EVC Speaker Series

Guest Speaker:  Frank Genovese

Virginia entrepreneur Frank E. Genovese is a Visiting Lecturer in Business Administration at Darden. He teaches the Second Year elective Acquisition of Closely Held Enterprises. Genovese is the President of the Rothbury Corporation, a Richmond-area investment company. He is also Chairman and owner of Power Distribution, Inc. and Everyday Wireless, LLC and the former president and owner of Sampson Coatings, Inc., AMF Bowling, Inc., and AMF Union Machinery, Inc. Was formally a long serving Trustee of The Darden School Foundation, chaired the school's Building and Finance Committees, and received the 1998 Charles C. Abbott Award in recognition of his service to Darden.

Genovese has taught at Darden since 1997 and has taught entrepreneurship at the University of Richmond.

Guest Speaker:  Frank Warnock on Micro-Ventures

Guest Speaker:  Eugene Haley, Wilmington Pharmaceuticals

Guest Speaker:  Doug Lebda, LendingTree.com

The EVC is still in the process of confirming additional guest speakers for the 2007-2008 academic year.  Please check back regularly for updates.  For questions, please contact Mellena Haile at HaileM08@darden.virginia.edu

• Dr. Vince Anido (9/22/06) - Dr. Anido has served as President and CEO of ISTA Pharmaceuticals since December 2001.  He has more than 26 years of multinational general management experience in the healthcare industry.  Prior to ISTA, Dr. Anido spent the previous 18 months as a general partner at Windamere Venture Partners in San Diego, California. Prior to his tenure with Windamere, Dr. Anido served as the president and CEO of CombiChem, Inc., a drug discovery company that was purchased by Dupont Pharmaceuticals in November 1999. Prior to his entrepreneurial experiences, he served as President, Americas Region for Allergan, Inc. 

• John Ledecky (10/4/05) - Mr. Ledecky founded Building One Services Corporation (formerly Consolidation Capital Corporation) in February 1997 via an ~$500M public offering and served as its Chairman until March 2000. Mr. Ledecky was Vice Chairman of Lincoln Holdings, owner of Washington sports franchises in the NBA, NHL and WNBA, from July 1999 to July 2001. Mr. Ledecky founded U.S. Office Products in October 1994, served as its Chairman of the Board until June 1998 and served as its Chief Executive Officer until November 1997. Mr. Ledecky is a graduate of the Harvard University Graduate School of Business Administration (M.B.A.)
   
• Art Marks (9/16/05) - Art is one of the most active and long-standing investors in the Mid-Atlantic region. Art has held senior leadership roles in operating companies, venture capital partnerships and the Mid-Atlantic region's technology and venture capital communities for over thirty years. Art has over twenty years of venture capital investment experience, including seventeen years as a general partner at New Enterprise Associates (NEA). Art joined NEA in 1984 as a General Partner with the launch of NEA III. Art is the current Chairman Emeritus and former Chairman and President of the Mid-Atlantic Venture Association (MAVA). His present board memberships include BDMetrics, Secure Software, Mobius Management Systems, and Trilogy, Inc. Art received a Masters in Business Administration with high distinction (Baker Scholar) from the Harvard University Graduate School of Business and a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering from the University of Michigan.
   
• John May (9/16/05) - Mr. May is a Batten Fellow and has expertise in the angel investing process, including how to find, negotiate, manage, and exit high-growth private investments.  He provides excellent insight into the mindset, skill set, and current market conditions best-suited for seed stage private company investing.
   
• Sonja Hoel (4/12/05) - Prior to being Managing Director at Menlo Ventures, Ms. Hoel was in business development for Symantec Corporation and was an investment analyst for TA Associates. Ms. Hoel is a graduate of the University of Virginia (B.S. in Commerce) and the Harvard University Graduate School of Business Administration (M.B.A.). She currently serves as a director on the Foundation Board of the McIntire School of Commerce at the University of Virginia.
   
• Dan Pink (4/11/05) - Author of bestseller FREE AGENT NATION and the new book A WHOLE NEW MIND. Dan is a Contributing Editor at "Wired" and has had his articles and essays appear in the "The New York Times", "Harvard Business Review", and "Fast Company".  He has also provided his analysis of business and social trends on media channels including CNBC's "Power Lunch" and ABC's "World News Tonight."