Meet Our Judges

Many thanks to the judges of the 2008 New Product Innovation Competition:

Aaron Bromberg

Aaron is a Technology Strategist in the Home Entertainment Division at Bose Corporation in Framingham, MA. He is responsible for assessing technology and market trends, and creating the long-range product strategy for the division. Additionally, Aaron works with product managers and engineers to plan the features and functions of future Bose products. Prior to joining Bose, Aaron was a management consultant in Deloitte Consulting Growth and Innovative practice. He received his BS from Cornell University and his MBA from Duke University. 

A. Joseph DiBiase

In addition to having practiced law for more than nine years, Joseph has held several positions in fields as diverse as publishing, software, and education. Most recently he served as Vice President of Business Development at PCi Corporation, a leading banking software company. In this position, he was involved in addressing the technological, research, and compliance needs of clients and other software companies through the application of existing products and technologies. A life-long early adopter of new technologies, he has been on numerous committees evangelizing the benefits of technology in streamlining processes, automating repetitive tasks, and in selecting and improving technologies for various organizations.

Joe lives on the North Shore, where on any given weekend he can be found performing home-brewed science experiments with his two daughters, building a new computer, or assisting his friends and relatives with their technological challenges. He is a 1988 graduate of Suffolk University Law School.

Dr. John N. Driscoll

John is the founder and Technology and Marketing Manager of PID Analyzers, LLC. PID Analyzers develops and markets portable and process instrumentation using technologies such as photoionization, flame ionization, GC, Infrared, UV, electrochemistry. Prior to founding PID Analyzers, he founded and was President of HNU Systems, Inc. and developed the first commercial photoionization detector for measuring ppb levels of VOCs in the environment. John is also the founder, President and Chairman of the Environmental Business Council of New England.

John is the author of over 100 published papers and has presented his papers at many conferences.

John earned undergraduate degrees in chemical engineering and chemistry from the Franklin Institute of Boston and Suffolk University. He also earned a graduate degree in physical chemistry from Boston University and a graduate degree in business from Suffolk University.

Dennis S. Fernandez

Dennis is Managing Partner of Fernandez & Associates, LLP. He has has over twenty-years experience in Silicon Valley and High-Tech Industry, as a patent prosecutor and intellectual property litigator, a venture capitalist, and an engineering manager.  He specializes in developing offensive and defensive patent strategies for start-up electronics, software and biotech companies and their investors. 
Dennis serves as strategic advisor to leading venture capital firms, including Sevin Rosen, Venrock, Charles River Ventures, and Walden International.  Representative clients include Marvell Technology, SiRF Technology, Ayala Corporation, Stanford University, and Northwestern University, as well as various start-up companies acquired by Cisco, Broadcom, Ciena, and Cadence Design Systems.
He also serves on the Editorial Board of the Nanotechnology Law & Business Journal, the Board of Directors of the Association of Patent Law Firms, and the Science and Technology Advisory Council.  Previously Dennis served on a consultancy with the United Nations Development Programme on Asian economic development.

Dennis is also an inventor of several U.S. and international patents in the areas of digital television, sensor networks, and bioinformatics.  He has an Electrical Engineering degree from Northwestern University, a law degree from Suffolk University Law School, and is a Registered U.S. Patent Attorney.

Mukul P. Gupta

Mukul is Professor of Marketing and Dean of Research, Consulting, Strategic Planning and International Linkages at the Management Development Institute (MDI) in Gurgaon, India. Under his leadership, MDI has become on of the largest providers of Executive Education in India. MDI is the best globally networked business school in India. In a career that has spanned 25 years, he has spent equal time in industry and academia. His corporate experience includes manufacturing and marketing of pharmaceutical products, advertising and consulting. Prior to MDI, he held positions at the International Management Institute and Indian Institute of Management in India. He is an international consulting and has advised the India Council for Technical Education.

Christopher P. Lynch

Chris Lynch is Senior Vice President of Data Solutions, F5 where he oversees F5’s data solution technology portfolio. Before its acquisition by F5, Lynch served as President and CEO of Acopia Networks. Previously, Lynch served as Vice President of Worldwide Content Delivery Networking Sales at Cisco Systems, and was Vice President of Worldwide Sales, Marketing, and Support at ArrowPoint Communications, which was acquired by Cisco. He also served as Vice President of North American Sales at Prominet Corp., which was acquired by Lucent. Lynch earned his BSBA in Management from Suffolk University Sawyer Business School and his MBA from Bentley College.

Avrum Mayman

Avrum is responsible for New Product Management of Bose Corporation’s Lifestyle Home Theater systems. In this role, Avrum is responsible for long range planning, setting the product vision, creating product definitions, working with the development teams to ensure the vision becomes reality, and launching the product into the marketplace. In addition to his 5+ years experience at Bose, Avrum has held a variety of marketing, strategy, and business development roles in a variety of industries including financial services, logistics, and software manufacturing. Prior to these roles, Avrum spent five years as an Engineer on the Space Shuttle’s Orbital propulsion systems, where he helped return the fleet to launch after the Challenger disaster. Avrum holds a BA in Physics from Vassar College, an MS in Aero Engineering from the University of Michigan, and an MS in Management from the MIT Sloan School.

Mary K. Murray

Mary is a Principal with Hamilton, Brook, Smith & Reynolds. Hamilton Brook Smith Reynolds is a full-service intellectual property law firm founded in 1980. Many of the attorneys are patent agents and technology specialists who represent many independent inventors, start-up companies, corporations of all sizes including Fortune 500 companies, as well as academic and research institutions. These inventors, companies and institutions are located in the Boston area, across the United States and around the world. 

Mary has served on United States Department of Agriculture, National Institutes of Health, and National Science Foundation grant review panels. She was a member of the editorial board of the journal Biology of Reproduction and several national and international scientific committees. She has authored or co-authored over fifty research publications and given research presentation at national and international scientific conferences, as well as lectures on intellectual property law at universities.

Since joining the firm in 1997, Mary has written and prosecuted patent applications in the biological, chemical and material sciences; drafted legal opinions, license agreements, intellectual property agreements, and confidentiality agreements; and participated in intellectual property litigation and trademark prosecution.

Mary received her BS in physiology and biosphysics from the University of Illinois, her PhD in Cell and Developmental Biology from
University of Illinois Health Science Center, and her JD from Suffolk University Law School. 

Dave Parkinson

Dave Parkinson is President, Chief Executive Officer and Director of Vericept. Parkinson is a technology Executive with 25+ years of demonstrated success in leadership roles. Parkinson joins Vericept from Sigma Partners where he served as an Executive in Residence since March of 2002. Prior to Sigma Partners, he served as the President and CEO of Books24X7, the fastest growing e-learning company for six consecutive years since 1999. Books24X7 was sold to Skillsoft in December of 2001 under Parkinson’s leadership. Prior to Books24X7, Parkinson was with Boston Consulting Group, an international consulting firm, where he served as Director, Partner and Chief Financial Officer. Prior to Boston Consulting Group, Parkinson was Co-Founder of SystemSoft Corporation, which had a successful IPO in 1995. Previously, he was the Chief Financial Officer at Phoenix Technologies, a Sigma Partners portfolio company that went public in 1988. Parkinson started his high tech career at Cullinet Software, the first independent software company listed on the NYSE. Parkinson holds a Bachelors degree in Philosophy from Suffolk University and a Masters Degree from Northeastern University.

Dr. Narottam Puri

Dr. Puri is President of Medical Strategy and Quality for Fortis Healthcare Limited in India. Puri possess over 40 years experience in the Indian healthcare system. He’s held positions in government, as a teacher, practicing clinician, a medical entrepreneur, then in a management role in a “not for profit” hospital and then a top management role in corporate healthcare. His travels and work experience has given Puri a 360 degree view of healthcare. He belongs to a rare breed of healthcare professionals who have been exposed to and have experienced all facets of healthcare in India.
A topper in Delhi University in MBBS & MS, Puri is a winner of several prestigious awards and recognition and is a member of several medical associations and industry bodies including FICCI. Passionately involved in quality, training & education, Puri has written about 25 articles in various medical journals, and has contributed to 3 medical books.

Robert Creeden

Bob is Managing Director of the Center for Innovative Ventures (CIV) at Partners Healthcare, where he oversees the creation and launching of new ventures generated from Partners innovative research discoveries.

Bob has spent more than twenty-five years focusing on commercialization new technologies and promoting emerging business, including fifteen years early stage venture capital investing experience and culminating in his 2005 appointment by Partners to establish the CIV. Previously, he was general partner at Egan- Managed Capital, a $150 million dollar Boston- based venture fund, after having served as vice president of the Massachusetts Technology Development Corporation , a 25 year old early stage venture firm that funds technology-based companies in Massachusetts. Earlier in his career, he gained strategic operating expertise as a COO/CFO with start-up ventures and as a management consultant with Control Data Business Advisors. 

Katerina Papp

Katerina is Vice President, Portfolio Manager, Commercial Banking Division for Eastern Bank. In this capacity, she manages medical device/ life sciences specialty banking group. She manage 72 banking relationships, over $220mln in commitments. As Portfolio Manager, Commercial Banking Division, she managed 54 banking relationships with over $150mln in commitments. Her day to day activities include but are not limited to underwriting and structuring new and existing business, periodic financial, collateral, and industry analysis, credit committee presentations, site visits and management assessments, and loan documentation.

Clara Chow

Clara is Principal and Founder of Cura Consulting Group and has an extensive background in management and sustainable development. This includes the creation of a framework for green business/sustainable enterprise. Her expertise in this area covers strategy and market development for a clean technology start-up, industry analysis for an environmental management software firm, environmental evaluations of energy alternatives for a Cypriot consulting company, and green innovations to improve corporate social responsibility for an international financial institution. Also, in partnership with GfK NOP, a global market research and consulting firm, her projects include: analyses of customer value and positioning for one of the largest international express delivery companies as well as assessments to measure the awareness and effectiveness of regulatory outreach and communication efforts for a federal agency. Prior to founding Cura Consulting Group, Clara was part of the management team at the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).  

Edward J. Keefe

Edward graduated with a BS in Business Administration with a concentration in finance from the University of Maine, MBA from Suffolk University and a MS in Taxation from Bentley College. He is responsible for the oversight of the finance and administration activities, information technology and reporting to the Limited Partners. Prior to joining M/C Venture Partners in October 2004, Keefe was Vice President of Finance of Atlas Venture, a leading international early-stage venture capital firm, investing in communications, information technology, and life sciences companies. Previously, he also served as Manager of Financial Planning and Analysis at Instrumentation Laboratory, Tax Consultant at Coopers and Lybrand, and as a Senior Financial Analyst at Raytheon Company. He is also is a member of the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce, Private Equity CFO Association and the Treasurers’ Club of Boston.

Paul D. Sorkin

Paul is a Partner with the firm of Weingarten, Schurgin, Gagnebin, & Lebovici, LLP and has over fifteen years of experience preparing, prosecuting and maintaining patent and trademark portfolios for corporations of all sizes as well as for individual inventors. He has extensive expertise in preparing patent applications in the software, electrical, electromechanical, and electronic arts. He has also prepared numerous pre-filing patentability studies and has often been called upon to assess questions of patent validity and patent infringement. Sorkin has also been involved in due diligence investigations during his career.
Prior to joining the firm, Sorkin was a partner at another intellectual property law firm in Boston. Earlier in his career, Sorkin worked as an Associate General Counsel in the Patent Law Department at Sun Microsystems, Inc. for four years overseeing a portfolio of patents in areas including networking devices and storage systems prior to that, was employed as a patent associate at intellectual property law firms located in Boston and Washington, DC.

Before becoming a patent attorney, Sorkin worked in the high tech industry for approximately eight years. At Data General, Sorkin worked as a test engineer designing, implementing, and supporting test equipment (hardware and software), reviewing product designs for testability and manufacturability, and coordinating test plans and capital spending budgets. Sorkin is able to apply his years of practical business and engineering expertise to the intellectual property matters he handles on behalf of his clients.
Sorkin earned his BS in Electrical Engineering, with High Honors, from Rutgers University College of Engineering and his JD, cum laude, from Suffolk University Law School. His academic honors include Tau Beta Pi and Eta Kappa Nu. He is registered to practice before the US Patent and Trademark Office and is admitted to practice in Massachusetts. He is a member of the Boston Patent Law Association.

Thomas M. Sullivan

Tom is a Partner in the intellectual law firm of Lowrie, Lando, and Anastasi, LLP (LL&A). Tom is well-experienced in all aspects of Intellectual Property Law and in particular in strategies for successfully building and maintaining corporate patent portfolios.  He is practiced in a wide range of technology fields including analog and digital electronics, power electronics, computer software and hardware, electromagnetics, electronics assembly and manufacturing, and computer vision systems.

Prior to joining LL&A, Tom was a member (partner) in the Intellectual Property Section of a large general practice firm, Mintz Levin, in Boston. Tom’s practice is built around a strong technical foundation. Before entering the field of law, Tom had a successful career as a Senior Electrical Design Engineer at Raytheon Company, and in total, has over ten years of experience as an Electrical Engineer. As an Engineer, Tom worked primarily in the areas of power electronics and electromagnetic compatibility and he was involved in the development and upgrade of communications systems and missile defense systems for the U.S. Department of Defense. Tom also has experience in developing and modifying software code for use in automated test systems. Prior to attending law school, and while working as an Electrical Engineer, Tom obtained an MBA. In his practice, Tom particularly enjoys using the combination of his business and technology backgrounds to work closely with clients to develop intellectual property strategies that are consistent with the clients’ business goals. In 2005, he was named in Boston Magazine as one of Massachusetts’ "Super Lawyers" in the field of intellectual property.

Gaurav Tewari

Gaurav is a Senior Associate at Highland Capital Partners focusing on technology with specific experience and interest in internet, digital media, mobile and online marketing technologies. Gaurav represents Highland on the boards of GlobalStreams, StyleFeeder and Top Ten Media.

Prior to joining Highland Capital Partners, Guarav was a Corporate Strategy Manager at Microsoft Corporation, where he worked with the top leadership to define and implement corporate-wide growth opportunities via organic initiatives and acquisitions. Before Microsoft, Guarav was a consultant with McKinsey & Company, where he led strategic projects for Fortune 100 companies across a number of verticals, including high tech, financial services, healthcare and energy. At McKinsey, Guarav extensively advised senior management on investments and divestitures, operational improvement and organizational initiatives, and in developing and executing technology strategy roadmaps.
 
Gaurav holds seven US technology patents. He has authored nine published works of research and has spoken at various conferences.