| Management Team |
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The BioVantage team is comprised of professionals from science and industry with a solid track record for commercializing technology. The team shares a common background in entrepreneurship and a vision to profitably contribute to a healthier world through the use of algae as a biological solution to world problems.
Team Bios:Sue Kunz
Mike Veres
Matthew DonhamAs Director of Engineering and Research, Matthew leads the engineering and science teams in product development, as well as leading the design and development of electrical and optical systems and overall system integration. He brings 20+ years of managing large-scale, design, development, and delivery of integrated computer and embedded systems, including medical devices, digital imaging systems, and inspection systems to BioVantage. Most recently he was the Director of US Operations for Aspex Semiconductor, where he managed US customers across a broad range of applications. Previously he was at Broadcom, where he was responsible for product definition, product line management, and applications engineering for a family of VoIP processors. Before that he worked at Sun Microsystems, overseeing a customer-facing team of engineers developing high-performance software solutions for scientific and engineering applications. Preceding Sun, Donham was a chief architect and senior unit manager for Picker International. Donham has a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering and an Master of Science in Computer Science, both from the University of Pennsylvania.
Ari Ma’ayan
Alxe Noden
As Operations Lead, Alxe is responsible for overseeing BioVantage’s finance, legal and other administrative functions. In addition, Alxe manages the research market for the company. Before BioVantage, Alxe was with Marpa Design Studio, where she served as COO, as well as overseeing the finances and administration of the company. At Marpa, she helped to build the company from $100k to over $5 million in revenue. Alxe spent her early career in corporate law, practicing primarily in corporate finance transactions such as mergers and acquisitions and venture finance. She also served as in-house counsel for Charles Schwab, Inc., with oversight responsibilities in the areas of marketing, branches, and mutual funds. She has done volunteer legal and program management for a number of non-profits both in the U.S. and India. Noden has a bachelor’s degree from Cornell University and graduated cum laude from Boston University School of Law.
Bernd Lutz
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As CEO, Sue is responsible for corporate vision, strategy, execution and capitalization. Her prior experience spans numerous roles including CEO, Founder and corporate executive. BioVantage is Sue's fourth startup, three of which she led. Her most recent company, Solidware Technologies, Inc., was acquired in 2008. Prior to founding Solidware, Kunz was a Director of Marketing and Business Development for Sun Microsystems, as well as serving stints as Six Sigma Deployment Director and Outbound Marketing Director. Before Sun, Kunz sold digital imaging solutions in Germany and held various marketing positions at IBM, also in Europe. Her international stretch started as Kunz helped set up the European offices for Boulder-based startup, Precision Visuals, Inc., where she began her career as a software developer. Sue served on Governor Bill Ritter’s Council for Innovation and currently serves on multiple boards and advisory boards including Boulder Environmental Sciences and Technology (BEST), SolTerrah, Impact on Education, Educate! and Summit Charter Middle School, and she is a Techstars mentor. Ms. Kunz is a recipient of the Tribute to Women in Industry Award from the YWCA, Santa Clara and a recipient of the 2009 Colorado Entrepreneur with Impact Award. Kunz graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from the University of Idaho.
As Founder of BioVantage Resources and technology lead, Mike developed the Algae Production System (APS) concept and has worked with the team to commercialize the system. As a successful serial entrepreneur and visionary, Mike likes to focus his efforts at the intersection between the scientific and business worlds and has a successful track record for bringing customer-focused products to market. Prior to BioVantage, Veres co-founded Surface Guardian where he headed a team of scientists responsible for the development and commercialization of three nano-polymer sealers and several environmentally safe cleaning products. Prior to this, Mr. Veres was an independent distributor for the The Turnils Group, a multinational corporation. Veres completed various science and business studies at Metropolitan State College in Colorado.
As Senior Industrial Microbiologist, Ari is responsible for strain selection to meet multiple application goals, as well as growth regimen optimization. Ari brings over 35 years of experience in biochemical engineering, microbiology and algae research to BioVantage. He has managed various projects related to the controlled growth of algae. He recently managed Tierra Verde Consulting, researching and designing large scale algae production facilities and processes for clients worldwide, and has participated in the design and research of various algae bioreactors. He studied multiple strains of algae to establish a large-scale algae research facility in at Ben Gurion University, to purify waste water and create animal feed additives. He was a member of the start-up teams for both Genzyme and Biogen, where he focused on designing, building and managing pilot/production facilities. He has also started various biology, medical device, and consulting start-ups. He holds degrees in biochemical engineering and microbiology from Hebrew University in Jerusalem.
As a Senior Consultant to BioVantage, Bernd's brings over two decades of experience in high-tech, C-level management, capital formation, M&A, and corporate development. He has held senior management positions with IBM, CableLabs, Sykes Enterprises, Intrado, and Provide Commerce/Proflowers.com (where he was co-founder & CTO; over $500M in revenues). Outside of high-tech, Bernd was an investment banker with Bathgate Capital, a boutique investment bank with a focus on middle-market technology companies. Bernd has a primary interest in applying sustainable, renewable energy technologies to the benefit of developing countries. Bernd holds a Ph.D. in applied Computer Sciences/Energy Economics and an MS degree in Engineering (solar & nuclear energy focus) from the University of Stuttgart, Germany and an MBA from the University of Colorado.
