Committee

Dr. Leon Alkalai is a recently retired Technical Fellow of the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), California Institute of Technology where he spent 32 years after getting his PhD at UCLA in 1989. During his career at JPL, Dr. Alkalai held numerous leadership positions and was responsible for the capture leadership of both the GRAIL mission to the Moon (2007) and the INSIGHT lander on Mars (2012). For both efforts, Dr. Leon Alkalai received Distinguished Individual Achievement medals from NASA in 2011 and 2019 respectively. Dr. Alkalai was also heading up JPL strategic partnerships and strategic planning for the Laboratory. In early 2021, Dr. Alkalai retired from JPL and created Mandala Space Ventures, a space-focused, Pasadena-based incubator for new start-ups in the emerging space economy. Leon is also the General Partner at the Explorer-1 Venture Fund which is also affiliated with the Mandala space incubator. Mandala launched its first new venture called Continuum Space Systems, a Software as a Service (SaaS) company for the emerging digital space economy. Mandala has two other portfolio companies in the studio; Viridian Space Corporation and Specter Aerospace.

Olga is the co–founder and CEO of a higher–ed startup. Born in a family of scientists, she has a degree in Biology from the University of California at Santa Cruz and an MBA from the University of Redlands. After researching autosomal recessive genetic conditions at Caltech, Olga worked in academic administration for more than a decade, bridging human resources, external partnerships, and academic divisions. In 2021, Olga co–founded Lucinetic — a SaaS company built upon applied language modeling.

Haig Bazoian has over 40 years of experience in Executive Management and Strategic Planning. He has worked with over 200 companies in developing Strategic Plans which include: Vision, Goals, Strategies and Action Plans. Most of these companies were in the technology, medical, health care and software industries.

He previously served as President of Xerox Computer Services, a provider of fully integrated, interactive manufacturing, distribution and financial on-line service and software. He held Executive positions in Sales, Marketing and Operations for Xerox, IBM and Litton Industries. He holds an MBA and a BS in Engineering from UCLA.

Ken Chalmers is a Strategy & Transformation Advisor with Ernst & Young’s Strategy Advisory group.  Ken works with the leaders of Fortune 500 companies to help redefine their growth and corporate strategies, particularly in the areas of market and channel growth, business structure and operating model design.  Through this work, Ken helps design and implement transformational programs that help companies adapt to a rapidly-evolving business landscape and successfully pursue new business opportunities.  Ken has an M.B.A. and a Certificate in Financial Analysis and Business Valuation from the University of Southern California, Marshall School of Business.  He received his BA in Economics from UCLA, and is also a licensed CPA in California.

Randy Churchill serves as Senior Vice President, Southwest Regional Manager for Avidbank’s venture lending division. In that role, he works with venture capital firms and their portfolio companies, providing flexible credit facilities and treasury management solutions. Randy began his banking career with Comerica in his home state of Michigan and later moved west to practice law with Latham & Watkins. Subsequently, he managed PwC’s SoCal emerging company practice for 12 years before returning to banking in 2015. Randy earned a BBA from Western Michigan University and a JD from Indiana University School of Law.

Lynn Foster is the Founder and CEO of Z-Field Technologies LLC. He previously held technology industry positions in corporate, entrepreneurial and government settings. Lynn previously managed the State of California’s CalTIP commercialization program and served as the Emerging Technologies Director of a Top Ten Law Firm.

Lynn’s primary technical focus is Nanotechnology. He is the Editor and Co-Author of the best selling textbook, “Nanotechnology: Science, Innovation & Opportunity” (Prentice Hall, 2005). He wrote the first Trade Study on Nanotechnology and organized many of the early knowledge conferences and Trade Missions in the field.

Lynn serves as Chairman of the Caltech Entrepreneurs Forum and on the leadership committee of TechConnect, a national technology partnering conference that regularly draws 3000 attendees from University Technology Licensing Offices, Corporate Venture Capitalists and early stage companies. He previously served on the Nanotechnology and Emerging Technologies Committees of the US Chamber of Commerce and on the Advisory Board of Finaventures, a Venture Capital fund. He had 21 years of active and reserve service with the US Army including service in the first Gulf War and Bosnia.

Russell M. Frandsen, an alum of the Duke University Law School, has extensive experi-ence in practicing business law with major international law firms and in his own boutique law firm. Mr. Frandsen has developed considerable expertise in high technology companies, entrepreneurial businesses and venture capital investing. In this connection, he has handled numerous technology startup firms, mergers and acquisitions, federal and state securities law issues, including public and private securities offerings, intellectual property licensing and technology transfers, technology joint ventures, securing and protecting trade secrets and intellectual property and related general business problems. Mr. Frandsen serves as outside general counsel to clients in the high technology field.

Investor and host of LA Venture podcast. 

Partner at TenOneTen actively investing in great teams. We are operators who invest early (pre-seed, seed, seed+) and love working with technical founders who are passionate about what they’re building.

Prior to TenOneTen, I was founder and COO at Shift, an online marketplace disrupting the $1.2T car industry by providing a better experience for buying and selling used cars. Grew to a $100M+ business and a recent Series D.

Started my career as an early product manager at Google. In my spare time I volunteer for city government, surf baby waves, and raise baby people.

Michael Krieger has practiced business and intellectual property law for more than 20 years, focusing on strengthening clients’ key IP assets to grow and monetize their businesses, using not only copyrights, trademarks and patents, but also contracts and careful diligence choosing partners. His clients range from start-ups to industry leaders. He also serves as an expert in technology litigation where IP, contract, and technology issues intertwine. With degrees in mathematics (B.S., Caltech; Ph.D., UCLA) and law (UCLA), Michael spent 15 years on the MIT Mathematics and UCLA Computer Science faculties and as a Fulbright Scholar prior to practicing law. In 1997 he rejoined the UCLA computer science faculty to lead a popular technology law and business course.
Michael has held positions in the California Bar’s Intellectual Property Section and serves on start-up and non-profit boards including the Caltech Entrepreneurs Forum. His writings include contract guides, most recently for the LA Times “Associations” column. He is Of Counsel to Willenken Wilson Loh & Delgado LLP.

Shaun P. Lee is a patent attorney focused on patent prosecution, especially in the fields of electrical engineering, software, and combinations thereof. He has patent prosecution experience in machine learning, data analytics, computer vision, natural language pro-cessing, and analog, digital, and mixed signal circuits. He holds a B.S. in electrical and computer engineering from Caltech and a J.D. from UCLA.

Dorinda Marticorena is a global marketing strategy executive who combines classic brand and general management principles, inspiring leadership skills, data and consumer insights, and the latest digital technology to reach and motivate consumers. She has extensive Fortune 500 company experience particularly in the areas of entertainment and consumer products.

Dorinda is currently a Principal at serendipity & strategy, a consultancy that provides strategy, brand management, digital marketing, as well as contract COO/CMO and board member services. From 2001 to 2015, Dorinda held positions at Warner Bros. including Senior Vice President, Worldwide Marketing and New Technology where she launched 4K Ultra HD, Digital HD, Blu-ray, 3D, and UltraViolet/Digital Copy products for the studio. Prior to Warner Bros., Dorinda held marketing positions at Nestlé and General Mills, where she had responsibility for leading food brands including Butterfinger, Nestle Crunch and Betty Crocker.

Dorinda received her Bachelor’s degree with departmental honors in Human Biology from Stanford University, and an MBA from the UCLA Anderson School of Management. She resides in Pasadena with her husband and two sons.

Goran Matijasevic is Senior Assistant Vice Chancellor, Alumni and Constituent Relations, and Executive Director of the UCI Chief Executive Roundtable. In these roles, he oversees and advances research collaborations and strategic initiatives associated with Alumni Association and Roundtable programs. Prior to his position at the Roundtable, he was director of research development at The Henry Samueli School of Engineering. Prior to UCI, he worked in research development manager positions at two electronic start-ups.

Goran is currently on the boards of OCTANe (Orange County Technology Action Network) and Southern California Biomedical Council, as well as the advisory boards of TriTech SBDC and 2-1-1 Orange County. At UC Irvine, he serves on the Graduate Division Dean’s Leadership Council, UCI Calit2 Division Council, and the UCI TechPortal Incubator Oversight Committee.

He has volunteer taught the Entrepreneurship Course for Scientists and Engineers in the Henry Samueli School of Engineering for the last nine years and has mentored several winning teams in the UCI Business Plan competition. He has four patents, and has co-authored three book chapters and over forty conference and journal publications. He was recognized by UCI Alumni Association as Distinguished Engineering Alum in 2008. Goran received his MBA from Pepperdine University and his M.S. (’85) and Ph.D. (’91) degrees from UC Irvine in Electrical and Computer Engineering.

Ira Moskatel focuses on the representation of businesses that depend on intellectual property or technology, including computer software and hardware, electronics, semiconductors, optics, entertainment, publishing, communications, and electronic commerce, with emphasis in licensing, mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, strategic alliances, and technology strategies. In addition, he consults regularly in litigation matters involving issues in the physical sciences as well as information technologies. Mr. Moskatel has served as chair of the Law and Technology Section of the Los Angeles County Bar Association, and of the Caltech Entrepreneurs Forum. He has lectured and written extensively for major publications on legal aspects of technology, electronic commerce and data security. He was a co-founder, in 1980, of Teradata Corporation, an NYSE company that is one of the current giants of data warehousing and is a current member of the Engineering Department Visitors Committee for Harvey Mudd College. Mr. Moskatel received a JD from the University of Southern California Law Center, where he was elected to Order of the Coif. He received a BS in Engineering and Applied Science from Caltech.

The committee is sorry to note Nick’s passing in January 2023: in honor of his founding and decades of support for the Entrepreneurs Forum we retain his biography here.

Caltech’s Obituary for Nick can be found at:

https://www.caltech.edu/about/news/nick-nichols-obituary

Mr. Nichols graduated from Yale University with a degree in economics and attended UCLA for graduate studies. He is an honorary alumnus of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech).

After experience in the aircraft industry and then in the mass media field, he joined the Caltech Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) and served in positions related to the planning and management of pioneering space flight missions. Other assignments at JPL included Manager of Planning and Business Operations for Energy and Technology Applications, Manager of External Affairs, and Special Assistant to the Director. During this period, he also was a consultant to the UCLA School of Business Administration and conducted research on R&D management.

For three years, Mr. Nichols was resident Visiting Professor of Business Management assisting the Government of India in establishing and administering the Indian Institute of Technology, now a leading center for research and education at the undergraduate levels.

In 1983, he was appointed Director of the Caltech Industrial Relations Center. In this capacity Mr. Nichols directed an extensive executive education program encompassing the management of technology and innovation, leadership development, strategy and global operations, and new venture formation. In 1993, the Center was rated third in executive education worldwide by the Wall Street Journal, and its programs have reached thousands of executives and managers each year from technology based organizations.

He is founder of the Caltech Entrepreneurs Forum in Pasadena and is co-author of Raising Money: Venture Funding and How to Get It, published in the United States and Japan. He was appointed by the U.S. Secretary of Commerce to the Board of Overseers of the Baldridge National Quality Award program. He also served on the advisory board of the Irish National Institute of Technology Management.

Michael Nilsson has been on the Executive Committee of the Caltech Entrepreneurs Forum since 1990. He is the former Executive VP of Sinclair Paint Company and retired USCGR Commander, with engineering degrees from both Northwestern University and USC. In retirement he operates Nilsson Rental Properties, a small closely held residential property holding company.

Mr. Nochebuena areas of expertise are in nanotechnology (nanotubes, nanolaminates, and nanoparticles) used for novel materials and devices. His start in the field began while working at Xerox PARC where he was mentored by Professor Cal Quate, the co-inventor of the Atomic Force Microscope. Since then he has worked with technologies developed by the Lawrence Livermore National Lab (e.g. Nanolaminates for Super-Capacitors used in energy storage), and Florida State University (Carbon Nanotubes for novel forms of heat shields and heat spreading technology). Other areas of expertise include semiconductors and opto-electronics including design and processing of laser diodes (edge-emitters, VCSEL’s & LED’s), OLED’s and MEMS.

Mr. Nochebuena holds BSEE and a Master’s in Electrical Engineering from Brigham Young University; and a MBA from Pepperdine University.

Presently he is working abroad developing solar and wind farms as well as other renewable energy projects.

Robbie Nock, the Associate Vice President of Entrepreneurship and Professional Practice at ArtCenter College of Design, is driven to educate and inspire the next generation of entrepreneurs, inventors, and creatives. With a background in photography, digital technology and startups, Robbie’s work focuses on the unique value that art and design bring to the successful creation and development of new businesses and organizations. As a teacher, mentor and advisor, Robbie works with a wide range of students, professionals, and founders, seeking to inspire unconventional solutions through collaborations across creative, research and innovation communities. He serves on the Caltech Entrepreneurs Forum Executive Committee, the Board of Directors for Innovate Pasadena, and as Co-chair for the Creative Advisory Board for the City of Los Angeles. With an MA in English Literature from the University of Edinburgh and an MFA in Art and Technology from the California Institute of the Arts, Robbie is a practicing visual artist passionate about the outdoors, surfing, skiing, and hiking whenever possible.

As a Partner within EY’s US Health Sciences and Wellness sector, Kenny O’Neill supports his clients (payor/provider/MedTech/LS) in developing Experience Led Digital Strategy & Transformations both for the customer and providers. He has worked globally on the development and delivery of innovative digital health transformations across all areas of the healthcare value chain with significant focus on chronic illness. His work has given him a deep understanding of the care continuum and of the true potential of human centered design, effective data, platforms, digital capabilities/products to achieve the quadruple aim.

He has helped the largest health organizations design and deliver the new digital future and how their organization will evolve to be a part of/or leader of the digital wellness ecosystem. Examples include Growth and Transformation Strategy, Customer Experience, Platform and Capability Strategies, Hospital at Home, Agile Organizational Structures, Product Lifecycle Models and Product Development – all centered on the new experience being demanded by consumers and providers.

Kenny is also a veteran having served in the Royal Air Force where he was a Pilot and graduate of the Royal Air Force College Cranwell.

Pandora Ovanessian is a CIO/CTO with entrepreneurial acumen that delivers measurable business value. Technology leader for startups, mid-size to multi-billion dollar global operations and consulting. Serves as a highly strategic and tactical contributor delivering on innovation and high growth for companies: Thermo Fisher/One Lambda Inc., Golden State Foods, NASA JPL. Technology visionary accountable for business empowerment through innovation, digital transformation and automation. Drives the information technology vision for the companies and leverages customer relationships to provide products and services that increase value. Executes on measurable efficiencies and cost savings that directly impact the bottom line.

Pandora has an MBA from Pepperdine Graziadio School of Business and Management, Managing the Information Resource Certification from UCLA Anderson School of Management and a BA in Business/Economics from the University of California, Los Angeles.

Joe Sichta is co-founder and CEO of VRI Studios, an entertainment production and technology company, and Public Pixels Media, providing production services for State and Federal agencies. He is an Annie Award-winning and Emmy-nominated writer, director, and executive producer for Warner Bros., Dreamworks, The Walt Disney Company, and Mattel Television, and is recipient of the Humanitas Prize for Excellence in Children’s Television. He sits on the advisory board of SonKsuru, a post-quantum cybersecurity company, and holds an M.B.A. from Pepperdine University.

Scott Sugino is a corporate partner at O’Melveny and specializes in technology-focused mergers and acquisitions, private equity and venture capital investments, and strategic alliances.  He is a graduate of the University of Chicago Law School and Harvard University.

Andy Tomat is the Managing Director of Four Pillars, Inc. which performs M&A due diligence to firms making investments or acquisitions. He’s an accomplished corporate development executive with 25-year track record of leading Fortune 500 companies (Teradyne, Canon) and growth through $1B’s of M&A transactions. Through partnerships he also supports mid-sized family-owned European industrial technology (“Mittelstand”) firms with their US acquisitions and investments in such sectors as renewable energy, robotics and AI.

Stan Tomsic is a serial entrepreneur. His experience in the technology and green/clean tech industries spans over 25 years. He was founder and co-founder of several companies where he held management, executive and CEO positions and his contributions helped make these companies leaders in the industry. He is Managing Director of Magna Point Group, LLC, a firm specializing in strategic assistance, business consulting, investments and mergers and acquisitions for technology and services companies. He was the Executive Director of PortTech Los Angeles, a business commercialization and incubation center for Port related technologies and was Administrator of the Business Technology Center of Los Angeles County, an accelerator incubator for high technology entrepreneurial companies. Stan is a Pasadena Angel, serves as a member of the board of directors and advisors for several technology companies, and is a member of numerous professional organizations. He is Chairman Emeritus of the Executive Committee of the Caltech Entrepreneurs Forum, Co-Founder and Chairman of the Business Incubation Network of Southern California (BINS) and Director of LA Metro for Cleantech Open. Stan frequently presents and speaks on entrepreneurship, incubation and high tech start-ups at conferences such as MIT Leadership Conference, the International Business Innovation Association’s (InBIA) International Conference, the TX Entrepreneur TEP Expo Conference in Tokyo, Japan, and the Global Clean Vehicle Summit, China.