Staff Members

Thomas C. Kinnear, Ph.D. Executive Director

Phone: 734-764-1388
E-mail: tckinnea@umich.edu

Professor Kinnear is the Executive Director of the Samuel Zell & Robert H. Lurie Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies. For many years, Professor Kinnear has served as an advisor, investor, and board member in start-up companies such as BlueGill Technologies, Avail Networks, and Network Express. He distinguished himself as the University of Michigan's former Vice President of Development and the Business School's D. Maynard Phelps Professor of Marketing. In 1997, he was awarded the Eugene Applebaum Professorship of Entrepreneurial Studies. Professor Kinnear holds a Ph.D. from the University of Michigan, an MBA from Harvard Business School, and a bachelor's degree from Queen's University.

Timothy L. Faley, Ph.D. Managing Director

Phone: 734-615-4425
E-mail: faley@umich.edu

Dr. Tim Faley serves as the Institute's Managing Director. Most recently, Dr. Faley coordinated technology transfer activities as the Director of Technology Transfer and Commercialization within the University of Michigan's College of Engineering. He marketed research products to industry and created start-up companies, based on the College's research and technologies. Prior to coming to the University, Dr. Faley spent ten years at Dow Chemical Company, where he focused on technology transfer and new business development and served as the financial officer of Dow's Technology Licensing business, dealing with licensing, JVs, and alliances. Preceding his career at Dow, he worked on the faculty of North Carolina A&T University, where students twice selected him as the outstanding chemical engineering professor. Dr. Faley earned his Ph.D. and MS in chemical engineering from the University of Notre Dame, an MBA from Northwood University, and a BS in chemical engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana.

David J. Brophy, Ph.D. Director, Center for Venture Capital & Private Equity Finance

Phone: 734-764-7587
E-mail: djbrophy@umich.edu

University of Michigan Professor David J. Brophy is director of the Center for Venture Capital & Private Equity Finance at the Zell Lurie Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies and a Finance faculty member at the Ross School of Business where he teaches venture capital and private equity finance. Dr. Brophy serves as a director and advisor to banks, money-market funds and financial-services firms, including Compass Technology Partners, Munder Capital Management, Continental Capital, River Pace Holdings and General Motors Acceptance Corporation Wholesale Auto Receivables Corporation. He also invests in and advises emerging technology-based firms. Dr. Brophy is the two-time winner of the National Association of Small Business Investment Companies Research Award, as well as a widely published book and journal author and a founding editorial-board member of three finance journals.

Thomas S. Porter Executive in Residence

Phone: 734-764-4551
E-mail: tporter@umich.edu

Professor Tom Porter is General Partner for Trillium Ventures in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Professor Porter has a broad range of experience in founding, managing and advising successful technology growth companies. He co-founded and is a General Partner Emeritus in EDF Ventures, an Ann Arbor, Michigan-based venture capital firm investing in early stage market driven companies in health care and information technology. At EDF he served as interim Chief Executive Officer for several health care companies in the portfolio, and was a founder of five: Theragen, Inc.; Coagulation Systems, Inc.; Matrigen, Inc.; IntraLase Corp.; and HandyLab, Inc. He previously has held Board positions for numerous health care and software companies and currently serves as chairman of Incept BioSystems, Inc. and Better Rehab, LLC.

He is active in assisting Universities and leading research institutions in commercialization of technology and serves as Co-Chairman of the Michigan University Commercialization Initiative ("MUCI"), and as a member of the University of Michigan's National Technology Transfer Advisory Board. Tom holds an MBA degree from the University of Michigan. Professor Porter's bachelor's degree is from DePauw University where he also serves as chairman of the McDermond Management Center board.

Paul Kirsch Program Manager

Phone: 734-615-4422
E-mail: pskirsch@umich.edu

As the Program Manager for the Zell Lurie Institute, Paul is responsible for mentoring Ross students through the business development process by creating programs that encourage students to follow their entrepreneurial goals. In addition, he provides external entrepreneurial experiences at intercollegiate competitions, trips to entrepreneurial conferences, one-on-one consultations with experienced entrepreneurs, and other events as they are scheduled during the year. Before joining the Ross School of Business, he contributed to the Tauber Manufacturing Institute's early growth through student development, team-based internships and recruiting, and building corporate relationships. Paul held logistics and consulting roles for the automotive industry for 11 years prior to joining the University of Michigan. He graduated with a BS in business logistics from Pennsylvania State University (1989) and an MBA from Wayne State University (1999).

Mary Nickson Marketing Manager

Phone: 734-615-4424
E-mail: mnickson@umich.edu

Mary is the Marketing Manager for the Zell Lurie Institute and it's Center for Venture Capital & Private Equity Finance where she drives and executes the Institute's marketing vision. She also serves as the program manager for premier symposia and conferences which build networks among and engage leading members of the global entrepreneurial, venture capital and private equity investment community. These include the annual Entrepalooza Symposium, Michigan Growth Capital Symposium, and the Michigan Global Private Equity Conference, in addition to other activities. After successfully employing her creative approach to her own conference management and event business in the Ann Arbor and Detroit areas, Mary came to the Business School in 2000. Prior to this, she gained several years' worth of rewarding experience at Yachting Magazine in New York. She received her BA in marketing from Michigan State University.

Marybeth Davis Program Assistant

Phone: 734-615-4428
E-mail: mbdavis@umich.edu

Marybeth serves as program assistant for event management activities at the Institute. Before joining the Institute, Marybeth coordinated the Annual Business Conference for the Business School's Alumni Relations office. Previously, she led her own public relations firm, worked as a product development specialist for Lovejoy Tiffany's Incentive Division and served as a volunteer manager for the St. Joseph Mercy Health System. Marybeth has also served as the managing editor of two weekly Chicago newspapers owned by Time, Inc. She received her bachelor's degree in journalism form the University of Missouri.

Carolyn M. Maguire Administrator

Phone: 734-615-4419
E-mail: cmaguire@umich.edu

Carolyn has more than 18 years of experience at the Ross School of Business. Prior to joining the Institute she was academic support for 12 faculty members across five departments and for the CEMP program which has grown to become the ERB Institute. Carolyn is responsible for all primary correspondence and communication and for all University reporting and financial functions. Carolyn has an Associates Degree from Washtenaw Community College and has been pursuing her business degree at Eastern Michigan University.

Rachel A. Ulrich Program Coordinator

Phone: 734-615-4423
E-mail: rachelul@umich.edu

Rachel serves as the Program Coordinator for the Zell Lurie Institute where she supports the development and execution of a wide range of student programs. Previously, Rachel was active in Ohio politics where she served as a volunteer coordinator for a political organization and was recruited as a legislative aide in the Ohio House of Representatives. She received her BA in psychology from the Ohio State University.