all aspects of the representation of such companies and concentrates his practice on legal aspects of corporate finance and acquisitions. He is a member of the Firm's Advisory Board.

Before joining the firm, Mr. Goodman was a senior partner at Wolf Block, Schorr & Solis-Cohen. While there, he served as chairman of the Corporate Law Department, chairman of the Hiring Committee, as a member of the Executive Committee and as chairman of the Venture Development Group.

Following graduation from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania in 1962, Mr. Goodman received his law degree from the University of Pennsylvania Law School in 1965. While in law school, he served as editor-in-chief of the University of Pennsylvania Law Review.

After law school, Mr. Goodman served as a law clerk for U.S. Supreme Court Justice William J. Brennan Jr. and Chief Judge David L. Bazelon of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.

Mr. Goodman served as a member of the Advisory Board to the Chairman of the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee. He also served as an adjunct professor of law at the law schools of Georgetown University, the University of Pennsylvania and Rutgers University.

Active in a variety of civic organizations, Mr. Goodman has been a board member of a variety of arts-oriented groups, including the Philadelphia Volunteer Lawyers, Arts, Inc., the Philadelphia Theatre Company and the New School of Music.

---

Johanna Hambrose - President, Electronic Ink

Johanna Hambrose has served as Electronic Ink's Chief Operating Officer and General Counsel since 1995.

Johanna continues to manage the day-to-day growth of the company, which has doubled in size and profits every year since its inception.

In addition to her responsibilities as COO, Johanna acts as General Counsel for the firm, managing Electronic Ink's trans-Atlantic legal and regulatory affairs. In 1999, Johanna was one of a few select appointees to Philadelphia Mayor Ed Rendell's e-Commerce Commission, which seeks to further advance Philadelphia as a premier technology and e-Commerce center, bolster the region's economy, and attract, train and retain high-tech talent.

Johanna also co-founded the ePhiladelphia Technology Alliance, an organization comprised of owners, key executives and senior management of information technology companies in the Greater Philadelphia Area. Its goal is to create and foster a vibrant technology community within the city through an environment of shared knowledge, ideas and communal strength.
Johanna was recently named to the 2,000 Women of Distinction by the Philadelphia Business Journal, the Forum of Executive Women and the National Women Business Owners. The honorees were selected based on their professional excellence and community involvement. Johanna was one of 25 women chosen for the award.

---

William P. Hankowsky - President and CEO, Liberty Property Trust

William P. Hankowsky is chairman, president and chief officer of Liberty Property Trust.

Mr. Hankowsky joined Liberty in January of 2001 as chief investment officer, and was responsible for refining the company's corporate strategy and investment process. In 2002, he was named president, and in 2003 was appointed chief executive offiver and elected chairman of Liberty's board of trustees.

Prior to joining Liberty, he served for 121 years as president of the Philadelphia Industrial Development Corporation (PIDC), where he oversaw the city's economic development agency, managing 11 industrial parks, operating 20 loan programs, and coordinating major projects including a new arena, convention center, hotels, and stadium. Prior to PIDC, Mr. Hankowsky was the City of Philadelphia's commerce director.

Mr. Hankowsky currently server on the boards of Aqua America Inc. (NYSE: WTR), Philadelphia Convention, Philadelphia Board of Trade, and the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics from Brown University.

---

Hugh Long - CEO, Northern Banking Group, Wachovia Bank

---

Ralph Muller - CEO, University of Pennsylvania Health System

Ralph Muller is Chief Executive Officer of the University of Pennsylvania Health System – a $2.3 billion enterprise that includes three hospitals, a faculty practice plan, a primary-care provider network, multispecialty satellite facilities, home care, hospice care, and long-term care.

Prior to joining UPHS, he was, from 1985 to 2001, the President and CEO of the University of Chicago Hospitals and Health System. In 2001-2002, he was a Visiting Fellow at the Kings Fund in London, U.K.

In 1985-86 Mr. Muller also served as the Deputy Dean of the Division of the Biological Sciences at the Pritzker School of Medicine at the University of Chicago. Previously, he had been Budget Director at the University.
Before joining the University, Mr. Muller held senior positions with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. His career with the Commonwealth included serving as Deputy Commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Public Welfare, where he was the operating officer responsible for the state's major welfare programs, including Medicaid.

Mr. Muller received his bachelor's degree in economics from Syracuse University and a master's degree in government from Harvard University.
Mr. Muller has served and currently serves on the boards of several national, regional, and local health care organizations and is active in local civic affairs. He is a Commissioner on the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPac) and a Director of the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA). He served as Chairman of the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), Chairman of the Council of Teaching Hospitals and Health Systems (COTH), Vice Chairman of the University Healthsystems Consortium (UHC), and as Chairman of several UHC study projects. He is former Chairman of the Board of the National Opinion Research Center (NORC).

He is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

He and his wife, Susan, have two children: Peter, a 2001 graduate of Duke University and Elisabeth, a 2004 graduate of Penn.

---

Samuel J. Patterson - President and CEO, Veridyne, Inc.

Samuel J. Patterson is President and CEO of Veridyne, Inc. (formerly Shepard-Patterson). He is a classic example of the American Success story. Born and raised in Yeadon, Pennsylvania, one of nineteen children, his parents instilled family values long before the phrase became chic. In 1982, after receiving a B.S. degree in Computer Science from Cheyney University, he began his career at the E.I. Dupont Company as a Computer Programmer Analyst. In 1985, Mr. Patterson received an MBA in Marketing from the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School of Business. Mr. Patterson is also a graduate of Dartmouth University's Amos Tuck School's Minority Business Executive Program.

In 1986, Mr. Patterson co-founded Shepard, Patterson and Associates, Inc., an information management and technology consulting company. The company developed a substantial commercial customer base initially, and later expanded into the Federal, State and Municipal marketplaces. In 1995, Mr. Patterson became Chairman, CEO, and sole-owner of Shepard-Patterson and in 2001 changed the name to Veridyne, Inc. Today, Veridyne's customers include Lockheed-Martin, Deloitte, Accenture, IBM, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Commerce, the State of Pennsylvania, the State of New Jersey, the City of Philadelphia, and the School District of Philadelphia.

Mr. Patterson's professional and civic affiliations include the Wharton Alumni Association, the Cheyney University National Alumni Association, Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, and the Men of BACA. Mr. Patterson's board appointments include Innovation Philadelphia, Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce, African American Chamber of Commerce, Franklin Institute, and the Council of Trustees at Cheyney University.

Mr. Patterson has received numerous awards including "Entrepreneur of the Year" from Ernst and Young, an award for Technology Leadership from the Technology Council of Central Pennsylvania, and was named "Minority Small Business Person of the Year" by the U.S. Small Business Administration. The Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education presented Mr. Patterson with the coveted Ebberly Award for Community Service.

Mr. Patterson has a long history of charitable giving. Sam donated $250,000 to his alma mater, Cheyney University, which remains the largest gift from an Alumnus in the School's history. In addition, Mr. Patterson donated $50,000 to Simon Gratz High School to establish a Robotics Institute. In 2003, Mr. Patterson established the Veridyne Private Foundation to assist in a variety of community outreach programs.

Sam is married to the former Deidre Lyons. The couple has two daughters and resides in Bryn Mawr, PA.

---

Glenn T. Rieger - Partner, New Spring Capital

Mr. Rieger is a General Partner of NewSpring Ventures and a Partner of NewSpring Capital. Prior to joining NewSpring, he was a co-founder and managing director of Cross Atlantic Capital Partners, inc., the management company that oversees the operations of three venture funds with over $350 million in assets under management. He oversaw the operations of Cross Atlantic's U.S. activities out of its Radnor, PA office and worked closely with several portfolio companies, including: Ecount, Gain Capital, Management Dynamics, Rubicon Technology, and Voxware (OTC.BB:VOXW).

Prior to Cross Atlantic, he was a Senior Vice President for Safeguard Scientifics (NYSE:SFE) in charge of business development. In this position, he developed and oversaw merger, acquisition, investment and exit opportunities for Safeguard. In addition, he served as a business partner and director for five of Safeguard's partnership companies. Prior to joining Safeguard, he was a managing director of a boutique investment banking firm specializing in mergers and acquisitions, and President and Chief Executive Officer of a $1 billion California savings bank that employed over 250 people. He is active in the local venture capital community and for the 2004 program year chaired the Greater Philadelphia Venture Group, a trade association representing more than 80 venture funds representing approximately $12 billion in assets under management.

He is a graduate of Colby College and has an MBA from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. Email: GRieger@NewSpringCapital.com.

---

Dr. Judith Rodin - President, Rockefeller Foundation

Judith Rodin has served as president of the Rockefeller Foundation since March 2005. Trained as a research psychologist, Dr. Rodin was previously the president of the University of Pennsylvania, and earlier the provost of Yale University.

The Rockefeller Foundation was established in 1913 by John D. Rockefeller, Sr. to "promote the well-being" of humanity by addressing the root causes of serious problems. It is one of the nation's largest private foundations. The Foundation works globally to expand opportunities for poor and vulnerable people and to help ensure that the benefits Judith Rodin, Ph.D of globalization are shared more equitably.

Judith Rodin was born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She graduated from the University of Pennsylvania, and received her Ph.D. from Columbia University. A pioneer in the behavioral medicine movement, she taught at New York University before embarking on 22 years on the faculty at Yale, where she ultimately held appointments in both the School of Arts and Sciences and the School of Medicine. Named president at Penn in 1994, she was the first woman to serve as president of an Ivy League institution.

During the decade of her leadership, Penn doubled its research funding and tripled both its annual fundraising and the size of its endowment; launched a comprehensive, award-winning and internationally acclaimed neighborhood revitalization program; attracted record numbers of undergraduate applicants and created Penn's most selective classes ever; and rose in the leading national ranking of research universities from 16th to fourth.

Dr. Rodin serves on a number of leading non-profit boards, as well as on the boards of AMR Corporation, Citigroup and Comcast Corporation. She is the author of more than 200 academic articles and chapters and has written or co-written eleven books. She served on President Clinton's Committee of Advisors on Science and Technology. A member of a number of leading academic societies, including the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences, she has received nine honorary doctorate degrees.

---

Honorable John F. Street - Mayor - City of Philadelphia

Mayor Street, 56 years old, was born into rural poverty in Norristown, Pennsylvania, and came up the "hard way," growing up without electricity or indoor plumbing as a child. Understanding that education was the key to his future, Mayor Street graduated from Conshohocken High School and worked his way through Oakwood College in Huntsville, Alabama, where he studied English.

In 1975, Street earned his Juris Doctorate from Temple University Law School, paying his tuition by moonlighting as a sidewalk vendor on the university's campus.

Following his graduation, Street served clerkships with Common Pleas Court Judge Mathew W. Bullock, Jr. and with the United States Department of Justice. In his first professional job, Mayor Street taught English at an elementary school and, later, at the Philadelphia Opportunities Industrialization Center. He also practiced law privately prior to entering into public service.
Mayor Street began his public career as a community activist. A fiery leader, he led efforts for fair housing opportunities for the poor, and challenged the Philadelphia School Board to spend more on students and less on administration. Mayor Street has also been a leader in forging closer cooperation between the police and the community in the fight against crime and drugs in Philadelphia's neighborhoods.

Elected to Philadelphia City Council in 1979, Mayor Street assumed office in 1980. For nearly 20 years, Mayor Street represented the city's Fifth District Councilman, distinguishing himself as a fighter for working people and neighborhoods. Diverse economically and racially, the Fifth District comprises 11 wards in North Central Philadelphia and Center City and encompasses some of the city's most affluent addresses, such as Rittenhouse Square and some of the city's most depressed areas.

Widely acknowledged as one of the most knowledgeable and effective leaders in Philadelphia City Council history, Mayor Street was chosen unanimously by members of the council to serve as president in 1992, and again in 1996. Mayor Street is known for his expertise on a range of issues including city budgeting and fiscal matters, housing, education and crime.

Street, working closely with former Mayor Edward G. Rendell, was instrumental in crafting and implementing a financial plan that passed Council unanimously and turned a $250 million deficit into the largest surplus in city history. By cutting the business and wage tax four years in a row, Street and Rendell helped reverse the 30-year loss of jobs from Philadelphia. And, in the years since 1996, Philadelphia has actually gained jobs.

During his time as City Council President, Mayor Street worked to promote community policing and for tougher gun laws, while also promoting Townwatch organizations and after-school recreation programs for young people. Reflecting his activist roots and concern for improving blighted neighborhoods across Philadelphia, Mayor Street spearheaded efforts to tear down abandoned buildings that breed crime and the crack down on landlords who allow their property to be used as drug houses.

Mayor Street is equally proud to have passed, during his council term, a liquor-by-the-drink tax that resulted in an additional $23 million per year for Philadelphia public schools. To date, the liquor-by-drink tax has pumped more than $100 million into the School District. Importantly, the additional revenue has made possible all-day kindergarten for every child in Philadelphia.
Mayor Street retired from Philadelphia City Council on December 17, 1998, to run for mayor of Philadelphia. On November 2, 1999, he was elected to serve as the city's first mayor of the new millennium.

Raised on a farm where he rose at 5:00 a.m. to perform daily chores, Mayor Street is widely admired for his stamina and work ethic. He arrives at his office each day at 6:30 a.m. to begin his "routine" 12-hour workday. He is strongly committed, however, to setting aside time to be with his family ? wife Naomi, an attorney and children's rights advocate and his four children.

Sharif, a lawyer with the Philadelphia firm Wolf, Block, Schorr & Solis-Cohen; Rashida, an architect currently working towards her master's degree at the University of Pennsylvania; Lateef, a sophomore at the University of Maryland and Akeem, who attends Philadelphia's Masterman Middle School.

An avid fitness enthusiast, Mayor Street jogs 15 miles and bicycles between 30 to 40 miles each week. In his role as the Philadelphia's chief executive, Mayor Street has pledged to take a leading role in helping to "shape up" Philadelphia's standing as a physically fit city. (A magazine article earlier this year dubbed Philadelphia America's fattest city.)

---

Rebecca Bagley - Deputy Secretary, PA Department of Community

Rebecca Bagley is Deputy Secretary for the Technology Investment Office of the PA Department of Community and Economic Development.  Rebecca oversees operations of the Technology Investment Office that serves as the primary center for funding and assistance for the commonwealths technology industry, provider organizations and community projects that work on upgrading technology access and infrastructure. Major initiatives administered by the office include: Keystone Innovation Zones; the Ben Franklin Technology Development Authority (BFTDA) including the Ben Franklin Partners; the Tobacco Settlement Investment Board; Life Science Greenhouses; Commonwealth Financing Authority; Industrial Resource Centers; and additional targeted technology investments. As Deputy Secretary, Rebecca will manage approximately $81 million in appropriations, as well as more than $1.1 billion in investments.

Rebecca has served as the Director of Venture Investment for DCED since August 2004.  In that role, she was responsible for managing venture and real estate investment programs including the Building PA, New PA Venture Investment, New PA Venture Guarantee Programs and BFTDA Venture Program.

Prior to her experience at DCED, Rebecca worked as an investment banker at WFG Capital Advisors where she advised technology companies on merger and acquisitions and capital raising activities.  Rebecca also worked at JPMorgan Chase in New York City for three years spending two years in the high yield bond group and one year focused on mergers and acquisitions.  Rebecca started her investment banking career at Howell International in Boulder, Colorado after returning from a corporate relations position in Caracas, Venezuela.  Rebecca is an active participant in the community through volunteer work that includes activities such as mentoring programs and judging business plan competitions.  

Innovation Philadelphia
1500 Market Street
2600 Centre Square West
Philadelphia, PA 19102
215-496-8110
info@innovationphiladelphia.com