Hubs and their participating organizations, entrepreneurs, enterprises, students, and investors are all part of the i3Network team. However, the Management Committee (MC), a core group of hub directors are responsible for the supervision and growth of the network. Committee membership rotates periodically so that all hub directors have an opportunity to participate. The current MC members are:
 |
David Denny is Founder and Hub Director for i3Network Virginia headquartered at the Virginia Tech Corporate Research Center in Blacksburg, Virginia (U.S.A.) and serving western Virginia and portions of four adjacent states. i3Network Virginia is the first i3Network hub established in the United States. Denny is also Founder and Managing Director of David W. Denny, LLC; an international business development and economic development consulting firm. For over 20 years, he has assisted a variety of companies in identifying new international markets, gain skills necessary to be successful internationally and capture new opportunities internationally.
|
|
|
David Butler BA (Hons), MA, MSc, DMS, CertEd, MCMI has twenty years of accumulated business and management experience which offered the basis for a new career in teaching management and business start-up at a local College, followed by a move to Kent University in 2003 to set up the Centre for Entrepreneurial Development in the Business School, and to subsequently run the university’s business incubator and the Canterbury Enterprise Hub. Other activities include private training & consultancy, and external examiner work for the Chartered Management Institute, and the publication of three text books. David is a landscape architect by profession, specialising in derelict land reclamation before moving on to several years in computer sales until the chance arose to buy a small brewery. The company evolved into beer and wine wholesaling, with a sister business in event catering before being sold in the mid 1990s. |
|
|
Ken Nelson is Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Larne Enterprise Development Company Ltd. (LEDCOM), the local enterprise agency (LEA) for the Borough of Larne in Co. Antrim, Northern Ireland (NI). Ken has been a board member of Enterprise Northern Ireland (ENI) – the association of NI’s 32 LEAs - since 2000 and Chairman since 2006. He has a BA in Business Studies, MBA and MSc in HRM as well as being a member of the Institute of Business Consulting (IBC). Ken has wide ranging experience in enterprise development, business incubation, social enterprise development, and international trade development for SMEs. Ken is a voluntary director of two social enterprises and a board member of the Social Economy Network for N.I. He is Vice-Chairman of the Business in the Community Ballymena and Larne Business Leadership Team. At the 2009 Larne Borough Business Awards Ken Nelson was awarded the 2009 Larne Borough Business Personality of the Year. Contact: kennelson@ledcomwbp.org |
|
|
Olivier Bonfils works as the Project Manager of the Vantaa International Centre under the Vantaa Innovation Institute established in may 2009. The main goal of this project is to support the internationalization and set-up of companies in Finland and beyond. Olivier Bonfils has previously worked during five years under Technopolis organization, where he performed as a Business Development Advisor to young innovative companies. Olivier is a French native living in Finland. He was educated in France and has a degree in Commercial Techniques and Strategic Marketing. He has taken a complementary degree in Finland in International Project Management. Olivier is very internationally oriented and speaks fluently Finnish, English and French, as well as passable Italian.
|
|
|
Alvaro Simone is General Manager of BIC Euronova, the Business Innovation Centre of Malaga, chairman of the National Association of Spanish BICs, ANCES. Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Malaga, BA in Economics from the University of Deusto and auditor since 1993, is the General Manager of BIC Euronova. Previously, he worked in the Commercial Office of Spain in Japan, Lloyds Bank, Caja Postal group and has exercised the auditing profession with its own company. Alvaro Simon is also associated professor at the University of Malaga, in the department of Economics and Business Administration, Faculty of Economics.
|
|
|
Stavriana Kofteros is CEO at Diogenes Business Incubator University of Cyprus Ltd with over seven years of experience in incubation and commercialization. She holds degrees in Business Administration and Political Science from the University of La Verne, CA, USA and in Entrepreneurship Development from Sloan School of Management, MIT (USA). Ms. Kofteros is involved in technology screening and transfer with a practical view to commercialization and strategic value adding to the startups. Since 2008 Ms. Kofteros is a member of the Cyprus Entrepreneurship Competition (CyEC) Organizing Committee and a mentor since 2007. CyEC aims to nurture the entrepreneurial culture among young scientists in Cyprus and challenge them to transform their ideas into real business opportunities and to leading companies of tomorrow. Ms. Kofteros has compiled numerous business and strategic plans for seed funding from the Ministry of Commerce Industry and Tourism. Ms. Kofteros acts as a strategic consultant to the Boards of Diogenes portfolio and mentor to the founders. She is currently actively involved in enhancing Diogenes network of technology generators and venture capitalists towards SMEs internationalization. Ms. Kofteros has over ten years of experience in management positions in a variety of industries, ranging from telecommunications to advertising and business incubation |
 |
Patryk Białas is a Hub Director for the i3 Network Krakow Technology Park headquartered at the Krakow Technology Park Ltd, Malopolska (Poland). As a Director of Technology Park Development Department, he is responsible for supporting pro-innovation activities, inspiring cooperation between industry and the scientific world, and developing competences, services, infrastructure, and financial instruments for KTP clients. In addition, Patryk Białas is a Head of Division of KTP Seed Fund.Kraków Technology Park (KTP) is the first i3 Network hub established in Poland.
|
 |
Valerie de Saint Vaulry is the Hub Director of the i3Network South France (Montpellier) hub. She holds the title of International Development Manager of Montpellier Agglomeration. Valerie was a fresh graduate from top-rated HEC School of Management (Paris, France) when she took charge of the creation and development of the North-American subsidiary of a French start up. Based in Chicago for 2 years, she flew back to Paris when appointed to International Marketing and Sales, a position in which she managed and developed a portfolio of up to 15 countries. She was then recruited as a consultant in business strategy and territorial development, where she learnt how to support local authorities to carry out their economic and urban planning. When she eventually took over her current position at Montpellier Agglomeration in 2007, she had experienced what it was like to be an entrepreneur developing a business in a foreign country with neither support nor introductions. She has now reconciled her sense of entrepreneurship, her knowledge of public economy and her international experience as she now works at developing international cooperation to facilitate cross business set up. Tireless traveler, she has wandered in South East Asia and throughout Europe, volunteered in Cameroon, studied in Budapest (Hungary) and remains endlessly curious of cultures and social organizations. Contact: v.desaintvaulry@montpellier-agglo.com |
View the i3Network News & Events.
