Presenters
Dmitri Dawkins
CEO
DM3 Fuels
DM3 Fuels is a new start-up geared at creating cost effective renewable energy to satisfy the needs of Jamaica and the Caribbean. Currently our main product is an alternative to Diesel Fuel, which will burn cleaner, be cheaper to produce, be renewable, and most importantly biodegradable.
Ramon Ashley
Software Engineer
Ramon has developed both web and desktop applications for companies such as Bits & Bytes Technology, while attending the University of Technology. In 2007 I received the Project of the Year Award from the University of Technology. Areas of interest Desktop Applications,Software Integration, GUI, Database Design and Programming,Components Development. Current projects 3D Virtual Tour, Electronic Health Record System, & School Management System.
Rohan Smith
CEO
Exterbox
BSc. Computer Science, Current MPhil Student, Web development and Linux Administration. Current project SMS Alerts application for developing markets applied in a new and innovative manner.
Dr. Daniel Core
Co-inventor/inventor
"Open Heart Surgery Simulator"
In 1989, Daniel Coore won the Jamaica (open) scholarship, and attended UWI for one year, in the then Faculty of Natural Sciences. He then transferred to the Massachussetts Institute of Technology (MIT) to study Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. He qualified to participate in the Department’s Master’s internship programme, and was selected by IBM to intern at the prestigious T.J. Watson Research Center. Coore completed his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in 1994, and also received an award for one of the best oral presentations of a Master’s thesis that year. He continued on to do doctoral studies at MIT, which he completed in January 1999. His doctoral thesis was one of the first results in amorphous computing, and is still influential in current research in self-organising distributed systems. Dr. Coore joined the staff of UWI, Mona in February 1999, as a Lecturer in the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science. He has taught several courses in Computer Science in all of the programmes offered by the Computer Science Section; has sat on several committees at the Faculty, Campus and University levels; serves on the UCJ Board of IT studies, and is a Fellow at the Mona Geoinformatics Institute. Dr. Coore earned tenure in 2005, and has been acting as Section Head for Computer Science since October 2004.
Rodger McKenzie
CEO
The Kingston Chronicle Ltd.
Mr. Rodger McKenzie is the Founder of (1) Jamaica Wireless (JW) a NGN seeking to bring disruptive technology with a disruptive business model in Jamaica and CSME. (2) The Kingston Chronicle Ltd., (TKC) Jamaica's first & number one alternative newspaper/blog that incorporates citizen journalism, investigative journalism, and critical thinking in bringing analytical, intellectual, factual news to the Jamaicans worldwide. (3) Parent company Kingston Venture Capital Ltd. Mr. McKenzie holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Economics from California State University Hayward and is a Calabar High School Alumni.
Panel Experts
Shobeir Shobeiri
Business Relationship Manager
Plug and Play Tech Center
Shobeir Shobeiri is a Business Relationship Manager at Plug and Play Tech Center. Shobeir Shobeiri was a founding member of Plug & Play Technology Center in 2006. He is the director of operations at the Palo Alto campus. Shobeir hosts monthly Web and Mobile Meetups with high level speakers and startup presentations.
Shobeir is an Analyst for Amidzad. He is responsible for bringing deal flow for investment arm by analyzing startups team, industry, and technology. Shobeir is the host of PAPA (Plug and Play Angels). PAPA is a new angel group that meets twice a month helping startups with advice and raising money. Shobeir is also is involved in the local community by being an advisor for the Entrepreneurship Society at San Jose State. He also is an advisor for an international youth television show called Iranican. Shobeir received his BS in International Business at San Jose State University.
VC Funding
We have established partnerships with top-tier venture capital companies such as Norwest Venture Partners, Draper Fisher Jurvetson, Sequoia Capital, Menlo Ventures, Battery V Foundation Capital and Accel Partners. These relationships offer a win- win relationship for both the startup and the VC community. Our partner VC's come to Plug and Play Tech Center monthly for deal flow and brainstorming sessions with our startup community. In some cases, our VC partners have offices at Plug and Play so our startup community has better access to them.
Through this partnerships we have provided our VC investor community with a first look at the over 150 companies that call Plug and Play their home. Since its inception in January 2006 Plug and Play Tech Center has helped the startup community raise over $450 million in venture funding.
Cheray Unman
Chairman & CEO
FounderVenture Bank
Cheray Unman has been in the financial community for the past ten years; funding over US$240 million dollars into both private and public technology companies. She co-founded the boutique investment bank Tanner Unman & Co. in New York City that funded over US$700 million dollars in public technology companies; some of these included 3DO, Radius, IDT and Spectrum Holybyte. In 1996 Cheray started Venture Bank Capital Partners www.venturebank.com to provide strategic capital and relationships to private companies in Europe, New York and the Bay Area. Cheray then partnered with Michael Schwab to create a venture alliance called Big Sky Venture Capital LLC. , www.bigskyvc.com. The focus was to create global strategic relationships and funding partners for emerging growth companies in the Media, broadband, E*Finance, telecommunications and E*commerce space. Michael Schwab still runs this venture. Cheray has been involved in the family real-estate business since college. Cheray received her undergraduate Degree from UC Berkeley in Art History; and her advanced degree in Art History and architecture from Sothebys , London. Her hobbies include antiques, art, fly fishing, golf, skiing and her four Keeshonden show Dogs.
Spencer E. Ante
Computer Department Editor
BusinessWeek
Spence E. Ante is the computers department editor for BusinessWeek. Previously, Ante was Internet department editor. Before joining BusinessWeek in February, 2000, he was a staff reporter for TheStreet.com. Prior to that, he was a contributing writer at Wired News, a columnist for Business 2.0, a producer for the Netscape NetCenter, and associate editor of The Web Magazine. He is the recipient of a 2007 Deadline Club Award from the Society of Professional Journalists and a 2006 award from the American Society of Business Publication Editors. Ante received a bachelor's degree from Indiana University and a master's from the University of California at Berkeley. His book Creative Capital: Georges Doriot and the Birth of Venture Capital will be published by Harvard Business Press in April, 2008. He can be reached at http://creativecapital.wordpress.com.
Kristina Tomaz-Young
CEO VCTV -Venture Cap TV
VCTV - VENTURE CAP TV (formerly known as SI with KTY - Smart Initiatives with Kristina Tomaz-Young) where we connect exciting start-ups on the rise with solid investors. VCTV is proud to feature: … provocative conversations with start-ups that not everyone knows about, but ideally should (!), … frank chats with smart idea backers (venture caps, angel investors and advisors) with impressive batting records who help finance and coach the start-ups, … wise wisdom from biz gurus (leaders of successful start-ups, whose bold ideas and strategic actions propelled their relentless, high performing companies forward), …and…our RODEO ROUNDUP video cast series rounding up the WHO and WHAT to know in the VC and start-ups sectors. We not only showcase their captivating stories, but also the challenges that occasionally pummeled them, the brutal truth about what it takes to succeed, and the HOW’s, WHY’s and “AHA!” moments that repaved their sometimes bitter, rocky roads into smoother highways. We’re action driven and scan the globe for ingenious start-ups, idea backers and biz gurus to find the next mastermind brain to pick for our interviews. And, to get you out there, VCTV invites you to send us your videos to post at VCTV for our growing network of investors and start-ups from around the globe to review. VCTV aims to be a valuable, useful, and enjoyable resource for the VC and start-up community. We hope that you come back and visit us again soon! Thank you for visiting VCTV. Together, we reveal the naked truth behind what it takes to start-up, keep up and rise up!
Anthony Ha
Staff Reporter
VentureBeat
VentureBeat as the name suggest is a top rated industry blog that specializes in following venture capital. Their monthly readership base topped over 1 million unique visitors in November of 2008. VentureBeat headline article feeds are also featured in The New York times Technology section. The New York Times is the largest online news paper within the United States. Anthony Ha joined VentureBeat in January 2008. He writes about enterprise technology, cloud computing, development platforms, and random cool startups. Previously, he worked at the Hollister Free Lance, where he won awards from the California Newspaper Publishers Association for breaking news coverage and writing. He attended Stanford University from 2001 to 2006, and now lives in San Francisco.
