About
TECHCONN’s volunteer Board of Directors
provides hands on technical and business support drawing on the varied skills and background of the Board Members or by reaching out to the extensive network that the Board has developed. The TECHCONN Board is comprised of individuals that have started successful technology based companies, served as finance officers in start ups, serve as consultants to early stage companies, and are active in regional economic development programs.
Cliff Neal
(Chair, Secretary, Statutory Agent, and Director)
Cliff Neal is a founding member of TECHCONN and a former member of CONN/STEP (the Connecticut State Technology Extension Program performing benchmark assessments and deploying new “gap” technologies to the region’s small manufacturers). Cliff has experience for the last 20 years in the project and portfolio management of the discovery, development, and commercialization of innovative human drugs at Pfizer. Prior to that Cliff worked for Electric Boat and the United Nuclear Corporation in strategic and operational planning and productivity improvement programs. Cliff is currently a member of the Angel Investment Forum (AIF) and a fund administrator for AIF Seed Funds II, III, and IV. In this role Cliff has worked on forming, starting up, and administering the funds which have invested nearly $800,000 in almost 20 companies to date with minimal fees and no carry charges. Cliff has a Master’s Degree in Industrial Engineering and Operations Research from Cornell University.
Cliff Neal is a founding member of TECHCONN and a former member of CONN/STEP (the Connecticut State Technology Extension Program performing benchmark assessments and deploying new “gap” technologies to the region’s small manufacturers). Cliff has experience for the last 20 years in the project and portfolio management of the discovery, development, and commercialization of innovative human drugs at Pfizer. Prior to that Cliff worked for Electric Boat and the United Nuclear Corporation in strategic and operational planning and productivity improvement programs. Cliff is currently a member of the Angel Investment Forum (AIF) and a fund administrator for AIF Seed Funds II, III, and IV. In this role Cliff has worked on forming, starting up, and administering the funds which have invested nearly $800,000 in almost 20 companies to date with minimal fees and no carry charges. Cliff has a Master’s Degree in Industrial Engineering and Operations Research from Cornell University.
Gabe Stern
(Vice Chair and Director)
An early member of TECHCONN, Gabe Stern has over 40 years’ experience in the electric power field and utility and environmental regulation. Currently Director of Technical Services for CMEEC, a municipal energy cooperative. Previously Director of Research at the Connecticut Public Utility Regulatory Authority and Chief of Forecasting at the Wisconsin Public Service Commission. Gabe serves as a member of seCTer’s loan committee.
An early member of TECHCONN, Gabe Stern has over 40 years’ experience in the electric power field and utility and environmental regulation. Currently Director of Technical Services for CMEEC, a municipal energy cooperative. Previously Director of Research at the Connecticut Public Utility Regulatory Authority and Chief of Forecasting at the Wisconsin Public Service Commission. Gabe serves as a member of seCTer’s loan committee.
Dudley Molina
(Director)
Since 2013, treasurer and director of TECHCONN, a private, non-profit, investment company focused on technology ventures and job creation in Connecticut. From 1999 to 2019, the founder, president and CEO of ePath Learning, Inc., a pioneer in SaaS delivered learning management systems and professional services to organizations worldwide. Previous positions include vice president of Interactive Media Corp., one of the nation’s largest developers of custom, interactive multimedia training solutions, vice president at Analysis & Technology, Inc. and industrial engineer at Electric Boat Division of General Dynamics. Dudley holds an MBA from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and a BS in industrial engineering from Rutgers University.
Since 2013, treasurer and director of TECHCONN, a private, non-profit, investment company focused on technology ventures and job creation in Connecticut. From 1999 to 2019, the founder, president and CEO of ePath Learning, Inc., a pioneer in SaaS delivered learning management systems and professional services to organizations worldwide. Previous positions include vice president of Interactive Media Corp., one of the nation’s largest developers of custom, interactive multimedia training solutions, vice president at Analysis & Technology, Inc. and industrial engineer at Electric Boat Division of General Dynamics. Dudley holds an MBA from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and a BS in industrial engineering from Rutgers University.
Tom Gerson
(Director and Past Vice-Chair)
Tom Gerson has over thirty-five years of corporate finance, business strategy, and operations experience both with large, global firms such as Celanese, Allied-Signal, Sterling Drug and Sanofi Pharmaceuticals earlier in his career, and subsequently as CFO & VP of Business Operations of two Connecticut-based privately-held, venture capital-backed emerging life sciences companies spun out of Yale University and then a diagnostics company with commercial operations in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He has raised over $100MM of Venture Capital / Strategic Partner Funding across these three life science start-ups. For the past six years, Tom has been an EIR with the State of Connecticut’s CTNext economic development program where in this role he has worked with upwards of 100 clients in identifying, advising and growing these early stage life science, technology based companies.
Tom Gerson has over thirty-five years of corporate finance, business strategy, and operations experience both with large, global firms such as Celanese, Allied-Signal, Sterling Drug and Sanofi Pharmaceuticals earlier in his career, and subsequently as CFO & VP of Business Operations of two Connecticut-based privately-held, venture capital-backed emerging life sciences companies spun out of Yale University and then a diagnostics company with commercial operations in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He has raised over $100MM of Venture Capital / Strategic Partner Funding across these three life science start-ups. For the past six years, Tom has been an EIR with the State of Connecticut’s CTNext economic development program where in this role he has worked with upwards of 100 clients in identifying, advising and growing these early stage life science, technology based companies.
Nancy Cowser
(Director)
Nancy Cowser is Chief Advancement Officer at Mitchell College, where in addition to fundraising she is responsible for finding funding avenues to transform the college’s educational offerings to better prepare students for the evolving career environment, including entrepreneurship. Previously, she was the Executive Director of the Southeastern CT Enterprise Region (seCTer), southeastern CT’s regional Economic Development Organization. She led the organization’s three main services: facilitation and implementation of the region’s Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy, the small business lending program, and the statewide Procurement Technical Assistance program and was instrumental in developing and maintaining a strong partnership with the Economic Development Agency of the Department of Commerce. Prior to joining seCTer, Ms. Cowser was Senior Vice President of Strategy with United Community and Family Services, Inc., a Federally Qualified Health Center in southeastern Connecticut. She also held leadership roles at a Community Action Agency, a small, women-owned consulting firm, a local manufacturer, and a mortgage banking corporation. Ms. Cowser is a qualified federal grant reviewer and holds a Master’s Degree in Business from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and a Bachelor’s Degree in Finance from Boston College. She is the past Chairperson of the Greater Norwich Area Chamber of Commerce and sits on the Boards of Directors for TechCONN, the United Way of Southeastern CT, and the Thames River Heritage Park, and is a Corporator for the Jewett City Savings Bank.
Nancy Cowser is Chief Advancement Officer at Mitchell College, where in addition to fundraising she is responsible for finding funding avenues to transform the college’s educational offerings to better prepare students for the evolving career environment, including entrepreneurship. Previously, she was the Executive Director of the Southeastern CT Enterprise Region (seCTer), southeastern CT’s regional Economic Development Organization. She led the organization’s three main services: facilitation and implementation of the region’s Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy, the small business lending program, and the statewide Procurement Technical Assistance program and was instrumental in developing and maintaining a strong partnership with the Economic Development Agency of the Department of Commerce. Prior to joining seCTer, Ms. Cowser was Senior Vice President of Strategy with United Community and Family Services, Inc., a Federally Qualified Health Center in southeastern Connecticut. She also held leadership roles at a Community Action Agency, a small, women-owned consulting firm, a local manufacturer, and a mortgage banking corporation. Ms. Cowser is a qualified federal grant reviewer and holds a Master’s Degree in Business from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and a Bachelor’s Degree in Finance from Boston College. She is the past Chairperson of the Greater Norwich Area Chamber of Commerce and sits on the Boards of Directors for TechCONN, the United Way of Southeastern CT, and the Thames River Heritage Park, and is a Corporator for the Jewett City Savings Bank.
George Ryan
(Director)
George Ryan is a serial entrepreneur and educator that has served as a director on the TechConn board since 2022. George is the co-founder and CEO of Hatchwise, as well as the co-founder and CMO of Flocksy. He currently serves as the board chair for Spark Makerspace, which he co-founded in 2016.
George Ryan is a serial entrepreneur and educator that has served as a director on the TechConn board since 2022. George is the co-founder and CEO of Hatchwise, as well as the co-founder and CMO of Flocksy. He currently serves as the board chair for Spark Makerspace, which he co-founded in 2016.
R.T. BROWN
(Director)
R.T. Brown is a seasoned economic development practitioner currently working for Southeastern Connecticut Enterprise Region (seCTer). He has developed award-winning ecosystem development programming to help foster entrepreneurship in rural regions. Most recently, he has helped seCTer develop a business services area of practice and has managed multiple projects related to the developing offshore wind industry. Before work in economic development, R.T. worked with online technologies dating back to yellow page directory products – before the web!
R.T. Brown is a seasoned economic development practitioner currently working for Southeastern Connecticut Enterprise Region (seCTer). He has developed award-winning ecosystem development programming to help foster entrepreneurship in rural regions. Most recently, he has helped seCTer develop a business services area of practice and has managed multiple projects related to the developing offshore wind industry. Before work in economic development, R.T. worked with online technologies dating back to yellow page directory products – before the web!
Tom JARVIE
(Director)
Tom Jarvie has been involved in Connecticut biotechnology start-ups for almost 30 years, ranging in experiences from R&D, product development, operations, marketing, business development, and management. Tom co-founded Intus Biosciences (formerly named Shoreline Biome), a company that develops, manufactures, and markets kits and software to advance understanding of the microbiome. Prior to co-founding Intus Biosciences and running the company as CEO and later as CMO, he was an early employee at CuraGen and 454 Life Sciences and helped in the building and growth of both companies. As the CEO of Intus, Tom successfully raised capital from friends and family, angel investors, and venture capital. Tom has a number of publications and patents in genomics and molecular structure. He has a Ph.D. in Physical Chemistry from the University of California Berkeley and a B.S. in chemistry from William and Mary.
Tom Jarvie has been involved in Connecticut biotechnology start-ups for almost 30 years, ranging in experiences from R&D, product development, operations, marketing, business development, and management. Tom co-founded Intus Biosciences (formerly named Shoreline Biome), a company that develops, manufactures, and markets kits and software to advance understanding of the microbiome. Prior to co-founding Intus Biosciences and running the company as CEO and later as CMO, he was an early employee at CuraGen and 454 Life Sciences and helped in the building and growth of both companies. As the CEO of Intus, Tom successfully raised capital from friends and family, angel investors, and venture capital. Tom has a number of publications and patents in genomics and molecular structure. He has a Ph.D. in Physical Chemistry from the University of California Berkeley and a B.S. in chemistry from William and Mary.
TECHCONN Advisory Board:
Ed Von Stein
(Advisor and Past President, Chair, and Managing Director)
A Techconn Advisor, Ed von Stein combines experience consulting in the waste and process industries with education as a civil engineer and manager to offer practical perspectives to conversations with entrepreneurs about innovative technologies. As a Techconn Program Director in the 1990s, he participated in the evaluation of some 300 funding proposals, helped to craft business plans for about 2 dozen of those, and monitored investments in 10 products. After a period of corporate dormancy, Gabe Stern, Cliff Neal and Ed partnered in the rejuvenation of Techconn. Among his consulting projects are the authorship of business plans for an automated factory in Philadelphia’s Mantua neighbor that would assemble solar panels and for the first modern private recycling facility in Romania. He was principal investigator on EPA’s evaluation of the unique Collier County (FL) landfill mining technology. Ed partnered in the start-up of a Connecticut consulting civil engineering company, started an independent environmental engineering practice, and developed Techconn’s business consulting practice.
A Techconn Advisor, Ed von Stein combines experience consulting in the waste and process industries with education as a civil engineer and manager to offer practical perspectives to conversations with entrepreneurs about innovative technologies. As a Techconn Program Director in the 1990s, he participated in the evaluation of some 300 funding proposals, helped to craft business plans for about 2 dozen of those, and monitored investments in 10 products. After a period of corporate dormancy, Gabe Stern, Cliff Neal and Ed partnered in the rejuvenation of Techconn. Among his consulting projects are the authorship of business plans for an automated factory in Philadelphia’s Mantua neighbor that would assemble solar panels and for the first modern private recycling facility in Romania. He was principal investigator on EPA’s evaluation of the unique Collier County (FL) landfill mining technology. Ed partnered in the start-up of a Connecticut consulting civil engineering company, started an independent environmental engineering practice, and developed Techconn’s business consulting practice.
Kristin Harkness
(Advisor and Past Director)
Kristin Harkness is a tech entrepreneur based in New London. She graduated with honors from Wellesley College where she majored in Computer Science. She has developed software for over 30 years and co-founded her first company in 2003. Kristin was a developer, team lead, and VP for over 9 years at KAYAK.com, the metasearch engine that reshaped how people search for travel and then joined Drafted, a job-recruiting startup. Kristin is a member of the board of TECHCONN, and is currently renovating a building on Bank Street in New London for her latest tech venture, Bits and Pixels. Kristin Harkness has worked with middle-school students at Hackathon events, and she has tackled crowdfunding for Spark Makerspace. She is in the early stages of working on an app to help people with cognitive impairments be safe in the case of a fire. She has served on the board of advisors for the Thames River Innovation Place and is currently the Vice Chair of the Spark Makerspace board.
Kristin Harkness is a tech entrepreneur based in New London. She graduated with honors from Wellesley College where she majored in Computer Science. She has developed software for over 30 years and co-founded her first company in 2003. Kristin was a developer, team lead, and VP for over 9 years at KAYAK.com, the metasearch engine that reshaped how people search for travel and then joined Drafted, a job-recruiting startup. Kristin is a member of the board of TECHCONN, and is currently renovating a building on Bank Street in New London for her latest tech venture, Bits and Pixels. Kristin Harkness has worked with middle-school students at Hackathon events, and she has tackled crowdfunding for Spark Makerspace. She is in the early stages of working on an app to help people with cognitive impairments be safe in the case of a fire. She has served on the board of advisors for the Thames River Innovation Place and is currently the Vice Chair of the Spark Makerspace board.
Bruce Carlson
(Advisor and Past Director)
Bruce is currently providing consulting services to not for profit and municipal agencies to assist them in strategic planning and grant applications. Prior to his current work, Bruce was the President and CEO of the Connecticut Technology Council (CTC) the leading technology trade association in Connecticut. The CTC has 250 members and represents the nearly 6500 technology companies in Connecticut. Prior to the CTC, Bruce started a company whose purpose is to identify dormant technologies in CT industries that may have commercial potential and start new companies. He was the Chief of Staff at the UCONN Health Center for 11 years during which time he created the university’s tech transfer program, among other things. Between 1978- 1998, Bruce worked for 4 Governors, 3 political parties, advising them on economic development and environmental issues.
Bruce is currently providing consulting services to not for profit and municipal agencies to assist them in strategic planning and grant applications. Prior to his current work, Bruce was the President and CEO of the Connecticut Technology Council (CTC) the leading technology trade association in Connecticut. The CTC has 250 members and represents the nearly 6500 technology companies in Connecticut. Prior to the CTC, Bruce started a company whose purpose is to identify dormant technologies in CT industries that may have commercial potential and start new companies. He was the Chief of Staff at the UCONN Health Center for 11 years during which time he created the university’s tech transfer program, among other things. Between 1978- 1998, Bruce worked for 4 Governors, 3 political parties, advising them on economic development and environmental issues.
Nancy Cowser
(Director)
Nancy Cowser is Chief Advancement Officer at Mitchell College, where in addition to fundraising she is responsible for finding funding avenues to transform the college’s educational offerings to better prepare students for the evolving career environment, including entrepreneurship. Previously, she was the Executive Director of the Southeastern CT Enterprise Region (seCTer), southeastern CT’s regional Economic Development Organization. She led the organization’s three main services: facilitation and implementation of the region’s Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy, the small business lending program, and the statewide Procurement Technical Assistance program and was instrumental in developing and maintaining a strong partnership with the Economic Development Agency of the Department of Commerce. Prior to joining seCTer, Ms. Cowser was Senior Vice President of Strategy with United Community and Family Services, Inc., a Federally Qualified Health Center in southeastern Connecticut. She also held leadership roles at a Community Action Agency, a small, women-owned consulting firm, a local manufacturer, and a mortgage banking corporation. Ms. Cowser is a qualified federal grant reviewer and holds a Master’s Degree in Business from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and a Bachelor’s Degree in Finance from Boston College. She is the past Chairperson of the Greater Norwich Area Chamber of Commerce and sits on the Boards of Directors for TechCONN, the United Way of Southeastern CT, and the Thames River Heritage Park, and is a Corporator for the Jewett City Savings Bank.
Nancy Cowser is Chief Advancement Officer at Mitchell College, where in addition to fundraising she is responsible for finding funding avenues to transform the college’s educational offerings to better prepare students for the evolving career environment, including entrepreneurship. Previously, she was the Executive Director of the Southeastern CT Enterprise Region (seCTer), southeastern CT’s regional Economic Development Organization. She led the organization’s three main services: facilitation and implementation of the region’s Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy, the small business lending program, and the statewide Procurement Technical Assistance program and was instrumental in developing and maintaining a strong partnership with the Economic Development Agency of the Department of Commerce. Prior to joining seCTer, Ms. Cowser was Senior Vice President of Strategy with United Community and Family Services, Inc., a Federally Qualified Health Center in southeastern Connecticut. She also held leadership roles at a Community Action Agency, a small, women-owned consulting firm, a local manufacturer, and a mortgage banking corporation. Ms. Cowser is a qualified federal grant reviewer and holds a Master’s Degree in Business from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and a Bachelor’s Degree in Finance from Boston College. She is the past Chairperson of the Greater Norwich Area Chamber of Commerce and sits on the Boards of Directors for TechCONN, the United Way of Southeastern CT, and the Thames River Heritage Park, and is a Corporator for the Jewett City Savings Bank.