leadership
Department
Department
phil weilerstein
president
Since 1996, Phil has been the chief executive of VentureWell. From the beginning, Phil’s focus for VentureWell has been to help bring socially beneficial applications of STEM inventions to market. He’s accomplished this goal by designing and overseeing programs that encourage curricular innovation and student venture creation, provide resources for faculty and student entrepreneurs, and develop community through conferences and workshops for faculty and students.
Phil attended the University of Massachusetts where he was a co-founder of a biotechnology company developing naturally occurring pest control products. He is a Founder and Past Chair of the ASEE Entrepreneurship Division, and a recipient of the 2008 Price Foundation Innovative Entrepreneurship Educators Award, the 2014 Engineering Entrepreneurship Pioneers Award from ASEE, and the 2016 Deshpande Symposium Award for Outstanding Contributions to Advancing Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Higher Education. pweilerstein@venturewell.org
allison bleyler
director, marketing & communications
Allison oversees the marketing and communications activity at VentureWell. She is leading the strategy to build VentureWell brand recognition and to promote and support VentureWell programs. Prior to VentureWell, she worked in marketing at a variety of corporations, including Yankee Candle and SC Johnson, where she developed a track record of employing user-centric approaches to uncover strategic insights and leading teams to drive business growth through innovation. Allison holds a BA from Dartmouth College and an MBA from Cornell University. ableyler@venturewell.org
chris desrosiers
director, finance
Chris manages the financial and accounting functions of the organization. Some of the activity he oversees includes accounting, grants and contracts, financial reporting and budget management. Chris gained his business and accounting experience as an entrepreneur primarily in the mortgage and real estate industries. He earned his MBA from American International College and is also a graduate of the University of Massachusetts Amherst, with a BA in sociology. cdesrosiers@venturewell.org
jennifer holme
chief of staff, sr. vp administration & finance
Jennifer champions a spirit of collaboration and open communications across all VentureWell departments and operations to provide leadership and ensure efficiency for organizational initiatives and priorities. She manages implementation of the strategic plan to ensure systemic alignment of the development, program, and functional units within the organization. She oversees the financial integrity, growth and stability of VentureWell and ensures that talent and technology act in support of administrative goals. Jennifer holds an MBA with a concentration in public and non-profit management from Boston University. jholme@venturewell.org
heath naquin
senior global and government liaison officer
Heath works on the identification and development of new opportunities and initiatives to support our strategic program goals, with a particular focus on our global and federal funders and partners. As part of this role, he leads the Global Innovation in Science and Technology (GIST) initiative on behalf of the U.S. Department of State and advises the National Science Foundation’s Industry & University Cooperative Research Center (IUCRC) program. Prior to joining VentureWell, Heath spent nearly 20 years working in the global startup, innovation, and entrepreneurship field. Most recently, he was Executive Director for the Southwest I-Corps Node at the University of Texas at Austin. Heath holds a BBA from St. Edwards University, an MS in Technology Commercialization from the University of Texas at Austin, is a Certified NSF I-Corps instructor and maintains a PMP designation. hnaquin@
laura sampath
vp, programs
Laura leads the programs staff in the planning, development, and execution of VentureWell’s diverse programs and initiatives. As a member of the executive team, Laura operationalizes new initiatives and leads the strategic growth of the organization. Prior to joining VentureWell, Laura ran the MIT International Development Initiative where she worked with students, faculty, and alumni to develop effective models of engagement in emerging markets. Laura has worked with USAID in Kenya and was a Fulbright Scholar and Peace Corps Volunteer in Morocco. She received a BA from the University of Connecticut and a MA in International Development from Clark University.lsampath@venturewell.org
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