Ambassadors
- Paige Arnof-Fenn
- Beth Arnold
- Anita J. Brearton
- Celia J. Doremus
- Bruce Ferland
- Ruth Gerath
- Lauren Kelley
- Laura Kevghas
- Susan Kormis
- Ted Miller
- Amelia J. (Lia) Spiliotes
- Lynn Wahlquist
Paige Arnof-Fenn
Paige Arnof-Fenn is the founder and CEO of Mavens & Moguls, a global marketing strategy consulting firm. She was formerly vice president of marketing at Zipcar heading all marketing and sales activity for the company. She was responsible for all branding, corporate communications and corporate partnerships for the business and was instrumental in the fundraising efforts for this early stage company. Previously, she was vice president of marketing at Inc.com and responsible for promoting the company to the business and media worlds, and also for driving E-commerce sales before the company was sold to Bertelsmann. Prior to that she held the title of senior vice president of marketing and was a key member of the IPO team at Launch Media, an Internet start-up that went public in early 1999 and was later sold to Yahoo. She built the marketing organization from the ground up, overseeing all marketing, advertising, corporate communications, market research and promotion as well as their in-house ad agency/art department.
Arnof-Fenn has also worked as a special assistant to the chief marketing officer of global marketing at The Coca-Cola Company and held the position of director of the 1996 Olympic Commemorative Coin Program at the Department of Treasury, U.S. Mint. Prior to running the Olympic joint venture, Arnof-Fenn worked in brand management at Procter & Gamble.
Arnof-Fenn has been a featured speaker and panelist at the New England Direct Marketing Association, the MIT Enterprise Forum, The Commonwealth Institute, Harvard Business School, the American Marketing Association, Simmons School of Management (where she is also Entrepreneur-in-Residence and on the Dean’s Advisory Council), University of Texas, Emerson College, the Massachusetts Interactive Media Council, New York University, Women in Technology, Bentley College, Tufts University, Babson, The Boston Club, Youth Technology Entrepreneurs, Young Inventors International, various corporate workshops and conferences and she is on the faculty of Continuing Legal Education. She has judged the Dalton Pen, Web Marketing Association, Stevie Awards and was Jury Chair for ReBrand. She has coached other entrepreneurs through Springboard Enterprises and hosted online webinars to share her marketing expertise with business owners around the world.
Arnof-Fenn is a founding Board member of Women Entrepreneurs in Science & Technology and she is currently serving on the Alumni Board of Stanford University (Board Chair ‘09-’11). She is also the former Vice President of the Harvard Business School Global Alumni Board and the current Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Sports Museum at the TD Banknorth Garden, is an advisor to several early stage private companies and non- profit organizations and is also the past president of the Stanford Club of New England which serves alumni in a 5 state region. She holds an undergraduate degree in economics from Stanford University and an MBA from Harvard Business School. She is quoted regularly in the media, was a monthly columnist for Entrepreneur for several years, is on the IDC Technology Advisory Council, and a Time Magazine Opinion Leader.
Beth Arnold
Beth Arnold, a partner in the firm’s intellectual property practice, is a U.S. registered patent attorney with some 20 years of experience in obtaining worldwide patent protection for pharmaceutical and biotechnology products. She has received recognition as a leading IP practitioner from Chambers USA, The Best Lawyers in America, Massachusetts Super Lawyers and Global Counsel 3000. Her clients include top-tier pharmaceutical companies, as well as public and private biotechnology companies and medical research institutes. In addition to protecting the intellectual assets of these clients, Beth prepares and negotiates agreements that help them develop and commercialize new pharmaceutical and biotechnology products. As part of her full range of patent counseling services, Beth drafts non-infringement, invalidity and clearance opinions. On the transactional side, she performs patent due diligence in connection with public or private financings, mergers and acquisitions and other business combinations. An experienced player in the life sciences field, Beth served as in-house patent counsel at Genzyme Corporation and as Technology Transfer Officer at the Massachusetts General Hospital before joining Foley Hoag.
Anita J. Brearton
Anita J. Brearton is a managing director of Golden Seeds, an angel investment group that provides early stage and growth capital to women entrepreneurs across all sectors. In addition to her work with Golden Seeds, Ms. Brearton works with emerging technology startup companies as a marketing and strategy consultant, helping shape the go-to-market communications strategies that enable her clients to achieve their marketing and revenue goals. In this capacity Ms. Brearton has worked with A123 Systems, Airvana, Azuki Systems and others. She is currently the acting CMO for Altruik, Inc., a Search Engine Optimization technology company and serves on the advisory board of Connect2 Communications, a targeted technology public relations firm. In addition to angel investing and consulting, Ms. Brearton works with the Simmons Graduate Entrepreneurship program as a coach and mentor to first time entrepreneurs.
As a seasoned marketing executive with more than 28 years working in high technology, both in the United States and throughout the Asia Pacific, Ms. Brearton has served in senior marketing management roles for early-stage to industry-leading networking and telecommunications companies. Ms. Brearton served as vice president of corporate marketing at Sycamore Networks, where she took the company from its infancy through its highly successful IPO to become one of the leading companies in the Intelligent Optical Networking market.
Prior to Sycamore, Ms. Brearton held senior marketing management positions with Cascade Communications, Artel Video Systems, and General DataComm. During her tenure at Cascade Communications, Ms. Brearton successfully positioned the company as the market leader in Frame Relay and ATM technology.
Celia J. Doremus
D & A Communications
Celia J. Doremus is a Principal of D & A Communications, an integrated Marketing Communications and Public Relations firm specializing in the design and execution of strategic communications programs for clients in the a variety of industries, which include professional services, healthcare, information technology, environmental health and safety and the non-profit business community.
Ms. Doremus has over 20 years of comprehensive experience working with organizations across industry segments. She has particular expertise in:
- Branding content
- Designing and executing strategic communications plans
- Developing and implementing strategic programs for market targeting
- Managing multiple publicity campaigns with trade and national media
- Managing public relations through issues and crises
- Utilizing web-based marketing communications tools
- Creating special events
- Writing news and business articles and feature stories
Her previous experience includes 11 years with the international management consulting firm, Arthur D. Little, Inc., of Cambridge, Massachusetts, where she served as Manager of Marketing Communications for the North American Management Consulting Directorate. Ms. Doremus gained agency experience as a senior account manager at Trinity Communications, Inc., in Boston, MA and as Vice President and Senior Account Executive of Jaffe Associates, Inc., a Public Relations firm in Washington, D.C.
Previous to her career in the professional services sector, Ms. Doremus served as Director of Public Relations for a multi-institutional healthcare center; was a journalist and Regional Bureau Staff Reporter and writer for United Press International in London and Boston, MA.
Ms. Doremus holds a Masters of Education from the University of Georgia at Georgia State, Atlanta, and Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from the University of Georgia, Athens. She successfully completed the Executive Program in Business to Business Marketing Strategy at the Kellogg Graduate School of Management of Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois.
Ms. Doremus is a graduate of the Outward Bound School, Hurricane Island, Maine. She is a member Business Networking International, Boston, MA, the Boston Chamber of Commerce, the Public Relations Society of America and the National Audubon Society.
Bruce Ferland
Mr. Ferland has over thirty years of management, technology and international operating experience with small to large-scale financial services and technology companies including DarwinSuzsoft, Marsh & McLennan, Fidelity Investments, American Express and Electronic Data Systems.
Managed DarwinSuzsoft, an international offshore IT services and consulting company, from 2004 through 2006. He held senior executive positions including the Chairman, Chief Executive Officer, President and Chief Operating Officer.
During 1999 and through late 2005, Mr. Ferland joined Marsh & McLennan as the CEO of a “start-up” Internet Portal Company, Venture Partner of MMC Capital and Chairman of a start-up MMC Capital Internet Banking company. He served on MMC Capital portfolio company boards and also was an advisory board member for earlier stage companies.
From 1991 through 1999, he held various executive positions with Fidelity Investments including the Executive Vice President responsible for Fidelity.com and Electronic Commerce, Senior Vice President and CIO of the Retail Group.
Prior to Fidelity Investments, from 1983 through 1991, he held executive positions within various American Express subsidiaries including the Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer of First Data Corporation, Senior Vice President & Chief Technology Officer for The Boston Company. From 1978 through 1983, he was a Senior Systems Engineer and Project Leader with Electronic Data Systems (EDS).
Ruth Gerath
Ruth Gerath is an expert in managing professional services organizations, redesigning IT departments for optimum performance, leading (or repairing) complex, high visibility business and technical programs, and working with leaders to grow their businesses, achieve their goals, and re-energize their careers.
As part of a management team that built a now publicly traded consulting firm, Ruth has deep experience in the Account Management Lifecycle, engagement financial management, and in methodology development. She has lead global business and technical transformation programs for Fortune 10 companies, headed e-commerce builds, managed every aspect of a 200 person financial institution’s software development group, worked with clients to implement IT management best practices, had P&L responsibilities for a variety of groups, and coached business leaders to define their goals – and redefine their businesses.
In 2004 she started Gerath & Company to bring a highly collaborative and customized approach to working with clients. That approach takes a fresh look at each client situation in order to build solutions that fit the circumstances.
“Methodologies are like master recipes. Once you know them, you can adapt the concepts to the available ingredients.” – Ruth Gerath
Executive and business coaching grew out of working with a wide variety of clients in a broad range of industries. In coaching the focus is on a single individual’s career, business, and life.
So why & Company in the name? Because Ruth works with talented people and companies that can come together when needed, in a flexible manner, to provide solutions for clients. She also works with your staff – and that maximizes your dollar.
Lauren Kelley
OpExEngine was founded by operating executives with decades of experience in finance, sales, marketing, and general management. CEO Lauren Kelley founded OpExEngine in early 2006 after building and managing highly successful and profitable operations over 20 years in the US, Europe and Asia Pacific. In the early 1990s, she built Compaq Computer’s business in Eastern Europe from zero to over $350M/year. In addition, she ran sales and marketing for Borland Software for approximately 20 countries in Europe. As an executive officer of Art Technology Group from 1996 through 2002, she built worldwide revenues for the internet software vendor from start-up to over $160M/year through a mix of direct and channel sales while helping to manage the transition from a private to a highly successful public company in 1999. In 2003 and 2004, Ms. Kelley helped Softbank’s GrandBanks Capital evaluate potential investments in the areas of Internet infrastructure, software and software services, security and storage applications, media technologies and services, financial technologies and services, and wireless technologies and services.
Ms. Kelley has combined her operating expertise with methodologies from her prior life as an international economist at the US Department of Commerce’s Office of Computers to develop a comprehensive set of benchmarks to give companies the data they need to make optimal operating choices.
Laura Kevghas
Laura has over 20 years of experience in mergers and acquisitions, split nearly equally between investment banking and corporate development. Laura was a founding employee at Mirus and spent nine years working on new business development, as well as creating offering memoranda and negotiating transactions for clients. She was directly involved in the successful sale of more than a dozen client companies and prepared valuations of client companies in multiple industries. Laura rejoined Mirus Capital Advisors in 2006, after 10 years with Advanstar Communications, Inc., where she perfected her skills at buy side transactions.
At Advanstar, a leading worldwide business-to-business media company, Laura managed the company’s acquisition and divestiture programs as Director of Corporate Development. Laura and her team completed more than 40 domestic and international acquisitions, with deal sizes in excess of $200 million, as well as numerous divestitures of non-core assets. Laura was responsible for managing the end-to-end processes for completing transactions, from developing detailed financial models and valuation scenarios for potential transactions, planning and leading the due diligence exercise, and the negotiation of purchase agreements and schedules.
Laura holds an MBA with high honors from Bentley’s McCallum School of Business and a BS Magna Cum Laude in Finance and Economics from Bentley University, where she was a member of Beta Gamma Sigma, a business school honor society. Laura is also a member of The Commonwealth Institute and the Association for Corporate Growth . Her article “Thinking About Cashing Out? How to Create Value in Your Business” has been featured in The Commonwealth Institute on line e-newsletter and her published piece titled “Help! Someone Wants to Buy My Company” in the Boston Women’s Business newspaper She also is a frequent contributor to the Mirus Viewpoint published both on line and in print. She holds her Series 7 and 63 FINRA certifications.
Laura lives in Westford, Massachusetts with her husband and two teenage daughters. In her spare time, Laura enjoys gourmet cooking, hands-on home improvement projects and volunteering at her church.
Susan H. Kormis
Susan Kormis Associates
Susan H. Kormis, principal of Susan Kormis Associates (SKA), …your Human Resources Department, has over 20 years of experience in human resources and business management. She has successfully brought resourceful and cost-effective HR solutions to both start-up as well as established companies in numerous industries, including software technology, biotechnology, professional services firms, manufacturing, non-profit and financial services. Her expertise includes employment practices and policies, staff planning and recruitment, employee relations, performance management, benefits planning, M & A due diligence, and training and development.
Prior to starting SKA in 1995, Ms. Kormis help management positions with large corporations, professional services firms and start-up organizations. Her experience includes working with small companies that have multi-state and international offices. Ms. Kormis holds a BS degree from Drexel University, and received certification as a Professional Trainer from Friesen, Kay and Associates. she is actively involved with various professional organizations, including the MIT enterprise Forum, the society for Human Resource Management and the New England Human Resources Association. Susan has been a featured speaker at a number of local organizations, including the Burlington Business roundtable and the Business Plan Bootcamp for entrepreneurs, held at Boston University’s School of Management.
Ted Miller
Dr. Miller has over 20 years of experience in basic research and the commercialization of early stage technology. He has been involved in founding several biotechnology companies and was an Associate at a venture fund in Boston. Dr. Miller holds a Ph.D. in Molecular Biology from Harvard University and a M.Sc. in Cell Biology from the Weizmann Institute of Science.
Amelia J. (Lia) Spiliotes
Ms. Spiliotes is currently a Senior Partner and Managing Director of ValeoVox and has more than 25 years experience in new venture development in both national and international markets. She has served as an executive advisor to Fortune 500 companies in the healthcare, financial services, publishing, information technology, consumer products and retail industries.
Prior to ValeoVox, Ms. Spiliotes served in a strategic advisory role to emerging technology companies in the biopharmaceuticals arena at Leerink Swann & Co. working with early and mid-stage companies to secure financing through venture capital and strategic partnerships for business development and revenue growth. Before joining Leerink Swann, Ms. Spiliotes was founder and CEO of Predictive Sciences, Inc., an Internet start-up, employing new media and interactive technologies to advance collaborative care in the management of chronic diseases.
Ms. Spiliotes was also a VP and Director of RR Donnelley Financial, where she had responsibility for running the Healthcare Communications Business. Through her management leadership and experience with other firms such as Computer Sciences Corporation, Arthur D. Little, Inc., and The Alexander Group, Ms. Spiliotes has worked with clients to maximize growth and profitability of existing and new businesses. Ms. Spiliotes is a recipient of a Robert Woods Johnson Foundation grant to develop interactive health management tools for the Hispanic community. She received a B.A. in Neuroscience from Smith College and a M.Sc. in Management from the Sloan School of Management at MIT.
Lynn Wahlquist
Lynn’s primary focus is on customer acquisition and relationship management, deal sourcing, due diligence, underwriting, and deal structuring for Next Street.
Lynn has over 10 years of retail and commercial banking experience. She came to banking from the retail industry, where she rose to the positions of sales manager and assistant buyer. Before joining Next Street in 2007, Lynn served as a credit analyst, business development officer, and community banking officer for Sovereign Bank from 2000 to 2006. She was a branch manager at Fleet Bank from 1996 through 2000. During her tenure at Sovereign Bank, Lynn had direct responsibility for acquisition, retention and growth of both individual and commercial banking portfolios in and around the Greater Boston market. She was responsible for selling credit and non-credit related products, cash management, capital markets, and wealth management services to small- and medium-sized companies. Lynn also reviewed and assessed the financial needs of companies with annual sales ranging from $1 million to $50 million and lending needs up to $5 million.
Lynn holds a B.A. in Political Science from Plymouth State College. She is a golfer and proud owner of two greyhounds.
