Brett Dovman
Brett is a former entrepreneur turned startup attorney who is passionate about working with and serving innovative new ventures. He represents emerging and late-stage private companies in a broad range of corporate and securities matters, including private financings, M&A, strategic collaborations, commercial agreements, corporate governance matters, and employment and compensation arrangements. Brett also advises venture […]
Brian Tietje
Brian C. Tietje, PhD, is the dean of the Knauss School of Business at the University of San Diego. His decades of experience in higher education include service as the dean of the College of Business at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi from 2021-2025 and as a professor of marketing, associate dean of business and vice […]
Bill Kuncz
Bill Kuncz is a proven financial and operating executive with over 25 years of experience leading high-growth, innovation-driven companies as both CEO and CFO. He has built and scaled multiple venture-backed startups from formation through market validation and commercialization, with leadership roles spanning drug discovery, medical devices, AI, digital health, SaaS, Fintech, biotechnology, wireless and […]
Chris Finley
Chris is a partner in the audit and assurance practice at KPMG LLP, with more than 18 years of public accounting experience. He has served a variety of clients in the life sciences and consumer markets industry, with clients that range from global companies with billions in revenue to pre-revenue life science companies. Chris has […]
Anson George
Anson is a San Diego–based technology leader and currently serving as a Division Director at Interlaced. He brings over ten years of experience across military, telematics and IT MSP leadership. A Navy veteran, he first arrived in San Diego in 2012 during his military service and has since built a career centered on operational excellence, […]
Gaby LeRose
Gaby LeRose leads the Life Science department for employee benefits at Marsh McLennan Agency (MMA). She oversees a proprietary life science trust shared with Biocom, which brings together industry-specific companies to manage risk and provide enhanced benefits. Beyond life sciences, the team at MMA is dedicated to delivering top-tier employee benefits packages to employers across […]
Nikia Clarke
Dr. Nikia Clarke is the Chief Strategy Officer of the San Diego Regional Economic Development Corporation (EDC) and Executive Director of World Trade Center San Diego (WTCSD), an EDC affiliate. She leads strategy and program development for the organization and oversees its economic development, research, talent, and global engagement priorities. Clarke’s background is in global […]
Chelsea Hewitt
Chelsea HewittSenior Director, Regional Engagement & Incubation, San Diego, External Scientific Innovation, Johnson & JohnsonAs a key member of the Regional Sourcing team, Chelsea is responsible for proactively shaping and nurturing key San Diego relationships and stakeholders (prioritized academic research centers, venture capital investors, life science and health technology incubators and start-ups) as well as […]
Mike Krenn
Mike Krenn was CEO of the San Diego Venture Group from 2015 to 2019. He helped orchestrate the merger with Connect, serving as CEO until early 2025. Mike has been a regional leader in San Diego for decades, leading a mission to thoughtfully grow the innovation economy – for the benefit of future generations. With […]
Danielle Walker
Danielle L. Walker is the Senior Director – HR Strategic Business Partner at the San Diego site for Eli Lilly and Company. Over her 29-year career with Lilly, she has held a variety of roles within Human Resources, including Employee Relations, Investigations, Affirmative Action/EEO, Compensation, Project Consulting, and Operations. Her work has spanned key initiatives […]
