For over 5 years, Ms. Popolo held various roles with the Northeast Cleantech Open, an accelerator and competition for cleantech startups (formerly Ignite Clean Energy competition) most recently as Startup Recruitment Chair. Joan brings an understanding of the unique needs of early-stage companies and helps to identify and provide resources to support their growth across the region. Through her prior work at BioTechnica International, an early-stage biotechnology company and as a former small business owner of J. Popolo Design, a sustainable landscape design and consulting firm, she brings relationship-building and operational skills and entrepreneurial and creative problem solving experience to her work. She holds a B.S. from Cornell University and a M.S. from Michigan State University, both in the plant sciences.

Mr. Hanson contributes his expertise to program development and management, and to cultivating partner relationships. Michael has over 12 years business development experience and is committed to helping organizations achieve growth goals and efficiently deliver solutions. He identifies catalysts that create opportunities for the growth of startups and organizations, connecting business leaders with expertise that help them advance their businesses. Michael previously held several sales and relationship management positions in the financial services industry, building relationships with investment advisors. He holds a B.A. from Bucknell University.

Cliff is a visionary senior technology leader, entrepreneur, angel investor, and advisor with extensive experience in creating, building, and transforming organizations in the USA, India, and China at both Fortune 500 companies and startups. He is highly recognized and skilled in leveraging innovative technologies that generate sustained revenue growth. Cliff has over twenty years’ experience in developing Medical Devices. He holds bachelor degrees in mechanical and electrical engineering and a masters degree in management engineering (his “MBA for Geeks”). He is currently the CEO of IIOT-OXYS, Inc., founder of Accelerated Healthcare Innovations, LLC, and a Boston Harbor Angel member.

Ms. Logan is the Director of TechPlace, a manufacturing technology incubator, for the Midcoast Regional Redevelopment Authority. In this role, Jaimie works with start-up and early-stage companies in the aviation/aerospace, composites/advanced materials, CleanTech, BioTech, IT, and education sectors and works one-on-one to support them in their desire to grow. In addition to her facility management and marketing duties, Ms. Logan works with members to assist them in in identifying and analyzing business issues and developing strategies to help meet their goals. She also provides TechPlace businesses with access to in-house business resources by coordinating workshops, seminars, courses, and networking events on topics relevant to business growth and development.

Jaimie Logan grew up in Michigan, where she practiced admiralty law for several years before leaving the law to pursue other interests, including finance and event management. A constant visitor to Maine for several decades, Logan moved to Maine in 1994 to become the Executive Director of the Boothbay Harbor Region Chamber of Commerce where she developed expertise in leadership, marketing and management working with a wide variety of local and regional businesses, non-profits, municipalities, state and regional tourism partners, and economic development organizations.
After 16+ years at the Chamber, Logan joined the Maine Department of Economic and Community Development as a Governor’s Account Executive and worked collaboratively across state and local governments and the economic development community to help resolve business-related issues and match businesses with the resources and assistance that they required to succeed and grow. Her service territory included Lincoln, Knox, Waldo, Sagadahoc and Penobscot Counties, and Greenville in upper Piscataquis County.

Jaimie currently sits on the board of the ACTION Innovation Network and is a member of the Midcoast Economic Development Steering Committee (MCEDC) Advisory Committee. Her past service includes chair of the Lincoln County Economic Development Office Advisory Committee and the Boothbay Region Student Aid Fund, and she was the Mid Coast representative to the Maine Tourism Commission. In 2000, Logan was recognized by the Maine State Chamber of Commerce as the Chamber Executive of the Year and received the Small Business Administration’s Financial Champion Award in 2017. In addition, she has served on the boards of the Boothbay Region Community Television Channel 7, Fishermen’s Memorial Fund, the Wiscasset Route One Bypass PAC and Bypass Task Force, and the Boothbay Harbor Comprehensive Plan Committee.

Ms. Logan holds a BA in English from Albion College, as well as a Juris Doctor degree from the Detroit College of Law (now Michigan State University College of Law) and a degree in organizational management from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Institute for Organizational Management.

Dr. Petrovic brings more than 30 years’ experience in providing entrepreneurial expertise in both the private and public sectors. He is skilled at managing technical and economic evaluations of new ventures and directing product development across a range of industries. At UMass, he managed the Lowell University Research Foundation and the Dartmouth Advanced Technology & Manufacturing Center commercialization programs for university owned intellectual property, demonstrated in six outstanding technology based start-up companies.

Currently as President of Resource Associates Inc. (RAI) he delivers business and technical expertise in start-up and emerging business management, marketing, and investor sourcing.

• Master degree in Economics and Finance
• 3 years experience as controller, 10 years in the risk management arena, 2 of which as Credit Analyst and 5 abroad (London) as Credit Manager in different sectors: factoring, corporate banking and payment services.
• Since 2001 managed teams of various dimensions (up to 15 people) also in international environment.
• Between 2001 and 2004 working as Due Diligence manager of a regional development agency managing an investment portfolio of €50ml.
• 3 years Operations Manager of Progetto Manifattura, the first italian cleantech incubator, coordinating a team of 6 people and managing a €2ml year budget.
• Currently General Manager at STEP Tech Park, Treviglio, Lombardy, Italy.
• Mentor of about 80 companies in 3 years.
• Association of Cleantech Incubators of New England (Boston) board member.

Jon is the President & CEO of Massachusetts Biomedical Initiatives (MBI), the longest running life science business incubator in the Commonwealth and serving as an economic development catalyst. MBI operates four StartUp & ScaleUp Center incubator facilities totaling 50,000 SF and has helped launch over 100 companies that have created nearly 900 jobs in the Commonwealth. As an economic development advocate, MBI serves on the City of Worcester’s Economic Development Coordinating Council and supported the development of the Reactory Biomanufacturing Park, Gateway Park, UMass Medicine Science Park, & Redstone Center. MBI also supports the Increasing Diversity in STEM Workforce Initiative, a partnership of MBI, the Massachusetts Office of Business Development, Worcester State University & Quinsigamond Community College.

Jon received his Bachelor’s and MBA from Assumption University. He previously served as Vice President, Real Estate at MassDevelopment and Senior Project Manager at the Worcester Business Development Corporation. Prior to assuming the role of President & CEO, Jon served as the Chief Operating Officer of MBI for four years. Jon is a current Board Member of Assumption University, the Worcester Regional Research Bureau, the Venture Forum, Berkshire Bank Central MA Advisory Board, Grafton Community Advisory Group, and Alumni Advisor to the Worcester Student Government Association.

Mr. Yaksick is a financial economist and investment banker specializing in financing and mentoring clean tech startups. During the course of his 15 years of international finance experience, he designed Venture Capital and Private Equity Funds targeting: Small-Scale Hydropower (Nepal), Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (Saudi Arabia), and Infrastructure (US$ 500 Million Fund launched in June 2009). He has in-depth knowledge of private placement financing gained while structuring Private Equity (TMT) transactions for a Kuwaiti Investment Bank. Currently, Rudy sources and structures clean-tech financing deals for HP-Securities (Portland, Oregon).

Prior to joining (2017) the Finance Department Faculty at the Temple University-Fox School of Business, Rudy
taught Corporate and Entrepreneurial Finance to Chinese undergraduates attending Wenzhou-Kean University in Wenzhou, China. In that capacity, he managed the Shark Tank Event. He also designed and taught the Start-Up Workshop, using Lean Start-Up principles and MIT’s Disciplined Entrepreneurship road map. Prior to relocating to China, Rudy mentored MIT Sloan MBA students launching new ventures with the support of the MIT Legatum Center for Development and Entrepreneurship.

Mr. Yaksick holds the General Securities Representative Licenses (FINRA Series 7 & 66). He earned the M.A. and Ph.D. (ABD) degrees from the University of Pennsylvania, where he was a Wharton Research Fellow.

Dr. Ramkumar is passionate about accelerating the adoption and diffusion of innovations and initiatives that reduce environmental impact and create positive social impact.

He has over 10 years of experience in sustainability and circular economy, working with organizations in Europe and the United States, as well as interacting with organizations in Japan. Dr. Ramkumar holds a PhD in Economic Sociology from the University of Milan, where his research focused on using sociology and social network theories to identify key partners and prospects who can create network effects that accelerate adoption of circular and sustainable innovations.

He also holds a Masters Degree in Industrial Ecology and experience using material flow analysis, life cycle analysis and input-output analysis to generate a systemic view of resource use and impacts, and identify opportunities to create and design more closed-loop solutions that minimize resource needs and reduce the generation of waste.