Keynote Speakers
Ping Fu is president and CEO of Geomagic, Inc., a worldwide software and services company based in
RTP, NC. . She co-founded Geomagic in 1997 and has led its growth from a start-up to be the
worldwide leader in digital shape sampling and processing (DSSP) industry. Geomagic’s software is
used by more than 5,000 professionals in automotive, aerospace, medical device and consumer
product industries around the world.
Before Geomagic, Ms. Fu was Director of Visualization at the National Center for Supercomputing
Applications, where she initiated and managed the NCSA Mosaic software project that led to
Netscape and Internet Explorer. She has more than 20 years of software industry experience
in database, networking, geometry processing, and computer graphics. Ms. Fu is a respected
thought leader and frequent keynote speaker at international conferences.
Recently, Ms. Fu was awarded the Bernie A. Goldhirsh Award for Courage from Inc. magazine,
and locally she was inducted into Business Leader magazine’s Business Leader Hall of Fame.
She has received numerous other awards for her achievements, including the Ernst &
Young Entrepreneur of the Year for the Carolinas, worldwide Fast Company magazine’s Fast
50 executive, and Business Leader magazine’s Entrebizneur of the Year. She holds
graduate and post-graduate degrees in computer science and Chinese literature, and
is an adjunct professor at Duke University. She has more than 20 years of software industry
experience in database, networking, geometry processing, and computer
graphics.
Ms. Fu is a respected thought leader and frequent keynote
speaker at international conferences.
Dr. McElhaney is the John C. Whitehead Professor of Adjunct Professor of Corporate Responsibility and the
founding Executive Director of the Center for Responsible Business at the Haas School of Business
at the University of California, Berkeley. She developed and launched this new center in 2003, which has
helped place corporate responsibility squarely as one of the core competencies and competitive advantages
of the Haas School. The Wall Street Journal ranked Haas as the #2 business school in the country for
corporate social responsibility (CSR) in 2006 & 2007, and The Financial Times rated Haas as the
#1 school in the world in 2008! Professor McElhaney teaches courses on Strategic Corporate Social
Responsibility, which include in-depth, experiential consulting engagements with companies on
high-visibility strategic CSR challenges, in all of the MBA degree programs at Haas.
She also teaches extensive Executive Education in this area.
Dr. McElhaney was named a Faculty Pioneer for leading institutional change by the Aspen Institute
in 2005, hailing her as one of the word’s leading thinkers on strategic CSR. Her research focus is
in three areas: Analyzing and developing companies’ CSR strategies, and their alignment with core
business objectives, core competencies, and business value; exploring the linkage between
gender and CSR and using CSR as a hook to re-engage women with business as employees,
business leaders, consumers, entrepreneurs, and investors; and the business value and
opportunities in branding, communication and CSR, on which she is currently
under contract and writing a book which will be complete in 2007.
Dr. McElhaney consults to several Fortune 500 companies in developing integrated
CSR strategy, bridging her academic focus with the practitioner world. Her client list
includes HP, Gap, eBay, McDonalds, Ernst & Young, Driscoll’s Berries, Nokia, Navigant,
Volunteer
Match, Ford Motor Company, Ulster Bank, Blue Cross Blue Shield and Catholic Healthcare West.
She is a highly engaging and motivational public speaker in the area of CSR, and has
keynoted at major conferences, leadership summits, and corporate events on the topic.
Leadership Panelists
Kimerly Rorschach
Director of the Nasher Museum of Art
Duke University
Kimerly Rorschach is the Mary D.B.T. and James H. Semans Director of the Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University.
She is also Adjunct Professor in Duke’s Department of Art, Art History and Visual Studies and chairs Duke’s Council
for the Arts. She is the former director of the University of Chicago’s David and Alfred Smart Museum of Art and
has held curatorial positions at the Philadelphia Museum of Art and the Rosenbach Museum & Library in
Philadelphia. She is a member and former trustee of the Association of Art Museum Directors and chaired
its government affairs committee from 2002 to 2004. A Fulbright Scholar, Rorschach holds a Ph.D. in
art history from Yale University and a B.A. from Brandeis University.
Kelly Marchese
Principal, Strategy & Operations
Deloitte Consulting LLP
Kelly Marchese is a Principal in the Strategy & Operations practice in Atlanta.
She has over thirteen years of experience
in the manufacturing, consumer business, life sciences and TMT industry segments across all aspects of the supply
chain.
Kelly has vast experience in working on large/complex projects, driving decision making, and facilitating buy-in
across organizations (including highly sensitive and union working environments).
She also has expertise in
application of Enterprise Lean and Six Sigma techniques (Master Black Belt certified) in process redesign, business
case development, organizational alignment and cost reduction efforts.
Kelly holds an MBA degree from the Fuqua
School of Business, Duke University.
Martha Bick
Founder
Marth Bick & Co.
Martha Bick is the principal of Martha Bick & Co., a boutique residential real estate firm established in 2002
and currently affiliated with Allen Tate Company. Martha started her career as a commercial banker with The Bank
of New York in NYC where she specialized in lending to media and telecommunications companies. In 1987
Martha joined Salomon Brothers as a High Yield Bond analyst covering the media industries. She later became a
High Yield Bond salesman during the nineties. She culminated her Wall Street career by founding the High Yield
Sales operation at Toronto Dominion Securities. Martha moved to Chapel Hill in 1997, where she enjoyed the
retired life for five years until launching her new venture.
Martha is married with three children: Evan (23), Phil (21), and Emma (15).
Patricia Pepper
IBM Americas Delivery Executive, Supply Chain Solution
IBM-PSI
Patricia Pepper (Patty) joined IBM in November of 2003 as part of IBM’s acquisition of Productivity Solutions,
Inc. (PSI), a provider of self-checkout systems to the retail industry. Following the acquisition, Patty was
responsible for the integration of these new product fulfillment processes into IBM. As Director
of Strategy and Innovation for Integrated Operations, her responsibilities included the development and
enablement of IBM’s integrated operations strategy, the execution of consistent sourcing principles, and
the delivery of effective innovation programs and practices for the organization. Patty recently
became the Americas Delivery Executive accountable for the Supply Chain Solution for the IMBPD
organization. As head of the America's region, she is accountable for all aspects of services delivery of
the supply chain solution to Fortune 500 clients. Patricia worked for nine years in the aerospace and defense
business for a top defense contractor, McDonnell Douglas, focusing on Procurement, Materials Management,
and Operations Management. She also has served as an executive team member for two companies,
driving top line revenue growth and operating/product cost reduction that resulted in sales of both businesses
to Fortune 100 companies (including IBM). She is a graduate of San Diego State University with Bachelor of
Science in Business. Patty is a volunteer in her community assisting in the development of fund-raising
activities. As part of the IBM acquisition she relocated to Raleigh, North Carolina from
Jacksonville, Florida
with her husband and sixteen year old son. She enjoys games of
chance (poker), traveling, cooking and spending time with her family.
Entrepreneurship Panelists
Slee Arnold
CEO and Publisher
Women's Edge Magazine
Slee has been in the publishing business for over 17 years as the Managing Editor of a regional business
magazine
and as a Publisher with Primedia, a Fortune 100 company. Slee is experienced in
leading successful
publishing teams and producing high quality publications. She currently serves on the following Triangle
boards:
United Arts Council, NC State University College of Management Entrepreneurship Education Initiative,
Association for Corporate Growth and the United Professionals Sales Association. Slee is a member of the
National Association of Women Business Owners and is also involved in Boy Scouts of America and the Raleigh Boychoir.
Syl Tang
Founder and CEO
Hip Guide
Syl Tang is the founder of HipGuide. Her consumer guide on uncovering trends and destinations is read by a
selection of
celebs (including Eve, Jay Z, Josh Lucas, Patricia Field, and Sarah Jessica Parker) and media (including the
NY Times, NY Post, Businessweek and Vogue) with a loyal subscriber base and a highly trafficked site
that is one of Yahoo and the BBC's recommended guides.
Syl is a frequent contributor on trends in fashion, travel, and restaurants for other print and TV outlets. Her
pieces on fashion trends appear in the Style section of the Financial Times. She has also been a columnist
and regular contributor to long-lead magazines with commentary also appearing in Forbes, Star Magazine,
AM New York, The New York Times and InStyle Magazine. Recently she presented Fashion Week from the
tents for Fox Television and is appearing currently on the Sundance Channel’s series on designer Ozwald Boateng.
For brands, HipGuide tracks trends and advises clients on marketing to trendsetters. Her 50+ clients include
companies in beauty, beverage, automotive and retail, such as Giorgio Armani Color L’Oreal, Kenneth Cole, Jantzen,
Diageo (Smirnoff & Captain Morgan’s), Moet & Chandon, Volvo, Remy Martin, MTV, VH1 and Volkswagen.
Prior to starting HipGuide, Syl held two roles at Accenture running structural planning for Global New Business Models
where her client base included Allstate, American Express, and USWest and applying a $3.8 million budget to building a
Technology Executive Recruiting department for Financial Services. Syl graduated with a Bachelor of Science from Cornell University.
Grace W. Ueng
Founder and CEO
Savvy Marketing Group
Ms. Ueng helps new ventures within Fortune 500 companies as well as startups optimize their chances for success.
She takes a very strong interest in her clients and enjoys sharing their passion and vision for growth.
She is a proven
executive with over 20 years of broad business experience with a foundation built on classical consumer
packaged
goods brand management leveraged into the sales and marketing of high growth consumer and business to business products.
Ms. Ueng served as a consultant with international strategy leader Bain & Company and then worked in the consumer
marketing division of Time Inc. After receiving her MBA, Ms. Ueng managed five major national household brands with
leaders General Mills and Clorox. She then held executive leadership positions with five high growth technology
ventures which collectively generated over $1 billion in investor returns.
Ms. Ueng is founder and CEO of Savvy Marketing Group LLC in Research Triangle Park, a consulting firm that
uses proven methodologies to help new ventures maximize their chances for success. Clients include companies in
consumer products, information technology, business services, healthcare, education, and financial services sectors.
She earned her undergraduate degree in management science from MIT's Sloan School and her MBA from Harvard
Business School. She has served as an adjunct professor teaching “Entrepreneurial Marketing” at the UNC
Kenan-Flagler Business School as well as in the Fudan International MBA program and the Cheung
Kong Graduate School of Business eMBA program.
Chair of the board of advisors for the North Carolina Chinese Business Association, board member of The Harvard
Club of Research Triangle and a board trustee for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, Ms. Ueng is a frequent keynote
speaker, panelist, guest lecturer and served as co-chair of the CED Entrepreneur conference. Past honors include being
named Business Leader's Woman Extraordinaire, and Triangle Business Journal's "40 under 40" as well as "Top 25 Women in
Business". Her personal interests include endurance sports, health issues, and community service.
Innovation Panelists
Karen LeVert
CEO and Founder
Southeast TechInventures
Karen LeVert is CEO and co-founder of Southeast TechInventures, Inc. (STI). STI is a technology accelerator focused
on migrating the most promising technologies from university research labs to the commercial marketplace. STI is
currently four years old with twelve spin-off companies in varying phases from prototype development to
companies with 20 employees.
Ms. LeVert’s business experience encompasses both corporate and entrepreneurial worlds with over twenty years
successful leadership experience in entrepreneurial ventures, executive management, finance, and information
technology. She began her career with a Fortune-500 company assuming roles from computer programmer, to
systems manager, to controller, to general manager of a 500-person business unit. Her first entrepreneurial venture
was the launching of a franchise bioremediation company in 1998 that focused on the eradication of grease, sugars,
and starches. After building a sustainable business she sold it in 2001. Before co-founding STI, Karen co-launched a
Silicon Valley venture-funded software company in San Francisco, CA where she served as Executive Vice-President of
Business Development. Karen holds an MBA from the University of Dayton and an Information Technology undergraduate
degree from Eastern Michigan University.
Along with her current professional duties she serves as a Board member for Southeast TechInventures, Board
member for Duke University’s Fuqua Minority Business Consulting Program and an Advisory Board Member of
Engineering World Health Organization.
Ruth Taylor
Senior Manager WebSphere
IBM
Ruth is currently a Senior Manager with management responsibilities for IBM's WebSphere brand strategic growth
initiatives, including Emerging Markets and midmarket. Previously, she was a Senior Strategist for IBM’s Software
Group responsible for cross-divisional strategies and software acquisitions. Ruth has focused her career
on identifying the most promising technologies and business opportunities and then driving the creation
of new technology-based businesses, including work as a venture capitalist.
Her educational background includes Masters Degree in Business Administration from the University of North Carolina at
Chapel Hill, as well as a Masters Degree in Computer Engineering and Bachelors degrees in Engineering Math and
Housing and Environmental Design.
Suzanne Miglucci
VP of Business Development
SciQuest
As Vice President of Business Development at SciQuest, Suzanne isresponsible for the development of strategic partnerships
that assist SciQuest in its growth strategies. Suzanne has been with SciQuest for six years, and was previously Vice President
of Marketing and Strategic Alliances, where she oversaw corporate branding, marketing, public relations and product
marketing functions for SciQuest.
Prior to joining SciQuest, Suzanne was Senior Vice President of Marketing with MicroMass Communications, a provider
of software and services for the pharmaceutical industry. In addition, Suzanne previously served as Chief
Marketing Officer for Filefrenzy, where she positioned Filefrenzy's uniquecontent management engine as an Internet
standard. She also served as Director of Corporate Marketing and Communications at Computer Associates,
where she launched and branded the company's Global Professional Services (GPS) division.
Suzanne holds a Master's degree from Colorado State University and Bachelor's degrees in medical
technology and secondary education from Fitchburg State College. Her recently published articles include:
Finding Common Ground: Using the Art of Community Building to Drive E-Procurement Compliance
Supply and Demand Chain Executive
http://www.sdcexec.com/publication/article.jsp?id=8884<http://www.sdcexec.com/publication/article.
Get Well Connected: Global e-procurement
Supply Management
http://www.supplymanagement.co.uk/EDIT/Featured_articles_item.asp?id=14561
Georgia Malki
President
Seven-Star
Georgia Malki is the President of Seven-Star, green experts to the event industry. Ms. Malki has over
twenty years of event planning and marketing experience and is deeply committed to transforming
her industry towards engaging sustainable and socially just practices. Born in Madrid, Spain, Ms. Malki
was educated at California State University in Sacramento, California. She earned her Bachelor’s in Public
Administration and has done graduate work for a Masters in Art Education. She began her event
career with Whole Life Exposition and Conferences in San Rafael, CA where she rose to be the
Chief Operations Officer. There she planned and organized the restructuring of company
operations and budgets of over $3 million. She standardized marketing and green operations to
facilitate ten annual consumer shows hosting an average of 350 exhibitors, 125 speakers, 30
entertainers, 350 volunteers, 75 staff, and 25,000 attendees per show.
Seven-Star is the sales, greening and operational producer of Green Festival, a joint project
of Co-op America and Global Exchange. They boast the first global example of a sustained
mass event waste diversion with the help of “green team” volunteers. Among its many events,
Seven-Star recently provided greening services for Live Earth in Rio de Janeiro, Shanghai, Tokyo
and Johannesburg, producing 85% - 97% waste diversion for those concerts. Seven-Star,
Inc. produces over 20 green committed conferences, tradeshows, consumer expos,
concerts and festivals throughout the United States each year.
Georgia leads the company with a passion for community development, commitment to green
education and an empowered staff to realize environmental stewardship and social ethics in all
their projects. Seven-Star has a focus on providing services to companies and organizations
dedicated to environmental responsibility and social respect (eR/sR).
Ms. Malki is considered by her clients as a partner to their business. She is trusted and respected
to completely represent their financial, operational and overall mission.
Corporate Social Responsibility Panelists
Lisa Shpritz
Senior Vice President of Corporate Workplace
Bank of America
Lisa Shpritz is a LEED Accredited Professional and a Senior Vice President of Corporate
Workplace for Bank of America in Charlotte, North Carolina. As Environmental Manager of the
Portfolio Group, she is responsible for environmental programs and compliance for the
approximately 96 million square feet of space occupied by Bank of America associates.
She works to integrate sustainability into the workplace as part of Bank of America’s commitment
to maintaining the workplace as a competitive advantage. Lisa also serves on the Board of
Directors for the United States Green Building Council, representing the Finance and Insurance industries.
Prior to joining Bank of America, Lisa worked in international environmental management,
managing risk for telecommunications companies. She was responsible for the development
and maintenance of environmental health and safety programs, ISO 14001-registered
environmental management systems and electronics recycling programs for facilities throughout the US and Canada.
Lisa holds a master’s degree in environmental management from the Nicholas School
of Environment and Earth Sciences at Duke University in the program of chemistry,
toxicology and risk assessment, an MBA from UNC-Chapel Hill with concentrations in
real estate and sustainable enterprise and a BA in Biology from Cornell University.
Laurie Racine
President dotSub
Sr. VP of Strategy and Business Development EyeSpot
Pat Nathan
Vice-Chair Sustainable North Carolina
Nathan-Groves Associates
Pat has spent the majority of her career in the high tech industry in a variety of roles. She has held global executive
positions with Data General (EMC) and Dell Inc. in procurement, services and her last role, forming and
leading Dell’s Sustainability effort. In this role, she was responsible for managing the balance
of Dell’s growth strategy with goals to minimize Dell’s impact on natural and human
resources. She was also responsible for strategic oversight of the Dell Foundation.
Early in 2006, Pat transitioned to a consulting role with Dell in order to move closer to her family in North Carolina.
She has since added additional Fortune 100 clients and serves as vice-chairman of the board of Sustainable North
Carolina. Pat is also leading a team to bring the nonprofit Dress for Success® to the Triangle. Dress for Success promotes
the economic independence of disadvantaged women by providing professional attire, a network of support and the
career development tools to help women thrive in work and in life.
Pat’s educational background is in chemistry and statistics.
Paula Alexander
CSR Marketing
Burt's Bees
Paula Alexander is Director, U.S. Marketing for Burt’s Bees, the leading natural personal care brand in the United
States. She manages the brand in the U.S. and is responsible for all go to market activities including media,
promotions, interactive and public relations. Prior to this role, Paula was senior brand manager at Burt’s Bees
managing new product development and advertising for the Skin Care categories.
Paula began her career in brand management at Unilever where she spent eight years.
At Unilever, Paula managed the $600 million Dove bar and body wash business. She was part of the launch efforts
for the Campaign for Real Beauty and Dove Calming Night, which included breakthrough marketing and branded
entertainment using webisodes as the focal point of the launch.
In 2004-2005, Paula was responsible for the turnaround of the Dove face care business returning it to
profitability and establishing an innovation plan for growth. She worked in a global capacity leading innovation and
strategy for Dove body wash in North America, Europe and Asia in 2002-2004.
Prior to Dove, Paula worked on the Suave, Lever 2000 and Snuggle brands.
Paula graduated from Texas A&M University with a BBA in Marketing in 1993 and from Duke University’s Fuqua
School of Business with an MBA in 1998. She is a frequent visitor to the Fuqua School presenting topics on
cause related marketing, corporate responsibility and sustainability and careers in brand management.
Perfecting Presentational Performance Workshop
Peggy Droz
Special Events Manager
Duke University's Fuqua School of Business
Peggy is the Special Events Manager for the Fuqua School of Business. She joined Fuqua from the Center
for Creative Leadership (CCL) where she was a program coordinator. She also was a facilitator for the CCL
Outdoor Orienteering exercise, a writer on the CCL guidebook “Feedback That Works” and created,
developed and delivered a seminar for CCL faculty called “Acting For Real” that was designed to help
facilitators use acting techniques to help improve their delivery in the classroom. Peggy has been a
professional actor for over twenty years, performing on stage and appearing in episodic television roles
and many regional and national commercials. She just finished her first feature film “Death, Taxes…and
Chocolate” in which she has a starring role. The film is now in post-production
and will premiere in New Bern, NC on April 20, 2008.
Peggy graduated from Florida State University with a B.S. in Mass Communications.
She is also a member of the Screen Actors Guild.
Peggy and her husband, Doug Quin, a sound designer and music composer, live in bucolic Browns
Summit, NC with their two very spoiled cats Playdoh and Saffron.