2006 PANELISTS BIOS

Denise Martin-Belser
Financial Services Manager, Seedco

Before coming to Seedco, Ms. Martin-Belser was the Director of Programs for the Women's Venture Fund, Inc. Prior to this, she was the Director of Community Asset Building at the Abyssinian Development Corporation.

Denise holds a BBA in Finance from Howard University and an MBA from The Wharton School.

Stephen T. Furnari
Managing Partner, Corporate & Securities Group, Furnari Levine LLP

In October 2002, I took one of the biggest risks of my life. Armed with the cash from my 401K, a modest personal savings and five credit cards, I left the security of a weekly paycheck and entered the uncertain world of self-employment…for good.

Before October 2002, I had been building a foundation from which I could launch my dream practice: a law firm where entrepreneurs, high-growth companies and the investors who fund them can find sophisticated legal representation performed by lawyers who are also entrepreneurs. After the dot-com bust and being laid off from two attorney jobs in six months, I seized the opportunity to fulfill this dream.

I remember the overwhelming relief that I had finally made this decision and, at the same time, being scared to death.

The first few years were hard; nevertheless, I was determined to make my practice a success. With a combination of aggressive marketing and sheer persistence, I survived those lean years. By my fourth year in business, I had a roster of over 50 new corporate clients and the revenues from my business supported four employees and me. Despite the entrepreneurial ups and downs, I would never work for someone else again.

What I want you to know is that when clients hire me, they have selected an attorney who understands their needs. Clients hire me because I am like them. My professional life is like theirs. Many of my clients' success stories parallel mine. I know first hand the satisfaction that you get when you put your pride, ego and cash on the line, and you make things happen. When I counsel clients on legal matters, I understand not only the legal issues that affect them, but the business parameters within which they operate.

I am an entrepreneur, I am an investor in high growth businesses, and I am also a lawyer. I help other entrepreneurs, senior management of high growth companies and investors structure corporate and securities transactions smoothly and efficiently, so they can concentrate on what they know how to do best: growing their business and producing a lucrative return on their investment.

More importantly, I am an advisor, mentor and friend to my clients and I strive to be instrumental in helping them accomplish their goals.

Jed Katz
Partner, Draper Fisher Jurvetson Gotham Ventures

Jed M. Katz is a Partner of Draper Fisher Jurvetson Gotham Ventures. One of the pioneers of Internet commerce, Jed has spent his 13-year career developing, advising and investing in early-stage technology ventures.

Prior to joining DFJG, Jed was the COO of Yamcon, an electronic, consumer-product company, where he took the company from funding through the execution of a global licensing and distribution agreement with an industry leader. Prior to Yamcon, Jed was the COO and Founder of Rent Net, the Internet's most-visited rental and relocation guide. Jed grew Rent Net from 2 to over 160 people and into one of the first profitable Internet companies. Rent Net was acquired by Cendant (NYSE: CD), and three years later, Jed used its infrastructure as the starting point for the formation of Move.com, the Internet's 2nd largest real estate and relocation site. Move.com grew to 360 employees and was acquired by Homestore (Nasdaq: HOMS) for over $900 million.

Mr. Katz holds a BA in Business Economics from UCLA and an MBA from The Haas School of Business at UC-Berkeley, where he was awarded the Price Fellowship from the Lester Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation. Mr. Katz has been quoted in The Wall Street Journal, Business Week, The New York Times, and other leading publications.

Beth Polish
President, The Critical Junctures Group

Beth Polish has held senior management positions in diverse industries, including media, finance, private investment and technology. She has been president of founding cfo and svp, corporate development, of iVillage, Inc.; president of Dreamlife, Inc. (co-founded by Anthony Robbins); cfo of Goldman Sachs Ventures; head of corporate development at Wit Capital; and managing director at KPMG.

Expert at mobilizing and leading teams through such critical junctures as startup, merger and acquisition, strategic planning, financing, operations, and turnaround, she also has extensive experience negotiating corporate partnerships and business development agreements. Ms. Polish has secured initial and follow-on financings from and worked with leading venture capital and strategic investors including Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, Draper Fisher Jurvetson, TCI, AOL, Allen & Co., and Mitsubishi.

After graduating from business school, Ms. Polish produced three Grammy-nominated children's programs and related products for Rabbit Ears Productions, best known for its video of The Velveteen Rabbit with Meryl Streep. Ms. Polish was also a vp at Bannon & Co., an investment bank specializing in the entertainment, media and communications industries.

A frequent speaker and commentator on the subject of "financing growth" and "strategies for growth," Ms. Polish teaches entrepreneurship and small business management at NYU's School of Continuing and Professional Studies and is a regular speaker on entrepreneurial finance at Columbia Business School. She has testified as an expert witness on company valuation.

Ms. Polish serves on the National Advisory Board of the Women's Leadership Exchange and conducts seminars around the country as a WLE "growth guru." She is the past co-chair of the New York New Media Association's Venture Downtown Technology Showcase Conference.

Ms. Polish is the creator and author of the DROOMTM (Don't Run Out Of Money) primer series, In The Market For MoneyTM. Initial titles are The 5 Essential Stages, Raising Equity, Securing Debt, and 15 Secrets of Winning Pitches.

Ms. Polish received her MBA from Harvard Business School.

Daniel Vaccaro
Vice President, HSBC Bank USA, N.A

Professor Jeremy Wiesen
NYU Stern School of Business
Former Chairman & Co-CEO Financial News Network (Now CNBC)

Jeremy Wiesen is Associate Professor of Business Law and Accounting at the Stern School where he has taught business law, entrepreneurship and other subjects. He has also taught in the business schools at Columbia, Stanford, UCLA, Berkeley and at The Wharton School, from which he graduated. Professor Wiesen is also a graduate of Harvard Law School, was Chairman and CO-CEO of Financial News Network (acquired by CNBC), and was counsel to SEC and AICPA committees.

Liz Lynch
Founder & CEO, Liz Lynch Ltd.

Liz Lynch founded profitability consulting firm Liz Lynch Ltd. in October 2000 after "doing corporate time" at some of the top firms in their industries to hone her strategic, analytical and financial skills.

• At DoubleClick, Liz helped launch a new division by developing relationships with partners, defining the value proposition, and providing product input on innovative, targeted e-marketing products.
• At Money Magazine, Liz managed the P&L of a $100 million ad sales organization to record profitability. She set financial goals and maximized income through smart pricing strategies and expense management. Prior to Money, Liz worked in Time Inc.'s corporate strategy group where she identified and evaluated potential acquisitions and new business ideas to maintain the division's double- digit earnings growth.
  
  
• As a consultant at Booz Allen & Hamilton, Liz developed business strategies and redesigned key processes for a variety of service companies - in the US and abroad - to generate higher net income for a major New York bank, a Fortune 50 oil and gas company, a European airline, and the largest telco in Australia.
  
  
• Liz also worked at Goldman Sachs, where she evaluated financing options for owners of major commercial real estate properties valued over $75 million. She assisted Disney/Touchstone Pictures with financial planning and control of over 50 talent contracts and 150 film projects in development.

Liz holds an MBA from Stanford University and a BS in Industrial Engineering and Operations Research from the University of California at Berkeley.

To get FREE access to an intro audio clip and companion PDF from Liz's Accelerating Profitability audio course visit AcceleratingProfitability.com.

Lillian Chan
Assistant Vice President, Overall Marketing and Asian Sales, TMI Food Group

Lillian Chan is the Assistant Vice President, Marketing and Asian Sales of TMI Food Group in Brooklyn, New York. TMI is a major manufacturer of Asian dumplings, noodles and has an OU certification for Kosher food production. Its specialized products are utilized by the finest chefs and are widely distributed in all 50 states in the US, as well as Canada. Chan joined the company in 2001, where she oversees the Company's development of the Asian market in the North America region, supervising a team of marketing associates. Chan develops strategic marketing plans and outreach programs to expand TMI Food Group's market to over one million a year.

Ms. Chan began her career in Hong Kong, where she was in the upper management within the international freight forwarding industry. Immigrating to New York, she was US Marketing Executive for Legend Jewelry Inc., a Hong Kong based manufacturer of jewelry, before joining TMI Food Group. Chan holds a Bachelor's Degree in Marketing Management from Baruch College, CUNY New York.

Bill J. Deutsch
Chairman & CEO, W.J. Deutsch & Sons. Ltd.

William (Bill) Deutsch founded W.J. Deutsch and Sons, Ltd. in 1981 with a vision of running a family-owned company that would import fine wines from family-owned producers around the world. Today that dream is a successful reality since the White Plains-headquartered company boasts 85 employees who work with a network of distributors around the United States to represent 265 labels from 26 suppliers. The second generation of Deutsch management is lead by son Peter E. Deutsch. He is the president of the company that Wine Enthusiast magazine named "The Importer of the Year" in their December 15, 2003 issue.

Bill Deutsch was born in the Bronx on July 4, 1936. A graduate of New York University School of Commerce Accounting and Finance in 1958, Deutsch began his career spanning 44 years in the wine industry when his first employer, Kutner, Weiss, and Schlem Certified Public Accountants, assigned him to the audit of Gold Seal Winery in Hammondsport, New York. Not long after, the winery ventured into the imported wine business and Deutsch was appointed Import Administrator, and eventually rose to the rank of Vice President Sales Manager. In 1974, he joined Austin Nichols, a fine wine importer, running the Import Wine Division. From 1975 through 1980 he headed sales for both the imported and Californian wine divisions of Somerset Importers (now a part of Shieffelin & Somerset.)

When Somerset decided to leave the wine business, Deutsch went out on his own on January 2, 1981 as a one person organization importing and selling wines on the East Coast of the United States.

Today, the portfolio of wines, many of which enjoy an international reputation and accolades from the industry, includes selections from France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Hungary, Australia, New Zealand, Argentina, Chile, and California. Brands include those which have reached household-name status such as Georges Dubœuf, Yellow Tail, Pommery, Osborne and Kunde Estate. Not content to rest on his laurels, Deutsch continues to seek quality producers from around the world to bring to US consumers.

He currently resides in Greenwich, CT with his wife Fran. They have three children and seven grandchildren.

Steve Kaplansky
Director, Brooklyn Goes Global, Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce

Steve Kaplansky, holds a MSW, CSW and ACSW and has over 20 years experience in communal services. His experience in understanding corporate goals and objectives and corporate strategies led him to Blue Ridge Farms as the Director of Government, Community and Public Relations where his responsibility was to provide strategic planning for operational growth and corporate community presence. While with Blue Ridge Farms, Steve's responsibilities included licensing, permits, contract negotiations, personnel and human resources, OSHA guidelines and compliance. Steve Kaplanksy has served as a corporate Union representative, drafted grants, and served as a direct liaison with City, State and Federal government programs.

In 2004, Steve joined The Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce as the Director of "Brooklyn Goes Global", a marketing and promotion program for member manufacturers to help to position and promote their products, in foreign markets. Steve coordinates and implements missions to foreign markets, domestic and foreign trade shows for food manufacturers, conducts seminars, technical assistance and assists members with identifying resources at the City, State and Federal level.

Shirley Leung
Director, Queens Community Network Office of Empire State Development

Shirley Leung uses her extensive business and community service experience to direct the operations of ESD's Queens Office, focusing on elevating and expanding external awareness of ESD's programs and services. She works on intergovernmental relations and community development issues in Queens and other areas of the city. Her responsibilities are to help improve the businesses and expand the markets of the area's growing Asian Community. Prior to joining ESD, Ms. Leung was the Vice President for the China Project Management USA, Inc., an international business advisory firm. Earlier, she was the Associate Director for the New York headquarters of the US-China Chamber of Commerce.

Ms. Leung received her bachelor's degree in Communications from Hunter College and holds a master degree from Columbia University. Fluent in both Mandarin and Cantonese, Ms. Leung has a strong background in developing international business opportunities in both New York and Asia.

Ellen Easton
Tea Consultant, Author & Publisher

Ellen Easton's family can trace its tea roots to the early 1800s, when ancestors contributed greatly to the development of the Colony of Ceylon by building one of the largest and best cultivated tea plantations on the island.

Ancestors Sir Benjamin Phillips (1811-1889) and his son Sir George Faudel Phillips (1840-1922) both served as the Lord Mayor of London during the reign of Queen Victoria, in 1866 and 1898 respectively. Sir George Faudel Phillips presided as the Lord Mayor of London during Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee celebrations.

Ancestors Louis (1888-1940) and Benjamin Hirschorn were pioneers of the tea bag industry. In 1913 New York City, their company, The National Urn Bag Co., developed the first industrial tea bag—The National Tea Bag—therefore revolutionizing the ancient way of making tea, which had been in vogue for thousands of years. In addition, the industrial tea bag changed the unsanitary manner of packing tea bags by hand.

Not withstanding this historical heritage, Ellen's German great grandmother, pioneer photographer, Henrietta Pase (1868-1971), introduced her European customs to Oklahoma Territory and later Tennessee, where she graciously entertained with Sunday Afternoon Teas.

Following in the family tradition, Ellen's mother, Reva Paul, the internationally acclaimed sugar artist, whose heralded hand-decorated confections are celebrated in the tea world, introduced Ellen to Afternoon Tea with love. Reva's products are often featured in national media, including Martha Stewart Weddings, Brides, Elegant Bride, Victoria, House and Garden, Chocolatier, NBC-TV, CBS-TV and ABC-TV.

Today, Ellen Easton is an Afternoon Tea authority, author, columnist, lecturer and consultant to leading hotels, restaurants, corporations, special event, educational and retail institutions, and the designer of related products, believing that TEA IS THE LUXURY EVERYONE CAN AFFORD™!

In 1994, Ellen Easton established Red Wagon Press to write and publish her first book The Afternoon Tea Guide, followed by Tea Parties, Tea Travels™, A Tea Party Planner, Let's Do Tea™ For the Holidays and Let's Do Tea™ For Children and Good $ense For $uccess™.

Through Red Wagon Press and Tea Travels™, Ellen Easton is a contributing monthly columnist to The Country Register, www.oldfashionedliving.com/elleneaston and many other trade related periodicals, reaching hundreds of thousands of readers, writing articles in Tea Travels™ pertaining to the lifestyle interests of women. Print media coverage includes The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, New York Post, New York Daily News, Vogue, Chocolatier, Gourmet, Palm Beach Society, Country Register, New York Magazine, Spotlight Magazine, Tea and Coffee Trade Journal, Teatrade, Teatime Gazette and countless tea related periodicals and regional newspapers.

©Theme Teas produced for up to five hundred people have included A Salute to Broadway, Silk Collar Crime: Art Forgery & Art Theft, The Romance of Victorian Tea, A Victorian Christmas Tea, A French Tea: April in Paris, A Winter Wonderland Holiday Festival, Autumn in New York: A Harvest Tea, A Tango Tea Dance , A Tea with the Queen: Edible Art—Gourmet Magazine, The Etiquette and Artistry of Afternoon Tea and Luxurious Consumption: The History, Rituals and Artistry of Afternoon Tea.

Speaking engagements have included functions at Lord & Taylor, Sotheby's NY, The National Academy Museum, House & Garden Magazine, Lady Mendl's, Let's Do Tea conference, The 92nd Street Y, Stoneleigh-Burnham School for Girls, The Ridgefield Library, The Acorn Club of Philadelphia, Chef Central and the co-founding of the Eastern Tea Conference in 1996.

Terri Lonier
Founder, WorkingSolo.com

Terri Lonier is one of the nation's leading experts on solo business and entrepreneurship. She is the author of five books and three audio programs, including the classic entrepreneurial startup guide, "Working Solo," named "the #1 book for solo entrepreneurs" by Inc. magazine and the "free agent's bible" by Fast Company. A respected authority on entrepreneurial issues, Ms. Lonier's work has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, Fortune, Business Week, USA Today and other leading publications as well as on CNBC, CNN/fn to individuals who want to start or grow a successful solo business, and to Fortune 500 companies targeting the SOHO (small office/home office) market.

Her Web site, workingsolo.com, has been online since 1995, and is a clearinghouse of information for solo entrepreneurs. Ms. Lonier currently is a MacCracken Fellow in Business History at NYU, researching the origins of branding in America.

Lisa Oliva
President, Essential Technologies Inc

Lisa provides strategic direction and sound business practices to all of her clients. She has been working in information technology since 1989, providing business and project management strategies and computer solutions to many prominent companies, primarily to JP Morgan Chase & Co. Additional clients include Standard & Poor's, MetLife, Citigroup, and NBC-TV.

As a business coach and trainer, she specializes in business startup consulting, individual computer consulting and training, and operations structuring. Lisa teaches courses in transitioning technology professionals into management and starting their own businesses at New York University School of Continuing and Professional Studies. Perhaps because she is a small business owner herself, Lisa understands firsthand the needs of her clients. She is passionate about having her clients achieve success and will go to great lengths to help her clients — one example of which is assisting Bruce Springsteen's E-Street Band tour with technology consulting in Paris in 2003.

Lisa holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science from St. John's University, studied at the Coaches Training Institute (CTI) in California and holds an Insights Discovery Accreditation (IDA) which she uses to help her clients improve individual, team and organizational performance. She is a board member of The American Society of Training and Development New York (ASTD-NY) and an active member of International Coaching Federation (ICF).

Wendy Weiss
Queen of Cold Calling

Wendy Weiss, The Queen of Cold Calling, is a sales trainer, sales coach and author. Her clients include Avon Products, ADP, Sprint and thousands of entrepreneurs throughout the country.

Wendy has been featured in BusinessWeek, Entrepreneur Magazine, Selling Power, Sales & Marketing Management and various other business and sales publications. Wendy's e-mail newsletter, Opening Doors & Closing Sales has an international readership and her columns are syndicated to 218 different print and Internet publications.

Wendy is the author of the recently released, self-study program, Cold Calling College, and the book, Cold Calling for Women.

Beverly R. Daniel
Partner, Foy, Schneid & Daniel, Executive Search & Coaching Services

Beverly R. Daniel, a partner in Foy, Schneid & Daniel, is a well-known business executive and management consultant in the human capital development and management field. She has spoken and lectured throughout the USA on the topics she knows best from over 25 years experience: career management and development, executive coaching, executive search, leadership development and leadership training.

Beverly has served numerous clients from major Fortune 500 companies; i.e., Avon Products, Colgate-Palmolive, Exxon-Mobil, etc., leading financial services companies; i.e., Citigroup and JP MorganChase, as well as leading-edge management consulting firms; i.e., Deloitte Consulting and McKinsey & Company. In 1998, Consulting Magazine named Beverly to their "Ten Best" list of search professionals for outstanding service in the management consulting field.

In more recent years, as she began coaching executives and management-level professionals, her clientele became individuals in transition as well as those people looking to change career fields. Beverly has been very active in numerous professional societies.

For the past fifteen years, she has been an active executive board member of IMC (The Institute of Management Consultants). Other societies where she has been highly visible are: The CLM (Council of Logistics Management) and SIM (Society for Information Management). Currently she is a member of CDSN (Career Development Specialists Network), Coachville, NAFE (National Association of Career Management Professionals), ODNY (Organizational Development Network), among many others.

Beverly is a well-known speaker and panelist and has spoken recently at Stern Women in Business Leadership Conference at New York University, National Association of Female Executives, New York chapter, and The Institute of Management Consultants, New York chapter.

In addition, Beverly holds a BS and MS in Psychological Counseling from Boston University. She holds an MBA in Management from New York University. Beverly studied for a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology at Case Western Reserve University. Her graduate degrees were obtained in the evenings by working full-time.

Craig James
Founder & President, Sales Solutions

Craig James has over 12 years' experience in sales and sales management, primarily in technology and software.

An accomplished speaker and presenter, Craig is President of his local Toastmasters chapter, teaches at New York University’s School of Continuing and Professional Studies, and has lectured at Columbia University’s School of Continuing Education.

He also volunteers as a Discussion Leader with the Workshop In Business Opportunities, a "boot camp" for entrepreneurs whose mission is to enable small business owners and budding entrepreneurs in under-served communities to obtain financial success in starting, operating, and building successful businesses.

Craig has been published and quoted in Business Week, Sales and Marketing Management, and Selling Power, and has been interviewed by Sales Rep Radio. He earned his undergraduate degree at the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School, and his MBA from the University of Chicago's Graduate School of Business.

Erik Levitt
President & COO, AccessIT - Managed Services

Mr. Levitt founded Core Technology Services in 1995 at age 21. A leading managed service provider in data networking and telecommunications outsourcing, Core supported clients in 35 countries. He began his career in technology consulting at 17, and has worked with clients such as Lehman Brothers, Merrill Lynch, Citibank and subsequently Citigroup.

In January 2004, Core was acquired by Access Integrated Technologies (AccessIT) and Mr. Levitt continued as the President of the division.

Mr. Levitt received his BS in Management and International Business from the Stern School of Business at NYU and was an International Baccalaureate student at the United Nations International School.

Marisa Manley
President & Founder, Commercial Tenant Real Estate Representation, Ltd.

Marisa Manley is the President and Founder of Commercial
Tenant Real Estate Representation, Ltd. (CTRR). CTRR is a commercial real estate brokerage and consulting firm which represents corporate tenants exclusively to help tenants reduce real estate costs and protect their long-term interests. Manley's firm does not accept assignments from building owners and is 100% free from conflict of interest in the real estate marketplace. Manley has handled over $1.5 billion of transactions nationwide, and over $3 billion of consulting assignments. She has helped her clients reduce real estate costs by over $120 million. Manley's clients include AT&T, IBM, Time Warner, Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, Nomura Securities, Depository Trust, the State of New York and other sophisticated space users.

Manley has spoken nationwide before the American Corporate Counsel Association, the New York State Bar Association, and other legal and professional organizations.

Manley has written extensively on how corporate tenants can structure and negotiate more cost-effective real estate transactions. Her articles have appeared in the Wall Street Journal, Harvard Business Review, Barrons, Inc. Magazine, and other publications.

Manley graduated from Cornell University with a Bachelor of Architecture degree, and is a cum laude graduate of Harvard Law School.

Mitch Cohen & Seth Goldstein
Franchisees, Dunkin Donuts & Baskin Robbins

Mitch Cohen and Seth are franchisees operating multiple units of Dunkin Donuts and Baskin Robbins.

Harold L. Kestenbaum
Franchise Attorney

Harold L. Kestenbaum is an attorney who has specialized in franchise law and other matters relating to franchising since 1977.

From May 1982 until September 1986, Mr. Kestenbaum served as franchise and general counsel to Sbarro, Inc., the national franchisor of over 900 family-style Italian restaurants and since March 1985, he has been a director. In addition, he currently sits on the Board of Directors of RezConnect Technologies, Inc., Ultimate Franchise Systems, Desert Moon Café Franchise Corp., GarageTech, Inc. and Wall Street Deli Systems, Inc. From September 1983 to October 1989, he served as President and Chairman of the Board of FranchiseIt Corporation, the first publicly traded company specializing in providing franchise marketing and consulting services and equity financing to emerging franchise companies, which he co-founded.

Currently, Mr. Kestenbaum is engaged exclusively in the independent practice of franchise law, representing franchisors only, both startup and established.

Mr. Kestenbaum's expertise in franchise law is buttressed by his practical experience of serving as the Chief Executive Officer of a national franchisor and serving as a Director of four nationally and internationally known franchisors, experiences that are rare and unique in the area of franchise law.

Mr. Kestenbaum is a member of the American Bar Association's Antitrust Section, a member of the Antitrust Section's Forum Committee on Franchising, a member of the Subcommittee on Franchising of the American Bar Association's Corporation Banking and Business Law Section, is a founding member and the current Chairman of the New York State Bar Association's Franchise, Distribution and Licensing Law Section, and currently serves as Chairman for its Education and Seminar Subcommittee (he chaired a statewide seminar program for New York State attorneys in 1997, 2000 and in 2002). He has published many articles related to franchising and frequently lectures and appears before numerous organizations and law schools speaking on various topics in franchising.

Mr. Kestenbaum received his Bachelor of Arts Degree in 1971 from Queens College, Queens, New York and earned his Juris Doctor Degree from the University of Richmond School of Law, Richmond, Virginia, in 1975, where he was a member of Law Review. He is listed in Who's Who in American Law, The Best Lawyers in America (Franchising), and is on the Martindale-Hubbell Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers.

Marc Shuman
President & Founder, GarageTek

Marc Shuman was struck by lightning driving through Texas one day. Well, not literally, but this was the feeling he had when he conceived the GarageTek idea. Shuman and GarageTek co-founder, Skip Barrett, were on a business trip together for their former company, IVC, when the inspiration for a garage organization and storage system hit Shuman. Both he and Barrett were brainstorming ideas for the next killer application of TekPanel, a thermoplastic wall panel product they had developed and perfected for IVC's retail clients.

As the president and majority shareholder of GarageTek, Shuman has taken GarageTek from incubation to installation in thousands of homes across the nation. He is now focused on setting the strategic direction for the continued growth and development of the GarageTek brand. He oversees the company's marketing, engineering, operational and franchise development functions.

Highlights of Shuman's professional background include:

• Former president of International Visual Corporation (IVC), a prominent store fixture manufacturer serving department store clients such as JC Penney, Sak's and Nordstrom.
• Member of the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO), Long Island Builder's Institute (LIBI), National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), Home Safety Council (HSC) and International Franchise Association (IFA).
• Member NAPO Board of Directors
• Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Finalist 2004
• BA in finance from The George Washington University and an MBA in finance from Hofstra University.
  

Adam Torine
Vice President of Business Development, Villa Enterprises

Mr. Torine has been with Villa since June 1994 and has been instrumental in the growth of the company — helping it grow from 15 units to over 300 locations in 36 states and 5 countries.

He helped lay the foundation for Villa to begin their franchising efforts six years ago in the nontraditional market and secured high-profile locations such as Princeton University, Jacob Javits Convention Center, Newark International Airport, Texas Children's Hospital, to name a few.

Villa now has over 130 franchisees operating across the country in malls, airports, colleges, hospitals and downtown locations doing business under trade names such as Villa Pizza, Cozzoli's Pizza, Green Leaf's, Banana's & South Philly Steaks & Fries.

Villa's expansion plans call for 20 new locations over the next 12-16 months in both existing markets and new markets. Villa recently opened in Kuwait, Scotland and Russia over the past three months.

Adam grew up in the restaurant industry working in many local and nationally known restaurants before beginning his career at Villa.

Vince Ashton
Executive Director, HealthPass

Mr. Ashton has been working in the health insurance industry for the past 11 years, of which he has spent the last 7 at HealthPass. As the Executive Director of HealthPass, Mr. Ashton oversees the Sales, Customer Service and Operational components of the organization. With a strong background in sales and marketing, his work experience has focused on understanding and catering to the special needs of employers, brokers and General Agents. A graduate of the College of the Holy Cross, Worcester, MA, Mr. Ashton is married and currently resides in Forest Hills, NY.

HealthPass is the most successful employee-choice healthcare model in the nation. Started in 1999 with the support of the New York Business Group on Health and the City of New York, HealthPass is a private, not-for-profit which caters exclusively to the small business community. Its mission is to afford greater access to quality healthcare for small businesses and to help stem the tide of the working uninsured. By offering a menu of over 30 options for employees to individually choose from and with 65% of business enrolled which has no prior insurance coverage, HealthPass is meeting these goals.

Robert L. Cafone, MPA, RPA-C
Chief Executive Officer, Mid Coastal IPA (Independent Physician Association)

Mid Coastal IPA is an Independent Physician Association with over 800 physicians throughout New Jersey. Mr. Cafone has more than 25 years of healthcare experience including clinical knowledge, senior hospital administration, medical group, managed care and insurance management, and financial turnarounds.

A Rutgers University graduate with a Bachelors of Science and Physician Assistant (PA) Certificate, he introduced the PA House Officer concept at SUNY-Downstate, providing direct patient care in emergency rooms, wards, and intensive care units. After earning a Masters from NYU in Health Policy, Planning, and Administration, he served as founding administrator for the Mount Sinai Children's Heart Center, and advanced professionally to senior administration positions at St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital Center and Passaic General Hospital in New Jersey. His unique combination of clinical and business skills lead to his implementing strategies for financial turnarounds as Vice President of Operations for HealthNet, a Coastal subsidiary with a 4-state medical office network, and as Chief Operating Officer for Community Health Plan and Managed Care, Inc HMO in New York. As Mid Coastal CEO, he has increased membership and geographic coverage, negotiated a strong portfolio of insurance and managed care contracts, and advocates for physician and patient interests to improve healthcare.

Mr. Cafone has held numerous positions in national and local professional and public organizations, including President of the NY State Society of Physician Assistants, President of the NJ Board of Medical Examiners Physician Assistant Advisory Committee, Chairman of the National Committee for Quality Assurance Health Practitioner Advisory Committee, and Board of Directors member for the Health Systems Agency of NYC, as well as the NYU-Wagner Alumni Association.

Omer Mohammed
Co-Founder & President, Fitness and Nutrition for Kids

Omer Mohammed is Co-Founder and President of Fitness and Nutrition for Kids (FAN4Kids), a nonprofit that began operations in January 2004. Presently, FAN4Kids instructs approximately 1,200 children from pre-K to 6th grade weekly.

Prior to joining FAN4Kids, Omer was a distressed debt analyst with Miller Tabak Roberts Securities and served at Value Line as an equity analyst and as Managing Editor of the Value Line Mutual Fund Survey.

Omer is also a founder and board member of a nonprofit organization in Harar, Ethiopia, that provides financial and mentoring support for kids in grades K-6.

He received his MBA in Finance from Columbia Business School, an MSc in Local Economic Development from the London School of Economics, and his undergraduate degree in International Business at Albright College.

Alan J. Schnurman
Senior Partner, Zalman & Schnurman

Alan J. Schnurman, is a senior partner in the law firm of Zalman & Schnurman. Founded in 1980, the firm has a successful practice specializing in litigation. He is the host and founder of Lawline, a television program focusing on legal news and real estate trends that has aired in the greater New York metro area since 1981.

In addition, he has been very active in the real estate market for the last 30 years. He owns and manages buildings in Brownstone Brooklyn, South Street Seaport, Tribeca and the east end of Long Island and has successfully completed projects in New York, New Jersey, North Carolina, Colorado and the Hamptons. His projects have included renovations of existing structures as well as ground-up construction.

He is currently involved in two land development projects in Bridgehampton and Sagaponack. The Hamptons have always had a special allure to him and he has been active in the community there since 1986. This includes identifying projects, acquiring large tracts of land and supervising the approval and marketing process.

Within the small area of Bridgehampton and Sagaponack "south of the highway" Mr. Schnurman is very knowledgeable. He has forged relationships with some of the top brokers in the area and continuously keeps abreast of listings, offers and acceptances and selling prices of both land and homes.

Alan Schnurman graduated from Brooklyn College with a BA in accounting, and received his law degree from New York Law School. He is a long distance runner, avid skier and tennis player.

Susan Onaitis
President, Global Learning Link

Susan spent 8 years at Avon Products doing sales management, training and customer development. In her last position as Vice President of Training for the Knoll division of Westinghouse, she was responsible for all sales, management, and technical training in North America.

Having always wanted her own business, she left corporate life 10 years ago and started Global Learning Link, doing sales and management development training on four continents for companies such as Estee Lauder, Colgate Palmolive, Movado, Kraft Foods, Prudential and Time Warner.

Susan holds a Masters Degree in Training Design and is a member of the Board of Directors of The Professional Society for Sales and Marketing Training and the New York Business Connection.

She estimates that she has negotiated over 500 deals in her career, and has the advantage of having been on both sides of the table. Her book, Negotiate Like the Big Guys, is available on amazon.com.

Scott Goldfinger
Attorney & Owner, Law Office of Scott G. Goldfinger

Scott Goldfinger has been in private practice since 1991. He has represented numerous businesses and individuals in commercial transactions, including incorporating businesses, purchase and sale of businesses, leasing transactions for both tenants and landlords, purchase and sale of real estate, as well as litigation of various business disputes.

Mr. Goldfinger is an adjunct professor at New York Law School. He serves as an arbitrator in the New York City Civil Court and is a former Hearing Officer with the New York City Transit Authority.

He is a graduate of Hamilton College and Boston University School of Law where he received his Juris Doctor, Cum Laude. At Boston University, he was a G. Joseph Tauro Scholar, an Edward F. Hennesey Scholar, and he was awarded the American Jurisprudence Award in trial advocacy.

Roy M. Hilliard
Senior Vice-President, Sales, Delta Dental

Mr. Hilliard, who has been with Delta Dental since 1978, increased the corporate book of business (annual sales) for Delta Dental of Pennsylvania and its affiliated Delta Plans in New York, Washington, D.C., Maryland, West Virginia and Delaware by more than 15% a year on average over the last 10 years with multi-state and local clients. He develops, manages and motivates a sizeable sales force that achieves client renewal levels of 96% or greater.

Mr. Hilliard provides strategic planning and implementation, and oversees advertising and public relations programs for the region. He also is instrumental in developing and implementing the marketing and advertising strategies for Dentegra Group, Inc., a nonprofit holding company formed by Delta Dental Plan of California and Delta Dental of Pennsylvania to coordinate the activities of the two large Plans.

Mr. Hilliard has been active with the national Delta Dental Plans Association, serving on committees for public relations, advertising and marketing, and the DeltaUSA (multi-state business) task force marketing work group, and currently serves on the Product Development Committee. Mr. Hilliard began his career at Delta as Director of Professional Relations & Communications, was promoted to Director of Marketing Development & Communications, Director of Marketing, Vice President of Marketing and subsequently to Senior Vice President, Sales.

Professor Seymour Jones, CPA
NYU Stern School of Business
Retired Senior Partner, Price Waterhouse Coopers

Seymour Jones, CPA, was a Senior Partner in the New York office of Coopers & Lybrand and directed its Risk Management Program. He was the National Director of the Business Investigation Services practice which encompasses Business Reorganization Services and Bankruptcy and Litigation Services. He was also the founder of the Emerging Business Services Program at Coopers & Lybrand and former Chairman of the firm's National Emerging Business Services Program designed to serve the business advisory needs of entrepreneurs. Since the Fall of 1993, Mr. Jones has been a Clinical Professor of Accounting, teaching auditing at New York University's Stern School of Business.

Mr. Jones also serves as an honorary member of the Board of Trustees of the New York Institute of Credit and is a former member of the Board of Directors and General Legislative Committee of the New York Credit and Financial Management Association.

Mr. Jones has considerable experience in dealing with troubled companies that require operational and financial restructuring. He has also been involved in numerous special investigation and litigation support matters and has functioned as an expert witness in accounting and auditing, and certain industries in general. Mr. Jones has devoted a considerable amount of his professional time to consulting with the management of newly acquired and emerging businesses, and has given numerous seminars on accounting and auditing to lending officials and customers of banks and other financial institutions, trade associations and educational institutions. He has conducted financial analysis seminars for Chemical Bank/Manufacturers Hanover Trust Company, Bankers Trust Company, National Westminster Bank, National Association of Credit Management, New York Institute of Credit, Dun & Bradstreet, National Retail Merchants Association, Colgate Darden Graduate School of Business of the University of Virginia, Fashion Institute of Technology and New York University.

He is co-author of The Bankers' Guide to Audit Reports and Financial Statements, The Emerging Business: Managing for Growth, and The Coopers & Lybrand Guide to Growing Your Business. Mr. Jones holds an MBA degree in accounting (Beta Gamma Sigma) from New York University and a BA degree in economics (Phi Beta Kappa) from City College of New York. He is a Certified Public Accountant in the State of New York and is a member of the AICPA and the New York State Society of CPAs. He has served as a member of the AICPA Subcommittee on Litigation Services and is a principal author of its publication, Conflicts of Interest.

Melvin A. Stein, CPA
Partner, Stein, Stein & Feit, PC

Melvin A. Stein has been a practicing CPA since 1961 and is currently a Partner in Stein, Stein & Feit, P.C. of Hicksville, New York. Mr. Stein is a 1953 graduate of the New York University School of Commerce, Accounts and Finance (now Stern). He has been involved in University activities for over a decade and is currently a member of the Alumni Board of Directors of New York University and The Alumni Board of Directors of the Stern School of Business at NYU.

In addition to his New York accounting practice, he also maintains an accounting practice in the US Virgin Islands where he also holds a CPA Certificate. He has appeared on public television in the US Virgin Islands on many occasions to update Virgin Islanders on changes in the tax code and their effect on Virgin Islands taxpayers.

Mel was awarded the 2005 Alumni Meritorious Service Award by NYU on May 13,2005. He has also been presenting the Graduate Student Tax Program at the University.

Mr. Stein is married and resides in White Plains, New York. He has two daughters and four grandchildren.

Beth Polish
President, The Critical Junctures Group

Beth Polish has held senior management positions in diverse industries, including media, finance, private investment and technology. She has been president of founding cfo and svp, corporate development, of iVillage, Inc.; president of Dreamlife, Inc. (co-founded by Anthony Robbins); CFO of Goldman Sachs Ventures; head of corporate development at Wit Capital; and managing director at KPMG.

Expert at mobilizing and leading teams through such critical junctures as startup, merger and acquisition, strategic planning, financing, operations, and turnaround, she also has extensive experience negotiating corporate partnerships and business development agreements. Ms. Polish has secured initial and follow-on financings from and worked with leading venture capital and strategic investors including Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, Draper Fisher Jurvetson, TCI, AOL, Allen & Co., and Mitsubishi.

After graduating from business school, Ms. Polish produced three Grammy-nominated children's programs and related products for Rabbit Ears Productions, best known for its video of The Velveteen Rabbit with Meryl Streep. Ms. Polish was also a vp at Bannon & Co., an investment bank specializing in the entertainment, media and communications industries.

A frequent speaker and commentator on the subject of "financing growth" and "strategies for growth," Ms. Polish teaches entrepreneurship and small business management at NYU's School of Continuing and Professional Studies and is a regular speaker on entrepreneurial finance at Columbia Business School. She has testified as an expert witness on company valuation.

Ms. Polish serves on the National Advisory Board of the Women's Leadership Exchange and conducts seminars around the country as a WLE "growth guru." She is the past co-chair of the New York New Media Association's Venture Downtown Technology Showcase Conference.

Ms. Polish is the creator and author of the DROOMTM (Don't Run Out Of Money) primer series, In The Market For MoneyTM. Initial titles are The 5 Essential Stages, Raising Equity, Securing Debt and 15 Secrets of Winning Pitches.

Ms. Polish received her MBA from Harvard Business School.

John Barker
President, DZP Marketing Communications

John Barker is founder and President of branding and lifestyle advertising agency DZP Marketing Communications, one of the Hot 100 fastest growing new small businesses in America as ranked by Entrepreneur Magazine.

Over his 20-year career, Mr. Barker has served in a broad range of roles, from account management and strategic marketing to brand planning and conceptual development. His creative work has received numerous industry honors, including Clio, ADCNY, NY Festival, Mark, Promax and BDA awards. He is a leading proponent of Aspirational Identity Theory, which examines brand loyalty through behavioral psychology.

He is a graduate of Yale University where he received the Sterling Writing Prize and the 1984 Academy of American Poets Prize.

John Follis
President & Creative Director, Follis Inc / NY

One of the "12 Best Advertising Minds of New York," as named by The New York Ad Club, John's work has been described by ADWEEK as "simple and effective". His agency's campaigns have received press in The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Time, Forbes, CNBC, and NPR. Six Follis campaigns are also featured in college marketing textbooks. John has won over four dozen creative awards. Most importantly, his agency's brand of advertising has proven highly effective often exceeding what even his clients' had hoped for.

One such case, for Sorrell Ridge Fruit Spread, is a Harvard Business School case study. And another, a current nationally recognized campaign for The Marble Collegiate Church, is a featured case in Principles of Marketing (Prentice-Hall '05).

Before founding Follis Inc. in '94 John created ads for several top US agencies including DDB, K&B, and eventually his own, Follis DeVito Verdi, one of Madison Avenue's most award-winning agencies.

In '91, John's national TV campaign against child abuse earned him honors at both The White House and The UN. He has taught at three major New York universities, is a requested professional speaker, and has been a contributing columnist for ADWEEK. John is also author of "How to Attract and Excite Your Prospects" a marketing guide for business owners. And, just recently, John created "The Marketing Show," a webcast about marketing and small business.

A business owner since 1986, John is President of Follis Inc. / NY which offers "Marketing Therapy" for businesses with limited budgets.

Geoff Ledet
President & Creative Director, Letter 7

Geoff Ledet has eleven years of graphic design and brand development experience. His work has earned design industry awards from How and Communication Arts magazines, and has been published in numerous books on design. Currently, he is the president and creative director of Letter 7, a New York-based brand development and design firm that he founded four years ago.

Geoff began his design career at Mentus, Inc., where he specialized in the creation of annual financial reports for the biotech, pharmaceutical and real estate industries. Following, he became a senior designer at 5D Studio, where he worked on projects ranging from corporate identity systems to brochure and website design for clients such as UCLA Anderson School of Management, Japanese American National Museum, Vecta and CaP CURE.

In 2000, Geoff began his first entrepreneurial venture, a publication entitled 12 magazine. With 12, his responsibilities included brand and business development, marketing, the creation of editorial content as well as the magazine's design. Within a year, 12 earned local and national media recognition, including an article in USA Today.

Geoff graduated with honors with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in graphic design from the University of Arizona and is a committee member of two not-for-profit organizations.

Today, Letter 7 provides brand development and graphic design for a variety of industries ranging from educational institutions and software companies to not-for-profits, manufacturing, fashion, retail and restaurants, among others.

Douglas B. Stone
CEO, Abstract Edge Marketing Solutions

Doug has over 20 years experience in interactive online marketing, content, technology and e-commerce development. He currently is CEO of Abstract Edge, an online marketing and multidisciplinary design firm whose clients range from P&G, Marriott and Loews Hotels to Atkins Nutritionals and Vera Wang.

Prior to joining Abstract Edge in 2001, Doug served as Vice President of Interactive Marketing for Starwood Hotels and Resorts, the world's largest hotel company. There he was responsible for all global online marketing initiatives including brand strategy, creative development, production and maintenance of eleven websites, and evaluation of and integration with new technologies and technical platforms.

Doug got involved in the Internet 1993, and was integral to the success of such early internet companies as THINK New Ideas and Comet Systems, and makes the best damn chili you'll ever taste

Doug is a member of the Board of Directors of Opsell Inc. and SMS Labs Inc.

Thomas V. Flood
President, Teamflood

Tom advises clients on optimizing distribution channels. Tom launched teamflood in 1994 and has served nearly one hundred sixty clients including American Express, Crate & Barrel, Federated, Metropolitan Museum of Art and Readers Digest. Beyond crafting business/marketing plans, he has managed the implementation of marketing initiatives across multiple channels including direct marketing, retail, direct selling, and e-commerce, both in the consumer and business markets.

Tom specializes in providing his clients access to new revenue opportunities through partner relationships. By introducing new or expanded channels, initially through partnering, clients expand their channel mix and attract additional loyal profitable customers.

After beginning his career with Price WaterhouseCoopers and General Mills, Tom served as a division general manager for a seven hundred million dollar American Express business. Tom subsequently served in senior executive positions with Hanover Direct and Avon Products before launching teamflood.

Tom, a graduate of Queens College, received his MBA from Fairleigh Dickenson University and is a Certified Public Accountant. In addition, Tom has chaired the Direct Marketing Board of Advisers of New York University's School of Continuing & Professional Education, serves on the Board of the Inter-Religious Fellowship for the Homeless and is very active in most industry associations.

Robert S. Levin
Editor-in-Chief & Publisher, New York Enterprise Report
President, RSL Media LLC

Robert Levin has worked with midsize and small businesses his entire professional career. He has a strong passion for leveraging his experience to assist small and middle market businesses that began as a consultant in public accounting and developed as an executive in several industries.

Mr. Levin is the Founder and President of RSL Media LLC and publisher of The New York Enterprise Report. "The Report" in print, online and at events, features how-to articles written by experts to help leaders of small businesses increase revenue, reduce costs and build value. Since its launch in 2003, The Report has become a must read for anyone who wants to grow their business.

Prior to launching the New York Enterprise Report, Robert was CEO of Profile Pursuit, a custom magazine publisher. At Profile, which published magazines for organizations such as Crunch Gyms, the ATP, and the Association of Women's Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses (AWHONN), he led efforts to transform the company's sales process as well as improve relationships with the company's partners.

Mr. Levin was CFO of PenOp, a software developer based in New York and the UK. In between joining PenOp and selling the company's operations, Rob led efforts at the Company to expand its product line for the Internet as well as developing the Company's customer service, finance, and information technology departments.

Mr. Levin was formerly with NutriPlus, LLC, a high growth, international marketer of personal care products where he served as Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer. While at NutriPlus, LLC, Mr. Levin was responsible for building the multifunctional management team, automating operational processes, and designing and implementing a strategic planning and budgeting system. Further, Mr. Levin oversaw NutriPlus' offices in the former Soviet Union, where the Company has over 70,000 independent distributors.

Prior to his tenure at NutriPlus, LLC, Mr. Levin had his own consulting firm in Los Angeles, specializing in business management and finance. He served clients in a variety of industries including high-tech, consumer products, and entertainment by creating business plans and financial models.

Mr. Levin began his career as a tax consultant in Arthur Andersen LLP's Enterprise Group. Mr. Levin assisted dozens of clients with tax and business issues associated with growing companies such as joint ventures, strategic and tax planning, and initial public offerings. Mr. Levin was also hand-selected by top management to present and discuss firm methodologies regarding commitment to quality, value and client service in cooperation with the Malcolm Baldridge National Quality Site visit.

Mr. Levin was born in Brooklyn, NY and raised in Northern New Jersey. A certified public accountant, Mr. Levin earned his BS from SUNY Albany and an MBA from The Anderson School at UCLA.

Professor Jeremy Wiesen
NYU Stern School of Business

Former Chairman & Co-CEO Financial News Network (Now CNBC) Jeremy Wiesen is Associate Professor of Business Law and Accounting at the Stern School where he has taught business law, entrepreneurship and other subjects. He has also taught in the business schools at Columbia, Stanford, UCLA, Berkeley and at The Wharton School, from which he graduated. Professor Wiesen is also a graduate of Harvard Law School, was Chairman and CO-CEO of Financial News Network (acquired by CNBC), and was counsel to SEC and AICPA committees.

Mitchell Banchik
Owner & Operator, Down the Hatch, Off the Wagon, Jake's Dilemma, The Gin Mill & Mo's Caribbean Bar and Grille

Besides owning restaurants, Mitch also owns and operates several buildings. He has been in the restaurant and Real Estate business for the past 30 years and still loves it. His company currently employees 180 people and has been in business since 1991.

Chris Barish
Chairman, Barish Group, LLC

Chris Barish, 32, a graduate of the Tisch School of the Arts at NYU is credited with creating, operating and branding some of the most successful nightclubs and lounges across the country beginning with Light New York.

After the success of Light New York, Chris brought his unique style to Las Vegas to open Light Bellagio in December of 2001. This celebrity hot spot is still known as one of the best experiences in nightlife that Vegas has to offer. One year after the debut of Light Las Vegas, Chris introduced Caramel and Mist, two lounges located in the Bellagio and Treasure Island Hotels. Both Caramel and Mist have become mainstays of the Vegas nightlife landscape, known for their extensive specialty martini menus, appetizing light dishes and stylish design.

In September 2003 Chris sold his interest in these three successful Vegas locations to the MGM-Mirage to pursue an opportunity to market and co-create the famed ultra-lounge, Marquee, in New York City. Marquee debuted in the trendy Chelsea district in 2004 and went on to realize a profit in its first year of operation. It has become the top nightclub in New York. Currently, he is pursuing new concepts in the restaurant/nightlife industry.

Brenda Elwell Gottschalk
CTC, President & Founder, Single Parent Tours
Author, The Single Parent Travel Handbook and
Managing Editor, The Single Parent Travel Network

A veteran of over thirty years experience in the travel industry and a worldwide adventurer, Brenda Elwell has lived abroad and traveled to over 65 countries and 45 states, half of them as a single parent with her two kids in tow. A graduate of Colby College with a BA in languages, Ms. Elwell conceived the idea of single parent travel 18 years ago, while traveling in Europe on her first single parent family vacation. Several years later, she completed her CTC (Certified Travel Consultant) degree with a research paper on the topic "Marketing Travel to the Single Parent". Addicted to adventurous travel to remote and exotic places, Ms. Elwell is at home anywhere on the planet.

An accomplished hiker and photographer, she is also a connoisseur of ethnic and exotic foods, having sampled such delicacies as Peruvian Cuy (don't ask!), Kenyan Pepper Bark and Amazonian lemon ants, the latter two eaten fresh off the tree.

Amanda Nissman
Co-Founder & President, Networking For Professionals

Amanda Nissman is President and Co-Founder of one of the most up-to-date and innovate tools in Business Networking. NetworkingForProfessionals.com (NFP) began as a web-based group of successful professionals in 2002. With its philosophy of allowing professionals to choose their own network and allow business relationships to develop naturally, NFP offered a strong alternative to more traditional networking groups.

Amanda oversees the daily running of Networking For Professionals which offers online networking for its members and regular events including Power Lunches, Shakers and Stirrers - Business Networking Mixers and High Speed Networking events. NFP began in NYC but now has additional branches in Long Island, Westchester and Atlanta and is looking to expand further throughout 2006.

Jacques Boubli
Program & Marketing Director, Young Concert Artists, Inc.

Jacques Boubli is the Program and Marketing Director for Young Concert Artists, Inc., a nonprofit organization dedicated to nurturing and promoting promising young musicians. Prior to joining YCA, he supervised production of over 700 performances for Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts and managed the Mostly Mozart Festival Orchestra. He also had the privilege of working for eight years as an associate for Isaac Stern, violinist and President of Carnegie Hall.

In 1996, Jacques earned his Master of Business Administration from the Stern School of Business at NYU,with majors in marketing and management, and was awarded the President's Service Award for Leadership for his work on behalf of the part-time student body. Jacques also has a Bachelor of Science in Industrial and Labor Relations from Cornell University, where he was first introduced to the field of arts management while singing with and helping run the Cornell University Glee Club.

Jeffrey S. Konvitz
Law Offices of Jeffrey S. Konvitz

Jeffrey Konvitz is currently engaged in the full-time practice of law through the Law Offices of Jeffrey S. Konvitz. His practice has been and is almost exclusively dedicated to independent motion picture and television financing, general production and distribution, and writer, producer and director arrangements (film and television) with studios and independent financing entities.

Mr. Konvitz has been one of a few independent financiers, lawyers and producers, both through his law practice and outside, whose career has encompassed almost every facet of creative film-making, motion picture deal-making, entertainment law and film economics and he, (along with Michael Crichton) may be the only producer to have ever written a New York Times best-selling novel (The Sentinel which hit #2 on the Times bestseller list and #1 on most other lists) and produced a motion picture, whose worldwide box office gross exceeded $100,000,000 (Spy Hard).

Currently, Mr. Konvitz has served as executive producer on the huge independent, five country co-production, O Jerusalem, based on the international bestseller about the Arab-Israeli war of 1948. The picture is due for release worldwide next fall.

Shara Victoria Mendelson
President, Plum Benefits, formerly SVM

Established in 1998, Plum Benefits is a direct-marketing company that promotes entertainment events to an untapped corporate audience. Leveraging established relationships with 25,000 corporations, the company electronically delivers entertainment offers (both hard-to-get seats and discounted tickets) as an employee benefit.

The entertainment partner receives invaluable exposure and measurable ticket sales within a controlled corporate environment, hence the tag "we put butts in seats". To its corporate clients, Plum Benefits provides an easy, cost-free employee benefit service that employees appreciate because it maximizes entertainment options while saving them time and money. Plum Benefits delivers consistent results and reliable service, giving it a reputation as the "entertainment guide".

Corporate clients include JetBlue, American Airlines, Macy's, Sony BMG, Ogilvy & Mather, Viacom, Time Warner, PriceWaterhouseCoopers, Ernst & Young, and JP Morgan. Wicked,Avenue Q, Jersey Boys, Hairspray, Mamma Mia, Radio City Music Hall, Madison Square Garden, The NY Knicks, NY Philharmonic, NYC Opera are just a few recent Entertainment partners.

Before founding the company, Shara was at Grey Advertising in Account Services. Shara has a BA in PoliSci from Middlebury College and lives and works in Manhattan. She also serves on the board of The New Group, a nonprofit theater company in New York City whose most recent productions include Hurly Burly starring Ethan Hawke and Abigail's Party led by Jennifer Jason Leigh.

Geoff Rich
Executive Director, The New Group Theater Productions

Geoff Rich has been in the radio and theatre business for 30 years. A graduate of Princeton University, Geoff ran Princeton's student summer theatre from 1976-1978, In 1984, he co-founded Radio Today, an independent radio syndication company. In 1994, he and Dr. Laura launched the national syndication of The Dr. Laura Program. Geoff sold his company to Disney/ABC in 1998 and served as Executive Vice President, Programming for the ABC Radio Network until 2001.

In 2002 Geoff returned to his theatre roots as Executive Director of The New Group Theatre company and since then has produced 14 shows both on and off-Broadway including the 2004 Tony-winning musical Avenue Q, last year's award-winning revival of David Rabe's Hurlyburly starring Ethan Hawke and this season's productions of Mike Leigh's Abigail's Party off-Broadway and Neil Simon's Barefoot in the Park on Broadway. His radio production credits are Flashback, Rick Dees' Weekly Top 40, Walter Cronkite's Twentieth Century, The Matt Drudge Show, American Country Countdown and Bob Brinker's Moneytalk.

In 1999, Geoff founded New York Gothams Youth Baseball, a nonprofit youth sports organization. Geoff is the President of the Board of Trustees for the Princeton Summer Theater program.

Peter Bouchard
Founder & Vice President, Pioneer Telephone

Peter Bouchard graduated from the University of Massachusetts with a degree in Business Management in 1982. For the next seven years he held positions in sales with AT&T Hardware Sales and with Rochester Telephone and progressed to being the third highest producer out of 220 sales people. In 1989 he founded New England Payphone, which grew to have over 5% of the market share for operator services on all payphones in the United States.

In 1995 Peter founded Pioneer Telephone, one of the premier long distance carriers in Maine. Pioneer captured 34% of the market share of all business customers that had 2 to 25 business telephone lines in the state of Maine. By 1997 Pioneer had grown to a nationwide company, adding more than 5,000 new customers per month.

In the year 2000 Peter also founded PageMagic.com, a company that provided eCommerce web sites for small to medium customers. In 2005 Pioneer acquired the assets of Adelphia Communications.

Peter continues as Pioneer's Vice President, and has been married for 15 years and has two children, Casey and Paige. He is an active board member of the Christian Coalition and the Smokin' Joe Frazier foundation. He was honored by the US Congressional Committee as the 2005 Maine Business Man of the Year.

Jason R. Finger
Chairman & CEO, SeamlessWeb

Jason R. Finger is Chairman and CEO of SeamlessWeb. Under Finger's guidance, SeamlessWeb has become the 4th fastest-growing company in the country as measured by Inc. magazine and Deloitte & Touche. Finger has been a featured conference speaker on enterprise cost recovery, online and off-line marketing and foodservices. In 2005, Finger was a finalist for the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year award. Prior to co-founding SeamlessWeb, Finger worked as a corporate attorney at the law offices of O'Sullivan Graev & Karabell LLP (now O'Melveny & Myers). Finger earned both a JD and a MBA in Finance from NYU, graduating as a Stern Scholar, and a Bachelor of Science in Finance from the University of Maryland at College Park.

Dr. Harriet Katz, DSW, LCSW
Working Partnerships

Harriet Katz, DSW, LCSW, is a seasoned clinician specializing in transitions — professional and personal — career and relationship. Her clients include exe