Dr. Matthew Laudon is Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of TechConnect, based in Austin Texas. Matt’s career has focused on developing and improving innovation commercialization models, spanning most every emerging technology domain through the creation of academic, corporate and investment partnership models. Through the TechConnect produced events and partnering programs, he and the TechConnect team have directly supported in the commercialization of thousands of viable technologies, while drastically increasing the innovation pipeline for TechConnect corporate and investment partners.
Matt received his engineering M.S. and Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and a B.S. from the University of Missouri-Rolla. Over the last 20 years, Matt has worked as an engineer, scientist or business developer at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology of Lausanne, Semiconductor Research Corporation, Motorola, Los Alamos National Laboratories and numerous Boston area start-ups. He is Co-founder and Executive Director of the Nano Science and Technology Institute since 1997, the Co-founder and Executive Director of the Clean Technologies & Sustainable Industries Organization since 2006 and was the recipient of the University of Wisconsin’s Early Career Achievement Award in 2007.
Dr. Bart Romanowicz is Co-founder and Chief Technology Officer of TechConnect, based in Austin Texas. He received his M.S. and Sc.D. from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology of Lausanne, working in the Microsystems Institute. Bart is an expert in matching technology capabilities with industrial needs and has developed all process algorithms behind the TechConnect commercialization partnering programs. Through these programs, TechConnect has matched thousands of emerging technologies with corporate and investment commercialization interests from around the globe.
He has served as a visiting scientist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and as a technology development lead with numerous Boston based start-ups and technology commercialization firms. Bart has over 40 technical publications and patents, is the author of the book, Methodology for the Modeling and Simulation of Microsystems, Kluwer (1998), Chair of the Nanotech International Conference and Expo and Managing Editor or Editor in Chief of two journals and three annuals spanning the domains of nanotech, microtech, biotech and cleantech. Bart is the Co-founder and Executive Director of the Nano Science & Technology Institute since 1997, and Co-founder and Chief Technology Officer of the Clean Technologies & Sustainable Industries Organization since 2006.
Ms. Rocha serves as Director of Strategic Development for TechConnect, based out of Cambridge Massachusetts. She is responsible for business and strategy as it relates to industry and academic partnerships, commercialization and partnership programs, and managing the Innovation Community consisting of thousands of innovation, corporate and investment partners from around the globe. She has more than a decade of experience in research, publications, and event management in both the public and private sectors, and has worked with TechConnect since it’s founding in 2004.
Before joining TechConnect, Jennifer was a Project Manager at the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative (MTC), a leading state economic development organization. She served as Manager and Research Analyst for MTC’s flagship publication, the annual Index of the Massachusetts Innovation Economy report. Jennifer holds a dual B.A. in Political Science and International Relations from Mount Holyoke College.
Sarah Wenning is Vice President of Operations for TechConnect, based out of Danville California. She obtained a B.A. in Economics and English with the University of Wisconsin – Madison, and has worked in operational management positions at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, University of California at Berkeley, Department of Energy’s Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, and a variety of San Francisco Bay area biotechnology start-ups.
Sarah has 22+ years of scientist management, meeting management and event planning experience, including directing operations for meetings ranging from 50 to10,000. Sarah has managed technology development personnel from most every government agency and laboratory in the U.S., and has planned meetings and events for non-profits, government agencies, government contractors, associations and corporations. Sarah is a Co-founder and Vice President of Operations for the Nano Science and Technology Institute since 1997, and is a Founding Board Member of the Clean Technology & Sustainable Industries Organization since 2006.
Christopher Erb is Vice President of Events for TechConnect, based out of Cambridge Massachusetts. Christopher manages high-level corporate and investment partnerships and sponsorships, along with strategy development for the TechConnect suite of conferences and showcase programs.
Christopher obtained a B.S. with the University of Lowell, Massachusetts, and has over 20 years experience in the conference and trade show industry. Formally the Vice President of Events at DCI, an Andover, Massachusetts based conference-company and the Chief Operating Officer of Pulvermedia, a Long Island, New York based trade show organization, Christopher has extensive experience in sales, marketing, operations, content development and executive management.
Fiona Case is the Nanotech Programs Manager for TechConnect, based out of Burlington Vermont. Fiona is the coordinator of nanotechnology and advanced materials programs for the TechConnect event programs, and has more than 15 years experience in the industrial applications of polymer and surfactant science. Fiona has worked on nanoscale material design as a contractor for top global corporations and directly for UK based Courtaulds Research, California based Biosym/MSI (now Accelrys) and Colgate Palmolive carrying out nanoscale materials design programs for top US and European companies. She has also embarked on a “second career” in scientific journalism. Fiona is a Chartered Chemist and a member of the Royal Society of Chemistry, the ACS, the American Oil Chemists Society, and the National Association of Science Writers.
Laura Benold is the Cleantech Programs Manager for TechConnect, based out of Austin Texas. Laura's focus is on developing and managing the clean technology community within the larger TechConnect Innovation Community. Laura also serves as the Membership Manager for the Clean Technology and Sustainable Industries Organization (CTSI), a cleantech membership organization and event partner with TechConnect. Prior to joining TechConnect, Laura worked as Marketing Associate at Austin Technology Incubator where she contributed to the development of start-up companies within the Austin area, the growth of a regional clean technology community, and national initiatives to partner funding groups with start-ups. Through her relationship with Porter Novelli, she also gained public relations and social media experience.
Due to Laura's work with early stage companies and funding groups, she evaluates market and funding opportunities for new technologies with a keen eye for game changers and growth potential. She excels at partnering organizations with their most ideal counterparts in government, R&D, finance, and the marketplace. Benold is TechConnect's representative on the Austin Chamber of Commerce’s Clean Energy Council and an active member of the CleanTX Foundation.
Derek Mayer is the Partnership Manager for TechConnect, based out of Cambridge Massachusetts. He is responsible for fostering the relationships between TechConnect and early stage companies and non-commercialized intellectual property providers. Derek started his professional career in the clean tech industry while working for local startups near his Alma mater-Union college in Schenectady NY. His past work includes everything from geothermal construction to Industrial and residential energy solutions and financial modeling for large clean technology investments. Derek is an economics graduate with a versatile background in sales, marketing, market research, back office operations, financial strategic planning and coaching.
