Winter 2007
Two More MBA Students Get Their Wings as Part of Alliance of Angels Fellowship Program
Alliance of Angels, the Technology Alliance program that advances early stage investment and entrepreneur education, has ramped up its activities in recent months with the help of two new, part-time program managers: Jacob Miller, the 2007-08 William H. Gates, Sr. Fellow in Innovation & Entrepreneurship, and 2007-08 K&L Gates Fellow Kevin Kirn.
Until this year, AoA historically has welcomed two new fellows – one full-time and one part-time, who take the reigns of day-to-day operation of the program. With former fellow Rebecca Lovell assuming the newly created role of program director and backed by a new fellowship in honor of Technology Alliance founder William H. Gates, Sr., AoA is now able to offer two current MBA students the opportunity to work closely with investors and entrepreneurs to create a supportive climate for growing young companies in Washington state.
Jacob is a second-year MBA student concentrating in finance at University of Washington, where he founded the Venture Fellows Program and serves as vice president of finance for the Business Communications Club. Over this past summer, he was a financial analyst at Philips Medical Systems in Bothell, Washington, assisting the company to streamline its promotion and new product approval process.
“Bridging the gap between passionate entrepreneurs and experienced angel investors has been a once in a life time opportunity for me,” said Jacob. “Working side by side with colleagues as passionate as I am about this job has really helped me focus my own career goals.”
Previously, Jacob spent three years with the York Hotel Group, now C-Two Hotels, in San Francisco, California, in a variety of management positions. Fluent in Spanish, Jacob earned his bachelor’s degree in political science and Latin American studies, with a concentration in economics, from Boston College and studied at the Universidad de San Francisco in Ecuador.
Kevin is also a second-year MBA candidate at University of Washington, where he is concentrating in entrepreneurship. He participated in the venture capital investment and business plan competitions, capturing the prize for best technology in the latter, and achieved first place in the Kansas International Case Competition and the Pac10 Case Competition. Before joining AoA, Kevin spent the summer as a business analyst intern for Vulcan Capital and has also worked on business development for Seattle-based Clario Medical Imaging Inc.
“The entrepreneurs I meet with are truly amazing,” Kevin said. “They each bring a different background, passions and skills, but all of them are dedicated to changing the world one way or another.”
“For me, the opportunity to help them move forward, while learning a great deal from them in the process, is truly an honor.”
Prior to beginning his MBA studies, Kevin spent 12 years at Microsoft, where he focused on incubation of new consumer products, development of photo and imaging software, and creation and roll-out of Microsoft Office-related products. Kevin earned his bachelor of arts in geography, with a concentration in geographic information systems, from University of Washington.
“Every day at the Alliance of Angels brings me into contact with another potentially game-changing technology or product,” observed Jacob. “Being able to add value by helping an entrepreneur focus on a specific market or strategy is incredibly rewarding.”
Visit Alliance of Angels’ web site: http://www.allianceofangels.com.
Advancing the “Virtuous Cycle” of Education, Research and Entrepreneurship: Highlights of the 2007 Technology Institute
Every other year, the Technology Alliance convenes a group of business leaders, heads of education and research institutions, and state policymakers to discuss the key issues facing Washington’s science and technology sector and how we as a state can bolster our long-term economic competitiveness. The retreat provides a unique opportunity to hear from state and national experts about our position in the global innovation economy and to discuss in depth how we can advance Washington’s future economic success.
At the 2007 retreat, a combination of keynote presentations, case studies and interactive panel discussions guided participants toward identifying strategies to position Washington for prosperity, focusing on strengthening the “virtuous cycle” of K-12 and higher education, research capacity and entrepreneurial climate in our state.
The College & Work Ready Agenda: Improving the Odds of Student Success
Last year, the Technology Alliance joined forces with a number of business and labor organizations across Washington State to focus on transforming our education system to prepare students to be successful in higher education and 21st century careers. Last month, the coalition drew a line in the sand on an issue that figured prominently at the Technology Institute: the preparation gap between high school and postsecondary education.
Let There Be Light: New Series Flicks a Switch on Nanophotonics
Cell phones no thicker than a credit card. Clean, inexpensive power whenever and wherever it’s needed. Computers that operate literally at the speed of light. All of these and more will be made possible through nanophotonics, proving that good things really do come in small packages.
Holding Our Breath: Dr. David Sherman of Seattle Biomedical Research Institute Takes on Tuberculosis
At the November 9th breakfast of the Seattle Science & Technology Discovery Series, Dr. David Sherman, tuberculosis program director at SBRI, discussed the spread of TB across the globe and how researchers are working to develop new drugs to fight this tricky disease.
Vision and Leadership for Washington’s Long-term Economic Success: Technology Alliance Welcomes New Members of the Board
The TA continuously strives to bring together visionary leaders from Washington’s science and technology sector to advance our goals of excellent education systems, strong research capacity and a robust entrepreneurial climate. We are proud to welcome five outstanding individuals to our board of directors overseeing TA programs and activities that strengthen our state’s competitiveness in the knowledge-based economy.
Stay up to date with the Technology Alliance
Make it your New Year's resolution to update your contact information with the Technology Alliance. Email Kristin Osborne with new or changed email, mailing address, or phone number. Thanks.
A new angle
Check out the new blog of the Alliance of Angels--The Angel Angle--providing an inside look at angel deals, entrepreneurial innovation, and startup activity in the Pacific Northwest.
